Realm Runners

Stacey McEwan: A Forbidden Alchemy, Bad First Drafts, & Why the Miscommunication Trope Can Go Away

NY Times and USA today best selling author Stacey McEwan joins Devin and Pete to kick off Fantasy Romance Month on Realm Runners, and it's a full hour of craft, chaos, and chicken-flavored chips. Stacey is the bestselling author of A Forbidden Alchemy (Peaky Blinders with magic) part of The Artisan series, published by Saga Press. She breaks down how the book came together from a genuinely unhinged first draft (dark academia war fiction steampunk romantasy was a real pitch), why she almost miscommunication-trapped herself into a corner, what it's actually like to get editor notes back when your entire brain is on the page, and where book three stands right now. A Forsaken Prophecy releases July 14 (AU/UK) and July 21 (US). Tour dates coming soon. =========================== Connect with Stacey =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Subscribe: ⁨@realm_runners⁩ Follow Realm Runners: https://instagram.com/realm_runners [https://instagram.com/realm_runners] Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good [https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good] Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy [https://instagram.com/bromantasy] Chapters: 0:00 — Intro and Fantasy Romance Month 1:30 — How Devin ended up with a signed copy of Ledge 4:00 — Why Patrick works for readers regardless of gender 7:30 — What makes romance land vs. what makes it die 10:00 — Writing Nina's silence without it being a miscommunication cop-out 13:30 — How the book actually came together: dark academia + war docs + nan's bodice rippers 16:30 — The school arc that became its own book and then got cut 18:45 — The editor notes reel: what it looks like on the outside vs. what it feels like on the inside 21:15 — Coles vs. Woolies 23:00 — Chicken-flavored chips and the cultural divide 26:45 — Balancing writing, mothering, and touring (and the bargain she made with herself) 31:20 — How teaching shaped her storytelling instincts 35:00 — Student plot twists, reader DMs, and Raven Kennedy's lawyers 37:00 — A Forsaken Prophecy updates and why book two was an absolute pain to write 39:15 — AFV: the book three title tease 41:00 — The Kindle highlights that surprised her 43:15 — Readers obsessing over an air charmer that isn't coming 45:30 — The gaslight fantasy world and how ANZAC tunnelers inspired the magic system 49:30 — Writing real sibling dynamics (Patrick's brothers and the banter) 52:00 — Tour dates, wrap-up, and the Stacia Stark teaser for next week

Dying Tribes, Haunted Princes, Epic Debut | Thomas Schecter | Realm Runners S2 E6

Thomas Clark Schecter joins Realm Runners to talk about The Shieldbreaker Saga, his epic dark fantasy series following 19-year-old Kareva as he leads the last of the Hodrir against the seemingly unstoppable Pohyor. Described by readers as the fantasy equivalent of 300, with the heart of Bernard Cornwell and the brutality of Abercrombie, The Shieldbreaker: Book One – The Last of the Etela is a lean, visceral, and emotionally devastating debut that proves you don't need 800 pages to build a world worth dying in. Tom breaks down how his background as an educator and history enthusiast shaped the tribal cultures, naming conventions, and military tactics in the book, why he opened with an epilogue that tells you the ending from page one (and why that was the right call), how his multi-POV battle sequences were designed to make readers feel the tide of war shift in real time, and where the Shieldbreaker Saga goes from here. 📖 The Shieldbreaker, Book One: The Last of the Etela → https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236990876 [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236990876] =========================== Connect with Thomas Schecter → https://ShieldbreakerSaga.com [https://ShieldbreakerSaga.com] =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Subscribe: https://youtube.com/@realm_runners [https://youtube.com/@realm_runners] Follow Pete: / @pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: / @bromantasy 00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction 02:28 Book Cover Design and Aesthetic Choices 05:24 The Writing Process and Series Development 08:21 Influences and Inspirations for the Story 11:07 Narrative Structure and Epilogue Discussion 13:55 Character Development and Motivations 16:42 Historical Context and Research 19:23 Writing Style and POV Techniques 22:14 Final Thoughts and Future Works 31:40 Building Epic Battles and Character Depth 33:36 The Emotional Impact of Character Connections 35:44 Character-Driven Worldbuilding in Fantasy 38:20 The Challenge of Expanding a Fantasy Universe 40:25 Creating Rhythm and Pacing in Storytelling 44:49 Themes of Identity in Times of Crisis 47:11 Escapism vs. Realism in Fantasy Literature 50:26 The Future of the Shield Breaker Saga

