Explore every episode of the podcast Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 673. RT Rewind: May 1995 Ads & Features | 27 Jun 2025 | 01:12:34 | |
This is a delightfully unhinged issue. We’ve got a plethora of old-skool covers, weird language about China and Taiwan, Poconos hot tubs, and Elizabeth Lowell is thrown under the bus – twice? Are you one of the most privileged readers in the world? I crave satisfaction in this matter! Don't miss the links and visual aids for this episode - they're at SBTB.com. A few housekeeping notes: In July, I won’t be doing any RT Rewind episodes. This is partly because I have a BUNCH of interviews I am very excited about and want to share with y’all. We’ll be back in August with RT Rewind, so the time travel machine can have its annual service appointment in July. And! Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 672. Part III of A Soul to Keep with Heaving Bosoms | 20 Jun 2025 | 01:02:39 | |
Every now and again, I get to do a crossover episode with the Heaving Bosoms podcast. We pick a truly bonkers sexy book, and recap it across two shows. In this case – it’s three shows.Hi Heaving Bosoms listeners! I’m so happy you’re here! This time, Melody asked if I had any suggestions for a title. YES I DID. A Soul to Keep: Duskwalker Brides: Book One by Opal Reyne was taking up a LOT of room in my brain and I needed to discuss it with someone. Thank goodness Melody emailed me. So, first, THIS IS SO NSFW. Seriously. Second, if you want the full recap, check out Heaving Bosoms part 1 and 2 this week, and join us for part three here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 671. RT Rewind: May 1995 Reviews | 13 Jun 2025 | 00:50:15 | |
Amanda and I are traveling back to May 1995 – yes, thirty years ago. I know, me too. We’ve got weird reviews, outstanding side character names, a debut of a much-loved historical romance author, and a few side trips into pet names and fanfic ships in traditional publishing. We’re talking about the past and the present at the same time, which is one of my favorite things to do when discussing romance fiction! We also mentioned:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 670. I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This with Chelsea Devantez of Glamourous Trash | 06 Jun 2025 | 00:57:43 | |
One of Chelsea Devantez’s listeners connected her to my show after my interview with Joanna Shupe.Meanwhile I’d been working up the nerve to ask her onto my show, and then the universe intervened through this lovely person. Thank you! I recapped Danielle Steel’s dog memoir on her show, and now, she’s in the guest chair on mine. We talk about her memoir, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going to Anyway), which was published last summer. Along the way we discuss embracing vulnerability, hating small talk, and avoiding it by…writing a memoir! We also examine how the Depp/Heard case affected the final version of that memoir. Chelsea’s book is bookended by her own story of intimate partner violence, and much of it was redacted, as we discuss in this interview. CW/TW: throughout this episode, we talk about domestic violence, intimate partner violence, infertility, donor conceived children and adults, the infertility industry, drive by shootings, shame, and mental health. “Not talking is never the answer. Just talk about it.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 669. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part II | 30 May 2025 | 00:54:14 | |
At the suggestion of some listeners, I split the Ads & Features into two parts, in part because it was very long, and also because there are 5 Fridays in May. Woot! You can find Part I here (or in your favorite podcast app). Part II of the Ads & Features from February 2015 features HelenKay Dimon just dropping all sorts of information left and right. We talk about:
I hope you’ve been enjoying this time travel journey! Find the visual aids for this episode at SBTB.com! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 668. Hot Takes with Sarah & Amanda | 23 May 2025 | 00:46:52 | |
Inspired by a recent episode of The Sam Sanders Show, Amanda and I are sharing our own hot takes and possibly controversial opinions about romance. We’re talking:
TW/CW: We take a brief side trip into parental estrangement and emotional abuse. ... Our midroll ad was for The Historical Romance Sampler podcast – check them out! We also mentioned:
Check out the SKIMS Ultimate Bra Collection and more at https://www.skims.com/sarah #skimspartner To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 667. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part I | 16 May 2025 | 01:02:33 | |
