Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

Danielle Jackson’s new book, The Accidental Pinup, is out now, and I bet you’ve seen the cover in many, many places. It’s terrific. Danielle and I chat about her book, what happened when she saw the cover, and about every professional role she’s had within publishing. She’s been a publicist - she was my publicist for one of my books! She’s also a bookseller, and now she’s an author. So her perspective on the book world is very informed, and pretty unique. We talk about her book, about bookstore events behind the scenes, and what trends we think might be coming next. You can find Danielle Jackson on her website at DanielleJacksonBooks.com. She also co-hosts the Fresh Fiction podcast!Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonali Dev has some very big news! Her upcoming book, The Vibrant Years, is one of the debut titles of Mindy Kaling’s new imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio. So we talk and squee and talk some more about Kaling’s work, about The Vibrant Years, and what Mindy’s Book Studio means for her new book. Has she texted Mindy yet? I will ask!We also talk about her recent interview in Town & Country magazine, and what she’s working on now. Plus, because Sonali is the greatest, she brought jokes. Multiple bad jokes at the end for everyone to enjoy!Special thanks to Jen Jacobs for editing this episode, and to Garlic Knitter for the transcript. Thanks to Jes Brock for setting up this interview.Special note about the intro/outro: Yup, I have COVID. My voice sounds exceptionally weird. I'm doing okay, and thank you for understanding.Music: purple-planet.comCoupons? Coupons! Visit Carawayhome.com/SARAH for 10% your next purchase: Non-toxic cookware made modern.Visit Ritual.com/SARAH for 10% your first three months of vegan-friendly multivitamins delivered to your door. Visit Thrivecausemetics.com/SPTB for 15% off your first order: the Liquid Balm Lip Treatment is terrific. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sutanya Dacres is a podcaster whose new memoir, Dinner for One: How Cooking in Paris Saved Me, just came out. Her memoir is the story behind her podcast: she met and married a French man, moved to Paris…and then her marriage didn’t work out. It’s also the story of her staying in Paris, rebuilding her life, and learning to embrace her new home. Her podcast features Sutanya cooking dinner for one while telling stories about her life, the food she’s making, and challenging the more easily discovered narratives about Americans in Paris. In this episode, we are going to talk about being a Black American in Paris, roasted red pepper salad, and whether or not there are chicken fingers in French supermarkets. Thank you to Justine Sha and Laura Gianino for helping schedule this interview!Would you like the recipe for the red pepper salad? Merci beaucoup to Sutanya for giving permission to share it! Algerian Felfla Salad (Bell Pepper Salad) Sutanya DacresIngredients 4 bell peppers (any color or color combination) 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt Pepper Preparation 1. Preheat oven to gas mark 8/ 450 ° F/ 230 ° C 2. Put peppers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the peppers are soft. Black spots on the skin are normal. 3. Remove and allow to cool. Once cooled peel off the skin, remove stem and seeds and cut peppers into strips. 4. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add garlic, tomatoes and peppers. 5. Cook until tomatoes are soft and all of the vegetables are well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. 6. This salad can be enjoyed by itself, on toast or over rice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Perpetua Neo is a psychologist and author of the new book, This is What Matters: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Identifying Your Values, Priorities, and Path Forward after a Crisis. I’ve been reading and working through the journaling prompts, and wanted to interview her to talk about the origins of this workbook, and her practice working with people.This is What Matters is a series of questions and prompts to help people with post-traumatic growth in identifying on an individual level, well, what matters to you.We also discuss:Sleeping like a lionEmbracing free unscheduled timeCognitive PhotoshopIdentifying the life one wants and starting to build it nowWhen was the last time your heart really sang?If you’re someone who keeps a journal, this episode will give you a lot to think about.I love books that encourage people to identify their individual desires and goals and enable them to practice the life they want to lead.Thank You to Maria Orlandi from Adams Media.…Music: purple-planet.comCoupons:Get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/SPTBGo to paireyewear.com/SARAH for 15% off your first purchase.FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at athleticgreens.com/SARAH. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elissa Sussman joins me to talk about her book, Funny You Should Ask, and all about: Writing a horny heroine’s POVDual timelinesCelebrity profilesLife as a celebrity and managing a fandomThings that do, and do not twitchElissa is an extremely fluent fan of the romance genre, and we talk a lot about romance conventions we love and loathe, and what it means to subvert and undermine some very familiar dynamics, characters, and tropes. If you love celebrity profiles, the narratives that construct fame, and behind the scenes details, you’ll like this book, and you’ll probably really like this conversation. Please join us! Thank you to Melissa Folds and Courtney Mocklow at Penguin RandomHouse for setting up this interview! So - what’s your favorite celebrity profile? Do you follow celebrity gossip narratives? What sites are your faves? Email me - I would love to know. I personally love the DeuxMoi subreddit (not the instagram feed itself). Tell me yours? ...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denise Williams is a contemporary romance author with several books coming out this year including a series of audio-first novellas set in an airport, beginning with The Love Connection. She is also releasing her third novel, Do You Take This Man.Denise is also a wedding officiant! So we are going to talk about the process of uniting people in matrimony, what she loves most, and making the event meaningful for the people who are present. So many happy wedding stories, this episode will make you smile.Thank you to Daché J. Rogers and Erin Galloway for setting up this interview! Have you officiated a wedding? Been at a memorable wedding event? Tell me everything?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Shana McDavis-Conway is a social change consultant, activist, and a reviewer at this here website! She recently published an article, “Self-conscious, unapologetic, and straight: fat protagonists in romantic fiction” in the journal Fat Studies, and she’s written about fat rep in romance for SBTB a few times, too. We talk about the evolution of fat characters in romance, what’s changing, and then Shana shares the romances that made her a romance reader - and the books that rock her world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Hankin is the author of Happy And You Know It, A Special Place for Women, and the upcoming book The Daydreams. The paperback of A Special Place for Women is out on May 24th, and as I learned is being adapted for film, too! We talk about the book-to-film adaptation process, and then we take a deep dive into secret societies, exclusive clubs, and how they work (or don’t). We also take a side trip into public vs private or hidden narratives, and why people want to belong.Do you know of a secret club or exclusive society? Do you belong to one? Tell me all about it? I’m very nosy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lisa from Shrewsbury sent us an email and two contenders for Cover Snark - so we did Cover Snark live! Check the show notes for a link to the covers, and tell us what you notice first!Happy belated birthday Lisa! Thank you for the wild thumbs and the shifter bonanza!Are you ready for the covers Lisa sent us? I hope so! Click this link here or head to the website, http://sb-tb.com and click "PODCASTS" https://bit.ly/511CoverSnarkIf you liked this episode, let me know! In the comments, via email - it’s fun to try different things and I would love to know if you laughed along with us today.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, my guest is Emily Henry, whose new romance Book Lovers is out this past week!We talk about slow burns, book tour, puppies, the inspiration for the lead character, Nora, and the Icy City Ex Girlfriend Trope.Thank you to Ann_Knee, Clairatrix, and the enthusiastic members of the Culture Study Discord’s romance channel who were very excited about this interview alongside me. And thank you to publicist Heather Mill who set the interview up....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Amanda and I catch up on a whole bunch of things, including college visits, airboats, and dating!We also have listener email, including recommendation requests and compliments galore!I know some of y’all love the episodes where Amanda and I hang out and talk books and everything, so if you like this one, let me know? Email, comment, tweet at me, whatever - if you’re into these episodes, let me know!CW/TW: discussion of needles in the first 10 minutes.Also: my dogs barked a lot. Sorry about that!What about you? What books are you looking forward to? We’d absolutely love to know!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jess Michaels is celebrating the release of her 100th book, 100 Nights with the Duke! That’s a lot of books, and a long career of close to 20 years! We talk about how she’s celebrating this milestone, and we take a look back at how her experience of the romance industry has evolved over two decades.Along the way we cover:* Commemorative tattoos* The biggest changes she’s experienced in her career* How romance readership has evolved* Finding your own compass to guide your businessCW: Jess’ father passed away earlier this year, and we talk a little about that near the end of the episode....