Smart Podcast, Trashy Books Podcast

370. RWA, The RITAs, and the Future: A Conversation with Dowager RWA President HelenKay Dimon

Today I’m chatting with RWA Past President HelenKay Dimon, whose term as president ended on 31 August 2019. We talk about the past year in RWA, the RITAs and the continued evolution of the contest, and the binary of “fix it” or “burn it all down.”

We also talk about the changes in this year’s RITA contest, and the board’s work on earning trust, fixing many things, and rethinking everything. We also talk about her career as a romantic suspense writer, and all the different flavors contained in that sub-genre. And we attempt to predict the future of romance fiction, and making the umbrella wider.

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Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find HelenKay Dimon at her website, HelenKayDimon.com, and on Twitter, @HelenKayDimon.

HelenKay also mentioned two bookstores:

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This Episode's Music

Sketch - shed life - close up of a yakThe music you’re listening to was provided by Sassy Outwater, and you can find her on Twitter @Sassyoutwater. This is a band called Sketch, and this is “Shed Life” from their album ShedLife.

You can find it on Amazon, iTunes, or wherever you buy your most excellent music.


Podcast Sponsor

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Transcript

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This podcast transcript was handcrafted with meticulous skill by Garlic Knitter. Many thanks.

Transcript Sponsor

Blood and Blade

Today’s podcast is sponsored by Blood and Blade, book six in the Goddess With a Blade series by Lauren Dane, out December 31. Fans of urban fantasy with a romantic storyline like Patricia Briggs’ Mercy Thompson books and Eileen Wilks’ World of the Lupi, will love this series featuring a kickass heroine with an actual goddess in her belly and the uptight British Vampire Scion who adores her.

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Add Your Comment →

  1. Kareni says:

    Thanks for a very meaty interview!

  2. spinster.revival says:

    Great listen; thanks so much! SBSarah—what’s the productivity book you mentioned the jubilee year quote from? I’m obsessed with productivity now and would love to add to my list.

  3. SB Sarah says:

    My mind totally blanked on the title while recording, but it was this one: Off the Clock, by Laura Vanderkam.

    And thank you, y’all, for the comments and feedback on the podcast! I love hosting and producing it, and knowing y’all enjoy it each week is so meaningful and inspiring for me. Thank you.

  4. Aaliyah A. says:

    Great episode! I’m African-American and currently working on a romance novel. I’ve been a fan of the genre for years now. It’s disheartening, but not surprising, to hear about the discrimination in RWA. Hopefully these conversations will begin a change in the organization.

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