We’re back with another Sidebar conversation and coming into September aligned and invigorated with a sense of new beginnings and possibilities. We’ve got major back to school vibes that provide the momentum we need to propel us through the end of the year. Incredible new book releases and TV shows we’ve been waiting for are only adding to these inspiring feels. Listen now to our full episode to see what’s got us so excited! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Chelsea Bieker to discuss her new novel Madwoman, an emotionally gripping story about Clove, a mother who has constructed a perfect life based on lies. When she receives a letter from her mother in prison, her past comes crashing back, and she must confront the truth. We chat with Chelsea about themes of motherhood, reinvention, the desire for self-improvement, the complexities of justice and pity, intergenerational trauma, the impact of male violence, and the healing power of storytelling. She tells us about her choice to use the second-person narrative and the intimately vulnerable power of addressing the reader directly. Madwoman is out now and it will stay with you as it has with us long after you turn the last page. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Chelsea wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for another Sidebar conversation – a cheeky reference to the fact that we’re both lawyers and love to have conversations incidental to our main topics and episodes – where we let you in on our lives and what we’re obsessing over in pop culture. In today’s episode we are rehashing Kate’s birthday weekend (done in total Leo-style!) and discussing Your Honor (Carinn is trying fill that Presumed Innocent shaped hole in her TV watching life), the Olympics, Laura Dave’s incredible new book (out in September), and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds new baby boy! All Rise! The PFW Sidebar is now in session! Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Book Talk, where we discuss the road to publication -- the good, the bad and the fun! Today we decode the clues found in The Astrology House cover reveal reel.  Preorder The Astrology House: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Astrology-House/Carinn-Jade/9781668045961     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SPOILERS. Do not listen unless you have watched Fair Play on Netflix. On this one we've summoned the courage to wade into the REALLY hard conversations.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding to discuss Emma of 83rd Street, their modern retelling of the Jane Austen classic, Emma. We chat with Audrey and Emily about the fresh perspective they brought to this perennial favorite; Emma as the OG “unlikeable female protagonist” and the nuance they infused into her character; how George Knightly acts as Emma’s mirror; sisterhood and female friendship; and their path to publication. Emma of 83rd Street is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to Bad Influencers here: https://link.chtbl.com/LdLb8v6u Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Ashley Winstead, the critically acclaimed author of In My Dreams I Hold A Knife and The Last Housewife, to discuss her new novel, Midnight Is The Darkest Hour. Her latest is a gothic Southern thriller about a killer haunting a small Louisiana town, where two outcasts—the preacher's daughter and the boy from the wrong side of the tracks—hold the key to uncovering the truth. We had an incredible conversation with Ashley about how her thrillers are an excavation into her past, this time an exploration of intoxicating teenage first love. We chat about the Twilight series and how Bella and Edwaed inspired the relationship between Ruth and Everett; how she gave herself the permission and freedom to tell the story how she wanted to tell it; the power of teenage girls; transformation and transcendence; hunger and ambition; and how the duality inherent in her astrological sign comes out in everything she does.  Midnight Is The Darkest Hour is out now! Buy it, read it, share it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fourth and final part of our series about how to pivot from lawyering to writing is out now and we’re once again joined by New York Times bestselling author, Christie Tate! In this episode we dive deep into the existential crisis of identity. We discuss the progression of how you self-identify and how much of it is tied up in societal expectations. When do you call yourself a “writer”? And how do you transition from a career in the law with a clear track and objective metrics to a career in writing, which is rife with uncertainty? So many questions!   Listen now to our new installment! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The statistical probability that you'll love Netflix's new rom-com, Love at First Sight, is off the charts! Based on Jennifer E. Smith's 2011 novel, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, directed by Vanessa Caswill and adapted for the screen by Katie Lovejoy, Love at First Sight tells the story of Hadley and Oliver, a couple who fall in love on their flight to London, but lose each other at customs. Surrounded by chaos, the odds of them finding each other again are slim to none...that is, until fate intervenes. Love At First Sight is a return to romcoms at their finest…amazing chemistry between Haley Lu Richardson and Ben Hardy + instantly iconic scenes + an incredible screenplay + a killer soundtrack = romcom gold! Stream this immediately then listen to our recap wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode three of our four-part series about how to pivot from lawyering to writing is out now and we’re thrilled to be joined by New York Times bestselling author, Christie Tate! This episode is the practical, logistical, “how to” episode about transitioning from lawyer to writer.  How do you go from the dream to the reality when time is finite? Should you take a writing class or attend a writing retreat? What craft books should you read? We’ve got all the tips for you. And are here to remind you that all the tools are already in you! Listen now to our new installment now! Workshops/Writing Retreats mention in the episode: Grub Street Curtis Brown Corporeal Writing The Story Studio  Lighthouse Writers Workshop  Hugo House  The Shipman Agency Sackett Street Writers Northern California Writers Retreat Yale Writers Workshop Books: The Creative Habit, Twyla Sharpe The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron Art and Fear, David Bayles and Ted Orland From Where You Dream, Robert Butler The Creative Act: A Way of Bring, Rick Rubin Consider This, Chuck Palahniuk The Last Draft, Sandra Scofield  Still Writing, Dani Shapiro Lisa Chron books On Writing Well, William Zinsser The Anatomy of Story, John Truby The War of Art, Steven Pressfield See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Debut Discussions, we’re chatting with Lori Brand about her debut novel, Bodies To Die For, a psychological thriller that will have you wondering whether the perfect body really is worth dying for. Lori shares her journey to becoming a writer and the inspiration behind her book, which includes fangirling Gillian Flynn and Jillian Michaels and the controversy surrounding body positivity; the development of her main characters, Gemma and Ashley, and their issues with body image, self-acceptance, and shame; and the themes of the book around societal beauty standards and the importance of strength over thinness.  Lori has crafted a thriller with a relatable and timely message! Listen now to Lori’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Bodies To Die For is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we are thrilled to welcome back one of our favorites, Jessica Knoll! Jessica is the New York Times best-selling author of The Favorite Sister and Luckiest Girl Alive, which she adapted and executive produced for the screen. Jessica’s highly-anticipated new novel, Bright Young Woman, is a fictional reimagining of the final murderous spree of our country’s most famous serial killer.  We chat with Jessica about how this book is the result of a “rage epiphany” and proposes a new narrative – that the so-called brilliant and charismatic man behind these acts was actually incredibly average – and that it was the women whose lives were cut short who were the exceptional ones. Jessica discusses the bright young women of her novel – which one helped her work through issues within herself; how these women leaned on each other and saved one another; the ways in which victims are always blamed; and how important it was for her to make clear that women were never fooled by this man. We also talk about grief and finding purpose from loss. We couldn’t let Jessica go without also covering some Bravo content too! Bright Young Women is out now and it’s amazing! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Jessica wherever you get your podcasts.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode two of our new four-part series about how to pivot from lawyering to writing is out now! Feel like you don’t have time to write? Make time to read. Start there. Listen as we discuss how reading is a gateway into writing, our own reading origin stories, how our reading journeys have evolved over time, and how getting to know yourself as a reader can help you get to know yourself as a writer.   Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we launch episode one of our new four-part series about how to pivot from lawyering to writing (or from whatever you’re doing!). We have interviewed so many lawyers who have become authors in our Complicated Conversations and it is clear that there is no one way, no one path to transitioning. On this episode, listen to hear our own origin stories with the law and our legal careers. How did we get here? Did we always want to be lawyers? And how did we find the drama, the cast of characters and the stories we loved from novels in our respective legal practices.  Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome six-time New York Times best selling author Denene Millner to discuss her new novel, One Blood, a sprawling multigenerational story of three women connected by adoption, secrets, love and hope.  