Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
626 episodes - English - Latest episode: 19 days ago - ★★★★★ - 322 ratingsEach week on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide. Popular guests include: Ilona Andrews, Robin Bradford, NPR's Barrie Hardymon, Chuck Tingle, Sarah J. Maas, and Rachel Aaron. Amanda Diehl, co-pilot of the SS Smart Bitches, makes regular appearances with maximum silliness, especially during our Romantic Times Rewind episodes, where we take a look at old issues of Romantic Times Magazine (1981-2018). Frequent topics include romance novels, the way the genre is changing, and the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers. Plus, we always recommend some books we're reading and really enjoying. Learn more at SB-TB.com/Podcast. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more!
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Episodes
426. All About Murderbot with Martha Wells
October 09, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutesToday my guest is Martha Wells, author of The Murderbot Diaries, one of my absolutely favorite discoveries this year. My inner thirteen year old barely kept it together as we spoke about Murderbot, romance and science fiction, and what she’s currently obsessed with like I’m obsessed with Murderbot.IMPORTANT NOTE: we take a deep dive into the plot of the four novellas and Network Effect, so if you haven’t read the series, this may spoil some plot points. We talk about feelings, relationships, ...
425. Villainy and Revenge: Deep Diving into Hench with Natalie Zina Walschots
October 02, 2020 06:00 - 49 minutesMy guest this week is Natalie Zina Walschots and we are talking about her book, Hench, which you might have seen my review of - spoiler alert, I LOVED it. We talk about villainy, hench people, working for terrible people in real life and fantasy, humanizing collateral damage, and the utterly exhilarating catharsis of a satisfying revenge. ...Music: purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more informati...
424. The Duke Who Didn’t: Courtney Milan Answers Your Questions
September 25, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourCourtney Milan’s new book The Duke Who Didn’t is out this week, and you had questions! In this conversation, we talk about narrative structure, writing, the impact of conflict, finding joy in the process of creating, and managing the emotional ups and downs of the current hellscape. Special commentary from Pele, and thanks to Amanda, Claudia, Malia, Olivia, Shana, Catherine, Rhode, and Emily for their questions!...Music: purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy...
423. Vampires and Spicy Blood with Zoraida Córdova and Dhonielle Clayton
September 18, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourToday I’m talking with Zoraida Córdova and Dhonielle Clayton, authors, podcasters, and conversational ebullience personified. Zoraida co-edited a new anthology Vampires Never Get Old, and Dhonielle and Zoraida both have stories inside - so we discuss all things vampire. We talk about all the things they’re working on - and there are a LOT of things - and are very honest about business, ambition, needing sleep, podcasting, accountability, and the prospective titles of our autobiographies.What’...
422. More Psychic Pining and Real Psychic Conversations with Amanda!
September 11, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutesAmanda’s back with your recommendations for romances psychic pining, plus discussions of making graham crackers, macaroni and cheese and soup. Yes, I will share recipes. Basically we intersperse talking about book recs and talking about food and recipes, with a side trip to psychics having sex.Then, remember episode 417 from early August with psychic Carol Cotrell? Amanda made an appointment with her and shares what her experience was like. We talk a little bit about death, regrets, and there...
421. Love Will Get You Through: Reader Letters To Beverly Jenkins
September 04, 2020 06:00 - 54 minutesMs. Bev is back! Today my guest is the inestimable Beverly Jenkins, which is always a fun conversation. Recently she tweeted about reader letters and reader mail, and she was kind enough to pull some from her archives (of course she keeps all of them!) to read and share with us. There are some that are incredible, and some that are rather shocking. And some might make you a little sniffly, so get a tissue. If you need a warm hug of an episode, this ought to do it.To quote Ms. Bev, “Romance is...
420. When No One Is Watching, with Alyssa Cole
August 28, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutes - 56 BytesAlyssa Cole is back on the podcast, this time to talk about the release of When No One is Watching, which is out on September 1. We also talk about her speech at the Chicago North Spring Fling, and hosting online events for Date Night with Loyalty Books. Plus, you’ll hear roosters. Lots of roosters.TW/CW: discussion of racist garbage people, and the awfulness of history for Indigenous and Black Americans. Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Vi...
419. Language, Art, and Contemporary Romance with Alexis Daria
August 21, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourToday my guest is award-winning author Alexis Daria. We talk about a little of everything, including graphic design, art, typography, languages, writing, planning, journaling, and of course, her new book, You Had Me at Hola. We also discuss how writing contemporary romance is changing given, well, the contemporary landscape. Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
418: Romance Recs with Amanda and Sarah: Psychic Pining!
