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!
Episode 206. Proving Love: An Interview with Dr. Chuck Tingle
Episode 200. The Books That Made Us Romance Readers
Episode 229. Romance, Dating, and Very Real Expectations: An Interview with Alisha Rai
And here are our latest episodes so you can join in the fun!
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
Chris DeRosa is co-host of the podcast Fixing Famous People, and has been a reality tv producer for 11 years. We talk about his career starting with Food Network then moving into unscripted reality tv like the Real Housewives, how reality tv has changed, and how much of the narrative producers have influence over – and what parts they don’t. We’re also locating RH on the larger timeline of major television programs centering women over … Continue reading 630. Behind the Scenes of Real Housewives with Chris DeRosa
Alison aka Fashionably Evil is back with us recapping the ads and features from Romantic Times’ October 1999 issue! There were leers, horny men, and nipples with personalities, and we explore effective friction and learn about The Douche Chills. The visual aids are amazing this week – don’t miss the horny covers!
Continuing my exploration of reality franchises that are favorites of romance readers, Shana joins me to talk about the Real Housewives franchise: her favorite Real Housewives locations and seasons, and what aspects of this reality franchise appeal to romance readers. We cover relationships, conflict, and the blend of fiction and “reality,” and some of the ethical considerations as well, especially with the Real Housewives of Dubai. Are you a Real Housewives watcher? Which ones? Do you … Continue reading 628. Real Housewives and Romance Readers with Shana
We have a special guest! Alison, aka Fashionably Evil, won our Romancing the Vote auction to co-host this round of RT Rewind with us! Congratulations!! Alison picked our issue, October 1999, and wow, it’s just as weird as we’d hoped. And, as part of the auction, we offered a midroll ad, which we typically don’t run. Alison chose to use her midroll to promote a website we love and admire, Scarleteen.com. We start with a … Continue reading 627. RT Rewind: October 1999 Reviews!
This month on the podcast, I wanted look more closely at the intersection of romance and reality tv, particular the Bachelor franchise and Real Housewives. There is only one place to start with that inquiry: with Dr. Jodi McAlister. Jodi McAlister is a scholar of romance and an expert on all things The Bachelor, and she’s the author of the Australia-set Marry Me, Juliet trilogy, which you may remember was available digitally in the US … Continue reading 626. The Bachelor and Romance with Dr. Jodi McAlister
