Podcasts by Smart Podcast, Trashy Books

515. Celebrity Romance and Juicy Narratives with Elissa Sussman from 2022-06-17T06:00:07

Elissa Sussman joins me to talk about her book,Funny You Should Ask, and all about: 

• Writing a horny heroine’s POV
• Dual timelines
• Celebrity pr...
  Listen

514. Officiating the HEA with Denise Williams from 2022-06-10T06:00:03

Denise Williams is a contemporary romance author with several books coming out this year including a series of audio-first novellas set in an airport, beginning with The Love Connection. She is als...

513. Fat Representation and Recommendations with Shana McDavis-Conway from 2022-06-03T06:00:28

Shana McDavis-Conway is a social change consultant, activist, and a reviewer at this here website! She recently published an article, “Self-conscious, unapologetic, and straight: fat protagonists i...

512. Secret Clubs and Exclusive Spaces with Laura Hankin from 2022-05-27T06:00:53

Laura Hankin is the author of Happy And You Know It, A Special Place for Women, and the upcoming book The Daydreams. The paperback of A Special Place for Women is out on May 24th, and as I learned ...

511. Cover Snark Live: Long Thumbs and Shifter Mayhem with Amanda from 2022-05-20T06:00:30

Lisa from Shrewsbury sent us an email and two contenders for Cover Snark - so we did Cover Snark live! Check the show notes for a link to the covers, and tell us what you notice first!Happy belated...

510. Book Lovers with Emily Henry from 2022-05-13T06:00:31

This week, my guest is Emily Henry, whose new romance Book Lovers is out this past week!We talk about slow burns, book tour, puppies, the inspiration for the lead character, Nora, and the Icy City ...

509. Catching Up and Looking Ahead at Book Recs with Amanda from 2022-05-06T06:00:27

This week, Amanda and I catch up on a whole bunch of things, including college visits, airboats, and dating!We also have listener email, including recommendation requests and compliments galore!I k...

508. Celebrating 100 Books with Jess Michaels! from 2022-04-29T06:00:17

Jess Michaels is celebrating the release of her 100th book, 100 Nights with the Duke! That’s a lot of books, and a long career of close to 20 years! We talk about how she’s celebrating this milesto...

507. Romance Kickstarters with Lucy Eden and Katee Robert from 2022-04-22T06:00:34

Authors Lucy Eden and Katee Robert join me to talk about their very successful Kickstarter campaigns!Lucy’s is currently running and is fully funded: https://bit.ly/EdenKSLoveNotesKatee is in the m...

506. Part II of the Bonkers Romance Recap of A Lady of Rooksgrave Hall from 2022-04-15T06:00:15

This is part two of the special crossover event with Bonkers Romance as we recap of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon. Part one with me, Melody and Jenny is over at Bonkers Romance, so hel...

505. Wedding Tales with Jesse Q. Sutanto from 2022-04-08T06:00:48

Jesse Q. Sutanto joins me today to talk about the release of Four Aunties and a Wedding, and we talk about all the wedding drama we’ve experienced from behind the scenes and as guests. We talk abou...

504. Kamila Knows Best with Farah Heron from 2022-04-01T06:00:33

My guest today is author Farah Heron, whose latest book, Kamila Knows Best, is an updated spin on the Jane Austen classic Emma! Along the way we talk about:Updating a unique, challenging characterA...

503. Bread, Cozy Fantasy, Sex, and Romance with Jane Buehler from 2022-03-25T06:00:43

My guest today is Jane Buehler, author of The Forest Bride and The Village Maid. I have several favorite parts of this conversation, including our discussion of cozy fantasy, addressing and undoing...

502. Classic Rom Coms with Kate Spencer from 2022-03-18T06:00:53

My guest today is Kate Spencer, author and host of the podcast Forever 35. Her new book, In a New York Minute, is out this week, and y’all, this book was so charming and fun.In this conversation, w...

501. More Celebratory Mayhem with Amanda! from 2022-03-11T07:00:42

It’s episode 501 - onward toward a thousand! I start with mini interviews with Shana and Elyse, and then Amanda and I have more listener email, questions, recommendations, and many, many jokes. Yay...

500. Mayhem with Amanda! from 2022-03-04T06:00:12

We did it! It’s episode 500!Amanda and I have email and recommendations, your absolute favorite books, weird questions, and a LOT of mayhem. Plus mini interviews with Shana, Tara, Carrie&Elyse. The...

499. Sweet Dreams Romance Recap: Cover Girl, with Jeff and Will from 2022-02-25T07:00:09

Jeff and Will from The Big Gay Fiction Podcast are joining me for the Sweet Dreams Recap of book #9, Cover Girl by Yvonne Green.This cover, y’all. And inside! We have a rather gross boyfriend, and ...

498. Valentine’s Love, Candy, and Wishes with Amanda from 2022-02-18T07:00:02

Happy Valentine’s Week! Amanda and I have voicemail messages, updates on tattoos, book and lip balm recommendations, and more! Come hang out with us and nosh on all that half price candy. What cand...

497. The Invisible Goddess, Part II, with Melody from Heaving Bosoms! from 2022-02-11T06:00:27

It’s part II of our recap of The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home. Have you read it? Did you like it? I have some things to tell you! ...

496. The Invisible Goddess, Part I, with Melody from Heaving Bosoms from 2022-02-04T07:00:24

Melody is back!Some of our most popular episodes are our crossovers with Heaving Bosoms, and we have a new one for you! We read The Invisible Goddess by AC Dawn, a retelling of the myth of Hestia, ...

495. Fearless Knitting and Writing with Vanessa North from 2022-01-28T07:00:18

I follow Vanessa North on Instagram and after she posted a picture of her first completed project of 2022, I had to talk to her about knitting. So of course we also talk about gender, crafting, rai...

494. Tubthumping with Anxiety, and More New Year’s Wishes! from 2022-01-21T07:00:01

Amanda and I catch up on her “lots of things to look forward to” plan, which now includes things that were done! We talk about anxiety, therapy, angsty books, trimming your own bangs, and we have b...

493. Sweet Dreams Romance Recap: Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand from 2022-01-14T07:00:44

Time to deep dive into another classic YA Romance: Sweet Dreams #7, Green Eyes by Suzanne Rand. Julie has a problem with the green-eyed monster, and it lasts for a lot of pages. We’ve got:Insecure ...

492. Squeeing About Fandoms and Feels with Olivia Dade from 2022-01-07T07:00:03

My guest this week is Olivia Dade! We had such a good time talking about fan supercuts, watching shows through gifsets, Game of Thrones spoilers, and writing characters with ADHD and learning disab...

491. Book Recs, Wishes, and Jokes: Farewell to 2021, and Wishes for 2022 from 2021-12-31T07:00:44

Amanda and I are saying goodbye to 2021, and looking ahead to 2022! We talk about exciting things coming in January, including the 17th anniversary of Smart Bitches, plus we talk about books that g...

490. Sweet Dreams Romance Recap: California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin from 2021-12-24T07:00:49

It’s time to recap Sweet Dreams #6, California Girl by Janet Quin-Harkin, also known as Rhys Bowen! Jennie is a swimmer with her eyes on the Olympics, and Mark is a grumpy loner on crutches who ske...

489. Archangel’s Light with Nalini Singh from 2021-12-17T07:00:12

My guest this week is Nalini Singh! I have reader questions from our Patreon community and publicist and past podcast guest Erin Galloway about Archangel’s Light, Nalini's latest release. We cover ...

488. Sweet Dreams Recap: Little Sister by Yvonne Greene from 2021-12-10T07:00:50

This week, we have lots to talk about! First, some of y’all wrote fantastic epilogues to the very unsatisfying ending of Princess Amy, recapped in episode 486, and I share my ideas, too.Then, it’s ...

487. The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton with Julia Quinn from 2021-12-03T07:00

Julia Quinn joins me to talk about The Wit and Wisdom of Bridgerton, a new release collecting quotes about the different characters, plus new commentary from Lady Whistledown. We talk about picking...

486. Sweet Dreams Recap: Princess Amy by Melinda Pollowitz from 2021-11-26T07:00:42

This is a weird one, y’all. We’re taking a trip back to the early 80s where fiction for teens and pre-teens came with some awful, upsetting messaging, but also some fantastic clothing choices, some...

485. BONUS! Romance in Games at Talking Simulator from 2021-11-22T09:00:55

Hey, y'all! A special treat bonus episode for your American holiday week needs. Yup, there will be a regularly-scheduled episode on Friday, but here's an extra treat! I was a guest on Talking Simul...

484. The After Party with AC Arthur from 2021-11-19T07:00:56

AC Arthur’s new book The After Party is out, and she joins me to talk about all things friendship, cocktails, murder, revenge, and more.Because it was inspired by the movie 9 to 5, we deep dive int...

483. Sweet Dreams Recap: Laurie’s Song by Suzanne Rand from 2021-11-12T07:00:49

It's time for another Vintage YA Recap, this week with Laurie's Song by Suzanne Rand.Prepare yourself for some exhausting friendships, boring boyfriends, social stress, and some ~*absolutely outsta...

482. Big Gay Podcast AMA Part II! from 2021-11-05T06:00:01

As I have been teasing in recent episodes, this is part two of our crossover episode with The Big Gay Fiction Podcast! Amanda and I connected with Jeff and Will and answered listener questions from...

481. Sweet Dreams Recap: The Popularity Plan by Rosemary Vernon from 2021-10-29T06:00:11

It's time for part two of the Sweet Dreams Romance Recap Project, featuring The Popularity Plan by Rosemary Vernon. Unlike P.S. I Love You, I hadn't read this one before, so it's an adventure for a...

480. Love In the Mix: A Cookbook for Romance Readers, with Leslie Hachtel from 2021-10-22T06:00:07

Leslie Hachtel and Nikki Brock put together Love In The Mix: A Cookbook for Romance Readers to benefit ProLiteracy, and she joins me to talk about it. Leslie tells me all about the cookbook, how it...

479. Sweet Dreams Recap: PS I Love You by Barbara Conklin from 2021-10-15T06:00:16

It's time! It's time! This is the first of the Sweet Dreams Romance Recap Project, wherein I am recapping the first twenty Sweet Dreams YA romances, starting with Sweet Dreams #1,  P.S. I Love You ...

478. The Magic of Interactive Fiction with Rebecca Slitt from Heart’s Choice from 2021-10-08T06:00:40

Amanda and I take a deep dive into interactive fiction with Rebecca Slitt from Choice of Games and Heart’s Choice. We get into the details of how interactive fiction works, and what the process of ...

477. “Faust Meets Galaxy Quest”- Light from Uncommon Stars with Ryka Aoki from 2021-10-01T06:00:37

My guest this week is author Ryka Aoki, whose new book Light from Uncommon Stars is out this week! We cover transgender identity, found family, space opera&The Brady Bunch, the liminal state of The...

476. Behind the Scenes of Reviewing Romance with Shana and Amanda from 2021-09-24T06:00:17

In our last collection of Patreon listener questions, we had two about the process of reviewing: what we look for, and what questions we’re trying to answer when we write a review. Shana joins Aman...

475. Badass Anthologies and Vintage YA with Dahlia Adler from 2021-09-17T06:00:23

475. Badass Anthologies and Vintage YA with Dahlia Adler from 2021-09-17T06:00:23

475. Badass Anthologies and Vintage YA with Dahlia Adler from 2021-09-17T06:00:23

YA Author, reviewer, and editor Dahlia Adler joins me to talk about all the Badass Anthologies she’s editing, about her upcoming book, Home Field Advantage, and her latest, Cool for the Summer. And...

474. Day Trips, Fluffy Books, And Some Fries from 2021-09-10T06:00:50

Amanda and I are answering one last round of questions! We cover day trips and all the places where it’s imperative that we eat fries, we’ve got book recs for fluffy contemporary romances, and we t...

473. We Love Books and Convenience Store Snacks from 2021-09-03T06:00:08

Amanda and I are arranging marriages between books and candy (we missed this part of Ellen’s question last week!) and we talk about what romances we’d want to see adapted into limited series, who w...

472. Fantasy and Historical Recs Plus Behind-The Scenes with Amanda&Sarah from 2021-08-27T06:00:55

Amanda and I are back talking about recommendations, snacks, candy, and more! Sue asks about the behind-the-scenes part of running the website as a business, Ellen is looking for some recs to ease ...

471. Romance Games and Interactive Fiction with Laura Nash of The Short Game Podcast from 2021-08-20T06:00:17

Laura Nash of The Short Game joins me to talk about romance in short games - games you can play in 8-12 hours. We cover dating simulators and interactive fiction, and we rank the Dream Daddies. Lau...

470. Sending a Hug Into the World: A Conversation with Becky Chambers from 2021-08-13T06:00:28

My guest this week is Becky Chambers, author of the Wayfarers series and the new novella, A Psalm for the Wild Built.We talk about the book itself, and themes of caregiving and comfort, and the pro...

469. Awakened by the CEO’s Kiss, with Morgan and Isabeau from Whoa!Mance from 2021-08-06T06:00:20

I’m joined by Morgan and Isabeau from the Whoa!Mance podcast! They are celebrating three years of podcasting, and their latest exploration of romance has been to look at category romances. I though...

468. Romance and Video Games with Amanda and Sarah from 2021-07-30T06:00:19

Amanda and I are chatting about our favorite romance-laden RPGs, and our favorite characters to romance in Stardew Valley, Dragons Ages (all of ‘em), Witcher 3, and more. We compare romance options...

467. Realizing Sexuality Through Romance with Tara Scott from 2021-07-23T06:00:26

Tara joins me to talk about how reading lesbian romances helped them realize their sexuality after having grown up in a very conservative religious environment.Side trips include Robin Hood in many...

466. Recipes, Seasonal Reading, and Adventure Romance with Amanda and Sarah from 2021-07-16T06:00:53

It’s part three of what I called “AMA with AMAnda and Sarah.” We’re chatting about our favorite recipes, cooking blogs, and cookbooks, favorite french fries, seasonal re-reading, contemporary cozy ...

465. TV, Book, and Mayo Recs with Sarah and Amanda from 2021-07-09T06:00:49

We’re back! With more of your questions! We’re going to talk about tv shows we recommend, book recs of course, mayonnaise of course, summer treats, and middle school favorites.Thanks to Laura B, Ka...

464. Guilty Pleasures with Dr. Arielle Zibrak from 2021-07-02T06:00:08

Arielle Zibrak is the author of Guilty Pleasures, a new book in the Avidly Reads series from New York University Press. She’s also a former editor of romance fiction, and a professor of 19th centur...

463. Women and Poison in History with Mikki Kendall from 2021-06-25T06:00:30

Today, we’re going to talk about food safety law, and the history of women who probably poisoned their husbands. Allegedly.Mikki Kendall, on Twitter as @Karnythia and the author of Hood Feminism, i...

462. An AMA with AMAnda and Sarah, Part the First! from 2021-06-18T06:00:33

I asked the Patreon community what they’d like to ask Amanda and I, and howdy damn, I got some really thoughtful and fun questions! In this conversation, we’re talking about astrology, apps, allerg...

461. Gods, Demons, and Retirements with Lois McMaster Bujold from 2021-06-11T06:00:50

Catherine and I chat with Lois McMaster Bujold (!!!) about The Assassins of Thasalon. If you like the Penric&Desdemona books as much as we do (which is a LOT) you’ll love this episode!We cover the ...

460. A Lowcountry Bride and Fulfilling Dreams with Preslaysa Williams from 2021-06-04T06:00:55

Author and actor Preslaysa Williams joins me to talk about her new book, A Lowcountry Bride, which she calls “a love letter to Charleston.” We discuss the beauty and pain of complicated history, th...

459. Facts, Feminism, and Menopause with Dr. Jen Gunter from 2021-05-28T06:00:25

Tara and I exclaimed at each other about Dr. Jen Gunter’s latest book, The Menopause Manifesto, so we figured we should exclaim at her, too. In this conversation, we cover the book, the facts and s...

458. Hard Sell and Revolutionary Romance with Hudson Lin from 2021-05-21T14:30:32

My guest this week is author Hudson Lin (she/her) whose new book Hard Sell is out 25 May! Hard Sell is a trope-tastic queer romance between Daniel and Tobin, who have a secret affair while working ...

457. YouTube Vlogging And a Very Meet Cute With Colin Dobson-Fox of Foxes Afloat from 2021-05-14T06:00:08

Colin Dobson-Fox is the co-host and producer behind one of my favorite YouTube channels, Foxes Afloat, which recently reached over 100k subscribers (a very big deal in YouTube Land). Colin and his ...

456. Bananas, Pajamas, Cat Yak, and a TV Theme Sing-Along with Sarah&Amanda from 2021-05-07T06:00:30

Sing along with us! Reach into the deep vault of your memory, and sing TV themes as we attempt to stump one another. We also start by talking about cat vomit because of course we do. We cover all t...

455. History, Engineering, and Air Fryers, with Vanessa Riley from 2021-04-30T06:00:52

My guest this week is Vanessa Riley, whose newest book, An Earl, The Girl, and a Toddler is out now! We talk about reframing history, interrogating the fantasy of historical romance, and the overla...

454. Anchored Hearts and Appetites with Priscilla Oliveras from 2021-04-23T06:00:24

Amanda and I talk food, Key West, more food, writing bilingual characters, family drama, food, baseball, and writing with Priscilla Oliveras. Her latest book, Anchored Hearts, is out now, and there...

453. Uzma Jalaluddin and Hana Khan Carries On – with Bonus COVID Vaccine Info with Dr. Jen Gunter from 2021-04-16T06:00:19

Uzma Jalaluddin joins Amanda and me to talk about Hana Khan Carries On, which caused one of us some Bad Decisions Book Club membership. We discuss the book (no spoilers, don’t worry!) and the fabul...

452. Historical Pandemics and Ye Olde Social Media with Anna Lee Huber from 2021-04-09T06:00:34

[bookaside slug="a-wicked-conceit"] The latest book in Anna Lee Huber’s Lady Darby series is out, and she’s my guest this week to talk all about it. If you haven’t read this book yet, there are no ...

451. More Earl Had to Die: Victoria Helen Stone’s The Last One Home from 2021-04-02T06:00:09

Victoria Helen Stone has a new book out! The Last One Home is a dual-timeline domestic thriller in the genre of “Earl Had to Die.” In this conversation, we discuss her moving from writing romance a...

450. Dragons on the Sex Planet with Shani and Bridget from Romance at a Glance from 2021-03-26T06:00:57

This week I am joined by Shani and Bridget from the Romance at a Glance podcast! We talk about their current season, where they’re focusing on dark romances, and about podcasting.Then, we talk abou...

449. PB&Mayo Sandwiches (and Girl Scout Cookies) With Amanda and Sarah from 2021-03-19T05:00:25

As a follow up to last week’s podcast, I share the broadcast of Amanda and I making peanut butter and mayo sandwiches, inspired by folks who have shared strong opinions.Yes, we eat PB and Mayo sand...

448. Strong Food Opinions and Sandwich Debates With Amanda and Sarah from 2021-03-12T07:00

Need a break? How about highlights from another Stereo broadcast with Amanda and me! We started by asking what keeps folks feeling happy (pizza FTW), but when we bring up mayonnaise, things go way ...

447. Hanging Out with Sarah J. Maas from 2021-03-05T07:00:03

[bookaside slug="a-court-of-silver-flames"] Sometimes I’m fortunate enough to do an interview with an author I’ve never met, but with whom there’s an instant connection. That happened for Amanda an...

446. Fantasy and Sci Fi in 2021 With Caroline Perny from Tor from 2021-02-26T07:00:43

Caroline Perny, Publicity Manager at Tor, joins us to talk about what books are coming out in 2021. We recorded in mid-November, so we start by talking about carbs, which is a perennial subject, an...

445. Hot Locksmith Action, Dumplings, and Murder: Book Recs from Amanda and Sarah from 2021-02-19T07:00:49

Every Tuesday night at 730ET, Amanda and I are live on Stereo (download and join us at stereo.com/smartbitches!) and this is one of our broadcasts!This is a live recommendation extravaganza: witche...

444. The Wife in the Attic: All Things Gothic and More with Rose Lerner from 2021-02-12T07:00:05

Rose Lerner has a new Audible exclusive audiobook out this week, The Wife in the Attic. It’s a f/f retelling of Jane Eyre (I just heard a whole bunch of you one-click to buy) and fear not, the eboo...

443. Snowed In Romance Recs with Amanda&Sarah from 2021-02-05T06:00:09

Amanda and I are back! We’re chatting about dubious coverage of romance around Valentine’s day - and the outstanding article that Amanda was quoted in that appeared on Forbes.com, written by Rachel...

284. Romance, Mystery, and the Cuban Revolution: An Interview with Chanel Cleeton from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, I’m interviewing author Chanel Cleeton about her new book, Next Year in Havana, a dual-timeline mystery and romance set in part against the Cuban revolution. Don’t worry - no spoilers! W...

28. Day One at RWA: Publicists, Authors, Writers, and Readers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

SB Sarah is running amok at the Romance Writers of America National Conference, interviewing publicists from Sourcebooks, aspiring authors, published authors, and anyone who was willing to talk to ...

283. Making Friends and Finding Bisexual Romance Characters: Recommendations and Advice from Amanda & Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and I have a lot to talk about in this episode! First, we chat about the recent episode of The Bachelor that we recapped for Smart Bitches (it was TWO HOURS y’all), and what we (might have) ...

27. Contemporary Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah discuss contemporary romance, especially those successful self-published books that are essentially category romances. Plus, book recommendations, and book characters that made us so...

282. Sleuthing, Victorian Women, and Dick Jokes: A Conversation with Deanna Raybourn from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A Treacherous Curse, the third book in the Veronica Speedwell series is out, so I chat with Deanna Raybourn about the book, the series, and more. We start with dick jokes because obviously, but we ...

26. An Interview with Sylvia Day from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane interview New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day about her book "Bared to You," and about her upcoming presidency of RWA. Erin Galloway and Cindy Hwang are also part of the rou...

281. Alyssa Cole and Alisha Rai: Romance and the Resistance from Politics and Prose from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Hooray! Thanks to Politics and Prose on the Wharf, I have the audio of the November 29, 2017, panel with Alisha Rai and Alyssa Cole. We talk about their favorite scenes in one another’s books, and ...

25. A Look Ahead at Summer Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

n this podcast, we look at summer reading! Jane and Sarah sit down with Jane's ARC drawer (That's a real thing) and take a look at the books we're excited about coming this summer.

280. We Look Ahead to 2018 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, Redheadedgirl and I look forward to many, many things in 2018, most of them books. Amanda has a recommendation for a book she really liked that came out on January 2, but I m...

24. An Interview with Nalini Singh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane interview Nalini Singh, who is trapped in their hotel room, unable to escape the questioning. The good news: we learn which US reality tv show Nalini is secretly addicted to.

279. The Bitches Look Back at 2017 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, RedHeadedGirl and I sit down to look back at 2017, the things we enjoyed and treasured, and the books we loved that got us through the year. We talk a little about the high-g...

23. What Are You Reading? from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah tunes in to the DBSA Podcast voicemail and adds listener messages to the podcast as we discuss what we're reading. Plus, there's an interview with Sarah's mother in law about audiobooks she l...

278. Another Round of Your Recommendation Requests with Sarah and Amanda from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Amanda take on your reader rec requests! We’ve got historical romances, historical fantasy with knitting, Jewish protagonists, heroines who save the hero, terminology to find the books yo...

22. The Romance Canon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane discuss the romance canon - what it is, who is in it, and why the term 'canon' might mean different things to different people.

277. Retelling Rapunzel in Mumbai: An Interview with Sonali Dev from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Author Sonali Dev is back with us to talk about her new book - and here are some words in a very tempting order: a retelling of Rapunzel set in Mumbai. Her latest, A Distant Heart, comes out on 12/...

21. It’s DABWAHA Time! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk about the upcoming DABWAHA, A March Madness

276. An Interview With RWA President Elect HelenKay Dimon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, I have a long conversation with prior guest of the podcast and Romance Writers of America President-elect HelenKay Dimon, who is also the author of more than fifty romances. We talk abou...

20. The Mysterious Hymen from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane take a look at your suggestions as to the best name for a book wherein a hymen is located in the incorrect place. We also talk about other things, like romance novels. No, really. Sw...

275. Reading, Writing, and the Power of Dairy: A Little Behind the Scenes with Amanda and Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and I talk about the behind the scenes elements of running Smart Bitches, and what parts we love most of all. We discuss our favorite features and how some of them came to be. We also talk a...

19. Buying, Reading and Reviewing from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane discuss book buying, reading, and reviewing, and Jane attempts to recommend a book to Sarah.

274: We Say Thank You to Everyone Many, Many Times from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we are saying thank you to the authors who wrote books that made our lives better. This episode was inspired in part by Tom Petty. After Tom Petty died, I saw and heard so many people o...

18. Coltish! A visit with our listener email. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah & Jane talk about coltish legs, books that make us cry, being happy drunks, and werewolf fiction best-of. We also talk about Lisa Kleypas' upcoming 'Rainshadow Road.'

273. Sex Toys, Self Love, and Erotic Romance: A Very Bawdy Podcast with Thien-Kim Lam from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Grab your earbuds for this one. Nancy C suggested this interview in the comments to a recent episodes, and I’d been eager to set one up as well because, well, several reasons. Today I’m talking wit...

17. Ridiculousness Threshold: 29 December 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah talk about the ridiculous threshold, where hyperbolic characters and plots become too much - and why that threshold varies for different readers depending on genre.

272. Building and Maintaining a Reading Habit from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Elyse, Amanda, and I discuss building a reading habit - by which we mean the habit of regular reading. We discuss reading as self care and a ritual of restorative practice, and the practical and no...

16. Shopping, Reading, and Renaming the Podcast: 16 December 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week Sarah convinces Jane to talk about the Agony / Ecstasy Anthology, and we reminisce about old ebook stores and old reading devices. We also discuss schmoopy epilogues, were-bears, and book...

271. Dating as a Romance Author: A Conversation with Alisha Rai from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, I sit down for cake and podcasting with Alisha Rai. In a prior interview in episode 229, we talked a lot about dating and romance - both the concept and the genre. In this episode,...

15. What We’re Reading: November 28, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk about what we're reading, whether there's more cursing in romance than there was previously, and what we wish for in a paranormal werewolf romance. We also talk about football. ...

270. Bitches Assemble: Ghost Tours, Ghost Stories, and Creepy Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, RedHeadedGirl and I talk about ghost tours, starting with the 1.5 ghost tours she went on in York recently. We discuss what makes a good ghost tour guide, and which stories w...

14. Sarah Mayberry Interview: November 15, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah interview Sarah Mayberry, talk about her books and her current work in progress, and make her try on an American accent.

427. Mailboxes to Bonetown: Amanda and Sarah Talk Sex Ratings from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We received an email from Megan, who wanted to know about the possibility of building a rating system for sex in books. TL;DR, we don’t think it’s entirely feasible given how subjective heat levels...

269. One More Reader Rec Request, A Book Squee, A DNF Warning, and Listener Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This is something of an all-in-one episode. Ready? We begin with one last recommendation request for Amanda and me, and then we squee! Amanda and I both read a book we loved, and want to tell all ...

13. Reader Mail: October 18, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week: we peek in the mailbox and answer listener email. Are paranormals and vampire romances on the way out? Have we reached saturation? What surprises does our email inbox hold for us? And wh...

426. All About Murderbot with Martha Wells from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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,...

