🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast — where old stories are reborn, fairy tales grow teeth, and fantasy dares to ask harder questions about love, identity, and choice.

This week, host Bethany Amanda is joined by bestselling author Lyra Selene, the mind behind The Fair Folk Trilogy — A Feather So Black, A Crown So Silver, and the just-released finale, A Heart So Green. If you love Celtic folklore, mythic romance, morally complex characters, and fairy tales that refuse to stay simple, this conversation is for you.

Lyra takes us deep into the origins of The Fair Folk Trilogy, from living in rural Ireland as a child to falling in love with Irish mythology, wild landscapes, and the question of why we keep returning to the same stories over and over again. We talk about her lifelong relationship with storytelling, the winding road to publication, and why perseverance — not talent — is often the deciding factor in an author’s career.

We also dive into what makes this trilogy so emotionally resonant: a changeling heroine caught between worlds, a Swan Princess story turned inside out, and relationships built on tension between what a character wants and what they truly need. Lyra opens up about writing complicated heroines, controversial love triangles, and villains who genuinely believe they’re doing the right thing — even when they’re not.

🦢 What happens when the Swan Princess isn’t the hero?
🌿 How do myth, landscape, and folklore shape a fantasy world from the inside out?
💔 And why are the most devastating endings often the most honest?

This episode is a love letter to mythic fantasy, character-driven storytelling, and the beauty of bittersweet endings that linger long after the final page.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

✨ Lyra’s childhood spent moving between countries, including a formative year in Ireland, and how that shaped her imagination.
✨ The Fair Folk Trilogy as a Celtic-inspired reimagining of Swan Lake and The Swan Princess.
✨ Writing fantasy that feels mythic, lyrical, deeply romantic, and grounded.
✨ Why Lyra considers herself a character-first writer and how internal vs. external wants drive story tension.
✨ Love triangles, banter, and relationships that force characters to confront who they really are.
✨ Turning the Swan Princess into the villain, and why Lyra believes great villains never think they’re the villain.
✨ The theme of self-acceptance and choosing yourself over romance.
✨ The realities of publishing: multiple books that didn’t sell, switching agents, and learning to keep your eyes on your own paper.
✨ What to expect from A Heart So Green, including new POVs, higher stakes, and an ending that is earned, bittersweet, and unforgettable. 
✨ What Lyra is working on next, including a Roaring Twenties–inspired adult fantasy standalone. 

🐦 CONNECT WITH US

🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
👤 Guest Author: Lyra Selene – @lyraselene

✨ Loved this episode? Leaving a rating or review helps more fantasy readers discover The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast where creativity meets courage, stories are shaped long before they're written, and finishing a book starts with believing. 

This week, host Sara Santillan sits down with writing coach Rachel Giffin, whose blend of mindset work, emotional intelligence, structure, and tough love has helped countless writers finally finish the book they’ve been dreaming of. Rachel brings an authenticity and clarity to the writing process that is rare — one that cuts through fear, perfectionism, and overwhelm to get to the truth: you can do this, even when it feels impossible.

Rachel shares her path from film school to writing to coaching, how she discovered her gift for guiding writers through resistance, and why she believes emotional regulation is just as important as craft. We unpack what really stops writers from completing their books, the questions she uses to break through mental blocks, and how to show up for your writing even when motivation disappears.

🔥 What happens when you stop waiting to “feel ready”?
📝 Why the stories we write are often the ones we’re scared to face
💪 And how a writing coach can help you build not just a book but a writing identity

Whether you’re drafting your first novel or revisiting a project you’ve abandoned 10 times, this conversation will leave you feeling seen, strengthened, and ready to return to the page.

✨ How Rachel became a writing coach and why confidence, not talent, is often the missing piece
✨ The mindset patterns she sees most often in writers and how to break them
✨ Why open-mindedness matters more than experience when working with a coach
✨ The real role of a writing coach vs. what people think coaches do
✨ Why perfectionism, fear, and emotional overwhelm stop writers more than craft issues
✨ Rachel’s signature question-based coaching method and how it rewires resistance
✨ How to build a writing habit even on days when motivation evaporates
✨ The importance of separating facts from feelings
✨ Her favorite client success stories — and the moment she knew she was meant to do this work

🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill
👤 Guest: Rachel Giffin – @rachel_giffin_writes

✨ If this episode gave you the push you needed to return to your book, leave us a rating & review — it helps more writers find their way to The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast — where fantasy blends craft and culture, heroines rise from discipline and conviction, and every story has a fire at its core.

