Just what do you do with a PhD in the History of Science? Write novels–science fiction, urban fantasy, and thriller. Our guest today is Steve Ruskin, PhD. He’s the author of the nonfiction popular history novel America’s First Great Eclipse and countless academic writings, and also of the ExoRok Rebels science fiction series and Trina Piper magical thrillers.

Steve’s unique background in academics and fiction give him great insight to author resources, creativity, and bringing character-driven fiction to life.

In Part Two, We Discuss:

• Painting targets around the points you want to hit in your plots

• On-location research and

• Detail writing, and using the five senses to set a scene

• Worldbuilding and story development in someone else’s shared universe

• Pulling story inspiration from history and integrating it into other genres

• Organization and juggling multiple projects

Resources and Guest Links:

• Steve Ruskin: https://www.steveruskin.com/

• Steve’s Newsletter: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/f424f312-0fb9-11ee-938d-7f884ddf8bd0

• America’s First Great Eclipse: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-First-Great-Eclipse-Scientists-ebook/dp/B0716GT8FH

• ExoRok Rebels: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1BMNQQ1

• Trina Piper Thrillers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9KGPCSS

• Extinction by Douglas Preston: https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Extinction-A-Novel/dp/B0C31M5X6V

Huge thanks to Steve for coming over to record at our dining room table. We love being able to bring field specialists onto the show, and he’s no exception. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

Just what do you do with a PhD in the History of Science? Write novels–science fiction, urban fantasy, and thriller. Our guest today is Steve Ruskin, PhD. He’s the author of the nonfiction popular history novel America’s First Great Eclipse and countless academic writings, and also of the ExoRok Rebels science fiction series and Trina Piper magical thrillers.

Steve’s unique background in academics and fiction give him great insight to author resources, creativity, and bringing character-driven fiction to life.

In Part One, We Discuss:

• Worldbuilding in historical and popular history writings

• Nonfiction worldbuilding and research

• Writing character-driven nonfiction

• Where to start historical research and how to reach out to professionals

• “Secret histories”: Finding the balance between historical accuracy and fictional liberties

• Maintaining a timeline and the differences between historical fiction and alternate history

• The Village Idiot Approach

Resources and Guest Links:

• Steve Ruskin: https://www.steveruskin.com/

• Steve’s Newsletter: https://storyoriginapp.com/giveaways/f424f312-0fb9-11ee-938d-7f884ddf8bd0

• America’s First Great Eclipse: https://www.amazon.com/Americas-First-Great-Eclipse-Scientists-ebook/dp/B0716GT8FH

• ExoRok Rebels: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1BMNQQ1

• Trina Piper Thrillers: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9KGPCSS

• Extinction by Douglas Preston: https://www.amazon.com/Audible-Extinction-A-Novel/dp/B0C31M5X6V

Huge thanks to Steve for coming over to record at our dining room table. We love being able to bring field specialists onto the show, and he’s no exception. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it!

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

Sorry we’re late this week! Shady got trapped in a server when they shut Anthem down…and by that, we mean, he decided to relive the glory of the freelancers one last time…but at least it’s still Tuesday!

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it--you only get one first impression. A good cover needs to be eye-catching, signal your genre, give clues to your story, have an engaging and readable title treatment, and make readers want to know more.

Easy, right?

If only! The trouble is, authors aren't always the best at breaking their stories down into one or two compelling visuals. Where words fail us, enter Jake Clark and J Caleb Design. The artistic mind behind countless covers, J Caleb focuses on badass covers for badass stories. He lent us his expertise for this episode! Join us in discussing what exactly goes into making a book cover great, from concept and brief to final product.

In Part Two, We Discuss:

• More Lucky Charms

• A Cover Brief Story

• The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Artists and Writers working together.

Resources and Guest Links:

• J Caleb Design: https://www.jcalebdesign.com/

Help us thank Jake! Covers are tricky, and we’ve been so excited to share this episode and give people insights from such a talented artist and creator.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but let's face it--you only get one first impression. A good cover needs to be eye-catching, signal your genre, give clues to your story, have an engaging and readable title treatment, and make readers want to know more.

