Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

Time for another Heaving Bosoms Crossover!The first part of this recap of Dragon Called is up this week at Heaving Bosoms, and here for your listening pleasure is part II. I do a quick recap at the start, so no worries.This book, and episode, are both very NSFW though - heads up for that.***Important coupon news!To celebrate 5 years of HEAs, Love’s Sweet Arrow is offering Smart Bitches listeners 20% off purchases in store and online throughout the month of August with code SMARTBITCHES.In addition, all orders over 100 dollars will receive a free gift with purchase. Enter code SMARTBITCHES at checkout online or mention it in store to receive your discount.Code applies only to in-stock products. Free gift will be selected by staff when filling your order.***New customers GET $5 OFF a Lume Starter Pack with code SARAH30 at lumedeodorant.com/sarah.***Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mimi Matthews joins me to talk about self publishing historical romance, and about being one of many lawyers who write romance. We also talk about chronic pain and recovery, disability, and the joys of re-reading. Plus, she shares some of her all time favorite historical romances.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In past years, Amanda and I would be at different romance conferences around this time, and it got me thinking. So we connected to talk about what we miss about romance-focused conferences, and what would our ideal book-focused conference look like?So! Many! Links! To share with you! I wrote about the RT cling-film signage back in 2013The episode where we are high: Episode 304. You Have a Type and It Might be Mullets: Sarah, Amanda and Elyse at RTEpisode 566: . The Blessings of Comfort Reads with KJ Charles Episode 371. Amanda and AJ Have Major Book Hangover from Gideon the NinthThe Unofficial Romantic Times IndexBack issues of RT sometimes appear on eBayMy review of A Most Agreeable MurderSteamy Lit ConFall in Love with New EnglandApollyconBrookline Booksmith  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agatha Andrews from the She Wore Black podcast joins me to share some summer horror recs perfect for romance readers! We also discuss her activism in Texas, how libraries are sanctuaries, and the origins of purse bingo as a charity fundraiser. Plus, what happens when Taylor Swift fans and Stoker Con share the same hotel. COUPON! Get 40% off your first order over $30 at http://lumedeodorant.com/sarah!Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cathy Yardley joins me this week to talk about her new book, Role Playing, which is a Gen-X romance featuring “an unapologetically grumpy forty-eight-year-old hermit” who joins an online gaming guild as Bogwitch and meets a healer named Otter. We talk about writing romance for 20 years and counting, and Cathy shares video game recs and book recs, too! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Rachel Lynn Solomon’s newest book Business or Pleasure and in Lana Ferguson’s new book The Nanny, both authors engage directly with sex positivity and honest intimacy through their characters and the plot.I’ll let the authors describe their books, but we’re talking about sex lessons where the heroine is teaching the hero how to be better at sex after a terrible one night stand, about OnlyFans and autonomous sex work, and most of all, about how romance is encouraging people to own their sexuality and advocate for their pleasure and satisfaction. I had a BALL recording this, and I hope you enjoy listening to it just as much. Thank you to Kristin Cipolla, their publicist at PenguinRandomHouse, for the incredible pitch and for setting up this interview. Coupons! Coupons: Get 20% OFF @honeylove with at honeylove.com/sarah! #honeylovepod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Librarian Robin Bradford has a new book: The Reader’s Advisory Guide to Romance! We talk about what reader’s advisory is, and how she teaches libraries to welcome readers looking for romance, and introduce romance to readers who aren’t aware it’s something they like.Robin talks a lot about book covers as marketing devices on Twitter, so of course we talk about the evolution of romance covers, too, plus summer book lists from schools and the media, and different online sources for book discovery. (Yes, I’m still navigating low-grade grief at the loss of Twitter personally and professionally.) Robin also gives library workshops to other librarians (a profession that is eighty-six percent White) about diversifying collections, and we talk a lot about that experience.Most important - how do you support your library? Robin has suggestions!Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Melanie Hamrick is a former ballerina at the American Ballet Theatre and has just released her debut romance, First Position. So we are talking about ballet, and about balancing - both on your toes, and in career changes. We also cover how much writing and ballet have in common.We are talking about professional ballet, so there is some mention of disordered eating and extreme body consciousness.Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison Goodman’s new book, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies is out this week, and you are definitely going to want to read this book - and listen to this episode! We talk about her book, of course, and about writing female-forward action scenes featuring “old maids.”We also talk about her recently completed doctorate, which was in historical fiction research methodology. So come for the Regency spinsters, and stay for the deep dive into research. This is a very fun conversation, which is fitting because it’s about a very fun book.A special thank you to Yazmine Hassan for setting up this interview!Music:Purple-Planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently KJ Charles tweeted about how absolutely devouring the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins helped “save her sanity during the 2020 lockdown.”So I asked if she’d talk to me about it - and to my surprise this is a popular topic at the moment! She recently did a panel about comfort reading, and I’m really excited to take a look at what makes a comfort read, well, comfy. Plus, we learn what a HFY ending is.And brace yourself, we have a LOT of recs....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.