This week, we have a longer-than-usual, in person conversation with author Alisha Rai! Yup, a live recording, and of course we start by talking about my “professionalism” as a podcaster. Over brownies and tea, we discuss sexxytimes romance, her new series with Avon, and how reading and writing romance informs and influences her dating life – because sometimes you meet people who you *know* you’ve read before. She talks about the pressure on women to … Continue reading 229. Romance, Dating, and Very Real Expectations: An Interview with Alisha Rai →

The second half of our year-end, year-beginning Bitches Assemble: Sarah, Amanda, Elyse, Carrie, and RedHeadedGirl look back at a few personal highlights of 2016, including trips to Sweden, statewide bike rides, ComicCon, more travel, and cock rings stolen by cats. Then, it’s time for a quiz based on a few trends of the past year, Wholesome Earls and Sweet Clean Bears.

Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, and RedHeadedGirl heave great sighs and discuss garbage, dumpster, compost and tire fires as we look back at 2016. We also talk about the books that rocked our worlds and made us happy, and a few bright moments of the past year. In between we discuss all sorts of things, as we do, including cats, angry vengeful women, more about cats, and fun stories from Elyse’s office. We also make tag predictions … Continue reading 227. Smart Bitches Assemble: Looking Back at 2016 →

My guests this week: all of you! We’re going to finish out 2016 with an episode featuring as many listeners as I can fit in one episode. Yay! Topics include ghost stories, the books that made you into romance readers, rants about poor use of dogs in romance, feeling romance reader shame, and more. You’re all smart and clever and brilliant – thank you for emailing me. Next week: the Bitches Assemble for looking back … Continue reading 226. End of Year Listener Email, Voicemail, and Mayhem →

Susie and Adam Felber join Sarah to talk about their mother, historical romance author Edith Layton, who died in 2009. They discuss her path to publication, what it was like seeing their mom meet her romance readers at conventions, and which villains and rock stars were the basis for some famous Layton heroes. They also cover whether gall stones look like opals (true story), and talk about their work to bring mother’s literary legacy into … Continue reading 225. Romance Legacies: An Interview with Two of Edith Layton’s Children, Susie and Adam Felber →

Sarah and Elyse talk at length about why Elyse was mad at Dr. Strange, and what they liked and didn’t like about it. The discussion is pretty spoilery (especially for 30 seconds at about 5 minutes in), but the hope is that it’s been enough time since the film came out.  They also discuss, in depth, the concept of female rage, all the “girl” books, heroine revenge, female rage horror stories, and supremely pissed off … Continue reading 224. Earl Had to Die: Sarah and Elyse Discuss Dr. Strange, Heroine Rage, and True Crime →

Sarah interviews NYT Bestselling author Deanna Raybourn about Victorian feminists, the changes that happened during Queen Victoria’s reign, and the ways in which women have adapted to technological advances throughout history. They discuss women world travelers, people who explored the world with an incredible number of people in their retinue, women who traveled very light, and the real life inspirations for her character Veronica Speedwell.

Sarah chats with Avon publicist Jessie Edwards for more behind the scenes info about working in publishing. They talk about Avon’s KissCons, and the value of intimate reader and author events in different locations around the US. They talk about what it’s like being a publicist, and what that job involves. They also discuss what she’s working on, both immediate and in the short term. And of course there’s a LOT about books and the … Continue reading 222. More Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Jessie Edwards →

TW: discussion rape or attempted rape Inspired by a listener email, Sarah and RedHeadedGirl casually discuss the most recently aired episode of the BBC’s Poldark. They discuss the intricacies of spoilers, and the television portrayal of what in the book is a rape scene, along with the viewer reaction to the episode. They also explore the idea of altering or preserving original source material for adaptation: should the television production take into account modern audiences … Continue reading 221. When Poldark Got Really Freaking Dark →

Sarah interviews New York Times bestselling historical romance author Loretta Chase and tries to keep her inner 13 year old under control. They discuss Chase’s new books, writing horrible, dreadful, men, and where she starts in her writing. They also talk about historical details and research, museum exhibits, and deep dives into rabbit holes in history – plus the books that live on her keeper shelf. Most of all, we learn the power of building … Continue reading 220. New Books and Deep Dives into History: An Interview With Loretta Chase →

This week my guests are: you! I have email, voicemail, more email, and an update as to what exactly the hero in Defy Not the Heart learned from a prostitute all those purple leggings ago. I try not to crack up at your email messages, (fail) and I try to describe a really convoluted Sandra Brown plot (also fail). Then Amanda joins me for a short conversation about pets, cats, and what she’s reading, with … Continue reading 219. Listener Email, Voicemail, and Book Recommendations →