In this episode, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with debut author Sarah Mughal Rana, whose upcoming fantasy novel Dawn of the Firebird is already one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Rooted in Sarah’s lifelong martial arts practice, her cultural heritage, and years of deep historical and philosophical study, this book delivers the kind of character-first, world-rich epic fantasy we can’t stop thinking about.

Sarah takes us behind the curtain of her writing journey — from drafting the earliest version of this book in high school, to joining Pitch Wars, to working with an agent who encouraged her to strip away the very cultural heart that made her story whole. She talks openly about walking away, finding an agent who championed the book as it truly is, and the long road from deal announcement to publication date.

We also dive into the intense physicality of her heroine, the discipline and spirituality embedded in the world, and the way Sarah’s love of anime, history, and myth wove themselves together to shape an epic that feels as intimate as it is cinematic.

🔥 What does it take to write a heroine forged in discipline rather than destiny?
🕊️ How does a story evolve when an author refuses to compromise what matters?
⚔️ And how do martial arts, culture, and philosophy become the backbone of an entire fantasy trilogy?

This is a powerful conversation about resilience, creativity, and honoring the story only you can tell.

✨ How real martial arts training shaped Khamilla's movement, mindset, and emotional arc.
✨ The cultural influences behind the Firebird and why the book draws on ancient mythology without replicating Western fantasy traditions.
✨ The role of discipline, faith, and philosophy in building a world and a heroine.
✨ Sarah’s Pitch Wars experience and what she learned about standing firm in her creative identity.
✨ Navigating agents, bad advice, and finding the right advocate for your work.
✨ The long acquisition-to-publication timeline and how it changed her writing.
✨ Why anime became a structural and emotional influence for the trilogy.
✨ What Sarah is working on next, including a chess-inspired fantasy.

💫 CONNECT WITH US
📖 Follow Sarah Mughal Rana – IG: @sarahmughal769
🎙️ Bethany Amanda – IG: @BethanyinFantasyland
🎙️Sara Santillan – IG: @The_Magical_Quill
🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – IG: @MythicMic

✨ Don’t forget to rate & review! If you loved this episode, please leave us a review — it helps more listeners find their way to The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths intertwine with reality, legends come to life, and fantasy is more than just a story!

In this episode, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with debut author Elise Helliwell, whose dazzling time-travel romance Within the Space of a Second will leave you questioning fate, time, and the meaning of love itself.

Set against a backdrop of mystery and magic, this novel follows an introverted academic and a charismatic time traveler whose destinies collide across years and realities. It’s emotional, intricate, and breathtakingly romantic — the perfect blend of Divine Rivals, The Seven Year Slip, and A Discovery of Witches.

🕰️ What if you could go back in time to uncover the truth about your past?
💫 What if every difference you thought made you strange was the key to your destiny?
🔥 And what if the love of your life had already met you in another timeline?

Elise joins us from Queensland, Australia, to talk about her unconventional path from radiographer to author, the early mornings spent writing before sunrise, and the power of believing in your story even when no one else knows it exists.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

📚 How Within the Space of a Second was born — finished just one day before Elise gave birth to her first child
⏰ Writing between 4 and 5:30 a.m. (and why discipline beats “free time” every time)
🏆 How Elise landed her publishing deal with Atria (Simon & Schuster) through a live pitch competition
💔 The emotional heart of her story — that our differences make us extraordinary
💋 The “forbidden touch” first kiss scene that placed second in the Romance Writers of Australia’s First Kiss Competition
🕯️ Time travel, hidden identities, found family, and the soul-deep ache of a he falls first love story
📖 What aspiring authors can learn from Elise’s writing process and her top advice on edits, pitching, and perseverance
🪶 Sneak peek: Book two in The Mark of the Time Traveler series — and a contemporary rom-com she describes as Bridget Jones’s Diary meets The Love Hypothesis

💫 CONNECT WITH US

📖 Follow Elise Helliwell – IG: @elisehelliwellauthor
🎙️ Bethany Amanda – IG: @BethanyinFantasyland
🎙️Sara Santillan – IG: @The_Magical_Quill
🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – IG: @MythicMicPod (temporarily @MythicMic)

🛒 Within the Space of a Second releases November 25 (Kindle Unlimited) and May (US hardcover) through Atria/Simon & Schuster — add it to your TBR now!

