Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

Amanda and I are back for cover mayhem! We’ve got crimes against Tom Hardy, questionable titles, and lots of visual silliness. There’s background barking of support from Zeb, inquiries as to the union terms of the shifter cover wolves, and questions about the futility of truly ever knowing who it was that let the dogs out.Thanks to David T. Cole for helping me figure out how to add images. You should be able to see the covers on your screen when we talk about them.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One weekend, Alisha Rai got married. Then, two weeks later, her new book came out. So let’s talk about all the things!We cover her wedding, the parties, and how part of her wedding was at a celebrity’s mansion (but we had no idea until the end). And of course, we talk about her newest book, Partners in Crime. We discuss portraying mental health struggles and coping mechanisms, as well as sequel bait, and writing a great caper romance.Come party, reminisce, and celebrate with us!…Music: Purple-Planet.com…Coupons!Get 20% OFF @honeylove + Free Shipping with promo code SARAH at https://www.honeylove.com! #honeylovepodBetter nights rest with CBD Sleep from NextEvo. Get 25% off subscription orders of $40 or more at NextEvo.com with promo code SARAH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a weird one - enjoy!Amanda and I have brought zany questions to answer, and we’re going to cover insults, ghosts, pets, and more.But we want to hear YOUR answers, too!Especially the one involving Grimace....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty is the first in the Midsolar Murders series, and is out this week!Amanda and I both really liked Station Eternity, so we were very excited to ask a bunch of questions!We talk about the absence of grief in the aftermath of murder in some mystery series, how aliens in Lafferty’s world perceive humans (spoiler: wet) and how a sentient ship is both creepy and comforting.Worry not, this is a spoiler-free conversation, and I hope it makes you curious about this book, too.So. Would you want to be kidnapped or escorted off the planet by aliens?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyla Zhao is my guest this week ahead of the release of her debut novel, The Fraud Squad, coming out in January! Kyla’s book was inspired by her time working for high society magazines like Tatler and Vogue in Singapore. We talk about cultural differences, Trader Joe’s, and how her book was her antidote to doom scrolling in 2020....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reading romance can lead to many things, including…dyeing wool!Today my guest is Nakia of Wild Star Fibers, who created the Romancelandia collection of yarn. Knitters and readers unite! We’re going to talk about what books inspired the Romancelandia collection, and how she translated tropes to color combinations.I will have links to her shop in the show notes and she will be putting some of the extras up for sale very soon.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tara Scott joins me to talk about the television show A League of Their Own! You might have seen her review, and maybe you’ve seen folks talking about it online – it’s wonderful. So we’re gonna squee about it, and no worries – no spoilers.Heads up – there is some discussion of the consequences of being arrested for being queer at that time period, and that discussion begins at about 24 minutes in.Thank you to FashionablyEvil for making a surprise appearance in the episode thanks to their comment on Tara’s review!...Music: purple-planet.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been talking about this book for weeks, and now I get to talk to the author: Deanna Raybourn joins me to talk about her new thriller, Killers of a Certain Age.We talk about the power of being underestimated, and the painfulness of being expected to disappear as you age.Battles against misogyny! Destroying the patriarchy! Aging is awesome!Join us for a very casual discussion of hypothetical and and actual historical murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we are catching up on what we’re looking forward to, and in particular, what BOOKS we’re looking forward to this fall!Amanda shares trends she’s noticing amid the books that are being heavily promoted for this fall, too. We coverWitchesRevengePowerful scheming womenQueer horrorHeistsRetellings of classic storiesAdventure comedies What’s on your list this fall?Plus, I have the answer to last week's joke! Why does it take 645.5 librarians to change a lightbulb? Listen to find out....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romance will never stop bestowing glorious acts of graphic design upon us, so join us for some Cover Snark live! Amanda and I went foraging in the wilds of romance covers and surprised one another with images to discuss.Check out the covers for yourself! Savor the glorious mayhem!So many questions.Which M is the Preg in the MMMPreg?Where IS the Third M?!What is the job market like for alien vampires?If you woke up tomorrow as a wealthy immortal alien vampire, what would YOU do?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author and award-winning audiobook narrator Julia Whelan visits with me to talk about her new book, Thank You For Listening. Along the way we discuss:Recent press coverage of her bookSelf Aware Book FictionCompetence p0rnMyths about audiobook narrationAnd why Romance Is AmazingPlus, we have book recommendations! (We always do that.)What about you?Do you listen to audiobooks? Do you have favorite books or favorite narrators? Tell me all about them!…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the words of a spam comment, we have some nice and valuable content!Amanda and I are catching up. What are we talking about? Shoes we are trying to break in, video games we are playing, and all the books we’ve been reading this summer! Amanda’s into sci-fi mysteries, and I’ve read a whole bunch of different genres. Grab a beverage and come visit with us!What about you?What books have rocked your reading time? Have you broken in Birkenstocks? (Am I doomed to agony for eternity?) What are your most comfortable sandals? What is your preferred Mario Kart course?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agatha Andrews is the host of the She Wore Black podcast which focuses on gothic and horror, and a former librarian. I was a guest on her show, and now she comes over to visit with me! Horror and romance need to hang out. So we did!We talk about readers advisory, all the ways to connect books to readers, and then we take a deep dive into the books that rocked her world as a reader.Do you have any erotic unicorn horror to recommend to Agatha? Got a favorite gothic or horror you adore? Tell me about it, please!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk historical heist romances! Erica Ridley joins me to talk about her newest book, Nobody’s Princess, the latest in her Winchester series, which she describes as putting “Umbrella Academy, Oceans 11, and Batman in a blender and pouring out romantic comedy,” or, “Heists that Bang.”You can find Erica Ridley at her website https://ericaridley.com/ She’s on all the socials and medias, and as she mentioned, you can join her VIP group for free books and early access to exclusive content.Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Garwood’s latest book, Grace Under Fire, is out now, and I got to chat with her about her writing career, her process, and writing historicals and romantic suspense. Grab a snack and a beverage and come visit with one of the authors I admire most. (No, my inner 13 year old was not chill. Not even a little.)You can find Julie Garwood at her website, JulieGarwood.com.…Music: Purple-planet.comThank you to Julie Garwood, and thank you to Stephanie Felty for setting this up. And to Tara, Laura, and Deanna for questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.