We are back in the time machine with HelenKay Dimon and Darby Kane, who are thankfully one person so we have extra room in the cabin for snacks. And we are headed back to February 2015 to take a look at the ads and features in RT magazine. We talk about writing, RWA history (HelenKay is past president, immediately before the fuckery) and what specifically was lost when RWA’s position in the community was destroyed. This is a Part 1 of 2, and the second half will arrive on May 30 – again, it was so fun I couldn’t cut anything. You can find HelenKay Dimon at her website, and you can find Darby Kane at her website, too! HelenKay is on Instagram sharing book release news, too. We also mentioned:
To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooks Music: Purple-Planet.com Visual Aids are in the podcast post on SBTB! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 666. HelenKay Dimon and Darby Kane are Really Interesting | 09 May 2025 | 00:52:35 | |
We were supposed to record an episode, but we started talking about romantic suspense instead. We talk about what inspired me to start the RT Rewind series, and start talking about the cover…and then we talked about changes in the mystery and romance genres, writing styles and techniques, the amalgamation of mysteries, coziness, and the vestiges of chick lit - and a whole bunch of other things before we get started on the magazine. So…an extra episode it is! I love talking with people who are fluent in romance and aware of its history, and as a writer of multiple genres for multiple publishers and a past president of RWA, HelenKay has a lot of insight. CW/TW: we talk about true crime, women as victims in media, and crime victims and their families. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 665. RT Rewind - February 2015 Reviews | 02 May 2025 | 01:57:04 | |
We are traveling back to February 2015 to take a look at the new releases in RT magazine, and my guest is the cover author, HelenKay Dimon, who also writes thrillers as Darby Kane. This was VERY fun because HelenKay is an author, so she has a different perspective on the magazine, the convention, the reviews, and the way different genres have changed. We cover how HelenKay discovered romance, and how her career has evolved over the years – and of course we talk about all the books. This is a long one because I couldn’t cut anything! I hope you enjoy it – please let me know what you think. And if you like the show, please tell a friend or Reddit or a random stranger about it. You can find HelenKay Dimon at her website, and you can find Darby Kane at her website, too! HelenKay is on Instagram sharing book release news, too. We also mentioned: And don’t forget! If you join the Patreon, you get the full PDF scan of every issue – and very few of these are available online. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 664. Haunted Abbeys and Hidden History with Alexandra Vasti | 25 Apr 2025 | 00:54:02 | |
Alexandra Vasti is the author of Earl Crush, Ne’er Duke Well, and the Halifax sisters series, and she joins me to talk about activism in history and about haunted houses, historical lesbians, and historical erotica. A Housekeeping Note: I recorded this several months ago, and due to a bunch of file corruption and restoring backups, this episode fell out of my workflow. My apologies to Alexandra, and to you, for that mishap. You can find Alexandra Vashti at her website, AlexandraVashti.com, and on TikTok and Instagram as @AlexandraVashti – where she posts erotic history reels! We also mentioned:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 663. RT Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features | 18 Apr 2025 | 00:52:50 | |
The ads and features from the July 2000 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of wtfery! It’s PEAK stepback era. Readers have been introduced to Half.com for selling their old books, and they are very excited about it – to say nothing of People.com and EW.com. We get a peek into the Romantic Times and Lady Barrow BookLover Tours – the prices made me very envious. We also spend some time talking about Monica Jackson, who died in 2012, and is part of the reason why we started addressing the racism in romance many, many years ago. Seriously, the visual aids are a feast this week. It's PEAK stepback era. We’ve got links. SO many links.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 662. What’s Deeanne Gist Been Up To? With Dakota Lacoy | 11 Apr 2025 | 00:50:26 | |
