This week I am chatting with editor and author KJ Charles about lots and lots of different things. She started out as a Mills & Boon editor and then moved to writing, so she has a lot of perspective on the writing and edition process. We discuss plot, character, use of language, editing, and writing romance, especially in various historical periods. Some of the audio is a bit muddy in the recording, and my apologies … Continue reading 295. Inclusive History, Magical Writing, and Fan Art: An Interview with KJ Charles →

Today we are talking women in Aussie Rules Football, and romance heroines who are professional football players. You ready for this? Harlequin Escape recently published a trilogy of novels with heroines who all play for the Australian Rules Football Women’s League. This is a real thing – the AFLW (Australian Football League Women’s) began in February 2017 and has been a massive success in Australia. A professional football league for women! For the romance series … Continue reading 294. Women in Aussie Rules Football: A Chat with Amy Andrews, Catherine Evans, and Nicola Marsh →

Every now and again on Facebook, I learn that friends of mine from kindergarten are doing really, really cool stuff. Today I’m chatting with Vera Tobin, a professor of cognitive science at Case Western, and author of the upcoming book, The Elements of Surprise, which comes out on April 16, 2018. Her book is all about how the surprises, twists, and unexpected revelations we love in fiction actually work on our brains cognitively. In her … Continue reading 293: The Elements of Surprise: Untwisting the Twist with Vera Tobin, PhD →

Amanda and I are here together, and we’re talking about audiobooks! We start with truly important topics, like her cat, Linus, and then we move on to all things audiobook. We’ve both found audiobooks perfect for our brains at the moment, though we do different tasks while we listen. We discuss finding audiobooks and discovering what types of audiobooks work for us, and why, including important questions such as: Wait, are you saying Richard Armitage … Continue reading 292. Amanda and Sarah Visit With Audiobooks →

We’re going to talk about librarian-ing, the internet, and honoring and making public the very hard work that you do. Today I’m talking with Margaret H. Willison, who is one of the Two Bossy Dames newsletter, a podcaster at Appointment Television, and a frequent fourth chair on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. We talk about a LOT of different things. I want to start with a trigger warning as we have a discussion about workplace … Continue reading 291. Encouraging Readers and Fostering Confidence: An Interview with Margaret H. Willison →

Today I am speaking with Regina Flath, Designer, Illustrator, and book cover designer at Random House Children’s Books. This podcast was suggested by a listener named Hannah, who heard Regina Flath speak at a panel at NY ComicCon. Regina is a designer who specializes in YA covers – and her bio is adorable. It says she’s “100% constructed from witchcraft, yarn, sewing needles, and snacks. She’s a friend to imaginary creatures everywhere.” Regina is also … Continue reading 290. The Art and Magic of Designing Book Covers: An Interview with Regina Flath →

Amanda and I interview Mona Darling, who is a professional dominatrix, kink coach, BDSM mentor, and sexual adventure coach. She was introduced by Thien-Kim Lam of Bawdy Bookworms – thank you, Thien-Kim! So first and foremost: content warning and trigger warning for explicit discussions of sexual kink, sexual practice, and rape fantasy. We talk about how she got her start and how her business works, including the differences between working at a house vs being … Continue reading 289. Intimacy, Trust, and Consent: An Interview with Mona Darling, Kink Coach and Pro Domme →

This is a podcast episode inspired by Twitter! If it’s on Twitter, it’s not quite oral history but it’s close? After a Twitter history thread of hers went viral within the romance community online, I asked Elisabeth Lane, the blogging and cooking genius behind Cooking Up Romance if she’d talk to me on the podcast about it. We start by talking about food and romance, her own recipe development, and her reading, reviewing, cooking, and … Continue reading 288. Tweeting About Romance History: An Interview with Elisabeth Lane of Cooking Up Romance →

Today I’m chatting with Lorraine Heath, bestselling author of more than 70 books over 25 years in writing romance. We talk about her titles in historical romance, contemporary and paranormal YA, how publishing has changed a little over the years, and of course we discuss her newest book, Beyond Scandal and Desire. We talk about writing as a craft and process, too: you’ll learn what advice Ms. Heath would give her writer self when she … Continue reading 287. Take Risks and Keep Going: An Interview with Lorraine Heath →

Today, I’m chatting with debut author Jasmine Guillory. Since we recorded this interview, The Wedding Date has come out, and it was a USA Today bestseller – congratulations, Jasmine! We talk about the excitement of pre-release and the stress of balancing book releases with real life, and what brought Jasmine to reading and writing romance. Some of her favorite books involve characters who lead busy lives and love their careers, which informed her own writing … Continue reading 286. The Importance of Friendship, Writing, Great Lipstick, and Romance: An Interview with Jasmine Guillory →

Amanda and I interview S. Jae-Jones, also known as JJ, about pretty much everything. Ready to learn? JJ was kind enough to answer all our nosy questions and our conversation was a LOT of fun. We cover a bunch of topics, including: How being an editorial assistant prepared her for a career as an author – and what secret knowledge (not really secret) she shares with fellow writers. How Labyrinth, Phantom of the Opera, the … Continue reading 285. Labyrinth, Girl Scout Cookies, and Good Book Noise: An Interview with S. Jae-Jones →