Writing 1920s-Inspired Historical Fiction with Lyssa Mia Smith
Release Date: 03/15/2023
A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 5: Shield Maidens and Sorceresses
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 10. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're exploring one of our favorite Viking archetypes - the shield maiden, or shield maid. Were there really axe-weilding, braid rocking warriors who went on raids alongside the men? We'll examine the Norse myth about the Valkyries, then dive into what archaeologists have to tell us about the fighting women of the Viking age. We'll also talk about the mysterious sorceresses known as volva, and the power these religious practioners wielded in Viking society. Our experts...
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A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 4: Weavers, Traders, Raiders, and Slaves
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 9. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to talk about one of a lady's most involved and important tasks: weaving. The Viking Age wouldn't have been possible without the sails and clothes Norse ladies made. We'll also talk about the work women did in the realm of trade, learn a bit about the dreaded Viking raid, and look at what life was like for some of the women the Vikings conquered. Our experts for this series are , a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the...
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Lesbian Fashion History with Eleanor Medhurst
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 8. Happy Pride Month! Join me and Eleanor Medhurst to discuss her book 'Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion,' which explores the intersection of fashion, identity, and politics within lesbian communities throughout history. We'll talk about historical figures like the slightly messy Queen Christina of Denmark and the queer-coded songs of 1920s jazz singer Ma Rainey. We'll also dive into the impact of social class on lesbian fashion choices, and the role of fashion in the suffragette movement and the activism of groups like the Lavender Menace. I learned so much from...
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The Wild Times of Julie D'Aubigny
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 7. If you were living in Paris in the late 1600s and happened to pick up a newspaper, you might have read about the latest exploits of a beautiful and talented opera singer. She was famed for her many on-stage talents. But it was her behavior off-stage that made her notorious. And she wasn’t one to shrink away from drama. As this queer woman, known for crossdressing, illegal dueling, and her many affairs would one day say: “I am made for perils, as well as for tenderness.” In honor of Pride Month, let’s travel back to France and the court of the Sun King to learn...
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Ladies Who Sleuth in Regency England with Alison Goodman
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 6. Welcome to Exploress Book Club! Join me in talking to Alison Goodman, author of The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, as she tells us what life was really like for the ladies in Regency England. Alison has done a LOT of research into this period, and she has a lot to tell us about the agency (or lack thereof) of women during this period and the societal expectations they faced. This conversation delves into the complexities of women's lives in Regency England, exploring themes of love, societal expectations, and the darker realities of the time. We'll talk...
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1,001 Nights with Al-Khayzuran
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 5. One Thousand and One Nights – the famed collection of stories in which the vizier’s daughter, Scheherazade, agrees to wed a paranoid king who marries a new bride each night only to kill her in the morning. To delay her execution, Scheherazade starts to tell the king a different story every evening, but makes sure to leave it unfinished at sunrise so he’ll keep her alive for another day in order to hear the end. She weaves tales for 1,001 nights, until the king is cured of his paranoia, and he stops marrying and killing innocent women. The book is a compilation of...
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A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 3: The Daily Grind
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 4. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to spend a day with your average Norse woman. We'll find out everything from what we're sleeping on, what sorts of chores we're doing, what we're wearing and eating, what our houses are like, where we're going to the bathroom, and so much more. Our experts for this series are , a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and , who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for...
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A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 2: Relationships, Marriage, and Power
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 3. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. In this episode, we're going to find out more about what the Vikings looked for in their ladies: what traits did the ideal Norse woman possess, according to the Sagas? We'll also explore courtship and marriage: Norse runic love notes, fathers as marriage brokers, and some amorous adventures (with a side of contraception). Bonus: we'll meet some of the Saga's most impressive queens, from the impressive Åsa Haraldsdottir to the drama queen Olga of Kiev. Our experts for this series are...
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A Lady's Life in the Viking Age, Part 1: Finding the Norse
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 2. In this series, we're exploring what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. Let's start by talking about our sources: how do we know what we know about the Vikings? We'll explore our written sources, runes, and archeological material, as well as the biases male writers and scholars have brought to the study of women in this age. We'll find out who the Norse where - the time period we're dealing with, societal structure, law and order - and bust some myths about women in the Viking Age. Our experts for this series are Eleanor Barraclough, a broadcaster and...
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A Lady's Life in the Viking Age: The Goddess Freyja
The Exploress
Season 6, Episode 1. In this series, we're going to explore what life was like for women in the Viking (Norse) Age. But first, let's meet Freyja, a powerful Nordic goddess, who will introduce us to the Viking religious pantheon. We'll hear some of her more famous stories and learn about her links to magic, fertility, sexuality, war, and death. She's quite the lady! CW: this one's clean in terms of language, but there are several references to sexy time. Ways to support The Exploress: and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes, including one about Tomoe Gozen, an infamous Japanese warrior, and a...
info_outlineSeason 4, Episode 5. 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.