Shows
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRPS NEWS! Plus Dire wolves? We chat about bringing things back from earlier periods in history. What would YOU bring back?Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswordsBuy UPRISING, this week's sponsor from Paul Bernardi! Buy link for Paul Bernardi's book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F38L728ZWe don’t have a guest today, instead Steven and I are going to talk about something that has been in the news this week and its impact on history and how we perceive the finality of historical even...2025-04-2545 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBook cover design! Oliver Bennett from MORE VISUAL joins us to discuss current and future trends and the threat (or otherwise) of AI to creatives.Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Our guest today has designed countless book covers, including all of Steven’s independently published books! Oliver Bennett is a graphic designer and co-founder of MoreVisual, a graphic design and digital media company based in Leicester, England. Founded in 2013, More Visual specialises in a wide range of graphic design services such as website design, logo design, and corporate identity design. You can find everything a wri...2025-04-111h 07
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastJason Kingsley OBE - Modern History TV & Rebellion - Judge Dredd, 2000AD, Sniper Elite & more!Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/RockPaperSwords Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast Buy us a beer and get a shoutout by heading to buymeacoffee.com/rockpaperswords Our guest today is Jason Kingsley, an incredibly successful businessman and a technologist who is also obsessed with the past. He is CEO of Rebellion Developments, game developers responsible for such games as Alien Vs Predator and the hugely popular Sniper Elite. Rebellion Publishing purchased 2000AD in 2000, and publishes comics featuring some amazing characters such as Judge Dredd, Strontium Dog, Roy of the Rovers, and Slaine.2025-04-041h 10
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastA Man Dies But Once - Matthew has a new novella OUT NOW!Matthew Harffy has a brand new Western novella out NOW, and it's a prequel to his novel DARK FRONTIER. Buy it on Amazon, but first give this episode a listen, it's a good laugh.https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-Dies-But-Once-Frontier-ebook/dp/B0DYJV6KF12025-03-0710 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastWriting for videogames/writing exciting novels - we discuss two great topics today!Support us on Patreon from just £1 per month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Today we're going to cover a couple of subjects. One that will be of use to all aspiring writers and anyone who is interested in the mechanics of writing a page-turner. The other will be interesting to anyone who would like to see behind the scenes of the production of a high-end computer game. In this case, HOOD, the game Steven worked on a few years ago. I’ve always loved games, so I am looking forward to learning more about the process of its...2025-02-281h 08
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastLong live the King! King of Wessex is out now.KING OF WESSEX is out today! You can now buy the whole trilogy in paperback or on Kindle . Steven is really excited to see what people think of the way the story ends ... UK LINKUSA LINK2025-02-2103 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastGiles Kristian - Camelot, Lancelot, Vikings, boy bands and more!Please support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month and get bonus episodes including exclusive updates on the creation of our 2025 Xmas novella: patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
We're republishing this classic episode as we'll be doing a panel with Giles and Patricia Bracewell on February 8th with the HISTORY QUILL CONVENTION.
During the 90s Giles Kristian was lead singer of pop group Upside Down, achieving four top twenty hit records! As a singer-songwriter he lived and toured for two years in Europe and has made music videos all over the world.
Giles i...2025-02-071h 13
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMatthew's new book - Shadows of the Slain out Dec 5th!Matthew Harffy has a new book out on December 5th called Shadows of the Slain. We chat about it in this episode, and you can buy it at the link below!
Buy the book: https://mybook.to/ShadowsOfTheSlain
Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X https://twitter.com/rock_swords
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
2024-11-2924 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastIan Mortimer - Time Traveller's Guides, oldest pubs in England & tons more!Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Dr Ian Mortimer is best known as the Sunday Times-bestselling author of the four Time Traveller's Guides - to Medieval England, Elizabethan England, Restoration Britain and Regency Britain - as well as four critically acclaimed medieval biographies, a prize-winning novel and several other titles. His books have been translated into sixteen languages. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He has been described by The Times as 'the most remarkable medieval historian of our time'. He lives in Devon, where...2024-11-221h 21
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastThe Heretic of Haltemprice Priory RELEASE DAY!https://mybook.to/HereticPriory
Steven's new winter novella is out today! Well, it's actually TWO stories in one collection - The Heretic of Haltemprice Priory is the main story, a novella that sees Tuck, Will and Little John joining forces again to investigate some eldritch happenings at a medieval priory just before Xmas. The second tale, The Christmas Hunt, features Tuck and John searching for Will who's gone missing after chasing some thieves off his farm during a snowstorm on Xmas Eve.
Find out a little bit more about the stories in this bonus episode and please...2024-11-1507 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastGuy Windsor - The Sword Guy talks to us about historical martial artsSupport us on Patreon and get bonus episodes every month: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Guy Windsor is a swordsmanship practitioner, instructor, researcher, writer, and also an entrepreneur. On his website swordschool.com he states his mission in life is to restore historical martial arts to their rightful place at the heart of our culture. He has a blog, books, has developed training courses, and is the host of a podcast called The Sword Guy.
As Steven and I often write about swords and combat, Guy seemed like a perfect guest for the podcast. Welcome to RPS...2024-10-111h 11
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastThe Vengeance of Merlin - Steven's new book is out on Monday!Steven's new novel is out on Monday, 7th October 2024! Book 6 in the Warrior Druid of Britain Chronicles, THE VENGEANCE OF MERLIN is finally here after a 2 year break! We have a quick chat about that book as well as what Matthew is working on right now, and what's to come for us both in the coming months (including an EXCLUSIVE reveal of Steven's new Forest Lord novella's title).
Join us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes, a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel, and more perks. patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
2024-10-0421 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDiana Gabaldon! Outlander! - HNS 2024Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
I don't think Diana Gabaldon needs much of an introduction! We were lucky enough to sit down with her at the conference for an interview. Author of the Outlander novels which have also been made into the HUGELY successful Starz TV show, Diana was funny, friendly, generous with her time, and gave us probably the best answer EVER to the question, "What do you listen to when you write?" Do NOT miss this interview! We talked about her planned novel Red Ant's Head, how her lead female character guided her to create the...2024-09-2315 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHNS 2024 Roving Interviews 3!HNS 2024!
