Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

Agatha Andrews is the host of the She Wore Black podcast which focuses on gothic and horror, and a former librarian. I was a guest on her show, and now she comes over to visit with me! Horror and romance need to hang out. So we did!We talk about readers advisory, all the ways to connect books to readers, and then we take a deep dive into the books that rocked her world as a reader.Do you have any erotic unicorn horror to recommend to Agatha? Got a favorite gothic or horror you adore? Tell me about it, please!...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk historical heist romances! Erica Ridley joins me to talk about her newest book, Nobody’s Princess, the latest in her Winchester series, which she describes as putting “Umbrella Academy, Oceans 11, and Batman in a blender and pouring out romantic comedy,” or, “Heists that Bang.”You can find Erica Ridley at her website https://ericaridley.com/ She’s on all the socials and medias, and as she mentioned, you can join her VIP group for free books and early access to exclusive content.Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Julie Garwood’s latest book, Grace Under Fire, is out now, and I got to chat with her about her writing career, her process, and writing historicals and romantic suspense. Grab a snack and a beverage and come visit with one of the authors I admire most. (No, my inner 13 year old was not chill. Not even a little.)You can find Julie Garwood at her website, JulieGarwood.com.…Music: Purple-planet.comThank you to Julie Garwood, and thank you to Stephanie Felty for setting this up. And to Tara, Laura, and Deanna for questions! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Jackson’s new book, The Accidental Pinup, is out now, and I bet you’ve seen the cover in many, many places. It’s terrific. Danielle and I chat about her book, what happened when she saw the cover, and about every professional role she’s had within publishing. She’s been a publicist - she was my publicist for one of my books! She’s also a bookseller, and now she’s an author. So her perspective on the book world is very informed, and pretty unique. We talk about her book, about bookstore events behind the scenes, and what trends we think might be coming next. You can find Danielle Jackson on her website at DanielleJacksonBooks.com. She also co-hosts the Fresh Fiction podcast!Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonali Dev has some very big news! Her upcoming book, The Vibrant Years, is one of the debut titles of Mindy Kaling’s new imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio. So we talk and squee and talk some more about Kaling’s work, about The Vibrant Years, and what Mindy’s Book Studio means for her new book. Has she texted Mindy yet? I will ask!We also talk about her recent interview in Town & Country magazine, and what she’s working on now. Plus, because Sonali is the greatest, she brought jokes. Multiple bad jokes at the end for everyone to enjoy!Special thanks to Jen Jacobs for editing this episode, and to Garlic Knitter for the transcript. Thanks to Jes Brock for setting up this interview.Special note about the intro/outro: Yup, I have COVID. My voice sounds exceptionally weird. I'm doing okay, and thank you for understanding.Music: purple-planet.comCoupons? Coupons! Visit Carawayhome.com/SARAH for 10% your next purchase: Non-toxic cookware made modern.Visit Ritual.com/SARAH for 10% your first three months of vegan-friendly multivitamins delivered to your door. Visit Thrivecausemetics.com/SPTB for 15% off your first order: the Liquid Balm Lip Treatment is terrific. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sutanya Dacres is a podcaster whose new memoir, Dinner for One: How Cooking in Paris Saved Me, just came out. Her memoir is the story behind her podcast: she met and married a French man, moved to Paris…and then her marriage didn’t work out. It’s also the story of her staying in Paris, rebuilding her life, and learning to embrace her new home. Her podcast features Sutanya cooking dinner for one while telling stories about her life, the food she’s making, and challenging the more easily discovered narratives about Americans in Paris. In this episode, we are going to talk about being a Black American in Paris, roasted red pepper salad, and whether or not there are chicken fingers in French supermarkets. Thank you to Justine Sha and Laura Gianino for helping schedule this interview!Would you like the recipe for the red pepper salad? Merci beaucoup to Sutanya for giving permission to share it! Algerian Felfla Salad (Bell Pepper Salad) Sutanya DacresIngredients 4 bell peppers (any color or color combination) 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt Pepper Preparation 1. Preheat oven to gas mark 8/ 450 ° F/ 230 ° C 2. Put peppers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the peppers are soft. Black spots on the skin are normal. 3. Remove and allow to cool. Once cooled peel off the skin, remove stem and seeds and cut peppers into strips. 4. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat, add garlic, tomatoes and peppers. 5. Cook until tomatoes are soft and all of the vegetables are well incorporated. Add salt and pepper to taste. 6. This salad can be enjoyed by itself, on toast or over rice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Perpetua Neo is a psychologist and author of the new book, This is What Matters: A Step-by-Step Workbook for Identifying Your Values, Priorities, and Path Forward after a Crisis. I’ve been reading and working through the journaling prompts, and wanted to interview her to talk about the origins of this workbook, and her practice working with people.This is What Matters is a series of questions and prompts to help people with post-traumatic growth in identifying on an individual level, well, what matters to you.We also discuss:Sleeping like a lionEmbracing free unscheduled timeCognitive PhotoshopIdentifying the life one wants and starting to build it nowWhen was the last time your heart really sang?If you’re someone who keeps a journal, this episode will give you a lot to think about.I love books that encourage people to identify their individual desires and goals and enable them to practice the life they want to lead.Thank You to Maria Orlandi from Adams Media.…Music: purple-planet.comCoupons:Get 15% off your first order when you visit thrivecausemetics.com/SPTBGo to paireyewear.com/SARAH for 15% off your first purchase.FREE 1 year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at athleticgreens.com/SARAH. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elissa Sussman joins me to talk about her book, Funny You Should Ask, and all about: Writing a horny heroine’s POVDual timelinesCelebrity profilesLife as a celebrity and managing a fandomThings that do, and do not twitchElissa is an extremely fluent fan of the romance genre, and we talk a lot about romance conventions we love and loathe, and what it means to subvert and undermine some very familiar dynamics, characters, and tropes. If you love celebrity profiles, the narratives that construct fame, and behind the scenes details, you’ll like this book, and you’ll probably really like this conversation. Please join us! Thank you to Melissa Folds and Courtney Mocklow at Penguin RandomHouse for setting up this interview! So - what’s your favorite celebrity profile? Do you follow celebrity gossip narratives? What sites are your faves? Email me - I would love to know. I personally love the DeuxMoi subreddit (not the instagram feed itself). Tell me yours? ...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 also releasing her third novel, Do You Take This Man.Denise is also a wedding officiant! So we are going to talk about the process of uniting people in matrimony, what she loves most, and making the event meaningful for the people who are present. So many happy wedding stories, this episode will make you smile.Thank you to Daché J. Rogers and Erin Galloway for setting up this interview!  Have you officiated a wedding? Been at a memorable wedding event? Tell me everything?...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 in romantic fiction” in the journal Fat Studies, and she’s written about fat rep in romance for SBTB a few times, too. We talk about the evolution of fat characters in romance, what’s changing, and then Shana shares the romances that made her a romance reader - and the books that rock her world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.