Realm Runners

Pete (Pete_Reviews_Books_Good) & Devin (BroMantasy)
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  • Books

Pete and Devin sit down with fantasy, romantasy, sci-fi, and indie authors. Not for the press tour. For the real conversation. Books, movies, music, and whatever else comes up. Episodes streamed live on the @realm_runners youtube channel then uploaded to all platforms. Be sure to follow Pete on socials @Pete_Reviews_Books_Good and Devin @BroMantasy for the latest show updates and episode announcements!

  1. Aug 11

    Exploring Darkness and Complexity in Fiction with Sheila Masterson

    In this episode, Sheila Masterson joins us to discuss her latest works and the intricacies of writing dark romance. With a captivating mix of humor and seriousness, Sheila reveals the challenges and joys of creating complex characters in intense settings. Sheila shares her journey into the realm of dark romance, starting with her acclaimed book, The Poison Daughter. A story about a woman with a poison kiss, who lures unsuspecting men to their demise, until one night, things take an unexpected turn. Join us in exploring the full episode to hear more about Sheila's writing process and her exciting future projects. You won't want to miss it!

  2. Aug 5

    C.L. Clark on Fortune's Wake, writing about rage (not just feminine!), and Xena!

    Have you ever wondered how to build stories that truly resonate with readers who see themselves in the pages? C.L. Clark reveals how writing characters from marginalized communities creates immersive, emotionally charged worlds that fans obsess over. In this episode, Clark shares the surprising origins of Fortune’s Wake, the process for writing tight, impactful novellas, and how fan reactions unexpectedly brought their work into the spotlight. Don't miss Fortune's Wake, coming from Grimdark Magazine on 8/24!

  3. Jul 28

    Cal Logan Returns: Shadow Vein, Book Two Politics, and Real Yokai Folklore

    Cal Logan is back for round two, and it's the show's first return guest. His debut ShadowBane landed as one of Pete's picks for Indie Book of 2025, and the sequel, ShadowVein, closes out a very different kind of book two. Cal walks through the decision to pull back from book one's battle heavy structure and lean into political, character driven fantasy instead, a swing he knew was risky right after such a strong debut. We get into the covers, including the original concept Cal brought his artist that got scrapped for something stronger, and the color shift for book two that quietly sets up book three. Cal also breaks down how much of ShadowBane and ShadowVein pulls directly from real Japanese yokai folklore rather than invented mythology, why he chose feudal Japan over Western demon lore for the series' backbone, and the specific liberties he did and didn't feel comfortable taking with a culture that isn't his own. Plus how a planned single book split into a trilogy once the story kept growing past 700 pages, the advice Cal has for indie authors nervous to put themselves out there, and a first look at what's coming: a prequel novella covering the twins' early days, and a much bigger, war focused book three landing in 2028. =========================== Connect with Cal Instagram / TikTok: @cal_logan_author =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Subscribe: @realm_runners Follow Realm Runners: instagram.com/realm_runners Follow Pete: instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: instagram.com/bromantasy 0:00 — Intro and welcome back to episode twelve with Cal Logan 3:33 — Cal introduces Shadow Bane, Shadow Vein, and the Schism of Souls trilogy 4:41 — Why book two pulls back from action into political, character-driven fantasy 8:39 — Cover art process: the scrapped original concept and finding the right artist 11:40 — Book two's color shift and what it sets up for book three 27:35 — Splitting one massive manuscript into a trilogy 29:29 — Grimdark influences and that eight-message death scene 30:51 — How much of the demon mythology is real Japanese yokai folklore 32:25 — Why feudal Japan instead of Western demon lore 33:36 — Anime influences, Demon Slayer comps, and the Andy Palakin quote 37:21 — Advice for indie authors: being unafraid and staying genuine online 1:01:58 — The background mythology readers latched onto more than expected 1:03:11 — Why nothing an indie author writes goes to waste 1:04:51 — Book three update: war, mythology payoff, and a 2028 target 1:07:02 — The prequel novella: the twins' early days before Shadow Bane 1:08:26 — Wrap-up and where to find Cal

