UpperPen Podcast

We are back after two weeks off with a brand new episode. Tom Racine joins UpperPen to talk about hanging out with your inner child. I absolutely loved Doomed to Die, An A-Z of Death in Tolkien and cannot wait for my preorder of The ABCs of Murder, An A-Z of Death in Agatha Christie! Preorders through Mysterious Galaxy come with a fun signed book plate and a little drawing done by Tom at the time...

Erynne Rivers joins UpperPen to talk about her debut book, Wench, which is out on October 13th in the US. We talked a lot about magic, environmentalism, and the dichotomy of living in two worlds. Wench is a fun take on the Robin Hood stories you grew up on. I cannot wait for more people to read this! You can find Erynne Rivers at AuthorENHaysch.com and on Instagram  ⁨@BooksbyErynne⁩  . If you enjo...

Alan Sepinwall joins UpperPen to talk about his new biography, Serling. Most people who have spent late nights unable to sleep know The Twilight Zone. It played at midnight or 2 in the morning, but it was worth staying up late for. The stories depicted in this half-hour anthology show, made me look at regular people and wonder who they were. Serling comes out October 13th, 2026. [words] Bookstore...

Becky Chambers joins UpperPen to talk about her newest book As You Wake, Break the Shell. We talk about the typical Becky Chambers things like the sapphic romance, humans in space, and spaceships, but we also go in to the structure of the novel. I enjoyed the book so much. Her prose is wonderful, the love story is sweet, and the time shifts didn't bother me. You can find Becky Chambers on her...

Jonathan Strahan joins UpperPen to talk about The Book of the Dead, a new anthology of popular writers....and maybe some you've never heard of. Short stories are how I "sample" authors. They are less of a commitment than an whole book, and often I find authors I follow like the internet stalker that I am. The Book of the Dead is the third in a series of these anthologies. The first t...

A.T. Qureshi joins UpperPen to talk about her new book Rider of Dragons which is part of the Baby Dragon Cafe universe! This is the F1 romance book of the romantasy world. This is such an awesome shift in the already established Baby Dragon world. This is the first sharp shift that I've seen from the cozy realm to high octane dragon racing. I love it. You can find A.T. Qureshi on Instagram @aa...

Marshall J. Moore joins UpperPen to talk about his book The Henchperson's Guide to Unionizing. We talk about classic horror characters and how Moore reimagines them for this story. Igor for Union President! You can get a preorder of the book through Eagle Eye Books . Marshall J. Moore can be found on Instagram ⁨@MarshallJMooreAuthor ⁩ and through his website MarshallJMoore.com .

Meihan Boey joins UpperPen to talk about her books The Formidable Miss Cassidy and The Enigmatic Madam Ingram (I have trouble saying "enigmatic" in the interview, sorry). These books explore Singapore in the late 1800s and early 1900s from the point of view of an outsider. This POV invites non-Singaporean readers to join these adventures. Both Miss Cassidy and Madam Ingram are such good...

Hannah Mathewson joins UpperPen to talk about her new novel The Age of Blood and Magic. It is a book exploring the "what if" of if tech oligarchs had exclusive access to magic. We talk about the main family in the story, young protagonists, and setting up how the world got magic in the first place. The Age of Blood and Magic is out on September 15th in the US.You can find Hannah Mathewso...

Lauren Wiesebron is back on UpperPen! She joined me to talk about her second novel, The Palace Beneath the Sea, which is based on French myths and helps me out with some language lessons for the difficult names. I really love both of Lauren's books. She is great at looking at folklore and myths and making them her own. The Palace Beneath the Sea is out on September 15th in the US. The book is...

Today, Gryffin Murphy joined me on UpperPen to talk about her new cozy fantasy book Twig's Traveling Tomes. We talk about what we think "cozy" fantasy is, how you gain the readers trust when one of your main characters is a theif, and so much more! I loved this book so much that I preordered the paperback....and I think I'll end up buying the audiobook so that I can enjoy it in a...

This an extra episode! Laurie Gilmore joined UpperPen this week to talk about her new book Big Bad Wolf. We talked about reworking previously published books, spicy romance, and problematic relationships in books. Spoiler, no one wants a super possessive guy in real life. Big Bad Wolf is out September 8th, 2026 and book 2 Wild Wicked Mate is out October 20th! You can find Laurie on Instagram @laur...

