The Exploress

Join me and author Brigitte Dale as we explore the fascinating history of women's suffrage through the lens of Brigitte's novel The Good Daughters, about three young women who risk everything in the fight for women's voting rights in early 20th-century London. We cover the diverse motivations of women in the suffrage movement, the importance of female friendships in the fight for the vote, and some of the real-life research that helped bring Brigitte's characters to life. Ways to support The Exploress:

When we think about Renaissance art, men's names are usually the first to come to mind. But some the period's artists were, of course, also women, and we'll be learning about three of them today: Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, and Artemisia Gentileschi. All of them were talented and extremely hardworking, lauded and adored (and occasionally harassed by terrible men). They also all made their living as professional painters at a time in which the art world was dominated by men.

The music in this episode comes courtesy of Epidemic Sound and Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com, licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License). Our theme music is by Joshua Stackhouse.

Today we're time traveling somewhere The Exploress has rarely been - World War II - to meet some of its daring female pilots. Turns out women flew some of the war's most dangerous aircraft, and our guest, Becky Aikman, is here to bring their stories roaring back to life. Her book, SPITFIRES, follows the incredible true stories of the twenty-five daring young aviators who bolted for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to command military aircraft. Let's join Becky as she tells us all about them.

Genghis (or Chinggis) Khan is pretty famous for building the largest contiguous land empire the world has ever seen. But he couldn't have done it with his wife, Börte. She was his advisor in all things, bore him MANY children, and ran their expansive horde while he was away. Empress Börte was the Mongols's chief manager, organising seasonal migrations, dealing with herders, and holding meetings with dignitaries and merchants. In other words, when her husband was away, she ran the show. The story of their marriage, and her rise to power, is extraordinary. But her influence wasn't necessarily unique within the Mongol Empire, which respected their ladies and saw them, in many ways, as mens' equal. So let's join Börte as she walks us through life for women in the Mongol Empire.

Our special guests this episode includes Marie Favereau, author of The Horde: How the Mongols Changed the World, and Mongol expert and educator Stephanie Honchell Smith. You can listen to my full interviews with both of them on patreon. Some of the music in this episode comes courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (Spirit of the Girl" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License)

In this episode of the Exploress Book Club, Natasha Solomons and I explore her new book I Am Cleopatra and the complexities of bringing Cleopatra's character to life on the page. Natasha discusses her inspiration for writing about Cleopatra, the challenges of researching a historical figure often viewed through a male-dominated lens, and the importance of portraying women's voices in history. We talk about Cleopatra's education, her relationships with powerful men, and the vulnerability that comes with being a woman in a position of power. Ways to support The Exploress:

In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who ran them. This time, we're revisiting a ruling lady we've met before: the mighty Cleopatra of ancient Egypt's Ptolemaic Empire. This isn't just a re-release, though: I've re-recorded the three-part original series, giving it a 2026 glow-up, and smushed it into one big glitter bomb of goodness. Join me as we explore Cleopatra's life and reign, which was SO MUCH MORE impressive than her famous affairs with Roman generals. Let's go traveling. Ways to support The Exploress:

The music in this episode comes courtesy of Derek and Brandon Fiechter, Keith Zizza, and Michael Levy.

In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who helped run them. Let's link up with Empress Theodora, who's going to walk us through her Byzantine (aka Eastern Roman) Empire. We'll see her rise from a fairly humble, and sometimes scandalous, background as an actress and courtesan to become the most powerful woman in Constantinople. After she marries Justinian and becomes his leading lady, she guides him to make sweeping changes that touch every part of life, and most especially the lives of vulnerable women. Join me and expert historian Dr. Hannah Ewing as we walk the streets of Constantinople, cheer on charioteers in the Hippodrome, and walk the halls of the imperial palace as Theodora navigates the treacherous waters of Roman politics. Riots, plagues, intrigues, murder mysteries: this one's got it all. Let's go traveling. Ways to support The Exploress:

In this series, we're time traveling back to past empires to meet some of the woman who helped run them. Allow me to introduce you to Empress Taytu Betul, who wasn't afraid to storm battlefields, boss around her emperor husband, and tell certain colonial powers to go on home. Let's walk with Taytu on her extraordinary journey and find out what life was like for women during her reign. Ways to support The Exploress:

Dr. Elizabeth Norton has returned! This time, she's taking us out of the Tudor period to take a more global look at queenship. Her new book 'When Women Ruled the World: 500 Years of Female Monarchy' explores the history of female monarchs across time and cultures. We dive into the challenges faced by women in power, the male relative problem, and some of the obstacles to their reigns. We'll meet Biblical queens like the infamous Jezebel, warrior queens from the Kingdom of Kush, the empresses of Japan you've probably never heard of. Grab your crown and scepter and let's go!

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There is a woman in the Old Quarter who can give you the world for a price. They say her followers gather deep in the bayou after dark. Some say she's got the governor in her pocket. Others say she eats babies, and that she learned her magic in the depths of the African jungle. They say her potions can heal you, and that her charms can kill you. How much of it is true? In this year's Halloween special, we are heading back to the 19th century to meet the infamous Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, Marie Laveau. You'll find a transcript for this episode over on Patreon.

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Season 6, Episode 13. Welcome back to Exploress Book Club! Join me and Adriana Herrera, author of the historical romance novel A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke, as we time travel back to the 1890s Paris. Adriana will tell us all about putting women of color back into historical romance, women's medicine and reproductive rights in the 19th century, and the pioneering lady doctors who defied convention to offer life-changing care. This was such a fun conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

To find out more about Adriana's many excellent books, including the first two in her Las Leonas series, check out her website. You can watch the video version of our chat for free over on Patreon for the rest of October 2025.

