I interview Sherry Thomas about her upcoming book, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, the second book in her Charlotte Holmes series. We discuss where Ms. Holmes is going, how the cover art for this book changed, and we talk about what happens in the story – but don’t worry, there are no spoilers. We also discuss the world that’s been created around Charlotte, and we talk about Sherry’s theory as to why Sherlock Holmes is a … Continue reading 262. A Conspiracy in Belgravia: An Interview with Sherry Thomas →

In an interview recorded at RWA, Bea and Leah Koch from The Ripped Bodice bookstore in LA look back on their work together after a little over a year, and as Booksellers of the Year award recipients. We talk about creative projects, as there are art installations in the bookstore that are truly stunning, and how they decide which projects to tackle. We talk about their flying books project, and people’s reactions – and how … Continue reading 261. Creativity, Business, Anxiety, and Celebrations – An Interview with Bea & Leah Koch of The Ripped Bodice →

March 2018 Update: I’ve added a new introduction to this episode, which is included in the transcript as well.  I interview author Santino Hassell about his new series with Berkley, starting with Illegal Contact, which just went on sale on August 15th. We discuss his inspiration for football romance since he’s a baseball fan, and we talk about his being one of few men writing romance. We cover how he got started as a writer, … Continue reading 260. Inspiration and Illegal Contact: An Interview with Santino Hassell →

At RWA, I sat down with Beverly Jenkins, the recipient of the 2017 RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award. First: I will share a link to the ceremony with Ms. Bev’s speech in the show notes. Please take a moment to watch it. It is deeply moving, powerful, and incredible. I’ve watched it probably six or seven times, and I get teary. We talk about her experience at the awards ceremony and her perspective on … Continue reading 259. Slayer of Words: An Interview with Beverly Jenkins, the 2017 RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient →

At RWA in Orlando, I did a series of interviews, and I’m so excited to share them. In this episode, I talk with Zoe Archer aka Eva Leigh and Nico Rosso about mindfulness. They did a workshop at RWA about mindfulness and writing, and I wanted to ask about the connections between them. We start with a gift of a scarf I found that looks like it’s patterned with a feminine napkin – with wings. … Continue reading 258. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Writing: An Interview with Eva Leigh and Nico Rosso →

Sarah, Elyse, Carrie, and RedHeadedGirl gather to talk about successful recommendations we’ve made to new and curious readers interested in trying romance. From curating a broad selection of books as an introduction to specifically pimping books we know have a multi-level appeal, we talk about our favorite recommendations, books that seem to entice many different readers, and which books we love just for sheer crazy sauce. We also discuss how many readers are introduced to … Continue reading 257. Bitches Assemble: Our Favorite Recommendations and the Expectations of Tentacles →

I almost titled this episode, “Same Library, Different Tastes.” While having dinner the other night, I was talking to Adam, my excellent spouse, about a series he was reading, and I realized we hardly ever talk about what he’s reading. I’ll go on for hours about what I’m reading (and I have!) but unless I’m asking him if he’d enjoy a book I just found, he doesn’t talk much about what he reads, and he … Continue reading 256. Pop Culture Between Couples: I Interview My Husband →

Elyse and Sarah interview Super Karen, librarian, knitter, romance reader, and co-host of the Knit One, Geek Two Podcast. We talk about childhood fandoms, and the fandoms we love currently, like geek culture, knitting, and romance. We discuss gate keeping, internal snobbery, and the welcoming joy of finding people who love what you love, and are eager to talk with you about it. We also talk about Rhinebeck, and there’s some mild geeking out about … Continue reading 255. Finding Community in the Things You Love: Elyse Interviews Super Karen from the Knit One, Geek Two Podcast →

First and most obvious: Trigger Warnings. ALL OF THEM. We’re talking about true crime, so we discuss murder, crime, assault, kidnapping, sexual abuse, all of it. So please be safe, both in your brain, and in your life, ok? Amanda and Elyse like true crime in several forms, from podcasts to books to television programs, while I can’t nope hard enough. So we talk about the true crime programs they enjoy, and what they get … Continue reading 254. Reframing History, Crime, and Women – Exploring True Crime Stories with Elyse and Amanda →

A little bit ago, I interviewed world traveling author Sara Ramsey. She’s been traveling the globe while writing and living in different locations. We talk about her stay in Ubud, Indonesia, and in London, where she was at the time of this recording. She discusses her own experience and how she researched and planned for a location-independent digital life. We talk about experiencing a place intimately and as authentically as possible, and how travel changes … Continue reading 253. Roam If You Want To: An Interview with Sara Ramsey →

Today I chat with Dr. Kecia Ali, Professor of Religion at Boston University, and author of a new book, Human in Death: Morality and Mortality in JD Robb’s Novels. We discuss what inspired her to write a book about the series, which is now 45+ books in, and what she discovered with her multiple and attentive re-reads of key novels. We talk about portrayals of ethics, family, friendship, race, women’s work, and of course violence, … Continue reading 252. Academic in Death: An Interview with Dr. Kecia Ali →