The Exploress Kate J. Armstrong

Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel (several times) against their father; another would come to rule more or less in her own right. All would see a healthy heaping of conflict while living in a chaotic time and place. In Part 1, we'll explore the many roles women played in the Crusades, and we will meet our leading ladies - Alice, Yvette, Hodierna, and Melisende - the daughters of the second Crusader King of Jerusalem. 
For show notes for this episode, go to The Exploress website. (If you're dying for a full transcript of the episode, you'll find it over on my Patreon.) To learn about Katherine Pangonis and her book, Queens of Jeruasalem, check out her website.
Ways to support The Exploress:
Buy Kate's novel, NIGHTBIRDS, and pre-order its sequel, FYREBIRDS, out Aug. 27, 2024 Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes (and more!) Check out the merch and art at the Exploress shop

Let's time travel back to the 1920s! But first, we're going to revisit a vintage Exploress episode that explores something momentous that happened in the year 1920, when American women finally won the right to vote.
You can pre-order my novel, NIGHTBIRDS, wherever print, ebook, or audiobooks are sold! If you do, make sure to claim the exclusive Nightbirds pin by February 27th. If you order from One More Page Books, you'll get your copy signed and personalized AND get some special character cards as well. To find out more about it, have a listen to my other podcast, Pub Dates, where NYT best-selling author Amie Kaufman and I take you behind the scenes on our books' paths to publication.
Come see me on tour in the USA and Australia in February and March! You'll find the full schedule on my author website.

This is the Roaring Twenties: an era full of glamor and shimmer, petting parties and transgression, secret passwords and wild nights on the town. So we’re going to start by spending time with the most iconic lady of her age: the flapper. Bold, fun loving, independent, daring, shocking, the flapper might just be the most enduring icon of the 1920s. A woman who loomed large in the public’s imagination, capturing the spirit of the times. But who is she, exactly? Let’s have her introduce us to the 20s, and start to show us what life was like for ladies there.
My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out extremely soon! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It’s full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women’s history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. It comes out February 28, 2023. Find out more about NIGHTBIRDS on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website. I can't wait to share it with you.

I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Amie Kaufman, fellow author, friend, and co-host of my other podcast, Pub Dates, about taking inspiration from history and weaving it into fantasical worlds. Her novel, The Isles of the Gods, and my own both take certain aspects of the 1920s and use them as springboards into fictional exploration, but we've used our sources in very different ways. This is such a fun conversation about writing and our love of history; if you've ever wanted a more up-close-and-personal catchup with The Exploress, this one's for you.
If you want to find out more about Amie or her novel (which is SO GOOD), check out her website. My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out TOMORROW! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a prohibition on magic, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. Find out more at my author website. 
Find out more about both books on our other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to their publication.

I am thrilled to share a juicy snippet of the NIGHTBIRDS audiobook with you, listeners! Please enjoy the prologue and first chapter, brought to life by the incredibly talented Saskia Maarleveld. You can buy the full audiobook wherever they're sold.
My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out TODAY! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a prohibition on magic, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It’s full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women’s history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy. Find out more about the book on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website. I can't wait to share this story with you.

Join me for a fun-filled interview with my friend and fellow debut author, Lyssa Mia Smith, whose novel, REVELLE, came out last month. Described as MOULIN ROUGE meets THE GREAT GATSBY, it’s one the fantasy-romance fans amongst you don’t want to miss. Much like my novel, NIGHTBIRDS, it takes a lot of inspiration from history, and I loved this chat about magic, courtesans, and all the ways we used elements of Prohibition and the 1920s to craft our fantastical stories. 
NIGHTBIRDS and REVELLE are both available now, wherever good books (or audiobooks) are sold! You can find out more about Lyssa at her website and more about NIGHTBIRDS at my author website.