What happens when a bestselling and award winning author of historical inspirational romances decides, after a break of a few years, to write spicy contemporary? If you’re Deeanne Gist, you start over from scratch as Dakota Lacoy. Amanda and I were just asking recently what had happened to Deeanne Gist, who wrote some SBTB favorites like Tiffany Girl and Fair Play. Well, as Dakota Lacoy, she’s been busy setting up a series of hot contemporary romantic comedies set in Honky Tonk, Texas, a small town with a sordid history and the greatest pun-filled business names. So my guest today is both Deeanne Gist and Dakota Lacoy, and we’re going to talk about everything – from writing historical inspirationals to figuring out how to introduce her old readers to her new name. You can find Dakota Lacoy at her website, where you can buy all her books and sign up for her newsletter. Dakota is also on Instagram, too. The illustrator for Dakota Lacoy’s website is Axana Zasorina, who is on Instagram. Music: Purple-planet.com To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 661. RT Rewind: July 2000 Reviews | 04 Apr 2025 | 00:49:41 | |
We’re heading back in time to July 2000 to check out new releases in Romantic Times Magazine! Highlights include:
Question: Did you read ebooks before the Kindle was released? What device did you use, if any? Visit the covers and the cool eReader at the episode's SBTB page! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 660. Murder By Memory with Olivia Waite | 28 Mar 2025 | 00:42:49 | |
Olivia Waite is my guest this week to talk about Murder by Memory, her new cozy space mystery. We talk about characters, inspiration, tactile memories, and what sport is not on the ship. Then: cozy sci fi mystery recs, especially queer ones. Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 659. RT Rewind: May 2015 Ads & Features | 21 Mar 2025 | 00:50:17 | |
Remember digital first novellas? Websites for an entire fictional town? When Indie publishing was talked about with the same language as MLMs? We’re going back to peruse at the May 2015 Romantic Times Magazine Ads and Features. It was a time! We also mentioned:
Don't miss the visual aids. You'll need your cogs AND your corsets! To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.com Or go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooks Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 658. Romance and Penetrative Sex: A Conversation With Jane Buehler | 14 Mar 2025 | 01:09:02 | |
Today brings a vulnerable and honest conversation about the prevalence of penetrative sex in romance, and what happens if a writer decides to create a character with pelvic floor pain, for whom that kind of sex isn’t possible? Let’s find out! Jane Buehler’s new book, The Fire Apprentice, is out this week, and we’re going to talk about the book, and the series. But we’re also talking about the asexual spectrum, body changes from menopause, reactive desire, and kegels! Content Advisory: We are talking about pelvic floor, vaginismus, vulvodynia, asexuality and demisexuality, effective performance of kegels, sexual trauma, traumatic effects of bullying, and the paltry state of scientific research into conditions that affect people with vulvas and vaginas. You can find Jane Buehler at her website! We also mentioned:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 657. RT Rewind: May 2015 Reviews! | 07 Mar 2025 | 01:11:16 | |
Amanda and I have loaded the time travel machine with snacks and bubbly beverages. We’re headed back to May 2015. Some major books were released this month along with some we’re very happy to revisit. We’ve got answers to the following questions:
Don’t miss the erotica section – we’ve got some bangers, no pun intended. There isn’t a separate visual aid post for this one. All the images and books are in this post. Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 656. Every Girl Deserves a Happily Ever After: with Rep. Stacey Abrams and Princess Mabel van Oranje | 28 Feb 2025 | 00:48:26 | |
Once Upon a Time, Princess Mabel van Oranje, founder Vow for Girls, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage, met Stacey Abrams, author and the former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives. They hatched a plan to unite the romance community with Vow for Girls, which led to Every Girl Deserves Happily Ever After. Today, Princess Mabel and Stacey Abrams are here to tell us all about it. Please be aware we are talking about child marriage in the US and around the world, about childbirth, trauma, domestic violence and gender inequality. We are also talking about inspiration, hope, and determination – if you need a lift right now, you might find it here. You can find out more about Vow for Girls: Every Girl Deserves Happily Ever After online. You can find Princess Mabel van Oranje on LinkedIn and on Instagram. You can find Stacey Abrams at StaceyAbrams.com. We also discussed:
Music: Purple-Planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 655. RT Rewind: October 2000 Ads & Features | 21 Feb 2025 | 00:56:13 | |
It’s time for the ads and features of the October 2000 Romantic Times magazine, where they’re both talking about new releases AND celebrating their 200th issue. What did we learn? We learned about waxing, magazines, and galleys, but not about skin care, gun parts, or boats. We’ve got Extreme Troy, everyone. Grab a drink and come hang out with us. And don’t miss the visual aids! WE HAVE LINKS.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 654. Dialogue and Shenanigans with Kimberly Lemming | 14 Feb 2025 | 00:45:12 | |
Kimberly Lemming’s new book, I Got Abducted By Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in A Rom-Com is out this week. What’s inside? A fantasy world with underfunded researchers and mishandled animal restoration caused by fiscal irresponsibility, academic malfeasance and nepotism. And talking lions and fire breathing aliens powered by garlic bread. Music: purple-planet.com You can find Kimberly Lemming at her website, KimberlyLemming.com, and on TikTok, Instagram, and Bluesky @KimberlyLemming. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 653. RT Rewind: February 2000 Reviews! | 07 Feb 2025 | 01:12:14 | |
RT is celebrating their 200th issue, and we’re celebrating, too! We’ve got the OG Monster Schtupping book, a guy whose arm appears to end in a ham, and some incredible covers. You know I’m going to tell you not to miss the visual aids, but I mean it. There’s a series where the focus of every cover illustration is someone's backside? It's wild. You can find all the visual aids here. We also mentioned:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 652. Smart Bitches Turns 20 with Candy Tan | 31 Jan 2025 | 01:04:36 | |
My guest today is Candy Tan, who 20 years ago co-founded Smart Bitches Trashy Books with me. Yay!! We’re looking back at the founding of SBTB, about her reactions to Bridgerton, and her perennial favorite romances. We talk about different ways that romance has changed since 2005. Then I show Candy the casting photos for the Black Dagger Brotherhood adaptation. You can find Candy @BeautifulDuckweed on Bluesky, on AO3, and on Tumblr. We also mentioned:
Music: purple-planet.com Check out the Fits Everybody Collection at https://www.skims.com/sarah #skimspartner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 651. Little Free Libraries and Sports with Savannah Carlisle and Kristi Dosh | 24 Jan 2025 | 00:50:38 | |
Savannah Carlisle is the author of The Library of Second Chances and is a sports business reporter and nonfiction author under the name Kristi Dosh. Her romance centers on a Little Free Library, so of course we are talking about that. We also discuss the difficult economies of small coastal towns, and the ways that memories can be attached to a place. Then we talk about sports romance – and why she doesn’t want to write one. CW/TW: At about 18 minutes in, we talk about online harassment Kristi faces and some of the comments fans make about her. If you want to skip that part, move ahead 2 minutes. You can find Savannah Carlisle at her website, SavannahCarlisle.com. She’s on Instagram and TikTok @SavvyCarlisle. You can find Kristi Dosh at her website, KristiDosh.com, and on socials @Sportsbizmiss. We also mentioned: Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 650. “I’m Going to Keep Daring” - Romance and History with Joanna Shupe | 17 Jan 2025 | 00:57:37 | |
Joanna Shupe posted a TikTok on November 11, 2024, in response to angry readers chastising her for writing in her newsletter about her disappointment with the election results. I have included the audio with her permission.She says in her comments that she could teach a whole class about the parallels between the Gilded Age and the current political and cultural climate, which I am calling The Dumpster Age. I reached out and said, I can’t offer a class, but how about a podcast episode? Joanna was kind enough to walk us through some of the parallels between then and now that give her some despair, and how infuriating it was to have readers scold and chastise her for expressing in her newsletter a perspective that she already thought was pretty clear from, you know, all her books about the Gilded Age. And, if I can