Inspired by her own adoption story, One Blood beautifully explores the complexity of a mother’s love – whether it be the woman who carries a child, the one who gives the child away, or the one who raises and holds the child through-out life.  The novel asks what does blood mean? Do you have to carry someone’s blood in your body to be family or can family be chosen and created? We chat with Denene about these themes; about the divine power of women to give life, to heal, to see and intuit; and the ways we can not just break cycles of trauma, but build something more beautiful in its place.  There are a lot of tears in this interview – the healing kind. Denene reminds us to find moments of love and recognize those moments when they present themselves and just thinking about this book and our chat may make us cry all over again! One Blood is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Denene wherever you get your podcasts!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Nina Simon to discuss her debut novel, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a family drama involving three generations of women and a murder mystery. Think: Gilmore Girls, but with murder. Our conversation with Nina was like a therapy session for us (massive compliment). We discussed so many deep questions: what does it mean to be a strong woman? Are there different ways to be strong? Can interdependence and care be seen as strength? Can an imperfect family be a source of love and hope? What does it look like when you have a group of women who are alphas and how can they negotiate how to work together (helloo team sports)? How do you build a new professional identity and shed an old one? This book has such a personal inspiration behind it, providing a comforting escape for Nina and her mother who was diagnosed with cancer, and it will be a joy to all of you! Nina had “the audacity to create something out of nothing” and we all get to reap the rewards. Mother-Daughter Murder Night is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Nina wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversation, we welcome internationally bestselling author  Lucy Clarke to discuss The Hike, her propulsive new thriller about four women who go on a hiking trip into the Norwegian wilderness — but not all of them will return. We chat with Lucy about her development of the complex women at the heart of this story, their individual struggles and their very real and sometimes messy friendship. We also loved hearing about how Lucy has managed to bring together her two passions — writing and travel — in her bestselling destination thrillers and what her explorations have taught her about herself. Lucy has been dubbed an adaptation sensation so of course we discussed what it’s like for her to see her stories have a second life on the screen. The Hike is out now in the US! But it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Lucy wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Alice Feeney –  a New York Times million-copy bestselling author – to discuss her new novel, Good Bad Girl. Known as the “queen of twists,” Feeney’s novel is another thrilling mystery filled with drama, her trademark surprises, and complex female characters.  A book dedicated to “daughters of mothers of daughters” and set on Mother’s Day, Good Bad Girl allowed us to dig deep with Alice about daughterhood and the range of emotions that evokes for her characters (and us!). We also chat about nuance in character development – how “sometimes bad things happen to good people, so good people have to do bad things”; the symbolism of ladybugs in the novel; her writing process; and the serendipitous way in which Alice helped Carinn continue with her own writing! Good Bad Girl is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free interview with the incredible Alice Feeney wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're publishing our favorite interview with Caitlin of the Don't Talk To Me podcast from Summer 2022. Caitlin gets us to open up about our lives beyond the podcast, our creative endeavors (the first time Carinn spoke publicly about The Astrology House, long before she had an agent or publishing contract!), and our shared love of Taylor Swift and Sally Rooney.Music by Lesfm via Pixabay. Learn more and find out how you can be on the show at donttalktomepod.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s time for another Sidebar conversation – a cheeky reference to the fact that we’re both lawyers and love to have conversations incidental to our main topics and episodes – where we let you in on our lives and what we’re obsessing over in pop culture. In today’s episode we usher in Leo Season, discuss Carinn’s book launch and summer move to LA, talk about reality TV shows and the new adaptation of Presumed Innocent; and note the “big magic” themes floating in the universe of books right now abound motherhood, marriage, monogamy, menopause, and exploration of lesbian relationships. All Rise! The PFW Sidebar is now in session! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Pernille Hughes to discuss Ten Years, her haters to lovers romance novel about how two people are brought together to complete the bucket list of their recently deceased loved one. We chat with Pernille about her main characters and the ways grief affects them and their personal growth; whether you can have more than one True Love; the freedom to write characters who push each other's buttons; fate vs free will and conspiring with the Universe. We also talk about creating the birthday you want, astrology and how her beliefs on it are impacted by having two very different identical twin children - so fun! Ten Years is out now in paperback in the US. Buy it, read it, and share it! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Emily Habeck to discuss her stunning debut, Shark Heart, a love story that begins with newlyweds Wren and her husband, Lewis—a man who, over the course of nine months, transforms into a great white shark. This is a truly original and lyrical novel unlike anything we’ve ever read that explores grief, metamorphosis, intergenerational trauma, motherhood, loneliness and how we create a meaningful life. Our conversation with Emily is just as beautiful, unique and interesting thanks to her thoughtfulness and generosity.  Shark Heart is out now and it’s been selected as #1 on the Indie Next list for August and is a Book Of The Month pick too - believe the hype! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Emily wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Shari Lapena, the #1 internationally bestselling author of seven suspense novels, to discuss her newest (and we think her best!), Everyone Here Is Lying.  We chat with Shari about the the initial inspiration for this story; the complicated mothers at the heart of this novel, as well that the larger cast of layered female characters; the ways secrets don’t stay secret for long when an investigation for a missing little girl in a small town gets underway; her writing process and the way her “fluid” relationship with her subconscious helps her creative process.   Everyone Is Lying Is Out now and it's a true page-turner! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free discussion with Shari wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A Friday preview on a Tuesday? It must be summer when we have no idea what day it is. Roll with it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversation we are joined by Emma Rosenblum to discuss here frothy beach read murder mystery, Bad Summer People. The novel is set on Fire Island, opens with a dead body, and follows rich people all behaving badly. We chat with Emma about the importance of her island setting; the dark and funny inspiration she took from shows like Succession and White Lotus; the non-judgemental way she approached her characters; how she nailed the competitive nature of recreational womens’ tennis; the ways being driven has served us; writing from multiple points of view; and Emma’s path to publication and how Covid allowed her the time to make this book a reality. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome back New York Times bestselling author Chandler Baker to discuss her new novel Cutting Teeth, a witty, thrilling story of parental love that asks: is there anything a mother won’t do for her children? We chat with Chandler about where the idea for baby vampires came from; the very relatable personal quests her female protagonists go on to reclaim aspects of their identities subsumed by motherhood; how her books make the modern woman feel so seen; and why writing is the one thing she is willing to fail at.  Cutting Teeth is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our interview with Chandler wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome back Annabel Monaghan to discuss her new novel, Same Time Next Summer, a perfect and nostalgic summer read about first love and rediscovering your authentic self. Listen now to hear why we are yet again comparing Annabel’s lead to Erica Barry in Something’s Gotta Give; the ways heartbreak shapes identity; the connection between first love, music and memories; fate vs free will and the ways we all lie to ourselves. Same Time Next Summer is out now and should be in all your summer beach bags! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our interview with Annabel wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Debut Discussions, Tasha Coryell discusses her debut novel, 'Love Letters to a Serial Killer,' with Carinn. Tasha shares her long and winding but inevitable journey to publication. Tasha always knew she wanted to be a writer and pursued creative writing throughout her education. She discusses the process of finding her voice as a writer and the importance of perseverance. Love Letters to a Serial Killer follows the story of Hannah, a millennial woman who becomes infatuated with a serial killer and starts writing him letters. Tasha shares her inspiration for the book and how she wanted to explore the dark fascination with serial killers. They also discuss the process of finding an agent and getting published. The conversation ends with a discussion about astrology and Tasha's love for TV shows like 'We Are Lady Parts' and 'Love Island USA.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Elizabeth L. Silver to discuss her new novel, The Majority, a story of love and friendship, motherhood and ambition, and one woman’s fight to be a Supreme Court justice.  