The last of our roving interviews, we have three brilliant authors for you here, give the episode a listen and check out their work!
Patricia Bracewell
Elizabeth R Andersen
Jan Foster
Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, and a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel: How we sold over 750,000 books! patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
2024-09-2228 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHNS 2024 roving interviews part 2Welcome to the second part of our "roving interviews" series from the Historical Novel Society Conference 2024. In this episode we speak with Michael Jecks, Christopher M. Cevasco, Kelly Urgan, and Victoria Hopkins.
Apologies for the audio, we hope you enjoy the interviews! Find out more about our guests at the links below.
MICHAEL JECKS
CHRISTOPHER M. CEVASCO
KELLY URGAN
VICTORIA HOPKINS
Join us on Patreon for bonus episodes, and a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel: How we sold over 750,000 books! patreon...2024-09-2211 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHNS 2024 Roving Interviews part 1!HNS 2024!
While we were at the Conference we conducted some roving interviews - in the grounds of Dartington Hall, or even in the White Hart pub! Check out the first three of them, collected here in one short bonus episode. They are also available on our YouTube channel is videos.
AD Rhine are a pair of friends who write novels about the Trojan War.
CC Humphreys is an actor, playwright and novelist. He's appeared in The Bill and Coronation St which will impress our fellow Brits! His books look superb too!
...2024-09-2118 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHNS 2024 - Three Roman ladies chat to us!HNS Conference 2024!
Kate Quinn, Alison Morton, and Ruth Downie dressed in Roman garb and delivered a superb talk at the Conference. We grabbed them for a quick interview in the grounds of Dartington Hall which we can share with you now.
(Please forgive the audio, we were talking to them outside using little handheld microphones.)
2024-09-2106 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastJane Johnson - HNS 2024!Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
In this episode we chat with Jane Johnson. Novelist, editor, even publisher of the likes of George RR Martin, Raymond E. Feist, and Tolkien! She also worked on the Lord of the Rings movies. A really interesting guest we're sure you'll agree! https://www.janejohnsonbooks.com/
Join us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes, a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel, and more perks. patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Find out more about the Historical Novel Society (and become a member) here - https...2024-09-2010 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastElizabeth Chadwick - HNS 2024!Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
In this episode we had a chance to sit down with Elizabeth Chadwick for a quick chat. Her new novel The Royal Rebel is out now, be sure to check it out! https://elizabethchadwick.com/
Join us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes, a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel, and more perks. patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Find out more about the Historical Novel Society (and become a member) here - https://historicalnovelsociety.org/2024-09-1906 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDavid Gilman, Master of War! - HNS 2024Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
David Gilman has been on the show before but we got to sit down with him in person for this interview. David is a superb writer and a genuinely lovely guy and any time we get to spend with him is always a privilege. His latest book To Kill A King is out now! https://davidgilman.com/
Join us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes, a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel, and more perks. patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Find out more about...2024-09-1708 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMJ Porter interview - HNS 2024!Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
MJ Porter has written around 60 books in the past decade. Yes, sixty! And they're good too! Hear us chat with her in this new episode we recorded at the HNS Conference. We spent a bit of time with her while we were there and she was great company. https://mjporterauthor.blog/
Join us on Patreon for monthly bonus episodes, a FREE copy of our book Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel, and more perks. patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Find out more about the Historical Novel Society (and become...2024-09-1609 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBernard Cornwell! Big news about Uhtred/Last Kingdom! - HNS 2024Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
Bernard Cornwell has been on the show before but this is the first time we've actually met him in person. He's our historical fiction hero so you can imagine how hyped we were to sit and chat with him about Sharpe, and what's next for his writing with perhaps some HUGE news if you're a fan of Uhtred and The Last Kingdom... He'd only just delivered the keynote speech at the conference then signed a TON of books for people so we were very grateful that he took some time to speak with...2024-09-1405 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMichael Jecks - Knights Templar, Medieval England and 1920's Shanghai!Michael Jecks is renowned for his historical mysteries. With a focus on medieval England, his extensive body of work includes multiple series, such as the immensely popular "Knights Templar Mysteries" and "Medieval West Country Mysteries." Jecks' novels, intricately woven against historical backdrops, delve into the lives of knights, nobles, and common folk, offering readers a compelling journey through the complexities of the past.
His newest book is ONE LAST DANCE BEFORE I DIE in which the detective protagonist is thrust into the dangerous underworld of arms-dealers, drugs and prostitutes in 1920s Shanghai.
Welcome to RPS, M...2024-09-131h 00
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastIan Mortimer! Time Traveller's Guides! - HNS 2024Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!
Welcome to the first in the series of interviews we conducted with the authors and guests at the HNS Conference at Dartington Hall this year. Keep an eye on our podcast feed AND our YouTube channel for more in the coming days from the likes of Bernard Cornwell, David Gilman, MJ Porter, and Diana Gabaldon.
Historian Dr Ian Mortimer spoke to us in this episode just before delivering the after dinner speech at the conference. We chatted about his books (like the Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England), music to write...2024-09-1214 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastClive Mantle - Robin of Sherwood/Game of Thrones/Casualty & Freddie Malone!!!Clive Mantle starred as Little John in the 80s classic series Robin of Sherwood. You might well also have seen him as Great Jon Umber in Game of Thrones, Simon Horton in The Vicar of Dibley and Mike Barratt in Casualty. He has also narrated over 180 audio books, and voiced animated characters, including Gator in Thomas the Tank Engine.
As if that wasn’t enough, Clive is also an award winning author. 'The Treasure at the Top of the World', the first in the Freddie Malone series of books, was released in 2018 and won the People’s Book...2024-08-3057 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDr Joanne Ball, Roman/battlefield archaeologist!Support us on Patreon -
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
If you're an author or publisher and would like to sponsor one of our episodes, please get in touch. You can find us on social media or email us at rockpaperswordspodcast@gmail.com
A classic episode from 2023 when our guest was Dr Joanne Ball! Joanne is a Roman archaeologist and battlefield archaeologist based at the University of Liverpool, with a PhD in Archaeology on the subject of Roman battlefield archaeology.
