The Zennurgy Podcast

Episode 143- Laughter

Hollis invites fantasy readers into new worlds with her empowering, wild stories. Readers of all kinds discover inspiring perspectives when they read her books that help enrich their dreams. She is an award winning fantasy author, designer, Bookfest Bellwether, former professional cosplayer, podcaster, and all around silly person. She writes two different dark fantasy book series: The Raashan Series and the Lost Beacon Chronicles. Romantic subplots are a staple in her stories, especially the Raashan Series. History and mythology are continuous inspirations in her writing. So, you'll even get some fun historical and mythological nuances to rattle off at parties when you read her books. Things I love to talk about: - I am half Italian, half Scottish and a Navy brat - My childhood and growing up in general while travelling the world with my family. We laughed a lot. - My books, of course, and how I came to start writing them. - Playing Dungeons & Dragons (or our own version of it) with my best friend. - The comedy of everyday life and how we can all laugh with others instead of cry. - I'm a former cosplayer! I was a professional or semi-professional cosplayer as a teenager and very early 20s, been doing it just for fun and as a volunteer since the early 2000s. It's a great community.

142- Innovate to Elevate

Some say there is nothing new under the sun, yet it appears we have new things created all the time. Innovation. Join us as we explore and discuss different aspects of innovation such as: 1. Finding ideas, fleshing them out and having the confidence, discipline and motivation to bring them from the unseen realm of imagination to the tangible world of reality 2. The struggles that come with creativity, ingenuity or "whimsy". Why is creativity still important in a world that may think books, ideas, fantasy, sci-fi or adventure are the realm of AI rather than the realm of authors. Join us for this timely discussion full of practical tips. We'll also delve into this author's books and journey as a writer. We have a lot to talk about. Hello, my name is Jennifer D. Torseth, and I am an indie author of dystopian and sci-fi books, including "The Emergence: Sera," "The Emergence: Sam," the paranormal romance "Adele Wolf," and the children's book "Oh No, It's a Croc!"  I was born and raised in Texas, and when I'm not writing about alien sludge or sexy shapeshifters, you can find me on my porch, enjoying a cup of coffee and spending time with my four-leggers. www.tiktok.com/@jennifer_d_torseth, https://www.instagram.com/jdtorseth333/, https://www.facebook.com/jd.torseth, https://www.youtube.com/@jennifertorseth3432

141- Explore Your Inner World

Goodreads -https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18242565.C_K_Miller Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Roanfire/ Instagram - https://instagram.com/ckmillerbooks Tiktok - @c.k.miller website - www.ckmillerbooks.com Growing up as a cultural chameleon—seven years in Germany followed by American high school at fourteen—I quickly learned that feeling like you don't quite fit anywhere is pretty universal. Turns out, navigating high school without knowing all fifty states while thinking in German makes for interesting conversations and even better story material. Writing became my happy place, starting with shared notebooks and collaborative stories that helped me master English while building friendships. Of course, life had other plans, throwing chronic migraines and health challenges into the mix for over twenty-five years. But hey, when life gives you mysterious symptoms, you become a natural health research ninja! I've tried everything from extreme nutrition plans to tailored exercise routines, and I've learned more about wellness than I ever expected. My debut YA fantasy The Phoenix Host actually started with a tiny blue agate necklace from my rock-loving dad. That little stone sparked an entire world where my main character deals with magically-induced headaches. Because, apparently I write what I know, even in fantasy! After twelve rejection letters and an… interesting publishing experience, I found my publishing groove and have now released all four books in the Roanfire Saga, with over 4,000 copies sold. I write for teens who are figuring out where they belong in this crazy world, probably because I'm still figuring that out myself. These days, having finally cracked the code on my health puzzle, I'm fascinated by how stories can be both our escape hatch when we need a break, and our compass when we're ready to face whatever comes next. Currently diving into the mental and brain side of health because, well, because there’s always another chapter.

140- Life is a Journey.

Join author Alice Ford and I as we discuss tips on enjoying the journey of life even in tumultuous times. Alice Ford. writes across all genres of fantasy, from mythic retellings to original worlds, horror to epic. My debut novel, Road to the Throne, is a re-imagining of Zeus’s origin story. She's been writing her whole life, but only recently gave herself the push to start publishing. Her work often explores themes of mental health, identity, and representation, because she believes fantasy is the perfect space to tackle real-world issues. When she's not writing, she's probably re-watching Bob’s Burgers or catching up on Rusty Quill and Helluva Boss. patreon.com/FallenRoseWriting [http://patreon.com/FallenRoseWriting?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExV0hmYklyVWpOVXplZkZkSnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4G6w6Axigw70ZIEPeWcK307mV-OXNqe7yqPm2_lejMbZcjzThTkP2YGY8Uvg_aem_LVPK_YayBGzsU1INJ8nL0A] Instagram: @fallenrosewriting Facebook:Fallen Rose Writing

139- Be Inquisitive

Zennurgy is a manifestation of inqisitiveness. It was born from examined questions. 1. How can I use quarantine to grow? 2. What skills contribute to self development and becoming my full self? 3. How can this self development journey become a community where people can contribute their journey and wisdom? We've now been on this journey 5 years. While often used interchangeably, inquisitiveness and curiosity have subtle differences. Curiosity is a general desire to learn and explore, while inquisitiveness emphasizes the active pursuit of knowledge through questioning and investigation. In essence, curiosity is the motivation, and inquisitiveness is the action driven by that motivation. Think of it this way: A curious person might be fascinated by self development, while an inquisitive person would actively try to understand what it is, how it works, and where it came from by asking questions and examining it. That's what we do here. And fostering inquisitiveness is important because it can lead to: 1. Life long learning 2. Empathy 3. Deeper skill building and understanding and more Paul Edge is an indie author who writes SciFi predominantly because it allows him to test his characters' endurance and abilities when pitted against impossible situations. He's joining me yo discuss being inquisitive and his author journey and his books. Join us. Www.PaulEdge.co.uk [https://l.facebook.com/l.php?__tn__=q&c%5B0%5D=AT0suhZzIph73dvjlPWhm_Hq0Oax__Do6vI2B7vHzgsXfFOXkCgbZGpWm5jIlE4fqxXohbhfP-GJvt1Xp0wAGYekR3t_rcSzCvW9fnhPxPDXSZMoZCdZCUfH0ng7BY-aW8A1kLjWDl5gfDR3ykxRVWfBoJ7Kj8qnvXA&h=AT2Eo_I80slhtZEmMCxrqibJZE1tMfydIVEpJXzhiMpA3z4MxgpgXKxlSGu2X4A01DiXoz7NJ_UPN9N9GWQPYJUDZUsMajg9V4wpdrwimpXIn0oPEjtnqyHoR572uyopNJfvfdyC6Wn69PPo9nDK5d28wRGULc7q&u=http%3A%2F%2FWww.PaulEdge.co.uk%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExNkJ4anI5eklXUTdDY1VMUHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5afRcKYFzkpv7Kmsc-oJrTHBRTJ7C5XVD9S0p2hh20Xf_3tgRzLsZy6MoecA_aem_zjLo_hxL9l28p4QBYuYr7w%26brid%3DmXjLgySIxvMIE7qZsiiaew] @pauljcedge https://a.co/d/7XaAHpy [https://a.co/d/7XaAHpy?brid=2KD0mILUgQKxzc5-fFsncg&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExNkJ4anI5eklXUTdDY1VMUHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5hD2owcV8Ye6zLhSOdxnYYnzAqy1dlb-biRlNPhp0hk7Gx9P3IEtBe0doMDA_aem_hK6ubrZ57JNQZh4odm1-ig]