  4. Jul 21

    Jesse Aragon on Demon Star: Morally Gray Leads, X-Files Horror, and a Pierce Brown Blurb

    Pete has been dying to get Jesse Aragon on the show since he saw the cover of Demon Star back in January, and six months later the wait pays off. Jesse is a science fantasy author and full-time nurse whose debut, out July 28 from DAW, follows an exorcist and a demon-possessed warrior on a god-ruled, ruined planet, where the woman's son is chosen to become the vessel of a god-killing demon. We get into how that cover came together, down to Jesse sketching stick-figure poses on a work schedule and sending it to the artist as reference. Jesse walks through the wild road to this book: querying at 19, a shelved 180,000-word novel that died on submission, a second agent, and a leaner 109,000-word manuscript that DAW then asked to expand by 20 to 30 percent. We talk about writing morally compromised leads without losing reader investment, the deliberate choice to let a queer relationship be as messy and "problematic" as any straight one in the genre, and how years working trauma and emergency medicine feed directly into how Jesse writes violence: ugly, consequential, never just cool. Plus the exorcism horror movies and a half-remembered X-Files episode about a parasitic worm cult that Jesse didn't realize had shaped the whole book until a rewatch last year, the no-context text that delivered a Pierce Brown blurb, a second blurb from Rebecca Roanhorse that arrived the same way, and the advice Jesse has for anyone still years out from a book deal: the work still counts even when nobody's watching. Demon Star releases July 28 from DAW. Book two, a standalone set in the same universe, is already in progress. =========================== Connect with JesseInstagram: @jva_writes =========================== Connect with Realm RunnersSubscribe: @realm_runners Follow Realm Runners: instagram.com/realm_runners Follow Pete: instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: instagram.com/bromantasy Timestamps0:00 — Intro and welcome to episode eleven with Jesse Aragon 1:02 — Jesse introduces Demon Star, out July 28 4:39 — The cover: working with artist Kieran Yanner and the stick-figure pose sketch 7:42 — Commissioning character art before the book deal even existed 10:20 — What DAW let Jesse do: expanding from a lean 109K to a longer, fuller book 12:16 — Writing flashbacks that don't break immersion 17:00 — Writing morally compromised leads without losing the reader 20:04 — Committing to an unlikable character instead of softening her 22:32 — How ER and nursing work shaped writing injury and trauma 26:52 — Why violence should hurt on the page, not just look cool 27:48 — Getting blurbed by Pierce Brown with zero context 31:31 — Messy, complicated relationships and "problematic" queer representation 35:26 — The horror side: exorcism movies, bugs, and a childhood love of possession stories 38:06 — The X-Files parasite-cult episode that quietly inspired the whole book 42:06 — Advice for aspiring authors: querying at 19, a book deal at 30 49:38 — Book two: a standalone set in the same universe 53:03 — What's surprised Jesse about early reader reactions 59:15 — Where to find Jesse and wrap-up

  5. Jul 14

    She Wrote It in One Draft, Edited It Herself, and Narrated the Audiobook | Gemma Vale S2E9

    Gemma Vale discusses her debut novel 'Daughter of the Night' and her unique writing process, self-editing, and immersive marketing strategies. She also shares insights on her social media journey and the challenges of self-publishing. We cover Gemma Vale's writing process, the unique aspects of her editing style, the inspiration behind her book's shadows as characters, and the psychological horror elements of her upcoming work. Gemma also discusses her decision to self-publish and her approach to character perspectives in her writing. =========================== Connect with Gemma https://www.instagram.com/author.gemmavale/ =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Subscribe: @realm_runners Follow Realm Runners: instagram.com/realm_runners Follow Pete: instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: instagram.com/bromantasy Chapters 00:00 Immersive Marketing Strategies30:14 Inspiration from Stephen King and Editing Style31:10 Unique Editing Process and Self-Publishing Decision32:27 Shadows as Characters in the Book33:31 Psychological Horror Elements and Character Perspectives

