Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

739. RT Rewind: June 2007 Reviews Oct 9, 2026 1:11:50 We’re going back to 2007 to take a look at the new releases in Romantic Times Magazine, and we’re so glad you’re joining us! We’ve got kooky books, taxidermy, chick lit, and a new entry into the character name hall of fame. Strap in, it’s getting weird.At about 38 minutes in, Amanda’s track started having some kind of digital echo. I did as much as I could to adjust it, and I'm so sorry for th

738. Isn’t He Romantic with Adib Khorram Oct 2, 2026 1:08:55 Adib Khorram’s new book, Isn’t He Romantic, is out this week, so of course I wanted to ask many questions about it.This is the third in a trilogy about three queer Iranian American friends, and our conversation touches on some of the themes of the book, such as aging and ageism in the gay community, reclaiming fun games from your youth, and about trends in m/m romance currently.You can find Adib K

737. RT Rewind: February 2012 Ads & Features Sep 25, 2026 1:03:47 We’re back in the time machine to check out the ads and features from the February 2012 issue of Romantic Times.We’re talking about Anastasia, Madame Toussauds, and how close some cover models get to showing some hog.THEN! Then, we have about a half hour of live cover snark. I’m wondering if this video will be taken down by the Y’Tube, because these covers are…unclothed.What was the thing you were

736. The Romances that Inspired Dylan Allen and Lucy Wilson-Tagoe Sep 18, 2026 1:02:29 My guest this week is Dylan Allen, and Lucy Wilson-Tagoe, who are conveniently the same person. Dylan Allen is a bestselling author of contemporary romance, while Lucy Wilson-Tagoe’s newest book To Catch a Sinner, is out now.It’s a mystery and a romance set in DC that focuses on art repatriation and the cultural minefield therein. So we’re going to talk about art, writing, the DC of her imagined w

735. RT Rewind: September 2012 Reviews Sep 11, 2026 1:25:54 This month we’re going back to September 2012 to take a look at the new books in Romantic Times magazine.We’re talking about a very male hero, letting teens be teens, and hooray, there are dozens of terrible men to add to the pile. We also talk about our favorite Garth Brooks songs, and our go-to karaoke songs. (What’s yours?)At about 25 minute in we talk about something rather morbid – books boun

734. Finding Fire Island with Jess Rothschild Sep 4, 2026 1:00:25 Jess Rothschild is a podcaster and journalist, one of the founding writers at Autostraddle, and her latest project is a documentary podcast called Finding Fire Island, about the history of Fire Island, Cherry Grove, and the Pines. Her prior work includes The Cult of Soul Cycle, and I love BOTH of these productions. Jess has been writing online longer than I have, and we talk about internet history

733. RT Rewind: July 1992 Ads & Features - The 100th Issue Special! Aug 28, 2026 1:34:40 We are back in the early 90s, when the mullets were epic and the covers were sumptuous. Come on back to July 1992 with us as we explore the ads & features of the 100th issue of Romantic Times Magazine!This issue contains some FASCINATING retrospective looks at romance, cover art, and more, and I think it is one of the primary sources cited for some of the more common stories I’ve heard about r

732. The Heated Rivalry Unauthorized Musical Parody with Dylan MarcAurele Aug 21, 2026 59:15 Dylan MarcAurele is the writer and composer behind The Heated Rivalry Unauthorized Musical Parody, and I am extremely excited to share this interview with you!We’re going to talk about writing musical theatre, his writing process, and how long it took him to write this musical (you won’t believe it).He also talks about the actors and how the show came to be – it’s delightful. Musical theater and r

731. RT Rewind: July 1992 Reviews - The 100th Issue Special! Aug 14, 2026 1:04:05 It’s RT Rewind time again! This month, we’re going back to July 1992 to check out the new releases reviewed in…the 100th issue of Romantic Times magazine! Yup, the cover is memorable, and so are the book covers.We discuss:Cover models! Who would be the cover model for subgenre specific magazine issues?Nostalgia! Are the tag lines on the cover both references to cigarette ads?Reviews! There are som

730. Still the Luckiest Lady in London with Sherry Thomas Aug 7, 2026 54:50 The re-release of The Luckiest Lady in London has arrived, and Sherry Thomas joins me to talk about the writing of that book more than 13 years ago, how romance and historicals have changed, and how this book is a reflection and subversion of another very, very famous historical romance.Plus, she gives us recommendations of her favorite historical romance authors and some of their books.Note: we h

