If you like when we hang out and chat about books and everything else, this episode is for you. We talk about our cats waking us up, and Amanda GEEKS OUT about The Blacksmith Queen by GA Aiken. We talk about video games we want, what books we’re excited about in September, and how I organize my reading because I’m nerdy about workflow. At about 50 minutes in, heads up: we take a side detour … Continue reading 366. Amanda and The Blacksmith Queen →

Abby Zidle and I had a candid chat at RWA in July, and we talked about everything. Abby is Associate Director of Marketing for Gallery Books, and is also a Senior Editor, as she worked in editorial for many many years. We talk about what’s changing in publishing and what’s changed over her career – from the process of writing and selling a book to the places you find that book in a store, or … Continue reading 365. Sunrise, Sunset, and Behind the Scenes in Publishing: Hanging out with Abby Zidle →

Today I’m chatting with Erin and Melody from the Heaving Bosoms Podcast and it is so much fun. There is so much laughing. Does the dog bark? Yes. Are they each other’s biggest fans? Absolutely. Is this delightful? Totally. Don’t miss the part where they reveal the secret ingredient to everything. TW/CW: at about 35 minutes in, there’s a discussion of old skool romances, and in particular a Johanna Lindsey viking romance with some on-page … Continue reading 364. Love, Romance, and Beautiful Friendships: Melody and Erin from Heaving Bosoms Podcast →

On Friday, July 26, at RWA Nationals in New York, Aarya, Amanda and I sat down to talk about the conference thus far. This was my 11th RWA, and Amanda and Aarya’s first, so I was very curious about their impressions. We talk about meeting online friends, the fangirl moments we experience during the conference, and how much we hate those elevators. We’ve got ghost stories, toilet stories, and key questions. Such as, “What’s on … Continue reading 363. Seeing People In Front of Your Eyeballs: Aarya, Amanda, and Sarah at RWA 2019 →

Did you miss Romance Game Night at the Strand on July 25? Fear not! We have audio, courtesy of the fine folks at The Strand! So you can listen in as Helena Hunting, Lauren Layne, Melonie Johnson, Alisha Rai, and Sonali Dev as we play Romance Bingo, Never Have I Ever, and Would You Rather? Special, effusive thanks to everyone behind the scenes who made this evening possible: Sabir Sultan, Cynthia Grey, Natalie Tsay, Marissa … Continue reading 362. Live from The Strand: Romance Game Night! →

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 →