Podcast appearances and mentions of Danielle Steel

Why do some romance authors build decades-long careers while others vanish after one breakout book? What really separates a throwaway pen name and rapid release strategy from a legacy brand and a body of work you're proud of? How can you diversify with trad, indie, non-fiction, and Kickstarter without burning out—or selling out your creative freedom? With Jennifer Probst. In the intro, digital ebook signing [BookFunnel]; how to check terms and conditions; Business for Authors 2026 webinars; Music industry and AI music [BBC; The New Publishing Standard]; The Golden Age of Weird. This podcast is sponsored by Kobo Writing Life, which helps authors self-publish and reach readers in global markets through the Kobo eco-system. You can also subscribe to the Kobo Writing Life podcast for interviews with successful indie authors. This show is also supported by my Patrons. Join my Community at Patreon.com/thecreativepenn Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights, and the full transcript is below. Show Notes How Jennifer started writing at age 12, fell in love with romance, and persisted through decades of rejection A breakout success — and what happened when it moved to a traditional publisher Traditional vs indie publishing, diversification, and building a long-term, legacy-focused writing career Rapid-release pen names vs slow-burn author brands, and why Jennifer chooses quality and longevity Inspirational non-fiction for writers (Write Naked, Write True, Write Free) Using Kickstarter for special editions, re-releases, courses, and what she's learned from both successes and mistakes – plus what “writing free” really means in practice How can you ‘write free'? You can find Jennifer at JenniferProbst.com. Transcript of interview with Jennifer Probst Jo: Jennifer Probst is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over 60 books across different kinds of romance as well as non-fiction for writers. Her latest book is Write Free. So welcome, Jennifer. Jennifer: Thanks so much, Joanna. I am kind of fangirling. I'm really excited to be on The Creative Penn podcast. It's kind of a bucket list. Jo: Aw, that's exciting. I reached out to you after your recent Kickstarter, and we are going to come back to that in a minute. First up, take us back in time. Tell us a bit more about how you got into writing and publishing. Jennifer: This one is easy for me. I am one of those rarities. I think that I knew when I was seven that I was going to write. I just didn't know what I was going to write. At 12 years old, and now this will kind of date me in dinosaur era here, there was no internet, no information on how to be a writer, no connections out there. The only game in town was Writer's Digest. I would go to my library and pore over Writer's Digest to learn how to be a writer. At 12 years old, all I knew was, “Oh, if I want to be a famous writer, I have to write a book.” So I literally sat down at 12 and wrote my first young adult romance. Of course, I was the star, as we all are when we're young, and I have not stopped since. I always knew, since my dad came home from a library with a box of romance novels and got in trouble with my mum and said, basically, “She's reading everything anyway, just let her read these,” I was gone. From that moment on, I knew that my entire life was going to be about that. So for me, it wasn't the writing. I have written non-stop since I was 12 years old. For me, it was more about making this a career where I can make money, because I think there was a good 30 years where I wrote without a penny to my name. So it was more of a different journey for me. It was more about trying to find my way in the writing world, where everybody said it should be just a hobby, and I believed that it should be something more. Jo: I was literally just going back in my head there to the library I used to go to on my way home from school. Similar, probably early teens, maybe age 14. Going to that section and… I think it was Shirley Conran. Was that Lace? Yes, Lace books. That's literally how we all learned about sex back in the day. Jennifer: All from books. You didn't need parents, you didn't need friends. Amazing. Jo: Oh, those were the days. That must have been the eighties, right? Jennifer: It was the eighties. Yes. Seventies, eighties, but mostly right around in the eighties. Oh, it was so… Jo: I got lost about then because I was reminiscing. I was also the same one in the library, and people didn't really see what you were reading in the corner of the library. So I think that's quite funny. Tell us how you got into being an indie. Jennifer: What had happened is I had this manuscript and it had been shopped around New York for agents and for a bunch of publishers. I kept getting the same exact thing: “I love your voice.” I mean, Joanna, when you talk about papering your wall with rejections, I lived that. The only thing I can say is that when I got my first rejection, I looked at it as a rite of passage that created me as a writer, rather than taking the perspective that it meant I failed. To me, perspective is a really big thing in this career, how you look at things. So that really helped me. But after you get like 75 of them, you're like, “I don't know how much longer I can take of this.” What happened is, it was an interesting story, because I had gone to an RWA conference and I had shopped this everywhere, this book that I just kept coming back to. I kept saying, “I feel like this book could be big.” There was an indie publisher there. They had just started out, it was an indie publisher called Entangled. A lot of my friends were like, “What about Entangled? Why don't you try more digital things or more indie publishers coming up rather than the big traditional ones?” Lo and behold, I sent it out. They loved the book. They decided, in February of 2012, to launch it. It was their big debut. They were kind of competing with Harlequin, but it was going to be a new digital line. It was this new cutting-edge thing. The book went crazy. It went viral. The book was called The Marriage Bargain, and it put me on the map. All of a sudden I was inundated with agents, and the traditional publishers came knocking and they wanted to buy the series. It was everywhere. Then it hit USA Today, and then it spent 26 weeks on The New York Times. Everybody was like, “Wow, you're this overnight sensation.” And I'm like, “Not really!” That was kind of my leeway into everything. We ended up selling that series to Simon & Schuster because that was the smart move for then, because it kind of blew up and an indie publisher at that time knew it was a lot to take on. From then on, my goal was always to do both: to have a traditional contract, to work with indie publishers, and to do my own self-pub. I felt, even back then, the more diversified I am, the more control I have. If one bucket goes bad, I have two other buckets. Jo: Yes, I mean, I always say multiple streams of income. It's so surprising to me that people think that whatever it is that hits big is going to continue. So you obviously experienced there a massive high point, but it doesn't continue. You had all those weeks that were amazing, but then it drops off, right? Jennifer: Oh my goodness, yes. Great story about what happened. So 26 weeks on The New York Times, and it was selling like hotcakes. Then Simon & Schuster took it over and they bumped the price to their usual ebook price, which was, what, $12.99 or something? So it's going from $2.99. The day that they did it, I slid off all the bestseller lists. They were gone, and I lost a lot of control too. With indies, you have a little bit more control. But again, that kind of funnels me into a completely different kind of setup. Traditional is very different from indie. What you touched on, I think, is the biggest thing in the industry right now. When things are hot, it feels like forever. I learned a valuable lesson: it doesn't continue. It just doesn't. Maybe someone like Danielle Steel or some of the other big ones never had to pivot, but I feel like in romance it's very fluid. You have genres hitting big, you have niches hitting big, authors hitting big. Yes, I see some of them stay. I see Emily Henry still staying—maybe that will never pause—but I think for the majority, they find themselves saying, “Okay, that's done now. What's next?” It can either hit or not hit. Does that make sense to you? Do you feel the same? Jo: Yes, and I guess it's not just about the book. It's more about the tactic. You mentioned genres, and they do switch a lot in romance, a lot faster than other genres. In terms of how we do marketing… Now, as we record this, TikTok is still a thing, and we can see maybe generative AI search coming on the horizon and agentic buying. A decade ago it might have been different, more Facebook ads or whatever. Then before that it might have been something else. So there's always things changing along the way. Jennifer: Yes, there definitely is. It is a very oversaturated market. They talk about, I don't know, 2010 to 2016 maybe, as the gold rush, because that was where you could make a lot of money as an indie. Then we saw the total fallout of so many different things. I feel like I've gone through so many ups and downs in the industry. I do love it because the longer you're around, the more you learn how to pivot. If you want this career, you learn how to write differently or do whatever you need to do to keep going, in different aspects, with the changes. To me, that makes the industry exciting. Again, perspective is a big thing. But I have had to take a year to kind of rebuild when I was out of contract with a lot of things. I've had to say, “Okay, what do you see on the horizon now? Where is the new foundation? Where do you wanna restart?” Sometimes it takes a year or two of, “Maybe I won't be making big income and I cut back,” but then you're back in it, because it takes a while to write a few new books, or write under a pen name, or however you want to pivot your way back into the industry. Or, like you were saying, diversifying. I did a lot of non-fiction stuff because that's a big calling for me, so I put that into the primary for a while. I think it's important for authors to maybe not just have one thing. When that one thing goes away, you're scrambling. It's good to have a couple of different things like, “Well, okay, this genre is dead or this thing is dead or this isn't making money. Let me go to this for a little while until I see new things on the horizon.” Jo: Yes. There's a couple of things I want to come back to. You mentioned a pen name there, and one of the things I'm seeing a lot right now—I mean, it's always gone on, but it seems to be on overdrive—is people doing rapid-release, throwaway pen names. So there's a new sub-genre, they write the books really fast, they put them up under whatever pen name, and then when that goes away, they ditch that pen name altogether. Versus growing a name brand more slowly, like I think you and I have done. Under my J.F. Penn fiction brand, I put lots of different sub-genres. What are your thoughts on this throwaway pen name versus growing a name brand more slowly? Jennifer: Well, okay, the first thing I'm goign to say is: if that lights people up, if you love the idea of rapid release and just kind of shedding your skin and going on to the next one, I say go for it. As long as you're not pumping it out with AI so it's a complete AI book, but that's a different topic. I'm not saying using AI tools; I mean a completely AI-written book. That's the difference. If we're talking about an author going in and, every four weeks, writing a book and stuff like that, I do eventually think that anything in life that disturbs you, you're going to burn out eventually. That is a limited-time kind of thing, I believe. I don't know how long you can keep doing that and create decent enough books or