Welcome to Smart Podcast, Trashy Books! Each Friday, I talk with authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians, or combinations thereof, and share the fun and mayhem with you. Frequent topics include romance fiction, the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers, along with a hefty side order of silliness. Plus, we always recommend some books we’re reading and really enjoying.
And speaking of recommendations, are you new to the podcast? Welcome!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, fear not: here are some of our most popular episodes – so far!
It’s time for the Ads & Features from the November 2015 issue of Romantic Times magazine! Our cover story is…the 10th anniversary of Samhain publishing. We’ve got articles on series bibles and rugby romance – and a lot of ads when YA covers were all White girls in Giant Dresses. Come back in time with us – we had a lot of fun chatting about this issue, even though it was a bit of a … Continue reading 641. RT Rewind: November 2015 Ads & Features→
Lucy Jane Wood’s debut book, Rewitched, is out, and we connected to talk all things cozy, witchcraft, all the different 90s witches in pop culture, and the big feelings around turning an age with a zero on the end. Ultimately, this is a book about a person who wants to keep her own power – a theme I could certainly celebrate! Lucy Jane is also a TikToker and YouTuber with a sizeable following, so we … Continue reading 640. Cozy Witchcraft with Lucy Jane Wood→
It’s time to take a look at the new books in November 2015 inside Romantic Times! We’ve got spanking and small towns, and a magazine that seems more targeted toward aspiring writers than readers. That yielded a mixed bag! But we have some books to talk about so let’s get to it! So many small town contemporaries, so many historicals, so many Four Star reviews with word salad. And some cat poo. TW/CW: very brief … Continue reading 639. RT Rewind: November 2015 Reviews→
Tara Scott, staff writer at SBTB and co-host of the Queerly Recommended podcast, is in the interviewer’s chair, asking Amanda and me questions about Smart Bitches After Dark, our new community support wing. We talk about what After Dark is, and also about the larger enshittification of different parts of the internet, and how we navigate that as a 20 year old blog. Yay blogs! I was really nervous about being interviewed, and I hope … Continue reading 638. Smart Bitches After Dark – Tara interviews Sarah & Amanda→
It’s time for the Ads & Features of the October 1988 (!!) issue of Romantic Times Magazine. Y’all. We’ve got: Vintage gossip! Blind items that are very easy to guess! Danielle Steel’s two blue Mercedes! Fuchsia covers with giant flowers and startled animals! Riverboat gambler romance heroes! And a truly paltry obituary for an extraordinary author. It’s 1988. Fuchsia. So much fuchsia. Blanket content warning for romances written in the late 80s. Be ready for … Continue reading 637. RT Rewind October 1988 Ads & Features→
Freya Marske’s new book Swordcrossed is out this week, and she’s joining us from the other side of the planet to talk about what she calls, “Fantasy of manners, mercantile edition.” We also talk about writing fanfic and her new favorite show, Interview with the Vampire. Yes, I did misnumber last week’s episode – sorry about that. Music: purple-planet.com
It’s time to journey back to the October 1988 issue of Romantic Times! That’s right, we’re going all the way back to 1988, a time when one of us on the show wasn’t born yet. We’ve got absolutely appalling plots, some extremely luscious covers, and more – like Amanda’s engagement! Congrats Amanda and Brian! TW/CW: crappy family tales in the first 4 minutes, and overall, a number of references to enslavement, violence, colonialism, predatory behavior … Continue reading 635. RT Rewind: October 1988 Reviews→
Courtney Milan is here to talk about her newest book, The Earl Who Isn’t, and about climbing Mt. Fuji! Along the way we talk about training, the shifting style of historical romances, and audiobooks. And we have questions from you! A few moments to be aware of before you listen: we talk a little about her dog Pele, who passed away earlier this year. We also mention briefly the topics of antifat bias in medicine, weight … Continue reading 634. Climbing Mt. Fuji with Courtney Milan→
The ads and features of the September 2015 issue of Romantic Times are a nine-layer cake of wonderment and weird. Side trips include: Janet Dailey and who is writing her books (we don’t know) lawyer romances changes in cover design a twist cliffhanger in a quiz with no answer key! Plus, this issue of the magazine and also Amanda both have terrific memories of RT 2015 in Dallas. Don’t miss the visual aids! WE GOT … Continue reading 633. RT Rewind: September 2015 Ads & Features→
Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer are podcasting powerhouses with shows like By the Book and How to be Fine With Friends. This season they’re looking at friendship, the research behind sustaining friendships, ending relationships, and creating new connections with people – and they joined me to talk all about it. You can find their show, How to be Fine with Friends where you get your podcasts – like this one! TW/CW: short discussion of diet culture … Continue reading 632. Being Fine with Friends, with Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer→
We’re going back to September 2015, and I want to ease you into this knowledge, so take a breath, center yourself: that was nine years ago. I don’t get it either but apparently it’s true? JR Ward is on the cover, and there’s all kinds of good stuff inside! Come with us to visit some reviews that are word salad, and some that made me say, a few times, “Way harsh, Tai. Way harsh.” Don’t … Continue reading 631. RT Rewind: September 2015 Reviews→