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Season 6, Episode 12. In this series, we're time traveling with three different empresses, exploring their reigns, their worlds, and what it might have been like to be them. First up, we're going to spend some time in the Mughal Empire of India to learn about the adventurous and powerful empress Nur Jahan. From tiger hunting in the Bengali wildness to court life in the imperial harem, this ruling empress rode war elephants and weilded political authority like nobody's business.

We're lucky to have a Mughal expert with us for the journey: Ruby Lal, the author of Empress: The Astonishing Reign of Nur Jahan and, more recently, Tiger Slayer. Find out more about her work at her website.

Some of the music you just enjoyed comes courtesy of Keith Zizza, Rahul Popawala, Arnito, Feslyan Studios. Thanks to the following for their vocal stylings: Sayed Raza.

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EMPRESS. The word comes from Old French, but its roots stretch back to the Latin imperium. It means a command; it means authority, it means power over a realm. But what does it mean, to be a woman with power over so many? What does it look like when an empire allows a woman to rule? In this series, we will travel with three different empresses, exploring their reigns, their worlds, and what it might have been like to be them.

Season 6, Episode 11. Welcome back to Exploress Book Club! Join me in talking to Victoria Christopher Murray, author of the historical fiction novel Harlem Rhapsody, as she talks about the unsung heroine of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, Jessie Redmon Faucet. In this conversation, Victoria dives into what life was like for Black women in 1920s Harlem. She'll tell us more about the women of the Harlem Renaissance, especially the part Jessie played in the artistic movement that championed Black lives and voices (and the ways in which the men around her sidelined her incredible work).

To find out more about Victoria's many excellent books, check out her website. You can watch the video version of our chat over on Patreon for the rest of August 2025.

Ways to support 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 for this series are Eleanor Barraclough, a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and Nancy Marie Brown, who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for decades.

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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 Eleanor Barraclough, a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and Nancy Marie Brown, who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for decades.

Ways to support 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 Eleanor and hope you do too. Make sure to stick around until the end to hear Ma Rainey's 1928 song "Prove It On Me."

To learn more about Eleanor's work, visit her website Dressing Dykes.

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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 about the adventures of Julie D'Aubigny. Allons voyager!

This episode was made possible by my wonderful patrons, who get exclusive access to the transcript for this episode, and every episode of the pod early and ad-free.

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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 about historical lesbian relationships, the brutal treatment of women in private madhouses, and the grim realities of child trafficking and prostitution...and so we don't end on too bleak a note, we'll also play a fun game of True or False: Regency Edition.

To find out more about Alison's books, check out her website. The second book in the series, The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin, is out now! You can watch the video version of our chat over on Patreon for the rest of May 2025.

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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 tales from various civilizations added together over the centuries, with the earliest stories probably originating in India and Persia (modern-day Iran). The original text was translated into Arabic in the 8th century, with stories from Iraq, Syria, and Egypt added through the years and into the early modern period until it became the 1,001 tales we know today. The history of the stories themselves is, by now, very muddied, but it is believed that the witty, politically savvy Scheherazade may have been based upon an enslaved concubine named Al-Khayzuran, who eventually became the wife of a Caliph. Her son, the legendary Caliph Harun al-Rashid, and the descriptions of his luxurious court, would be immortalized in One Thousand and One Nights. Let's jump aboard our magic carpet and travel back to Arabia and the Abbasid Dynasty to meet Al-Khayzuran.

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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 Eleanor Barraclough, a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and Nancy Marie Brown, who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for decades.

Ways to support 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 Eleanor Barraclough, a broadcaster and author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and Nancy Marie Brown, who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for decades. The music in this episode comes courtesy of Solas Composer and Kevin Macleod.

Ways to support 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 author whose latest book studies the physical remains the Vikings left us, and Nancy Marie Brown, who has been writing about Vikings, and particularly warrior women, for decades. The music in this episode comes courtesy of Solas Composer and Kevin Macleod.

Ways to support 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:

Season 6, Episode 1 - It's Exploress Book Club time! Join me for this excellent chat with Jenny Williamson, one half of the podcast Ancient History Fangirl, about her debut steamy ancient Roman romantasy novel, Enemy of My Dreams. We'll discuss her inspiration, how much of the true ancient past made it into her fictional novel, some of the real ancient Roman imperial women who inspired her, and why she loves Alaric of the Goths.

You can find out more about Jenny and her book right here. Listen to Ancient History Fangirl wherever you get your podcasts. If you like the Exploress, consider becoming a patron, unlocking access to lots of bonus episodes and behind-the-scenes goodness.

Season 5, Episode 15. 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, become a patron: they get 1 to 2 exclusive bonus episodes a month, and much more.

Season 5, Episode 14. 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 Malleus Maleficarum (or the veritable Guide to Witch Hunting), and discover how to "spot" a witch. We'll learn what types of women were in danger of being accused, why people thought women were especially susceptible to the Devil's wily charms, and how the Church played a massive role in witch hunting. We'll also discuss what happened when a supposed witch was caught – what torture techniques were used to extract confessions, what witch trials looked like, and what punishments awaited a guilty verdict. And we'll try to answer the most important question of all… why were so many accused witches women, and why were these women viewed as such a threat to society that they had to be hunted down and killed?

Missing The Exploress? Patrons of the show get all episodes early and ad-free, voting rights on content, behind the scenes stuff, AND exclusive bonus episodes every month. I'll be posting new ones all through my maternity leave, so now's the time to hop on board! You can even try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial, so why not? Go to my website to find out more, or simply go to my Patreon page.

