Spirits Move Me: Ghosts and Female Mediums in 19th-Century America
The Exploress
Hey listener! I'm currently on maternity leave, but to get us in the Halloween spirit, I'm re-releasing my first ever Halloween special about the 19th-century mediums who used their connection to the dead to find fame and fortune. But this isn’t just an old episode repeating: I’ve remastered and re-recorded it to give it a 2024 glow up. The Exploress will be taking a break in November and December, but I’ll still be dropping new bonus episodes over on my Patreon during that time. So if you like the show and would like more of it, : they get 1 to 2 exclusive bonus episodes a month,...
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Re-release of The History of Witch Hunts in Scotland and England
The Exploress
Down, down, the Witches' Road... I'm currently off on maternity leave, but to get you in the mood for the spooky season I'm re-releasing what must be my most popular Halloween special to date. Between 1450 and 1750, some 100,000 Europeans were tried for witchcraft, and some of the most intense periods of witchy panic took place in Scotland and England. Most, but not all, of these so-called witches were women. During this special Halloween episode, we’ll be tracing the history of witchcraft, and talking about why King James VI was so fanatical about killing witches. We’ll learn about the...
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Crime Pays: The All-Female Gang That Looted 1920s London
The Exploress
Hey listener! I'm currently off on maternity leave, but I've decided to pull some special bonus episodes out of the Patreon vault during September for all my listeners to enjoy. This one's going to take us back to our season on the 1920s to meet the group of sticky-fingered bandits who became England's most notorious thieves. This episode is coming to you with the support of my fabulous patrons. Have you ever thought about becoming one? Patrons get all episodes early and ad-free, voting rights on content, behind the scenes stuff, AND up to two exclusive bonus episodes a month, like this...
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Lady Pirates and Queen Elizabeth I’s Golden Age of Piracy
The Exploress
Today we’ll learn how Queen Elizabeth I strategically defeated the Invincible Spanish Armada by allowing famous pirates like Sir Francis Drake and Sir Thomas Cavendish to take over the Royal Navy and fight on her behalf as “privateers.” We’ll also learn what life was like on a pirate ship in the Elizabethan age, why women were historically not allowed to be pirates, and how some women became pirates anyway. We’ll meet Anne Bonny and Mary Read, the cross dressing swashbucklers of the Bahamas, and we’ll meet Grace O’Malley, the Irish Pirate Queen who defended her land against Queen...
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Announcement!
The Exploress
...see you on the other side, my friends. Have you ever thought about becoming a patron? They get all episodes early and ad-free, voting rights on content, behind the scenes stuff, AND up to two exclusive bonus episodes a month. I'll be posting episodes there throughout my maternity leave, so if you want more Exploress in your life, head on over! You can now try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial! to find out more. My second novel, FYREBIRDS, just came out, and it would mean a huge amount if you’d pick up a copy. If you'd like a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before the sequel arrives, go and...
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The FYREBIRDS Audiobook
The Exploress
I'm thrilled to bring you this extra-long audio sample of the FYREBIRDS audiobook: the Prologue and Chapter 1, narrated by the amazing Saskia Maarleveld. If you like what you hear, the is out now wherever audiobooks are sold. You can request it to stream digitally from your local library; if they don't have it in their collection, you can ask them to buy a copy, usually via their website.
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War, Women, and Whimsy: An Interview with Author Ryan Graudin
The Exploress
Guess what? My second novel, FYREBIRDS, hits shelves TODAY. How exciting! I’m celebrating by inviting one of my favorite authors to join us. is the award-winning novel of many books for young adults and children; her debut adult fantasy, THE ENCHANTED LIES OF CELESTE ARTOIS, comes out today. This novel, set in Belle Epoque Paris just before the First World War, is absolutely FULL of my favorite things: history, strong women, and magic. Join us as we talk about her enchanting novel, how she used history as a springboard for writing it, and what she discovered along the way. Remember,...
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NIGHTBIRDS: Let's Talk Spoilers
The Exploress
It’s FYREBIRDS month on The Exploress! To celebrate the release of my second novel, and the conclusion of the NIGHTBIRDS series, I’m sharing an episode of my other podcast, Pub Dates, where I’ve been taking listeners behind the scenes on this series’ creation. In this episode, I’m going to answer reader’s burning questions about NIGHTBIRDS. Warning: there will be spoilers in here, so save this one for later if you haven’t read the book yet. My second novel, FYREBIRDS, is hitting shelves on August 27th, and it would mean a huge amount if you’d pick up a copy. If you do, I’ll...
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The Women of 1920s Prohibition Revisited: The FYREBIRDS Edition
The Exploress
It’s FYREBIRDS month on The Exploress! I’m celebrating the release of my second novel, and the conclusion of the NIGHTBIRDS series, by revisiting an old episode from our season on the 1920s: the one where we talk about the women who skirted the Prohibition law. Make sure you listen through to the new epilogue, where I talk about all the ways I used my research on the 1920s as inspiration when I was building the world of my novel. FYREBIRDS is hitting shelves on August 27th, and it would mean a huge amount if . If you do so by September 4th, I’ll send you some very special prizes,...
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Crude, Rude, and Setting the Mood: An Interview with Author Therese Oneill
The Exploress
It's interview time! Let's spend some time with the delightful Therese Oneill, author of such nonfiction gems as Unmentionable: A Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage and Manners and her latest book Unbecoming a Lady: The Forgotten Shrews and Sluts that Shaped America. This isn't your average collection of biographies. These ladies weren’t pretty, graceful, or quiet, and so history didn’t know what to do with them. Join us as Therese introduces us to a few delightful dames. Thanks for listening! You can now buy Unbecoming a Lady wherever good books are sold, and you can . If you want...
info_outlineToday we’ll be tracing the history of women’s bathing suits from the 1700s to the 1960s. We’ll look at how swimwear fashion evolved from the drab bathing gowns and modest bloomer suits to the sporty one piece swimsuit and the scandalous bikini. We’ll learn how some old-timey swimsuits could literally kill you, or possibly just get you arrested, how swimming became an acceptably “feminine” fitness option for girls, and how Annette Kellerman, the famed competitive swimmer, aquatic entertainer, and millionaire movie star mermaid, made swimming sexy.
I have a book coming out in August! FYREBIRDS, the sequel and conclusion to NIGHTBIRDS, is hitting shelves on August 27th, and I would love it if you'd pick up a copy. To find out all about it, go to my author website. If you're looking for a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before FYREBIRDS comes out, or are keen to read along with me for the very first time, go and listen to my four-part readalong over on my other podcast, Pub Dates.
Ways to support The Exploress:
- Buy Kate's novel, NIGHTBIRDS. You can also pre-order the sequel, FYREBIRDS
- Become a patron and enjoy exclusive bonus episodes, including one about Tomoe Gozen, an infamous Japanese warrior, and a bonus about Japanese goddess Amaterasu.
- Buy some merch and art available at the Exploress shop