She is a regular contributor to several magazines focused on ancient history and was co-editor of Ancie...2024-08-231h 03Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastKate Quinn - The Briar Club, Alice Network, HNS and more!Kate Quinn is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of historical fiction. A native of southern California, she attended Boston University where she earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Classical Voice. She has written four novels in the Empress of Rome Saga, and two books in the Italian Renaissance, before turning to the 20th century with “The Alice Network” (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick), “The Huntress,” “The Rose Code,” and “The Diamond Eye.” All have been translated into multiple languages. Her newest novel, The Briar Club, tells a powerful story of female friendships and secr...2024-08-1649 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHistorical fantasy author Shauna Lawless joins us today!Shauna Lawless burst onto the fantasy scene in 2022 with her debut The Children of Gods and Fighting Men, the first book of the Gael Song series, which was nominated for Best Fantasy Debut by the British Fantasy Society and went on to win The FanFiAddicts Award for Best Traditional Debut.
The sequel, The Words of Kings and Prophets was released in September 2023.
The final book, The Land of the Living and the Dead, will be published in September 2024.
Welcome to RPS, Shauna.
If you would like to help us with our ru...2024-08-0246 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDV Bishop, author of the Cesare Aldo novels & also THARG from 2000AD!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a FREE copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page here - https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
D. V. Bishop is the author of the award-winning Cesare Aldo historical thrillers set in Renaissance Florence.
The Aldo novels have won the Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger and the NZ Booklovers Prize, been shortlisted for the Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize, and longlisted for many more aw...2024-07-191h 11
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastSword of the Saxons! Steven's new book is out NOW.If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Today Matthew interviews Steven and they discuss Sword of the Saxons, book 2 in the Alfred the Great trilogy.
Vikings, great battles, Athelney, and, most importantly, did Alfred burn the cakes?! Find out in this episode and be sure to buy the book HERE.
2024-07-0544 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRPS to attend the Historical Novel Society Conference 2024!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive BONUS EPISODES every month, a FREE copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
We've been invited to cover the 2024 Historical Novel Society conference this year as the official roving podcasters! Bernard Cornwell, Diana Gabaldon, Kate Quinn, and loads more huge names in historical fiction will be there and we can't wait to bring you all the news and gossip from the event. Find out mor...2024-06-2803 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastWesterns & Cowboys - Dark Frontier with Matthew Harffy!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Today Steven interviews Matthew Harffy about his brand new book - Dark Frontier! This is a real change for Matthew as the novel is a western, his first ever. So we chat cowboys, the problem of realism/racism, research, movies, and more.
Check it out, and be sure to buy your...2024-06-2150 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDr Mark Deeks of metal bands Winterfylleth and Ard!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Matthew and Steven chat this week with a musician for a change! Dr Mark Deeks is a choirmaster, as well as the piano player for one of Steven's favourite black metal bands, Winterfylleth, and also has his own "monastic doom metal" project called Ard. Ard put out a concept album which is kind of a...2024-06-1456 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAge of Sail author Katie Daysh joins us to talk about LEEWARD!!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, a free copy of our book, Tips on Writing, Publishing and Marketing your Book, and other cool perks, check out our Patreon page.
https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Katie Daysh is an author from the Isle of Wight who loves to explore unheard voices in fiction. In her historical fiction, she enjoys placing queer characters at the heart of the narrative. Her stories are often set on the sea and illuminate themes of friendship, loyalty and mental heal...2024-06-071h 01Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastTodd Kerns of SLASH & the Conspirators puts the ROCK in RPS!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, and other cool perks including a FREE copy of the book we wrote together, check out our patreon page: / rockpaperswordspodcast
Another episode and another musician who truly puts the ROCK in Rock, Paper, Swords! Todd "Dammit" Kerns is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is most noted for being the bass player and backup singer in “Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators”, and for being the front man of “The Age of Electric”. His latest album is with Heroes and Monsters an...2024-06-051h 22Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAmerican Civil War author Cody C. Engdahl joins us for an entertaining chat today!If you would like to help us with our running costs, and get exclusive bonus episodes every month, and other cool perks, check out our patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Born and raised in Detroit, now living in Nashville, Tennessee, Cody C. Engdahl describes himself as a practitioner of the Southern Gentlemanly Arts, an amateur fiddler, cook, whiskey connoisseur, and armchair historian. He is the author of five historical novels. His latest is The Prussian Prince, a swashbuckling adventure that'll take you into the heart of the Austro-Prussian War and book 5 of the Long Century...2024-05-241h 11
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHistorical research! What resources do we use for our own novels?Researching is a huge part of a historical fiction author's life. In this episode we discuss what we use to embed ourselves in our chosen time periods.
Support us on one of our 3 tiers on Patreon -
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
If you're an author or publisher and would like to sponsor one of our episodes, please get in touch. You can find us on social media or email us at rockpaperswordspodcast@gmail.com
2024-05-171h 06Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastCommissioning Editor Kit Nevile joins us today!Today we have a special guest who we think will be of particular interest, especially to aspiring writers. Kit Nevile is a Commissioning Editor at publishers Canelo. He is particularly interested in thrillers, horror, and action/adventure books, and just so happens to be Steven’s editor! Before working at Canelo he was at Persephone Books and Whitefox publishing services, both in an editorial role.
In this episode we will try to find out what a commissioning editor actually does, what they look for in a new book, how he thinks the publishing business will change in co...2024-05-101h 05Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastWhat IS historical fiction? How do YOU define it?This episode is sponsored by Paul Bernardi's brand new historical thriller Blood Feud. Please check it out HERE!
On today's episode we're talking about what IS "historical fiction". It's a genre that seems to encapsulate so many other genres, crime, thrillers, action and adventure… but what actually makes a story historical fiction?
The Historical Novel Society defines the genre as works "written at least fifty years after the events described". Do you agree with that? What about alternative history? What about novels that were written as contemporary fiction but are now hundreds of years old? Wh...2024-04-2656 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastChristian/Miles Cameron interview! CHIVALRY, CIA and more!THE EMPEROR'S SWORD is out next week, 25th April 2024, so we thought we'd remind you of this chat we had with him...