729. RT Rewind: March 2009 Ads & Features Jul 31, 2026 1:20:55 Hey, where are you going? Get in the time machine – we want to bring you back to March 2009 to check out the ads & features from Romantic Times Magazine.We’ve got:Snippy letters to the editor!Covers that look like shaving cream ads for womenReading in a recessionFolks explaining steampunk!Pop vs. SodaAnd you’ll find out what words are used in an acrostic of “pandemic.”TW: In the middle you’ll

728. The Parisian Heist with Jo Piazza Jul 24, 2026 58:08 Jo Piazza is my guest this week to discuss her new book, The Parisian Heist. This book is a dual timeline story weaving together a 1990s heist at the Orsay museum with the story of Jo van Gogh, Vincent van Gogh’s sister in law, who is the reason we know who Vincent is today.Along the way we talk aboutDNFing booksStealing artMythologizing artists usually menAnd how many women do nearly everything h

727. RT Rewind: March 2009 Reviews Jul 17, 2026 1:37:43 We’re back in the time machine heading to March 2009 to check out the new books reviewed in Romantic Times Magazine.We’ve got:Hot dog shrinesAlpha heroinesPT CruisersAllegories for the siege of LeningradWhore’s DustWe’ve got some new books in the magazine that are still bangers today across many genres, alongside some books that we’re going to leave in 2009, right after we talk about them in this

726. Q2 Pop Culture Report with Kayleigh Donaldson Jul 10, 2026 1:19:56 A few months ago, Kayleigh Donaldson joined me to discuss Oscar predictions and other pop culture stories, and we decided to connect quarterly to discuss popular culture.We discuss the misogyny attached to Timothy Chalamet hate, a deep dive into the public post history of Club Chalamet as indicative of larger issues in fandom behavior, Madonna’s new album, Lizzo’s new album, and the Tartan Army.Th

725. Romantic Hero with Kirsty Greenwood Jul 3, 2026 52:54 My guest this week is Kirsty Greenwood, whose new book Romantic Hero is out now everywhere, all over the world.Kirsty writes what she calls “speculative romantic comedy,” and I really loved her first book, Love of my Afterlife.We discuss SHOCKING topics like deleting the first book she tried to write, the character journeys in Romantic Hero, dealing with writer’s block, and punching people in the

724. RT Rewind: May 1996 Ads & Features Jun 26, 2026 1:19:05 The time machine is all charged up, and we’re headed back to May 1996 to take a look at the ads & features from Romantic Times magazine. It’s the late 90s, so you know that means Incredible Cover Art.We also discover just how much creepy stuff Amanda owns currently, debates about babies in romance, cheap conference hotel rooms, woman flamingos, and incredible women heroines.I don’t know if you

723. Magic and Gardens with Ashley Poston Jun 19, 2026 1:16:17 My guest today is bestselling author Ashley Poston, whose new book, The Someday Garden, is out this week.The Someday Garden was inspired by The Secret Garden, so we’re going to talk about inspiration, gardening, fandoms, changing genres and having your readers grow up with you as a writer.TW/CW – discussion of grief, and of suicide at almost exactly 1 hour into our conversation.You can find Ashley

722. RT Rewind: May 1996 Reviews Jun 12, 2026 1:08:16 We love the 90s, and that’s where we’re headed this month, gazing at the impossible mullets from Romantic Times magazine.We’re talking about the newest books from May 1996, including the second book in what is now a 15-book much-loved series, and some truly memorable character names.We’ll investigate, “What’s wrong with this man?” We’ll have “lashings of good fun.” Plus we learn a SHOCKING TRUTH a

721. Exploring Platform Decay with Martha Wells Jun 5, 2026 1:02:11 Martha Wells is back, and we are taking a deep spoilery dive into Platform Decay.I want to be clear here: if you haven’t read Platform Decay, we are about to spoil the dickens out of it. Yes, Charles Dickens is in Platform Decay, you heard it here first. We’re going to discuss infrastructure fury, trains in Japan, Honor Princess Detective, and more – and when I say we are spoiling, we are spoiling

720. RT Rewind: December 2012 Ads & Features May 29, 2026 1:18:50 We’re back in the time machine, heading to December 2012 to look at the ads and features from Romantic Times magazine. This episode features a high amount of extreme zany. We’ve got so many treats for you this week, including the Steeple Hill Drinking Game, the reverse Colonel Sanders, Jude Deveraux’s thoughts on modern romance heroes of the time, shifters and more. Watch the episode and

