

Chasing the Bard
Follow Shakespeare into the world of the Fey
Chapter Eight
Posted by admin in The Chapters
Mordant returns home and Will has to make a choice.
- 00:40 The story so far read by Biscuit of Kulture Kast
- 01:51 Chapter Eight
- 38:53 Promo Tale Chasing
- 40:00 Bard Talk
- Music The Fairy Queen from Celtic Celebration by Da Camera
- Forgot my usual shameless begging for feedback, take it as read.
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
read comments (0)Chapter Seven
Posted by admin in The Chapters
Puck and Sive have to deal with the consequences of the Trickster’s actions.
- 00:38 The story so far read by Jack Hosley of Wander Radio
- 03:10 Chapter Seven
- 42:04 Promo Steampunk Spectacular
- 43:10 Bard Talk
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Humans take notice
Posted by admin in News
Terry J Aman (or Lord Terry Strongsight of Blackthorn as he is known in the Court) had written a piece for the Minot Daily News about podiobooks and Chasing the Bard. It is always nice to get into the paper, and Puck, Sive, Will and even Auberon appreciate it.
My first interview
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
Chris Moody interviewed me on Podiomedia Chat. Listen to me blather on everything kiwi, writing and Chasing the Bard right here
Digital Magic Preorders
Posted by admin in Digital Magic
Digital Magic, the sequel for Chasing the Bard is now available for preorder- delivery in August. You can also read the first chapter there, pretty spoiler free as far as the podcast goes, but if you prefer to wait I will be podcasting this chapter at the end of Chasing the Bard.
Sive’s first test
Posted by admin in The Fey Court
The Dark goddess has come across the Veil with a proposition. She can be contacted at sive at chasing the bard dot com. Download
Chapter Six
Posted by admin in The Chapters
Brigit, left all alone, sets out on a dangerous path and Puck is forced to pick up the pieces.
- 00:38 The story so far read by Shua Mullikin
- 01:49 Chapter Six
- 38:34 Promo Wander Radio
- 39:30 Bard Talk
- David from Millionaire or Bust
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Chapter Five
Posted by admin in The Chapters
Young Will escapes the torment of working for his father for a bit of peace by the Avon, but women and Fey won’t let him be. Puck riles Sive with his concern for the young Shakespeare.
- 00:40 The story so far read by Joe from onthepodcast
- 02:10 Chapter Four
- 28:04 Promo Metamor City
- 30:27 Bard Talk
- Links mentioned
- Broken Sea
- Twelve Volt Theatre
- Chasing the Bard hits #16 in itunes

- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Getting worried…
Posted by admin in News
- There seems to be spate of characters running amok on the web, but even this humble author is shocked how the Fey has broken free. The sweet Joe from Onthepod.net gave this podcast a lovely recommendation, but unfortunately for him, he referred to Puck as Pip. I completely understood however it seems Auberon is not so kindly. I think he is hanging around with that Mordant a little too much. Here’s Joe’s original show and his correction, including a rather scary sounding King of the Fey.
- But the upshot is… now Puck wants to make some crank calls and I don’t know if I can stop him…..
Sive is preparing to unleash the full force of Fey on the world. Those that spread the word will be rewarded by the dark goddess with a place in her in court. Four episodes and word is starting to leak out about Chasing the Bard. However Sive is not the most patient of immortals, and time moves far slower in her realm, so in the next few weeks expect to hear more about her assault on the human realm. It might involve thunder….
Promo Four- hey nonny nonny
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
- When PG Holyfield and Tee Morris collaborate, hilarity and creativity insue. I had no idea what they were doing, simply recorded their lines and let them at it.
- Download
Chapter Four
Posted by admin in The Chapters
We get to see another side of Puck and Sive finds something unwholesome about her husband
- 00:38 The story so far read by Kreg Steppe of Technorama
- 02:15 Chapter Four
- 27:01 Promo Murder at Avedon Hill
- 29:31 Bard Talk
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Promo Three- King of the Faeries
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
- Yep, Tee and PG are at it again, and had I known what they were doing… yeah I still would have let them at it.
- Download
Chapter Three
Posted by admin in The Chapters
Welcome to Sive’s wedding- the groom at least is happy. Will Shakespeare gets himself into a spot of bother and we find out if Puck was a good choice of guardian.
- 00:40 The story so far read by Brad Bowyer from Podculture
- 02:12 Chapter Two
- 31:01 Promo Celtic Myth Podshow
- 31:47 Bard Talk
- Links mentioned
- Indiana Jim
- Scott Sigler
- Tee Morris
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Promo Two- Mordant calls in
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
- In the interests on not getting on the bad side of a Fey lord I decided that Mordant’s voicemail would make an excellent promo. Honestly it was not his scary laugh… honest…. Feel free to take this and play it anywhere, in fact if my arm were twisted behind my back (which of course it isn’t) then I’d prefer it. I am sure Sive is gonna come out and give me a kicking after this one… here’s hoping Will and Puck don’t call in!
- Download
Mordant speaks
Posted by admin in News
- As a writer it is nice when you characters speak to you as you write them, but after they are committed to paper you kind of expect them to be silent. However when they start calling your voicemail and leaving you messages you do start to wonder. Mordant it appears has learnt that I am podcasting about him, and I am not quite sure how to take this development….I think he must have been hanging out somewhere near Metamor City or is this just his subtle way of telling me he wants more screen time?