Another fantastic guest this week, as Christian (also known as Miles) Cameron joins Steven and Matthew to chat about his books, research, re-enactments, historical fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, being a member of US Intelligence, and loads more! Some great chat and brilliant anecdotes in this one, you must check it out, Christian was a superb guest!
Christian's website - https://christiancameronauthor.com/
2024-04-211h 09
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastWe wrote a book TOGETHER! It's out next week!Yes, Matthew and Steven have written a non-fiction book together! It's called Tips for Writing, Publishing and Marketing Your Novel and it comes out on Thursday April 25th 2024. You can pre-order it now, and it will also be available to read with Kindle Unlimited. Check it out at the links here -
https://mybook.to/RPSTipsForWriting
The book will also be FREE to our Patreon TOP FANS and PRODUCERS so if you'd like to sign up, head over to Patreon now and check out our tiers:
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Whether you're a novice...2024-04-1808 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastSHIELDWALL! Justin Hill, multi-award winning author, joins us todayJustin Hill has skilfully crafted bestselling stories that traverse a diverse range of settings, from the captivating landscapes of China to the tumultuous epochs of the Early Middle Ages, to the nightmare, war-torn future of the universe of Warhammer 40k.
He is the recipient of several prestigious literary accolades, including the Somerset Maugham, Betty Trask, and Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prizes, and his works have earned acclaim from publications such as the Sunday Times, Washington Post, and The Times, where his books have been celebrated as notable additions to their annual lists.
Welcome to RPS, Justin H...2024-04-1259 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastSJA Turney - Rome, Caesar, Caracalla, Vikings & so much more!Simon Turney, aka S.J.A. Turney, hails from Yorkshire, England. His passion for history shines through in his more than 50 novels, where meticulous research meets immersive storytelling. From ancient Rome, to medieval Europe, Turney's versatile body of work brings the past to life with vivid characters and compelling narratives.
In his latest novel, Caracalla, the fourth and final novel in the Damned Emperors series. Simon is back in Rome, this time in the 2nd century where the rivalry between two brothers threatens to tear the empire apart.
Welcome to RPS, Simon Turney!
...2024-03-2957 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDouglas Jackson! Nazis, Romans, mad emperors, serial killers & more!Useful links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/908155.Douglas_Jackson
https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X @rock_swords
You can find out more about our books on www.matthewharffy.com and www.stevenamckay.com/
Douglas Jackson traded his role as assistant editor at The Scotsman for a full-time writing career in 2009. With novels published under his real name and the pen name James Douglas, Jackson has carved out a niche in historical fiction. His debut, "Caligula" (2008), weaves a tale of...2024-03-151h 02Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastResearching locations for authorsSomething of an unplanned episode today. We were supposed to be interviewing someone but they didn't turn up! Since we still needed an episode we decided to go ahead and discuss researching the locations in our books, including some of our favourite trips to those places. As this was completely unscripted and we'd not prepared for it we do go off on tangents here and there, but we hope you find something useful or at least entertaining in our chat!
We've rearranged the Zoom call with the guest who didn't appear so look out for that in...2024-03-0152 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastC.J. Box! Joe Pickett, Big Sky + lots more as we chat with the 10 million selling author!Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing acclaimed author, C.J. Box.
C.J. Box is an award-winning, multi-million selling author, best known for his compelling mysteries set against the rugged landscapes of Wyoming.
With over two dozen novels to his name, Box is most celebrated for his Joe Pickett series, featuring the dedicated and morally-driven game warden. He’s also an Executive Producer on Paramount+’s Joe Pickett series, and an EP on ABC’s Big Sky, which was based on his Cassie Dewell novels.
Infusing his narratives with authentic details, drawing on his...2024-02-1651 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastJoin us! A Patreon announcement!'Tis true, we are now on Patreon! Head on over to the link below and join us! In return you'll get bonus episodes (one is already available, as we discuss David Gemmell's classic novel Legend) and more fun perks. Go on, you know it makes sense...
Become a Top Fan or a Producer today, and help us keep the show going, and growing, in 2024 and beyond!
patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Thank you,
Steven and Matthew2024-02-0902 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastWriting tools - Scrivener, Aeon etc. Can Matthew persuade Steven to adopt his writing tech?!We're now on Patreon! Get bonus episodes and other cool perks by signing up here: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
It’s been ages since we recorded an episode and today for the first time in months it's just the two of us. We’re going to talk about planning and writing novels with particular focus on the tools we use, the processes we follow, and what seems to work for us!
Gone are the days when pen and paper, or a simple typewriter (remember Tipp-Ex?!) were the only tools available to aspiring authors. Nowadays ther...2024-02-021h 02Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastGriff Hosker, inspirational historical novelist, is our guest today!Our guest today is the prolific author of historical fiction, Griff Hosker. It seems to me that Griff writes faster than many people read. He has written series of action-packed books covering everything from the Vikings to the Second World War and everything in between. He is a constant presence on Amazon lists and social media, and I for one am often in awe at the quantity of books he puts out and the number of steadfast fans he has garnered over the years. It is great to finally meet and have a chance to put some questions to...2024-01-191h 12Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastVikings, the Great Heathen Army & Alfred the Great! Steven talks his new book.Matthew interviews Steven about his new book, THE HEATHEN HORDE, which came out on October 26th 2023! Viking raiders, Alfred the Great, and the usual fun chat - it's all in here so give it a listen and please spread the word.
Buy the book here - https://mybook.to/HeathenHorde
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel and leave a 5 star review if you can!2024-01-1146 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAI and Copyright for writers with the 'Copyright Waffle' podcast!Listen to the end to make sure you hear THEIR cover version of our theme song, and also OUR cover of their theme song!
Our guests today are Chris Morrison and Jane Secker from the Copyright Waffle podcast which is dedicated to “Decoding copyright and bringing you enlightenment”.
As well as hosting their podcast, Jane and Chris are also the authors of the book Copyright and E-learning: A guide for practitioners.
Chris is Copyright and Licensing Specialist at Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. Jane is Programme Director for the MA in Academic Practice and S...2024-01-051h 21Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAuthor of Viking sagas, Eric Schumacher chats with us today!Our guest today is Eric Schumacher.