take a moment: this is my 650th episode. Six. Fifty. And at the end of the month, on Jan 31, Smart Bitches will celebrate our 20th anniversary. Thank you. Thank you for valuing my work on the podcast and online, for valuing our perspective on the site when we explore romance and everything surrounding it. Just…thank you. Thank you so much for being here. You can find Joanna Shupe on her website, joannashupe.com. Her newsletter is joannashupe.com/newsletter. She’s on Instagram @Joannashupe and on Bluesky. She also writes dark mafia romance as Mila Finelli. We also mentioned:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 649. Kindness Everywhere: New Year’s Recs & Wishes from Claudia, Carisa, Verity, Colleen, and Elyse | 10 Jan 2025 | 01:03:21 | |
One! More! Time! We’ve got one last set of interviews with all of you, and we’re going out with a banger of a book list. We’re talking about Y’all Fest, koalas, how terrifying David Tennant is, bonkbusters, Taylor Swift lyrics as book titles, and pop culture portal fantasies in romance. TW/CW: As part of my conversation with Carisa, who teaches history, we discuss some historical police violence and discussion of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, discussions of depictions of assault. This discussion is about 25 minutes in. We also mentioned:
Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 648. Welcome and Comfort : New Year’s Wishes from Sarah Jane, Lilisonna, Martin | 03 Jan 2025 | 00:44:30 | |
We’re traveling around the world again, with Sarah Jane, Lilisonna, and Martin to gather recs, and wishes, and terrible jokes. We’ve got more joyful recommendations for AJ Sherwood’s books, more cozy games, more pop culture documentaries, and more cats visiting the show. We’ve got one more episode featuring listeners in various parts of the world. Record number of people signed up this year. Thank you! We also mentioned:
Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 647. Finding Home: Recs and Wishes from Megan, Alanna, Sue and Rhonda | 27 Dec 2024 | 00:51:20 | |
We’re traveling all over the world again, from the west coast of the US to Germany to discuss the price of PopTarts, book recommendations, and wishes for 2025 with Megan, Alanna, Sue, and Rhonda. Thank you for being part of these episodes! You can find all the books at SBTB! We also mentioned: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 646. Swashbuckling and Historical Romance Classics with Elizabeth Hoyt | 20 Dec 2024 | 01:03:49 | |
My guest this week is Elizabeth Hoyt!! This episode was SO MUCH FUN to record and produce and I am so excited to share it with you.We talk about her latest book, No Ordinary Duchess, writer’s block, emotionally constipated heroes, and the special place for sunshiny heroines. Plus we talk about how genres have changed in popularity over the course of her career. Side trips include the magic of writing about people who slowly reveal themselves to one another, K dramas, and a tour through some Georgian social history. But the best part: she takes us through her favorite classic historical romances. I could not have been more delighted and I hope you enjoy it, too. CW/TW Discussion of weight stigma and anti-fat bias – it’s about 1 minute long at 29:40 Mention of trauma and death in a fictional work – about 15 seconds at 56:10 You can find Elizabeth Hoyt at her website, ElizabethHoyt.com, and do NOT miss her Pinterest collection! Music:puple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 645. Support and Comfort: Holiday Wishes from Carrie, Jenna, Melissa, Lisa, Josephine, and Cara | 13 Dec 2024 | 00:46:42 | |
We’re taking a tour around the US with stops in California, Ohio, Maryland, Texas, and Georgia with Carrie, Jenna, Melissa, Lisa, Josephine, and Cara! We’ve got holiday wishes and a bunch of recommendations. Thank you to everyone who signed up in record numbers to do a holiday recording with me. These are very fun! We also mentioned: Paint Love- Atlanta GA Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 644. Fanfic, Generosity, and Really Long Books: Holiday Wishes from Anne, Sandra, Miriam, Carrie A, and Lisa | 06 Dec 2024 | 00:50:50 | |
My guests this week are, in the words of my home vernacular, yinz n’at. We’re traveling all over the country this week and we’re talking about fanfic, finding an unending treasure trove of books to read from a new favorite author, and taking time for restorative actions. There is still time to sign up if you’re a member of the Patreon community! Head over to Patreon and you’ll find the link. We have SO many VERY important links this week.
