Welcome to the Story Impact author interview podcast.

What does it mean to build a creative life across continents, blending the resonance of music with the deep history of historical fiction?

Scottish novelist and lifelong musician K.D. Neill joins host Lisa Towles to discuss his remarkable journey from a planned two-year relocation in South Africa to more than half a lifetime on the continent, featuring years on the road as a touring singer-songwriter, a number-one single, multiple recording contracts, and ultimately his epic Deceit of the Empire trilogy.

At the heart of the conversation is the intersection of travel, displacement, and artistic creation. Kenny shares memories of camping under a Northern Cape sky blanketed in stars and writing his hit song "God's Country" on a mountain road above the clouds near Eswatini. From there, the discussion goes deep into the unexpected cultural similarities between Scotland and South Africa, the real 19th-century history of the Xhosa people and Lord Chelmsford that inspired his trilogy, and whether it is innovation or deep cultural myth that truly reaches the human heart. Kenny even treats listeners to an exclusive live acoustic performance of an original song written for South Africa's homesick expats.

In this conversation:

• A two-year plan that turned into more than half a lifetime rooted in Southern Africa

• Achieving a number-one single, recording contracts, and a thriving career on the road

• Songwriting above the clouds and sleeping under a desert sky packed with stars

• How music and historical fiction feed each other creatively

• The real 19th-century history behind the Deceit of the Empire trilogy

• Expanding a single manuscript into an immersive multi-book historical saga

• An exclusive live acoustic performance of an expatriate ballad

Learn more about K.D. Neill and his books: K.D. Neill Books

Story Impact is hosted by Lisa Towles, award-winning crime novelist, book coach, and founder of Story Impact Consulting, exploring books, meaning, and purpose through conversations with authors, artists, and visionaries.

Learn more about Lisa Towles:

lisatowles.com storyimpactconsulting.com

Follow Story Impact on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and YouTube at Story Impact Media on YouTube.

Stories hold the world together.