make a living on it. But again, I really try not to judge, because I am very open to: if that gives you joy and that's working and it brings your family money, go for it. I have always wanted to be a writer for the long term. I want my work to be my legacy. I don't just pump out books. Every single book is my history. It's a marking of what I thought, what I put out in the world, what my beliefs are, what my story is. It marks different things, and I'm very proud of that. So I want a legacy of quality. As I got older, in my twenties and thirties, I was able to write books a lot faster. Then I had a family with two kids and I had to slow down a little bit. I also think life sometimes drives your career, and that's okay. If you're taking care of a sick parent or there's illness or whatever, maybe you need to slow down. I like the idea of a long-term backlist supporting me when I need to take a back seat and not do frontlist things. So that's how I feel. I will always say: choose a long, organic-growth type of career that will be there for you, where your backlist can support you. I also don't want to trash people who do it differently. If that is how you can do it, if you can write a book in a month and keep doing it and keep it quality, go for it. Jo: I do have the word “legacy” on my board next to me, but I also have “create a body of work I'm proud of.” I have that next to me, and I have “Have you made art today?” So I think about these things too. As you say, people feel differently about work, and I will do other work to make faster cash rather than do that with books. But as we said, that's all good. Interestingly, you mentioned non-fiction there. Write Free is your latest one, but you've got some other writing books. So maybe— Talk about the difference between non-fiction book income and marketing compared to fiction, and why you added that in. Jennifer: Yes, it's completely different. I mean, it's two new dinosaurs. I came to writing non-fiction in a very strange way. Literally, I woke up on New Year's Day and I was on a romance book deadline. I could not do it. I'll tell you, my brain was filled with passages of teaching writing, of things I wanted to share in my writing career. Because again, I've been writing since I was 12, I've been a non-stop writer for over 30 years. I got to my computer and I wrote like three chapters of Write Naked (which was the first book). It was just pouring out of me. So I contacted my agent and I said, “Look, I don't know, this is what I want to do. I want to write this non-fiction book.” She's like, “What are you talking about? You're a romance author. You're on a romance deadline. What do you want me to do with this?” She was so confused. I said, “Yes, how do you write a non-fiction book proposal?” And she was just like, “This is not good, Jen. What are you doing?” Anyway, the funny story was, she said, “Just send me chapters.” I mean, God bless her, she's this wonderful agent, but I know she didn't get it. So I sent her like four chapters of what I was writing and she called me. I'll never forget it. She called me on the phone and she goes, “This is some of the best stuff I have ever read in my life. It's raw and it's truthful, and we've got to find a publisher for this.” And I was like, “Yay.” What happened was, I believe this was one of the most beautiful full circles in my life: Writer's Digest actually made me an offer. It was not about the money. I found that non-fiction for me had a much lower advance and a different type of sales. For me, when I was a kid, that is exactly what I was reading in the library, Writer's Digest. I would save my allowance to get the magazine. I would say to myself, “One day, maybe I will have a book with Writer's Digest.” So for me, it was one of the biggest full-circle moments. I will never forget it. Being published by them was amazing. Then I thought I was one-and-done, but the book just completely touched so many writers. I have never gotten so many emails: “Thank you for saying the truth,” or “Thank you for being vulnerable.” Right before it published, I had a panic attack. I told my husband, “Now everybody's going to know that I am a mess and I'm not fabulous and the world is going to know my craziness.” By being vulnerable about the career, and also that it was specifically for romance authors, it caused a bond. I think it caused some trust. I had been writing about writing for years. After that, I thought it was one-and-done. Then two or three years later I was like, “No, I have more to say.” So I leaned into my non-fiction. It also gives my fiction brain a rest, because when you're doing non-fiction, you're using a different part of your brain. It's a way for me to cleanse my palate. I gather more experiences about what I want to share, and then that goes into the next book. Jo: Yes, I also use the phrase “palate cleanser” for non-fiction versus fiction. I feel like you write one and then you feel like, “Oh, I really need to write the other now.” Jennifer: Yes! Isn't it wonderful? I love that. I love having the two brains and just giving one a break and totally leaning into it. Again, it's another way of income. It's another way. I also believe that this industry has given me so much that it is automatic that I want to give back. I just want to give as much as possible back because I'm so passionate about writing and the industry field. Jo: Well, interestingly though, Writer's Digest—the publisher who published that magazine and other things—went bankrupt in 2019. You've been in publishing a long time. It is not uncommon for publishers to go out of business or to get bought. Things happen with publishers, right? Jennifer: Yes. Jo: So what then happened? Jennifer: So Penguin Random House bought it. All the Writer's Digest authors did not know what they were going to do. Then Penguin Random House bought it and kept Writer's Digest completely separate, as an imprint under the umbrella. So Writer's Digest really hasn't changed. They still have the magazine, they still have books. So it ended up being okay. But what I did do is—because I sold Write Naked and I have no regrets about that, it was the best thing for me to do, to go that route—the second and the third books were self-published. I decided I'm going to self-publish. That way I have the rights for audio, I have the rights for myself, I can do a whole bunch of different things. So Write True, the second one, was self-published. Writers Inspiring Writers I paired up with somebody, so we self-published that. And Write Free, my newest one, is self-published. So I've decided to go that route now with my non-fiction. Jo: Well, as I said, I noticed your Kickstarter. I don't write romance, so I'm not really in that community. I had kind of heard your name before, but then I bought the book and joined the Kickstarter. Then I discovered that you've been doing so much and I was like, “Oh, how, why haven't we connected before?” It's very cool. So tell us about the Kickstarters you've done and what you know, because you've done, I think, a fiction one as well. What are your thoughts and tips around Kickstarter? Jennifer: Yes. When I was taking that year, I found myself kind of… let's just say fired from a lot of different publishers at the time. That was okay because I had contracts that ran out, and when I looked to see, “Okay, do we want to go back?” it just wasn't looking good. I was like, “Well, I don't want to spend a year if I'm not gonna be making the money anyway.” So I looked at the landscape and I said, “It's time to really pull in and do a lot more things on my own, but I've got to build foundations.” Kickstarter was one of them. I took a course with Russell Nohelty and Monica Leonelle. They did a big course for Kickstarter, and they were really the ones going around to all the conferences and basically saying, “Hey guys, you're missing out on a lot of publishing opportunities here,” because Kickstarter publishing was getting good. I took the course because I like to dive into things, but I also want to know the foundation of it. I want to know what I'm doing. I'm not one to just wing it when it comes to tech. So what happened is, the first one, I had rights coming back from a book. After 10 years, my rights came back. It was an older book and I said, “You know what? I am going to dip my foot in and see what kind of base I can grow there. What can I do?” I was going to get a new cover, add new scenes, re-release it anyway, right? So I said, “Let's do a Kickstarter for it, because then I can get paid for all of that work.” It worked out so fantastically. It made just enough for my goal. I knew I didn't want to make a killing; I knew I wanted to make a fund. I made my $5,000, which I thought was wonderful, and I was able to re-release it with a new cover, a large print hardback, and I added some scenes. I did a 10-year anniversary re-release for my fans. So I made it very fan-friendly, grew my audience, and I was like, “This was great.” The next year, I did something completely different. I was doing Kindle Vella back in the day. That was where you dropped a chapter at a time. I said, “I want to do this completely different kind of thing.” It was very not my brand at all. It was very reality TV-ish: young college students living in the city, very sexy, very angsty, love triangles, messy—everything I was not known for. Again, I was like, “I'm not doing a pen name because this is just me,” and I funnelled my audience. I said, “What I'm going to do is I'm going to start doing a chapter a week through Kindle Vella and make money there. Then when it's done, I'm going to bundle it all up and make a book out of it.” So I did a year of Kindle Vella. It was the best decision I made because I just did two chapters a week, which I was able to do. By one year I had like 180,000 words. I had two to three books in there. I did it as a hardback deluxe—the only place you could get it in print. Then Vella closed, or at least it went way down. So I was like, “Great, I'm going to do this Kickstarter for this entire new thing.” I partnered with a company that helps with special editions, because that was a whole other… oh Joanna, that was a whole other thing you have to go into. Getting the books, getting the art, getting the swag. I felt like I needed some help for that. Again, I went in, I funded. I did not make a killing on that, but that was okay. I learned some things that I would have changed with my Kickstarter and I also built a new audience for that. I had a lot of extra books that I then sold in my store, and it was another place to make money. The third Kickstarter I used specifically because I had always wanted to do a writing course. I go all over the world, I do keynotes, I do workshops, I've done books, and I wanted to reach new writers, but I don't travel a lot anymore. So I came up with the concept that I was going to do my very first course, and it was going to be very personal, kind of like me talking to them almost like in a keynote, like you're in a room with me. I gathered a whole bunch of stuff and I used Kickstarter to help me A) fund it and B) make myself do it, because it was two years in the making and I always had, “Oh, I've got this other thing to do,” you know how we do that, right? We have big projects. So I used Kickstarter as a deadline and I decided to launch it in the summer. In addition to that, I took years of my posts from all over. I copied and pasted, did new posts, and I created Write Free, which was a very personal, essay-driven book. I took it all together. I took a couple of months to do this, filmed the course, and the Kickstarter did better than I had ever imagined. I got quadruple what I wanted, and it literally financed all the video editing, the books, everything that I needed, plus extra. I feel like I'm growing in Kickstarter. I hope I'm not ranting. I'm trying to go over things that can help people. Jo: Oh no, that is super useful. Jennifer: So you don't have to go all in and say, “If it doesn't fund it's over,” or “I need to make $20,000.” There are people making so much money, and there are people that will do a project a year or two projects a year and just get enough to fund a new thing that they want to do. So that's how I've done it. Jo: I've done quite a few now, and my non-fiction ones have been a lot bigger—I have a big audience there—and my fiction have been all over the place. What I like about Kickstarter is that you can do these different things. We can do these special editions. I've just done a sprayed-edge short story collection. Short story collections are not the biggest genre. Jennifer: Yes. I love short stories too. I've always wanted to do an anthology of all my short stories. Jo: There you go. Jennifer: Yes, I love that for your Kickstarter. Love it. Jo: When I turned 50 earlier this year, I realised the thing that isn't in print is my short stories. They are out there digitally, and that's why I wanted to do it. I feel like Kickstarter is a really good way to do these creative projects. As you say, you don't have to make a ton of money, but at the end of the day, the definition of success for us, I think for both of us, is just being able to continue doing this, right? Jennifer: Absolutely. This is funding a creative full-time career, and every single thing that you do with your content is like a funnel. The more funnels that you have, the bigger your base. Especially if you love it. It would be different if I was struggling and thinking, “Do I get an editor job?” I would hate being an editor. But if you look at something else like, “Oh yes, I could do this and that would light me up, like doing a course—wow, that sounds amazing,” then that's different. It's kind of finding your alternates that also light you up. Jo: Hmm. So were there any mistakes in your Kickstarters that you think are worth sharing? In case people are thinking about it. Jennifer: Oh my God, yes. So many. One big thing was that I felt like I was a failure if I didn't make a certain amount of money because my name is pretty well known. It's not like I'm brand new and looking. One of the big things was that I could not understand and I felt like I was banging my head against the wall about why my newsletter subscribers wouldn't support the Kickstarter. I'm like, “Why aren't you doing this? I'm supposed to have thousands of people that just back.” Your expectations can really mess with you. Then I started to learn, “Oh my God, my newsletter audience wants nothing to do with my Kickstarter.” Maybe I had a handful. So then I learned that I needed longer tails, like putting it up for pre-order way ahead of time, and also that you can't just announce it in your newsletter and feel like everybody's going to go there. You need to find your streams, your Kickstarter audience, which includes ads. I had never done ads either and I didn't know how to do that, so I did that all wrong. I joined the Facebook group for Kickstarter authors. I didn't do that for the first one and then I learned about it. You share backer updates, so every time you go into your audience with a backer update, there's this whole community where you can share with like-minded people with their projects, and you post it under your updates. It does cross-networking and sharing with a lot of authors in their newsletters. For the Write Free one, I leaned into my networking a lot, using my connections. I used other authors' newsletters and people in the industry to share my Kickstarter. That was better for me than just relying on my own fanbase. So definitely more networking, more sharing, getting it out on different platforms rather than just doing your own narrow channel. Because a lot of the time, you think your audience will follow you into certain things and they don't, and that needs to be okay. The other thing was the time and the backend. I think a lot of authors can get super excited about swag. I love that, but I learned that I could have pulled back a little bit and been smarter with my financials. I did things I was passionate about, but I probably spent much more money on swag than I needed to. So looking at different aspects to make it more efficient. I think each time you do one, you learn what works best. As usual, I try to be patient with myself. I don't get mad at myself for trying things and failing. I think failing is spectacular because I learn something. I know: do I want to do this again? Do I want to do it differently? If we weren't so afraid of failingqu “in public”, I think we would do more things. I'm not saying I never think, “Oh my God, that was so embarrassing, I barely funded and this person is getting a hundred thousand.” We're human. We compare. I have my own reset that I do, but I really try to say, “But no, for me, maybe I'll do this, and if it doesn't work, that's okay.” Jo: I really like that you shared about the email list there because I feel like too many people have spent years driving people to Kindle or KU, and they have built an email list of readers who like a particular format at a particular price. Then we are saying, “Oh, now come over here and buy a beautiful hardback that's like ten times the price.” And we're surprised when nobody does it. Is that what happened? Jennifer: Exactly. Also, that list was for a non-fiction project. So I had to funnel where my writers were in my newsletter, and I have mostly readers. So I was like, “Okay…” But I think you're exactly right. First of all, it's the platform. When you ask anybody to go off a platform, whether it's buy direct at your Shopify store or go to Kickstarter, you are going to lose the majority right there. People are like, “No, I want to click a button from your newsletter and go to a site that I know.” So you've got that, and you've got to train them. That can take some time. Then you've got this project where people are like, “I don't understand.” Even my mum was like, “I would love to support you, honey, but what the heck is this? Where's the buy button and where's my book?” My women's fiction books tend to have some older readers who are like, “Hell no, I don't know what this is.” So you have to know your audience. If it's not translating, train them. I did a couple of videos where I said, “Look, I want to show you how easy this is,” and I showed them directly how to go in and how to back. I did that with Kindle Vella too. I did a video from my newsletter and on social: “Hey, do you not know how to read this chapter? Here's how.” Sometimes there's a barrier. Like you said, Joanna, if I have a majority that just want sexy contemporary, and I'm dropping angsty, cheating, forbidden love, they're like, “Oh no, that's not for me.” So you have to know whether there's a crossover. I go into my business with that already baked into my expectations. I don't go in thinking I'm going to make a killing. Then I'm more surprised when it does well, and then I can build it. Jo: Yes, exactly. Also if you are, like both of us, writing across genres, then you are always going to split your audience. People do not necessarily buy everything because they have their preferences. So I think that's great. Now we are almost out of time, but this latest book is Write Free. I wondered if you would maybe say— What does Write Free mean to you, and what might it help the listeners with? Jennifer: Write Free is an extremely personal book for me, and the title was really important because it goes with Write Naked, Write True, and Write Free. These are the ways that I believe a writer should always show up to the page. Freedom is being able to write your truth in whatever day that is. You're going to be a different writer when you're young and maybe hormonal and passionate and having love affairs. You're going to write differently when you're a mum with kids in nappies. You're going to write differently when you are maybe in your forties and you're killing your career. Your perspective changes, your life changes. Write Free is literally a collection of essays all through my 30 years of life. It's very personal. There are essays like, “I'm writing my 53rd book right now,” and essays like, “My kids are in front of SpongeBob and I'm trying to write right now,” and “I got another rejection letter and I don't know how to survive.” It is literally an imprint of essays that you can dip in and dip out of. It's easy, short, inspirational, and it's just me showing up for my writing life. That's what I wish for everybody: that they can show up for their writing life in the best way that they can at the time, because that changes all the time. Jo: We can say “write free” because we've got a lot of experience at writing. I feel like when I started writing—I was an IT consultant—I literally couldn't write anything creative. I didn't believe I could. There'll be people listening who are just like, “Well, Jennifer, I can't write free. I'm not free. My mind is shackled by all these expectations and everything.” How can they release that and aim for more freedom? Jennifer: I love that question so much. The thing is, I've spent so many years working on that part. That doesn't come overnight. I think sometimes when you have more clarification of, “Okay, this is really limiting me,” then when you can see where something is limiting you, at least you can look for answers. My answers came in the form of meditation. Meditation is a very big thing in my life. Changing my perspective. Learning life mottos to help me deal with those kinds of limitations. Learning that when I write a sex scene, I can't care about my elderly aunt who tells my mother, “Dear God, she ruined the family name.” It is your responsibility to figure out where these limitations are, and then slowly see how you can remove them. I've been in therapy. I have read hundreds of self-help books. I take meditation courses. I take workshop courses. I've done CliftonStrengths with Becca Syme. I don't even know if that's therapy, but it feels like therapy to me as a writer. Knowing my personality traits. I've done Enneagram work with Claire Taylor, which has been huge. The more you know yourself and how your brain is showing up for yourself, the more you can grab tools to use. I wish I could say, “Yes, if everybody meditates 30 minutes a day, you're going to have all blocks removed,” but it's so personal that it's a trick question. If everybody started today and said, “Where is my biggest limitation?” and be real with yourself, there are answers out there. You just have to go slowly and find them, and then the writing more free will come. I hope that wasn't one of those woo-woo answers, but I really do believe it. Jo: I agree. It just takes time. Like our writing career, it just takes time. Keep working on it, keep writing. Jennifer: Yes. And bravery, right? A lot of bravery. Just show up for yourself however you can. If “write free” feels too big, journal for yourself and put it in a locked drawer. Any kind of writing, I think, is therapeutic too. Jo: Brilliant. So where can people find you and your books and everything you do online? Jennifer: The best place to go is my website. I treat it like my home. It's www.JenniferProbst.com. There is so much on it. Not just books, not just free content and free stories. There's an entire section just for writers. There are videos on there. There are a lot of resources. I keep it up to date and it is the place where you can find me. Of course I'm everywhere on social media as Author Jennifer Probst. You can find me anywhere. I always tell everybody: I answer my messages, I answer my emails. That is really important to me. So if you heard this podcast and you want to reach out on anything, please do. I will answer. Jo: Fantastic. Well, thanks so much for your time, Jennifer. That was great. Jennifer: Thanks for having me, Joanna.The post Writing Free: Romance Author Jennifer Probst On A Long-Term Author Career first appeared on The Creative Penn.

