Margaret Dunlap and Brian Francis Slattery are each astonishing storytellers in their own right. But TOGETHER, they comprise two-fifths of the writing team for Serial Box Publishing's exceptional series "Bookburners"! With Season FOUR (!!!) of the series releasing tomorrow (June 13), we consider ourselves fortunate indeed to have these two literati join us in the APN virtual studios.

Joined by APN colleague and co-host, Marie Bilodeau, we indulge in 20(esque) minutes of writerly discourse with Margaret and Brian, exploring their unique contributions to the series, the allure of collaborative shared world writing, war stories from the collaborative trenches, and more!

Michael R. Underwood - a veteran of the APN and Literary Alchemist behind the Geekomancy and Genrenauts series, as well as the immanent "Born to the Blade" serialization from Serial Box Publishing - returns to the Big Chair at the APN to brainstorm a tale of grief, art, and magic.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer Val Griswold-Ford, the story of a grieving woman who discovers her art is able to create true magic in the world. With Marie Bilodeau as co-host, together we through some jet fuel into the Literary Alchemy Machine and crank it up to 11!

Michael R. Underwood is no stranger to the APN Virtual Studios, but every time he makes the scene, our awareness of the storyteller's craft is always expanded. The alchemy of his joyful passion mingled with his extensive experience ensures that any conversation with him will be compelling (and a great deal of fun).

Joined by APN colleague and co-host, Marie Bilodeaux, we indulge in (way more than) 20 minutes of writerly discourse exploring Michael's astonishing new project, the "Born to the Blade" story world serialized by Serial Box... how it began, the nuances of the collaboration between him and his co-writers, the notion of "post-cynical optimism", and more! It's a conversation not to be missed, so hit that PLAY button!

Media Commentator, Essayist, and Man of Words Alasdair Stuart returns to the Brainstorming Arena to workshop a steampunk story of secret societies, dark betrayal, and coming to grips with loss.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer Paul K. Ellis, a tale vengeance and intrigue set against the backdrop of a Steampunk world. John Adamus rocks the co-host chair and together we fire up the Literary Alchemy Machine and conjure up some Literary Gold!

Alasdair Stuart - media connoisseur, game designer, and mastermind of the Escape Artists podcasts - explores how gender informs horror narratives, advocacy of inclusive strategies for writers and authors, how to tell a story (or run a game, in this case) in a deeply established media property, and more (with co-host John Adamus)

Robyn Bennis - author of "The Guns Above" and the soon to be released "By Fire Above" – returns to the Big Chair in the APN virtual studios to workshop a tale of future steampunk, alien invasion, the fate of a planet.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer, Christopher Michael, a tale of a loyal naval officer - struggling to overcome the shadows of her parents' deeds- who is drawn into a conspiracy of global (and possibly galactic) consequences.
 
Marie Bilodeau rocks the co-host chair once again and together we fire up the aethyr engines, hoist the mainsail and set course for LITERARY GOLD!

Robyn Bennis Robyn Bennis - author of "The Guns Above" and the soon to be released "By Fire Above" - joins the APN crew to wax rhapsodic on organizing book research, creating a "writing space", crafting an effective conflict character, and more!

Seanan McGuire - award-winning author, graphic novelist, podcaster, and storytelling badass - returns to the Big Chair in the APN virtual studios (along with co-host Michael R. Underwood) to workshop a tale of superheroes, romance, and the dark side of adulation offered up by creageous Guest Writer Arthur De Leon.

Seanan McGuire - award-winning author, graphic novelist, podcaster, and storytelling badass - returns to the APN after five years. In the intervening time, her commitment to her craft has only strengthened and her facility with narrative, character, and story development remains a benchmark for many writers.

Joined by co-host and colleague, Michael R. Underwood, we engage Seanan in 20-ish minutes of writerly discourse, delving into discovering YOUR story, working on multiple projects at the same time, sustaining your creative energy, violence equating to drama in contemporary narratives, and more.

Kij Johnson - author of The Fox Woman, The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, The Riverbank, and more - returns to the Big Chair in the APN virtual studios to apply her brainstorming fu to a tale of rival agents in a metropolis of the dark future.

The tale is offered up by Guest Writer Richard Webb, a story that tests the honor among thieves when a simple data extraction goes grimly sideways. Joined once again by APN veteran and literary swiss army knife  Alasdair Stuart, we "Tony Stark" Richard's tale, exploding it into cool rotating holograms of story, running a file search for Literary Gold. SPOILERS... we find a BUNCH of it! :D (and if you missed it, you gotta check out Kij's INSIGHTS episode!)

Kij Johnson - author of The Fox Woman, The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, The Riverbank, and more - is a singular voice among speculative fiction storytellers. Her diverse background and experience combined with an uncanny talent for deep research are a creative forge from which emerges some of the most insightful and inspired tales of wonder.