Eric Schumacher is the author of six Amazon best-selling novels and one novella set in the Viking Age. By day, he is a brand storyteller and PR consultant for early stage video game and tech companies. By night, he wanders into the past, using known history and ancient tales to create stories about people living in turbulent times.
His fascination with the past, coupled with a love of writing, led him to write Hakon’s Saga, a Viking historical fiction series set in 10th-century Norway.
His latest se...2023-12-221h 11
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastChristmas Greetings 2023!Just a very quick message to wish our listeners and readers a very merry Christmas for 2023, and best wishes for 2024. Check it out!
Don't forget we have a brand new ACOUSTIC version of our song "Christmas is Coming" available on all streaming outlets like Spotify, iTunes, YouTube Music etc so please give it a listen and share with your friends and enemies!
Have a good one!
Steven and Matthew2023-12-2104 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure Podcast"Christmas is Coming" - our new song, OUT NOW!Yes, we have a brand new festive rock song for all you lucky boys and girls. Stream it NOW for free on Spotify, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, iTunes and all major streaming services, just search for "Christmas is coming Rock Paper Swords".
Give it a like, add it to your Christmas music playlists, and please do share with your friends on social media! Look out too for an acoustic version, which will be dropping any day now and is a really cool little take on the same tune...
Thank you for joining us in 2023...2023-12-1000 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastChristmas 2023 Rock,Paper,Swords/A Slice of Medieval Crossover!Today, as the Christmas season is upon us we are doing something a bit different. Rock, Paper, Swords is joining forces with our friends from the Slice of Medieval Podcast to bring you a special episode, where we will look back on the year that is drawing to a close and forward to the year ahead.
If you enjoy this episode please leave a five star rating wherever you listened!
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR LISTENERS!
Links - A Slice of Medieval
Shakin' Stevens interview mentioned2023-12-081h 08Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastNot just Genghis Khan. The Mongol Invasion - Nicholas Morton interview!Our guest today is Nicholas Morton.
Nicholas is an associate professor at Nottingham Trent University. He is the author or editor of nine books, including The Field of Blood and several other books about the Crusades and medieval Europe and the Near East. His latest book is The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East. The book tells the story of how the Mongol Empire upended the geopolitics of the Near East, reshaping the balance of world power and transforming the region forever.
Welcome to RPS, Nic!
2023-11-2453 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAmazon KDP head Darren Hardy. Indie authors check this out!
Our guest today is Darren Hardy, manager of the UK Author and Editorial Programmes at Amazon. Before that Darren was UK Manager for Kindle Direct Publishing. With nearly 20 years working at Amazon, Darren is the perfect person to answer all our questions about what goes on behind the scenes at KDP and what new and exciting plans Amazon has for the future.
Join us today as we chat about things like:
The Kindle Storyteller Award - how to enter, and what you can win (20 grand!)
The "magic formula" for understanding Amazon's algorithms (there...2023-11-1552 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMatt Lewis - we talk with the host of GONE MEDIEVAL!
Our guest today is Matt Lewis.
Matt is an author and historian of the medieval period, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and Richard III. He has written biographies of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry III, Richard Duke of York, and Richard III, as well as accounts of The Anarchy, the Wars of the Roses, and Rebellion in the Middle Ages.
Matt is also chair of the Richard the Third Society and host of the popular Gone Medieval podcast.
Welcome to RPS, Matt.2023-11-101h 00Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastA Savage Moon! We chat with Theodore Brun about Vikings & other good stuffToday's fantastic guest is Theodore Brun, author of The Wanderer Chronicles. He has a brand new book out NOW called A SAVAGE MOON, which Matthew read and endorsed thusly:
'A fever dream of dark lusts and an ancient evil. A Savage Moon drips with passion, betrayal, loyalty and loss. A wonderful book!'
We spoke about his work and his life in general, discovering his life is often as exciting as his books, so make sure you give it a listen.
Note - Steven tested positive for COVID just a couple of days after recording th...2023-10-131h 03Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMatthew Harffy! A Day Of Reckoning & EXCLUSIVE REVEAL of his next book's title!
Something a little different today - we have no guests for a change! Instead, Steven interviews Matthew about his brand new book A DAY OF RECKONING, the third in his A Time for Swords series, which came out yesterday. It's a fun episode covering various aspects of the writing/publishing process, and Matthew even tells us the title of his NEXT book (the Western he's been talking about for ages, it's finished)!
Give it a listen, and make sure you buy A Day of Reckoning...
2023-09-2954 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAngus Donald - Vikings, Robin Hood, and lots more!Our guest today is Angus Donald, author of the Outlaw Chronicles, about a medieval gangster called Robin Hood, a 17th-century series about an unusual but rather brilliant chap called Holcroft Blood. And writing as Angus Macallan, he has also tried his hand at fantasy with the Gates of Stone.
His most recent novels are in the Fire Born series, set in 8th century Europe. Book four in the series, King of the North is published by Canelo on 28th September.
Welcome to RPS, Angus.
http://angusdonaldbooks.com/
2023-09-151h 10Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastPaul Finch - 1066, crime writing, being in a "shieldwall" & Black Sabbath!Our guest today is Paul Finch. Paul Finch is an English author and scriptwriter. He has a diverse and very successful career, from the popular TV programme The Bill, to horror and fantasy stories and films, Doctor Who spin-off stories and the incredibly successful gritty crime series of DS Mark Heck Heckenberg novels, with over 1 MILLION book sales!
Paul’s latest pivot has been to move into the historical fiction genre, writing under the name P.W. Finch. USURPER, set in the cataclysmic year of 1066, was published earlier this year.
Welcome to RPS, Paul.
2023-09-011h 03Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastEthan Bale/Clifford Beal - The medieval action adventure author joins us today!Our guest today is Ethan Bale, author of The Swords of the White Rose series.
Book 1, Hawker and the King's Jewel came out last year and the follow up, The Lost Prince, has just been published.
Ethan Bale (Clifford Beal), is a former defence journalist. Despite writing about modern military technology for much of his career, he was always passionate about history, particularly the Renaissance and early modern Europe.