Het perfecte cadeau: geef de nieuwe heerlijke roman van Danielle Steel. Wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Marjolein Algera

Diving into the intense work ethic of Danielle Steel, one of the great writers of the 21st century.-----“There are no miracles. There is only discipline.” - Danielle Steel-----2:05 - Trying to make it/The early years6:05 - How she got through the dry patches7:20 - Tiger Woods, "I love this game to death. It's a drug I have to have."8:28 - Make it a priority 9:50 - The thing she came up short in 10:55 - "I just had a need to write. It's a part of my soul."11:05 - Her insane stamina/working abilities13:35 - Capacity for pain15:30 - Increase your capacity18:10 - "Dead or alive, rain or shine, I get to my desk and I do my work."19:35 - A Steven Pressfield story 22:10 - On when she will stop writing: "When I die."23:40 - An old-school approach 25:15 - "When I was first starting out, I had the same agent as Agatha Christie. I was about 19 years old and she was in her nineties. I met her once, and I remember she said, 'I want to die face-first on my typewriter.' And I feel that way. I mean, I want to go on forever, just writing."25:38 - Choose your regrets27:30 - Be a missionary 31:05 - Work like a lion 33:40 - Make quality the deadline35:20 - Alone or lonely? A sign you're doing the right work.36:40 - "I guess I chase excellence."----- NEW BOOKS ARE LIVE. Check them out below.Daily Greatness: Short Stories and Essays on the Act of Becoming Chasing Greatness 2nd Edition - Timeless Stories on the Pursuit of Excellence-----You can check stay connected and support below:WebsiteBooksInstagramXLinkedIn

Anybody out there like to do big things? Anybody out there feel like your life is so full sometimes you can barely think? Anybody out there wonder if there's a better way? Yeah … me too. In this much belated episode, I'm asking big questions about how much work is enough and how to make that happen in an ambitious life … because, right now, I'm right I've got no way around those questions. The story of the picnic table comes from Draft No. 4. It was retold in Cal Newport's Slow Productivity where some of the stories in this episode also originated. Research on the relationship between work quantity and quality is summarized in Scott Young's book, Get Better at Anything. ReferencesMcphee, J. (2018a). Draft No. 4 : On the Writing Process. Farrar, Straus And Giroux.Mcphee, J. (2018b). Pine Barrens. Daunt Books.Newport, C. (2023, April 28). Danielle Steel and the Tragic Appeal of Overwork - Cal Newport. Study Hacks. https://calnewport.com/danielle-steel-and-the-tragic-appeal-of-overwork/Newport, C. (2024). Slow Productivity. Penguin.Pema Chödrön. (2018). The wisdom of no escape : and the path of loving-kindness. Shambhala Publications, Inc.quoteresearch. (2013, September 16). Quote Origin: “To Be Is To Do” “To Do Is To Be” “Do Be Do Be Do” – Quote Investigator®. Quoteinvestigator.com. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/09/16/do-be-do/Young, S. H. (2024). Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery. HarperCollins UK.

In this memorable episode of The Bookshelf of Jennifer Morrison, Jennifer has the incredible opportunity to chat with world-renowned author, Danielle Steel, on her newest novel “A Mother's Love”. Danielle and Jennifer discuss her astounding career including publishing 218 books internationally, her writing process, and what is behind Danielle's technique that makes each of her characters unique, relatable and leaves readers feeling happy and fulfilled with each and every one of her stories. 

In 2003, when the author James Frey published his first book, A Million Little Pieces—a gut-punch account of his experience with addiction and rehab—nobody could have expected what would come next. Thanks to an Oprah Book Club endorsement, A Million Little Pieces was instantly catapulted to bestseller status, but soon blew up in scandal after Frey admitted to having falsified certain portions of the book, which had been marketed as a memoir. The drama that ensued sparked a media controversy—one that now, around 20 years later, feels petty and misplaced, especially in the context of today's cancel-culture climate. More than 10 million copies of A Million Little Pieces have sold since, and Frey is still at it, writing, publishing, and pushing the boundaries of his art. His latest novel, Next to Heaven, is a rollicking, raunchy, absurd-yet-not satire about money, murder, and the all-too-human desires for power, pleasure, and greed. On the episode—our Season 11 finale, in which Frey sat lotus for the entire duration—he reflects on the A Million Little Pieces saga; his long-term study of Taoism; writing as a gateway to vulnerability; and why love, for him, is the greatest drug there is.Special thanks to our Season 11 presenting sponsor, Van Cleef & Arpels.Show notes:James Frey[5:08] “Tao Te Ching”[5:08] Lao Tzu[5:08] Stephen Mitchell[5:08] Taoism[8:51] Cubism[13:11] “A Million Little Pieces” (2003)[14:16] “Next To Heaven” (2025)[14:16] New Canaan, Connecticut[17:14] Jackie Collins[17:14] “Hollywood Wives” (1983)[17:14] Danielle Steel[21:35] Honoré de Balzac[29:37] “Katerina” (2018) [29:37] “Full Fathom Five” (1947) by Jackson Pollock[37:14] “Larry King Live” (2006)[39:09] “Tropic of Cancer” (1971)[42:24] “Up to Me” (1985)[44:20] “Kissing a Fool” (1998)[52:22] “My Friend Leonard” (2005)[52:22] “Bright Shiny Morning” (2008)[52:22] “The Final Testament” (2011)[58:56] “Author Is Kicked Out of Oprah Winfrey's Book Club”[58:56] “James Frey: ‘I Always Wanted to Be the Outlaw'”[01:03:18] Bret Easton Ellis[01:03:18] Jay McInerney[01:03:18] Norman Mailer[01:10:54] Rashid Johnson[01:10:54] HBO's “Native Son” (2019)

Twee families in de Tweede Wereldoorlog, voor altijd verbonden door moed, vriendschap en het lot. Danielle Steel. Wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Jelle Amersfoort

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.

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.

Codzienna trudność Maćka Marcisza, pisarza z Warszawy tylko w Warszawie może się manifestować i prowadzi nas ku opowieści o dwóch lasach. Dziubak daje upust ziemniaczanej frustracji, a Krzych ocenia, które ze środowisk - teatralne czy literackie - bardziej przypomina żmijowisko. Autora "Książki o przyjaźni" pytamy o to, jak się zaprzyjaźnić po trzydziestce i dlaczego z jego instagrama można błędnie wywnioskować, że nikt w Polsce nie czyta Danielle Steel. Z quizu dowiecie się o słynniejszych rydłutowianinach i molach książkowych. Spoiler: Maciej jest tym i tym.

Het perfecte moederdagcadeau, geef de nieuwe heerlijke roman van Danielle Steel. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Marjolein Algera

Chelsea is joined by Smart Bitches Trashy Books host Sarah Wendell to break down Danielle Steel's unhinged 2013 dog memoir “Pure Joy.” Spoiler alert! It's not really about the dogs. They unpack Danielle's SIX marriages, her habit of surprise dog-gifting, and a 20-hour writing schedule that explains everything and nothing all at once. Plus, poop politics and a ranking system for dogs so tough, her first dog didn't even make the dedication page. Trigger warning: This episode discusses sensitive topics, including suicide and sexual assault. Take care while listening, and find helpful resources here. Join the cookie community: Become a member of the Patreon Follow Chelsea: Instagram @chelseadevantez Show Notes: Correction: Danielle only had 5 husbands - Danielle wrote about the husband mix-up in a blog post. Smart Bitches Trashy Books Ep on Gilded Age with Joanna Shupe History of Danielle Steel's 55-room San Francisco Mansion Danielle Steel blogs about her dogs Barbra Streisand's Memoir Ep Where to find our Guest: Sarah Wendell Smart Bitches Trashy Books Podcast Website  Instagram Bluesky *** Glamorous Trash is all about going high and low at the same time— Glam and Trash. We recap and book club celebrity memoirs, deconstruct pop culture, and sometimes, we cry! If you've ever referenced Mariah Carey in therapy... then this is the podcast for you. Thank you to our sponsors: Visit Brooklinen.com and use code TRASH to get $20 off your order of $100 or more. Libro.fm - Click here to get 2 audiobooks for the price of 1 with your first month of membership using code TRASH. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wat als perfect niet mogelijk is? Danielle Steel. Wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Lot van Lunteren

Swanner and Judd talk about: Drag Race; The Pitt; The Bachelor; White Lotus; Nosferatu; Longlegs; Elevation; Shoresy; Danielle Steel: All That Glitters; The Oscars; and more! Left Click To Listen, Right Click Here To Download

Wat maakt het leven de moeite waard? Danielle Steel. Wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Wilbert Gieske

Danielle Steel Wrote This? A Romance That Reads Like a Mystery Novel • Free Bonus Episodes on our Patreon at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/wheelofgenre⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Watch Video Episodes on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • Email us at genrepodcast@gmail.com

Danielle Steel: wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Karin Douma

Een inspirerend verhaal over moed en het overwinnen van tegenslag van bestsellerauteur Danielle Steel. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Marjolein Algera

Karl Marlantes served as a Marine in Vietnam, where he was awarded the Navy Cross, the Bronze Star, two Navy Commendation Medals for value, two Purple Hearts, and ten air medals. He is the bestselling author of Deep River, Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, and What It is Like to Go to War. His latest, Cold Victory, is out in paperback by Grove Press. Karl joins Marrie Stone to discuss it. He talks about writing books based on direct experience versus writing books based on research, how he turned his experience in Vietnam into fiction, what he learned from Danielle Steel and Louis L'Amour, how to use Excel spreadsheets to plot your novel, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. Listen to past interviews on our website. If you'd like to support the show and indie bookstores, consider buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. We've stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find to an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! (Recorded on December 10, 2024)  Host: Barbara DeMarco-BarrettHost: Marrie StoneMusic: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

Onweerstaanbare spanning in de nieuwe Danielle Steel. Wegdromen met een verhaal dat je raakt. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Miryanna van Reeden

Send us a textEpisode 487"Baywatch"Actor: Nicole EggertNicole joins me to talk about her life, career, battling cancer, the paparazzi being relentless after chemotherapy and so much more. Nicole Eggert launched her full-fledged acting career soon after appearing in some TV commercials. She began her acting career in 1979, where she portrayed the character of ‘Mary Beth Denton' in a television film titled ‘When Hell was in Session.' After appearing in a made-for-TV movie titled ‘When She Was Bad…' in the same year, she made her feature film debut in 1980. She was cast opposite Jacqueline Bisset and Candice Bergen, for playing the role of ‘Debby Blake,' the young daughter of Bergen's character in her debut movie ‘Rich and Famous.' In the same year, she lent her voice for Dennis's sworn adversary, the snotty Margaret Wade in ‘Dennis the Menace in Mayday for Mother.' It was the first animated adaptation in the Dennis the Menace trilogy.During the early and mid-1980s, Nicole appeared in a number of television shows and some major films including her twin television shows in 1981 viz., ‘Today's F.B.I' and ‘Fantasy Island,' ‘The Clan of the Cave Bear' and ‘I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later'. In 1982, she landed a prime role in a recurring capacity as William Shatner's daughter on the police drama ‘T.J.Hooker.' She successfully bagged another recurring role in the popular situational comedy series ‘Who's the Boss?' She played the role of Marci Ferguson, a friend of the character Samantha Micelli, which was portrayed by Alyssa Milano. She appeared in the show in the episodes released during 1985-1986.In 1987, Nicole Eggert hogged the limelight and rose to prominence attracting her first ever true national stardom, when she starred on the sitcom ‘Charles in Charge' as Jamie Powell. On June 25, 1989, she along with Richard William Wheaton III hosted the second annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. She was seen in the television series ‘The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!' in a guest appearance in the same year.She appeared in the TV movie adaptation of Danielle Steel's Secrets portraying the character of Alexa Adams in 1992.  Nicole Eggert completely metamorphosed her image from a captivating child artist to a bombshell sex symbol, when she appeared as ‘Summer Quinn,' one of the many lifeguards on season 3 and 4, in the renowned syndicated series, a world famous beach drama ‘Baywatch.' She had to get a breast implant, sign a contract agreeing not to gain any weight and had to pass a swim test to grab the role. Though she was supposed to return on the spin-offs of the beach action drama, she only returned for the reunion movie ‘Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding' (2003).Nicole Eggert along with celebrity actress like Yasmine Bleeth, Pamela Anderson, and Carmen Electra formed the group of ‘Baywatch Girls' and became the celebrity crush of the world after their appearance in the highly popular syndicated series. Welcome, Nicole Eggert.www.mmcpodcast.comhttps://linktr.ee/mondaymorningcritic#baywatch #davidhasselhoff #90stvshow #shorts #fyp #80stv