PS: My second novel, FYREBIRDS, is out now! If you'd like a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before the sequel arrives, go and listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

Season 4, Episode 15. Mary Pickford. Clara Bow. Gloria Swanson. Joan Crawford. Greta Garbo. Let's travel back in time to learn more about the legendary female movie stars behind the most popular silent films of the 1920s. We'll discuss the controlling Hollywood studio machine, glamorous movie palaces, obsessive fandoms, the Max Factor makeup brand, the dark side of celebrity and fame, the flapper and the vamp archetypes, and of course, the rise of the It Girl.

You can buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might just like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 5, Episode 13. 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 one. I'll be posting new bonus episodes all through my maternity leave, so now's the time to hope on board! You can even try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial. Go to my website to find out more, or simply go to my Patreon page.

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 listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

Season 5, Episode 12. 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 Elizabeth's navy.

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 listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

This episodes 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 one. You can now try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial! Go to my website to find out more.

...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! Go to my website 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 listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

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 unabridged audiobook 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.

Season 5, Episode 11. Guess what? My second novel, FYREBIRDS, hits shelves TODAY. How exciting! I'm celebrating by inviting one of my favorite authors to join us. Ryan Graudin 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, if you pick up a copy of FYREBIRDS this week (by September 4, 2024), I'll send you some very special prizes, including a signed bookplate and some NIGHTBIRDS-inspired art. You can claim them right here, or go to my author website to find out more. If you'd like a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before the sequel arrives, go and listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

Thanks for listening! You can now buy THE ENCHANTED LIES OF CELESTE ARTOIS wherever good books are sold. Enjoyed this episode? Make sure to check out my other podcast, PUB DATES, where Amie Kaufman and I take readers behind the scenes on the publication process and our novels. And don't forget, if you want more Exploress in your life, I'm publishing two fresh bonus episodes a month over on my Patreon. You can now try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial! Go to my website to find out more.

Season 1, Episode 8. Victorian America was a very haunted place, and by mid-century the Spiritualist movement was sweeping through it. People went in droves to see mediums - who were mostly women - to try and reach the spirits of their loved ones just beyond the veil. They made tables levitate, answered philosophical questions in front of huge crowds, and found a kind of fame and attention that suffragists would have killed for.

Season 1, Episode 7. 19th-century women weren't supposed to be devious - and that's what made them such effective spies. Hundreds of women tied gun parts to their crinolines, baked quinine into bread loaves, hid generals in their attics, and made daring midnight rides for their cause. In this episode, we follow four of them: Union ladies Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Jane Bowser and Confederate dames Rose O'Neal Greenhow and Bell Boyd. They flirted, tricked, and cajoled the men around them, using their prejudice about a woman's place to achieve outrageous feats of courage and ingenuity. You won't believe what they did, and what they risked, to do their part for the conflict raging all around them.

Season 1, Episode 6. Franklin Thompson did it all as a Civil War soldier: spied, rode, nursed, and fought. And during his service, almost no one knew his secret: that he was really Sarah Emma Edmonds in disguise. Emma left home in Canada at 17 to escape a life she didn't want, living as a man so she could make her own way in the world. When the American Civil War came, she felt called to join up and fight for the Union. She had many adventures as a soldier and spy, then went on to write a best-selling book about it all. Twenty years later, she fought another kind of battle: one for a soldier's pension, becoming one of the first women to be granted one. Let's explore the life and adventurous times of this fascinating unsung hero.

Season 1, Episode 5. When we think of a Civil War soldier, it's a man we see. But there were women out there on the battlefield, too - hundreds of them - fighting and dying for their cause. Let's travel back into the life of a secret lady soldier to find out why they joined, how they hid their identities, what they faced out in the field, how they were caught and what happened when they were. We'll explore their legacy and impact in their era and how they were almost completely written out of our history books.

Season 1, Episode 4. Look for the word 'prostitute' in 19th-century America and you'll find it everywhere. But it went far beyond a job description: It was a line in the sand, a punishment for women who dared to step across and act out of line in the public sphere. Let's step behind the velvet curtain of sex in the Victorian era and look at how 19th-century ladies related to it, their bodies, and themselves as sexual beings. We'll explore the lives of prostitutes as well as your everyday lady, from how to find mail-order contraception to steamy pieces of correspondence, and what happens to women's sex lives - for better and worse - during the war. Let's go traveling.

Season 1, Episode 3. She was many things: A celebrated teacher, a pioneering civil servant, a battlefield nurse, a public speaker, and a leader of many initiatives, including the American Red Cross. In a time when single, middle-class women didn't have all that many career options, Clara Barton went ahead and had, oh, let's call it five different careers. This dynamo was a woman of many contradictions: she was incredibly shy, but also brazen in her pursuit of her goals; she was anxious and insecure, but also sure and steady. This "Angel of the Battlefield" was a whole lot more dynamic, and more complicated, than you think. Let's reexamine the life of this fascinating character.

Season 1, Episode 2. The soldiers called them angels, but they were warriors: They battled bullets, disease, terrible medical knowledge, and the belief that they didn't belong out in the public sphere. Join us as we explore the life, trials, and triumphs of Civil War nurses like Elizabeth Blackwell, Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton, Dorothea Dix, and more.

Season 1, Episode 1. Mid-19th century America was a pretty buttoned-up place. Or was it?

For women, marriage and family was their destiny, their lives confined to a small and private sphere. They could toil, but they couldn't vote; they could work their land, but often couldn't own it. They were laced into corsets, surrounded by a piece of clothing called a cage.