14 Years on One Book, Then a Fantasy Debut That Bangs | C. William Phillips | Realm Runners S2 E5

C. William Phillips (https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will [https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will]) spent 14 years writing his debut, a crime thriller that reads like Breaking Bad and The Sopranos writers got into a fistfight in a parking lot and bleed all over the pages. Then he pivoted to epic fantasy and somehow made that look easy too. In this episode, Will breaks down the wild journey from What Blood Remembers to The Ash Remains, including how unemployment finally forced him to finish a book he'd been carrying since he was 18, why he's a proud pantser which led to adding his best character (Sen) completely by accident, and how he built a dragon bond system that actually costs something. We also get into: why Will writes unapologetically even when beta readers tell him he'll lose people, what the Malazan book club and The Crippled Pod(https://open.spotify.com/show/1UDpA2dZNhRY0ay3Md4XVY [https://open.spotify.com/show/1UDpA2dZNhRY0ay3Md4XVY]) did to his TBR, and why epic fantasy always felt like home even when he was writing neo-Western crime fiction. Pre-order The Ash Remains (ebook $5 before release): https://amzn.to/43aZTHK [https://amzn.to/43aZTHK] * Find Will on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will [https://www.instagram.com/words_with_will] =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good [https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good] Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy [https://instagram.com/bromantasy] Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬ [https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬] 0:00 - Introduction 3:18 - Writing What Blood Remembers for 14 Years 6:50 - Why Unemployment Finished the Book 10:05 - Sprayed Edges & Indie Publishing with Mayor Golden Bookshelf 12:30 - Pivoting to Epic Fantasy with The Ash Remains 15:30 - Character Work Across Both Books 16:20 - Pantser vs. Plotter (He Pantsed Sen Entirely) 19:30 - Does He Know How the Series Ends? 21:00 - Book Length & Chapter Structure 27:20 - Chapter Formatting & the Malazan Influence 30:50 - What Makes These Dragons Different 34:10 - The Dragon Bond Training Room (No Spoilers) 36:40 - Working on Book Two 39:00 - Future Projects: Space Opera, Short Stories & a What Blood Remembers Novella 41:10 - The Malazan Book Club Podcast Origin Story 46:00 - What Malazan Did to His TBR 50:00 - Writing Unapologetically (Even When Beta Readers Push Back) 55:00 - Action Scenes & Accessibility in Epic Fantasy 1:08:00 - Sen's Book Two Scoop 1:11:30 - Closing & Where to Find Will #realmrunners #bookpodcast #epicfantasy #indieauthor #fantasyauthors #dragonriders #writingcommunity *Disclaimer: Affiliate links support Realm Runners at no extra cost to you

The Bold Choice to Write an All-Female Clan in Fantasy w/ Jackson Ford | Realm Runners S2 E4