Thank you to our sponsor for this week's episode: Lume! Use code SARAH15 for 15% off your first purchase at LumeDeodorant.com. And don't miss Designs on You by Jaci Burton, out now! Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 643. Safety, D&D, and Smut Logic: Holiday Wishes from Dani, Katie, Sneezy and Lisa | 29 Nov 2024 | 00:39:47 | |
It’s the first of our holiday episodes, and my guests are…all of you! Members of the podcast Patreon have signed up in record numbers to do interviews, so in the coming weeks, we’ll have recommendations, wishes, and bad jokes galore from folks all over the world. There is still time to sign up – head over to Patreon and you’ll find the link. This week, we’re headed to South Africa, Washington DC, Taiwan, and Connecticut to talk to Dani, Katie, Sneezy, and Lisa. We also mentioned the following:
Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 642. Books Journalism and Social Media with Sophie Vershbow | 22 Nov 2024 | 01:03:45 | |
Sophie Vershbow is a freelance journalist who writes a lot about books, reading, and the publishing industry. You might have seen her article about celebrity book ghost writers and about DNFing without guilt. We talk about her experience with social media strategy for authors and publishers, and with writing about publishing. We also discuss how much book publicity has changed, so stay tuned for extremely good advice for managing social media for book publicity. Then, naturally, we turn to reality tv and shopping! We have SO MANY LINKS. Get ready! You can find Sophie Vershbow at her website, on Instagram – and don’t forget her dog, Simon! We also discussed:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 641. RT Rewind: November 2015 Ads & Features | 15 Nov 2024 | 00:41:02 | |
It’s time for the Ads & Features from the November 2015 issue of Romantic Times magazine! Our cover story is…the 10th anniversary of Samhain publishing. We’ve got articles on series bibles and rugby romance – and a lot of ads when YA covers were all White Girls in Giant Dresses. Come back in time with us – we had a lot of fun chatting about this issue, even though it was a bit of a snooze. Don't miss the visual aids, especially the weird gun cover. We also mentioned:
Music: Purple-planet.com Thank you to EveryPlate for sponsoring this episode! Get 50% off your first box at EveryPlate.com/PODCAST and use code trashybooks599 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 640. Cozy Witchcraft with Lucy Jane Wood | 08 Nov 2024 | 00:49:11 | |
Lucy Jane Wood’s debut book, Rewitched, is out, and we connected to talk all things cozy, witchcraft, all the different 90s witches in pop culture, and the big feelings around turning an age with a zero on the end. Ultimately, this is a book about a person who wants to keep her own power – a theme I could certainly celebrate! Lucy Jane is also a TikToker and YouTuber with a sizeable following, so we also talk about her best practices for social media as a creator and author. You can find Lucy Jane Wood online on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. We also mentioned:
Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 639. RT Rewind: November 2015 Reviews | 01 Nov 2024 | 01:05:08 | |
It’s time to take a look at the new books in November 2015 inside Romantic Times! We’ve got spanking and small towns, and a magazine that seems more targeted toward aspiring writers than readers. That yielded a mixed bag! But we have some books to talk about so let’s get to it! So many small town contemporaries, so many historicals, so many Four Star reviews with word salad. And some cat poo. TW/CW: very brief and nonspecific discussion of abusive relationships in the Erotica section. Please note: I don't have a visual aids post for this episode, but the Ads & Features certainly will! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 638. Smart Bitches After Dark - Tara interviews Sarah & Amanda | 25 Oct 2024 | 00:56:58 | |
Tara Scott, staff writer at SBTB and co-host of the Queerly Recommended podcast, is in the interviewer’s chair, asking Amanda and me questions about Smart Bitches After Dark, our new community support wing. We talk about what After Dark is, and also about the larger enshittification of different parts of the internet, and how we navigate that as a 20 year old blog. Yay blogs! I was really nervous about being interviewed, and I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes exploration of the site, the podcast, and the business of being in business. CW/TW: – I cry later! It’s good but if you’re driving and you’re a sympathy crier like I am, I wanted you to be aware. We also mentioned:
You can find out more and join Smart Bitches After Dark right here! And don’t miss out on Tara’s show, Queerly Recommended! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 637. RT Rewind October 1988 Ads & Features | 18 Oct 2024 | 01:05:43 | |
It’s time for the Ads & Features of the October 1988 (!!) issue of Romantic Times Magazine. Y’all. We’ve got:
It’s 1988. Fuchsia. So much fuchsia. Blanket content warning for romances written in the late 80s. Be ready for some very offensive tropes. LINKS. So many good links!
