Jeannie and John sit down with the splendid Madeleine Robins, author of multiple books and series. She talks about how she got started writing, her inspirations, and the constant love of research that helps her write great historic fiction. … Continue...Episode 43 – An Interview with Madeleine Robins

We have the answers – what were the questions? With so many universities and classes starting to have their various curricula online, we shopped around to look at various definitions and opinions on what elements make up stories of varying lengths. Then we throw out some of our favorite stories and compare against the formula, to test for accuracy. … Continue...Episode 42 – Life, the Universe, and Everything

Online writing sessions with friends has produced some interesting questions, and we chat about them today. How does the identity of the writer make a difference? How does identity inform the writing, and how does it portray the characters? We invite Alice Cornwell and Tiana Hanson back to the coffee couch to discuss the topic. … Continue...Episode 41 – The Writer’s Identity

Welcoming back Sandra Brenchley to chat about amulets, charms, talismans, and other fetishes. To this day, everyone has a lucky charm of some sort. What do they mean in antiquity? What should they mean for the characters in your story? #WhatsInYourGrisGrisBag? … Continue...Episode 40 – A Charming Fetish

Here we are, all safely quarantined. How do we stay focused on our creativity? How do we keep creating art? Can we use these current events as inspiration for characters, for scenarios, for plot points? I think we can. Have a cup of coffee with John and Jeannie as they chat on the topic of creativity in a stifling, stressful environment. … Continue...Episode 39 – Podcasting in the Time of Cholera

John sits down with Steaphen Fick, a master of sword fighting, to talk about their favorite books on fighting and weapons as well as how to think about choreographing fight scenes. … Continue...Episode 38 – Interview with a Sword Master

In which the coffee club writers sit down and talk about Poetry. From romance to horror to comedy, and even mixed up therein, we look at all the forms and nature of poems we collectively love and memorize for no reason. … Continue...Episode 37 – A Rose by any other Poetry

When you're world building for a story or novel, you need to figure out how magic works. The coffee shop writers chat about how to build something coherent, something that makes sense, and the pondering of magic that doesn't get in the way of a story. Or how magic can become a story. And how red coffee is the best coffee. … Continue...Episode 36 – Systemic Magic

Are you writing a historic fantasy which contains divination or prognostication? Want to make it more historically accurate? Sandra Brenchley joins the coffee club to talk about her studies into mediaeval divination, soothsaying, and other prognostication devices. … Continue...Episode 35 – Divination and Prophecy

With special guest L. Douglas Garrett. Doug writes novels about the life of an operative in various parts of the world. From dirt, tribal loyalties, and the importance of family, he describes bringing real life experience as an operative to create realism in his thrillers. … Continue...Episode 34 – Knife Fight to the Death, baby!