✨ Don’t forget to rate & review! If this episode made you believe in love across time, second chances, or early-morning writing miracles, leave us a review — it helps more listeners find their way to The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where worlds are built one choice at a time, magic always has a cost, and we believe side characters deserve just as much obsession as main ones.

This week, we’re returning to Alchemised for Part 2 of our deep-dive discussion. If Part 1 was about the plot, main characters, and emotional impact, this episode is about everything beneath it — the gods, the history, the side characters, and the uncomfortable question of which side is "good" when it comes to war.

Hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan are joined again by artist and Alchemised superfan Karina Giada, who returns to help us peel back every narrative layer. We dig into the origins of alchemy, the celestial history of Sol, Lumithia, and Luna, and how one divine catastrophe reshaped the world. We also talk about why the Order of the Eternal Flame may not be as righteous as they seem, how religion became a weapon of control, and the moral line the resistance refused to cross to win the war. Finally, we spend time on some major side characters, including Luc, Lila, and Soren. 

This episode is for readers who love deep worldbuilding, ethical gray zones, and the kind of magic systems that reveal character as much as they drive plot.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS…
✨ The celestial origin of alchemy and why lumithium changed everything.
✨ Sol, Lumithia, and Luna, and how the gods/celestial objects still shape the world even in the background.
✨ The moral dilemma of necromancy and whether the Resistance made the right call. 
✨ Why the Order’s version of “purity” starts to look like control. 
✨ Side characters who quietly redefine the narrative, including Lila and Soren, and whether Helena had a crush on Luc. 
✨ How history decides who the heroes were, and how this story challenges that.

📚 Missed Part 1? Go listen to that one first — it sets the groundwork for everything here. 

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

CONNECT WITH US:
🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
👤Host Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
👤Host Sara Santillan – @The_Magical_Quill
🎨 Guest: Karina Giada – @karinagiada

💬 If you love these deep dives, leave a rating & review — it helps more fantasy readers find our chaos.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths take shape, stories become prophecy, and romantasy is a way of life. Today, host Bethany Amanda sits down with bestselling author Imani Erriu, creator of Heavenly Bodies and the highly-anticipated sequel Fallen Stars.

From writing her first kiss scene during lockdown to landing a five-book traditional deal after indie success, Imani walks us through the celestial world of Star-gods, fated romance, shadow selves, and breathtaking cliffhangers that will have readers screaming.

✨ If you love lush world building, enemies-to-lovers tension, and myth-soaked fantasy with heart and depth, this episode will feel like coming home.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE, WE DISCUSS…

🌙 The Origin Story of Heavenly Bodies:
How a single Pinterest quote sparked an epic celestial romance and became the emotional backbone of the entire series. 

📚 Indie vs. Traditional Publishing — and Why Imani Did Both:
Imani shares why she chose to indie publish first, how it changed her self-worth as an author, and the moment the traditional deal found her instead of the other way around. 

⚔️ Enemies to Lovers + Duality Themes:
How light vs. dark becomes a story of healing, shadow integration, and self-love,  not just romance. 

🌑 The Shadow Self as Fantasy Magic:
Why Elara’s darkness isn’t something to defeat but rather something to embrace, and how real-world trauma and self-acceptance shaped the emotional core of the story. 

💥 That Book One Betrayal
You know the one we're talking about, and why you should go into book two with an open heart. 

🌊 What to Expect in Fallen Stars
A dark maritime adventure with pirates, mermaids, Victorian gothic atmosphere, and a furious heroine burning to wake her beloved. PLUS a new villain and multiple POVs. 

📖 Five Books, One Fate
Yes — this is a FIVE-BOOK series. Yes — the cliffhangers get worse. No — Imani does not feel bad. You have been warned. 😈

🪐 CONNECT WITH US

📚 Follow Imani Erriu – @authorimanierriu
🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
💫 Follow host Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
📝 Order Heavenly Bodies & pre-order Fallen Stars wherever books are sold

✨ Love this episode? Leave us a review!
Every review helps more romantasy lovers find their way to us and prevents us from throwing ourselves into the sea with Fallen Stars cliffhangers. 

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths intertwine with creativity, writing gets real, and the path to publication is anything but ordinary.

In this episode, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan chat with Kate Black, founder of Bitch'n Books Editorial, about the real side of editing — from finding the right editor for your book to understanding what kind of edit your manuscript actually needs.

Whether you’re a first-time author staring down your draft, an indie writer ready to publish, or just wondering what even is a developmental edit, this episode is your new writing handbook. Kate breaks down the entire editorial process with honesty, humor, and heart, and introduces her unique “motivational edit” that might just help you finish that book.