music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 636. Swordcrossed Cozy Romantasy with Freya Marske | 11 Oct 2024 | 00:45:53 | |
Freya Marske’s new book Swordcrossed is out this week, and she’s joining us from the other side of the planet to talk about what she calls, “Fantasy of manners, mercantile edition.” We also talk about writing fanfic and her new favorite show, Interview with the Vampire. Yes, I did mis-number last week’s episode – sorry about that. Music: purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 635. RT Rewind: October 1988 Reviews | 04 Oct 2024 | 00:48:21 | |
It’s time to journey back to the October 1988 issue of Romantic Times! That’s right, we’re going all the way back to 1988, a time when one of us on the show wasn’t born yet. We’ve got absolutely appalling plots, some extremely luscious covers, and more – like Amanda’s engagement! Congrats Amanda and Brian! TW/CW: crappy family tales in the first 4 minutes, and overall, a number of references to enslavement, violence, colonialism, predatory behavior and assault in the reviews. Music: purple-planet.com We also mentioned:
And you can see Amanda’s beautiful engagement ring on her Instagram! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 634. Climbing Mt. Fuji with Courtney Milan | 27 Sep 2024 | 00:56:43 | |
Courtney Milan is here to talk about her newest book, The Earl Who Isn’t, and about climbing Mt. Fuji! Along the way we talk about training, the shifting style of historical romances, and audiobooks.And we have questions from you! A few moments to be aware of before you listen: we talk a little about her dog Pele, who passed away earlier this year. We also mention briefly the topics of antifat bias in medicine, weight gain, chafing, trauma, workplace abuse, cancer, and sexual harassment. Thank you to Tara, Emily for the questions! Music: purple-planet.com You can find Courtney Milan at her website, CourtneyMilan.com, and you can sign up for her weekly tea newsletter as well! Support for this episode comes from The Starling Inn, the new novel by Claire Therese! Find The Starling Inn by Claire Therese inside Kindle Unlimited now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 633. RT Rewind: September 2015 Ads & Features | 20 Sep 2024 | 00:58:48 | |
The ads and features of the September 2015 issue of Romantic Times are a nine-layer cake of wonderment and weird. Don't miss the visual aids! WE GOT FONTS. And dogs! Side trips include:
Plus, this issue of the magazine and also Amanda both have terrific memories of RT 2015 in Dallas. We have So many links!
Thanks to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Lume! New customers get 15% off ALL Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code SARAH15 at LumeDeodorant.com Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 632. Being Fine with Friends, with Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer | 13 Sep 2024 | 00:54:31 | |
Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer are podcasting powerhouses with shows like By the Book and How to be Fine With Friends. This season they’re looking at friendship, the research behind sustaining friendships, ending relationships, and creating new connections with people – and they joined me to talk all about it. You can find their show, How to be Fine with Friends where you get your podcasts – like this one! TW/CW: short discussion of diet culture and diet books just after Kristen introduces herself. When she stops talking, hit your 30 second skip and you should be fine. What are some of the traits you appreciate most about your closest friends? ... You can find How to Be Fine with Friends where you get your podcasts, and you can follow the show on Instagram @howtobefinepod. Jolenta Greenberg can be found on her website JolentaGreenberg.com, and on Instagram @jolenta_g. Kristen Meinzer can be found on her website, KristenMeinzer.com, on Instagram @K10meinzer, and co-hosting her show The Daily Fail. Music: Purple-planet.com Thanks to our sponsor for this week’s episode: Lume! New customers get 15% off ALL Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code SARAH15 at LumeDeodorant.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 631. RT Rewind: September 2015 Reviews | 06 Sep 2024 | 01:16:27 | |
We’re going back to September 2015, and I want to ease you into this knowledge, so take a breath, center yourself: that was nine years ago. I don’t get it either but apparently it’s true? JR Ward is on the cover, and there’s all kinds of good stuff inside! Come with us to visit some reviews that are word salad, and some that made me say, a few times, “Way harsh, Tai. Way harsh.” Music: purple-planet.com Thank you to our sponsor for this week’s episode: HelloFresh! For a limited time, kids eat FREE! Go to HelloFresh.com/sarahkids to unlock this exclusive offer. One free kids’ meal per box for two months while subscription is active. Visit HelloFresh.com/sarahkids! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 630. Behind the Scenes of Real Housewives with Chris DeRosa | 30 Aug 2024 | 00:55:36 | |
