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!
Ms. Bev is back! Today my guest is the inestimable Beverly Jenkins, which is always a fun conversation. Recently she tweeted about reader letters and reader mail, and she was kind enough to pull some from her archives (of course she keeps all of them!) to read and share with us. There are some that are incredible, and some that are rather shocking. And some might make you a little sniffly, so get a tissue. … Continue reading 421. Love Will Get You Through: Reader Letters To Beverly Jenkins→
Alyssa Cole is back on the podcast, this time to talk about the release of When No One is Watching, which is out on September 1. We also talk about her speech at the Chicago North Spring Fling, and hosting online events for Date Night with Loyalty Books. Plus, you’ll hear roosters. Lots of roosters. TW/CW: discussion of racist garbage people, and the awfulness of history for Indigenous and Black Americans. Music: purple-planet.com … Looking … Continue reading 420. When No One Is Watching, with Alyssa Cole→
Today my guest is award-winning author Alexis Daria. We talk about a little of everything, including graphic design, art, typography, languages, writing, planning, journaling, and of course, her new book, You Had Me at Hola. We also discuss how writing contemporary romance is changing given, well, the contemporary landscape. … Music: www.purple-planet.com
Amanda and Sarah are back with reader recommendations! We start with Amanda’s current attempts to learn resin art and preservation, our cats, and then: get ready for psychic pining! Leanne is looking for romances with telepathic main couples. I have thoughts on different variations of this trope, on how romance has changed over the years, and, of course, we have a lot of suggestions. We have a LIST, but we want to hear your ideas, … Continue reading 418: Romance Recs with Amanda and Sarah: Psychic Pining!→
We are going to talk about writing psychic characters, being a psychic medium, researching paranormal investigations and doing those investigations, and discuss spirits, haunted places, experiences with the paranormal, and portrayals of paranormal in the media. … Music: purple-planet.com
Today my guest is Olivia Waite, author of The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, and the new romance columnist for The New York Times. We take a deep and joyful nerdy deep dive into beekeeping, romance, and confronting bi-erasure in romance. It’s very fun – get ready. Thanks to Kate, Shana, Aarya, Claudia, and Leigh for questions! Looking for a podcast to listen to? Have you tried Jeff and Will’s The Big Gay Fiction Podcast? … Continue reading 416. Beekeeping and Romance with Olivia Waite→
The Damned, the sequel to The Beautiful, is out, so Renee Ahdieh joins me again to talk about vampire romance, characters overcoming and rejecting toxic patriarchy, and the planning of an incredible virtual book tour. We talk about some of the themes in The Damned (no spoilers but if you haven’t read The Beautiful there are some details about the end) and about the development of a multi-night multi-author party that surrounded the book’s release. … Continue reading 415. Vampires and Virtual Events with Renee Ahdieh→
Gemma emailed the podcast to say that she loves episodes with Amanda, and wondered if Amanda might help her find more books like the ones she’s really, really enjoyed lately. Yes to both! Amanda and I discuss Gemma’s letter, fantasy romance recommendations, plus our local library hauls, and what we’re reading and listening to. Thank you Gemma for emailing us! … Music: purple-planet.com Editorial services: Podcast with Paroma
Today I’m speaking with historical romance legend Mary Balogh. No, my inner 13-year old was not chill. This was recorded by phone, so the audio is a little different. We discuss her newest book, Someone to Romance, and her re-releases, including her latest, Truly, and the Welsh history behind that story. We also talk about writing ongoing series, found family, and what books she’s loving lately! Thanks to Elyse, Claudia, Aarya, Regencyfan, and Debbie for … Continue reading 413. Writing Historical Romance: A Conversation With Mary Balogh→
Today I’m chatting with author Sarah Gailey about their books, including their latest, When We Were Magic, and about different types of magic, including the magic of learning a skill, finding your community, and discovering over and over again who you are. We talk a lot about queerness, and defining who you are – specifically by asking the question, “Who are you when you’re all by yourself?” Thanks to Meagan-Ray for their input, care, and … Continue reading 412. Magic, Queerness, and Being Welcomed As Yourself, with Sarah Gailey→
Alexis Rockley is a business coach and the author of the book Find Your Fuck Yeah. She recently went viral with a tweet about the cognitive exhaustion of the quarantimes. In the course of making an argument against the constant push toward increased work, productivity, and leveling up, she talks about working with your brain to find a happier space for yourself. Plus she offers some practical techniques to help you and your tired brain … Continue reading 411. Caring for Tired Brains with Alexis Rockley→