This conversation was right up our alley - three lawyers discussing how women make up the majority of the population by the minority in power, why she wanted to tell the “intimate” and untold story of a very public and powerful female figure; her very personal family Holocaust history that inspired part of this story; intersectional feminism and female friendship; the fraught nature of mothers and daughters; and how Elizabeth toggled between her identities as a lawyer and a writer. The Majority is out now. Buy it, read it, share it and listen to our spoiler-free interview wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been so excited for the Netlfix adaptation of Tia Williams' novel, The Perfect Find, and it did not disappoint! Listen now to our recap of this spicy, steamy, messy, perfectly cast romcom starring Gabrielle Union. Directed by Numa Perrier and written by Leigh Davenport, The Perfect Find feels like a throwback to some of our favorite romcoms of all time (helloooo Boomerang, we’re looking at you) while also feeling modern and original. Please do us a favor and rate us five stars on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! (if we're not five stars to you, skip it) Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Sarah Mandel, a psychologist, wife, and mother who chronicles her extraordinary journey with cancer while pregnant with her second baby in her debut memoir, Little Earthquakes.  Sarah is a true light in this world. Please listen to this conversation and read her memoir if you want to be moved, if you want to understand what healing can look like, and if you need a reminder of how to seek out hope in the most difficult of times. We were so inspired by Sarah and we know you will be too! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been a minute and we're having a love/hate transition into summer. We're reaching back into the well for your favorite Riley Sager and/or Ruth Ware novels, we're in the mood for romance with Same Time Next Summer and The Perfect Find adaptation, and Kate's looking forward to the new Kelly Clarkson album while Carinn was surprised to hear that there's anything to listen to besides Taylor Swift. Happy Friday! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Amelia Possanza. Amelia is a full-time book publicist and part-time writer, currently living in Brooklyn with her cat. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, Electric Literature, The Millions, and NPR’s Invisibilia. Her first book, Lesbian Love Story, is out now -- borrow it, buy it, read it and discuss -- but first listen to our spoiler-free conversation about this memoir in archives.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we are joined by bestselling author Lucy Vine to discuss her delightful new romcom, Seven Exes, about a woman who decides to revisit each of her seven exes, convinced that “the one who got away” is somewhere in the reject pile.  Kate chats with Lucy about the lifelong fascination that inspired this novel; her complicated but highly relatable protagonist, Esther; the way the movie Jerry Maguire sold women a total line about what we really need to be “complete”; how nostalgia can be a tricky fool; the importance of female friendship; whether there is such a thing as “the One”; and the ways Lucy’s recent marriage resembles a real life romcom.  Seven Exes is out now! Buy it, borrow it, read it, and discuss it today! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we chat with Jenny Xie, a National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree about her debut novel, Holding Pattern, a hopeful novel about immigration and belonging, mother-daughter relationships, and the many ways we learn to hold each other. We talk to Jenny about her protagonist, Kathleen, who is down on her luck and living back him with her mother; the ways the novel subverts traditional mother-daughter roles; how art imitated life and what Jenny’s experience as a professional cuddler taught her about intimacy and physical touch; how to get out of your head and into your body; the ways we can disappoint our parents by overachieving; and our shared interested in astrology as a prompt for discussion and exploration. Holding Pattern is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Andrea Bartz, the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese’s Book Club pick We Were Never Here, to discuss her new novel, The Spare Room. Her latest is a spicy domestic suspense about a locked down relationship turned deadly.    We chat with Andrea about the ways her protagonist, Kelly, is her and how her changes track the ones in Andrea’s own life ; the multi-faceted role the pandemic played in the development of this novel; the intimate and steamy nature of this thriller; how we feel about receiving compliments; and our woo woo points of connection (even if it’s not astrology).   