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Authors Lucy Eden and Katee Robert join me to talk about their very successful Kickstarter campaigns!Lucy’s is currently running and is fully funded: https://bit.ly/EdenKSLoveNotesKatee is in the midst of fulfillment of her Kickstarter, which was fully funded in about five minutes. We talk about why they went with Kickstarter, the essential elements of a successful campaign, and what they’ve learned from the experience so far....Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is part two of the special crossover event with Bonkers Romance as we recap of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon. Part one with me, Melody and Jenny is over at Bonkers Romance, so hello and welcome Bonkers Romance listeners! I’m so happy to have you here today!Be Ye Warned - this episode is extremely nsfw and is a recap of the second half of the book, so spoilers indeed.Also, yes, my brain cannot hold on to "Rooksgrave Hall" vs "Rooksgrave Manor." Apologies. …Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jesse Q. Sutanto joins me today to talk about the release of Four Aunties and a Wedding, and we talk about all the wedding drama we’ve experienced from behind the scenes and as guests. We talk about weddings with thousands of guests, runaway brides, cultural clashes and the weight of wedding expectations.I would love to know: Do you have a wedding drama story? Did you witness some serious nuptial shenanigans? Please tell me all about it! ...Music: purple-planet.com...Special Crossover Event! Next week, I'm the guest at Bonkers Romance! On Thursday April 14, we'll be recapping the first half of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon. And then on Friday, April 15, I'll be releasing part 2 of our recap here! I hope you'll join Melody, Jenny and me for a very wholesome monster erotica recap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is author Farah Heron, whose latest book, Kamila Knows Best, is an updated spin on the Jane Austen classic Emma! Along the way we talk about:Updating a unique, challenging characterAddressing the age gap between the charactersThe importance of hot wet sarisCurly hair care techniquesLipstick recommendationsWhat are your favorite Emma retellings? And what are your go-to lip color recommendations?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Jane Buehler, author of The Forest Bride and The Village Maid. I have several favorite parts of this conversation, including our discussion of cozy fantasy, addressing and undoing misconceptions about sex in romance, and sourdough starters and bread making.So fantasy, writing, sex, and bread. Several excellent topics! What about you?What have you learned or unlearned from sex in romance?Do you have a sourdough starter? What’s its name?Do you like cozy fantasy?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Kate Spencer, author and host of the podcast Forever 35. Her new book, In a New York Minute, is out this week, and y’all, this book was so charming and fun.In this conversation, we talk about:* Vulnerability* Projecting narratives onto strangers* Vintage rom-comsShe’s a romance fan, and a rom-com fan, and we had a lot of fun. ...What about you?What is your favorite vintage rom com? Or not vintage!What stories have your very favorite portrayal of friendship?What city is your favorite?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s episode 501 - onward toward a thousand! I start with mini interviews with Shana and Elyse, and then Amanda and I have more listener email, questions, recommendations, and many, many jokes. Yay! Thank you for celebrating with us!...Key Questions:What should we do for our next merch opportunity?What SBTB phrases have stuck with you?What is the best kind of French fry?Email: [email protected] Voicemail: +1 201 371 3272 - leave a message! ...Our music in this episode is a custom composition from Sassy Outwater titled, "Rhumba for SB." Thanks, Sassy!... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We did it! It’s episode 500!Amanda and I have email and recommendations, your absolute favorite books, weird questions, and a LOT of mayhem. Plus mini interviews with Shana, Tara, Carrie & Elyse. There are so many great questions, clips, and conversations, you guessed it, there will be two episodes celebrating all the fun. ...KEY QUESTIONS:What would you do in the wasp/hair/bus situation?What’s the worst commute you’ve ever had?What would an AI generate for your industry conventions?What book do you love most of all?...Our music in this episode is a custom composition from Sassy Outwater titled, "Rhumba for SB." Thanks, Sassy! ...This episode is dedicated to our fellow Smart Bitch Catherine Heloise McLean, whom we lost earlier in February. May her memory be a blessing, and may we all read wonderful books. With gold lame, glitter and excellent baking. And Eurovision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff and Will from The Big Gay Fiction Podcast are joining me for the Sweet Dreams Recap of book #9, Cover Girl by Yvonne Green.This cover, y’all. And inside! We have a rather gross boyfriend, and an even worse mom, and nature nerds! This is undoubtedly one of the greatest Sweet Dreams cover of them all.TW/CW: Chapter 10 is a little upsetting....