August 14, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutesAmanda and Sarah are back with reader recommendations! We start with Amanda’s current attempts to learn resin art and preservation, our cats, and then: get ready for psychic pining! Leanne is looking for romances with telepathic main couples. I have thoughts on different variations of this trope, on how romance has changed over the years, and, of course, we have a lot of suggestions. We have a LIST, but we want to hear your ideas, too!Thanks to Leanne for writing to us!...Music: http://www.pu...
417. Exploring Paranormal Worlds with Jacquelyn Benson and Carol Cottrell
August 07, 2020 06:00 - 57 minutesWe are going to talk about writing psychic characters, being a psychic medium, researching paranormal investigations and doing those investigations, and discuss spirits, haunted places, experiences with the paranormal, and portrayals of paranormal in the media.…Music: purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
416. Beekeeping and Romance with Olivia Waite
July 31, 2020 06:00 - 51 minutesToday my guest is Olivia Waite, author of The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, and the new romance columnist for The New York Times. We take a deep and joyful nerdy deep dive into beekeeping, romance, and confronting bi-erasure in romance. It’s very fun - get ready. Thanks to Kate, Shana, Aarya, Claudia, and Leigh for questions! Looking for a podcast to listen to? Check out Jeff & Will and The Big Gay Fiction Podcast: https://www.jeffandwill.com/biggayfictionpodcast/…Music: purple-planet.c...
415. Vampires and Virtual Events with Renee Ahdieh
July 24, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutesThe Damned, the sequel to The Beautiful, is out, so Renee Ahdieh joins me again to talk about vampire romance, characters overcoming and rejecting toxic patriarchy, and the planning of an incredible virtual book tour. We talk about some of the themes in The Damned (no spoilers but if you haven’t read The Beautiful there are some details about the end) and about the development of a multi-night multi-author party that surrounded the book’s release. We also talk about makeup, cooking, Instant p...
414. Listener Mail and Fantasy Romance Recs with Amanda!
July 17, 2020 06:00 - 47 minutesGemma emailed the podcast to say that she loves episodes with Amanda, and wondered if Amanda might help her find more books like the ones she’s really, really enjoyed lately. Yes to both! Amanda and I discuss Gemma’s letter, fantasy romance recommendations, plus our local library hauls, and what we’re reading and listening to.Thank you Gemma for emailing us!… Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.
413. Writing Historical Romance: A Conversation With Mary Balogh
July 10, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourToday I’m speaking with historical romance legend Mary Balogh. No, my inner 13-year old was not chill. This was recorded by phone, so the audio is a little different. We discuss her newest book, Someone to Romance, and her re-releases, including her latest, Truly, and the Welsh history behind that story. We also talk about writing ongoing series, found family, and what books she’s loving lately!Thanks to Elyse, Claudia, Aarya, Regencyfan, and Debbie for their input, care, and questions for th...
412. Magic, Queerness, and Being Welcomed As Yourself, with Sarah Gailey
July 03, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourToday I’m chatting with author Sarah Gailey about their books, including their latest, When We Were Magic, and about different types of magic, including the magic of learning a skill, finding your community, and discovering over and over again who you are. We talk a lot about queerness, and defining who you are - specifically by asking the question, “Who are you when you’re all by yourself?”Thanks to Meagan-Ray for their input, care, and questions for this episode!...Music: www.purple-planet....
411. Caring for Tired Brains with Alexis Rockley
June 26, 2020 06:00 - 58 minutesAlexis Rockley is a business coach and the author of the book Find Your Fuck Yeah. She recently went viral with a tweet about the cognitive exhaustion of the quarantimes. In the course of making an argument against the constant push toward increased work, productivity, and leveling up, she talks about working with your brain to find a happier space for yourself. Plus she offers some practical techniques to help you and your tired brain slow down, breathe (literally!) and soothe yourself a bit...
410. Baked Goods, Gaming, and More Birthday Goodness with Amanda
June 19, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourToday Amanda and I are answering listener email about books on sale, extremely long romances, and, most importantly, BAKED GOODS. I talk about my birthday cake, a homemade mint chip brownie baked Alaska, and we discuss all the delicious things we, and you, are all making. Plus book recs, and a very important question at the end. Come hang out with us!Thank you to Jacqueline, Amy, Verity for the recipes, and Jasmine and Ellie for the questions.…Music: https://www.purple-planet.com...This episo...