719. Tropetails, Books and Drinky Chatting with Amanda May 22, 2026 1:05:12 We’re sampling Tropetails cocktail mixes, discussing what we’re reading and playing, and what books we’re looking forward to in the coming months.We were not paid to promote them, but we did receive free samples and they are delicious.We also mentioned:Manta: Flower of Allure aka Flowers are Bait Game: Winter BurrowGame: Librarian – Tidy Up the Arcane LibraryElyse’s r

718. RT Rewind: December 2012 Reviews May 15, 2026 1:32:22 We’re back in the time machine, heading back to December 2012 to see what new books were reviewed in Romantic Times magazine.We’ve got “multicultural” books, beefy paragraphs, big thorns, Schroedinger’s baby, and “charming vulgar nonsense.” Plus, we ask a very important question: if you were suddenly the heroine of an Inspirational romance, how would you know?TW/CW for the erotica section at the e

717. Archangel’s Finale with Nalini Singh May 8, 2026 1:24:35 Nalini Singh is back to talk about Archangel’s Eternity, which I have been calling “Archangel’s Finale.”We’ve got questions from readers and listeners, and some behind the scenes details about how Nalini organizes the massive worlds she’s built in her series.Plus she teases some major surprises for the next Psy-Changeling book, and what she’s working on right now.You can find the video of thi

716. Here for All the Reasons: Bachelor Critique With Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais May 1, 2026 1:37:23 Programming note: this week's episode is dropping on 30 April 2026. Smart Bitches Trashy Books, LLC, is withdrawing our labor on May 1, 2026, alongside other companies, school districts, and activists as part of the May Day Nationwide Day of Collective Action. For more information, visit MayDayStrong.org. ...Ilana Masad and Stevie K. Seibert Desjarlais are the editors of a new and excellent anthol

715. Books, Wine & Nachos at Joie de Livres, with Claire Trottier Apr 24, 2026 55:40 Thanks for Geoffroy in the podcast Patreon (merci, Geoffrey!) my guest this week is Claire Trottier, owner of Joie de Livres, a romance and speculative fiction bookshop in Montreal, Canada. Hi Neighbors!We’re going to talk about:Opening a romance and speculative fiction book storeWealth disparity!Seeing the world premiere of episode 1 of Heated Rivalry at the Image+Nationa

714. The Edge of Space-Time with Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein Apr 17, 2026 1:18:01 When you subscribed to this podcast, I bet you thought, “When is Sarah going to interview an expert on theoretical physics ?” Today is your day!My guest is Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein author of the book The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie.And if you’re thinking, I was really bad at physics – don’t worry, so was I. I found this book to be both incredibly engaging

713. Enemies to Lovers with Alisha Rai Apr 10, 2026 1:16:20 My guest this week is podcast community favorite Alisha Rai! We start off catching up on our history of podcasting together, our life changes, and the challenges of making children wear coats.Then it’s enemies to lovers time! Her new book, Enemies to Lovers is out now, and we both brought the good trowels. We dig into the trope to examine how it works, what the essential elements are, an

712. Like, Follow, Subscribe: The Cost of A Childhood Online with Fortesa Latifi Apr 3, 2026 1:06:12 You’ve been hearing me talk about this book for awhile, and I am so excited to share with you my conversation with Fortesa Latifi, author of Like, Follow, Subscribe: The Cost of a Childhood Online. Her research into family vloggers and influencers is superb and I’m still thinking about some of the revelations in this book.We discuss the origins of influencing and family vlogging, the benefits

711. RT Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features Mar 27, 2026 1:23:03 We are back in the time machine, heading to July 2000 to check out the Ads & Features from Romantic Times Magazine!We’re going to talk about Geocities websites, author research, and Hands.Lots of Hands.This one is a little spicy, y’all! At about 45 minutes in there’s an extended discussion of anal in romance fiction (as you do) and at about 50 minutes in, we discuss death, mortuary science, an

710. Writing Characters with Chronic Illness (Plus Restaurant Recs!!) with Riss M. Neilson Mar 20, 2026 1:03:57 Riss M. Neilson joins me today to talk about her new romance, The Bridge Back to You. This is a second chance love story between two exes who unexpectedly inherit shares of the same restaurant – the restaurant that he runs, and that she kind of ran away from.There is so much to discuss in this book: we talk about characters with chronic illnesses like endometriosis, or mental illnesses like OCD. W