Over the years he has been flung about in military aircraft, trained in 17th century rapier, fired flintlock pistols, messed about in boats, and r...2023-08-041h 10Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastAlex Gough - Carbo Chronicles, ancient Rome, swearing in historical novels, music and loads more!Alex Gough is an author of Roman historical adventures. The Carbo Chronicles, including Watchmen of Rome and Bandits of Rome, was written as a result of a lifelong obsession with ancient Rome, and the culmination of a lot of research into the underclasses of the time. He has also written a collection of adventures following Carbo and other characters from Watchmen of Rome, where you can learn more about their rich lives.
Alex loves our theme song so much that he recorded a cool tribute to it which you can find at the end of the episode. 2023-06-231h 05Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastA couple of announcements!This is a super short episode just to give listeners an update on how we're planning on moving forward with the podcast. Matthew's latest book, "Forest of Foes", gets a paperback release, and Steven has also just made a brand new MODERN DAY short story available for pre-order, called "Have You Seen This?" so we discuss those a little bit too.
Enjoy, and we really hope you liked the latest episode with Robin Warder of The Trail Went Cold podcast. Look out for our next episode on June 23rd which features an interview with bestselling historical author...2023-06-1205 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRobin Warder/The Trail Went Cold - true crime inspiration for historical fiction tales!TRIGGER WARNING! At 13:16 there's a VERY creepy answerphone message, listener discretion advised, don't listen alone in the dark...
Today’s guest Robin Warder has written articles for various websites including Cracked.com, but he’s most well known for his excellent podcast The Trail Went Cold which is a true crime podcast he’s been doing since 2016, publishing more than 300 episodes in that time.
You may be wondering what this has to do with "historical action and adventure" but readers of Steven's Forest Lord novellas Faces of Darkness and Sworn to God will know they were based on tru...2023-06-0950 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastArtificial Intelligence (AI) and the impact it might have on writers, artists, and creatives in general. Scary stuff! Or is it...? Includes an AI-written song!Artificial Intelligence, or AI for short, is a hot topic at the moment. Perhaps the HOTTEST topic. It is cropping up in the news every day and there are predictions that it will take our jobs away or even take over the world! It probably isn’t quite as dire as those predictions would have us believe, but there is no doubt that AI generated text and images are here to stay, not to mention many other uses that we haven’t even foreseen yet. There will be impacts on our daily lives and creatives are especially worried about thei...2023-06-0254 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBen Kane! Rome, Spartacus, medieval/ Richard the Lionheart, now Vikings in Ireland!
Ben Kane will need little introduction to many of our listeners, but here goes anyway. Ben is a historical fiction novelist, best known for his books set in the ancient world, particularly the Roman empire. His series include The Forgotten Legion, Spartacus, and the Hannibal series of books.
In 2013, Ben along with fellow novelists Anthony Riches and Russell Whitfield - walked the entire length of Hadrian's Wall for charity, wearing full Roman military kit. Then in 2014, they walked again in, but this time in Italy, raising over £26,500. A film was made of their walk, entitled Th...2023-05-261h 09Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastViking Blood & Blade, and Kindle Storyteller WINNER Peter Gibbons chats to us today!Peter Gibbons is an author based in Kildare, Ireland. He completed a Law Degree in Liverpool University before embarking on a career in the Insurance Industry.
After many years working in the UK & Ireland he decided to follow his dreams and wrote his debut novel, Viking Blood and Blade.
After smashing into the independently published historical fiction scene in 2021, he had his second series picked up by a publisher and went on to win the prestigious Kindle Storyteller Award in 2022.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Peter!
2023-05-191h 03Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastNorse/Viking mythology and RökFlöte with Jethro Tull's Ian AndersonPlease support us on Patreon!Incredibly, we managed to get an interview with the legendary Tull frontman (Steven's favourite band in case you didn't hear him mention it on every previous episode...)!Ian talked with us about the brand new, rocking Jethro Tull albumRökFlöte,Norse mythology,Vladimir Putin appearing at a Tull meet-and-greet, the time journalists demanded details ofhis upcoming gender reassignment surgery, Broadsword 40th Anniversary boxset details,Under Wraps getting REAL drums, how he's a"bit of a fan" of Motörhead despite the umlauts, bands likeMötley Crüe using backing tapes...2023-05-121h 25Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBook covers! What makes a great cover ? Also, Steven's new book's COVER REVEAL is today!On today’s episode we’re going to talk about the first thing that most readers see before they’ve read a single word of a book. The old adage goes that one should never judge a book by its cover, but we all know that the majority of people do just that.
A great cover can get a prospective reader to take a chance on a new author, and a bad cover can put people off, even though the story might be amazing.
We’ll take a look at some of the things that make cov...2023-05-0559 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDavid Gilman, author of the Master of War series, chats with us today!
David Gilman has worked as a firefighter, professional photographer, he was a soldier in the Parachute Regiment’s Reconnaissance Platoon and a Marketing Manager for an international publishing company in South Africa. From 2000 until 2009 he was principal writer on the TV series A Touch Of Frost.
His MASTER OF WAR series follows the fortunes of Thomas Blackstone, a village stonemason in England sent to fight with King Edward’s army as an archer against the French in the 14th century in the 100 years war.
David is also the author of two standalone novels for a...2023-04-2158 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastVIKINGS! Jethro Tull - RökFlöte album review.It's a first for us here at RPS - an album review! Well, ROCK, paper, swords, right? There's two very good reasons for us doing this review (even putting aside the fact Steven is Tull's biggest fan):
1 - We were sent advance copies of the album, so it's only fair we did our best to listen to it and get an honest review out before the album is released. So here it is!
2 - Ian Anderson is hopefully going to be a guest on this very podcast, to chat about his career and RökFlöte...2023-04-1853 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastStarting our new books! What are they about? - Episode 30We've both just started work on our new books. Join us to hear about the process. Research, challenges, pressures, deadlines, and, of course, fun! You probably already know that Steven's writing about Alfred the Great and the Vikings, but listen to find out what new historical period Matthew is venturing into...