409. Alpha Night and Alpha Women With Nalini Singh
June 12, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourKeeping with recent tradition, this week we have a spoiler-free discussion of a new book! Alpha Night by Nalini Singh is out, so Nalini and I connected to talk all about it, But first we talk about quarantine baking and gluten free baking tricks, and then we discuss mating at first sight, alpha females, consent, writing series, and what she’s working on now (clue: archangels!).…Music: https://www.purple-planet.comLooking for a new show to enjoy? Check out Learning the Tropes!Erin (the Veteran...
408. The Boyfriend Project and Fabulous Friendships, with Farrah Rochon
June 05, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutesToday my guest is Farrah Rochon, author of the new contemporary romance The Boyfriend Project - so of course we’re talking about the book! No spoilers, we promise! We talk friendship, creating your own incredible writing retreat, and Broadway musicals, and more.We also discuss her term on the board of RWA, which ended late last year, within the limits of what she’s able to talk about. And Farrah shares with us memories of her late sister Tamara, who died suddenly in December 2019. Farrah talk...
407. The Privileges of Being a Rakess with Scarlett Peckham
May 29, 2020 06:00 - 56 minutesToday, I’m talking rakes, rakesses, and historically ferocious women with Scarlett Peckham. We talk about what she calls her feminist primal scream book, The Rakess, about steely steadfast cinnamon roll heroes, and we deep dive into what we love about characters who destabilize and unpeel one another emotionally and, uh, literally.Also: a sneak peek into what’s next in her Sirens series and for the Charlotte Street series!TW/CW: talk about sexual harassment, the price of being female and spea...
406. The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea: Gender, Pirates and More with Maggie Tokuda-Hall
May 22, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutesToday, Tara and I are speaking with Maggie Tokuda-Hall, author of the new book, The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea, which we loved. We talk about who and what inspired her to write this book, how she explored gender identity among pirates, and the stories that define us.NB: There are incidents of torture and violence in the book, and we mention them during the conversation off and on....Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on...
405. Behind the Scenes in Publicity, Plus Reading Recs with Estelle Hallick from Forever
May 15, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourCurious about being a publicist for romance? And how publicity is working during the Quarantimes? Today I'm chatting with Estelle Hallick, publicist at Forever. We talk about all the things, and I ask a lot of questions!We also talk about the Hachette walkout, which happened in early March and seems like a year ago. We don’t go into the specifics of the memoir, but look more at what internally led to the walkout, what happened afterward, and how acting together made a big difference.And then:...
404. Cowboy Romcoms and Real Six Packs with Carly Bloom
May 08, 2020 06:00 - 57 minutes[bookaside slug="cowboy-come-home"] Today I’m chatting with author Carly Bloom about writing cowboy romcoms, small communities that include really annoying people, and the reality of ranch life. No one walks around with their shirt open and their abs hanging out. Can you believe that??We also take a non-spoilery dive into her latest book, Cowboy Come Home, so if you’re looking for your next read, perhaps this will make you happy.We talk a fair bit about her #homemadebookcover, which made me l...
403. Amanda’s Birthday Surprise Pajama Jammy Jam With Christina Lauren and Kristin Dwyer
May 01, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourThis is a silly episode about cake, desserts, and in the middle, a surprise party for Amanda. She thought she was logging in to talk about cake. I surprised her with a virtual pajama birthday party with Christina Lauren and Kristin Dwyer - and a lot of pictures of Adam driver.Zeb is begging throughout the recording. We talk about cake and desserts. We discuss strange food combos. We’re very silly. We get a super-surprise sneak preview of their latest book! Come celebrate with us.You can see p...
402. Girl Indeed Gone Viral, with Alisha Rai
April 24, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourAlisha Rai wrote a tweet about cake pops on Valentine’s Day that went holy heckin’ viral. It was on every social media platform. It was on tv. Morning shows spent 3+ minutes debating it. Then jackwagon men’s rights activists on YouTube ranted about it.The cake pops are a metaphor, but the outcome of online virality and that level of exposure is very real, and very difficult. So we talk about what happened, why it happened, and why it’s so goddam threatening for marginalized women with platfor...