709. RT Rewind: July 2000 Reviews Mar 13, 2026 1:05:58 We're back in the time machine, heading to July 2000 - for real this time - to check out the reviews in this issue of Romantic Times magazine!We’ve got anthologies, Carpathians, and several books where we’re pretty sure the happy ending is to throw the entire man away. We also debate who is possessed by demons because it’s a valid question for several of the books we talk about. A mild warnin

708. From the Vault: Sociology, Romance, and Community with Drs. Jen Lois and Joanna Gregson Mar 6, 2026 58:18 Thank you for joining me for a “from the vault” episode! This is episode 147, originally aired June 26, 2015, so almost 11 years ago.Drs. Jen Lois and Joanna Gregson did a multi-year study on the community of romance authors and I have never stopped thinking about it. In this conversation, we’re talking about that study, what they learned about romance as a community, especially about gender dynam

707. RT Rewind: June 1997 Ads & Features Feb 27, 2026 1:27:38 Amanda and I are traveling back to June 1997 to discuss:Touring inside author’s homes and whether we think it’s kinda intrusive and uncomfortableNeverending reader hate for “the F word”The fans used to blow back cover models’ hairAnd speaking of, what’s on the Cover Model Pageant contestant’s heads?And more!We DO have a video episode for this one with images – you can find it on your YouTube

706. The Astral Library with Kate Quinn Feb 20, 2026 1:15:52 Kate Quinn’s new book, The Astral Library, is out this week and I was so excited to not only get an advanced copy but an opportunity to interview Kate Quinn.We talk about the inspiration for this very magical book, and about books that are sanctuaries. We also talk about library advocacy, book banning, and the deadly threat of bureaucracy.My favorite thing that Kate says: “When you love a boo

705. RT Rewind: June 1997 Reviews Feb 13, 2026 58:00 Amanda and I are back, deep diving into romance and pop culture history with issue 1997 of Romantic Times Magazine. The cover reads Love, Lust, Laugh, and we’ve got some vintage books to talk about. Then we talk about what books we’re most looking forward to right now, and what we’re currently reading.In two weeks we will be back with the ads & features, and you know a magazine from the 90s ha

704. JQ Editions with Julia Quinn Feb 6, 2026 1:00:47 My guest this week is Julia Quinn and we are talking about, of course, JQ Editions, a new subscription service creating special limited editions of historical romances. I’ve been writing about this since it was announced, and so I got to ask all my questions – and some of yours.Along the way we talk about the historical romance genre, administrative mayhem, and the practicalities of crea

703. Oscars and Gossip with Kayleigh Donaldson Jan 30, 2026 59:37 Kayleigh Donaldson is back! She is the guest on some of the most popular episodes, and I know what that is: she’s brilliant. We recorded this just before the Oscar nominations were announced, so Kayleigh is making (some pretty accurate!) predictions about Oscar nominations, and explaining what makes this year’s group of films so interesting.Along the way we also talk about vintage Hollywood g

702. Heated Rivalry with Candy Tan Jan 23, 2026 1:24:02 Candy recapped Heated Rivalry, and is that enough? No, of course not. We had MANY things we wanted to exclaim at each other about, so why not podcast about it?We’re going to talk about the show, the acting, the adaptation, and the fact that this show could never have been made in the US. Jacob Tierney is a genius, and we have many a rabbit hole of research to explore.If you’ve been thinking a

701. Holiday Wishes with Amanda and Sarah Jan 16, 2026 56:05 It’s never too late for Holiday Wishes, right? We had such a record number of interviews for the Holiday Wishes episodes this year, and I truly love doing them. Thank you.But many of you asked about Amanda’s recs and wishes, so to wind up our holiday extravaganza, Amanda and I are talking about the books that we loved in 2025, our wishes for everyone in 2026, and of course we talk about a LOT of o

700. An Art History Analysis of Romance Covers with Amanda Matta Jan 9, 2026 2:00:50 Happy 700th Episode!! Amanda Matta is a debut author (her book is coming in 2027!), media commentator, royal analyst, and an art historian. I’ve mentioned Amanda, and her podcast Art of History, which I love. In that show, she focuses on one particular piece of art and explains the history, context, symbolism, and even the details of how it was made. I like it. So I thought, why not have