Chris DeRosa is co-host of the podcast Fixing Famous People, and has been a reality tv producer for 11 years. We talk about his career starting with Food Network then moving into unscripted reality tv like the Real Housewives, how reality tv has changed, and how much of the narrative producers have influence over – and what parts they don’t. We’re also locating RH on the larger timeline of major television programs centering women over 40. I think this episode holds a lot for writers because it’s about making the conflict, and the motivations behind that conflict, public and spoken in dialogue. It’s a new way of looking at show/don’t tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 629. RT Rewind: October 1999 Ads & Features | 23 Aug 2024 | 01:06:40 | |
Alison aka Fashionably Evil is back with us recapping the ads and features from Romantic Times’ October 1999 issue! There were leers, horny men, and nipples with personalities, and we explore effective friction and learn about The Douche Chills. The visual aids are amazing this week – don’t miss the horny covers! We also mentioned:
Music: Purple-planet.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 628. Real Housewives and Romance Readers with Shana | 16 Aug 2024 | 00:53:50 | |
Continuing my exploration of reality franchises that are favorites of romance readers, Shana joins me to talk about the Real Housewives franchise: her favorite Real Housewives locations and seasons, and what aspects of this reality franchise appeal to romance readers. We cover relationships, conflict, and the blend of fiction and “reality,” and some of the ethical considerations as well, especially with the Real Housewives of Dubai. Are you a Real Housewives watcher? Which ones? Do you think there’s a reason why romance readers are often also Real Housewives watchers? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 627. RT Rewind: October 1999 Reviews! | 09 Aug 2024 | 01:18:49 | |
We have a special guest! Alison, aka Fashionably Evil, won our Romancing the Vote auction to co-host this round of RT Rewind with us! Congratulations!! Alison picked our issue, October 1999, and wow, it’s just as weird as we’d hoped. And, as part of the auction, we offered a midroll ad, which we typically don’t run. Alison chose to use her midroll to promote a website we love and admire, Scarleteen.com. We start with a discussion of Alison’s incredible spreadsheet that she made us (❤️!) and a discussion of historical romance. Along the way: many yikes, many bikes. I want to offer some heads up for racism, human trafficking, mentions of stillbirth, ableism, Islamophobia in the reviews. These will be long episodes this month so journey with us back to 1999. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 626. The Bachelor and Romance with Dr. Jodi McAlister | 02 Aug 2024 | 01:13:53 | |
This month on the podcast, I wanted look more closely at the intersection of romance and reality tv, particular the Bachelor franchise and Real Housewives. There is only one place to start with that inquiry: with Dr. Jodi McAlister. Jodi McAlister is a scholar of romance and an expert on all things The Bachelor, and she’s the author of the Australia-set Marry Me, Juliet trilogy, which you may remember was available digitally in the US as a surprise after a lot of folks, including and especially Amanda, started talking about the books in the series. Shana reviewed the series and the third book, and loved all of them. So we are talking all things Bachelor, about writing a similar reality tv show for her series, and why romance readers globally dig this franchise so very, very much. You can find Dr. Jodi McAlister on TikTok, Instagram, and BlueSky, and on her website, JodiMcAlister.com.au. We also mentioned:
And thanks to our sponsor for this week’s episode, HelloFresh! Go to HelloFresh.com/sarahkids to unlock this exclusive offer: one free kids’ meal per box for two months while subscription is active. That’s FREE kids’ meals just by going to HelloFresh.com/sarahkids Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 625. RT Rewind: December 1997 Ads & Features! | 26 Jul 2024 | 01:09:47 | |
We’re going back to December 1997 to look at the Ads & Features from Romantic Times. We’ve got a cover with many, many fonts, several memorials for Princess Diana, and we find out what happens when you win an award and find out while you’re on the john. There are profiles of readers and romance reading book clubs, AOL chat rooms about romance for writers and readers, and the price of the Essence of Romance. It’s a wonderful time capsule, folks. CW/TW: antifat bias and death Do not miss the visual aids - the covers alone, my goodness. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||
| 624. Academic Research about Romancelandia with Christine M. Larson | 19 Jul 2024 | 00:44:25 | |
Christine M. Larson is the author of the new book Love in the Time of Self-Publishing: How Romance Writers Changed the Rules of Writing and Success, published by Princeton University Press. This book is NIFTY - it’s about us! I was interviewed for it, and we are going to talk about ALL The Things, from identity-driven ethics of care to RWA to the need for “a collective unified body for creative people.” Come for the vintage Romancelandia gossip, stay for the labor activism! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. | |||