401. Rewriting the Voice in Your Head: Creation and Inspiration with Dr. Nicole Peeler
April 17, 2020 06:00 - 51 minutesDr. Nicole Peeler is an author of fantasy, and a professor of popular writing in the Seton Hill MFA in Popular Fiction Writing. We talk about SO MUCH and this is one of those episodes you might listen to a few times because it’s so inspiring and affirming. We discuss writing, confronting genre misconceptions, how one teaches popular writing and romance specifically, and writing your own catnip. Detours include vampires, sewing, hobbies, creativity that isn’t monetized, fashion, goals, and lea...
400. A Four Podcast Crossover with Mayhem and Jokes
April 10, 2020 06:00 - 1 hourSeveral members of the Frolic Podcast Network have gathered for group mayhem and silliness for your collective amusement! Laura von Holt from The Mermaid Podcast had the idea to do a group gathering of mayhem and merriment, so in this episode, we have me, Laura, Kelly from Boobies & Noobies, and Kelsey and Zoë from Tea & Strumpets.We get very silly and invite you to join us. We forget to introduce ourselves. We tell jokes. We debate which Music Man version is superior. We, well, I learn about...
399. Bitches Assemble Part III: More Recommendations with Kiki, Catherine Heloise, and Shana
April 03, 2020 06:00 - 55 minutesWe are back with Kiki, Catherine Heloise, and Shana from the SBTB team, with recs, good wishes, and...a CHEESE CONUNDRUM. We cover low-angst reads, scientific research, Let’s All Leave the Planet, SkypeSpeare, and CHEESE HULLABALOO.We’re sending you good thoughts and many good book wishes from a safe and acceptable social distance....Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more infor...
398. Bitches Assemble: Recommendations for Comfort with Sneezy, Ellen, Tara, Maya and Aarya
March 27, 2020 06:00 - 57 minutesNeed a break? We are back with some of the SBTB team, who offer more comforting recommendations, and extend their good wishes into the world. This week, Sneezy, Ellen, Maya, Tara, and Aarya want to tell you about new books, old favorites, and some games that are bringing them comfort.We’re sending you good thoughts and many good book wishes from a safe and acceptable social distance.TW/CW: The stress of witnessing global racism during Sneezy's interview.3...Music: https://www.purple-planet.co...
397. Bitches Assemble: Recommendations for Comfort with Carrie, Elyse, Lara, Amanda & Sarah
March 20, 2020 06:00 - 53 minutesNeed a break? I’m connecting with each of the Smart Bitches writing team from around the world to see how they’re doing, collect some comforting recommendations, and extend their good wishes into the world.Cozy up and join us for part one with Carrie in California, Elyse in Wisconsin, Lara from South Africa, and Amanda and I from Boston and Maryland. We have books to read and re-read, recommendations for resilience, and familiarity, and absolute fun. And we have CRUCIAL QUESTIONS about mayonn...
396. Red Lipsticks and Murderous Relations: A Conversation With Deanna Raybourn
March 13, 2020 06:00 - 59 minutesMy guest today is Deanna Raybourn, author of the Veronica Speedwell series, described as “Miss Fisher meets Sherlock Holmes.” Yup. Story checks out.We’re talking about her latest book out this week, A Murderous Relation, and about Victorian sleuthing, connections to Schitt’s Creek, recognizing people when you first meet them, and the future of Stoker and Veronica - plus red lipstick and the power of being fully yourself. Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on Au...
395. House of Earth and Blood, With Courts of Thorns: A Conversation with Sarah J. Maas
March 06, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourThis week, a much anticipated book is out: House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas released on the 3rd. It’s the first in her new Crescent City series, and her first adult fantasy title. So we’re going to talk about everything - and we have some incredible questions from our Patreon community, too. They were as excited as we were about this interview, since many of them are massive fans of her Court of Thorns and Roses and her Throne of Glass series.This is a longer interview, but it's so f...
394. All Things Audiobook and Mountain Climbing with Nita Basu from Hachette Audio
February 28, 2020 07:00 - 48 minutesMy guest today is Nita Basu, Marketing and Publicity Manager at Hachette Audio.I love behind the scenes conversations, and today’s is partly about her work promoting audiobooks across genres and how audio can be adapted when the text is unique and very visual.Who listens to audiobooks, and where do they listen? What are people doing when they listen?Should you listen to murder books on the side of a mountain? Where do you listen to audiobooks? What are your favorites?Music: https://www.purple...