- Download
Chapter Two
Posted by admin in The Chapters
- We meet Mordant and discover he has changes in mind for the Fey. Sive enters the human realm for the first time in many mortal generations to find the child and ponders how to protect him.
- 00:40 The story so far read by Gary Colcombe from the Celtic Myth Podshow
- 03:32 Chapter Two
- 30:05 Promo Morevi; Remastered
- 31:27 Bard Talk
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- Twitter PhilippaJane
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
On the way….
Posted by admin in News
- OK NZ may be a small country, but they are showing their own some love. Yep that is right, Chasing the Bard ripped up to #5 in NZ itunes Literature. Any day you get above Sigler on the charts is a great day. So thank you all. Also nice to get some love from America- #47 in my first week is pretty amazing. Chapter Two is locked and loaded for my Monday. And Chris Lester.. well he gives great villain.
- ..
The sound of a tree falling…
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
- So Chapter One is up and now the hard stuff…. announcing to the world the kiwi is out there! So here is the link to my one page media release or if you want a two page version. If any of you want to interview me, mention Chasing the Bard in blogs or other podcast or write a review let me know. The Fey don’t like to be seen, but on the whole novels do. I may not have plans on world domination, but it doesn’t mean I want the tree to fall in an unoccupied forest- especially if Puck is sitting in it at the time… he hates that.
- See you next week with Chapter Two- you get to meet Sive’s fiance voiced by the delicious Chris Lester. Mordant might not be one of those trainable husbands methinks….
Chapter One
Posted by admin in The Chapters
- Chapter One
- Welcome to Chasing the Bard…. step behind the Veil and meet the Fey. Puck is easy enough to get along with, but the others are less forgiving.
- Special thanks to Jack from Wander Radio who managed to talk me through some technical issues which threatened getting this released on time. His WordPress fu made today’s chapter possible.
- Bard Talk
- Voice mail (001) 206 350 5949
- Email me pip at pjballantine dot net
- Twitter PhilippaJane
- itunes reviews always welcome
- Post a comment right here
Promo One - Sive speaks
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
Here’s the first promo for Chasing the Bard, featuring myself and the talented Mr Tee Morris. Take freely, play it anywhere.. I won’t mind =). Don’t forget the first episode will be posted 31 March in New Zealand. Download.
Finally some love….
Posted by admin in News
itunes has relented and today the feed is up and running over there. And you can see the pretty art work from Chasing the Bard print edition squeezed down to fit on an album cover. Everything is falling into place so see you in just over a week…..
Tick tock tick tock
Posted by admin in News
Two weeks until the first chapter of Chasing the Bard drops into the podosphere, and I can tell you now the voice actors have been giving me such wonderful work that I can’t wait to get this out. One week from now I will be putting the media release and the promo up, and in addition I am going to let my fellow podcasters have a sneeky peek at episode one. So if you have a podcast and want to review, or just listen to Chasing the Bard episode one, then email me pip (at) pjballantine (dot) com let me know the name of your cast and I’ll email the mp3 over for your listening pleasure.One last thing- itunes seems to be having issues with taking my feed (probably something to do with me being a New Zealander) but here it is for now http://www.chasingthebard.com/?feed=rss2See you very, very soon
Daring the Bard
Posted by admin in News
Read my Bitstrip comic on my sometimes thoughts on the Bard. Best thing to do when afraid is to laugh at it.
Digital Magic cover
Posted by admin in Digital Magic
The sequel to Chasing the Bard is coming out in August and just wanted to share the lovely cover art. I’ll be at Conjunction in Easter reading a couple of chapters, so a sneak peak is available to those in Wellington.
I have some more lovely guest voices lined up and the chapters are falling together nicely. Stay tuned on 31st of March.
Release date and more…
Posted by admin in News
Just to let you know that I have decided to release Chasing the Bard: the podcast on 31st March 2008. That is a New Zealand Monday of course! In between there will be a promo and an episode 0 as a brief introduction to the cast, the format and the release schedule.I have also decided to write some extras for the podcast, scenes that I thought about writing but was never daring enough to, which may change the rating of this podcast to ‘not compleately suitable for kiddies’ (I will mark that episode so no one gets a surprise).Thanks to all those podcasters who have played my teaser, continue to get the word out there so that everyone knows Shakespeare and scary faeries are on their way.
Teaser for Chasing the Bard
Posted by admin in Promotional materials
Here it is, feel free to download and spread far and wide. Release date is looking like the end of March. Download
Coming soon…
Posted by admin in News
| Welcome to the future home of the podcast novel Chasing the Bard. Shakespeare ventures in his own midsummer nightmare, where a dark goddess plots to use his bardic powers to save her world- if he likes it or not.New Zealand author Philippa Ballantine, has appeared in Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword, Murder at Avedon Hill, Metamor City and as Askana Moldarin in Morevi; Remastered. |
| Having previously ventured into audio drama with her first novel Weaver’s Web Philippa is looking forward to new challenges with Chasing the Bard: the podcast. |
| Originally published in print in 2005 with DragonMoon Press, Chasing the Bard was nominated for the Sir Julius Vogel award in the following year. The podcast of the novel will feature music, special effects and a voice cast of the some of the best known personalities in the podosphere; proving the international reach of this new media. This will lead directly into the publication of the sequel Digital Magic in August 2008. |