The Spare Room is out now! Buy it, read it, share it and listen to our spoiler-free interview wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Colleen McKeegan to discuss her debut novel, The Wild One, which is now out in paperback! The Wild One is a coming of age mystery that explores the ways trauma and societal expectations shape the women we become. We chat with Colleen about what it really feels like to publish a book; the “origin story” of this book and how it morphed from a middle grade novel inspired by the movie “Stand By Me” into what it is today – something she herself wanted to read; the importance of the summer camp setting of the story and what it means to her personally; the sometimes messy and darker nature of female friendship, particularly when coming of age; and her serendipitous path to publication. The Wild One is out now in paperback! Buy it, read it, share it and listen to our spoiler-free interview wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome bestselling author Kirstin Chen to discuss Counterfeit, a Reese Witherspoon book club pick, a Roxane Gay book club pick, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice.   We talk with Kirstin about the model minority myth and why she wanted to explore it in this novel; the different ways we each related to her protagonist, Ava; what would push such an otherwise controlled woman to partake in a counterfeit handbag scheme; the ways in which her co-conspirator, Winnie, is a counterpoint to Ava; the structure of the novel; and how, in a way, Kirstin has been researching this particular novel her entire life. Counterfeit is out now in paperback! Buy it, read it, share it and listen to our spoiler-free interview wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Laura Hankin to discuss her new book, One Star Romance, which follows a struggling writer who is forced to walk down the aisle at her best friend’s wedding with a man who gave her debut novel a one-star review. What a hook! This is a fresh romcom told over many years that explores the journey of a struggling writer who is forced to confront her fear of criticism and find her voice; delves into the complexities of romantic relationships and the importance of being seen and accepted for who you truly are; and highlights the challenges and growth that can occur in long-term friendships. We chat with Laura about those themes, as well as her writing process and whether she herself reads reviews! One Star Romance is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Laura wherever you get your podcasts! (And if you’re an Audible fan, listen to Laura narrate the novel - so good!) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversation we welcome Christine Pride and Jo Piazza to discuss their second novel together, You Were Always Mine, a moving and provocative novel about a Black woman who finds an abandoned white baby, sending her on a collision course with her past, her family, and a birth mother who doesn’t want to be found. We chat with Christine and Jo about their protagonist, Cinnamon, a women who has overcome so much, but has learned to keep herself small and not dare to want for more; how secrets and trauma can silence one’s voice; why they wanted to include the birth mother’s point of view in epistolary form; motherhood and what it means to create family– blood or chosen; race and challenges to the assumptions many of us make; the astrological ways in which the partnership between Christine and Jo works so well; and what’s next for each of them separately and together. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversation we chat with Katie Bishop about her debut novel, The Girls of Summer, which grapples with themes of power, sex, and consent, as it explores the complicated nature of memory and trauma––and what it takes to reframe, and reclaim, your own story. It’s a one that got away story with a #metoo twist. We chat with Katie about structuring her novel between the past and present; the Greek island setting as a character; the effect of trauma on memory and the stories we tell ourselves to survive; idealizing young love and youth; why large age gaps are so interesting in relationships; her fortuitous path to publication; and the importance of giving voice to womens’ stories.  The Girls Of Summer is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Cecilia Rabess to discuss her stunning debut, Everything’s Fine, a story that asks big questions about America and what it means to live and love in polarized times.  Cecilia shares the origin story of this novel and the creation of her protagonist, Jess, a young black recent college grad working as an analyst at Goldman Sachs; how she crafted the complicated, chemistry infused love story between Jess and Josh, her ideological antithesis; whether everything really is fine and the meta, layered meaning of the title; the strawberry on the “arresting” cover and the larger metaphor it represents throughout the book; whether or not people can really change; and a new take on astrology for us.  This book explores so many questions — What does it mean to be a black woman struggling with internalized racism? What happens when one person says politics and the other says my humanity? It will make you think but also make you want to keep turning the pages at a relentless pace!  Everything’s Fine is out now and it’s a must read. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices