Beyond the Sectors Podcast

Thank you so much, friends, for coming with us on this journey! We want to send all of our love to Donna and her family, please take a look at the novel collection available below and consider purchasing, if you can. Today Ana and Chelsea sit down to discuss the final three patreon shorts (for now!) and reflect on what the Beyond books and this project means to each of us.

This week Ana, Chelsea and Baby Outlaw laugh and gurgle their way through a few more of the Kit Rocha Beyond the HEA shorts. This week we focus on four stories set in Sector One after Ashwin. 6th Sense Ashwin and Kora wrestle with all the unknowns around their baby. Makhai In this unsettling short, we get the POV of Samson, another Makhai who is watching over Ashwin and Kora and may or may not be as well calibrated as he thinks he is. Diplomacy Sector Three Style: Gideon and Six share lemonade and discuss the weight of leadership and the power of loyalty. And we like Gideon just adore the kind of leader Six is growing up to be. Zombies Laurel and Zeke, play a game together late at night and have a surprisingly emotional friendship breakthrough. We will be back in two weeks to discuss High Priestess, Girls Night Out, and Gia.

We're back, friends, with our final full-length installment for a little bit. Ivan is the third novel in the Gideon's Riders books, and our last official novel for the moment. Stay tuned, though, because we've still got several short story episodes and an AMA with the author duo Bree and Donna all about the process of writing these books we've spent the last year diving in to! This week, we dig into our most Regency-style romance to date, the forbidden romance between bodyguard Ivan and princess Maricela. We discuss found and biological families, the ways in which we talk about how to value life, and the importance and validity of love as a lasting legacy. As always, it was a blast, and we hope you have as much fun listening as we did recording!

We're back, friends! This week, we continue our Sector One adventures with Deacon (a book we all know should really have been called Ana!) We dig even deeper into last week's discussion of creating a theocratic community, as well as our love of Kit Rocha's reformed assassins and the alluring overlap between tattoo artists Del and Ace. It was a fantastic conversation, and we hope y'all listening to it as much as we did having it! Just a heads up: Chelsea's new little at-home helper/intrepid Beyond the Sectors Infant Correspondant makes the occasional contribution, but this should be the last episode in which that's an issue (god willing and the creek don't rise)!

Welcome, friends, to the brand new(ish) world of Sector One! This week, we launch into the world of Gideon and his infamous Rider's, the soldiers and saviors of Sector One. We had such an amazing conversation this episode, we had a hard time keeping it around the hour mark! We hit on our feelings about emotionally cold heroes, the role that religion plays in worldbuilding, and the deeply complicated man that is Gideon Rios. We see some familiar faces, and talk about what it feels like to be reading this book after the hugely climactic series end of the O'Kane books. We hope you have as much fun listening as we did talking. Just a heads up: Chelsea's new little at-home helper/intrepid Beyond the Sectors Infant Correspondant makes a bit of noise in the first 15 minutes or so. It calms down after that, and we did the best we could to clean it up, but just as a heads up!

This is the second (and currently last) book in the O'Kane for Life novella series, and our final stop with all the favorites we'e gotten to know over the last dozen books. But never fear! We're moving on to Gideon and Sector One, an entirely new world of adventure. But first Ana and Chelsea discuss our ultimate Lex and Dallas story, a novella composed of flashbacks covering the beginnings of a relationship between the people we now know as the reigning king and queen of Sector Four. Chelsea and Ana talk through the joy of getting to know a well-loved character's backstory, the struggle to imagine what it would have been like reading the books knowing what we learn in this novella, and an incredibly poignant reminder that, occasionally, it's good to remember how our heroes can serve as other people's villains.

 This is the first book in the O'Kane for Life novella series, and one of our last two Beyond episodes before we officially switch to the world of Gideon and Sector One! But not before Ana and Chelsea get to fawn all over their joint favorite novella to date. We watch as Six and Bren figure out how to walk new lines, lead a sector, and form a family - and an HEA - that is all their own. Chelsea and Ana are given the chance to discuss PTSD, trauma, the power of literacy, the shifting lines couple continue to draw over the course of a sprawling series, and of course the vital theme of the importance of an individual happily ever after.