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy Valentine’s Week! Amanda and I have voicemail messages, updates on tattoos, book and lip balm recommendations, and more! Come hang out with us and nosh on all that half price candy. What candy are you buying?Thank you to Nancy, Claudia, Jimmy, StylinsonBirds, Leslie, and Ann!…Music: purple-planet.comShow notes: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s part II of our recap of The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. Have you read it? Did you like it? I have some things to tell you! A NEW PODCAST! I’m co-hosting LoveStruck Daily with Alisha Rai! LoveStruck Daily is a new podcast from iHeartRadio produced by Frolic Media that will deliver a true love story and those HEA feels every weekday. Our first episodes are out - we hope you like them!…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melody is back!Some of our most popular episodes are our crossovers with Heaving Bosoms, and we have a new one for you! We read The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. We had a LOT to talk about, so I’ve divided this into two episodes.Here in episode one, we’ll recap about half the story, and you’ve got options! You can read the story (it’s not long) before episode two if you like. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I follow Vanessa North on Instagram and after she posted a picture of her first completed project of 2022, I had to talk to her about knitting. So of course we also talk about gender, crafting, raising fearless trans teenagers, photography, and writing romance. Plus book recs, as always.LPT: Always Buy Extra Buttons!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I catch up on her “lots of things to look forward to” plan, which now includes things that were done! We talk about anxiety, therapy, angsty books, trimming your own bangs, and we have book and video game recs, plus new year’s wishes from Elyse, Pudding, and Jane B!Do you like angsty books? Are there books that help you feel things cathartically?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Time to deep dive into another classic YA Romance: Sweet Dreams #7, Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand. Julie has a problem with the green-eyed monster, and it lasts for a lot of pages. We’ve got:Insecure teenagersSwim team!Yet Another Teen Hangout with a Fun NameJust Talk to Each Other for Goodness’ SakeJoin me as I struggle. Seriously, it’ll be fun.NB: I misread “Chip” as “Chuck” but they’re the same person. (**headdesk**)Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Olivia Dade! We had such a good time talking about fan supercuts, watching shows through gifsets, Game of Thrones spoilers, and writing characters with ADHD and learning disabilities.Highlight: we discover a vintage ship we have in common and we exclaim at each other.Thank you to Rachel, Alanna, and Kelly from the Patreon community for some of the questions in this episode! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I are saying goodbye to 2021, and looking ahead to 2022! We talk about exciting things coming in January, including the 17th anniversary of Smart Bitches, plus we talk about books that got us through 2021.Super bonus: we’ve got messages from Tara, Catherine, Sneezy, and Martin who have book recs, wishes for the new year, and lots and lots of jokes. This episode is our New Year’s wish for you: stay safe and happiest new year to you wherever you are. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time to recap Sweet Dreams #6, California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin, also known as Rhys Bowen! Jennie is a swimmer with her eyes on the Olympics, and Mark is a grumpy loner on crutches who sketches Jennie one day in the cafeteria. We’ve got:Overbearing sports parentsSnark about Texas driversHomesicknessLots and lots of swimmingLearning to set boundariesDreamy grumpy artist hero!Alas, CW/TW for ableist language and anti-fat bias in the book, which is very lightly skimmed over in the episode....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Nalini Singh! I have reader questions from our Patreon community and publicist and past podcast guest Erin Galloway about Archangel’s Light, Nalini's latest release. We cover writing multiple series at the same time. We also talk about fan art, which she absolutely loves, and about reading slumps - and how to escape them.Thank you to Ann, C, Varian, and Erin for the questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we have lots to talk about! First, some of y’all wrote fantastic epilogues to the very unsatisfying ending of Princess Amy, recapped in episode 486, and I share my ideas, too.Then, it’s time for Sweet Dreams 5, Little Sister. We’ve got:Big MisunderstandingsPlot Points that were in the cover copy so they’re not that dramaticSnarky sister fightsReally loving and supportive, thoughtful parentsAnd Drama Kids! Lots of ‘em!Thank you to jfhobbit, Malaraa, and Kara for the epilogues! Don’t miss jfhobbit’s art! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julia Quinn joins me to talk about The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton, a new release collecting quotes about the different characters, plus new commentary from Lady Whistledown. We talk about picking up Lady W’s pen after 20 years, looking back on the original series, her most embarrassing moment from high school, and the joyful romance fans in Brazil.At about 42:00 in, we talk about her recent loss of her father and sister.Thank you to Katerine, Crystal, Rhonda, Katherine, Agnes, Kelly, Laura, and Kate for the questions....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a weird one, y’all. We’re taking a trip back to the early 80s where fiction for teens and pre-teens came with some awful, upsetting messaging, but also some fantastic clothing choices, some excellent descriptions of weird children’s birthday parties, a cute boy and a very good dog. It's Princess Amy by Melinda Pollowitz!I figured I’d probably have to issue some warnings at some point, re-reading vintage YA, so here we are.TW/CW: assault, jerkward rich bros, disordered eating, and severe anti-fat bias.I want to know what you'd put in the epilogue to this book - please comment or email your ideas because I am desperate to fix this. ...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, y'all! A special treat bonus episode for your American holiday week needs. Yup, there will be a regularly-scheduled episode on Friday, but here's an extra treat! I was a guest on Talking Simulator discussing...romance in video games. Isn't it weird when a topic puts itself in front of you so many times? Here's the description from host Jordan Webber. Enjoy! ...Sarah Wendell is the co-founder of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books, a website for readers of romance fiction, and host of their podcast Smart Podcast, Trashy Books. When she's not reading, she loves to play video games, so Jordan invited her on the show to talk about how games approach her area of expertise: romance.For this whistlestop tour through how romance is written in the kinds of games Sarah plays (Dragon Age, Mass Effect, The Witcher, Stardew Valley...), she and Jordan discuss the male gaze, indecision when faced with an abundance of love interests, happily ever afters, whether or not romanceable characters should have their own preferences, and what romance novels Sarah would like to see adapted into a game.Sarah has also discussed this topic with her cohost Amanda and with Laura Nash from The Short Game podcast.That Twitter thread about the male gaze that lived rent free in Sarah's head is from @kyalbr. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AC Arthur’s new book The After Party is out, and she joins me to talk about all things friendship, cocktails, murder, revenge, and more.Because it was inspired by the movie 9 to 5, we deep dive into revenge on bad bosses and movie nostalgia, too....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for another Vintage YA Recap, this week with Laurie's Song by Suzanne Rand.Prepare yourself for some exhausting friendships, boring boyfriends, social stress, and some ~*absolutely outstanding*~ outfits and POETRY.Oh, yes. Poetry. This is a good one....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As I have been teasing in recent episodes, this is part two of our crossover episode with The Big Gay Fiction Podcast! Amanda and I connected with Jeff and Will and answered listener questions from our Patreon communities.The Big Gay Fiction Podcast released part one Thursday 4 November so you get all four of us being ridiculous together for two episodes back to back.We’re talking about the first m/m romances we ever read, and we have book recs, food discussions, and some thoughtful conversations about genre and community, too.Part One of this Conversation! https://www.jeffandwill.com/biggayfictionpodcast/2021/11/04/episode-344-mega-crossover-event-with-smart-podcast-trashy-books/Don't miss the Big Gay Fiction Fest, on December 4, 2021! Find all the details at http://www.biggayfictionfest.comShow notes: https://bit.ly/482BigGayFictionAMA Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for part two of the Sweet Dreams Romance Recap Project, featuring The Popularity Plan by Rosemary Vernon. Unlike P.S. I Love You, I hadn't read this one before, so it's an adventure for all of us. We've got some hefty social anxiety, friends with Plans (and wall calendars as seen on the cover) and some very classic dating tropes. Grab your tea and your comfy hoodie and come hang out with me!...Music: Purple-Planet.comShow Notes! https://bit.ly/481PopularityPlanSD2 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Leslie Hachtel and Nikki Brock put together Love In The Mix: A Cookbook for Romance Readers to benefit ProLiteracy, and she joins me to talk about it. Leslie tells me all about the cookbook, how it came to be, and some of her favorite recipes. We discuss family favorites and family history through food, and then, as a bonus, I’ve added info about two favorite recipes for you to try. Over 70 romance authors contributed recipes and