268. Rec Reqs with Sarah and Amanda, Part the Second! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We are back with part two of our RecReq time! Sarah asked the Patreon supporters what types of books they’re looking for more of, and what they’d like to read next. This time, we talk about sexua...

12. Getting Cross-Examined About Everything I Know About Love – Oct. 3, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane interviews Sarah and asks merciless questions about Everything I Know About Love, I Learned from Romance Novels, Sarah's new book, which is in stores and libraries now. We also talk about roma...

267. Recommendation Requests with Sarah and Amanda, Part the First! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s RecReq time! I asked the podcast Patreon supporters what types of books they’re looking for more of, and what they’d like to read next. Now, Amanda and I answer many of your book recommendatio...

11. Romangst: September 22, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We are all about romangst this week: angsty romances with a lot of emotion, strife, and (we hope) uplifting, believable endings.

266. It’s All About the Lighting: Instagram and Social Media Strategy with Ryanne Probst from Penguin Berkley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and I interview Ryanne Probst, Associate Publicist for Berkley Publishing, which is part of Penguin Random House. Ryanne is the creative mastermind behind Berkley Romance’s Instagram account...

10. Digital backlist, prices, and old skool romances we love: September 14, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah talk about digital backlist, and old skool romances they love. We also discuss prices, and what we are willing to pay for older titles released digitally.

265. Introducing PassionFlix: An Interview with Tosca Musk and Alessandra Torre from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with New York Times bestselling author Alessandra Torre and filmmaker and PassionFlix co-founder Tosca Musk about the filming of Hollywood Dirt, and the process of turning novels into f...

9. Stephanie Laurens and KISS and Teal: September 6, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We each interviewed historical romance author Stephanie Laurens in support of her new novel, "Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue," and learn more about Avon's KISS & Teal promotion this month.

264. Portable Self Care and Evil Space Squirrels: An Interview with Elyse from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Elyse’s mom underwent mega-major surgery for the second time in two years, and Elyse faced down the second surgery with a portable bag of self-care and attention. We talk about what she packed to b...

8. Adirondack Chair Pr0n, historical romance, and streak reading: August 30, 2011 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We're back, talking about popular series, historical romance, streak reading, erotic romance, and Jane's term for small town contemporary romances.

263. Behind the Scenes with Clothing, Creativity, and Cover Art: An Interview with Alyssa Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In an interview recorded at RWA, I interviewed Alyssa Cole, and we talked about…clothing! Don’t worry - we start with books and history. And Hamilton! We begin by talking about her upcoming publi...

7. We’re back! And we’re talking about Romance! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane start the podcast up again with a discussion of what we're reading, and what Harlequin Presents novels we like. We also discuss at length a new book, "A Lady Awakened" by Cecilia Gra...

262. A Conspiracy in Belgravia: An Interview with Sherry Thomas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 c...

6. Tropes, empowerment, women in history, and Carolyn Jewel: March 9, 2009 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk about their favorite romantic tropes, from unrequited love to the smoldering hero. What are your faves? We also interview Carolyn Jewel about her book "Scandal," and the power, ...

261. Creativity, Business, Anxiety, and Celebrations – An Interview with Bea & Leah Koch of The Ripped Bodice from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 recipient...

5. Victoria Dahl, responding to reviews, and talking dirty: February 23, 2009 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Victoria Dahl, author of "Talk Me Down," joins us to talk about small towns, sexually intelligent heroines, and responding to reviews. Then Jane and Sarah talk about talking dirty- but don't actual...

260. Inspiration and Illegal Contact: An Interview with Santino Hassell from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

4. Claudia Dain, subversive women, and empowering heroines – February 10, 2009 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We have a delicious (and somewhat squeeful) chat with author Claudia Dain about romance heroines who are subversive, powerful, and deviously smart.

259. Slayer of Words: An Interview with Beverly Jenkins, the 2017 RWA Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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. ...

3. Small Presses and eBooks, with Angela James – Dear Bitches, Smart Authors: Jan 27, 2009 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The emergence of epublishing and small presses, and a discussion of market penetration, with special guest Angela James from Sam Hain publishing.

258. Mindfulness, Meditation, and Writing: An Interview with Eva Leigh and Nico Rosso from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

2. eBooks, the Economy, with guest Malle Vallick – Dear Bitches, Smart Authors Podcast: Jan 12 2009 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We retread some of the economic discussion from our earlier podcast, but we have more to say about what's selling, most notably ebooks. We also have Malle Valick from Harlequin with us to discuss a...

257. Bitches Assemble: Our Favorite Recommendations and the Expectations of Tentacles from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

256. Pop Culture Between Couples: I Interview My Husband from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 har...

255. Finding Community in the Things You Love: Elyse Interviews Super Karen from the Knit One, Geek Two Podcast from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ge...

254. Reframing History, Crime, and Women – Exploring True Crime Stories with Elyse and Amanda from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 bra...

253. Roam If You Want To: An Interview with Sara Ramsey from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

252. Academic in Death: An Interview with Dr. Kecia Ali from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 wr...

251. Writing and Reading Sight Unseen: An Interview with Sherry Thomas, Erin Satie, and Emma Barry from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

I interview Sherry Thomas, Erin Satie, and Emma Barry, who - along with Meredith Duran and J.A. Rock - are the authors of five different novellas in the anthology, Sight Unseen. Released on June 6,...

250. Being A Writer, and Being Yourself: An Interview with Sara Flynn and Meg Tilly from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with romance author Sara Flynn and Golden Globe winning actress Meg Tilly - conveniently the same person! Sara attended RT for the first time, and was the emcee for the awards ceremony....

249: Live Show at RT Part II: Quizzing the Bitches from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s Part Two of our live show, recorded Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Romantic Times BookLovers Convention in Atlanta! We had wine, snacks, and a room full of somewhat tired and entirely awesome pod...

248. Our Live Show at RT Part I: Robin Bradford and Janna MacGregor from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s our live show, recorded Friday, May 5, 2017, at the Romantic Times BookLovers Convention in Atlanta! We had wine, snacks, and a room full of somewhat tired and entirely awesome podcast fans, a...

247. Romance Podden: Romance Readers in Sweden from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Melody and Julia from Romance Podden, a Swedish language podcast about romance— the biggest romance fiction podcast in northern Europe! First, Sarah embarrasses herself with rudimentary Swedish con...

246. Sleepy Bitches at RT: Our Impressions of the 2017 RT Convention in Atlanta from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

As we have in past years, Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, Redheadedgirl, and Sarah gathered in a hotel room to talk (again, tiredly) about Romantic Times. We discuss the Atlanta RT, what we liked, what we n...

245. The Yarn in Knitting, and The Yarn in Stories: An Interview with Debbie Macomber from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber about her writing career, and the many ways that career has grown in unique directions. They discuss the ways she’s adapted her wr...

428. The Cheese Plate is a Technology: Because Internet with Gretchen McCulloch from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today Amanda and I are talking with Gretchen McCulloch, author of Because Internet and host of the podcast “Lingthusiasm.” If you like listening to a really smart person with intricate knowledge of...

244. Sleepy Bitches Talk RT: Our Advice for 2017 Romantic Times Convention from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah, Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, and RedHeadedGirl, along with several of our pets, gather in sleepy, relaxed fashion to talk about Romantic Times, and give our advice for making your RT experience th...

243. Discovering Romance and Navigating Approval: An Interview with Faith Salie from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with author, speaker, and television and radio journalist Faith Salie about Authorized, her Audible program on Sex and Romance in which many of our favorite romance authors are featured...

242. Jennifer Lohmann: NoveList and Hosting a Romance Book Club from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with librarian and romance author Jennifer Lohmann about her new job working on NoveList, and how to use it as a resource to find books to read. Many public libraries have access, and s...

241. Living and Writing in Alaska, and Making Your Own Fun: An Interview with Cathy Pegau from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Carrie and I chat with author Cathy Pegau, who writes lesbian science fiction romance and historical mysteries, and who also lives in Cordova, Alaska. We talk about living in Alaska (Carrie lived f...

240. Extraordinary Optimism Through History: An Interview with Alyssa Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with author Alyssa Cole about her much-anticipated new book, An Extraordinary Union, an espionage romance set in the Civil War. They discuss the behind the scenes details of the cover d...

239. Leftover Meatloaf: Elyse and Leah & Bea from The Ripped Bodice Discuss The Bachelor from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After an impromptu greeting from Mr. Fitzwilliam Waffles, Sarah and Elyse chat with Leah and Bea from The Ripped Bodice about the most recent season of The Bachelor. They’re all fans of the series,...

238. Writing on the Amtrak Residency – An Interview with Tamara Lush from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Tamara Lush is an AP reporter, a longtime journalist, a romance author, and a recent recipient of the Amtrak writer’s residency! She traveled for over two weeks from Orlando to San Francisco by way...

237. New Books and New Insights Into History: An Interview with Beverly Jenkins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Beverly Jenkins joins us to talk about her latest book Breathless and the series in progress. Of course, we talk about history and the stories that inspire her, especially the unsung, undiscovered,...

236. Languages, Senses, And Romance: An Interview With Laura Florand from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with author Laura Florand about her writing, and her romances, which are set in various places in France. They also discuss linguistics, adopting pets, cultural differences, and learnin...

235. Listener Email, Questions, and Romance Reader Stories from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week the guest is... all of you! This episode is an assembly of your excellent email messages, with stories, jokes, and questions, because you’re all brilliant, clever, and interesting people....

234: Female Friendships, Shifters, Secrets, and Series: An Interview with Lauren Dane from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews author Lauren Dane about her Diablo Lake series. The newest book in the series, Diablo Lake: Protected, came out at the end of January. This is a rather indulgent episode - it’s a ...

233. Nerdy Deep Dives and Adaptations for Reading with Learning Disabilities from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with a romance fan named Elizabeth who is a self described avid reader with several learning disabilities. We starting by talking about podcasts because that’s not meta at all, and talk...

232. The First Year of The Ripped Bodice – An Interview with Bea and Leah Koch from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Nearly a year after their grand opening (March 4th!), Sarah catches up with Leah and Bea Koch of The Ripped Bodice bookstore in Culver City, CA. We start with All The Pet Talk, including the story ...

231. Horse-Mad Little Girls and Historical Romance: An Interview with Theresa Romain from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with historical romance author Theresa Romain about her two current series, one which was inspired by The Tollgate by Georgette Heyer, and another that is historical horse romance for h...

230. Anxiety, Social Media, and Tracking the Things You Love from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Elyse have a long and meandering conversation about social media, anxiety, and tracking the things that you love to do. We talk about reading, knitting, cross stitch, photography, and how...

229. Romance, Dating, and Very Real Expectations: An Interview with Alisha Rai from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 discu...

228. Bitches Assemble: Looking Ahead to 2017 – With a Quiz! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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, statewid...

227. Smart Bitches Assemble: Looking Back at 2016 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 mad...

226. End of Year Listener Email, Voicemail, and Mayhem from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 i...

225. Romance Legacies: An Interview with Two of Edith Layton’s Children, Susie and Adam Felber from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 h...

224. Earl Had to Die: Sarah and Elyse Discuss Dr. Strange, Heroine Rage, and True Crime from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

223. Victorian Feminism and World Traveling Victorian Women: An Interview with Deanna Raybourn from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

222. More Behind the Scenes: An Interview with Jessie Edwards from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 di...

221. When Poldark Got Really Freaking Dark from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

220. New Books and Deep Dives into History: An Interview With Loretta Chase from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews New York Times bestselling historical romance author Loretta Chase. They discuss Chase’s new books, writing horrible, dreadful, men, and where she starts in her writing. They also ...

219. Listener Email, Voicemail, and Book Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

218. Ghost Stories and Romance (Readers): We Discuss All Books Creepy and Good from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Carrie, Elyse, RedHeadedGirl and I chat about ghosts, ghost stories, and reading creepy scary stuff. Some of us don’t think ghosts are real, some of us do - so we talk about it. We also talk about ...

217. Self Publishing, Happy Ever Afters, and Performing Romances: An Interview with Mina V. Esguerra from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah chats with author Mina V. Esguerra, a romance writer in the Philippines. They talk about how self-publishing has changed her career immeasurably, and her experience writing charact...

216. Bending the Gender of Sherlock Holmes: An Interview with Sherry Thomas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Bestselling author Sherry Thomas talks with Sarah about her new historical mystery series, featuring a gender-bent Sherlock Holmes, and her keynote address at RWA in 2016. They also discuss languag...

215. Erotic and Emotional Intensity and Contemporary World Building: An Interview with Julie Kenner from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews bestselling author Julie Kenner, who also writes as J. Kenner. Her latest book Sweetest Taboo came out on October 4 - so it’s release week for her! They discuss theories about roma...

214. Writing Contemporary Comedy Outside in the Cold: An Interview with Jill Shalvis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with bestselling author Jill Shalvis. They’ve known one another for a long time, but not quite as long as Jill has been writing romance. They discuss writing for multiple publishers ove...

213. The Books That Made You Romance Readers, and Super Honest Brave Sharing Time from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

You left voicemail messages! You recorded voice memos! You shared the books that turned you into romance readers! That’s so awesome. I’m sharing your messages, plus two reader messages about romanc...

212. Gin & Tonic, Bacteria, and the US and UK Romance Markets: An Interview with Rhoda Baxter from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews author Rhoda Baxter about writing scientist heroines and her most excellent pen name origin story. Along the way they chat about books, television, and movies, the differences betw...

211. Writing Emotional and Erotic Tension: An Interview With Molly O’Keefe from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews contemporary romance author Molly O’Keefe, who also writes erotic contemporary as M. O’Keefe. They discuss the differences between her contemporary romances, and what it means to p...

210. Couples Who Read Romance Together from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Suzanne and Matt, who are both romance readers, and Elyse and her husband Rich, who also both read romances. Suzanne introduced her husband to the genre, and their reading experien...