Find our latest podcast on Podbean &  iTunes! Ana and Chelsea continue to discuss the Beyond HEA vignettes Bree and Donna wrote for their Patrons. All these shorts take place before the Gideon Rider Books and discuss how Kit Rocha continues to expand the worldbuilding and relationships beyond the original HEAs. All the stories discussed in the episode are now available for free to all readers on Kit Rocha's website including Flash.Efficient: Mia plots make Sector Eight a little less predictable and efficient and a little bit more like home.Fierce Protector (6:30): A sweet little vignette where Hawk brings home a puppy for Jeni.A Little Bit Bad (10:58): Zan and Tatiana's sexy and playful interlude is interrupted by a badly timed delivery.Flash (16:25): This flashback is set after Beyond Pain, where Flash and Amira share some sweet baby time together and Flash thinks about what kind of father he wants to be. Closing:(24:14)

After a brief break Ana and Chelsea are ready to dive back into the Sectors, reading the Beyond HEA vignettes Bree and Donna wrote for their Patrons. For the next two episodes Ana and Chelsea will focus on the shorts that take place before the Gideon Rider Books and discuss how Kit Rocha continues to expand the worldbuilding and relationships beyond the original HEAs. All the stories discussed in the episode are now available for free to all reader on Kit Rocha's website.Creative Incentives is a short Ace/Cruz centric short where Cruz works to motivate Ace to work harder at his PT.Cravings (8:40): Noelle and Jas, sweet cuddly interlude from a couple we typically don't see in a homey domestic environment as they prepare their suite for the new baby.Dessert (13:10): Bree and Donna write a great post-war slice of life interlude for Jeni and Hawk as they enjoy some hot domestic bliss in their farmhouse.Ravished (18:08): Trix and Finn attempt to get ready for Halloween party and get a little distracted by some sexy pirate roleplay in Trix's dressing room in the new Broken Circle. Books Mentioned:Patreon Shorts:Creative IncentivesCravingsDessertRavishedThe Complete Beyond Series Book BundleBeyond JealousyGideon's RidersThe Silver Devils/Mercenary Librarians   Where to Find us on the Web: Chelsea Outlaw co-hosts the Not Now I’m Reading podcast with Kay Taylor Rea.  She is @anoutlawlife on Twitter. Ana Coqui reviews romance, SFF and more at AnaCoqui: Immersed in Books and Love in Panels and on Twitter

Hello, friends! Just a quick note to say that we won't be around this week - Chelsea is currently still on maternity leave, and Ana is finally recovering from her whirlwind trip to RWA! However, we will be back in two weeks to discuss the first five stories in the "Beyond Happily Ever" series that we haven't already discussed - which means we'll be reading "Creative Incentives", "Cravings", "Dessert", "Ravished", and "6th Sense", all of which are available online for free. So get reading and join us in two weeks for all our thoughts!

This is the last official book in the Beyond Series but not the last Beyond the Sectors podcast! In this episode Chelsea and Ana gush about Nessa and Ryder's romance and tackle the explosive and powerful way Bree and Donna close out their series and set up what is next for the Sectors. Chelsea and Ana discuss passion, purpose, loss of innocence, isolation and loneliness, grief, revenge, justice, all the other consequences of war, and the power of the ADHD representation. In Beyond Surrender, Nessa, the O'Kane Princess, everyone's little sister and the secret to O'Kanes fabulous liquor finally meets her match. Ryder has lived and trained for one purpose his whole life, and just he finally attains it he comes to realize he has never learned to dream for more, that is until he meets Nessa. Together they will face the ugliest bits of war and dream of life after it. Also mentioned: Ashwin, Kora, Dallas, Lex, Flash, Amira, Stuart, Finn and pretty much everyone else! And Ana rants about Knitting and we talk about Bree's crafting and the Kit Rocha Etsy Store. Please send us your questions for Bree and Donna as we plan to have a special  Q&A episode with them soon! Books Mentioned: The Complete Beyond Series Book BundleBeyond the HEA StoriesGideon's RidersThe Silver Devils/Mercenary Librarians Where to Find us on the Web: Chelsea Outlaw co-hosts the Not Now I’m Reading podcast with Kay Taylor Rea.  She is @anoutlawlife on Twitter. Ana Coqui reviews romance, SFF and more at AnaCoqui: Immersed in Books and Love in Panels and on Twitter    

Going to war has consequences! In Beyond Ecstasy Hawk and Jeni have been circling around each other for ages but with the start of the war they feel they can't wait any longer. Ana and Chelsea look at the ramifications this rush has on their relationship and discuss the thematic echoes to series themes that are reflected back in different ways in Beyond Ecstasy. In this episode Ana and Chelsea also talk about the cultural differences between the sectors, agency, marriage rituals and finding overlooked strengths and building from disaster.

The intense and suspenseful run-up to war and the most complicated relationship dynamics in the series compete for our attention in Beyond Ruin. Ana and Chelsea could have talked forever about this book, and only scratch the surface. In this episode, our complicated quartet's, Mad, Dylan, Scarlet and Jyoti, emotional scars and secrets are dissected and the ramifications of Eden's surprising assault on Two are discussed. Ana and Chelsea wrestle with all the forces drawing Mad, Dylan, Scarlet and Jyoti together and the misunderstanding & assumptions that nearly drove them apart as the O'Kanes gear up for war and the sector's political landscape is forever changed. Chelsea and Ana discuss all the tantalizing new knowledge about Sector One, Bree and Donna drop in Beyond Ruin, from its unique way of life, to the inner workings of the Rios's family and their complicated Theocracy. Also mentioned in this episode are Gideon, Avery, Ashwin & Kora and Marciela.

In this episode Ana and Chelsea discuss the storytelling and world-building nuggets embedded in these two "Beyond the HEA" vignettes, that explore the growth and changes to Lex, Dallas, Jas, and Noelle, as well as and Rachel, Ace and Cruz 's relationships since the end of their books. Both books are set as the Sectors and Eden are at the brink of war, and these couples & triads take some time away to be together and showcase how much the series has evolved since we first met them. We talk about the radical acts of hope and love in action that take place in these stories, from momentous choices to smaller promises. Did you read the vignettes as your worked through the series, or did you discover them after the fact?

As the world building expands and the plot rapidly picks up pace, Ana and Chelsea spend this episode diving in to what exactly makes it feel just a little different than all the other O'Kane books. They discuss the underlying, often dismissed queerness of both the book and the series, while also noting the variety of ways female agency is expressed and the development of the main theme for the rest of the series: the ability to choose how one fights for the things one loves. Along the way, Ana and Chelsea also discuss the old Hollywood feel of the novel, the appeal of spy novels, and, of course, the sex on the piano. This book also sets up the final stages of the relationship between Mad, Scarlet, Jade and Dylan, whom become the central quad of our next book!

Both Ana & Chelsea adore Tatiana, her need for independence, her fierce pride and her determination to survive. And in this episode they breakdown why Tatiana and Zan clash even as she deeply wants Zan in her life & in her bed. Chelsea and Ana discuss just what submission has meant to Tatiana and what Zan has to do to prove that he can respect her needs and be the person she can rely on. Ana and Chelsea also discuss one of their favorite moments in the whole series involving Lex and her kick-ass posse of O’Kane women and why it is thematically significant in the series. In this episode Chelsea and Ana also talk about Gia, Lex & Stuart and the important of crafting and labor in the worldbuilding of the Beyond Series.

Finn & Trix's explosive second chance/reunion romance nearly tears the O'Kanes apart. Ana & Chelsea discuss how Kit Rocha combine high-octane action (pulse-pounding escapes, car chases, sneaky heists and armed stand-offs) with quiet emotional conflicts centered on the themes of addiction, acceptance, sacrifice, redemption and trust. Chelsea and Ana also talk about Zan, Ryder, Jade, Hawk, Mad, Jim Jernigan, Logan and Lili, how shocking it was to see things not go in the O'Kane's way for once, and how a war is undeniably coming.