It's time for the Ads & Features of the October 1988 (!!) issue of Romantic Times Magazine.Y'all. We've got:Vintage gossip!Blind items that are very easy to guess!Danielle Steel's two blue Mercedes!Fuchsia covers with giant flowers and startled animals!Riverboat gambler romance heroes!And a truly paltry obituary for an extraordinary author.It's 1988. Fuchsia. So much fuchsia.Blanket content warning for romances written in the late 80s. Be ready for some very offensive tropes.Do not, and I mean this most sincerely, skip the visual aids. It's 1988 y'all. The covers are glorious! LINKS. So many good links!“Double Trouble: One or Two Women?” by Gillian Whitlock about the alleged plagiarism of Lucy Maud Montgomery's The Blue Castle by Australian author Colleen McCullough.Sam Lord's Castle, BarbadosSharon Spiak Art listing for Wary HeartsEye Heart Romance's review for Mistress of the Seas by Ruth LanganClothes in Books: “Mary Burchell aka Ida Cook” – the patterns from Mab's Fashions!Mary Burchell's Wikipedia pageA BluSky thread from John Bull on Mary BurchellThe Pudding magazine interactive article about romance covers by Jan Diehm and Sandra Chiu music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the Ads & Features of the October 1988 (!!) issue of Romantic Times Magazine.Y'all. We've got:Vintage gossip!Blind items that are very easy to guess!Danielle Steel's two blue Mercedes!Fuchsia covers with giant flowers and startled animals!Riverboat gambler romance heroes!And a truly paltry obituary for an extraordinary author.It's 1988. Fuchsia. So much fuchsia.Blanket content warning for romances written in the late 80s. Be ready for some very offensive tropes.Do not, and I mean this most sincerely, skip the visual aids. It's 1988 y'all. The covers are glorious! LINKS. So many good links!“Double Trouble: One or Two Women?” by Gillian Whitlock about the alleged plagiarism of Lucy Maud Montgomery's The Blue Castle by Australian author Colleen McCullough.Sam Lord's Castle, BarbadosSharon Spiak Art listing for Wary HeartsEye Heart Romance's review for Mistress of the Seas by Ruth LanganClothes in Books: “Mary Burchell aka Ida Cook” – the patterns from Mab's Fashions!Mary Burchell's Wikipedia pageA BluSky thread from John Bull on Mary BurchellThe Pudding magazine interactive article about romance covers by Jan Diehm and Sandra Chiu music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott Jagow and Stu Mac delve into the Titanic disaster, using it as a metaphor for life lessons about the importance of preparation and paying attention to warnings. Stu highlights a book by Danielle Steel that explores the cultural significance of the Titanic as a symbol of failure. The discussion reflects on the unheeded iceberg warnings and arrogance surrounding the ship's voyage, drawing parallels to human tendencies to overlook potential dangers in other scenarios, like hurricanes and flash floods.

We're back! And we're the same as ever. For the season 4 premiere of the critically reviewed We're Booked Up, Kendall, Andrew and Angelique discuss Upside Down by Danielle Steel. After listening, leave a comment here or head over to the Off the Shelf blog and tell us what you think. And be sure to check out GastonLibrary.Org and explore what your library has to offer! Music provided by: https://www.purple-planet.com

Wat is de prijs van succes? Een hoge prijs is een meeslepende romance van bestsellerauteur Danielle Steel. Uitgegeven door Luitingh Sijthoff Spreker: Karin Douma

You know, this episode from last year is an all-time classic—a real Bobs smörgåsbord if you will. We welcome your updates on all of this! Especially how you're footwearing for summer rain. Our rain-clog conversation has reached new heights! As in: We have a Calzuro review for you.  Holiday shopping season is starting early because the Staten Island Pizza Rat hats are back in stock.  Now onto romance! For an IRL one, try Julia Allison and Noah Feldman. Fictional romances we love include You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (bonus read: this Vulture story about fanfics-turned-bestsellers by Elizabeth Held), The Art of Scandal by Regina Black, Tessa Bailey's books including It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, and Chase Me, and Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Re: sports romances, see Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Kennedy Ryan in general, and this GQ interview with Phillies player Bryce Harper. Also! Let's talk about Danielle Steel's desk—Samantha Leach did a good profile of the icon for Glamour—and Rachel Antonoff's fall fashion campaign (completely unrelated but we love her email roundups to her vet).   Share the romances you're into with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva! YAY.

The moment Zac and Bob became Danielle Steel superfans. • Explore our Patreon at ⁠⁠patreon.com/wheelofgenre⁠⁠ • Email us at genrepodcast@gmail.com

Welcome to the Instant Trivia podcast episode 1170, where we ask the best trivia on the Internet. Round 1. Category: At The Bookstore 1: Kathryn Glasgow's first novel, "Another Song About the King", features a mom obsessed with this singer. Elvis Presley. 2: 2 men travel America with this man's brain in a Tupperware bowl in the true story "Driving Mr. Albert". Albert Einstein. 3: This prolific novelist proved her "metal" once again with her 2000 bestseller "The House on Hope Street". Danielle Steel. 4: "Dark Eagle" by historian John Ensor Harr is called "A Novel Of" this traitor "And the American Revolution". Benedict Arnold. 5: The front cover of "Hooking Up" by this "Bonfire of the Vanities" author shows his name but not the book's title. Tom Wolfe. Round 2. Category: Ends In Ola. With Ola in quotation marks 1: It's what you ride along the canals of Venice. a gondola. 2: It often includes rolled oats, wheat germ, honey, fruit and nuts. granola. 3: This early phonograph began cranking out music in 1906. a Victrola. 4: Italy's Lombardy region is famous for producing this soft (and smelly) blue cheese. Gorgonzola. 5: Haiti occupies a third of this island; the Dominican Republic covers the rest. Hispaniola. Round 3. Category: Classic Country 1: 1 of 3 original members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. (1 of) Hank Williams, Sr., Jimmie Rodgers and Fred Rose. 2: To make it as "A big star in the movies", Buck Owens said he had to "act" this way. naturally. 3: Lefty Frizzell told his honey, "If you've got the money, I've got" this. the time. 4: Migrants leaving this state's "Dust Bowl" helped bring country music to the West. Oklahoma. 5: In 1958, the first country music Grammy Award went to this Kingston Trio song. "Tom Dooley". Round 4. Category: The Last Word Said In Classic Films 1: "The Wizard of Oz". home. 2: "Gone with the Wind". day. 3: "Casablanca". friendship. 4: "King Kong", from 1933. beast. 5: "Apocalypse Now". Horror. Round 5. Category: Ute Tell Me. With Ute in quotation marks 1: To water down. dilute. 2: Drive in from the burbs. commute. 3: Hairy. hirsute. 4: In a proper one of these, the forefinger touches the hat just to the right of the right eye. salute. 5: Jekyll calls Hyde this type of rough fellow "that slept within me". brute. Thanks for listening! Come back tomorrow for more exciting trivia!Special thanks to https://blog.feedspot.com/trivia_podcasts/ AI Voices used