🪄 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

📖 From Reader to Editor: How Bitch'n Books Was Born
How Kate’s Bookstagram journey turned into a full-fledged editing business, and why she built her brand around being unapologetically herself.

💥 The “Vibe Check” Philosophy
Why every author deserves an editor who gets their tone, vision, and world, and how a “sample edit” helps you find your perfect creative match.

🧠 Editing 101: What You Actually Need
The difference between developmental, line, copy, and proof edits, and when to use each one in your writing journey.

🔥 Motivational Edits: The Pep Talk Your Draft Needs
The most underrated editorial service you didn’t know existed, designed for writers who feel stuck, need encouragement, or want to reignite their passion for their story.

🌍 Fantasy & Romantasy Challenges
Why worldbuilding often goes wrong, how to balance over- and under-explaining, and what editors really look for in fantasy manuscripts.

💬 Finding the Right Editor Fit
What to ask, when to book, how to compare samples, and the biggest mistakes authors make when hiring an editor.

✏️ Prepping for Your First Edit
Kate’s top 3 must-dos before sending off your draft (spoiler: read it out loud — it’ll change everything).

💡 Industry Advice You’ll Actually Use
How to avoid wasting time and money, set realistic timelines, and know when your book is ready to go from draft to polished masterpiece.

💫 LISTEN IF YOU’RE…

• Writing your first (or fifth) book 🖋️
• Wondering what kind of edit your story needs
• Struggling to finish a manuscript
• Building your author team before self-publishing
• Curious how fantasy editors tackle worldbuilding

🩷 CONNECT WITH US

🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic
📚 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
🪄 Sara Santillan – @The_Magical_Quill
✍️ Kate from Bitchin’ Editorial – @bitchnbooks | https://www.bitchnbookseditorial.com/

✨ Don’t forget to rate & review!
If this episode helped you understand your next editorial step (or made you feel less alone in the writing chaos), leave us a review — it helps more authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast — where myths meet magic and the world of romantasy comes alive!

In this spoiler-filled deep dive, Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with Janett, a devoted Quicksilver reader and influencer who knows this book inside and out, to unravel every breathtaking twist of Callie Hart’s Quicksilver — from desert kingdoms and stolen gauntlets to fated mates and vampire-fae hybrids.

Whether you’ve just finished the book or need a refresher before diving into Brimstone, this episode has you covered. We talk world-building, character arcs, favorite scenes, and our wildest Brimstone theories. 👀

⚡ IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

🏜️ The Desert and the Snow
How the brutal Third Ward shapes Saris Fane’s survival and what the frozen realm of the Fae reveals about her destiny.

💫 From Thief to Queen
The incredible transformation of Saris Fane and why her character arc sets a new standard for strong female leads in romantasy.

🧪 The Mystery of Quicksilver
Alchemy, power, and transformation, including what the shimmering silver truly symbolizes and why it may hold the key to the gods’ design.

💀 Carrion Swift’s Bloodline
The twist that changed everything. We break down why his blood mattered in the final battle, what it revealed about ancient Fae lineage, and what it means for Brimstone.

👑 Fated Mates & Forbidden Love
Kingfisher and Saris — enemies, lovers, rulers. How their dynamic balances tenderness, power, and pain.

🩸 Vampires, Fae & the Gods
How divinity, alchemy, and destiny intertwine, and our best (and possibly unhinged) theories about what the gods are planning next.

🔥 Brimstone Theories & Predictions
From secret heirs to divine revenge, we unpack our wild fan theories and why we’re terrified and thrilled for what’s coming next.

💫 LISTEN IF YOU LOVE…

• Fae & vampire romantasy 🔥
• Found family & slow-burn power couples
• Political intrigue and alchemy-based magic
• Characters who grow, break, and rebuild themselves

💬 CONNECT WITH US

🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast @MythicMic
📚 Bethany Amanda @BethanyinFantasyland
🪄 Sara Santillan @The_Magical_Quill
👑 Janett — @JanBookshelf

💥 Spoiler warning: We discuss Quicksilver in full and tease our wildest predictions for Brimstone — so you’ve been warned.

✨ Don’t forget to follow, rate, and share this episode to join the conversation before the next book drops — and tag us with your own Brimstone theory!

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths intertwine with reality, legends come to life, and fantasy is more than just a story!

