The Exploress

Latest Episodes:

The 1920s, But Make It Fiction with Amie Kaufman Feb 26, 2023

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 3. I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Amie Kaufman, fellow author, friend, and co-host of my other podcast, Pub Dates, about taking inspiration from history and weaving it into fantasical worlds. Her novel, The Isles of the Gods, and my own both take certain aspects of the 1920s and use them as springboards into fictional exploration, but we've used our sources in very different ways. This is such a fun conversation about writing and our love of history; if you've ever wanted a more up-close-and-personal catchup with The Exploress, this one's for you.

If you want to find out more about Amie or her novel (which is SO GOOD), check out her website. My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out TOMORROW! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a prohibition on magic, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. Find out more at my author website.

Find out more about both books on our other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to their publication.

The Flappers of the 1920s Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 2. The flapper is the most iconic lady of the Roaring Twenties. We'll learn about her signature bobbed hairdo, what makeup she was rocking, and how Coco Chanel inspired the dresses she'd wear. We'll meet the two most notorious flappers of the age, Zelda Fitzgerald and Lois Long, and how they spent their time drinking, smoking, making out in cars and dancing to jazz in cabarets. We'll talk about how the public perception of the flapper was scandalous, and rebellious – she was immoral and immodest, and some people hated her for it. But she was also fun, beautiful, and daring… the ultimate symbol of sexual liberation and women's independence. And other people loved her for it, too.

My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out extremely soon! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It's full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women's history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. It comes out February 28, 2023. Find out more about NIGHTBIRDS on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website. I can't wait to share it with you.

Re-Release: The Women's Suffrage Movement & American Voting Rights (The 2023 Edition) Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Season 4, Episode 1. Let's time travel back to the 1920s! But first, we're going to revisit a vintage Exploress episode that explores something momentous that happened in the year 1920, when American women finally won the right to vote.

You can pre-order my novel, NIGHTBIRDS, wherever print, ebook, or audiobooks are sold! If you do, make sure to claim the exclusive Nightbirds pin by February 27th. If you order from One More Page Books, you'll get your copy signed and personalized AND get some special character cards as well. To find out more about it, have a listen to my other podcast, Pub Dates, where NYT best-selling author Amie Kaufman and I take you behind the scenes on our books' paths to publication.

Come see me on tour in the USA and Australia in February and March! You'll find the full schedule on my author website.

Being Queen with Elizabeth I Jan 12, 2023

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 28. Queen Elizabeth I ruled for 45 years as the Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess, and Gloriana, and her reign is now referred to as the Golden Age, or the Elizabethan Age. Today we'll be hearing from Bess herself as she talks us through her top tips for a successful queenship. We'll learn about how she was able to reign as an unmarried woman, why she refused to marry at all, the many marriage proposals she rebuffed, her long time love for Robert Dudley, and how she created a cult of virginity to calm fears about succession. We'll also learn how important beauty and fashion were to her, how she leveraged portraiture to create her public image as a goddess, her fear of aging, how she dealt with gossip and slander, and why her gift for languages, rhetoric, and public speaking made her such a formidable politician.

Education in Tudor England with Queen Katherine Parr Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 27. Survived. Join Henry VIII's sixth and final queen, Katherine Parr, as we explore what education looked like for women in Tudor England. We'll discover where girls studied, what subjects they learned, and how many of them could read and write. We'll also learn about the extraordinary life of Katherine Parr, and how she became the wife that survived by leveraging her education. She became the first Queen of England to publish her own book, educated her step-daughter (the future Queen Elizabeth I), promoted religious reform, made reading the most popular pastime for upper class Tudor women, and successfully navigated the dangerous political waters of Henry's court. Let's go traveling.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website. The music featured in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles.

Sex in Tudor England with Queen Catherine Howard Nov 27, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 26. In this episode, Queen Catherine Howard is going to be our guide as we explore all things sex for Tudor women. We'll walk through the era's expectations and understanding of a woman's virtue, how a lady might keep from getting pregnant should she choose to risk her reputation, and what happens if a woman gets pregnant out of wedlock. It's bound to be steamy, and…let's be honest…possibly dire.

Magic, Poison, and Sex in the French Court of King Louis XIV Oct 18, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 25. What connects a sorceress, a murderess, a mistress and a French king? Let's find out in this special Halloween bonus.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeton Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

WWII Code Girls with Ellie Marney Oct 04, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 24. Murder, mystery, and WWII code girls: oh my! Join me as I chat with Ellie Marney, the New York Times bestselling author of the new YA historical novel The Killing Code. Atmospheric, compulsive, and deliciously dark, it's the perfect book to kick off the spooky season, and it'll introduce you to a slice of women's history you might not know that much about. Ellie joined me to talk about the real-life female codebreakers who inspired her novel, as well as life for women in wartime D.C. in the 1940s.

To find out more about Ellie and The Killing Code, visit her website. For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and some fun links, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron.

Courtship in Tudor England with Queen Anne of Cleves Sep 20, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 23. Like most royal women, Anne of Cleves - English king Henry VIII's fourth wife - didn't have much choice when it came to whom she married. It was considered her "duty" to honor the needs of her family and her kingdom over whatever her own might be. But what about everyone else - the non-royals? Did they get to pursue their hearts more freely? Let's take a walk with Anne of Cleves, who'll show us more about what love, courtship, and marriage looked like for women in Tudor England.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show and get more Tudor bonus content, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Tudor Ladies in Waiting: Interview with Sylvia Barbara Soberton Sep 02, 2022

Show notes

Season 3, Episode 22. Join me as I sit down with author Sylvia Barbara Soberton to talk about a Tudor queen's ladies-in-waiting: who they were, what they did, and what kind of impact they had on the women they served and the court at large.

As always, there are lots of ways to support the Exploress: tell a friend about the show, leave a review wherever you listen, become a patron, or have a browse over on my website. For more on Sylvia's book and her other work, check out her website.

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