209. Billionaire Playboys, Virgin Stable Girls: An Interview with Sharon Kendrick from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In an interview recorded at RWA in San Diego, Sarah chats with author Sharon Kendrick, author of 100 books for Harlequin and Mills & Boon. We discuss the particular dynamics of Harlequin Presents, ...

208. Smart Bitches Assemble: Demon Woodchucks and Things that Influence Our Reading Tastes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda, Elyse, RedHeadedGirl and Sarah chat about reading influences - alas, Carrie couldn’t join us at the last minute. Amanda opens with talking about a Tig Notaro show coming to Amazon this fall...

207. An Interview With Robin Bradford, Genre Avenger and RWA Librarian of the Year from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Robin Bradford, known as @Tuphlos on Twitter, and the 2016 RWA Librarian of the Year! They discuss how collection development works, what her responsibilities are, and how she acqu...

206. Proving Love: An Interview with Dr. Chuck Tingle from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If you’re not familiar with Chuck Tingle, prepare to have your life irrevocably changed. Dr. Tingle is the author of world-famous books such as My Billionaire Triceratops Craves Gay Ass, Pounded by...

205. Writing, RWA, and Loving the Romance Genre: An Interview with Author Tracey Livesay from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After losing the audio for the first interview conducted at RWA, I talk to Tracey Livesay for the second time - special thanks to Tracey for agreeing to speak twice! We talk about her experience at...

204. Ashleigh Gardner on Muslim Romances at Wattpad, Plus 200th Episode Messages from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Ashleigh Gardner from Wattpad, who has been a guest of the podcast previously, about Muslim romance on Wattpad. They discuss the growing collection of romances by and about Muslims...

203. Video Games & Romance Readers: An Interview with Amanda and Bree Bridges from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After many conversations online about Dragon Age: Inquisition that introduced more romance fans to this game, Sarah sits down with Amanda and Bree Bridges to talk about video games. Both are season...

202. New Books and Old Friends: An Interview with Lisa Kleypas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Lisa Kleypas about her upcoming historical Marrying Winterbourne, and about the ecstatic fan response to the upcoming book Devil in Spring. This episode was recorded shortly after ...

201. Cross Stitching and Neuroscience: A Follow Up Interview with Emily Nagoski from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Back in March, Amanda and I did an interview with Emily Nagoski, and she agreed to take listener queries from all of you once her semester was over. It’s done! We’ve got questions, and answers. We ...

200. The Books That Made Us Romance Readers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah, Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, and Redheadedgirl gather to talk about the book that made them romance readers, and the romance that changed their lives in some way. We of course start off with TMI d...

199. Newsletters, Virtual Assistants, and RWA Workshops: An Interview with Mel Jolly from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Mel Jolly discuss the two workshops they’re giving at RWA: one on newsletters and one on hiring a virtual assistant. They discuss organization, newsletters, pens, time management, and bui...

198. Alpha Women, Heroine Friendships, and Paranormal Romance: An Interview with Shelly Laurenston from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Shelly Laurenston, and tries very very hard to keep herself together through the excitement. We talk about the book that brought Shelly into writing paranormal romance, and how her...

197. Copyediting and the Power of Word Choices: An Interview with Sara Brady from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Two episodes in a row with an abundance of Sara(h)s! Sara Brady is a copyeditor of many books, including many romances. Full disclosure: she copyedited my novella, Lighting the Flames. My entirely ...

196. Finding Community in Small Town and Big City Romance: An Interview with Sarah Morgan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Sarah Morgan about American weather, the Berlin Love Letter Convention, and the importance and delight of meeting romance readers. They also discuss finding community in small town...

195. A Special Podcast Episode: Helping Sassy Outwater from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If you've been following us on social media, you might have seen that there's a crowdfunding campaign to help Sassy Outwater. Sassy's got ongoing medical craptitude, with seizures and medication ch...

194. Closing the Door at the Intersection of Religion and Sex: An Interview with Dr. Kristen Nielsen Donnelly from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Dr. Kristen Nielsen Donnelly, who studies women and religion in Northern Ireland, as well as religion in popular culture like video games and romance novels. She’s currently conduc...

193. Let the Swoon Continue: An Interview with Lia from Lia’s Bookish Obsession from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah met Lia from Lia’s Bookish Obsession at RT in Las Vegas. When Lia told Sarah all the stories, Sarah begged her to be on the podcast so you too can enjoy: The Worst Librarian Story Ever. The...

192. Alpha Heroines and Alpha Heroes: Kati D Interviews Lauren Dane from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Kati D has been eager to interview Lauren Dane for the podcast for a long, long time, and finally we found a time for everyone to connect. Yay! We discuss how Lauren got her start as an author, boo...

191. A Reader’s Romance Wish List: An Interview with HeatherS. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews romance reader and information science student HeatherS, a longtime reader, bookseller, and student. She’s working on a degree with a goal for becoming a librarian, and we talk abo...

190. All Bitches Assemble At RT 2016 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda, Carrie, Elyse, and RedHeadedGirl sit down with Sarah at RT in Las Vegas to talk about the conference, the fun of taking a book-focused vacation, the oddly high-priced Kindle, Amanda’s frust...

189. Romantic Suspense and Erotic Confections: An Interview with Author Lisa Marie Perry from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews author Lisa Marie Perry about her latest book in a romantic suspense/sports romance series for Kimani. They discuss several of her books, the inclusiveness of her characters, the c...

188. Box Cutters and Book Selling: An Interview with Bea & Leah Koch from The Ripped Bodice from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s been just about a month since the grand opening of the romance-focused bookstore, The Ripped Bodice, in Culver City, California. Sarah, who backed the Kickstarter for the bookstore, interviews...

187. Preparing for Romantic Times 2016: We Give Advice to a Newbie from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The bitches assemble again, this time to answer an email from Teresa, who is nervous about attending RomanticTimes for the first time. We understand! We’ve done podcasts about RT before, but answer...

186. Come As You Are – Sexuality and Romance: An Interview with Emily Nagoski, PhD from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and Sarah interview Emily Nagoski, who is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life, and is currently the Directo...

185. Contemporary Comedy, Determination, and Alpha Male Roosters: An Interview with Author Candis Terry from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews bestselling author Candis Terry, who writes contemporary comedy romance, and has one of those really cool I’ve Done All The Things bios. We talk about her new series, which is set ...

184. Bitches Assemble Part II: Sarah Wrote a Mean Quiz from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A quiz! Sarah concocts a really awful, mean quiz on topics tangentially related to romance, and makes RedHeadedGirl, Elyse, Carrie and Amanda take it. There’s a trick question that costs Sarah all ...

183. Bitches Assemble Part I: What We’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

All the bitches assemble! Sarah, Amanda, Cassie, RedHeadedGirl, and Elyse discuss what they’re reading, from the delicious historicals to the depressing and maudlin anthologies. We also cover felon...

182. Historical Costumes and Historical Clothing: An Interview with RedHeadedGirl from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

RedheadedGirl and Sarah discuss historical costumes, and historical clothing - and how they’re not the same thing. They cover the costumes from Reign, The Tudors, Rome, and Outlander, as well as Je...

181. Seizures, Scottish Music, and Sexuality and Disability: Catching Up with Sassy Outwater from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, Sarah catches up with Sassy Outwater, whose brain is cancer free but is busy doing a bunch of annoying other things. They discuss her seizures, the resurgence of traditional Scotti...

180. Bree and Sarah Squee About Level Up by Cathy Yardley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On a recent Friday Reads post, Bree Bridges noticed that someone was reading Level Up by Cathy Yardley. It was me, and she asked to talk to me when I was done because she was dying to discuss it. I...

179. Goblins, Magical Librarians, and Fantasy Writing: An Interview with Jim C. Hines from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Carrie interview bestselling author Jim C. Hines about his upcoming book Revisionary, which is the end of his Libriomancer trilogy (which Carrie is VERY sad about). We also talk about fan...

178. Time Slippage, Reincarnation, and History: An Interview with Susanna Kearsley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with bestselling author Susanna Kearsley, who is working on her next book, which involves all the genres she works in, which is… well, almost all of them. Topics include genetic memory,...

177. Fay Wolf – Decluttering and Organizing Creative People from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Fay Wolf, who has a new book titled New Order: Decluttering Handbook for Creative Folks and Everyone Else. Organization advice is Sarah’s catnip, but this book in particular might ...

176. Romance Around the World: An Interview with Alyssa Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews author Alyssa Cole about her series of articles for Romance Writers of America’s Romance Writers Report which focus on romance authors in different countries around the world. They...

175. NSFW Conversations and 2016 Predictions from All of Us from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah, Elyse, Amanda, Carrie and RedHeadedGirl have a supremely silly and NSFW discussion of sex in space, sex in hammocks, and pets who eat weird things. Then we get back to the actual topic of th...

174. Keepers and Our Favorites of the Year from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah, Elyse, Carrie, Amanda, and RedHeadedGirl from SBTB discuss an email about choosing a favorite (as in one single solitary favorite), and talk about what makes a book or author a favorite for ...

173. Managing Chronic Pain with Books – An Interview With Elyse from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah and Elyse discuss chronic pain, conditions that cause it, and self-care through reading. This is a very frank candid discussion of chronic pain, weird things our bodies do, and stu...

172. Tinder, Sex, Romance, and Relationships: A Frank Discussion of Sexuality with Amanda from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

HELLO. THIS ONE IS NSFW! Get your headphones! Amanda had an idea for a podcast to talk about the differences between depictions of heroines with sexual agency and her own experiences of that same a...

171. Once More with Ebola and Romance: An Interview Jennifer McQuiston from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Last year around this time, Jennifer McQuiston did an interview with us after returning from Sierra Leone where she was working to combat ebola as part of her job with the Centers for Disease Contr...

170. English English and American English: An Interview with Sarah Morgan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Sarah Morgan about the unique differences between American English and English-English, and how that affects her writing. From pissed footballers to rockets full of arugula, we cov...

169. An Interview with Rebekah Weatherspoon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Rebekah Weatherspoon about writing across multiple genres, starting out in fanfic, reader responses, working in television, and the challenges facing writers of color. We also talk...

168. Pop Up Video, Telling Stories, and Popular Fiction: An Interview with Liza Palmer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This podcast is brought to you by InterMix, publisher of New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ashley’s A MACKENZIE CLAN GATHERING. Return to the tumultuous and passionate world of the Mackenz...

167: Writing, Romance, and Telling Stories: An Interview with Kristan Higgins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with bestselling author Kristan Higgins about having success and not taking it for granted, deciding to write romance, sibling relationships and dog relationships in romance, and about ...

166. Truck Nuts and Hot Dish: RedHeadedGirl and Elyse on All Things Midwestern from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Over the summer, RedHeadedGirl, Elyse and I recorded an episode all about the American Midwest, inspired by an email from Kendal. I had some audio editing troubles which I think I’ve been able to f...

165. Secrets of the Library: An Interview with Librarian Alene Moroni from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

At the 2015 NINC conference, librarian Alene Moroni and her partner in library badassery Brenna Shanks presented a workshop about libraries. I heard from some of the people who attended that it was...

164. Jane Austen, History, and Literature: An Interview with Dr. Juliette Wells from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Juliette Wells is an associate professor and chair of the English department at Goucher University in Maryland. She’s a scholar of Jane Austen, and the editor of the 200th anniversary annotated edi...

163. Squeeing about Outlander with RedHeadedGirl and NPR’s Barrie Hardymon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On a recent Pop Culture Happy Hour (NPR’s pop culture podcast which, if you’re not listening to it, you should be because it’s awesome) Barry Hardymon mentioned that she could talk about Outlander ...

418: Romance Recs with Amanda and Sarah: Psychic Pining! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda 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 looki...

162. History, Librarian-ing, and Historical Romance: An Interview with Anna Bradley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews debut author Anna Bradley, who, prior to becoming an author of historical romance was a curator and librarian for the Chawton House Library. She specialized in acquiring rare books...

417. Exploring Paranormal Worlds with Jacquelyn Benson and Carol Cottrell from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We 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...

161. Romance Writing and Library Archives: An Interview with Digital Archivist Caryn Radick from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, I interview Caryn Radick, who is a Digital Archivist in the Special Collections and University Archives at the Rutgers University Libraries. We discuss library archives and what th...

416. Beekeeping and Romance with Olivia Waite from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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, ro...

160. A Reader Interview with Meka: Reading Romance and the Desecration of Desserts from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

First, this is a NSFW podcast in the middle, so wear your headphones! Once you hear mention of chocolate pie, grab those earbuds. No lie. Meka is a longtime romance reader, and we talk about everyt...

415. Vampires and Virtual Events with Renee Ahdieh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The 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 incredibl...

159. Being an Editor in Romance: An Interview with Esi Sogah from Kensington from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

On my way out of the hotel after RWA this year, I rode the escalator with Esi Sogah, who is a senior editor at Kensington. Esi has been working on romance for her entire career as an editor, and I ...

414. Listener Mail and Fantasy Romance Recs with Amanda! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Gemma 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 an...

158. Fans, Romance, and Stories: An Interview with Ashleigh Gardner from Wattpad from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Ashleigh Gardner, who is the Head of Content at Wattpad. You may remember that Wattpad sponsored the podcast transcript recently, and while emailing with them about it, I learned a...

413. Writing Historical Romance: A Conversation With Mary Balogh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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, So...

157. Contemporary Fiction and Hot Dinosaurs: An Interview with Susan Donovan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane chat with bestselling author Susan Donovan about her writing process, her contemporary series, and writing character driven romance. We also discuss cover art, “gentle fiction,” how ...

412. Magic, Queerness, and Being Welcomed As Yourself, with Sarah Gailey from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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 ...

156. Bollywood and Romance: An Interview with Sonali Dev from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah chats with Sonali Dev, and her dog Simba, about romance reading, romance writing, increasing the diversity of romance in just about every respect, applying Bollywood film structure...