393. All Consuming Books, and Vampire Murder Mystery With Renee Ahdieh
February 21, 2020 07:00 - 56 minutesToday I’m talking with NYT bestselling author Renée Ahdieh about her latest series. The Beautiful is out, and The Damned will be out in a few months - I just received a bound galley and woo, is the cover gorgeous.We talk about writing vampire murder mystery, and writing what she refers to as an "Id book." We also discuss the empowerment and feminism inherent in becoming consumed by something we love, like a book or a series of books - especially when it's something we don't have permission or...
392. Earth is Garbage, Space is Horny: Sarah & Amanda Look at Space Romance
February 14, 2020 07:00 - 53 minutesHappy Valentine’s Day!Amanda and I are chatting about everything from bookstores and trade romance to her Reylo fanfic. Our conversation is inspired by a question from Jasmine, who is part of our Patreon. She wanted to ask us about sci-fi and space romances, and ask for recommendations. Amanda’s much more fluent in space romance than I am, but we absolutely have recs, suggestions, theories about required elements, and potential reasons why space is SO appealing right now.This episode is broug...
391. RWA One Month Later, Part IV: A Conversation with Courtney Milan
February 03, 2020 07:00 - 46 minutesWelcome to part four and the final episode in my series on RWA: One Month Later. We’ve heard from C Chilove, Laurel Cremant, and Diana Neal, the officers of CIMRWA, from past RWA president HelenKay Dimon, and from Jessie Edwards, Marketing and PR Manager for RWA.Today, I’m speaking with Courtney Milan.There’s a lot to process, and this is a somewhat emotional interview wherein we talk about what happened, her reactions, and what’s next for her. We also talk intermittently though non-specifica...
390. RWA One Month Later, Part III: Jessie Edwards, Marketing and PR Manager, RWA
February 02, 2020 07:00 - 42 minutesWelcome to part three of my four-episode series, RWA: One Month Later. Today, we’re hearing from RWA.Jessie Edwards, Marketing and PR Manager for Romance Writers of America, joins me to answer questions about loss of trust, steps being taken to address member concerns, filling leadership positions, and what comes next for RWA, for the national conference, and for the membership.Check your podcast feed tomorrow, February 3, for the other episodes in this series, including an episode with the o...
389. RWA One Month Later, Part II: A Conversation with HelenKay Dimon
February 01, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourWelcome to part two of a special four episode series on RWA: One Month Later. We’ve heard from C Chilove, Laurel Cremant, and Diana Neal, the officers of CIMRWA, and today I’m speaking with RWA past president HelenKay Dimon.I interviewed HelenKay in late September 2019 about the end of her term as president. Now we’re looking back on the past month since the RWA decision against Courtney Milan was released.We cover a lot in this episode, and there are a number of questions - ones we don’t kno...
388. RWA One Month Later: C. Chilove, Laurel Cremant, Diana Neal, The Officers of CIMRWA
January 31, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourWelcome to episode 388, and the first of a four-episode special event: RWA: One Month Later.I recorded this episode on the 23 of January, one month to the date when a decision from Romance Writers of America was delivered to Courtney Milan informing her that due to an ethics complaint, she was being barred from leadership for her lifetime, and suspended from RWA for one year. If you were online, you might have seen some mention of it.In that month, a LOT happened. And while some major changes...
387. Comfort Food Romantic Comedy: A Conversation with Jill Shalvis
January 24, 2020 07:00 - 56 minutesA new grandbaby, horrific winters with nine-plus feet of snow, and BOOKS! Recorded in late 2019, Jill Shalvis and I talk about new titles that were about to come out - which are totally out now, so you can grab whatever sounds like your reading catnip.We also talk about her career, beginning with writing category romances, writing single title and now women’s fiction - and how to define the combined elements of a genre. I almost titled this episode “Family is Where You Make It,” because we ta...
386. High Fives and Forget ‘Should:’ Talking Goals and Resolutions with Scarlett Cole
January 17, 2020 07:00 - 1 hourScarlett Cole and I talk every month or so, when it’s coffee time for me, and tea or G&T time for her, and this time, we recorded one of our conversations about looking back over the past 10 years, and looking ahead to the next ten. So in this episode, we’re talking about setting goals for the new year, the new decade, and “figuring out the cadence that works for you.” Where do you want to be, and who do you want to be in ten years?Basically, we want to invite you into one of our mutually enc...
