In a very special Just Us episode, Patrick and Tracy are talking about the weeks where Patrick has been absent, his mother’s long illness, and her recent passing. They also touch on grief, guilt, Catholic guilt, and all the baggage that comes with them. Links: Tracy Townsend on Twitter Patrick Hester on Twitter The Functional […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Elly Bangs, author of UNITY! About Unity: Danae is not only herself. She is concealing a connection to a grieving collective inside of her body. But while she labors as a tech servant in the dangerous underwater enclave of Bloom City, her fractured self cannot mend. In a desperate […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Marina Lostetter, author of THE HELM OF MIDIGHT! About THE HELM OF MIDIGHT: In a daring and deadly heist, thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power?the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Allison Epstein, author of A TIP FOR THE HANGMAN! About A TIP FOR THE HANGMAN: England, 1585. In Kit Marlowe’s last year at Cambridge, he receives an unexpected visitor: Queen Elizabeth’s spymaster, who has come with an unorthodox career opportunity. Her Majesty’s spies are in need of new recruits, […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Nicky Drayden, author of ESCAPING EXODUS! About ESCAPING EXODUS: Earth is a distant memory. Habitable extrasolar planets are still out of reach. For generations, humanity has been clinging to survival by establishing colonies within enormous vacuum-breathing space beasts and mining their resources to the point of depletion. Rash, dreamy, […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Travis Heermann, whose novel Tokyo Blood Magic is out now! About Tokyo Blood Magic: When Django Wong, a modern-day ninja turned sorcerer, takes a job to track down a newly Awakened witch, he discovers that his target is not only his lost love, but now she’s an enforcer for […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Greta Kelly, whose debut novel THE FROZEN CROWN is out now! About THE FROZEN CROWN: Askia became heir to the Frozen Crown of Seravesh because of her devotion to her people. But her realm is facing a threat she cannot defeat by sheer will alone. The mad emperor of […]
In a very special Just Us episode, Patrick and Tracy are talking about The Mandalorian! Tracy’s family, having just finished a binge-watch of both seasons, had thoughts to share. We may also talk about The Clone Wars, the novel Star Wars: Ahoska, and about the strangest recipe for baked spaghetti ever… This episode originally appeared […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy are LIVE from Capricon, and taking questions from the audience! About Capricon: Capricon is a four-day science fiction convention held annually in the Chicagoland area since 1981. We celebrate the best of science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on literature. We are part of the world-wide fannish community, where […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Ehsan & Shakil Ahmad, co-authors of Unbound: The Wild Sun Book 2. About Unbound: The Wild Sun Book 2: Once kindled, the flames of hope are not easily extinguished. No longer bound to a life of forced labor in the enemy’s mines, Cerrin leads a small band of escaped […]
Hey there! Patrick and Tracy wanted to let everyone know we’ll be doing a live recording of the podcast during Capricon 41 on Saturday, February 6th, 2021 at 1 PM Central. Capricon has gone virtual this year, and Patrick and Tracy will be on-hand via the Zooms to talk about the geek news of the […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Laurell K. Hamilton, author of Rafael. About Rafael: Rafael, king of the wererats, must fight to the death to defend his crown. He wants Anita Blake, one of his closest allies, with him as he faces an opponent unlike any he’s faced before. He will ask Anita to risk […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Robert J. Sawyer, author of The Oppenheimer Alternative. About The Oppenheimer Alternative: While J. Robert Oppenheimer and his Manhattan Project team struggle to develop the A-bomb, Edward Teller wants something even more devastating: a bomb based on nuclear fusion?the mechanism that powers the sun. Teller’s research leads to a […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Ryan Van Loan, author of The Sin in the Steel. About The Sin in the Steel: Buc and Eld are the first private detectives in a world where pirates roam the seas, mages speak to each other across oceans, mechanical devices change the tide of battle, and earthly wealth […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Adam Ward, professional Lego builder and author of Brick x Brick. About Brick x Brick: Join the “Bob Ross of LEGO” in constructing cool creations with this how-to guide that brings legendary builds to life! Looking for something a little more exciting than your average LEGO® guide? You’re in […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Zig Zag Claybourne, author of Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe. About Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe: No one has time for your BS…but Captain Desiree Quicho and her crew of utter badasses surely don’t. Got a universe to save. Again. Commandeer one piece […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome back long-time friend of the podcast, Gail Carriger, author of the new non-fiction book The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture. About The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture: Tired of the hero’s journey? Frustrated that funny, romantic, and comforting stories […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome freelance author and literary mercenary Neal F. Litherland. About Neal F. Litherland Neal Litherland is a Northwest Indiana author who works primarily in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. He started his career as a freelancer and ghostwriter in 2008, and it took until 2012 for his fiction to see […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Kevin Hearne, author of INK & SIGIL: FROM THE WORLD OF THE IRON DRUID CHRONICLES. About INK & SIGIL Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white moustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails—and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome writer and managing editor for FIYAH Literary Magazine, Eboni Dunbar, author of STONE AND STEEL. About Stone and Steel: In Stone and Steel, when General Aaliyah returns triumphant to the city of Titus, she expects to find the people prospering under the rule of her Queen, the stone mage […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome Doug Engstrom whose debut novel, CORPORATE GUNSLINGER is available from Harper Collins. About CORPORATE GUNSLINGER: Like many Americans in the middle of the 21st century, aspiring actress Kira Clark is in debt. She financed her drama education with loans secured by a “lifetime services contract.” If she defaults, her […]
This week, Patrick and Tracy welcome NYTimes bestselling and Nebula, Hugo and Locus Award-winning speculative fiction writer Rebecca Roanhorse whose latest book, BLACK SUN is out now! About BLACK SUN: In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar […]
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