The whole thing sounds pretty...constricting. But women in this era did plenty of fascinating things, both within the boundaries of polite society and well outside of them. That was especially true when the Civil War broke out in 1861. War has as way of rewriting the rules of engagement. In a divided country, many women found themselves driven, and inspired, to become more than they were told they were supposed to be.

Let's step into a day in the life of an upper- to middle-class, city-dwelling lady and discover what it might be like to walk in her shoes. We will explore a wide range of topics, from what underwear you might be wearing, how you might go about washing your hair, and what exactly a crinoline cage is to courtship rituals, women's suffrage, the potential absurdity of your wedding night, and having children in 19th-century America. We'll also talk about how the Civil War changed things for women: how it complicated their lives, but also opened doors to a whole new world.

Time traveling through women's history, one era at a time.

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 send you some very special prizes, including a signed bookplate and some NIGHTBIRDS-inspired art. You can claim them right here, or go to my author website to find out more. If you'd like a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before the sequel arrives, go and listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

Did you like this episode? Hop on over to PUB DATES, where bestselling author Amie Kaufman and I have been taking readers behind the scenes on the publication of our novels. If you like those old-school DVD extras and "making of" videos, this one's for you.

This show wouldn't be possible without the support of all my 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. You can now try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial! Go to my website to find out more.

Season 5, Episode 9. 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 you'd pick up a copy. If you do so by September 4th, I'll send you some very special prizes, including a signed bookplate and some NIGHTBIRDS-inspired art. To find out more, go to my author website. Also: are you reading NIGHTBIRDS for the first time, or want to refresh yourself before FYREBIRDS comes out? Make sure you check out my other podcast, PUB DATES, where I've just posted a four-week readalong series.

Season 5, Episode 8. 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 find out more about Therese at her website. If you want more Exploress in your life, I'm publishing two fresh bonus episodes a month over on my Patreon. You can now try out being a patron with a 7-day free trial! Go to my website to find out more.

My second novel is coming! If you pick up a copy of FYREBIRDS by September 4, 2024, I'll send you some very special prizes, including a signed bookplate and some NIGHTBIRDS-inspired art. You can claim them right here, or go to my author website to find out more. If you'd like a recap of NIGHTBIRDS before the sequel arrives, go and listen to my four-part recap series over on Pub Dates.

Season 5, Episode 7. Today 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:

Season 5, Episode 6. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the ladies. If you've been binging Shogun lately, then this one's for you! For show notes, including a list of sources and some cool images, go to The Exploress website (If you're dying for a full transcript, you'll find it over on my Patreon.)

In June, I'm doing a NIGHTBIRDS readalong on my other podcast, Pub Dates. Whether you're looking for a recap before FYREBIRDS comes out or are keen to read along with me for the very first time, it's going to be a lot of fun!

Ways to support The Exploress:

Season 5, Episode 5. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the ladies. If you've been binging Shogun lately, then this one's for you! For show notes, including a list of sources and some cool images, go to The Exploress website (If you're dying for a full transcript, you'll find it over on my Patreon.)

In June, I'm doing a NIGHTBIRDS readalong on my other podcast, Pub Dates. Whether you're looking for a recap before FYREBIRDS comes out or are keen to read along with me for the very first time, it's going to be a lot of fun! And listeners have a chance to win a prize.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Season 5, Episode 4. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the ladies. If you've been binging Shogun lately, then this one's for you!

For show notes, including a list of sources and some cool images, go to The Exploress website (If you're dying for a full transcript, you'll find it over on my Patreon.)

In June, I'm doing a NIGHTBIRDS readalong on my other podcast, Pub Dates. Whether you're looking for a recap before FYREBIRDS comes out or are keen to read along with me for the very first time, it's going to be a lot of fun! And listeners have a chance to win a prize.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Season 5, Episode 3. In this four-part series, we're time traveling back to Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868) to find out what life was like there for the ladies. If you've been binging Shogun lately, then this one's for you!

For show notes, including a list of sources and some cool images, go to The Exploress website (If you're dying for a full transcript, you'll find it over on my Patreon.)

In June, I'm doing a NIGHTBIRDS readalong on my other podcast, Pub Dates. Whether you're looking for a recap before FYREBIRDS comes out or are keen to read along with me for the very first time, it's going to be a lot of fun! And listeners have a chance to win a prize.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Season 5, Episode 2. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel (several times) against their father; another would come to rule more or less in her own right. All would see a healthy heaping of conflict while living in a chaotic time and place. In Part 2, we'll rejoin our royal sisters as they weather scandal, trial by combat, suspicious deaths, and rebellious sons.

For show notes for this episode, go to The Exploress website. (If you're dying for a full transcript of the episode, you'll find it over on my Patreon.) To learn about Katherine Pangonis and her book, Queens of Jeruasalem, check out her website.

Ways to support The Exploress:

Season 5, Episode 1. Once upon a time, back in the Middle Ages, four sisters would come to shape the Crusader States called Outremer. One would rebel (several times) against their father; another would come to rule more or less in her own right. All would see a healthy heaping of conflict while living in a chaotic time and place. In Part 1, we'll explore the many roles women played in the Crusades, and we will meet our leading ladies - Alice, Yvette, Hodierna, and Melisende - the daughters of the second Crusader King of Jerusalem.

For show notes for this episode, go to The Exploress website. (If you're dying for a full transcript of the episode, you'll find it over on my Patreon.) To learn about Katherine Pangonis and her book, Queens of Jeruasalem, check out her website.