411. Caring for Tired Brains with Alexis Rockley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Alexis 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...

155. Thrillers, Mysteries, and “Danger Boners:” A Reader Interview with Tina Chaney from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Continuing our series of reader interviews, Sarah chats with Tina Chaney, a longtime romance fan, about discovering romance, mystery favorites, living in Kentucky, and reader shaming. They also tal...

410. Baked Goods, Gaming, and More Birthday Goodness with Amanda from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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 A...

154. An Interview with Kelly Faircloth from Jezebel from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah chats with writer Kelly Faircloth from Jezebel, who has authored several kicking articles about the romance genre. They discuss writing about romance from a journalism perspective,...

409. Alpha Night and Alpha Women With Nalini Singh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Keeping 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...

153. Sci Fi, Fantasy, Romance, and Cats: An Interview with Petra Mayer, NPR Books Editor from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah talks with Petra Mayer, one of the NPR Books editors and chief wrangler of the NPR Summer of Love romance 100 list, which Sarah helped select. This was recorded before the release of the full...

408. The Boyfriend Project and Fabulous Friendships, with Farrah Rochon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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...

152. An Interview with Lauren Willig: Two New Books, Two Time Periods, Lots of History from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down with Lauren Willig to talk about her book releases. Plural. That’s two books releasing in two weeks - no big deal! They also talk about multi-genre books which blend mystery, romanc...

407. The Privileges of Being a Rakess with Scarlett Peckham from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today, 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...

151. History, Historicals, And Suspense: An Interview with Elizabeth Lowell from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane chat with Elizabeth Lowell about her writing process, all the genres she’s written, the different careers in science that she almost pursued, and how the romance genre has changed fr...

406. The Mermaid, The Witch, and the Sea: Gender, Pirates and More with Maggie Tokuda-Hall from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today, 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 ...

150. Read More Romance, Drink More Tea: An Interview With Sassy Outwater from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah gets an update from Sassy Outwater on how her surgery went (spoiler alert: she’s doing good and the doctors seem to have removed ALL the cancer - woo!). We talk about her reading during her r...

405. Behind the Scenes in Publicity, Plus Reading Recs with Estelle Hallick from Forever from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Curious 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 ...

149. An Interview with Gloriamarie, Reader of Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Gloriamarie Amalfitano, a lifelong reader of romance, and self identified Christian feminist. We talk about feminism, Christian scripture and history, and, of course, romance readi...

404. Cowboy Romcoms and Real Six Packs with Carly Bloom from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[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...

148. RedHeadedGirl Talks Historical Food and Historical Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

RedHeadedGirl and Sarah talk about Grey, Roman appetites, historical food and recipes, historical re-reads, Poldark, and books and tv shows that scare us.

403. Amanda’s Birthday Surprise Pajama Jammy Jam With Christina Lauren and Kristin Dwyer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This 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...

147. An Interview with Jen Lois & Joanna Gregson – Sociology, Romance, and Community from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jen Lois, Professor of Sociology at Western Washington University in Bellingham, and Joanna Gregson, Professor of Sociology at Pacific Lutheran University, sit down with Sarah to discuss studying ...

402. Girl Indeed Gone Viral, with Alisha Rai from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Alisha 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 jackw...

146. An Interview with Julie James: Publishing Expectations and Writing One Book a Year from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane interview Julie James about her newest book, Suddenly One Summer, and about the varying pressures on authors to publish a book more than once a year, or every 90 days. We discuss bea...

401. Rewriting the Voice in Your Head: Creation and Inspiration with Dr. Nicole Peeler from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Dr. 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 lis...

145. An Interview With Jaye Wells, Part 2, And Listener Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Continuing our conversation from last week’s podcast, Jaye Wells and Sarah discuss Jaye’s MFA program, her works in progress, what happens when urban fantasy writers combine worlds, and the future ...

400. A Four Podcast Crossover with Mayhem and Jokes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Several 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 gatherin...

144. Strong Female Characters: An Interview with Jaye Wells, Part One from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

At RT in May 2015, as always, I saw next to Jaye Wells during the booksigning, which is one of the best parts of RT for me. This year we had a really interesting conversation about the idea of "str...

399. Bitches Assemble Part III: More Recommendations with Kiki, Catherine Heloise, and Shana from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We 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, ...

143. Fantasy, Romance, and the Writing Process – An Interview with Rachel Aaron from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Rachel Aaron about writing fantasy, her trip to RT as a person who doesn’t write primarily romance, and about the science and data of tracking her writing process. They also discus...

398. Bitches Assemble: Recommendations for Comfort with Sneezy, Ellen, Tara, Maya and Aarya from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Need 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...

142. Sex and History and Romance: An Interview with Caroline Linden from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah interviews bestselling historical author Caroline Linden about her Scandals series, her upcoming book, Love in the Time of Scandal, and about her education in mathematics. We talk ...

397. Bitches Assemble: Recommendations for Comfort with Carrie, Elyse, Lara, Amanda & Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Need 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 t...

141. Greetings from Romantic Times with Piper Huguley and All of Us from SBTB from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We're in Dallas, Texas, at the 2015 Romantic Times BookLovers' Convention, talking about books and more! First, a micro-interview with historical romance author Piper Huguley, who answered my call ...

396. Red Lipsticks and Murderous Relations: A Conversation With Deanna Raybourn from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

My 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 we...

140. Jane and Sarah Discuss RT, Book Blogging, and What We’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Just like it says on the tin! Jane and Sarah discuss the upcoming Romantic Times Book Lovers' Convention, what to do if you're a newbie who is attending on her own, and what we're looking forward t...

395. House of Earth and Blood, With Courts of Thorns: A Conversation with Sarah J. Maas from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This 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...

139. An Interview with Darynda Jones from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews bestselling author Darynda Jones about writing paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and YA, about being an enthusiastic writer and reader, and about pets - because obviously we must ...

394. All Things Audiobook and Mountain Climbing with Nita Basu from Hachette Audio from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

My 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 ...

138. An Interview with Beverly Jenkins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews multi-genre powerhouse Beverly Jenkins about writing black American history into historicals, creating sexual tension without sex, writing painful history and giving characters hap...

393. All Consuming Books, and Vampire Murder Mystery With Renee Ahdieh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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...

137. Knitting, Romance and Women Who Love Both: An Interview with Elyse from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Elyse chat about knitting, drunk knitting, yarn buying habits, book buying habits, knitting patterns, and how knitting and romance fans can have similar origin stories and similar habits....

392. Earth is Garbage, Space is Horny: Sarah & Amanda Look at Space Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Happy 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...

136. An Interview with Avon Publicist Jessie Edwards from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jessie Edwards, publicist at HarperCollins, Avon, Harper Voyager and more, to talk about being a romance fan, and a professional working in the romance publishing industry. We talk about when she k...

391. RWA One Month Later, Part IV: A Conversation with Courtney Milan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Welcome 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...

135. Brain Cancer, Romance, Music, and More: An Interview with Sassy Outwater from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah has a long and goofy chat with Sassy Outwater about her life with brain cancer, and her life with two alpha guide dogs. We cover her adventures as Tumor Killer Girl, and talk about BDSM safet...

390. RWA One Month Later, Part III: Jessie Edwards, Marketing and PR Manager, RWA from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Welcome 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 qu...

134. M/M Romance and Recommendations: An Interview with Joyfully Jay from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah have a long chat with Jay from Joyfully Jay. She answers curious questions about male/male romance, such as, is all m/m erotic? (Spoiler alert: nope!) We talk author and book recomme...

389. RWA One Month Later, Part II: A Conversation with HelenKay Dimon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Welcome 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 pas...

133. Behind the Scenes of the 2015 DABWAHA with Jane and Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we talk about the DABWAHA tournament, what books we wanted to be in the tournament that didn’t make it, and the origins of the tournament long long ago. And in a shocking turn of events,...

388. RWA One Month Later: C. Chilove, Laurel Cremant, Diana Neal, The Officers of CIMRWA from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Welcome 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 Writer...

132. 12th Century Love Stories: An Interview with Dr. William M. Reddy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we’re learning about 12th century attitudes on sexuality and romantic love, plus 12th century gossip and the possible origin story of Super Mario. Yes, way! Our guest this week is Dr. Wi...

387. Comfort Food Romantic Comedy: A Conversation with Jill Shalvis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A 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...

131. Sarah and Elyse Discuss Hibernation and Comfort Reads from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Elyse is moving from one job to another, bigger job (yay!) and took a week off between them to decompress. Sarah and Elyse talk about stress reading, comfort reading, genres that Elyse really enjoy...

386. High Fives and Forget ‘Should:’ Talking Goals and Resolutions with Scarlett Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Scarlett 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,...

130. Action Adventure Romance: Elyse and Sarah Interview HelenKay Dimon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Elyse and Sarah talk with HelenKay Dimon about writing adventure and action romance, and about ways to describe the different kinds of romantic suspense. The audio gets a little muddy around 22 and...

385. Finding Art, And No Damn Bubble Baths: A Conversation with Tasha L. Harrison from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If 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 ...

129. Listener Email: Library History, Dancer Heroes, and a Brief Chat with RedHeadedGirl from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah answers listener mail about ballet dancing romance heroes, library history in the US, and how much of a send up of a genre might be too much. Then Sarah and RedHeadedGirl talk about movies in...

384. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Four: Catherine, Claudia and Me from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Happy 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...

128. Mysterious Loner Dudes & What Jane’s Been Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah and Jane attempt to answer two email messages, one from a reader looking for historical romances with mysterious moody loner dude heroes, and the other looking for romances similar...

383. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Three: Amanda, Kiki, Ellen & AJ from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We’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 rom...

127. An Interview with Erin Galloway from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah interviews Erin Galloway, Associate Director of Publicity & Marketing at Berkely/NAL. Erin talks about what books she's working on, including a potentially controversial book in Ju...

382. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part Two: Shana, Sneezy, and Aarya from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We’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 dis...

126. Amanda and Sarah Talk Contemporary Sports Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Amanda about her love of sports romance. They discuss sports contemporary romance, fluorescent lightbulbs, and make many, many recommendations. Our apologies in advance.

381. Our Favorite Books of the Year, Part One: Lara, Tara, Carrie S and Charlotte from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In 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 nonfictio...

125. An Interview with RedHeadedGirl and Courtney Milan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, RedHeadedGirl and Sarah sit down with Courtney Milan to talk about her brand-new New Adult Contemporary Trade Me, which was released this past Tuesday. We discuss reader reactions, the d...

380. Tropes and Good Books are Eternal: A Snortlaugh with Angela James from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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 fr...

124. Listener Email: Clergy in Romance, Library Secrets, and Social Media from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week Sarah dives into the listener email and find messages about clergy in romance, the ways in which you use your libraries, and a surprise question about interacting with authors on Twitter....

379. Dystopian Futures, Burnout, and More with Alyssa Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If 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 Lo...

123. Jane and Sarah Discuss Epistolary Romances, and What They’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah and Jane answer an email from Kendal, who is looking for historical epistolary romances. If you've got one we missed that you recommend, please do email us at sjbpodcast@gmail.com!...

378. Owning Your Anger and Being Yourself: Live from East City Books with Andie J. Christopher from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recorded 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 pr...

122. Ponies, Ebola, and Historical Romance: An Interview with Jennifer McQuiston from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down with one of Time Magazine’s People of the Year, romance author Jennifer McQuiston, who earlier this year went to Sierra Leone to fight ebola as part of her job at the CDC. Nothing g...

377. Finding the Story: A Conversation with Kennedy Ryan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recorded 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, ...

121. Talking Historicals with Rose Lerner from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

376. A Conspiracy of Deadline Cakes: Live at Loyalty Books with Sherry Thomas! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[bookaside slug="the-art-of-theft"]Two live recordings, back to back! This week, I’m in conversation with Sherry Thomas, author of the Charlotte Holmes series. I recorded this on Friday, 25 October...

120. An Interview with Maureen, Librarian and KitLit Blogger from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recently, Maureen sent us an email that read, in part, "Besides being a longtime reader of the site and of romance, I'm a children's librarian by day, and a YA book blogger by night [at Confessions...

375. Beautiful Friendships: Live at One More Page Books with Christina Lauren from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[bookaside slug="twice-in-a-blue-moon"] From the DC stop on their book tour to promote Twice in a Blue Moon, I’m in conversation with Christina Lauren at One More Page Books in Alexandria, VA! I re...

119. Listener Mail: Novellas, Clergy and Religion in Romance and More from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah dives into the mailbag, or the inbox that she imagines looks like a mailbag, to answer listener email on topics ranging from novellas, clergy in romance, library behind the scenes ...

374. Artisanal Podcasting Under the Big Gay Umbrella: A Conversation with Jeff Adams and Will Knauss from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Jeff Adams and Will Knauss from the Big Gay Fiction Podcast, and the Big Gay Author Podcast. We talk about, big surprise, podcasting, about writing, and then we celebrate t...

118. Discussing Rape, Trigger Warnings, and Also What We’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Jane and Sarah discuss a letter from a reader named Sage, who is looking for resources to help her identify and avoid books that may contain scenes of rape or assault. We discuss rape in...

373. Being Purveyors of Hope: Diversity, Education, Inclusion, and Romance with Consultant Sunny Lee-Goodman from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week my guest is DEI Consultant and Romance Fan Sunny Lee-Goodman. You might recall her name from my recent conversation with Dowager RWA President HelenKay Dimon. Sunny is the DEI - Diversity...

117. Libraries, Buying eBooks, and Diverse Historicals: An Interview with Librarian Dena Heilik from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Dena Heilik sent us an email awhile back when we discussed briefly the process of buying ebooks for libraries. Dena is the department head of Philbrick Hall, the fiction & DVD Department at the Cen...

