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!
We’re going back in time to look at the ads and features of the September 2002 issue of Romantic Times! This issue left us with many questions, such as: What the hell is Tart Noir? Are reviewers elsewhere too mean? (Not us – we weren’t online yet!) How much lore is there about pesto? Should you jump into a pile of leaves? Should you soak crawfish tails in milk? Why is an author defending polygamy? … Continue reading 621. RT Rewind: September 2002 Ads & Features→
Oriana Leckert is the Head of Publishing at Kickstarter, and works with the many, many authors who are finding community support on Kickstarter. They’re hosting a celebration all this month, Heartstrings & Hardbacks: Kickstarter and Romance, so we connected to talk about successful romance projects, strategies that work and don’t work on Kickstarter, and the evolution of fandom (a topic I’m always curious about). Oriana has worked in publishing for a long time, and applies … Continue reading 620. Romance and Kickstarter with Oriana Leckert→
We asked our Patreon community to vote on this month’s issue, and September 2002 won by a wide margin. So let’s dive into the book reviews, shall we? There are strange subcategories and overlapping genres, and also color-conscious aliens and amnesia, too. Plus, we talk a bit about one of the best lines Avon ever produced. Don’t miss the visual aids, because some of the covers are something.
In June 1989, Kathryn Falk published The Romance Reader’s Handbook, a 354 page spiral bound collection of everything a romance reader would need to know. Steve Ammidown leads us on a brief tour of this artifact of romance history. There’s a collection of over 2000 pseudonyms, plus a directory of where to contact authors, lists of bookstores that love romance, and recommended reads. And of course, advertisements from authors inviting readers to correspond with them. … Continue reading 618. The Romance Reader’s Handbook with Steve Ammidown→
In episode 611, we talked about the ads and features in the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times, and there was an ad on the back cover for Romance Soundtracks. We could not find anything about them, but Malaraa in our Patreon sure did! We’ve got samples! We’ve got MUSIC that you’re meant to read with, and Amanda tries to identify the genre/album the music was from. MASSIVE THANKS to Malaraa for finding this treasure … Continue reading 617. A Romance Soundtracks Sampler→
In a review for Never Cross a Highlander, Shana came up with the ACAB scale, or the Alyssa Cole Anti-Slavery Book Scale, which ranks how central the horror of slavery is to the storyline. I asked her to tell me all about it, and Shana, kindly, said yes. Our conversation grows (of course) to include the field of narrative therapy and bibliotherapy, other evaluative rubrics for reading, and the subgenres, professions, settings we can, and … Continue reading 616. Reading Rubrics with Shana→
Amanda and I are traveling back in time to May 1994 and taking a look at the ads and features inside Romantic Times Magazine – oh, it’s a time. We have questions – and answers! Are Eric Braeden and Victor Newman the same guy? Is Kathryn Falk writing celebrity gossip and outing people? Are there Lorena Bobbit jokes? Were Glamour Shots™ very well represented among author headshots? We had a great time looking at the … Continue reading 615. RT Rewind: May 1994 Ads & Features→
Harper St. George joins me to talk about The Stranger I Wed (look at that gorgeous cover) and the dollar princesses of the Gilded Age. We talk about transactional marriages, the power dynamics of marriages of convenience – and Harper has a few recommendations of her favorites!
Amanda and I are traveling to May 1994 and taking a look at the book reviews in this edition of RT Rewind! We’re answering many questions, including: Why does five stars mean something is a classic, but one star is acceptable? What do CS, RM, VR, and F stand for inside Contemporary and New Reality? What grade did Dreaming of You receive? There’s so much Fabio, a telepathic cat, blaming tornadoes for murder, and a … Continue reading 613. RT Rewind: May 1994 Reviews!→
Len Pennie’s book of Scots poetry poyums is out in the US this week, and you might have seen my post about her book launch earlier this week. Len is my guest today and we’re going to talk about: Poetry! Healing from trauma and abuse The subversive revolution of teaching a word a day in a minoritized language Using humor to overcome the “cultural hangover of linguistic oppression” More poetry! TW/CW: discussion of intimate partner … Continue reading 612. Poetry in Scots with Len Pennie→
Y’all, the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times is a treasure of truly amazing fun. So many of you told me that episode 609, where we looked at the reviews, made you laugh so hard you cried. Well, let me share some highlights of what is about to happen to your eardrums. The Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant was a Six-episode reality tv show on the Oxygen network, and we missed it when it ran. … Continue reading 611. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Ads & Features→