Ginger Zee previews her appearance on the "Pop Culture Moms" podcast; the cast of 'Challengers' talks about the new movie; Danielle Steel talks new novel, 'Only the Brave'; what to know about dog adoption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ginger Zee previews her appearance on the "Pop Culture Moms" podcast; the cast of 'Challengers' talks about the new movie; Danielle Steel talks new novel, 'Only the Brave'; what to know about dog adoption Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Danielle brings the 1998 Danielle Steel novel The Klone and I: A High Tech Love Story. Stephanie is your average middle-age mother of two whose husband is a complete tool and decides to divorce her for petty reasons. Luckily, Steph is not one to be kept down, and during a brief trip to Europe she bumps into Peter, who works in bionics. That tidbit will become very important later. Anyway, Steph and Peter start to date seriously, ever her kids are generally on board. However, it's not long before the unthinkable happens: Peter has to go on a business trip for two weeks. During his first night away, Steph is surprised to see a very strangely dressed Peter show up at her apartment. Peter insists he's actually Peter's robot clone and prefers to go by Paul Klone, a name that nearly breaks Sam. Steph decides this is some elaborate joke, even after some surprisingly acrobatic sex and a call from an out-of-town Peter explaining he sent his clone over because he couldn't fathom her being alone for two entire weeks. Our baffled hosts draw two conclusions from this: First, that Peter has a very low opinion of Steph and maybe all women, and Second, Steph does not seem to be all that bright. Eventually, Steph comes around to the idea that she's also dating Peter's significantly more outgoing clone, or klone if you will. Sam will not. Steph is mildly torn between her love of Peter and the excitement of Paul, and yet no one seems concerned that this supposed top secret prototype robot clone is running amuck, stealing Peter's credit card, crashing his car, and flying across the country to surprise Steph whenever Peter's out of town. Sam finds it difficult to care about the perfunctory love triangle when the facts of the clone gets virtually no attention. So join us this week for a book that is amazingly at once completely goofy and also, somehow, far too serious.

The Cru try their hand at writing in the vein of Danielle Steel, the bestselling living author. Since this is as close to cartoon-covered romances as we're likely to get (Spud: "Hold my beer." (I know, I know, she's more of a wine gal.)) we invited the G from Storywars CLE back on to chat about romance, popular fiction,  and how to get a podcast off the rails. Stories begin around the 25 minute mark and include an opening; a doctor, who receives a gift; a meet-cute; a family heirloom; and a girl, living a life that doesn't fit her. From Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable:  Hallmark. The official mark stamped on gold and silver articles after they have been assayed, so called because the assaying or testing and stamping was done at the Goldsmiths' Hall. The hallmark normally includes four symbols: the standard mark; the assay office or 'hall' mark; the date letter; and the sponsor's or maker's mark. There was also formerly a duty mark abolished in 1890.Check out our website for a featured story from this week's episode, and be sure to follow us on Instagram (if that's your sort of thing). Please do send us an email with your story if you write along, which we hope you will do. Episodes of Radio FreeWrite are protected by a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) license. All Stories remain the property of their respective authors.

In an episode which operates as both coda to "Criticism LTD" and herald of 2024, Matt Seybold is joined by two scholars working on the complex history and sometimes conflicting methods of close reading. They also discuss the reception of Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed The Publishing Industry (Columbia UP, 2023) [31:00] and a bevy of novels by Danielle Steel, including The Promise (1978), Happiness (2023), and Worthy Opponents (2023) [39:00]. Theme Song: "This Year" by The Steel Wheels For more about this episode, please visit MarkTwainStudies.com/Steel or subscribe to Matt Seybold's newsletter at TheAmericanVandal.Substack.com

In today's episode, Eric is joined by Edward Savio!  Edward is a dad, has ADHD, wrote a musical, and grew up in Connecticut; after Howard University, Edward moved to Los Angeles to pursue screenwriting, where he became a 10-year overnight success!  Savio's first novel, Idiots in the Machine, was picked up by Sony Pictures from the academy award-winning producers of Forest Gump. After more deals with Sony, Disney, and others, Edward shifted his focus  writing novels so he could spend more time with his family.  He wrote his first three novels in the home overlooking San Francisco Bay, where Danielle Steel wrote her first two breakout novels.  He also once nearly drove Val Kilmer off a cliff!   Learn more about Edward at his website: EdwardSavio.com

Lauren and Christy deep dive the haunting on Lombard Street in San Francisco in the 1960s. Christy's research reveals a link to Danielle Steel, an explained death, and an uncomfortable stepmother/stepson relationship! So grab a drink, put on some pjs, and join this duo for a true crime slumber party!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Notes and Links to Dan Sinykin's Work        For Episode 210, Pete welcomes Dan Sinykin, and the two discuss, among other topics, his early reading and how it showed a sort of rebellion and also spurred him on to a life of books and inspired Big Fiction, as well as salient issues and themes from the book, including mass market populism versus literary aesthetics, autofiction and its connection to marginalized writers of color and women, and the evolving role of editors and the colophon in the continuing conglomeration of book publishing.    Dan Sinykin is an assistant professor of English at Emory University with a courtesy appointment in quantitative theory and methods. He is the author of American Literature and the Long Downturn: Neoliberal Apocalypse (2020). His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Review of Books, The Rumpus, Dissent, and other publications. Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature, is out now through Columbia University Press.     Buy Big Fiction: How Conglomeration Changed the Publishing Industry and American Literature   Dan's Website with Emory University   Interview about Big Fiction with Lincoln Michel  At about 2:40, Dan discusses the intricacies of his book and its October publishing   At about 5:10, Dan highlights early feedback he's gotten from readers   At about 7:05, Dan gives background on his childhood reading habits and some of his favorite books, series, and writers; he also talks about his father's reading habits influenced him    At about 11:45, Dan responds to Pete's questions about the draws of “East Coast” writers like Hemingway and Fitzgerald   At about 14:30, Dan cites the greatness and pull of Gravity's Rainbow   At about 16:55, Pete asks Dan about his connection to David Foster Wallace and other formative writers, who included Wittgenstein    At about 19:40, Pete gives a recommendation about which David Foster Wallace book NOT to read   At about 20:00, Pete wonders about how Dan's job and research areas for his book has affected his “pleasure reading”   At about 21:45, Dan shouts out Martin Riker's The Guest Lecture, Dan Kois' Vintage Contemporaries as current standout reads    At about 23:00, Dan highlights the novels enjoyed by his students, including work by Fernanda Melchor, Jon Fosse, and Rachel Cusk    At about 24:25, Dan discusses the genesis of his book   At about 25:50, Pete and Dan discuss a pivotal event for publishing that Dan focuses on in the book's Introduction-the firing of Andre Schiffrin   At about 30:15, The Program Era and The Economy of Prestige is highlighted and    At about 32:45, Dan discusses his book as a “continuation of his [Schiffrin's] work” and how Dan sees value in avoiding labels of conglomeration as “good” or “bad”   At about 34:30, Dan breaks down the importance and symbolism of the colophon; he gives an example from the process of Wallace's Infinite Jest as representative of the collaborative model   At about 43:30, Pete lays out the book's five chapters' structure and asks Dan about “high-brow” and “low-brow”; Dan speaks about the ways these books have been mass-marketed   At about 48:40, Dan traces the rise of romance books and speaks about the incredibly-interesting Danielle Steel and how she and others have become “brands”   At about 52:20, Pete asks Dan about the ways in which historical fiction and other books began to be geared toward literary prizes; he also traces the fairly-recent development of the term “literary fiction”    At about 55:15, Dan speaks to E.L. Doctorow as straddling the lines between the old and newer worlds of publishing   At about 59:40, The two discuss the chapters on trade publishers and autofiction's importance, especially for female writers   At about 1:03:30, Pete cites Toni Morrison's experiences and a quandary she ran into, as well as the experiences of many writers of color and “performance,” and Dan speaks to the story of Karen Tei Yamashita as a microcosm of writers of color in publishing    At about 1:10:30, Pete compliments the far-reaching and insightful book and Dan recommends buying the book at a local bookstore, including A Cappella Books, Eagle Eye Books, and Bookish in the Atlanta    You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow me on IG, where I'm @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where I'm @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch this and other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both my YouTube Channel and my podcast while you're checking out this episode.    Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl     Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting my one-man show, my DIY podcast and my extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content!    NEW MERCH! You can browse and buy here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChillsatWillPodcast    This is a passion project of mine, a DIY operation, and I'd love for your help in promoting what I'm convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.    Please tune in for Episode 211 with Theresa Runstedtler, award-winning scholar of African American history. Her work focused on intersection of race/masculinity/ labor/sport, and her recent:  Black Ball: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Spencer Haywood, and the Generation that Saved the Soul of the NBA.    The episode will air on October 31.