Easy, right?

If only! The trouble is, authors aren't always the best at breaking their stories down into one or two compelling visuals. Where words fail us, enter Jake Clark and J Caleb Design. The artistic mind behind countless covers, J Caleb focuses on badass covers for badass stories. He lent us his expertise for this episode! Join us in discussing what exactly goes into making a book cover great, from concept and brief to final product.

In Part One, We Discuss:

• Minimalistic choices and simplifying cover briefs to get the best options

• Differences in processes

• Lucky Charms

Resources and Guest Links:

• J Caleb Design: https://www.jcalebdesign.com/

Help us thank Jake! Covers are tricky, and we’ve been so excited to share this episode and give people insights from such a talented artist and creator.

Host Links:

• H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

• David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

• Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim

We all love a widespread, far-reaching fantasy universe that we as readers can get completely absorbed in. The only thing better than a great fantasy series is a whole collection of them that deep-dive into an immersive world. But how do you keep track of a timeline that spans over a thousand years? Where do you start when your cast of characters stretches into the hundreds?

We’re so pleased to release this interview with Katie Cross, author of more than 50 novels in her award-winning Alkarra universe. Katie drives down to the bedrock and gives us an inside look at her own spreadsheets and world bible. Join us and get practical tips and tools to keep your worlds organized. Bonus author mental health checks included ;)

In Part Two, We Discuss:

• Avoiding the urge for perfection and focusing on moving forward

• Drafting processes and tips to make your writing more efficient

• Learning from our failures

• Maps and their purposes and utility in fantasy

• Katie’s recommended series for worldbuilding

• Addressing and conquering mental roadblocks

Resources and Guest Links:

https://katiecrossbooks.com/

Katie’s Book Recommendations for Great Worldbuilding!

• Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House on the Prairie: https://littlehousebooks.com/

• Lydia Sherrer, Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus: https://www.lydiasherrer.com/books/love-lies-and-hocus-pocus/

Thanks again to Katie! Getting such a detailed look behind the curtain of this kind of world tracking and story management is a rare opportunity. We’re honored she agreed to hang out with us.

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Shady’s Notes: I’ve typically been editing these a bit since we’ve gone rogue…I mean stood up our own channel, but unfortunately I’ve been on deadline and unable to put any time into this. Which is also why this week’s is not a new episode, but another one from the archives. Enjoy!

We all love a widespread, far-reaching fantasy universe that we as readers can get completely absorbed in. The only thing better than a great fantasy series is a whole collection of them that deep-dive into an immersive world. But how do you keep track of a timeline that spans over a thousand years? Where do you start when your cast of characters stretches into the hundreds?

We’re so pleased to release this interview with Katie Cross, author of more than 50 novels in her award-winning Alkarra universe. Katie drives down to the bedrock and gives us an inside look at her own spreadsheets and world bible. Join us and get practical tips and tools to keep your worlds organized. Bonus author mental health checks included ;)

In Part One, We Discuss:

• Pepsi (please sponsor us! Its the only pop Shady drinks)

• Building and maintaining a detailed world bible

• Multi-generational timelines and maintaining continuity

• Author mindsets and how to approach your work

• Choosing which details to track, and how

• Writing what you love and how it helps improve your fiction

• An exclusive, detailed look at Katie’s world bible for Alkarra (the power of spreadsheets!)

Resources and Guest Links:

https://katiecrossbooks.com/

Thanks again to Katie! Getting such a detailed look behind the curtain of this kind of world tracking and story management is a rare opportunity. We’re honored she agreed to hang out with us.

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits: (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

• For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

• Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.

From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed, sweeping military science fiction series. It all started in 2016 with Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey (https://www.worldmaker.us/home/). Now the 4HU has expanded to 8 different series, approaching 100 titles from over 50 authors. Its dedicated fan club has 25 companies across the country.