385. Finding Art, And No Damn Bubble Baths: A Conversation with Tasha L. Harrison
January 10, 2020 07:00 - 51 minutesIf you need a podcast episode to crack you up, here you go. Today I’m talking with author Tasha L. Harrison about writing in multiple genres, the power of supportive groups of friends and of being one yourself, and about finding the art and creative people around you. If you’re looking for a challenge for your writerly self, we also talk about the genesis of her 20k in 5 Days Challenge, and how she looks back on her own writing process to learn from it. Plus, she goes off about self care adv...
384. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Four: Catherine, Claudia and Me
January 03, 2020 07:00 - 59 minutesHappy New Year! It’s the start of 2020, and the final edition of our look back at 2019’s favorite books. In this episode, Catherine stayed up very, very late at night to talk to me (thank you!) and shares what books were so good this year, she finished them and immediately started over from the beginning. And Claudia shares the books that made her year immeasurably better, and the backlist she’s been savoring. And I try to share my own favorite reads of the year, as un-awkwardly as possible -...
383. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Three: Amanda, Kiki, Ellen & AJ
December 27, 2019 06:00 - 1 hourWe’re recapping our favorite books that we read in 2019!Amanda and I talk about the loss of my coffee maker and about her favorites of 2019, including how glad she is that there’s more sci-fi romance for her to enjoy, and who is her new favorite historical romance sex puppy hero. Kiki talks about a book that transformed her way of holding her own body safely and gently, and her love of grumpy romances for grumpy people. Ellen sneaks six books into their top five, and looks at what makes Ilona...
382. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Two: Shana, Sneezy, and Aarya
December 20, 2019 06:00 - 1 hourWe’re looking back at our favorite books of the year with the SBTB team with reviewers from around the globe.Shana talks about the books she thought were perfection this year, the pop culture discoveries in romance fiction that she wishes were real, and our appreciation of sewing, embroidery, and other art forms that are often coded as feminine. Sneezy shares the books that she loved most this year, especially those that caused a high grade of catharsis and taught her how to human more. Aarya...
381. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part One: Lara, Tara, Carrie S and Charlotte
December 13, 2019 07:00 - 1 hourIn the next few episodes, you’ll hear from the SBTB reviewing team as we talk about our favorite books of the year. Lara joins us from South Africa to tell us about the books, fiction and nonfiction, that she read this year that made her feel good about herself. Tara joins us from Calgary, Canada, to talk about romances she read that changed her perspective - and taught her some history of lesbian pulp fiction. Carrie S. revisits zombie horror she adored and books that helped her get out of b...
380. Tropes and Good Books are Eternal: A Snortlaugh with Angela James
December 06, 2019 07:00 - 1 hourToday my guest is Editor and Digital Grandmaster Angela James. Angie and I have known each other for a long honking time - over 14 years, we think. So in between snort laughing and talking about friendship, we talk about her new editorial venture and business following the elimination of her position at Carina Press. If you’re curious about editing and how that process works, get ready to learn all the things.Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Get bonus content on Patreon Our GDPR privacy...
379. Dystopian Futures, Burnout, and More with Alyssa Cole
November 29, 2019 06:00 - 1 hourIf you’re queuing up podcasts for travel journeys, I hope you’ll add this one, as it’s immediately one of my favorites. Alyssa Cole and I start off talking about her Audible Original, The AI Who Loved Me, which releases December 3, 2019, and the many things she put in her imaginary near future that are now coming true. We also talk a lot about burnout, the costs of working too much, gentrification, her upcoming action-thriller-romantic-comedy, and overcoming hesitation to promote your own wor...
378. Owning Your Anger and Being Yourself: Live from East City Books with Andie J. Christopher
November 22, 2019 07:00 - 1 hourRecorded on a cold, cold evening on 13 November 2019, live from East City Books: my conversation with Andie J. Christopher about Not the Girl You Marry. We talk about the book (obviously - but I promise no spoilers) and about gender-updates of familiar stories and tropes. We discuss what exactly should happen to the term, “unlikeable heroine,” and what stories we want to read. How many times will we mention Chris Evans? Take a guess! And, if you’re interested, you can take a drink with every ...
377. Finding the Story: A Conversation with Kennedy Ryan
November 15, 2019 07:00 - 1 hourRecorded during release week for The Kingmaker, her latest book, we are going behind the scenes with Kennedy Ryan to talk about the development of the cover art for her All the King’s Men duology, and the work the image does to represent the books inside. Ryan is also a journalist - since she was 17! - and we talk about how her experience with conducting interviews has influenced her research and her writing process. And of course, we talk about her latest books, which are releasing back to b...