Ways to support The Exploress:

There's something stirring about a warrior woman: one who refuses to bow down to the forces against her, no matter how vast they may be. And when they win out? Even better. Let's talk about three sword-wielding females who went up against the Romans, terrifying all who looked on: Teuta, Amanirenas, and Mavia (Mawiyya).

Want more Exploress bonus episodes? I post them regularly over on Patreon. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop.

Season 4, Episode 16. In this last episode of Season 4, we're going to find out more about the Black female entertainers who lit up the stages of 1920s America: who they were, the (many) struggles they faced, and all the ways they absolutely slayed. We'll meet blues singers like Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, and Mamie Smith, as well as dancers like Josephine Baker. (Content warning: brief discussion of lynching).

Want more Exploress while the main feed takes a brief hiatus? I'll be regularly posting bonus episodes over on Patreon. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop.

Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might just like it. And the sequel's coming out later this year, so there's never been a better time to dive in.

Season 4, Episode 14. Join us for an interview with Professor Elizabeth Cobbs, the author of Fearless Women: Feminist Patriots from Abigail Adams to Beyonce. Her book gives us a panoramic view of the fight for women's rights in America, and today, she'll talk to us about the history of feminism, suffrage, and what rights women really had in the 1920s.

Season 4, Episode 13. Last time, we found out what stay-at-home wife life was like in the 1920s. Now we're going to go out on the town. Let's explore all the fun we were getting up to: dancing, nightclubs, amusement parks, swimming, and girls in automobiles. We'll even dive into the world on 1920s dating.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might be into it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 12. Settle in for a tale of passion, jealousy, corruption, and the lady killers who entranced 1920s America. Grab your gun, your best fur coat, and a flask of bootleg gin. Let's go traveling.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know I've got a novel out? NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Remember back in 2021 when the amazing Elodie Harper told us all about the sex workers of ancient Rome, and also her novel The Wolf Den? She's back to talk to us about The Temple of Fortuna, the epic conclusion to her immersive trilogy about a woman just trying to survive in ancient Pompeii. Join us as we talk about courtesans, an ancient queen, female gladiators, and what it might have been like to survive the eruption of Vesuvius. Warning: we WILL be spoiling some aspects of the first two books in the series, so make sure you've read them before you listen.

The Temple of Fortuna is out now! Go forth and grab yourself a copy.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

I hope you enjoy this spooky minisode bonus from the dark days of 2020! Let's meet one of history's most prolific female poisoners.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 11. Last time, we headed to the office as 1920s working women; now let's give the stay-at-home wife life a spin. Grab your brand new vaccuum and your fave home economics book: let's go traveling.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at the Exploress shop. Also, did you know: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 10. It's time to grab our sensible heels and head to the office to find out about a woman's work in the 1920s. Let's find out about college life, then dive into some of our trials, triumphs, and tribulations in the workplace. Nothing's going to hold us down! Let's go traveling.

You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at my Printable shop. Also: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss...for a price. I think you might like it.

You'll find show notes for this episode at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 9. Rise and shine! It's time to get up and start our day in the life of a 1920s American gal. Let's find out some things about life in the period, from what we're wearing on a casual Saturday to what we're eating for breakfast, where we're getting our food from, and (of course) how we're dealing with that time of the month. Pull up your stockings and turn up that radio. Let's go traveling.

I've finally got Exploress merch back up and running! You can now buy my ladycentric timelines, maps, and art prints at my Printable shop. Second: I've got a novel out! NIGHTBIRDS is a 1920s-tinted fantasy about girls who will gift their magic with a kiss: for a price. Buying merch or my book are both GREAT ways to support me, but also, I'm just glad you're here.

You'll find show notes for this episode, includng images and a list of my sources, at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

In this bonus episode, let's revisit the tragic story the Titanic, but focus on the women aboard. Who were they? What was it like, to ride on this infamous luxury liner? What did they see and feel, that fateful night?

As always, you'll find show notes for this episode, includng images and a list of my research sources, at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 8. Season 4 is taking an intermission for the moment; I hope to have us traveling back to the 1920s soon. Until then, I've got something fun for you: a chat with the wonderful Genn McMenemy and Jenny Williamson of Ancient History Fangirl about their new book, Women of Myth. It's a beautiful compendium of stories from all around the world about a diverse cast of heroines, goddesses, and monsters, all told with Genn and Jenny's signature humour, empathy, and wit. So grab a drink, settle in, and let's dive into the stories of some women from mythology.

Season 4, Episode 7. In this episode, we're jumping back to 1910s Chicago, which is the setting for my friend Krystal Marquis's New York Times and Indie bestselling novel The Davenports. This heartwarming historical romance introduces us to four young Black women navigating life at the turn of the century, falling in love, taking risks, and carving their own paths through the world. I loved talking to Krystal about her research and inspirations.

Season 4, Episode 6. The 1920s was the decade of speakeasies, gin joints, illicit nightclubs, and cabarets. Today we'll meet the many women brewing their own moonshine, and doing serious jail time. We'll meet the bootleggers, smugglers, and rum runners like Gertrude Lythgoe, the queens of the speakeasies, like Texas Guinan and Belle Livingstone, and Pauline Morton Sabin, the woman who eventually helped repeal Prohibition. We'll learn about what cocktails were popular, what a 1920s cabaret looked like, and how outlawing alcohol inadvertently gave American women the chance to finally drink, dance, and date in public, which led to a decade of greater sexual freedom and female independence.

My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, is out now wherever good books (or audiobooks) are sold! You can learn more about it at my author website. It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It's full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women's history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. Find out more about it on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website.