  6. Jun 30

    Caty Rogan on Feminine Rage, War Horses, and Building a Fantasy World Her Husband Did the Math For

    Fantasy Romance Month wraps up as Caty Rogan joins Devin and Pete to talk Kissed by the Gods, her recent traditional release with Requited and the first book in the Eternal Wars series. Caty writes feminine rage, winged war horses, and epic battles, and she made a believer out of Pete, a lifelong classic-fantasy reader who connected with this one harder than anything else in the genre lately. We get into the world her husband stress-tested down to the population math, why language "rules" in fantasy are mostly made up, and the Star Wars DNA running under the whole series. Caty cops to Riot and Lena being her grown-up Anakin and Ahsoka fix-it fic, walks through Lena's training arc as someone who already had the badass part and had to learn how not to kill people, and lands on the line that took a few drafts to earn... found and furious. Plus the pantser problem of fantasy, characters who refuse to do what you plotted, why duet audio is the only way, epigraphs she now regrets making this good, and the side couple that came to her the easiest. She also drops a strong rec on the way out. =========================== Connect with Caty https://www.instagram.com/catyrogan/ =========================== Connect with Realm Runners Subscribe: @realm_runners Follow Realm Runners: instagram.com/realm_runners Follow Pete: instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: instagram.com/bromantasy Timestamps: 00:00 - Welcome and introduction to Katie Rogan 02:00 - Katie’s background in fantasy and transition into romance 05:00 - Making characters emotionally real and side characters memorable 10:00 - Worldbuilding: Landmass, population, and logistics 15:00 - Writing spicy scenes and audiobook experiences 20:00 - Social media's role in publishing success 25:00 - Developing her next project with a focus on character growth 30:00 - Indie versus traditional publishing: benefits and industry shifts 35:00 - Parenting, deadlines, and balancing creative life 40:00 - Audience questions on favorite quotes, reader reactions, and favorite reads 50:00 - Final book recommendations and upcoming projects 58:00 - Closing thoughts and thank you to Katie Rogan

  7. Jun 19

    Stacia Stark on Gladiators Meets Vampire Diaries, real slow burn, and the magic of We Who Will Die

    Fantasy Romance Month continues as Stacia Stark joins to break down We Who Will Die, the ancient Rome-inspired romantasy she originally pitched as gladiator meets Vampire Diaries. Stacia went indie first, built her readership on the Kingdom of Lies series, and We Who Will Die is her first fully trad book, sold to Avon as a trilogy off a few chapters and a synopsis. We get into why this is a book with trials and not a trials book, how Arvell's binding vow to kill the emperor in the first chapter gave Stacia a huge amount of rope to write into, and why a Taylor Jenkins Reed tennis novel quietly inspired one of the best training arcs in the genre. Stacia explains how she wrote real slow burn instead of miscommunication wearing a slow-burn costume, and walks through the sigil magic system where your power is literally stamped on your forehead, and a book two release date update you heard here first. A heads up: there are a couple of light first-chapter setups discussed, all flagged in the moment.

  8. Jun 6

    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 Follow Pete: https://instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good Follow Devin: 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

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About

Pete and Devin sit down with fantasy, romantasy, sci-fi, and indie authors. Not for the press tour. For the real conversation. Books, movies, music, and whatever else comes up. Episodes streamed live on the @realm_runners youtube channel then uploaded to all platforms. Be sure to follow Pete on socials @Pete_Reviews_Books_Good and Devin @BroMantasy for the latest show updates and episode announcements!

Information

  • Creator
    Pete (Pete_Reviews_Books_Good) & Devin (BroMantasy)
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    44
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pete (Pete_Reviews_Books_Good) & Devin (BroMantasy)
  • Show Website
    Realm Runners