If you’ve ever tried to get answers from Nalini Singh about her books, you probably know she’s a vault in all things. I attempt to find out about the future of the Psy-Changeling world and the Archangel world, and I get exactly nowhere, as I expected. Along the way we talk about making the grumpy heroes melt, our book club discussion of Rebel Hard, how her first drafts are Nalini telling herself the story, and … Continue reading 361. Playing Verbal Poker with Nalini Singh →

I love interviews like this one! This week I’m talking with New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost, whom I’ve known for a long while, since her first book, Halfway to the Grave, came out in 2007. We talk about her career as a paranormal romance author – 16 years! More than 20 books! We also discuss vampires, the draw of paranormal romance, and some skills she’s learned in the past 10+ years. And we … Continue reading 360. The First Draft Has Bad Breath and Bedhead: An Interview Jeaniene Frost →

Today I’m chatting with Trisha Brown and Jess Pryde from BookRiot’s When in Romance podcast. We’re going Full Meta over here: we discuss podcasting on a podcast, including different show formats, choosing topics, and how their show comes together for each episode. We talk about covering news and online conversations in romance, and about recommending books (or not) to a broad audience whose tastes you don’t always know. There’s always something to talk about in … Continue reading 359. All the Things With Trisha Brown and Jess Pryde from Book Riot’s When In Romance →

Amanda and I are chatting with Abby Jimenez, author of the debut novel The Friend Zone. Due to technical difficulties, Amanda starts the interview, and then I finish, but along the way we talk about many things, including what it’s like to be a Food Network champion, what it’s like to go truly viral with a cake that looks like a vagina, and how Abby wrote this book mostly with her thumbs. We also discuss … Continue reading 358. Vajazzling Vageodes and Writing Romance with Abby Jimenez →

Today I’m speaking with editor, writer, and podcaster Amanda Jean about aro and ace-spectrum romance, and the expectations of romance from aro and ace-spectrum readers. She discusses acquiring titles for a romance press that foster and include good representation. And she discusses the structure of romance fiction, too: What does a romantic story and a happily ever after look like or feel like when representing aro- or ace-spectrum people? We also discuss: The challenges of … Continue reading 357. Aro and Ace Representation in Romance: An Interview with Amanda Jean →

This week we are welcoming Aarya Marsden to our collective mayhem for her first book club episode, and her first podcast – welcome, Aarya! Then we deep dive into everything we loved about Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh. And there was a LOT that we loved. We also talked about how our tolerance for alpha heroes varies by the genre in which they are written, what lines pulled us out of the story, and what … Continue reading 356. Our Book Club Discussion of Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh →

Kat Mayo and Rudi Bremer are the team behind the BookThingo podcast, an Australian podcast about romance fiction. As you might imagine, I’m a fan – and I’ve known Rudi and Kat for a long time. Our conversation meanders all over the place, and we discuss: Podcasting, the process, and learning how to get the show done What podcasting and the podcasting community is like in Australia Kat’s recent trip to Manila and her episodes … Continue reading 355. Podcasting, Representation, and Romance: A Conversation with Rudi Bremer and Kat Mayo →

Amanda was at Book Expo America 2019, and she has books to recommend, titles to squee about, and a definite predilection for candles and reading cover blurbs, too. We talk about her impressions of this year’s BEA, who it’s for, and how it’s changed over her time working in various parts of publishing. We also talk about how much Amanda likes reading blurbs on the covers of new books. We talk about so many upcoming … Continue reading 354. Six Books Amanda’s Excited About, and Other Stories from BEA 2019 →

Today I’m chatting with Dr. Kelly J. Baker, who was also part of my episode with Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom last year. In this conversation, Kelly and I talk about her academic work studying white supremacy and the klan, and how history is never only in the past. But the core of this episode is talking about setting boundaries. Kelly and I have been having an ongoing casual email conversation about setting boundaries, especially within … Continue reading 353. Setting Boundaries and Getting Help: A Candid Conversation with Dr. Kelly J. Baker →

Recorded on May 16, 2019, it’s our live show from Book Lovers Con 2019! It’s fast, it’s funny, and it’s very silly. Thank you to Amanda and Elyse for doing the live show with me. Thank you to Eva Moore and Beth P who brought bottles of wine to share – you are most lovely. Thank you to Tere and Jo Carol at BookLovers Con for giving us a space with a sound system to … Continue reading 352. Live From BookLovers Con: Cards Against Romance Tropes, and Other Appropriate Topics →

Amanda and I are chatting about making recommendations on Instagram, and about hidden gems in romance that maybe don’t get enough attention or mentions. We cover a lot of books here. We discuss books that we love through the lens of nostalgia, and older titles we are wary to suggest to newer readers of romance. We talk about scenery porn, and I also use the word “charming” too much. Sorry. We also answer listener email, … Continue reading 351. Hidden Gems in Romance and Listener Email with Amanda & Sarah →