372. Hanging Out in the Ws with Sarah and JN Welsh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[bookaside slug="in-tune"] I have sat next to author JN Welsh at book signings - Ws! It’s where the A/C is! - and we’ve had the best conversations. I thought you might like to listen in! What do w...

116. Sarah, Elyse & Sarah MacLean: Historical Romance, Regency Pools and NPR from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, Elyse and Sarah interview Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. We talk about Billionaire Dinosaurs, but more about her upcoming book, Never Judge...

371. Amanda and AJ Have Major Book Hangover from Gideon the Ninth from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

I’m chatting today with Amanda and AJ. AJ is one of our new reviewers, and AJ and Amanda both are obsessed with Gideon the Ninth. They both have book hangover. There might be Halloween costumes in ...

115. All About The Librarians with Kate Noble/Rorick, Plus Listener Mail from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week I chat again with Kate Noble and Kate Rorick who are conveniently the same person about the upcoming tv show The Librarians. We talked about this during a podcast interview I did with her...

370. RWA, The RITAs, and the Future: A Conversation with Dowager RWA President HelenKay Dimon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with RWA Past President HelenKay Dimon, whose term as president ended on 31 August 2019. We talk about the past year in RWA, the RITAs and the continued evolution of the contest,...

114. Carrie Sessarego on Victorian Women Who Out Steampunked Steampunk from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Carrie Sessarego and Sarah discuss the badass Victorian women Carrie has been researching, including travelers, scientists, inventors and spies. She talks about them in a presentation she gives tit...

369. It Never Stops Being Magical: History, Books, and Romance with Olivia Waite from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[bookaside="the-ladys-guide-to-celestial-mechanics"] Today I’m chatting with Olivia Waite about everything. We talk about being romance nerds, lost historical details, the hidden arts of embroidery...

113. An Interview with Angela James from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah was finally in the same place as Angela James, whom Jane and Sarah mention frequently in podcast episodes as "Angie," and they both had time for an interview. We talk about what she's reading...

368. Writing, Worrying, and Being in Carol Danvers’ Head: A Conversation with Liza Palmer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m talking with Liza Palmer about the re-release of her first book, Conversations with the Fat Girl, and her newest novel, The Nobodies. We talk about writing, 4am anxiety, and writing Carol...

112. An Interview with Amanda from Smart Bitches from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down with Amanda, who reviews at Smart Bitches and was the very capable intern for both SBTB and for the DABWAHA. We talk about what books she brought with her to grad school in Boston, ...

367. The Vagina Bible, Shoes, and Other Essentials: A Conversation with Dr. Jen Gunter from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Dr. Jen Gunter, author of The Vagina Bible, and host of the new CBC show Jensplaining. Yes, it’s a Canadian show, and yes, I’m jealous.  We talk about debunking junk scien...

111. An Interview with Courtney Milan: Law, Books, and Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews New York Times Bestselling author Courtney Milan in this episode. They talk about the lawsuit filed by Ellora's Cave against Jane Litte and Dear Author, about legal things in gener...

366. Amanda and The Blacksmith Queen from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

[book aside="the-blacksmith-queen"] 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 T...

110. Subscription Services, What Jane’s Reading and Listener Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and I are together again - yay! We don't talk about the lawsuit against her because, well, many reasons. But we do talk about Kindle Unlimited, the KU All Stars, and a few of the different su...

365. Sunrise, Sunset, and Behind the Scenes in Publishing: Hanging out with Abby Zidle from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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...

109. A New Interview with Elyse from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah interviews Elyse and we discuss Many Many Things. We talk about why Elyse likes erotic dominant/submissive stories. We talk about the tropes she likes, alpha heroes, and power dyna...

364. Love, Romance, and Beautiful Friendships: Melody and Erin from Heaving Bosoms Podcast from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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. ...

108. Another Interview with Carrie Sessarego from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Carrie and Sarah discuss cons, and the magic of small and large communities of fans gathering in once place. We also talk about her research into women of the Victorian era, developments in science...

363. Seeing People In Front of Your Eyeballs: Aarya, Amanda, and Sarah at RWA 2019 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

107. An Interview with John Jacobson from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Jane and Sarah interview John Jacobson, whom you may know from his blog Dreaming in Books and from interacting with him on Twitter. He's been a romance reader and a unique voice in the r...

362. Live from The Strand: Romance Game Night! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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, A...

106. An Interview with Ilona Andrews from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After technical difficulties with a recording with Jane (DARN IT), I asked on Twitter if anyone would like to tell me about what they're reading for this week's podcast. So please meet Ilona Andrew...

361. Playing Verbal Poker with Nalini Singh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 Arch...

105. Catching Up on Listener Email: Fandoms, Recommendations, and More from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah dives into the email inbox to share what you have been writing to us about. We touch on reading recommendations for romance readers and young readers, along with fandoms, internati...

360. The First Draft Has Bad Breath and Bedhead: An Interview Jeaniene Frost from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

104. Another Interview with Kat Mayo from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews with Kat Mayo about blogging, Melina Marchetta and the possibility of her books being made into films. And when book bloggers get in a room, microphone or no microphone, we talk ab...

359. All the Things With Trisha Brown and Jess Pryde from Book Riot’s When In Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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, c...

103. Discussing Fandom from Down Under, and More Young Reader Recs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this week's episode, Sarah chats with Nikki, an Australian romance reader who is also part of the Buffy fandom Down Under. They chat about fandoms, and some of the reasons they make people happy...

358. Vajazzling Vageodes and Writing Romance with Abby Jimenez from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 abou...

102. An Interview with Renee Raudman, Audiobook Narrator, Part II from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In part II of Sarah's interview with Renee Raudman, they talk about how Renee handles reviews, and how she manages varying feedback on her performances. We discuss male narrators of romance fiction...

357. Aro and Ace Representation in Romance: An Interview with Amanda Jean from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 titl...

101. An Interview with Audiobook Narrator Renee Raudman, Part I from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

While at RWA, Sarah met with Renee Raudman, audiobook narrator, and asked her some of the questions that folks asked after her first interview with the podcast. We talk about how the audiobook wor...

356. Our Book Club Discussion of Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 Har...

100. More Books for Young Readers, Beta Heroes, and a Surprise for Jane from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We're back with more of our and your recommendations for young readers, plus a few beta hero recs from Jane. Then, to celebrate our 100th episode, a surprise at the end.

355. Podcasting, Representation, and Romance: A Conversation with Rudi Bremer and Kat Mayo from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Kat Mayo and Rudi Bremer are the team behind the BookThingo podcast, an Australian podcast about romance fiction. As you might imagine, I’m a fan - and I’ve known Rudi and Kat for a long time. Our ...

99. Recommendations for Young Readers – Part I from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The first of what could be three episodes filled with your recommendations of books for young readers.

354. Six Books Amanda’s Excited About, and Other Stories from BEA 2019 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda was at Book Expo America 2019, and she has books to recommend, titles to squee about, and a definite predilection for candles and reading cover blurbs, too. We talk about her impressions of...

98. Beta Heroes and Friends to Lovers: Sarah and Jane and Some Listener Mail from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah answer listener mail about beta heroes and friends to lovers plot lines. Prepare ye for book recommendations!

353. Setting Boundaries and Getting Help: A Candid Conversation with Dr. Kelly J. Baker from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Dr. Kelly J. Baker, who was also part of my episode with Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom last year. In this conversation, Kelly and I talk about her academic work studying white...

97. An Interview with L from the FBI from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and I received an email from L, who works for the FBI, and had a lot to say about accuracy in portrayals of the FBI in romance and romantic suspense. So of course we both asked her to do an in...

352. Live From BookLovers Con: Cards Against Romance Tropes, and Other Appropriate Topics from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recorded on May 16, 2019, it’s our live show from Book Lovers Con 2019! It’s fast, it’s funny, and it’s very silly. Thank you to Amanda and Elyse for doing the live show with em. Thank you to Eva ...

96. An Interview with Zoe Archer and Nico Rosso from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews authors Zoe Archer and Nico Rosso this week. They discuss pen names, the Ether Chronicles, strong female characters, adventure romance, and the existence of demon rock stars. We al...

351. Hidden Gems in Romance and Listener Email with Amanda & Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and I are chatting about making recommendations on Instagram, and about hidden gems in romance that maybe don’t get enough attention or mentions. We cover a lot of books here. We discuss boo...

95. An Interview with Kate Noble and Kate Rorick from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Kate Noble and Kate Rorick, who are conveniently the same person, about her upcoming historical romance, The Game and the Governess, and her upcoming novel, The Secret Diary of Liz...

350. Rose Does the Research: History and Professional Wrestling With Rose Lerner from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

What do Gothics and professional wrestling have in common? A lot - if you’re listening to Rose Lerner. Even if you’re not into professional wrestling, you’ll enjoy listening to her talk about it. ...

94. An Interview with Farrah Rochon from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

At RT, Sarah sat down with Farrah Rochon about her contemporary romance writing, her experience both self publishing and publishing through traditional presses, and about her conversations with wri...

349. Keeping the Audience in Mind Always: An Interview with Melonie Johnson from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m talking with Melonie Johnson, whom I first met nearly 10 years ago before she knew what RWA was. Now she’s releasing three books back to back as a debut author. Her first book, Getting Ho...

93. An Interview with Kit Rocha, Moira Rogers, Bree, and Donna, Part II from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The second half of our interview with Kit Rocha, Moira Rogers, Donna & Bree (and all of the above), wherein we talk about what books they've read recently, plus we cover Nicholas Cage and other ver...

348. Upbeat Fiction for Unpredictable Times: Live at East City Books with Mia Sosa, Tracey Livesay, and Sally Thorne! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This episode was recorded live at East City Books in Washington DC on April 11, 2019. I moderated a panel with Sally Thorne, Tracey Livesay, and Mia Sosa, titled Upbeat Fiction for Unpredictable Ti...

92. An Interview with Kit Rocha, Moira Rogers, Bree, and Donna, Part I from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down, at the request of Ms Bookjunkie, the writing duo behind Kit Rocha and Moira Rogers, better known as Bree and Donna.

347. Becoming My Own Audience: An Interview with Dahlia Adler from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Dahlia Adler, who does so many things, and so we’re going to talk about all of them. We discuss her job history in publishing, and how different areas in publishing are very...

91. Jane Recommends a Baseball Romance, Plus a Listener Question About Being a Reviewer from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Prior to RT, Jane and Sarah sat down to talk about a thoughtful and thought-provoking letter from a reader named Sue, who asked about our thought process when writing reviews, and whether we feel ...

346: Fuchsia has Followed Us Everywhere: Deep Diving Into Romance Cover Art with Kelly Faircloth from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Kelly Faircloth, senior writer for Jezebel.com, and frequent writer of excellent journalism about romance. I’ve interviewed Kelly before, and this time I wanted to talk to h...

90. An Interview with Jaci Burton from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down by listener request with Jaci Burton at Romantic Times 2014 to talk about publishing, changes in the industry over her career, and what she's working on now. We also talk about book...

345. Readers Fighting Plagiarism: An Interview with Kristy Caffeinated Fae and Claire Ryan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m talking with Kristy, known on Twitter as CaffeinatedFae, and Claire Ryan. Kristy is a former bookseller, and Claire is a fantasy writer and programmer, and together, they’ve been taking o...

89. An Interview With Author Denise Kiernan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Denise Kiernan, author of the book The Girls of Atomic City:The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II. This is a nonfiction narrative about the young women from rur...

344. Burnout – A Feminist Book about Stress: An Interview with Emily and Amelia Nagoski from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

I am so excited to share this conversation with you. Today I am talking with Emily and Amelia Nagoski, authors of Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. I think this might be one of tho...

88. An Interview With Maya Banks Part II, Plus Listener Email! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane asks Maya Banks about her response to reader disappointment with After the Storm. Jane talks about author responses to reader reactions, and then Sarah responds to listener email.

343. Our Book Club Discussion of Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s our first book club episode! Amanda, Elyse, Carrie, and I discuss a suggestion from Holly in our Patreon: Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake. We have a lot to talk about, and I have a few ...

87. An Interview with Maya Banks from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah interview New York Times bestselling author Maya Banks. We talk about what she's writing, and what she's reading - both Maya and Jane are fans of books that contain crack. We talk ab...

342. Stories are Everything: Learning about Narratology with Arkady Martine from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The suggestion for this guest came from EC Spurlock - thank you, thank you! Today I’m speaking with Arkady Martine, also known as Dr. AnnaLinden Weller. As Arkady Martine, she’s a science fiction ...

86. An Interview with Shauna Summers, Plus Listener Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Jane and Sarah chat with Shauna Summers, Executive Editor at Ballantine/Bantam/Dell. Shauna also taught a Romance Publishing course at NYU. We talk about her job, whether she does get to...

341. The Self Care of Unapologetically Massive Happy Endings: An Interview with Adriana Herrera from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Adriana Herrera, whose debut book American Dreamer is out this week! We talk about so many things, y’all. So many. We discuss the Afro Latinx cultural experience in her life...

85. An Interview with Carrie Sessarego from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

So, when Carrie and Sarah sit down to talk, what do they discuss? Buffy and tree houses, of course! In this podcast, we chat about worlds Carrie would like to live in or visit, favorite books to r...

340. Lesbian Relevant Sexuality in History: An Interview with Heather Rose Jones from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Nerd Diving Alert! Wanna take a very deep, very nerdy dive into lesbian-relevant sexuality in history? Grab your pressure-resistant diving pod and some snacks, because here were go! Heather Rose ...

84. An Interview with Marjorie M. Liu from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Marjorie Liu about her recently released book, the animated film she wrote, and her career writing in fiction, comics, graphic novels, and more.

339. Gathering in Person With Actual Humans: Amanda and Sarah on Book Clubs, Self Care, and Organizing the TBR from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah and Amanda are talking about the book clubs, crafting classes, and reader gatherings Amanda is coordinating, running, or attending, and how much she is enjoying all of them. She ha...

