Smart Podcast, Trashy Books
Each week on Smart Podcast, Trashy Books, Sarah Wendell interviews authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians about romance novels, which are among the most popular genres in fiction worldwide. Popular guests include: Ilona Andrews, Robin Bradford, NPR's Barrie Hardymon, Jaye Wells, and Rachel Aaron. Amanda Diehl, co-pilot of the SS Smart Bitches, makes regular appearances with maximum silliness. Frequent topics include romance novels, the way the genre is changing, and the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers. Plus, we always recommend some books we're reading and really...
554. All Things Bramble and Romance with Monique Patterson
In February, Tor announced their new romance imprint, Bramble, and we had some questions about it!Fortunately, VP and Executive Editor Monique Patterson sat down with me on her first day in her new position at Bramble to tell us all the things.We also discuss how romance has changed and evolved over her career as an editor, and about being a nerd about many things including sword collecting and baking.My favorite part of this conversation: How James Baldwin and Zora Neale …
553. Improv Improving Your Writing with Kelly Farmer
Kelly Farmer is the author of the Out on the Ice series of hockey romances, including her latest, Calling the Shots, and a former improvisational actor. We talk about cover artist magic, her series, and identify a few reason why hockey is such a popular setting for romances.Then we talk about how improvisational theatre exercises and techniques influence and improve writing. So if you’re stuck in your writing, maybe this will help. I also finally learn to say Megan Rapino’s …
552. Contemporary Romance, RomComs, and Grief with Melonie Johnson
Not all contemporary romances are romcoms, but many are, and Melonie Johnson joins me this week to talk about both, and about her new romcom, Too Wrong to Be Right. She too wrote a character who works in the funeral industry, so we talk a bit about that, too! The talk about different burial options and discussion of the funeral industry starts at 14 minutes in.We also touch on burnout in the publishing industry, and grieving the professional relationships that …
551. Season of Love, with Helena Greer and Sam Brody
I connected with author Helena Greer, who wrote Season of Love, which you might have heard me talk about, because I liked it a LOT. And I also connected with Sam Brody, the acquiring editor at Hachette who worked on the book with Helena! So we talk about behind the scenes details of writing and editing, and how this book came to be.There are a few audio skips or what I think of as sound bubbles, and my apologies for …
550. Heaving Bosoms Crossover, Part II: The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie
Welcome to Part II of our Heaving Bosoms Crossover! Some of our most popular episodes in our archive are our crossovers with Heaving Bosoms, and we have a new one for you!If you tuned in to the Heaving Bosoms episode this week for Part I, you’ll know that we are discussing and recapping The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. Originally published in 2009, this book inspired So Much Discussion when it was first published.You can find part …
549. Spare by Prince Harry, with Melissa Blue
Melissa Blue tweeted that she wanted to talk about Spare.So did I! So, we did!We talk about the book itself, but we also look at the book from our perspective as romance readers and writers, and also as a larger narrative about dismantling propaganda. As Melissa points out, narratives constructed around Meghan and Harry echo narratives we’ve seen about other people, especially women, in public life who are subjected to propaganda to undermine them.I talk a lot about how dismissing …
548. Enthusiastic Sex and Podcasting with Emily Nagoski
Emily Nagoski has a new podcast, Come As You Are! If you’ve read her books, you know what this is about. We dive right into questions of consent and enthusiasm, the way the ace/aro community has developed conversations about sexuality within the field of sex education, and how the pandemic has affected sexuality. So much of her show and this conversation center on how to address sexual satisfaction in your own life.We also talk about her next book, which is …
547. The HarperCollins Strike with Olga Brudastova, President of UAW 2110
This episode was recorded on Monday 23 January 2023. On Thursday, 26 January, the HarperCollins Union announced that HarperCollins has agreed to enter mediation.In this interview, we go over the breakdown in negotiations that led to the HarperCollins Union strike, and the demands of the union.Thank you to Barb, Bransler, Clay, Agnes, and Susan for the questions and to the Patreon community for the enthusiastic support and encouragement for this interview.Music: Purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and …
546. Love and Mayhem with Ali Hazelwood
Ali Hazelwood has a new anthology in print, Loathe to Love You, and she joins me to talk about becoming a full-time writer and the development of the novellas in this anthology. And then I hit her with a series of silly questions. Woo hoo! Bring on the mayhem.Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
545. The Art of Good Apologies with Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy
Marjorie Ingall and Susan McCarthy are the authors of a new, dishy, and fascinating book, Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies. We’re going to talk about public apologies, celebrity mishaps, and the psychology of what creates a good apology. If you’ve been thinking of making amends, or are writing a good grovel, this is a perfect episode for you.…Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.