As always, you'll find show notes for this episode, includng images and a list of my research sources, at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 4, Episode 5. Women were a big reason why the prohibition of alcohol became a constitutional amendment in 1920s America. Today we'll learn about the history of the saloon and dry laws, the politics behind the Volstead Act and the 18th Amendment, and why women were at the forefront of the temperance movement. We'll meet Anna Gordon and Frances Willard, the Presidents of the Women's Christian Temperance Union; Carrie Nation, who campaigned for Prohibition by smashing up saloons with her hatchet; and we'll meet the women who enforced the law – Assistant US Attorney General Mabel Walker Willebrandt, and bureau agents like Daisy Simpson.

My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, is available now wherever good books (or audiobooks) are sold! You can find out more about it at my author website. It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It's full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women's history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. Find out more about it on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website.

As always, you'll find show notes for this episode, includng images and a list of my research sources, at my Exploress website. If you want to support the show, you can do so over on Patreon.

Season 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.

I am thrilled to share a juicy snippet of the NIGHTBIRDS audiobook with you, listeners! Please enjoy the prologue and first chapter, brought to life by the incredibly talented Saskia Maarleveld. You can buy the full audiobook wherever they're sold.

My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out TODAY! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a prohibition on magic, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It's full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women's history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy. Find out more about the book on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website. I can't wait to share this story with you.

Season 4, Episode 3. I'm thrilled to be in conversation with Amie Kaufman, fellow author, friend, and co-host of my other podcast, Pub Dates, about taking inspiration from history and weaving it into fantasical worlds. Her novel, The Isles of the Gods, and my own both take certain aspects of the 1920s and use them as springboards into fictional exploration, but we've used our sources in very different ways. This is such a fun conversation about writing and our love of history; if you've ever wanted a more up-close-and-personal catchup with The Exploress, this one's for you.

If you want to find out more about Amie or her novel (which is SO GOOD), check out her website. My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out TOMORROW! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a prohibition on magic, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. Find out more at my author website.

Find out more about both books on our other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to their publication.

Season 4, Episode 2. The flapper is the most iconic lady of the Roaring Twenties. We'll learn about her signature bobbed hairdo, what makeup she was rocking, and how Coco Chanel inspired the dresses she'd wear. We'll meet the two most notorious flappers of the age, Zelda Fitzgerald and Lois Long, and how they spent their time drinking, smoking, making out in cars and dancing to jazz in cabarets. We'll talk about how the public perception of the flapper was scandalous, and rebellious – she was immoral and immodest, and some people hated her for it. But she was also fun, beautiful, and daring… the ultimate symbol of sexual liberation and women's independence. And other people loved her for it, too.

My novel, NIGHTBIRDS, comes out extremely soon! It is a 1920s-tinted YA Fantasy about a world with a Prohibition on magic instead of alcohol, and a group of girls called Nightbirds who will gift you their rare magic with a kiss - for a price. It's full of flapper-inspired dresses, magical cocktails, illicit speakeasies, nods to women's history, and of course, a group of girls punching the patriarchy and getting into all sorts of mischief. It comes out February 28, 2023. Find out more about NIGHTBIRDS on my other podcast, Pub Dates, which takes readers behind the scenes on the road to it publication, and at my author website. I can't wait to share it with you.

Season 4, Episode 1. Let's time travel back to the 1920s! But first, we're going to revisit a vintage Exploress episode that explores something momentous that happened in the year 1920, when American women finally won the right to vote.

You can pre-order my novel, NIGHTBIRDS, wherever print, ebook, or audiobooks are sold! If you do, make sure to claim the exclusive Nightbirds pin by February 27th. If you order from One More Page Books, you'll get your copy signed and personalized AND get some special character cards as well. To find out more about it, have a listen to my other podcast, Pub Dates, where NYT best-selling author Amie Kaufman and I take you behind the scenes on our books' paths to publication.

Come see me on tour in the USA and Australia in February and March! You'll find the full schedule on my author website.

Season 3, Episode 28. Queen Elizabeth I ruled for 45 years as the Virgin Queen, Good Queen Bess, and Gloriana, and her reign is now referred to as the Golden Age, or the Elizabethan Age. Today we'll be hearing from Bess herself as she talks us through her top tips for a successful queenship. We'll learn about how she was able to reign as an unmarried woman, why she refused to marry at all, the many marriage proposals she rebuffed, her long time love for Robert Dudley, and how she created a cult of virginity to calm fears about succession. We'll also learn how important beauty and fashion were to her, how she leveraged portraiture to create her public image as a goddess, her fear of aging, how she dealt with gossip and slander, and why her gift for languages, rhetoric, and public speaking made her such a formidable politician.

Season 3, Episode 27. Survived. Join Henry VIII's sixth and final queen, Katherine Parr, as we explore what education looked like for women in Tudor England. We'll discover where girls studied, what subjects they learned, and how many of them could read and write. We'll also learn about the extraordinary life of Katherine Parr, and how she became the wife that survived by leveraging her education. She became the first Queen of England to publish her own book, educated her step-daughter (the future Queen Elizabeth I), promoted religious reform, made reading the most popular pastime for upper class Tudor women, and successfully navigated the dangerous political waters of Henry's court. Let's go traveling.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website. The music featured in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles.