699. Holiday Wishes VII with Katie, Kate and Adam Jan 2, 2026 43:55 Happy New Year!This week we are talking with Katie, Kate, and Adam – we’ve got book recs, wishes, spreadsheet discussions, dungeons, and some wishes that don’t violate the Hatch Act.There’s also rather appalling poo adventure immediately after my first interview. Pew pew!Check out the complete show notes at SBTB.com!Thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campa

698. Holiday Wishes VI with Jenna Grinstead, Stephanie Violet, Lisa, and Bull Dec 26, 2025 53:40 This week we are talking with Jenna Grinstead, Stephanie Violet, Lisa, and Bull! Yup, we’re visiting Norway this week. Bring a hat.As always we have book recs, including one from the 1500s, wishes, and terrible jokes.Please note: during my conversation with Lisa, we discuss true crime and historical murders.We also mentioned:The Bridge (tv show) Simple Happy Zen PodcastPlaying for Keeps Podca

697. Holiday Wishes V with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda Dec 19, 2025 1:00:07 This week we are talking with Shana, Sue, and Rhonda about book recs and wishes, plus fantasy and magical bureaucracy, grief in romance, schtupping by volume, and inventions for readers to find even MORE books.We also mentioned:The Library Extension – This is an extension for Chrome browsers that will load a list of your preferred libraries with availability for a specific book you’re looking

696. Holiday Wishes IV with Rae A, Josephine, and Sneezy Dec 12, 2025 58:20 We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Rae A., Josephine, and Sneezy!This week we are talking romance bookstores and road trips, luxurious bidets, webtoons, and, of course, books. And some ranting about women artists in history. We are traveling as far as Taiwan in this episode – and this should be the last of my laryngitis – hooray for all of us!We also discussed:Webtoo

695. Holiday Wishes III with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo Dec 5, 2025 59:07 We’re back with more Holiday Wishes! This week we’re talking with Garlic Knitter, Claudia, Christine, and Jo.A few notes:First, my voice is not great. Some of these were recorded when I had a dreadful cold, so I apologize in advance.Second, if you’re a sympathetic crier like I am, please know that when Christine and I are talking, we both get a little choked up while talking about grief and the in

694. Holiday Wishes II with Agnés, Emily, Sarah Jane and Jenn Nov 28, 2025 44:00 Ready for more wishes and recs? And bad jokes? I bet you are! This week we’re talking with Agnes, Emily, Sarah Jane, and Jenn – and Min the cat.And in the outro, you’ll hear from ShoesforAll, aka Sarah.And! Important announcement 1: thanks to your Patreon pledges, we have reached our goal with the F’ICE campaign, and all dynamic ads will be turned off permanently for everyone who listens. Thank yo

693. Holiday Wishes I with Susie, Elizabeth, Alanna Nov 21, 2025 53:33 It’s time for our annual Holiday Wishes episodes!Every year I connect with listeners around the world, where we talk about books, wishes, and bad jokes. So this time of year, my guests are…all of you!In this set of wishes, we’ve got classics, new mysteries, and series romances. And we’ve got Sapphic yearning!I have a record number of people signed up to do holiday wishes conversations with me, and

692. Soap Opera Nostalgia with Amye Archer from Little Miss Recap Nov 14, 2025 1:30:39 Amye Archer, host of Little Miss Recap, was a guest on a recent paywalled episode of Fixing Famous People talking about soap operas. I was entranced. Amye is a fan of soaps, going way back, and I was very eager to have her as a guest to talk about soaps, the romances within soaps, and some of the overlap between soap fans and romance readers.After we talk about the matrilineal cultural inheritance

691. Romantic Times Memories with Heather Graham Nov 7, 2025 1:10:12 After mentioning Heather Graham, one of the Grande Dames of RT, so many times while recapping issues of Romantic Times, I got to sit down with her to talk about her career, the way the industry has changed, and of course, her memories of Romantic Times, both the magazine and the convention.We talk about…Her memories of meeting Kathryn FalkThe earliest Romantic Times ConventionsHer incredible RT pa

690. Disability in Romance with Lux Raven Oct 31, 2025 1:04:30 My guest today is Lux Raven, author of the Siren’s duology that starts with Siren’s Mark, which came out – together – in early October. Lux wanted to join me on the podcast to talk about disability portrayals in romance, and about her own journey to diagnosis and how it influenced her writing – and vice versa.We talk a lot about the pernicious ableism in the writing of disabled characters, an

