Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

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, allergies, and all the book recs. If you like hanging out while we chat, this episode is for you. Thanks to everyone in the Patreon community for their questions!...Music: purple-planet.com...Show notes, links and book recs: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/?post_type=podcast&p=100162 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 origin story of Penric and Desdemona, how her retirement partially rests on self publishing, and how much manga she’s reading and watching - with recommendations.Thank you to our Patreon community for the transcript, and to Laura G., Francene, Jamie, and Agnes for the questions!...Music: purple-planet.comFull show notes with links to books: http://bit.ly/461McMasterBujold Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, the process of writing this book over ten years, and the weirdness of seeing your younger self in animated gifs.Find the books and show notes: ...Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 science about menopause, and the history of how predatory patriarchal bullcrap has influenced how we think, talk, and learn about menopause. We also talk about pseudoscience, getting health advice from Facebook and Instagram (bad idea jeans), and curly hair!TW/CW we talk briefly about weight changes during menopause, and how people in medicine treat people based on weight (not good). That section is at about 27:00 in and lasts for two minutes....Music: purple-planet.com...Check out Tara's review of The Menopause Manifesto: http://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/the-menopause-manifesto-by-dr-jen-gunter/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 opposite sides of a business deal. Lin and I talk about the writing process and how she portrays Daniel’s professional burnout in the story (no spoilers, I promise). We also discuss why Lin thinks romance is a revolutionary genre, and how it’s disruptive to existing power structures. Plus: book and Netflix recs galore! Show Notes: http://bit.ly/458HudsonLinMusic: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 husband Shaun live aboard a narrowboat in the UK, and produce weekly vlogs of their travels, and their lives, including Colin’s life with autism and with mental illness.This is a bit afield of my usual interviews, but I was fascinated by Colin’s editing process as he takes over 40 hours of film and edits to a 15-30 minute vlog. So this episode is partly about editing and shaping a story of their own lives week to week over the past three years, but also about being a public figure in a small piece of the internet. We also talk about how his relationship with his husband Shawn started (don’t miss that part) (Seriously, goodest part).Vlogs (and blogs, and podcasts, and writing) are as much about crafting the story as they are about shaping and editing that story, and the overlap between what the Foxes do and what I do was too tempting not to explore. I hope you enjoy my quiet fangirl squeeing and our conversation....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 the great children’s tv themes, teen crushes, songs that come with instant Pavlovian responses, and more. So if you were craving some bizarre and enjoyable silliness, this is your episode. (We hope you sing along!) Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3QVu4uQWfueMK0uPhUnNan?si=ecdd25bbf2e84023...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 overlap between mechanical engineering and writing romance. We also talk about the narrators for her books, including Bahni Turpin and Adjoa Andoh (aka Lady Danbury on Bridgerton!). And we discuss air fryers - you know, all the essentials....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 is SO much to discuss. This book made Amanda full on sob, and we have a really good time talking to Priscilla about it (don’t worry - no spoilers!).If you caught my goof last week, that was episode 453, not 463. I’m ahead of myself....Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 fabulous podcasting heroine, Hana, who’s got a You’ve Got Mail kind of relationship with the owner of a rival Halal restaurant. We cover representation, gorgeous cover art, and writing about characters finding and using their voices. It’s so much fun - Uzma is a wonderful guest.But first! We have a special health bulletin of sorts. This week I interviewed Dr. Jen Gunter for her upcoming book The Menopause Manifesto. Her book is out in June, and our interview will be released in May, but because of new information about how the COVID vaccines may be affecting menstrual cycles, I asked her about the information available now. That brief conversation starts the episode as I know many of you may be scheduling appointments for yourselves and others. The upshot: the vaccine may affect menstrual cycle and cause irregularities, and it’s important to know so you’re prepared. You can read more in Dr Gunter's latest newsletter:https://vajenda.substack.com/p/the-covid-19-vaccine-and-menstrualAnd you can learn more about Dr. Kate Clancy's study here: https://redcap.healthinstitute.illinois.edu/surveys/index.php?s=LL8TKKC8DP...Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.