Joined by APN veteran, Alasdair Stuart, we indulge in 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse with Kij, exploring how she never writes the same story twice, the nature of her creative diversity, how she developed her unique skill with plot development, and more.

Seth Skorkowsky - YouTube host and author of the Valducan Series: Damoren, Hounacier, and Ibenus), The Tales of the Black Raven, and more – returns to the Brainstorming Arena to workshop a noir crime story of blackmail, kidnapping, and betrayal.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer, Sean O'Grady, a story of an ex-cop hired to find a rich girl who has been drawn into a dark world of lust, extortion, and power. Marie Bilodeau rocks the co-host chair (as only she can) and together we search the shadowed alleys for clues in search of the elusive Literary Gold! SPOILERS: We find it! A LOT of it!

Seth Skorkowsky is a multi-disciplined storyteller. He crafts rich, nuanced tales of urban fantasy (The Valducan Series: Damoren, Hounacier, and Ibenus), pulp fantasy adventure (The Tales of the Black Raven), and more. He's the host of a fabulous YouTube channel featuring his insights and analysis of the RPG experience. Those diverse passions make him a unique and inspired voice in the spec fic community.

Joined by APN colleague and co-host, Marie Bilodeaux, we delve into 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse with Seth, exploring his perspectives on pulp fiction hero narrative, telling stories through non-fiction video, charting the course of writerly pursuits, and more. Writerly goodness awaits you... just click that PLAY button!

Mur Lafferty – podcaster and award-winning author "Six Wakes", "The Shambling Guide to New York City", and so much more – returns to the Big Chair in the Archivos Virtual Studios to brainstorm a tale of the death and apparent resurrection of a superhero.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer, David "Doc Blue" Wendt, a tale of heroes who are mystery cloned and the side-kick who must discover why. The story is fraught with awesomeness and it doesn't take for us to uncover a cornucopia of Literary Gold!

The scope and breadth of Mur Lafferty's literary career reads like a writer's power fantasy. She's won awards, written for beloved and iconic licensed properties, worked with some of the brightest voices in speculative fiction, and had her solo work celebrated and affirmed time and again. In spite of these achievements (or perhaps because of them), Mur continues to strive to improve her already potent writerly mojo AND supports the literary community through her podcasts, guiding writers through the treacherous waters of creative expression.

The Archivos Podcast Network is honored to have her back in the virtual studios and we celebrate Mur'ss third appearance with yet another marvelous 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse, exploring her discoveries in writing the "I Should Be Writing" book, her strategies and perspectives regarding NaNoWriMo, how she decides what to write, and more.

Beth Cato - author of the Clockwork Dagger tales, the Blood of Earth trilogy, the soon-to-be-released Red Dust and Dancing Horses anthology - returns to the Big Chair in the APN Virtual Studio to brainstorm a near future scifi thriller of social media gone horribly wrong.

The tale is offered up by creageous Guest Writer Owen Sessions, a world where uploaded memories can be shared and the catastrophic impact it has on the identity of a software coder. The concept is huge, the conversation inspiring and the Literary Gold abundant! Tune in and get some for yourself!

Beth Cato - author of the Clockwork Dagger tales, the Blood of Earth trilogy, the soon-to-be-released Red Dust and Dancing Horses anthology, and more - is a fresh and inspired voice in the world of speculative fiction. The combination of a passionate commitment to her craft with her meticulous scholastic rigor results in a rare and marvelous literary alchemy.

During this marvelous 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse, Beth explores the concept of the "strong character", offers insights on magic in urban fantasy and steampunk, shares her process of incorporating critique readers in her writing, and more.

Cerece Rennie Murphy - creator of the Narazu Media Portal, author of The Order of the Seers trilogy, "To Find You", and more - returns to the Big Chair in the APN studios to add her storytelling mojo to brainstorming a tale of a magician who doesn't believe in magic, a priest who doesn't believe in god, and a warrior who doesn't believe in war.

Cerece Rennie Murphy - creator fo the Narazu Media Portal, author of The Order of the Seers trilogy, "To Find You", and more - is a radiant voice in the Speculative Fiction choir. Her love of storytelling and word-smithing mojo is matched by her delight in the culture that informs it, celebrating the diversity and passion of the community.

Joined by APN colleague and co-host, Marie Bilodeaux, we indulge in 20(ish) minutes of writerly discourse with Cerece, exploring her process (from conception to final draft), her worldbuilding fu, the power and importance of fandom, and more. Settle in and get ready to explore a new storytelling perspective!

Alyc Helms – author of “The Dragons of Heaven”, “The Conclave of Shadows”, a veritable bevy of short fiction, and gaming titles from Green Ronin Press – returns to the Big Chair at the ARCHIVOS Podcast Network to lend her Brainstorming Fu to a tale of the fate of the followers of a murdered god.