Season 3, Episode 26. In this episode, Queen Catherine Howard is going to be our guide as we explore all things sex for Tudor women. We'll walk through the era's expectations and understanding of a woman's virtue, how a lady might keep from getting pregnant should she choose to risk her reputation, and what happens if a woman gets pregnant out of wedlock. It's bound to be steamy, and…let's be honest…possibly dire.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 25. What connects a sorceress, a murderess, a mistress and a French king? Let's find out in this special Halloween bonus.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeton Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 24. Murder, mystery, and WWII code girls: oh my! Join me as I chat with Ellie Marney, the New York Times bestselling author of the new YA historical novel The Killing Code. Atmospheric, compulsive, and deliciously dark, it's the perfect book to kick off the spooky season, and it'll introduce you to a slice of women's history you might not know that much about. Ellie joined me to talk about the real-life female codebreakers who inspired her novel, as well as life for women in wartime D.C. in the 1940s.

To find out more about Ellie and The Killing Code, visit her website. For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and some fun links, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron.

Season 3, Episode 23. Like most royal women, Anne of Cleves - English king Henry VIII's fourth wife - didn't have much choice when it came to whom she married. It was considered her "duty" to honor the needs of her family and her kingdom over whatever her own might be. But what about everyone else - the non-royals? Did they get to pursue their hearts more freely? Let's take a walk with Anne of Cleves, who'll show us more about what love, courtship, and marriage looked like for women in Tudor England.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show and get more Tudor bonus content, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 22. Join me as I sit down with author Sylvia Barbara Soberton to talk about a Tudor queen's ladies-in-waiting: who they were, what they did, and what kind of impact they had on the women they served and the court at large.

As always, there are lots of ways to support the Exploress: tell a friend about the show, leave a review wherever you listen, become a patron, or have a browse over on my website. For more on Sylvia's book and her other work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 21. English King Henry VIII's third wife, Jane Seymour, will take us on a journey through one of the most important jobs and greatest perils women faced in Tudor England: fertility and childbirth. We will explore getting pregnant, staying pregnant, and getting through the delivery ordeal in (we hope) one piece.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, and get bonus Tudor content, become a patron. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 20. Will the real William Shakespeare please stand up? The Shakespeare authorship debate started with a woman named Delia Bacon, and since then, thousands of anti-Stratfordians have become obsessed with using literary analysis and ciphers to search for hidden meanings within the Bard's plays, in a quest to prove that Shakepeare was merely a pen name. Names like Edward Vere, Christopher Marlowe, and Sir Francis Bacon have all been floated around as possible candidates for the real genius behind the quill, but one name is particularly intriguing – Amelia Bassano Lanyer. So, why are people so unwilling to accept that Shakespeare was … well … Shakespeare? Today we'll dig through the historical evidence behind the debate, learn about the life of Amelia, England's first professional female poet, and discuss whether or not she was the "Dark Lady" featured in Shakepeare's sonnets.

Thanks to my lovely supporters over on Patreon for bringing us this special bonus episode. If you want to help support the show, consider becoming a patron. You can also buy some merch, including a Ladycentric Timeline of Tudor England, at my store.

Season 3, Episode 19. I had the privilege of interviewing Jennifer Kranz, the producer of The King's Wife, a musical that reimagines the relationship between Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Come behind the scenes with me on this still-developing musical, which gives us a heartfelt, feminist version of the story of two of Tudor England's most infamous queens, and find out what it takes to make a show about women in history. Make sure you listen through to the end to hear one of show's beautiful songs, "I Know You."

To find out more about The King's Wife, check out their Instagram account or add "I Know You" on Spotify. To hear more about Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, or about the lives of Tudor women more generally, go and binge the rest of The Exploress Season 3. To support the show and get access to exclusive bonus content, check out my Patreon.

Season 3, Episode 18. I enjoyed my chat with our special guest from Fashion with Anne Boleyn so much that I've decided to publish it in full. Natalie gives us such an interesting glimpse into what life was like for Anne Boleyn at the Tudor court, and into her ultimate downfall. So let's dive in.

Find out more about Natalie's work and her upcoming book at her website, or On The Tudor Trail. Make sure to listen to Talking Tudors, too! You can find show notes, images and transcripts for all my episodes on Tudor times at The Exploress website.

Season 3, Episode 17. Let English king Henry VIII's most fabulously fashionable queen, Anne Boleyn, be your guide as we glide through the halls of the Tudor court exploring why fashion was so important in Tudor England, especially for female members of the royal family, and how women used dress to achieve some of their most important aims. We will cover Tudor headgear, jewelry, textiles, symbolism, and more.

For this episode's show notes, including a transcript and tons of images, go to The Exploress website. To support the show, become a patron.

Season 3, Episode 16. Religion lives at the heart of Catherine of Aragon's story, and at the center of Tudor life. Let's continue our journey with our queen as she finds herself faced with a divorce crisis and the English Reformation. How will it change things for women in England? And how will Catherine of Aragon use her moral authority to fight for what she knows to be true?

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources, music/voiceover credits and more, go to my website. To explore the treasure trove of bonus materials, check out The Exploress Patreon. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

Season 3, Episode 15. Religion lives at the heart of Catherine of Aragon's story, and at the center of Tudor life. Let's walk beside this regal queen and find out what role it played in her life and tumultuous times. These episodes aren't going to be straight birth-to-death biographies. Instead, the six wives of Henry VIII are going to be our guides as we dive into different aspects of womanhood in the Tudor era.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources, music/voiceover credits and more, go to my website. To explore the treasure trove of bonus materials, check out The Exploress Patreon. To find out more about Elizabeth Norton's fanstastic work, check out her website.

I'm excited to announce the new podcast I'm making with my friend Amie Kaufman. It'll take you behind the scenes on the making of our books, The Isles of the Gods and Nightbirds, which are both coming out in 2023. Think of it as your backstage pass to our characters, our worlds, and all the stories of their making. I can't wait to introduce you to my debut novel full of magic and intrigue, historical inspiration, and - of course - powerful women.