The King Alfred coin -
https://twitter.com/SA_McKay/status/1641745580954189827?s=202023-04-1434 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBig Big Train bassist/songwriter Gregory Spawton interview!We are delighted to have another musician on today’s episode. Gregory Spawton is the founder of progressive rock band, Big Big Train.
Big Big Train have released 14 studio albums and several live performances too.
Big Big Train have been named Prog magazine’s Band of the Year on numerous occasions as well as winning Prog’s Album Of The Year awards several times. Their most recent album, Welcome To The Planet, was released on 28 January 2022.
Gregory is also now a publisher. Formed in 2019, Kingmaker is a book publisher dedicated to the rock music...2023-04-071h 10Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastIAN ROSS - The Twilight of Empire author joins us today!IAN ROSS is the author of the “Twilight of Empire” series, six historical novels set in the early 4th century AD, the era of the Roman emperor Constantine.
The first of the series, “War at the Edge of the World”, was published in the UK in 2015, and the sixth, “Triumph in Dust", in 2019. His books have subsequently been published in the USA, Australia, Spain and Italy.
His forthcoming novel, “Battle Song”, the first of a trilogy set in medieval England, will be published by Hodder & Stoughton on March 30th 2023.
Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords, Ian Ro2023-03-311h 10Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastListener Questions PART 2!The second of our episodes where we answer questions sent in by listeners. Some great ones again here, really got us thinking and we both enjoyed it! If you have any more for us, please do send them via Facebook, Twitter or our websites.
Next week we'll have a longer episode with another AMAZING guest (the one and only IAN ROSS!), but we'll do more episodes answering your questions if we get enough of them.
www.matthewharffy.com
www.stevenamckay.com2023-03-2429 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastListener questions PART 1!We recently posted on Twitter and Facebook asking for listener questions. Today we're going to answer some of those questions and they really provoked some interesting responses from Matthew and Steven! We’ll be answering more in a future episode and it might well become a regular thing, so if you have any questions you’d like us to answer, post them in our social media.
We checked after the recording, and the last Aurochs was killed in the 17th century! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs2023-03-1038 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastSome news and big announcements!Another bonus episode! We chat about the brand new FULL theme song and how it came about, and we also have a couple of pretty BIG announcements, so tune in, and don't drop out!
https://www.canelo.co/news/2023-02-22-canelo-set-to-publish-a-great-series-by-steven-a-mckay/
2023-03-0323 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRock, Paper, Swords FULL THEME SONG!So many people have told us they really enjoy the short intro/outro music we recorded for the podcast so...We've written a full four minute theme song complete with daft cheesy lyrics, full-on rock vocals, and searing guitar solos (two of the buggers!). It's just a bit of fun, we hope you like it...
Look out for another bonus episode tomorrow with some news about the podcast!
Dio, Maiden, Queen,
And everything in between,
If you like your rock,
Come hear us talk,
And we'll keep...2023-03-0203 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastTV historian & novelist DAN JONES joins us today! 2023 top episode!Dan Jones is a bestselling historian, TV presenter and award-winning journalist. His books, which have sold more than a million copies worldwide, include THE PLANTAGENETS, THE TEMPLARS, THE HOLLOW CROWN. His book CRUSADERS was published in autumn 2019. He co-authored the Sunday Times bestseller THE COLOUR OF TIME and THE WORLD AFLAME, published in March 2020, with Marina Amaral.
Dan has also written and presented numerous TV series including 'Secrets of Great British Castles' (Netflix, Channel 5), 'Britain’s Bloodiest Dynasty: The Plantagenets' and 'London: 2000 Years of History'.
Most recently Dan's historical fiction debut, ESSEX DOGS, the first in...2023-02-241h 06Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastDr Who, Star Wars, 2000AD, hip-hop author, and games designer Steven Savile!Slaine from 2000AD. Sherlock Holmes. Dr Who. Primeval. Stargate. Return of the Jedi. Ghost-writing for genuine legends of the rap and hip-hop scene.... Our guest today is probably the most prolific and best-selling author you've never heard of! And he also writes for games, including the major Xbox/Playstation hit, Battlefield 3!
Not only that, he used to write the odd story for classic "top-shelf" magazines like Fiesta and Escort, and no, those were NOT about 80's motor cars, they were FAR sexier than an RS2000 or XR2...
Join us today, as we chat with Steven Sa...2023-02-101h 14Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastSimon Scarrow! We chat to the legend!That's right! We interview one of THE best loved historical fiction authors of the past twenty years today - Simon Scarrow! Join us as we chat about his writing, his upcoming musical (yep, you read that right), Romans, and loads more.
First ever image on the internet - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Horribles_Cernettes2023-01-271h 10
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHappy New Year 2023 from Rock, Paper, Swords!Just a very short message to wish our listeners all the best for the coming year. Thank you ALL for joining us in 2022, hope to see you again in 2023!
www.matthewharffy.com
www.stevenamckay.com2023-01-0101 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastChristmas Special 2022! Merry Xmas one and all!Christmas a humbug?! Join the boys as they look at all sorts of winter traditions, ancient and modern, from Saturnalia shenanigans to Yule logs to "old" movies.
If you like Christmas stories, check out Steven's brand new novelette, The Pedlar's Promise,
and Matthew has a new novel out too, Forest of Foes!
Burning a Yule log - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw3unDRU6Eg&ab_channel=CountryDirtKid
Christmas Past podcast
Total Christmas podcast (from which I stole the terrible joke....)
Santa or Father Christmas had bee...2022-12-161h 10Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastJean Gill, author of The Ring Breaker!Matthew and Steven are chatting this week with Jean Gill. The interview covered a lot of really interesting subjects so we're sure you'll enjoy the episode! Look out for our Christmas special next, and then we'll have our first interview with a musician early in 2023, with lots more fantastic guests lined up for the coming year!