In this episode, co-host Sara Santillan sits down with international guest Jackson Ford, author of The Girl Who Could Move Sh*t With Her Mind and the explosive new fantasy The Bone Raiders — a brutal, hilarious, and wildly original tale of raiders in an alternate-universe Mongolia who trade their horses for giant, fire-breathing lizards. 🐉

From journalism to genre-bending fantasy, Jackson opens up about finding his authentic writing voice, weaving humor into heartbreak, and creating an all-female raider band that redefines power and complexity. The conversation is equal parts chaos and insight, and every minute is pure gold.

🔥 What happens when you decide to write fantasy exactly the way you talk?
💀 What if your “villains” are just people trying to survive?
🗝️ And what if the most dangerous thing in a story isn’t the dragon but the author behind it?

✨ IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

📚 How The Bone Raiders was born — from journalism burnout to wild creative freedom
💬 Why Jackson’s biggest success came after he stopped censoring his humor (and leaned into “dumb jokes”)
⚔️ Crafting action scenes that hit hard and make you laugh — and why he’s writing fewer of them now
👑 Building an all-female raider crew inspired by strength, safety, and authenticity
🌍 The deep cultural world-building behind his Mongolian-inspired setting 
🧠 His no-nonsense approach to writing as a job — word goals, discipline, and knowing when to take a walk
🎯 Bonus chaos: the Lightning Round — weapons of choice, favorite worlds, and writing snacks

💫 CONNECT WITH US

📖 Follow Jackson Ford – IG: @realjacksonford
🎙️ Host: Sara Santillan – IG: @The_Magical_Quill
🎙️ Host: Bethany Corbin – IG: @BethanyinFantasyland
🎧 Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – IG: @MythicMicPod

✨ Don’t forget to rate & review! If this episode made you laugh, rethink your “villains,” or wish you were a bone-clad raider on a fire-breathing lizard, leave us a review — it helps more listeners find their way to The Mythic Mic.

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where myths intertwine with reality, legends come to life, and fantasy is more than just a story!

In this episode, host Sara Santillan sits down with Matt Kaye, co-founder and CEO of Bindery Books, to explore one of the most innovative and disruptive ideas in modern publishing: a tastemaker-driven publishing model that flips the traditional system on its head.

Matt walks us through his 20-year journey across traditional publishing, Amazon, and Patreon, and how watching creators build massive, loyal, book-loving communities inspired him to ask one radical question: What if the people readers already trust — i.e., bookish tastemakers — became publishers themselves?

From Indie authors who never had a platform to books traditional publishers would “never take a chance on” to runaway successes like Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife and House of Frank, Matt reveals how Bindery is creating a new ecosystem where authors, tastemakers, and readers thrive together.

This episode is a must-listen for authors, book influencers, industry professionals, and anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at the future of publishing.

🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT…

📚 The Collapse of Traditional Book Marketing
Why legacy methods no longer reach readers and how tastemakers organically filled that void.

✨ The Birth of Bindery Books
How a lunch conversation sparked a vision for a publishing model powered by reader trust and community engagement.

📣 What a Tastemaker Actually Is
Not “influencers” but readers with powerful taste, loyal communities, and the ability to champion books they truly love.

🚀 From PitchFest to Publication
How the Bindery acquisitions process works, why authors retain more creative control, and how tastemakers guide cover design and marketing.

📈 Success Stories That Changed Everything
Including Destin J. Munden’s Recipes for an Unexpected Afterlife and House of Frank,  and how both books took off without the backing of traditional publishing giants.

🎨 The Era of Iconic Covers
Why Bindery books look different — i.e., real artists, real creativity, no AI shortcuts, and no trend-chasing copycat designs.

🛠️ Building a Platform for Readers
How Bindery is creating a digital space that goes beyond content by building a true community home for book lovers.

📉 What Traditional Publishing Is Missing
The reality of “platform requirements,” the stress put on authors, and why so many incredible books fall through the cracks.

💡 The Future of Publishing
Hundreds of niche imprints run by passionate tastemakers, diverse stories, more risk-taking, and a model where authors finally get the support they deserve.

💫 CONNECT WITH US

🎙️ Follow The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMicPod (temporarily @MythicMic
📚 Hosts: Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland
🪄 Sara Santillan – @The_Magical_Quill
📖 Explore Bindery Books – www.binderybooks.com and @Bindery_Books

✨ If this episode opened your eyes to the future of publishing, don’t forget to rate & review — it helps more readers and authors discover The Mythic Mic!