We kick off with The Four Treasures, a high fantasy LitRPG trilogy shaped by real Irish, Welsh, and Scottish lore. Then we downshift into Get Trucked, where the Bureau of Afterlife Dispatch are responsible for the people driving the trucks that isekai people into other worlds. To make the story more immersive, there’s a reader-facing app that mirrors the book’s systems. Finally, we unveil Anunnaki, a fresh upcoming LitRPG that fans of Ancient Aliens will recognize. Think ancient stakes in modern arenas, explicit systems that grow with the danger, and a legendary narrator’s voice to carry the wonder.

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What does it take to turn real pain into a world worth exploring? We welcome author Lance Krautlarger to talk Arcane Tides: A Journey Within, a character-driven fantasy that treats mental health with honesty and heart. Eldrin’s path mirrors Lance’s own time leaving the service, navigating PTSD and anxiety, and relearning how to belong—first to himself, then to others.

We trace the book’s DNA from a single therapeutic writing session into a full draft. Then the hard part: cutting a 150k-word manuscript, fixing head-hopping, and compressing travel to keep momentum on the inner quest. Along the way, Sanderson lectures and classic epics influenced structure, but the true guides were therapy and self-help—voices that shaped tone, pace, and purpose.

The story gets personal through chapter-opening quotes lifted from Lance’s own journals. We also dive into the cozy layer: in-world books, a bark-and-amber cookbook, and real recipes—pumpkin bars, porridge, muffins—recast with magical ingredients. Food becomes a ritual of care, a way to ground panic and grief in the small good things.

Alara, inspired by a real friend who demanded help be sought, anchors Eldrin’s growth with judgment-free support. The cleric is a therapist in fantasy clothing, the journal a tool that only reveals what you’re ready to read—because validation can’t be borrowed, only claimed. By the end, Eldrin discovers that the point isn’t rank, adventure, or lore; it’s presence with family, the capacity to rest, and the courage to move forward without outside permission.

If this conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so more readers and writers can find it.

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What if a portal fantasy didn’t whisk one hero away, but dropped an entire magical realm onto our world? That’s the theme behind Paragon Exordium, and today I sit down with author Mikel “Mick” Melwasul to discuss how a college town in Georgia becomes the frontline of a sprawling, character‑driven.

We explore the series central mystery, the Therin Selu, a cataclysmic spell meant to dodge a mythic flood, and how its fallout turns into magic finally returning. Mick shares why the world’s “castology” matters: runes, song, speech, and emotion aren’t just mechanics, they’re culture encoded, shaping grief, faith, and power. We also lean into ambiguity—Jadis bound to a sword, the Weeping King hiding power behind tears—and celebrate the lighter touch that makes the darkness land, from a cult‑favorite basilisk named Shadowfang to the beloved mushroom folk.

If you love reverse isekai worldbuilding, emotionally intelligent magic systems, and characters who force the plot to bend around their choices, this conversation is your map to Paragon. Listen, share with a friend who craves fresh fantasy, and leave a quick review to help more readers find the show. Then tell us: are you team Jadis, and which creatures do you want more of next?

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I sit down with Edie Skye to explore how playful tones and decisive heroes (and monster girls) make harem fiction such a great genre. From Cat Girls From Outer Space to Titan Mage’s dragon-laced lore, we trace craft choices, collaboration, and why men’s romance is more wholesome than you think.

• Pen names and genre lanes across HP Hollow, Edie Skye, and Arcadia Sky
• Cat Girls From Outer Space as a spicy rework of Freelancers Of Neptune
• Why harem lands best with humor, banter, and self-awareness
• Men’s romance expectations for active, hyper-competent heroes
• Balancing escapism with scene-level struggle and real stakes
• Making intimacy integral to magic systems and culture
• Favorite characters, disability representation, and comedic leads
• Dragons as terraformers, world maps, and lore that clicks
• TikTok virality and the rise of men’s romance

Find Edie Skye at:

edieskye.com 

TikTok/Instagram/Facebook: @EdieSkyAuthor 

Patreon: EdieSkyAuthor

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We talk with Aaron Michael Ritchey about Shadowcroft Academy for Dungeons and its spin-off Dungeon Accountant, exploring why dungeons are the good guys, how silverware jokes became lore, and why an audit team can save worlds with data and heart. Along the way, we dig into writing speed, co-authoring, and the craft choices that keep high-concept ideas grounded and fun.