In Episode 2:

• Advantages of shared worlds and co-writing: stepping out of the author cave and working with others to ping-pong ideas and build your writing community

• The worldbuilding process: how much is done in advance of writing your novel, and how does this vary from author to author?

• The iceberg approach: how to determine which worldbuilding details are going to further your story

• Joining a shared world as a new author: where do you start?

• The editing process: how developmental editing looks different in a shared world

Resources and Guest Links:

Chris Kennedy Publishing: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/

Mark Wandrey Author: https://www.worldmaker.us/home/

World Building for Novices: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/world-building-for-novices/

Quillcraft Press, CKP: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/quillcraft-press/

4HU Fan Club, the Mercenary Guild: https://themercenaryguild.org/index.html

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits- (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Special Thanks to Chris Kennedy! Both Shady and H.Y. Gregor had the honor of working closely with Chris over recent years and we’re so grateful for his professionalism and his willingness to be our first victim on the show. Chris and CKP have great reputations for recruiting and mentoring new authors and we’re honored to have him here.

Technical Note from Your Co-Hosts: We’re learning too! We loved working with and for Book Career in a Year and had a blast recording this show. However, we are no longer with them. We appreciate your patience with our technical audio complications in this, our original debut episode! Hang out with us again next week to see progress in motion and learn from more masters of the craft.

From Marvel to Star Wars, shared universe content is taking over the world. We interviewed Chris Kennedy, publisher, author, and one of the co-founders of the Four Horseman Universe (4HU). Today Chris Kennedy Publishing is made up of six imprints that publish everything from non-fiction to military fiction to fantasy.

From CKP’s Seventh Seal Press, the Four Horseman Universe is an action-packed, sweeping military science fiction series. It all started in 2016 with Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Mark Wandrey (https://www.worldmaker.us/home/). Now the 4HU has expanded to 8 different series, approaching 100 titles from over 50 authors. Its dedicated fan club has 25 companies across the country.

In Episode 1, we’ll discuss:

• The starting seeds of a massive shared universe: how do authors hatch a plan that spans such a widespread, beloved series?

• Submitting and participating in anthologies: how short stories help new authors get involved in established universes

• Worldbuilding continuity across space: dozens of alien races, countless planets, and mercenary companies means you need a good bible and even better continuity editors

• Real-world inspiration for military science fiction and future tech

• Suspension of disbelief: research and reality vs the “rule of cool” in far-future science fiction

Resources and Guest Links:

Chris Kennedy Publishing: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/

Mark Wandrey Author: https://www.worldmaker.us/home/

World Building for Novices: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/book/world-building-for-novices/

Quillcraft Press, CKP: https://chriskennedypublishing.com/quillcraft-press/

4HU Fan Club, the Mercenary Guild: https://themercenaryguild.org/index.html

Host Links:

H.Y. Gregor: https://hygregor.com/

David Shadoin: https://www.davidshadoin.com/

Credits- (all assets licensed through the sites listed)

For Intro: Music- Cinematic Epic Trailer by PaulYudin on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user- kazim hussian; from pixabay users-davidfoxx, DavidGallie, olenchic, stefaniejockschat, AiVreaSaStii, RuneSnow, duyen-nguyen, EnchantedStudios,

For Outro: Music- Good Night by FASSounds on Pixabay

Animation and Image- From Vecteezy user-onlydesignz; from pixabay users-olenchic, Placidplace, Evgeniy_Z, Dantegrafico, Shayea_Kim,

Special Thanks to Chris Kennedy! Both Shady and H.Y. Gregor had the honor of working closely with Chris over recent years and we’re so grateful for his professionalism and his willingness to be our first victim on the show. Chris and CKP have great reputations for recruiting and mentoring new authors and we’re honored to have him here.

Technical Note from Your Co-Hosts: We’re learning too! We love working with and for Book Career in a Year and are having a blast recording this show. We appreciate your patience with our technical audio complications in this debut episode! Hang out with us again next week to see progress in motion and learn from more masters of the craft.