83. An Interview with RedHeadedGirl from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, RedHeadedGirl answers Sarah's questions, plus questions from readers on Twitter, which lead to ... still more questions. We discuss her catnip, what fandoms she loves, and what she's rea...

338. “We’re All Unlikeable Heroines Now:” An Interview with Rachel Hawkins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins about All The Things. You might know her name from the Hex Hall series, the Rebel Belle series, or the Royals series, or may...

82. An Interview with Tracey Garvis Graves, Author of On the Island from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane sit down with Tracey Garvis Graves, author of the bestseller On the Island, and talk about romance, self publishing, and book recommendations.

337. Lots and Lots of Murder: An Interview with Karen Rose from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week I’m chatting with New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose, and this episode was almost titled, "The catharsis of killing lots of people." She has a new book out February 12th titled...

81. An Interview with Kati D from DearAuthor from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk with Kati D about the books that brought her to review for DearAuthor, and what books she finds totally crackalicious. We talk about her disappointments with series that she has...

336. Reading Sanctuaries, Cat Poop, and Murder: A Conversation with Amanda and Elyse from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we are talking about reading sanctuaries. Well, we started by talking about reading sanctuaries, but you might guess from the title that we got a little sidetracked. Amanda, Elyse, and ...

80. An Interview with Elyse from Smart Bitches from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah interviews Elyse, who reviews romantic suspense, historicals and other fun things at Smart Bitches. She also likes to outline what parts of romance novel sex scenes really tick her...

335. Sweet Valley Nostalgia: An Interview with Karyn Moynihan and Anna Carey from the Double Love Podcast from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If you are familiar with the Dairy Burger, the chocolate bar, Nicholas Morrow, Winter Carnival, and 1BRUCE1, well, this episode is for you. Sometimes I get to interview people whose work I admire,...

79. An Interview with Jill Myles, Jessica Sims, and Jessica Clare - Part 2 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Our conversation from last week with Jessica Clare et al continues. We touch on trends, predictions, and many different books. We talk about dark, angsty, gritty romance, villain heroes, and lizard...

334. The Interpretive Art of Narrating Audiobooks: An Interview with Lorelei King from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with award-winning audiobook narrator, actress, and author Lorelei King. You might have heard her voice narrating The Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones, the Stephanie Plum...

78. An Interview with Jill Myles, Jessica Sims, and Jessica Clare - Part 1 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This is a delightfully NSFW edition of the podcast. We sit down with Jill Myles, Jessica Clare, and Jessica Sims. Fortunately that's all one person. We talk about crazy sauce books, her publishing ...

333. Thriving as a Company of One: An Interview with Paul Jarvis from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Paul Jarvis is a writer, designer, consultant, podcaster, and author whose latest book, Company of One is out on January 15th. I subscribe to his newsletter and find it to be one of the most intere...

77. Romantic Suspense, Lizard Heroes, and Other Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It's time for recommendations! First, an email from Maeve, who is looking for recommendations for books similar to The Last Hour of Gann, and another email from Bobbie, looking for romantic suspens...

332. The Bitches Look Ahead to 2019 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Happy New Year! Sarah, Amanda, Elyse, RedHeadedGirl, and Carrie gather for the second part of our end of year episodes: looking ahead to 2019! We talk about what we want to see in our reading, and...

76. Ugly-Cry Books, DNF books, and An Adorable Story from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Katie Dunneback/@YoungLibrarian called in with a question about ugly cry books, whether there's ugly cry at the beginning, or at the end. We do our best to answer. We also talk about DNF books, and...

331. The Bitches Recap 2018 – Reading and Otherwise from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah, Amanda, Elyse, and RedHeadedGirl get together to talk about reading - and other things -of 2018. Which books rocked our brains in the past year? We cover a LOT of books (I certainly do - I b...

75. Reviews and Responses, Plus Listener Email and Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Recently, during Digital Book World, Jane and I were in the same place- in the same room, event. A rare event! So we recorded a podcast together about recent author reactions and responses to revie...

330. Autonomy is the Original Witchcraft: An Interview with Elizabeth Hoyt from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Elizabeth Hoyt has a new historical series! We talk about her new book, Not the Duke’s Darling, the start of her new Greycourt series which comes out December 18th. Here are some words that will gr...

74. Reader Email: Historicals, Pitches, Pronunciation, and Recommendations from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and I discuss an email from a reader looking for historical recommendations. Plus, we find out what happens when an author emails us a pitch: Sarah does something terrible (unintentionally!) ...

425. Villainy and Revenge: Deep Diving into Hench with Natalie Zina Walschots from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

My 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, wo...

329. “Catching My Breath” – A Look Back and a Glimpse Forward With Beverly Jenkins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah chats with Beverly Jenkins, known in the romance community as Ms. Bev, one day after she finished and turned in her latest book. So of course we talk about that! We also talk about her new fi...

73. What We’re Reading, and When You Re-Read a Series from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah discuss what we're currently reading, and whether we're liking it. Then, we answer an email from Elizabeth who asks about re-reading a series and whether it holds up the second time.

424. The Duke Who Didn’t: Courtney Milan Answers Your Questions from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Courtney 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 p...

328. Listener Email and Voicemail with Sarah and Amanda from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we hear from you! We have listener email responding to some recent episodes, and some listener voicemail as well. We talk about what we’re reading, we offer recommendations for your favo...

72. A Quiz! With Highlanders, Billionaires, and Milk. from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Happy New Year! Ready for some fun? In this episode, Sarah quizzes Jane. WITH HIGHLANDERS. AND BILLIONAIRES. And milky pirates with clipart!

423. Vampires and Spicy Blood with Zoraida Córdova and Dhonielle Clayton from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today 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...

327. Give Yourself Permission to be Successful: Productivity and Self Honesty with Scarlett Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

At RWA in Denver this past summer, author Scarlett Cole gave a workshop about self belief and productivity. She believes that one can’t proceed without the other - and in her former life, she was a...

71. Discoveries You Envy, What Makes for Great Romance, and a Reader Email about Alpha Males from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This conversation started with Sarah MacLean in late November, and then continued online, after which I asked Jane about it, too. Sarah MacLean, in the latter part of our interview started talking ...

422. More Psychic Pining and Real Psychic Conversations with Amanda! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda’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 ta...

326. Empowerment, Divorce, and Romance: An Interview with Catherine Bybee from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee. We discuss her latest book, Chasing Shadows, and we also talk about her career as a writer, and the elements she combines ...

70. An Interview with Lisa Renee Jones from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah talk with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones about her self publishing experience, her career, and her perspective on marketing and promoting books directly to reader...

421. Love Will Get You Through: Reader Letters To Beverly Jenkins from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Ms. 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 so...

325. “The Most Brilliant Storytelling I’ve Ever Seen:” Courtney Milan and Yuri!!! on Ice from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Of all the things I could talk to Courtney Milan about, I think the best topic would be…figure skating. Specifically, Yuri!!! On Ice. Yuri!!! on Ice is an anime that contains multitudes, and it has...

69. An Interview with Chas Jenkins Patrick from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane sit down and talk with Chas Jenkins Patrick from Rock Star Lit, who works as a virtual assistant and marketing assistant for many authors. She's also Kristen Ashley's assistant, and ...

420. When No One Is Watching, with Alyssa Cole from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Alyssa 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...

324. Cathartic Video Games and Problematic Shipping: Amanda and Sarah Catch Up on Listener Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda talks about what is rocking her world, from volunteering opportunities to video games she loves. Spoiler: she’s hilarious. I talk about a book that I’m super curious about that involves deat...

68. An Interview with Renee Raudman from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah sits down (virtually) with Renee Raudman, audiobook narrator and romance fan. Renee has performed over 300 audiobooks in the past 7 years. We talk about performing romance, how her...

323. A Big Gay Fiction Interview with Jeff Adams and Will Knauss from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week I’m chatting with Jeff Adams and Will Knauss of the Big Gay Fiction Podcast. You’ll never guess what that podcast is about. We talk about how they met, what brought them to starting a pod...

67. An Interview with Sarah MacLean from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Sarah MacLean about her newest book, No Good Duke Goes Unpunished, and about her upcoming and final book in the Rules of Scoundrels series.

322. Breaking Up with Damaging Conventions in Romance: A Conversation with Kate Cuthbert from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Kate Cuthbert. Until very recently, Kate was the Managing Editor of Escape Publishing, Harlequin Australia. This was recorded while she still worked in that position. She’s ...

66. An Interview with Carly Phillips from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, Sarah interviews Carly Phillips about her decision to self publish, why she decided to make that move, and what role her readers played in her decision.

321. Royals Both Real and Fictional, with Lindsay Emory from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week I’m chatting with author and podcaster Lindsay Emory about royalty - both the royalty in her new book The Royal Runaway, and about the way many many people are interested in contemporary ...

65. When The Ending Goes South, and What We’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane answer a letter from Sue who asked how we grade a book when the book is awesome right up until the ending, and then the ending is terrible. Plus, we discuss what books we're currentl...

320. Deep Diving in our OTPs with Amanda, Elyse, and Sarah from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, we’re talking about shipping literally and figuratively! Do you stan Dramione? Have a lifelong thing for Jareth and Sarah? Platinum blond antiheroes are your jam? Adam Driver in reallll...

64. Readers, Authors, Expectations, and Reactions - Plus What’s Coming Up Next Week from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah take a topic suggestion from Angie James and discuss reader expectation and author obligations or responsibilities - if there are any. We also talk about reader reaction to certain b...

319. Realistic Characters and Even More Realistic Settings: An Interview with Sarah Morgan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Sarah Morgan, who I’ve known for a while now, and interviewed on the podcast before. Her latest book, The Christmas Sisters, is out, so we talk about her latest novel, and t...

63. Stopping, Buying, New Genres, and What We’re Reading from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week's podcast is a mix of topics. We talk about when we quit reading a book and why, and we discuss the price points of books and whether that influences our quitting - and our buying. We dis...

318. Sharp Academics and Paranormal Romance: An Interview with Kelly Baker, PhD, and Tressie McMillan Cottom, PhD from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m talking with two nifty academics, so get ready to maybe take notes. I’m talking with Tressie McMillan Cottom, PhD, sociology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Kelly Baker...

62. Reader Email, and a Quiz for Jane! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

A quiz! Sarah quizzes Jane on books, titles, and synopses. Please be warned, this is a rather inappropriate quiz. We also have some reader mail to share, plus a question from Twitter.

317. Time May Not Be Linear: An Interview with Nicola Cornick from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with author Nicola Cornick, whose newest timeslip novel, The Phantom Tree, recently kept Elyse and I reading nonstop. In this interview, we talk about the transition she made fro...

61. Listener Mail: First Person, Feeling Alone, and Whether You’re Weird (You’re Not!) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Reader mail! Mail bag! Jane and I answer and discuss listener mail about first person storytelling, books that everyone else loves but you, and more. Plus we talk about what we're reading right now.

316. Sarah and Amanda Talk Book Nesting and Re-Reading Series from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda and I catch up now that Amanda has moved into her new apartment - and unpacked probably a thousand books. Then we talk about Amanda’s current adventure re-reading a series she’s not enjoying...

60. Irish Contemporaries, And What Comes Next from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Danielle the Book Queen is looking for contemporary romances set in Ireland. Sarah tries to remember a book title based on a cover description (again). Ashley F. asks what we think is the next big ...

315. Intercepted with Alexa Martin from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I get to chat with a debut author, Alexa Martin, about her upcoming book, Intercepted, which comes out on the 11th of September. Intercepted is very much inspired by her own life as the spou...

59. Reader Recommendations: Paranormal Romance and Historical Mysteries from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Time for listener mail! Jane and Sarah answer two email messages from listeners, one from a reader who is looking for paranormal recommendations, and another who is looking for historical mysteries...

314. Talking Travel with RedHeadedGirl and Sonja Rouillard from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week, RedHeadedGirl and I are interviewing Sonja Rouillard, author of the Romance Readers Guide to Historic London. We talk about the origin story to the travel guide, and how it helped RedHe...

58. Buying Reviews and Gaming the System, Plus Books We’re Excited About from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane are back, this time talking about buying reviews and gaming the book recommendation and sales system. Plus we discuss two books we're really excited about.

313. Tracking Changes: An Interview with Bowling Green Browne Pop Culture Library Archivist Steve Ammidown from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, I’m chatting with Steve Ammidown, who is the Manuscripts and Outreach Archivist at the Browne Popular Culture Library at Bowling Green. We talk about what Steve’s job means, what...

57. Interviews from the Brisbane Writers’ Festival Green Room from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews Justine Larbalestier, Scott Westerfeld, Graeme Simsion, and Anna Campbell from the Brisbane Writers' Festival Green Room in Brisbane, Australia.

312. Unruly Women, Camouflaging Misogyny, and Controlling Our Narratives: An Interview with Anne Helen Petersen from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

The paperback edition of Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud: The Rise and Reign of Unruly Women came out on August 7th, and I had the opportunity to ask author Anne Helen Peterson about the book, and ab...

56. An Interview With Awesome Australian Readers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After Sarah's recent session at the Melbourne Writers Festival, she found herself hanging out in the festival area with a few readers and a book seller -- an altogether awesome group of people who ...

311. A Nerdy Bookish Deep Dive into My Oxford Year with Julia Whelan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

After we recorded our interview about My Oxford Year, author Julia Whelan asked if I ever did more spoiler-heavy analytical conversations about books after they’re published. Well, we do now! In ...

55. In Australia with Destiny Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

G'day from Australia! Sarah is down under and had a chat with Sarah Fairhall and Carol George from Destiny Romance, the digital first imprint of Penguin Australia. We talked about how it started, w...

310. Heroine Sociopaths and Emotional Suspense: An Interview with Victoria Helen Stone from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

First: my apologies. In this recording, Victoria sounds terrific. I’m somewhere underwater, and predominantly on the right side. Egads. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but I apologize in advance. Bu...

