Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

I didn’t know this, but author Freya Marske has been so eager to be a guest on my show, and today, it’s happening! Her latest book, A Restless Truth, is out this week, and if you like queer magical historical mysteries with murder, this series is for you. We talk about magic having a physical cost, and how she highlights the classism and sexism of a magical system controlled and maintained mostly by men. We also talk about her favorite magical systems in fiction, magical spells, and we end with Many, Many recommendations. Grab a cauldron and join us!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Amanda and I are back for cover mayhem! We’ve got crimes against Tom Hardy, questionable titles, and lots of visual silliness. There’s background barking of support from Zeb, inquiries as to the union terms of the shifter cover wolves, and questions about the futility of truly ever knowing who it was that let the dogs out.Thanks to David T. Cole for helping me figure out how to add images. You should be able to see the covers on your screen when we talk about them.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One weekend, Alisha Rai got married. Then, two weeks later, her new book came out. So let’s talk about all the things!We cover her wedding, the parties, and how part of her wedding was at a celebrity’s mansion (but we had no idea until the end). And of course, we talk about her newest book, Partners in Crime. We discuss portraying mental health struggles and coping mechanisms, as well as sequel bait, and writing a great caper romance.Come party, reminisce, and celebrate with us!…Music: Purple-Planet.com…Coupons!Get 20% OFF @honeylove + Free Shipping with promo code SARAH at https://www.honeylove.com! #honeylovepodBetter nights rest with CBD Sleep from NextEvo. Get 25% off subscription orders of $40 or more at NextEvo.com with promo code SARAH Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is a weird one - enjoy!Amanda and I have brought zany questions to answer, and we’re going to cover insults, ghosts, pets, and more.But we want to hear YOUR answers, too!Especially the one involving Grimace....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty is the first in the Midsolar Murders series, and is out this week!Amanda and I both really liked Station Eternity, so we were very excited to ask a bunch of questions!We talk about the absence of grief in the aftermath of murder in some mystery series, how aliens in Lafferty’s world perceive humans (spoiler: wet) and how a sentient ship is both creepy and comforting.Worry not, this is a spoiler-free conversation, and I hope it makes you curious about this book, too.So. Would you want to be kidnapped or escorted off the planet by aliens?…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyla Zhao is my guest this week ahead of the release of her debut novel, The Fraud Squad, coming out in January! Kyla’s book was inspired by her time working for high society magazines like Tatler and Vogue in Singapore. We talk about cultural differences, Trader Joe’s, and how her book was her antidote to doom scrolling in 2020....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reading romance can lead to many things, including…dyeing wool!Today my guest is Nakia of Wild Star Fibers, who created the Romancelandia collection of yarn. Knitters and readers unite! We’re going to talk about what books inspired the Romancelandia collection, and how she translated tropes to color combinations.I will have links to her shop in the show notes and she will be putting some of the extras up for sale very soon.…Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tara Scott joins me to talk about the television show A League of Their Own! You might have seen her review, and maybe you’ve seen folks talking about it online – it’s wonderful. So we’re gonna squee about it, and no worries – no spoilers.Heads up – there is some discussion of the consequences of being arrested for being queer at that time period, and that discussion begins at about 24 minutes in.Thank you to FashionablyEvil for making a surprise appearance in the episode thanks to their comment on Tara’s review!...Music: purple-planet.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’ve been talking about this book for weeks, and now I get to talk to the author: Deanna Raybourn joins me to talk about her new thriller, Killers of a Certain Age.We talk about the power of being underestimated, and the painfulness of being expected to disappear as you age.Battles against misogyny! Destroying the patriarchy! Aging is awesome!Join us for a very casual discussion of hypothetical and and actual historical murder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we are catching up on what we’re looking forward to, and in particular, what BOOKS we’re looking forward to this fall!Amanda shares trends she’s noticing amid the books that are being heavily promoted for this fall, too. We coverWitchesRevengePowerful scheming womenQueer horrorHeistsRetellings of classic storiesAdventure comedies What’s on your list this fall?Plus, I have the answer to last week's joke! Why does it take 645.5 librarians to change a lightbulb? Listen to find out....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.