LINKS to things mentioned in the chat:
Here is the jet ski guy on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mfroos
This was also nice: https://youtu.be/00dGeSzoLdg
I'm assuming you've found the Draken...2022-12-021h 18Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBONUS Episode - Funny (and not so funny!) Amazon reviews of our booksSince last week's interview with Carol McGrath had some audio issues that forced us to shorten it somewhat we thought we'd put out this little bonus episode as a bit of fun - a freebie if you will! We read out some funny or just odd reviews of our own books. This was something Steven suggested because he thought it would be a right laugh but, in fact, as we started putting together the material for the episode it became clear reading 1 star reviews of our stuff wasn't as hilarious as we'd expected - it was actually a bit...2022-11-1226 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastCarol McGrath, author of The Handfasted Wife!Today we are chatting with bestselling author Carol McGrath. She's written books like The Handfasted Wife and Sex and Sexuality in Tudor England. We had a good long discussion with Carol but there were some audio issues which forced us to cut down the episode. Hopefully you still enjoy the interview!
To make up for the slightly shorter episode, we'll be dropping an extra BONUS episode next week in which we read out some dodgy reviews of our own books, so look out for that, it's just a bit of fun...
Carol McGrath - Following...2022-11-0437 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastIt's Hallowe'en! Join us to get in the spooky spirit...The boys discuss the history of Hallowe'en! Includes some chat on Steven's spooky novella Knight of the Cross, and Matthew's short tale, Kin of Cain. Sleep paralysis, black eyed kids, folklore, Beowulf, pumpkin and turnip carving, and loads more... Turn out the lights and lock the doors for this fun look at everyone's favourite spooky night of the year!2022-10-211h 08Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastInterview with Prue BattenFarming, historical fiction, and, of course, music are all discussed in this exciting new episode. Check it out and don't forget to SUBSCRIBE and give us a 5 star rating if you're enjoying what we're doing!
Links to websites/software mentioned:
Byzantium 1200: http://www.byzantium1200.com/
The Stanford Geospatial Network Model of The Roman World: https://orbis.stanford.edu/
Aeon Timeline: https://timeline.app/2022-10-071h 00Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastMusic and the power it holds....Matthew and Steven discuss the music they listen to while writing and just enjoy in general. Rock, classical, black metal, it's all over the place here! Join us to find out how music affects our writing process...
Even includes a song Matthew recorded a few years ago with a band - it's awesome, you need to hear it! The band can be found here: https://purplefishband1.weebly.com/ The track is called "Sail On" and was written by Roger Marsh and Matthew Harffy.
ENSLAVED - Below The Lights full album: https://youtu.be/z6rA6pX...2022-09-231h 04
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastBernard Cornwell, the Godfather of historical fiction!Please support us on Patreon from as little as £1 per month and get access to bonus episodes and more great perks! patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
Another BONUS EPISODE this week, as Matthew and Steven got to chat with their literary hero, Bernard Cornwell.
We found out some big news about his forthcoming book, Sharpe's Command, talked about his love of acting, The Last Kingdom series, the King Arthur books and new TV show, Merlin's 'magic', and even picked up some great writing tips.
We loved speaking with the man who inspired us both to w...2022-09-1656 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastViking author Tim Hodkinson interview!Matthew and Steven chat with Irish author Tim Hodkinson.
Includes a rather amusing anecdote about one of the extras in Game of Thrones!
Find out more about Tim's books - Vikings, Templars and more - here: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/tim-hodkinson/
Main theme music for the intro and outro was written, recorded and copyrighted by Steven A. McKay and Matthew Harffy.
Background music:
Langhus Burning 2022-09-091h 19Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRings of Power Episodes 1 and 2 and a review! BONUS EPISODE!Matthew and Steven have spent the morning watching the first two episodes of Amazon's new show based on Tolkien's Lord of the Rings - RINGS OF POWER. In this special bonus episode they talk about their first impressions of this highly anticipated (and vilified by people who've never even seen it) new show.
Is the casting any good? What about the music? How does it look? Can it compare to the Peter Jackson movies? What the hell is a 'harfoot'?
IS IT ACTUALLY ANY GOOD?
And we also address the burning question so ma...2022-09-0253 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastPeter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies! Any good?Matthew and Steven take a look back at Peter Jackson's trilogy of Lord of the Rings films. Find out what they love about the movies and what they don't like quite as much.
Other non-Tolkien penned books mentioned in this episode:
The Sword of Shannara - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15575.The_Sword_of_Shannara
Journeys of Frodo - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/938210.Journeys_of_Frodo2022-08-261h 18
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRobyn / Erin Young, author of The Fields interview!Author Robyn Young (who also writes modern thrillers as Erin Young) joins Matthew and Steven to discuss writing, pen-names, research and much more, including the forthcoming TV show based on her novel The Fields.
Robyn's website - https://robynyoung.com/
2022-08-121h 16Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastGreat beginnings in novelsMatthew and Steven discuss a handful of action and adventure books (including some of their own!) and how their very first lines/paragraphs draw the reader in.
Bernard Cornwell's The Lords of the North
David Gemmell's The Swords of Night and Day
Steven A. McKay's Lucia and Rise of the Wolf
Matthew Harffy's The Serpent Sword and The Wolf of Wessex
Theme music, "Rock, Paper, Swords" © Steven A. McKay and Matthew Harffy.
Background music in this episode:
"Ambient Sinister"
"Towards the Mountains"
...2022-07-2953 min
Rock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastHistorical weapons and....food?! Episode 2In which we chat about anachronisms in historical fiction (food related ones) and general points of interest in the historical culinary field. And then we discuss weapons, including spears, swords, and seaxs. And Steven exclusively reveals the title of his next Warrior Druid of Britain novel!
To join in with our giveaway, share our Rock, Paper, Swords! pages on social media and let us know you've done so before the end of July 2022 to be in with a chance of winning the signed books! Links below:
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast
2022-07-1554 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastEpisode 1 - Welcome to Rock, Paper, Swords!Our first episode! Find out who we are and what our plans are for this new podcast. As the title suggests, we'll be looking at action and adventure from the perspective of historical fiction authors, but we'll also be diving into more general writing questions and, of course, there'll be a little talk about rock music and how it helps us be creative.
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To join in with our giveaway, share our Rock...2022-07-0145 minRock, Paper, Swords! - the Historical Action and Adventure PodcastRock, Paper, Swords! TrailerA very short introduction to Rock, Paper, Swords! Join us on July 1st 2022 for our first full episode.2022-06-2200 min