689. RT Rewind: May 2016 Ads & Features Oct 17, 2025 1:01:23 We’re going back to May 2016 to look at the Ads & Features in Romantic Times magazine. The kilts are kilting and the abs are ab-ing, and we’ve got some questions.How do we feel about the terms “book boyfriend” and “pre-con”?How much of the 2016 conference depended on Twitter to announce pop up signings and special limited time events?And do you remember how important Twitter was to a conferenc

688. Rewind Replay: June 22, 2018 Oct 10, 2025 1:02:56 I’m bringing back a classic episode from the archives of the show, and because she has excellent taste, Amanda said it should be this one. When I originally published this episode, I focused on how silly we were – and we are plenty silly.But since then Amanda and I have talked about the fact that when we recorded this, we were, in fact, baked out of our gourds.So it’s a different kind of time trav

687. RT Rewind: May 2016 Reviews and New Releases Oct 3, 2025 1:00:16 Grab your carry on, your snacks, and a blanket, because we’re hopping in the time machine again to go back to the May 2016 issue of Romantic Times to look at the new releases and reviews!This issue caused some big questions.Coke or Pepsi?Backstreet Boys or NSYNC?Did you worry about spontaneous combustion?Should I read the Midnight, Texas trilogy by Charlaine Harris?How many erotic romance titles i

686. Ladies in Hating and Yearning with Alexandra Vasti Sep 26, 2025 58:05 Alexandra Vasti is back, because her new historical romance Ladies in Hating is out this week!We are going to talk about:Good angsty yearningWhen a character is their love interest’s bitch eating crackersLesbians in history!Erotic Victorian fictionSide trips include historical publishing houses, how nothing in romance is new, and how a lot of our current erotica, including that book wher

685. RT Rewind: August 1996 Ads & Features Sep 19, 2025 1:05:48 It’s the 90s so the Ads and Features from the August 1996 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of confusion. We’ve got:A tour of Jude Deveraux’s Grade II Listed Home in SuffolkBarbara Cartland perfumesHow should emoji faces be written? Nose or no nose?What is the appeal of “nursing him back to health” plots?And RT is going to answer the eternal question that has plagued womankind throughou

684. Thief of Night with Holly Black Sep 12, 2025 58:42 The second book in Holly Black’s Night duology, Thief of Night, is out now, and I was so excited to talk with her about it.We start right off by talking about creepy places – like, what kind of magic comes out of Jersey?Then we talk about world building, starting with atmosphere instead of plot, and the intricacies of shadow magic in her duology. Plus, we squee about books we’ve loved, magic

683. RT Rewind: August 1996 Reviews Sep 5, 2025 56:24 We’re going back to August 1996 – that’s a bit of distance – to take a peek at the new releases and the book reviews in Romantic Times magazine.We’re back in the era of time travel, a scifi imprint named Avonova, and probable worms.NSFW worms.As usual, we learn astonishing amounts of unexpected information from this magazine. For example: we’re both obsessed with the 1996 movie Twister a

682. Pivoting Between Historical and Contemporary Romance with Valerie Bowman Aug 29, 2025 58:11 Valerie Bowman returns to talk about her new book, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn, out September 9. Valerie has written over 30 historical novels but when asked by her agent if she’d be interested in pivoting to contemporary, Valerie jumped on the opportunity.Please join us as we puzzle through the reasons why historical romance isn’t as popular, and what led to the pivot that so many authors are

681. RT Rewind: July 2016 Ads & Features Aug 22, 2025 46:40 It’s July 2016, and we’re back in the time machine to check out the ads & features from this issue of Romantic Times Magazine!We spot an SBTB friend in the letters to the editor, and we talk about romances translated into English, the appeal of the wounded hero, and we spot an ad that’s very clearly some Tay-fic, as I’m calling it. We also discuss an article about Kickstarter in romance – and

680. Aro and Ace YA Romance with Molly Horan Aug 15, 2025 48:32 Molly Horan is a YA author, playwright, and professor who is writing a dissertation on aromantic and asexual characters in YA literature. Molly also teaches classes about YA literature, so we have a LOT to talk about.Examining relationships between people within the context of aro/ace characters requires a re-examination of how we portray human bonds in media, and how they work in real life. There