• Shadowcroft’s isekai hook and world-soul node stakes
• Logan’s fungaloid build and the underdog progression
• Found-family dynamics and humor that carries weight
• Dungeon Accountant’s audit squad and design fixes
• Ethics of dungeoneering guilds and redemption arcs
• Building dungeons from tropes to systems
• Silverware lore as Q-style gadget payoff
• Favorite dungeons across both series
• Community feedback, outlines, and collaboration

Find Aaron: aaronmritchey.com, shadowalleypress.com, and Facebook under Aaron Michael Ritchey
Find us: iowpod.com, YouTube @ iowpodcast, and Patreon @ iowpod 

 “As always, keep leveling up”

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An arcade robbery, a fatal shot, and a sudden awakening inside a favorite game... only not as the hero. Rachel Ni Chuirc joins me to unpack Knights of Eternity, a LitRPG trilogy that flips the script by dropping its protagonist into the villain’s body with Zara the Fury still in her head. What starts as a classic “save the princess” dungeon crawl unravels into a layered story about identity, agency, and the cost of choices when your own thoughts aren’t entirely your own.

We dig into how Rachel wrote the trilogy alongside her intense years on Baldur’s Gate 3, and why a pressure valve morning draft became a published series with Legion Publishers. She explains her “creamy” system design (immersive, character-led, and light on stats), and the craft behind alternating first-person chapters for the mc with third-person perspectives for everyone else. That structural shift delivers intimacy where it counts and scale where it matters. Expect honest talk about pantsing as a writing style, ruthless editing, and learning that the most powerful scenes are often quiet, human moments rather than big set pieces.

We also explore the broader world around the books and the warmth of the LitRPG community. Rachel shares early influences from anime to life in Japan, growing up over a book-filled shop in a tiny Irish town, and what’s next (a romantasy featuring a monster hunter and a sentient French-accented sword). If you care about game writing, audiobooks, or villains you can empathize with even as you want them to lose, this conversation is for you.

Enjoyed the episode? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review so we can bring more game-lit and fantasy authors to your feed.

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I sat down to talk with debut LitRPG author Joedan Worley about Wayspring Wanderer, a desert survival story where a wounded Marine becomes a druid whose greatest power is finding water. Craft, worldbuilding, grief, and a pangolin named Penny collide in a conversation about purpose, progression, and hope without shortcuts.

• Oscar’s transformation, loss, and search for his brother
• A druid in a dying desert where finding water means life or death
• Reimagined kobolds and lore influences
• Character-first writing and distinct voices
• Mental health, self-talk, and pushing through
• Penny the pangolin and why companions resonate
• Stakes, consequence, and avoiding convenience

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Find Joedans website here and his amazon page here

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A Marine reborn as a Witcher-style hunter. A hedge mage who becomes a dungeon troll and teaches NPCs to wake up. A virtual reality MMO where there are real stakes and consequences once the real world ends. A hungover everyman who turns the Backrooms into a lifeline with a map, a store, and a mimic dog made of blue croc material. James Hunter joins us to unpack how systems, stakes, and humor drive four wildly different LitRPG series and why readers keep craving bigger, stranger worlds.

Enjoyed the conversation? Follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more LitRPG fans find us.

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Ever wondered what happens when you blend dungeon cores, tennis matches, wild west gunslingers, and competitive Magic: The Gathering into one creative mind? Journey with us as we sit down with Ryn, writing as Jonathan Smidt, the versatile author behind multiple LitRPG series including Elemental Dungeon, Dungeon Corps Online, Aced, Resonance, and Flamespitter.

Smidt's creative journey began unexpectedly when Portal Books approached her after reading her young adult fantasy on Wattpad. Despite having never heard of Dungeon Core fiction, she dove headfirst into the genre, consuming dozens of books before crafting what would become her first successful series. What followed was a remarkably diverse catalog spanning multiple topics and unique premises that reflect her real-world passions.

The conversation reveals how Smith's numerous hobbies directly influence her writing—from bladesmithing (which she learned partly to create weapons from her books) to competitive Magic: The Gathering, and her newfound love of tennis that sparked an entire sports LitRPG series. We explore the fascinating research behind her historical fantasy western Flamespitter, including how different cultures throughout the American West approach magic according to their values and worldviews.

Whether you're a fellow author seeking inspiration or a reader curious about the mind behind these imaginative worlds, this conversation offers a captivating glimpse into the creative alchemy that transforms diverse experiences into compelling fiction.

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Timothy McGowen doesn't just write books – he crafts entire universes.

Dragonstone Academy represents McGowan's unique approach to worldbuilding through its innovative card-based magic system. Rather than conveniently giving his protagonist the perfect ability for each situation, McGowan created actual physical card decks, shuffled them, and let random draws determine the character's options during pivotal moments. This constraint forced organic problem-solving that makes the combat in the book even more unbelievable and realistic.

Surprisingly, several of McGowan's separate series exist within a shared universe, with characters occasionally crossing over between books. Careful readers will notice familiar faces appearing across different timelines and settings, all building toward an eventual convergence in a planned capstone series. With forthcoming projects including a John Wick-inspired apocalyptic tale for Aethon Publishing, a secret collaboration with a narrator, and a venture into a new genre under a pen name, McGowan's literary universe continues to expand in exciting directions.

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