BROADCASTS.com

This week I\u2019m talking with Octavia Randoplh, a prolific and wildly successful author of historical novels and essays. She\u2019s best known for her Circle of Ceridwen saga, a meticulously researched series of 11\u2013soon to be 12\u2013books set in 9th century England and scandinavia.\n\nOctavia now makes her home on Gotland, a small island off the coast of Sweden in the Baltic Sea where some of her novels are set and which was an important way station for the Vikings as the traveled East and West from Scandinavia.\n\nShe is also a devoted needleworker and mosaic artist, and an unabashed cat person.\n\nWe covered:\n\n- Why \u2018Viking\u2019 isn\u2019t really the right word to describe the people from Scandinavia who explored far and wide a millennia and a half ago\n\n- How a fascination with physical artifacts from England\u2019s early history put her on the path to be a historical fiction author\n\n- How she found her way to massive publishing success despite having great agents and getting only rejections from traditional publishing houses\n\n- The difference between self-publishing and independent publishing\u2013and a peek inside the cast of folks who make it possible for Octavia to edit and publish her books\n\n- How a daily morning walk forms the basis of how she gets her writing done\u2013that, and talking to herself as she writes\n\nVisit Octavia at octavia.net, or on the Circle of Ceridwen Saga private Facebook group.\n\nFor full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.\n\nThanks to this week\u2019s sponsor, Air Doctor Pro. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use code KATE to save 30% off an amazing indoor air filter *and* receive a free three-year warranty (an $84 value).\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices