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! … Music: purple-planet.com

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.com

I’m joined by Morgan and Isabeau from the Whoa!Mance podcast! They are celebrating three years of podcasting, and their latest exploration of romance has been to look at category romances. I thought it would be fun to take a deep dive into a brand new contemporary romance, so we all read Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss by Therese Baharrie. This episode is a low-spoiler discussion of the book, and of all the interesting and subversive … Continue reading 469. Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss, with Morgan and Isabeau from Whoa!Mance →

Amanda and I are chatting about our favorite romance-laden RPGs, and our favorite characters to romance in Stardew Valley, Dragons Ages (all of ‘em), Witcher 3, and more. We compare romance options, discuss favorite pairings, and yup, we really like Dragon Age. Moral of this episode: Don’t Bring Your Tits to a Gunfight. This is the TikTok we chortle about. … Music: Purple-Planet.com

Tara joins me to talk about how reading lesbian romances helped them realize their sexuality after having grown up in a very conservative religious environment. Side trips include Robin Hood in many varieties, “Don’t Stop Believing,” and movies to watch while kinda stoned. Romances help people understand a lot of aspects of themselves, and I love hearing about how reading has helped Tara live more authentically. TW/CW: we talk about growing up queer in a … Continue reading 467. Realizing Sexuality Through Romance with Tara Scott →

It’s part three of what I called “AMA with AMAnda and Sarah.” We’re chatting about our favorite recipes, cooking blogs, and cookbooks, favorite french fries, seasonal re-reading, contemporary cozy mysteries with romantic elements, trends, and adventure romance recs. Plus, how to snowboard while holding an onion. Thanks to Bransler, Cheri, Norette, Manda, and Laura B. for the questions! … Music: purple-planet.com

We’re back! With more of your questions! We’re going to talk about tv shows we recommend, book recs, of course, mayonnaise, of course, summer treats, and middle school favorites. Thanks to Laura B, Karelia, Christina B, and Phoebe for the questions! … Music: purple-planet.com

Arielle Zibrak is the author of Guilty Pleasures, a new book in the Avidly Reads series from New York University Press. She’s also a former editor of romance fiction, and a professor of 19th century popular fiction. Her new book – which is terrific – examines the concept of the “guilty pleasures” and seeks to unpack and answer the question, “What is it about ribald romance novels, luxurious interior design, and frothy wedding dresses that … Continue reading 464. Guilty Pleasures with Dr. Arielle Zibrak →

Today, we’re going to talk about food safety law, and the history of women who probably poisoned their husbands. Allegedly. Mikki Kendall, on Twitter as @Karnythia and the author of Hood Feminism, is an eager historian into the mysteries of what women got away with, and so we cover poison clusters, dying of fever, and the poisons hanging out in your back yard. This conversation was inspired by two Twitter threads, and I’ll link to … Continue reading 463. Women and Poison in History with Mikki Kendall →

I asked the Patreon community what they’d like to ask Amanda and I, and howdy damn, I got some really thoughtful and fun questions! In this conversation, we’re talking about astrology, apps, allergies, and all the book recs. If you like hanging out while we chat, this episode is for you. Thanks to everyone in the Patreon community for their questions! … Music: purple-planet.com

Catherine and I chat with Lois McMaster Bujold (!!!) about The Assassins of Thasalon. If you like the Penric & Desdemona books as much as we do (which is a LOT) you’ll love this episode! We cover the origin story of Penric and Desdemona, how her retirement partially rests on self publishing, and how much manga she’s reading and watching – with recommendations. Thank you to our Patreon community for the transcript, and to Laura … Continue reading 461. Gods, Demons, and Retirements with Lois McMaster Bujold →