Beyond Solitude features the most explicitly Hufflepuff/Slytherin pairing yet in the Beyond Universe. Chelsea and Ana discuss how incredibly grumpy Derek Ford is and just how much they love brave and determined Mia. They also breakdown the power dynamics at the heart of Ford and Mia's tumultuous relationship, discuss what it means to be a resident of Sector Four without being an O'Kane and talk about everything we have come to learn about Sector Two.

Doubling your pleasure, Ana and Chelsea start this episode with a discussion of Beyond Temptation, Emma & Noah's worldbuilding-heavy novella about painful & dangerous secrets, before getting down and dirty with our favorite triad, Ace, Cruz & Rachel in Beyond Jealousy. Beyond hot-showers & self-sabotage, Ana & Chelsea deep-dive into Ace, Rachel and Cruz's relationship dynamics, discussing what went wrong, and why we so love this story of learning to let people love you when you feel unworthy or unlovable. Also discussed are all the parents present or absent in Beyond Jealousy from Maddox's ghostly mother, Ace's late mother, Cruz's distant mother to Rachel all too-present meddling father, Liam Riley and how it all connects to the radically different family the O'Kanes are building in Sector Four. Ana shares how much she loves the variety and complex depictions of Latinx identity in the series and Chelsea expands on why she thinks these two books are a turning point in the series. Chelsea & Ana also discuss learning the difference between mfm and mmf and how that can make all the difference in whether a story works for them or not.

In this episode of Beyond the Sectors, Chelsea and Ana lovingly dissect Bren & Six, the cage-matches, the trauma, there-is-more-to-life-than-revenge tropes, flawed found family dynamics and the collision between the political and relational storylines as the O'Kanes try to unravel what has gone wrong in Sector Three. Bren has been guiding and training Six as she gets to know the O'Kanes, face her past and learn to trust and hope again, but when a villain from his past re-surfaces his need for revenge exposes cracks in his relationships with the gang and almost destroys his relationship with Six. Listen as we discuss Bren and Six's relationships with their pasts, their kinks, the gang and each other in Beyond Pain. Also mentioned in this episode are some of the future leads, Noah, Emma, Mad, Scarlet, Ace, Rachel & Cruz including a discussion of Ace's role in helping Six understand Bren's desire and need for pain. Books mentioned: The Gideon's Riders Series, Beyond Jealousy (4), Beyond Ruin (7), Beyond Temptation (3.5) We also allude to Beyond Doubt -- Bren and Six's post-HEA #OkaneforLife story.

Ana and Chelsea giddily discuss the tumultuous romance between the King and Queen of Sector Four. Dallas and Lex have been circling around each other for years, risk and desire in balance until an inflammatory tattoo changes everything. In Beyond Control, high-stakes negotiations, dangerous double-edged offers, secret vulnerabilities and big mistakes endanger Lex and Dallas relationship and the unity of the O'Kanes. Chelsea and Ana discuss the complications caused by the intersection of Dallas and Lex's public and private personas and just how close Dallas comes to destroying it all. Join us as we unpack what is private and what is political and how Kit Rocha keeps expanding the world of the O'Kanes and raising the stakes in Beyond Control. This is the book that made us both realize just how special this series is.

In this episode Chelsea and Ana talk about how they found the Beyond Series by Kit Rocha and discuss the first book in the series Beyond Shame. In Beyond Shame, Noelle Cunningham is cast out of Eden and finds not only sanctuary but love and family when she is rescued by Jas and the O'Kanes. Bree Bridges and Donna Herren, the writing duo behind Kit Rocha, lay the foundation of their ambitious post-apocalyptic SFR/Erotic Romance series, in Beyond Shame,  introducing key characters, themes and sketching out the political arc of the series. Chelsea and Ana talk about their favorite characters, their love of the worldbuilding and politics of #thesectors turned them into #okanesforlife.