Most authors talk about writing. Jackson Ford (https://www.instagram.com/realjacksonford [https://www.instagram.com/realjacksonford]) proves it’s about living. In this episode, Jackson shares the real story behind his groundbreaking series The Bone Raiders, including how he dove headfirst into Mongolian culture, defying stereotypes to create a richly authentic world, nothing like the typical fantasy setting. You’ll discover the surprising reasons he chose to focus on female characters, why empathy guides his storytelling, and how to craft relationships that don’t just entertain but emotionally wreck your readers in the best way. We break down Jackson’s unconventional approach to world-building, revealing how he uses "what if" questions instead of tropes to naturally develop compelling characters and settings. Plus, how his background in journalism fuels his obsession with getting details right, and why he believes every writer has a responsibility to portray diverse perspectives authentically. Whether you’re an aspiring author or avid reader this episode unlocks the secret to genuine storytelling: one rooted in respect, research, and raw emotion. Perfect for anyone ready to challenge conventions, elevate their craft, or understand the mind of a storyteller who refuses to follow the crowd. ============================= Connect with Realm Runners ============================= Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good [https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good] Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy [https://instagram.com/bromantasy] Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬ [https://youtube.com/‪@realm_runners‬] 0:00 - Introduction 3:18 - Release Day Experience 5:19 - The Broken Binding 7:13 - Transition to Fantasy 13:24 - World-Building Approach 20:14 - Writing Female Characters 32:15 - Mentorship Program 38:08 - The Business of Publishing 49:31 - Upcoming Projects 54:15 - Personal Stories 1:00:04 - Closing Remarks #realmrunners #bookpodcast #indiefantasy #debutauthor #fantasyauthors #writingcommunity

Aaron Hall: The Legend of Uh, Caveman Cooking, and Writing Parody with Heart | Realm Runners S2 E3

Aaron Hall joins Pete and Devin to close out April, and this conversation goes everywhere. We dig into what makes The Legend of Uh work and hint, it's not just the jokes! We also talk about how a personal pizza video accidentally launched a social media explosion, why parody fantasy fails when it's all gag and no emotional core, and whether Aaron's next project should be a sci-fi parody or a grimdark political epic fantasy. He also teases a caveman cookbook that somehow has a fantasy adventure threaded through it, drops some thoughts on Brandon Sanderson's underground lair, and talks about what it actually feels like to go from nobody to getting recognized at a bookstore. The Second Legend of U is available for preorder and released on 4/27! Check out everything from Aaron at https://aaronnhall.com/ [https://aaronnhall.com/] ! ============================= Connect with Realm Runners ============================= Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good [https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good] Follow Devin: https://instagram.com/bromantasy [https://instagram.com/bromantasy] Subscribe on YouTube: /  @realm_runners  [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCcXLfIbwfxZ2fIwAktbaMow] Chapters: (00:00) - Intro and reflections on April’s achievements (01:19) - Aaron’s praise for indie author community and "The Legend of" series (02:37) - Discussing "The Legend of Up" and its humor (04:07) - Brandon Sanderson’s prolific writing and book size (04:58) - Brandon’s resources and underground home tour (05:37) - The wealth of successful authors and their real lives (06:48) - Indie marketing challenges and successes (08:10) - Building an author brand with social content (10:44) - The balancing act of parody and meaningful storytelling (12:19) - Flipping stereotypes for emotional depth (13:55) - The unexpected popularity of side characters (15:47) - Impactful character moments and connection with readers (16:32) - Making audiobooks available for free on YouTube (17:43) - The reasoning behind YouTube audiobook strategy (19:03) - Challenges with Spotify and other platforms (21:07) - The importance of quick editing for social media (32:28) - Insights into attention span and short-form content (33:17) - The value of rapid shifts in social videos (34:37) - Content planning and engagement strategies (39:31) - Future projects including sci-fi, prequels, and series ideas (44:39) - Debating themes of lighthearted versus grimdark stories (45:49) - Creating a trilogy structure with thematic covers (47:03) - The rise of especially popular genres like sci-fi and romance (50:18) - Challenges in genre switching and audience expectations (52:21) - Parodies in romance and sci-fi with humorous concepts (66:31) - Viral videos: the power of one hit to transform an author’s following (67:23) - The thrill and humbling reality of reader recognition (68:04) - Connecting authentically with fans and meeting influential authors (69:03) - Final thoughts and the excitement of future projects #realmrunners #bookpodcast #indiefantasy #debutauthor #fantasyauthors #writingcommunity