64 episodes

The Historical Action and Adventure Podcast - making history come alive!

Bestselling authors Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay chat about writing action and adventure stories, diving into some of the more quirky and unusual aspects of history, with a detour through music and its role in their process.

Each episode covers different exciting themes, often with brilliant guests who help shed light on what Matthew and Steven have decided to talk about that week.

Get bonus episodes and more by supporting the podcast on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast

Rock, Paper, Swords‪!‬ Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay

    • Arts
    • 5.0 • 9 Ratings

The Historical Action and Adventure Podcast - making history come alive!

Bestselling authors Matthew Harffy and Steven A. McKay chat about writing action and adventure stories, diving into some of the more quirky and unusual aspects of history, with a detour through music and its role in their process.

Each episode covers different exciting themes, often with brilliant guests who help shed light on what Matthew and Steven have decided to talk about that week.

Get bonus episodes and more by supporting the podcast on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast

    Douglas Jackson! Nazis, Romans, mad emperors, serial killers & more!

    Douglas Jackson! Nazis, Romans, mad emperors, serial killers & more!

    Useful links:

    https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/908155.Douglas_Jackson

    https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast

     We’re on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast and X @rock_swords

    You can find out more about our books on www.matthewharffy.com and www.stevenamckay.com/

    Douglas Jackson traded his role as assistant editor at The Scotsman for a full-time writing career in 2009. With novels published under his real name and the pen name James Douglas, Jackson has carved out a niche in historical fiction. His debut, "Caligula" (2008), weaves a tale of intrigue in the court of the famously mad emperor, followed by "Claudius" (2009) and the long-running Gaius Valerius Verrens series, starting with "Hero of Rome" (2010).

    His latest novel is Blood Roses, a thrilling crime novel set against the backdrop of 1939 Warsaw and the beginning of the Second World War.

    Welcome to RPS, Douglas Jackson!

    Thanks to our Patreon Producer, Luke Gauci!

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Researching locations for authors

    Researching locations for authors

    Something of an unplanned episode today. We were supposed to be interviewing someone but they didn't turn up! Since we still needed an episode we decided to go ahead and discuss researching the locations in our books, including some of our favourite trips to those places. As this was completely unscripted and we'd not prepared for it we do go off on tangents here and there, but we hope you find something useful or at least entertaining in our chat!

    We've rearranged the Zoom call with the guest who didn't appear so look out for that in a future episode (if he shows up!)...

    Remember you can get bonus episodes and other nice perks by becoming one of our patrons. Join up at the link below:

    patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast

    • 52 min
    C.J. Box! Joe Pickett, Big Sky + lots more as we chat with the 10 million selling author!

    C.J. Box! Joe Pickett, Big Sky + lots more as we chat with the 10 million selling author!

    Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing acclaimed author, C.J. Box.

    C.J. Box is an award-winning, multi-million selling author, best known for his compelling mysteries set against the rugged landscapes of Wyoming.

    With over two dozen novels to his name, Box is most celebrated for his Joe Pickett series, featuring the dedicated and morally-driven game warden. He’s also an Executive Producer on Paramount+’s Joe Pickett series, and an EP on ABC’s Big Sky, which was based on his Cassie Dewell novels.

    Infusing his narratives with authentic details, drawing on his passion for wildlife, nature, and the complexities of rural life, his novels transcend traditional genre boundaries, appealing to both mystery enthusiasts and fans of gripping action tales.

    Join us today as we explore his creative process, the dynamic characters that populate his novels, and the unique elements that make his stories unforgettable. Welcome, C.J. Box!




    Useful links:

    https://www.cjbox.net/

    • 51 min
    Join us! A Patreon announcement!

    Join us! A Patreon announcement!

    'Tis true, we are now on Patreon! Head on over to the link below and join us! In return you'll get bonus episodes (one is already available, as we discuss David Gemmell's classic novel Legend) and more fun perks. Go on, you know it makes sense...

    Become a Top Fan or a Producer today, and help us keep the show going, and growing, in 2024 and beyond!

    patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast

    Thank you,

    Steven and Matthew

    • 2 min
    Writing tools - Scrivener, Aeon etc. Can Matthew persuade Steven to adopt his writing tech?!

    Writing tools - Scrivener, Aeon etc. Can Matthew persuade Steven to adopt his writing tech?!

    We're now on Patreon! Get bonus episodes and other cool perks by signing up here: https://www.patreon.com/RockPaperSwordsPodcast


    It’s been ages since we recorded an episode and today for the first time in months it's just the two of us. We’re going to talk about planning and writing novels with particular focus on the tools we use, the processes we follow, and what seems to work for us!

    Gone are the days when pen and paper, or a simple typewriter (remember Tipp-Ex?!) were the only tools available to aspiring authors. Nowadays there's all sorts of things available to help turn your ideas into a bestselling novel.

    Steven is old school, so he's been using Libre Office Writer/Microsoft Word and paper notebooks exclusively since he first started writing novels a decade ago. Matthew is much more into the tech side of things, using software packages like Scrivener, Aeon Timeline, and Scapple.

    Will Matthew be able to persuade Steven to adopt these fancy new tools, including a £200 electronic notebook, or will Steven refuse to "fix what ain't broke"? Join us to find out!

    LINKS

    Scrivener - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener/overview

    Aeon Timeline - https://timeline.app/

    Scapple - https://www.literatureandlatte.com/scapple/overview

    Remarkable 2 - https://remarkable.com/store/remarkable-2

    • 1 hr 2 min
    Griff Hosker, inspirational historical novelist, is our guest today!

    Griff Hosker, inspirational historical novelist, is our guest today!

    Our guest today is the prolific author of historical fiction, Griff Hosker. It seems to me that Griff writes faster than many people read. He has written series of action-packed books covering everything from the Vikings to the Second World War and everything in between. He is a constant presence on Amazon lists and social media, and I for one am often in awe at the quantity of books he puts out and the number of steadfast fans he has garnered over the years. It is great to finally meet and have a chance to put some questions to him, perhaps finding out how he does it (and maybe some tips on how to sell almost 2 MILLION books like he has)!

    Welcome to RPS, Griff!

    • 1 hr 12 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
9 Ratings

9 Ratings

jterry2011 ,

Fantastic Podcast

For fans of historical fiction or just history in general this podcast is fantastic. For those aspiring writers this podcast will provide you insight into the writers craft. I highly recommend this podcast. Keep up the great work Matthew and Steven!

paratrooper1775 ,

Awesome Podcast!

Congratulations on the podcast, gentlemen! I’m a big fan of both of these authors and it’s great to hear them on the same podcast. If you’re a fan of historical fiction, you’ll love their work. They also have a very good sense of humor. It’s a pleasure to listen to their conversation. Cheers!

Laka1973 ,

Great show!

Love love love this podcast series!

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