S.B. West joins me on UpperPen to talk about her debut novel Morfran, Dark Lord Reformed. We talk about the characters and subverting expectations. The need for comedy in books about pretty awful things if you want to make the bad guy sympathetic. I loved this book so much! When I started reading it, I found myself stopping repeatedly to share a paragraph here and a paragraph there with my husband...

Mackenzie Reed joins UpperPen to talk about her adult debut I Hope This Email Finds You In Hell . We talk about great titles, Debra from accounting needing to be exorcised, and a less angsty Supernatural roadtrip. The book comes out September 1st, 2026. You can find Mackenzie Reed on Instagram and TikTok @MackenzieMReed and on her website .

Constance Fay is back on UpperPen to talk about her newest book: Havoc, book four in The Uncharted Hearts series. Last time we talked about sci-fi romance and adventure. This time we talked about what you do when there is no "next book deal". I was so sad when I heard that Bramble wasn't interested in buying the fourth book from Constance. I needed to know what happened with Itzel, what was going...

Gareth Hanrahan joins UpperPen to discuss The Dungeon Book, a new fantasy novel inspired in part by Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. You might know Gareth Hanrahan's name from TTRPG games like The One Ring, Adventures in Middle-Earth, Trial of Cthulhu: Cthulhu City, and Arkham Detective Tales. He also has other fantasy books. His grasp of dungeon mechanics and story are the best I've read. The D...

Author Robert Jackson Bennett joins UpperPen to discuss A Trade of Blood, the newest Ana and Din mystery, and why the series is fundamentally detective fiction set inside an extraordinary fantasy world. I love mystery stories and these books are that and some! Apparently I am not the only one, Hideo Kojima wrote "[The Tainted Cup] is a masterpiece that deserves to be read. Highly Recommended....

Debut author Grace Viall joins UpperPen to discuss her novel (Mostly) Human Resources , a fantasy adventure that blends cryptids, Appalachian folklore, slow-burn romance, and plenty of workplace humor. I loved this book so much! It has horror vibes, a cocky MMC, jackalopes, and an over responsible FMC that hasn't slept in however long because of her hellish nightmares. The book is fast paced a...

Author David Wellington returns to UpperPen to discuss Erebus 13, the thrilling conclusion to his Red Space trilogy. We explore the challenges of finishing a science fiction horror series, writing deeply flawed characters, and the collaborative process between authors and editors. If you want to see what David is up to, you can find him on Instagram @DavidWellingtonAuthor and on his website, David...

Bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst joins UpperPen to discuss Sea of Charms , a cozy fantasy novel filled with memorable characters, imaginative magic, and immersive worldbuilding. I have loved all three of her books in this world and am so excited to pick up The Magical Cheese Emporium in January!  You can preorder a signed copy of the book at Books of Wonder . Follow you can find out more about...

Author Chiara Bullen joins UpperPen to discuss her debut novel, The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance, a cozy fantasy filled with scholars, found family, subtle romance, and comforting food. You can find her on Instagram and TikTok @ChiaraBullenAuthor. Show her some love by picking up The Inn at the Foot of Mount Vengeance July 7th (in the US)!The image of the Lagangarbh Hut Buachaille Etive Mòr...

Author Rebecca Thorne joins UpperPen to discuss her newest novel, Moss'd in Space , the first book in a new cozy science fiction trilogy that combines found family, slow-burn romance, and the comforts of cozy storytelling with the wonder of space exploration. We also spent a goodly amount of time chatting about Travis Baldree, Matt Dinniman, and Becky Chambers. I have interviews with all of th...

Author Amy Archer joins UpperPen to discuss her debut fantasy novel, Nemesis Mine, a charming story about a villain who isn't particularly villainous and a hero who desperately needs a comeback. We talk about how Cyrus has plant magic and his relationship with Max, a hero who needs a comeback to stay relevant in this fantasy world. The book is out in the US on June 23rd, in the UK it is out on...

Author Frances White joins UpperPen to discuss her latest novel, The Bone Door. We explore writing dark fantasy through the eyes of a hopeful child, building a story within a labyrinth of interconnected worlds, and balancing horror with hope. You can find Frances White atfrances-writes.com/Instagram @franceswhiteauthorBluesky @franceswrites

Author Molly Tanzer joins UpperPen to discuss her science fiction novella And Side By Side They Wander , exploring AI, selfishness, art, and what humanity means in speculative fiction. I found many parallels with Tanzer's novella and older science fiction literature. She seems to be asking similar questions about the mean of humanity. The novella does this through the lens of art, love, androi...