Season 3, Episode 14. Ever wondered about the origin stories of the titles Mrs., Miss, and Ms.? They're more than likely to surprise you.

This bonus episode come courtesy of my patrons. Patrons not only really help me keep the show going, but they also get access to exclusives bonuses like this one, as well as Q&As, sneak peeks, interviews with guests, early access to episodes, cool contests, and more. To find out more, just go to my website.

Season 3, Episode 13. For years, China's ancient Shang Dynasty was almost a myth, but its stories were lying in wait in the Yellow River plain, where it had been hiding for centuries. And at the heart of it all, an almost lost queen. Let's meet the Shang and their impressive warrior queen.

This bonus episode come courtesy of my patrons. Patrons not only really help me keep the show going, but they also get access to exclusives bonuses like this one, as well as Q&As, sneak peeks, interviews with guests, early access to episodes, cool contests, and more. To find out more, just go to my website.

Season 3, Episode 12. This month, I'm pulling three bonus episodes from the Patreon vault to share with everyone. Happy holidays! I LOVE me some sequins. It's hard to feel anything but celebratory when you're sparkling like a mirror ball. The shiny plastic disc you're picturing is a relatively new invention, but sequins have a surprisingly long and interesting history.

This episode is brought to you by my patrons. Patrons not only really help me keep the show going, but they also get access to exclusives bonuses like this one, as well as Q&As, sneak peeks, interviews with guests, early access to all episodes, cool contests, and more. To find out more, just go to my website.

Season 3, Episode 11. 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 witch hunts, and talking about why King James VI was so fanatical about killing witches. We'll learn about the Malleus Maleficarum (or the veritable Guide to Witch Hunting), and discover how to "spot" a witch. We'll learn what types of women were in danger of being accused of witchcraft, why people thought women were especially susceptible to the Devil's wily charms, and how the Church played a massive role in witch hunting. We'll also discuss what happened when a supposed witch was caught – what torture techniques were used to extract confessions, what witch trials looked like, and what punishments awaited a guilty verdict. And we'll try to answer the most important question of all… why were so many women viewed as such a threat to society that they had to be hunted down and killed?

Please be advised that this episode has some dark themes, descriptions of torture, violence, and sexual acts.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. To explore the treasure trove of bonus materials, check out The Exploress Patreon. The choral music in this episode comes courtesy of a choral group from New Zealand called The Tudor Consort.

Season 3, Episode 10. This is one of my earliest Halloween-inspired bonus episodes, finessed and remastered, to get you warmed up for our Tudor-era Halloween special next week. It will take us from the ancient world into the Tudor and Victorian eras and beyond, exploring that age-old link between women and poison. It's a perfect companion to the spooky season! And it'll teach us some bizarre and fascinating things about the Tudor monarchs' paranoia about poison.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. To explore the treasure trove of bonus materials, including more episodes about women and poison, check out The Exploress Patreon.

Season 3, Episode 9. We Tudor ladies have done a lot of work in this series. So let's prepare a meal, then take our place at the table and enjoy it. We'll find out what kinds of food we might be enjoying, how to make sure we mind our manners while feasting, and find out what kinds of things we do for fun in Tudor times.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about our excellent guest Ruth Goodman, check out her website. To hear my full interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 8. We've talked a lot about the kinds of work Tudor women were doing inside of the domestic sphere. But what about out in the wider world? Let's see what professions were open to the ladies, talk about their rights under the law, and what kinds of punishments they might have encountered if they colored outside of society's strictly drawn lines.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about our excellent guests: and Elizabeth Norton at her website and Ruth Goodman at hers. To hear my full interview with Ruth and Elizabeth, and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 7. In our last episode, we found out just how much work we ladies have to do in Tudor England. Now...well...we're going to work some more. Grab your linen basket and a sturdy accounts ledger, and let's explore how Tudors are doing their laundry, tending to the sick in their households, and more.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about our excellent guest Ruth Goodman, check out her website. To hear all nine chapters of this series, as well as a complete interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 6. Women in Tudor England had a LOT to do on the day to day. Let's dive into what kinds of tasks she would typically be getting into, from cleaning to dairying, and making two huge staples of our diet: bread and ale.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about our excellent guest Ruth Goodman, check out her website. To hear my full interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 5. What the Tudor woman wears, and particularly what type of fabrics, will depend a lot on her level of wealth and social station, but they're all wearing the same basic layers. Let's explore those layers, as well as other clothes-related gems: why we design our clothing to come in many pieces, the origin of the word 'spinster', and why we have such a large number of straight pins.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about our guest Ruth Goodman, check out her website. To hear my full interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 4. Before we get dressed in Tudor England, we've got some cleaning of our bodies to do. What DOES a Tudor lady smell like? Let's go traveling.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles. To find out more about Ruth Goodman and read all about her books, check out her website. To hear my full interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.

Season 3, Episode 3. In part 2, we got out of bed and explored our Tudor cottage a little. Now it's time to get right with God and find a place to have our morning pee. How are we going to the bathroom in Tudor England? And what're we doing about menstruation? Let's find out.

For show notes, suggested reading, a list of my sources and more, go to my website. The era-appropriate guitar music in this episode comes courtesy of John Sayles, while the choral music comes from The Tudor Consort. To find out more about Ruth Goodman and read all about her books, check out her website. To hear my full interview with Ruth and other exclusive bonus goodies, check out The Exploress Patreon. If you'd like a beautiful (and accurate) timeline of ladycentric Tudor history, make sure to buy yourself one of my Ladycentric Tudor Timelines.