stories, and you can find the cookbook in print and digital editions everywhere books are sold. All proceeds benefit ProLiteracy!...Music: purple-planet.comShownotes: https://bit.ly/480LoveintheMix Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time! It's time! This is the first of the Sweet Dreams Romance Recap Project, wherein I am recapping the first twenty Sweet Dreams YA romances, starting with Sweet Dreams #1, P.S. I Love You by Barbara Conklin.This book is a lot. It's angsty and tragic, but there are some moments I remember so very clearly, and I probably read this more than 30 years ago. This was definitely one of my gateway books. What about you? Show Notes: https://bit.ly/479PSILoveYouSD1Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I take a deep dive into interactive fiction with Rebecca Slitt from Choice of Games and Heart’s Choice. We get into the details of how interactive fiction works, and what the process of writing it is like - and we have some recommendations, never fear!...Music: purple-planet.comShownotes: https://bit.ly/478RebeccaSlitt Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is author Ryka Aoki, whose new book Light from Uncommon Stars is out this week! We cover transgender identity, found family, space opera & The Brady Bunch, the liminal state of The Olive Garden, Chonky books, and what, and where, is the best donut? I really want to hear your donut recs: [email protected]! ...Music: purple-planet.comShow Notes: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our last collection of Patreon listener questions, we had two about the process of reviewing: what we look for, and what questions we’re trying to answer when we write a review. Shana joins Amanda and me to talk about the process of reviewing romance, how reviewing helps us identify what we most like to read, and how reading and review works for each of us as writers, and for me doing editorial oversight.Thank you to Patreon members Tara C and Leslee for the very kind and thoughtful questions!...Music: Purple-planet.comShow Notes: https://bit.ly/476Reviewing Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

YA Author, reviewer, and editor Dahlia Adler joins me to talk about all the Badass Anthologies she’s editing, about her upcoming book, Home Field Advantage, and her latest, Cool for the Summer. And, inspired by a recent Instagram pic of her Bantam Love Stories collection, we also talk about vintage YA romances.Stay tuned for the outro where I have a special announcement of a new podcast project inspired by this conversation!TW/CW: discussion of fatphobia in Sweet Valley.Music: purple-planet.comShow Notes! https://bit.ly/475DahliaAdler Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I are answering one last round of questions! We cover day trips and all the places where it’s imperative that we eat fries, we’ve got book recs for fluffy contemporary romances, and we talk about table top games we love.Thanks to Tara, Christina, and Malaraa for the questions!...Music: purple-planet.comShow notes: https://bit.ly/474DayTripsnFries Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I are arranging marriages between books and candy (we missed this part of Ellen’s question last week!) and we talk about what romances we’d want to see adapted into limited series, who we’d cast in our dream productions, and what we’ve learned over the years of working with the website.Thanks to Ellen, Kate K, Leslee, and Sue for today’s questions!...Music: purple-planet.comShow notes: https://bit.ly/473BooksSnacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I are back talking about recommendations, snacks, candy, and more! Sue asks about the behind-the-scenes part of running the website as a business, Ellen is looking for some recs to ease the wait for the next Tessa Dare novel, and recs for fantasy that avoid the problem of Too Much Plot/Not Enough Kissing.Thanks to Sue and Ellen for today’s questions - and we’ll come back to the recs for candy and books in the next episode, Ellen!...Music: purple-planet.com...Show notes: https://bit.ly/473AmandaSubmit your rec league request! https://bit.ly/RecLeagueReqs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Nash of The Short Game joins me to talk about romance in short games - games you can play in 8-12 hours. We cover dating simulators and interactive fiction, and we rank the Dream Daddies. Laura shares some upcoming and very-brand-new games she’s hecking excited about, too! From Hatoful Boyfriend to Boyfriend Dungeon to genderfluid boarding school sims, we've got lots to talk about!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest this week is Becky Chambers, author of the Wayfarers series and the new novella, A Psalm for the Wild Built.We talk about the book itself, and themes of caregiving and comfort, and the process of writing a book with the goal of sending a hug out into the world. Thank you to Malaraa and Molly from our Patreon community for the questions!...Music: purple-planet.comShow notes: https://bit.ly/470BeckyChambersMore on A Psalm for the Wild Built: https://bit.ly/APftWB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.