679. RT Rewind: July 2016 Reviews Aug 8, 2025 1:31:14 We’re back! Amanda picked this month’s issue and so we are journeying back to July 2016!We tackle vague reviews that tell us no things.I try to coin a new portmanteau!We come up with the most unhinged romance bingo squares ever – tell us if we should use them!We have some plot summaries that are a RIDE, folks.Hop into our newly refurbished time machine – we needed a bigger drinks fridge – and let’

678. The Osmanification of Fiction Covers with Kayleigh Donaldson Aug 1, 2025 53:45 Recently, I posted a collection of cozy, mostly British mysteries that all mimic the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club covers in just about every way.Then, Kayleigh Donaldson said she had many thoughts about them.One of the worst things you can do is be one of my favorite people to listen to and then tell me you have thoughts about something I posted on SBTB. I WANT

677. Everyone is Lying to You with Jo Piazza Jul 25, 2025 1:03:06 Jo Piazza’s new book, Everyone is Lying to You, is a trad wife influencer murder mystery out this month. I loved this book. Jo has been covering trad wives and influencers for a long, long time – she has a podcast called “Under the Influence,” and has been writing about celebrity culture for most of her career.We are talking about trad wives, celebrity influencers, and how celebrity has chang

676. Exploring Atonement Sky with Nalini Singh Jul 18, 2025 1:05:04 When I record with Nalini Singh, since she’s in New Zealand and I’m on the east coast of the US, it’s weird hours for both of us – so thank you to Nalini for speaking to me bright and early in the morning. We talk about Atonement Sky, about writing and worldbuilding, and saying goodbye to characters. I also mix up my animal pluralities but I fix it, don’t worry.NOT thanks to Wilbur, my cat, w

675. Celebrating Confident Fat Black Women with Danielle Allen Jul 11, 2025 52:57 Danielle Allen is the author of 55 books, including the new release Plus Size Player, part of the Curve series alongside Curvy Girl Summer, and Big Girl Blitz. And the player, as you’ll find out, is the heroine.The trilogy focuses on three best friends, and so we talk about friendship, loyalty, and about centering fat Black women as romance heroines. Danielle has also written c

674. Enchanted Romantasy Feasts with Gaby Leon, HappyGabyCooks Jul 4, 2025 48:33 You may know Gaby Leon as HappyGabyCooking on TikTok and Instagram. She’s also the author of a new cookbook! The Enchanted Feast is a gorgeous book filled with recipes inspired by Gaby’s favorite Rrrrrromantasy titles. There are cocktails, snacks, entrees, and terrific cookies and desserts. This episode, and this cookbook, might make you hungry.If you’re thinking you might

673. RT Rewind: May 1995 Ads & Features Jun 27, 2025 1:12:34 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

672. Part III of A Soul to Keep with Heaving Bosoms Jun 20, 2025 1:02:39 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 ta

671. RT Rewind: May 1995 Reviews Jun 13, 2025 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

670. I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This with Chelsea Devantez of Glamourous Trash Jun 6, 2025 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

669. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part II May 30, 2025 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:How many romantic

668. Hot Takes with Sarah & Amanda May 23, 2025 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:Third act bleak moments!Transcending the genre!Rom coms!Cozy things!Conferences and gatherings!Accessories for Readers!TW/CW: We take a brief side trip into parental estrangement and emotional abuse....Our midroll ad was for&nbsp

667. RT Rewind - February 2015 Ads & Features Part I May 16, 2025 1:02:33 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 communi

666. HelenKay Dimon and Darby Kane are Really Interesting May 9, 2025 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 bef

665. RT Rewind - February 2015 Reviews May 2, 2025 1:57:04 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 h

664. Haunted Abbeys and Hidden History with Alexandra Vasti Apr 25, 2025 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, an

663. RT Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features Apr 18, 2025 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 talki

662. What’s Deeanne Gist Been Up To? With Dakota Lacoy Apr 11, 2025 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

661. RT Rewind: July 2000 Reviews Apr 4, 2025 49:41 We’re heading back in time to July 2000 to check out new releases in Romantic Times Magazine!Highlights include:Amanda’s memories of reading Daughter of the Forest, one of her all-time favorite booksA surprising number of 2- and 1-star reviewsA heroine obsessed with pirates!Question: Did you read ebooks before the Kindle was released? What device did you use, if any?Visit the covers and the cool e

660. Murder By Memory with Olivia Waite Mar 28, 2025 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.

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