54. An Interview with Erin Galloway - Part Two! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Erin Galloway, Associate Director of Publicity and Marketing at Penguin, is back to answer your questions about negative reviews, and how one becomes a romance publicist. She also tells us what she...

309. Cards Against Romance Tropes: Our Live Show at RWA! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Alisha Rai and Melonie Johnson joined me for our live show at RWA 2018, where we played a very limited edition game, Cards Against Romance Tropes. We start with my learning that Julia Quinn’s Bri...

53. Reading Devices, Plus a Quiz! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane are back together, this week answering a reader letter from Kim who asks about what we read on, and how we organize our books. Sarah also crafted a horribly devious quiz for Jane, w...

308. Sarah and Amanda are Terrible at Watching TV (But We Talk About it Anyway) from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Amanda tweeted that she’s terrible at watching tv, which is something I’ve said about myself many, many times. When I asked her about it, we started a long conversation about series, storytelling i...

52. An Interview with Lisa Gardner from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Erin Galloway, who you heard from in podcast #49, set up an interview for Sarah at RWA this year with Lisa Gardner. Lisa has been writing romantic suspense for 20+ years, and Erin thought I'd have...

307. Witnessing History and the Vital Reassurance of Romance: An Interview with Jessica Luther from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Jessica Luther, author of the book Unsportsmanlike Conduct: College Football and the Politics of Rape. She’s also one of the hosts of the feminist sports podcast Burn It All...

51. An Interview with Drs. Joanna Gregson and Jen Lois about the Gendered Community of Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down with Dr. Joanna Gregson and Dr Jen Lois, two professors of sociology who are doing a years-long study of the sociology of the romance writing community.

306. Historical Gossip and Useful Women: An Interview with Darcie Wilde from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Darcie Wilde, author of the Rosalind Thorne mystery series. Rosalind is the heroine of the series, and in the first book, A Useful Woman, she finds herself in reduced circum...

50. RWA, Audiobooks, Condoms, and Nerds: Sarah Answers Listener Mail from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week Sarah answers some listener email about issues such as the differences between the RWA National Conference and the RT Book Lovers' Convention, and some excellent romance audiobooks to try...

305. More from RT 2018: There Are Some Books Around Here, and Some Creepy Dolls from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It’s time for part two of my recordings from Romantic Times 2018. We’re chatting about RT while we were still there over lunch and wine - ah, the delays of extensive editing. We have several mea...

49. An Interview with Erin Galloway from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this interview, Sarah Wendell and Erin Galloway chat about the difference between publicity, marketing, and promotion - they are, in fact, different! Erin loves romance, and loves the books she...

304. “You Have a Type and it Might be Mullets” – Sarah, Amanda, and Elyse are VERY Silly About Books and Villainy from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like when we hang out in a room together, well, this episode is for you. And if you need a lot of silly laughter, this is definitely the episode for you. While w...

48. Nerd Characters from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We answer a reader letter and discuss nerd heroes and heroines - including the question of what, exactly, are we talking about when we talk about nerd characters? What does it mean if a reader is ...

303. There is So Much Heroism and Good in People: An Interview with Laura Bradbury from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

TISSUE WARNING: this episode might make you cry. I got teary while recording it. Today I’m talking with author Laura Bradbury about her memoirs, her new novella project, and her liver transplant....

47. Jane goes to BEA But First Sarah Quizzes Jane from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Surprise! A new episode a few days after the last one! This week we're talking about Book Expo America, the Book Blogger Conference at BEA, and what Jane's looking forward to this year. Sarah also ...

302. The Value of Talking To Book People: Amanda Reports on BEA and BookCon 2018 from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Fresh from the fresh hell that is the Javits Center, Amanda and Sarah chat about Amanda’s adventures at BEA, better known as Book Expo America, and BookCon, which happened last week. Sometimes I ca...

46. RT, Swag, Promo Items, and Recommendations: An Interview with Angela James from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk with Angela James, Executive Director of Carina Press, about the Romantic Times convention, and how it's changed over the years - she's been attending for nearly 10 years. We al...

301. Making Up Stories With Theatrical Inspiration : An Interview with Lucy Parker from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This week I’m chatting with author Lucy Parker, who wrote some of my recent favorite contemporary romances (you might have heard me talk about Act Like It once or twice?). She’s just signed a new c...

45. Interview with Kristen Ashley from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this week's podcast, Kristen Ashley talks with Sarah and Jane about writing younger characters, a departure from her usual writing, she says, and about her interactions with her fans. She also t...

300. Our Live Show at RT: Chatting and Romance Feud from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

It's our 300th Episode! Robin Bradford, Amanda, Elyse and I hosted a live recording of the podcast at RT 2018, and now it’s here for everyone’s enjoyment as our 300th episode! If we were tv we’d ...

44. More on the DABWAHA, Plus Reader Questions about Triad Erotic Romances from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We start by taking a look at the reader nominations while they were still in the process of being decided, and we talk about the DAWBWAHA tournament and how it works. Then we answer a reader letter...

299. On Blogging and Publishing: An Interview with Thea James and Ana Grilo, The Book Smugglers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m speaking with Ana Grilo and Thea James, who are better known as The Book Smugglers. They’re bloggers, writers, authors, and editors - and at the helm of Book Smugglers Publishing. We talk...

43. The DABWAHA, What We’re Reading, and Listener Voicemail and Email from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk about the 2013 DABWAHA: what it is, what it means, and how it works! We also talk about what we're reading, plus we answer listener voicemail and email.

298. Being Brave: An Interview with Talia Hibbert from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m chatting with Talia Hibbert, author of Wanna Bet, A Girl Like Her, and other books that have been receiving a lot of positive exclamation points online. She’s been writing while finishing...

42. Cheating Romances and Male-Male Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

More reader mail! Jane and Sarah answer letters about cheating and infidelity in romances, and one reader's ethical concerns about male/male romance.

297. Song of Blood and Stone: An Interview with Leslye Penelope from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

41. Plot Moppets and Pet Moppets from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We answer a reader letter from Elyse about kids and pets in romance - and how often they become matchmaking plot devices. We also talk about what we're currently reading, including a discussion of ...

296. Acting, Narrating, and Writing: An Interview with Julia Whelan from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Today I’m interviewing Julia Whelan, author of the new book, My Oxford Year, which just came out this week, on April 24, 2018. This is a full score production: dogs barking! Car horns! The street...

40. Listener Mail - and A Quiz! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

We start with a quiz that was entirely inspired by Linda Holmes' Television Pop Quiz on Pop Culture Happy Hour. Sarah challenges Jane to identify which book description is an actual book. Jane does...

295. Inclusive History, Magical Writing, and Fan Art: An Interview with KJ Charles from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 perspectiv...

39. Getting the Billionaires Right from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Jane and Sarah discuss getting the habits and attitudes of billionaires right - and when depictions of wealth in some romances leave us laughing. We also talk about burgling Nalini Singh's home, an...

294. Women in Aussie Rules Football: A Chat with Amy Andrews, Catherine Evans, and Nicola Marsh from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 h...

38. Blue Collar Heroes from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, we attempt to define blue collar heroes - and figure out whether they really exist. We talk about what drives Sarah nuts about sex scenes and erotica. And then, can Jane convince S...

293: The Elements of Surprise: Untwisting the Twist with Vera Tobin, PhD from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 West...

37. Holiday Romances! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah and Jane talk holiday romances! What we don't like about them (kind of a lot of things) and a few books that we do like. Plus, we attempt to answer the burning question, "How many Christmas b...

292. Amanda and Sarah Visit With Audiobooks from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 audiob...

36. An Interview with Kat from BookThingo from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah sits down with Kat from BookThingo.com.au to talk about reading, reviewing and romance readers in Australia. She also shared some authors and book titles she was most excited about, particul...

291. Encouraging Readers and Fostering Confidence: An Interview with Margaret H. Willison from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 t...

35. Books as Gifts from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this episode, Sarah and Jane talk about books as gifts! We've crafted a mini book gift guide for different folks, talking about books we've given as gifts in the past. We've got suggestions if y...

290. The Art and Magic of Designing Book Covers: An Interview with Regina Flath from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 Fla...

34. Study in Seduction, Listener Mail, and the DoJ from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

In this podcast, Jane and Sarah disagree mightily about a book they've both read, Study in Seduction by Nina Rowan. Jane liked it, Sarah did not, and we debate the reasons why some parts of the boo...

289. Intimacy, Trust, and Consent: An Interview with Mona Darling, Kink Coach and Pro Domme from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 - thank you, Thien-Kim! So first an...

33. Listener Mail: Your Questions, Our Answers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

This episode is all about listener mail! We respond to email and voice mail messages and discuss humorous romance, romances with GLBT secondary characters, and recommendations for folks asking for ...

288. Tweeting About Romance History: An Interview with Elisabeth Lane of Cooking Up Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 onlin...

32. Serial Fiction in Romance from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Podcast time! This week, Jane and Sarah discuss serial fiction, whether it works for us as readers and why it's a trend that's happening now. We talk about what we're reading and reviewing, plus th...

287. Take Risks and Keep Going: An Interview with Lorraine Heath from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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, ho...

31. RWA Interview with Molly O’Keefe and Stephanie Doyle from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah interviews authors Stephanie Doyle and Molly O'Keefe at RWA, a few hours prior to the RITA ceremonies. They discuss romance reading, reviewing, and the things that romance gets right - and oh...

286. The Importance of Friendship, Writing, Great Lipstick, and Romance: An Interview with Jasmine Guillory from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 ...

30. More RWA Interviews: Editors, Authors and Writers from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

Sarah Wendell interviews Michelle Beidelspach, Serena McLemore, and Amy Pierpont from Grand Central, author Donna Alward, and aspiring author Taylor Reynolds.

285. Labyrinth, Girl Scout Cookies, and Good Book Noise: An Interview with S. Jae-Jones from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

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 co...

29. Book Accessibility: An Interview with Sassy Outwater, Pratik Patel, Laurel Montgomery and Kodak from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393

SB Sarah interviews Sassy Outwater, her dog, Pratik Patel, and Laurel Montgomery about ebook accessibility and brussels sprouts.

442. A 2021 Books Preview with Erin Galloway from Berkley from 2021-01-29T06:00:02

Erin Galloway and I are talking about some of the books that are coming out this year from Berkley. We’ve got competency p0rn romances, bodyguards protecting brilliant women, and hilarious mysterie...

441. Bosoms and Bitches: A NSFW Discussion of Toxic Desire from 2021-01-22T07:00:28

[bookaside slug="toxic-desire"] It’s a special, extended length episode: Amanda and I are joined by Melody and Erin from the incredibly delightful podcast Heaving Bosoms! I guested on their show an...

440: Laziness Does Not Exist with Dr. Devon Price from 2021-01-15T07:00:01

I have been so excited to share this interview. Devon Price is the author of Laziness Does Not Exist, which outlines the three main ways in which “the Laziness Lie” deceives us into denying ourselv...

439. Later, 2020! With Shana, Claudia and Carrie from 2021-01-08T07:00:27

Shana, Claudia, and Carrie, gather to talk books, re-reading, knitting, comfort reading, switching genres, books set in California, figuring out what books are five star reads, and the different wa...

438. Later, 2020! With Kiki and Amanda from 2021-01-01T07:00:37

We are still gathering in groups across many time zones to say goodbye to 2020, and to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020. Bad internet in South Africa got...

437. Farewell 2020 With Catherine Heloise, Sneezy and Maya from 2020-12-25T07:00:30

The SBTB team is still gathering in groups across many time zones to say goodbye to 2020, and to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020. In this episode, Cathe...

436. Saying Goodbye to 2020 With Ellen, Elyse, and Tara! from 2020-12-18T07:00:54

The SBTB team is gathering in groups across many time zones to look back at the books, shows, and other essentials that got us through 2020, and to look ahead to 2021. Everyone brings a question to...

435. Fashion, History, and Romance with Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell from 2020-12-11T07:00:21

[bookaside slug="the-way-we-wed"] We are talking fashion today! My guest today is Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, fashion historian, person behind the @WornOnThisDay Twitter account, and author of the ...

434. Fried Food, Family Drama (and Jazz): Sexy Small Towns with Reese Ryan from 2020-12-04T07:00:01

[bookaside slug="second-chance-on-cypress-lane"] My guest today is Reese Ryan, YouTube host and author of the new book, Second Chance on Cypress Lane. We talk about her book, the levels of food p0r...

433. Life, Death, Memory, and Immortality: A Conversation with VE Schwab from 2020-11-27T07:00:36

Amanda and I are talking with VE Schwab, author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, a book we both enjoyed tremendously. We talk about the 10-year process of writing it and the power of telling a...

432. Saving Endangered Animals, Plus Romance: A Conversation with Michelle Hazen from 2020-11-20T07:00:39

Michelle Hazen is a romance author and a wildlife tortoise biologist, a semi-nomadic career (the biologist part) (and also the author part) that informs much of her writing. We talk about saving ba...

431. Amanda and Sarah’s Q&A Part Deux: Silly Bugaloo from 2020-11-13T07:00:40

We’re back with more questions from our Patreon community! We have questions about books, romance covers, and of course, food. Strong opinions? Yes! Silliness! Also yes!Thank you again to the Patre...

430. A Very Silly Q&A with Amanda and Sarah from 2020-11-06T07:00:56

With the help of the Podcast Patreon community, Amanda and I are answering silly questions to help get us all through Hellweek.If you're like me, and a little stressed/overwhelmed/chin-deep-in-exis...

429. Here She Is: Discussing Beauty Pageants and History with Dr. Hilary Levey Friedman from 2020-10-30T06:00:34

My guest today is Dr. Hilary Levey Friedman, Brown University professor and author of the new book Here She Is: The Complicated Reign of the Beauty Pageant in America. I had a chance to read the bo...