Finally, it's time to talk about our current favorite Rs: rats, rain clogs, and romance! Our rain-clog conversation has reached new heights! As in: We have a Calzuro review for you. Holiday shopping season is starting early because the Staten Island Pizza Rat hats are back in stock. Now onto romance! For an IRL one, try Julia Allison and Noah Feldman. Fictional romances we love include You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (bonus read: this Vulture story about fanfics-turned-bestsellers by Elizabeth Held), The Art of Scandal by Regina Black, Tessa Bailey's books including It Happened One Summer, Hook, Line, and Sinker, Fix Her Up, and Chase Me, and Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan. Re: sports romances, see Icebreaker by Hannah Grace, The Deal by Elle Kennedy, Kennedy Ryan in general, and this GQ interview with Phillies player Bryce Harper. Also! Let's talk about Danielle Steel's desk—Samantha Leach did a good profile of the icon for Glamour—and Rachel Antonoff's fall fashion campaign (completely unrelated but we love her email roundups to her vet). Share the romances you're into with us at 833-632-5463, podcast@athingortwohq.com, @athingortwohq, or our Geneva!Try professional counseling from BetterHelp and take 10% off your first month with our link.Take care of your hair with Nutrafol. Take $15 off your first month's subscription with the code ATHINGORTWO.Learn from the best with MasterClass and get an additional 15% off an annual membership with our link.YAY.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hey book besties! We had the joy of having author Laura Pavlov on the show with us! She is so kind and writes THE best small town romance books. Her newest book is out September 21st, so be sure and give this episode a listen and then check out ‘Before the Sunset'! Podcast Instagram: @smutshowpodcast Join our Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/6818519228162526/ Join our first Book Club: https://fable.co/club/smut-show-book-club-with-rachel-lewis-281086476991 Become a Patreon subscriber: http://patreon.com/WelcomeToTheSmutshow Connect with Laura: Instagram: @laurapavlovauthor TikTok: @laurapavlovauthor Check out her books here! Connect with Neely: Instagram: @neelykins TikTok: @booksandbarre Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/122825135 Connect with Rachel: Instagram: @rachel_mlewis TikTok: @rachel_mlewis Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8632745 To see the books we talked about, visit our Amazon Store Front! https://www.amazon.com/shop/rachel_mlewis

There's a sort of reverence and otherness around the Bible; a sense that it's unlike any other book. I can't think of any other book that people encase in leather, emboss their name in gold on the front of, display prominently in their home, and pass down to the next generation.  Nobody is doing that with their copy of Safe Harbor by Danielle Steel or their copy of the Firm by John Grisham or even their copy of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I bring up a kid's book because the Bible obviously isn't a kid's book, but there is a massive effort to introduce it to kids. There are coloring pages & figurines & comic book versions. Many of us have a sense that these stories matter; that they're important for kids to understand and ought to be committed to memory. And most of us actually do know some of the stories. We just don't always know what they mean or how they fit together.  The Bible is less a book than a library of books. It was written by over 40 authors in 3 languages over the course of 1400 years. And it was assembled and bound together for a reason.  Everything in the Bible is part of a bigger story, even the confusing, disturbing, and boring parts.  Nothing, not one part of it stands on its own. It's all deeply interconnected. The question is how?  The Bible is essentially the story of God and humanity. It contains our origins. It's not the beginning of God's story, but it does contain the beginning of ours. And although it's long and ancient and complex, there's an arc to it. Like every elaborate story, it can be broken down into movements that bring context to the peculiar details and help us make sense of the whole. And since we're dealing with the story of God and us, these movements don't just trace the arc of God's story, they reveal the arc of our individual stories as well. And the best part is—all you need to understand both are four short words. That's what this series is about.

There's a sort of reverence and otherness around the Bible; a sense that it's unlike any other book. I can't think of any other book that people encase in leather, emboss their name in gold on the front of, display prominently in their home, and pass down to the next generation.  Nobody is doing that with their copy of Safe Harbor by Danielle Steel or their copy of the Firm by John Grisham or even their copy of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I bring up a kid's book because the Bible obviously isn't a kid's book, but there is a massive effort to introduce it to kids. There are coloring pages & figurines & comic book versions. Many of us have a sense that these stories matter; that they're important for kids to understand and ought to be committed to memory. And most of us actually do know some of the stories. We just don't always know what they mean or how they fit together.  The Bible is less a book than a library of books. It was written by over 40 authors in 3 languages over the course of 1400 years. And it was assembled and bound together for a reason.  Everything in the Bible is part of a bigger story, even the confusing, disturbing, and boring parts.  Nothing, not one part of it stands on its own. It's all deeply interconnected. The question is how?  The Bible is essentially the story of God and humanity. It contains our origins. It's not the beginning of God's story, but it does contain the beginning of ours. And although it's long and ancient and complex, there's an arc to it. Like every elaborate story, it can be broken down into movements that bring context to the peculiar details and help us make sense of the whole. And since we're dealing with the story of God and us, these movements don't just trace the arc of God's story, they reveal the arc of our individual stories as well. And the best part is—all you need to understand both are four short words. That's what this series is about.

There's a sort of reverence and otherness around the Bible; a sense that it's unlike any other book. I can't think of any other book that people encase in leather, emboss their name in gold on the front of, display prominently in their home, and pass down to the next generation.  Nobody is doing that with their copy of Safe Harbor by Danielle Steel or their copy of the Firm by John Grisham or even their copy of Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss. I bring up a kid's book because the Bible obviously isn't a kid's book, but there is a massive effort to introduce it to kids. There are coloring pages & figurines & comic book versions. Many of us have a sense that these stories matter; that they're important for kids to understand and ought to be committed to memory. And most of us actually do know some of the stories. We just don't always know what they mean or how they fit together.  The Bible is less a book than a library of books. It was written by over 40 authors in 3 languages over the course of 1400 years. And it was assembled and bound together for a reason.  Everything in the Bible is part of a bigger story, even the confusing, disturbing, and boring parts. Nothing, not one part of it stands on its own. It's all deeply interconnected. The question is how?  The Bible is essentially the story of God and humanity. It contains our origins. It's not the beginning of God's story, but it does contain the beginning of ours. And although it's long and ancient and complex, there's an arc to it. Like every elaborate story, it can be broken down into movements that bring context to the peculiar details and help us make sense of the whole. And since we're dealing with the story of God and us, these movements don't just trace the arc of God's story, they reveal the arc of our individual stories as well. And the best part is—all you need to understand both are four short words. That's what this series is about.

The boys found a Boomer utopia in restaurant form! The You-Must Bowl deems Garrett must embody the essence of Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Garrett does a deep dive on the history of the franchise Cheeseburgers in Paradise aren't very good Michael tries to enforce a "No nudity, no touching" policy on Garrett An excerpt from a steamy romance novel authored by Jimmy Buffett JUB plans to make all public spaces a spoiler-free environment Strawberry Shortcake that is somehow neither strawberry nor shortcake Mason reviews the Margaritaville kids menu in this week's Munchkin Menu Musings Michael makes a rap in appreciation of a high-rolling top tier Patreon donor Voice Actor: Jessa Day Music by: James McEnelly (@Ramshackle_Music) Theme Song by: Kyle Schieffer (@JazzyJellyfish) We're on Patreon! Get an extra episode every month, extended Yelp from Strangers segments every other week, merch discounts, download access to our music including the 7 singles from our Olive Garden musical, and more! Patreon Producers: Sean Spademan & Sue Ornelas   Get our 5 Survival Tips for Casual Dining at www.finediningpodcast.com!   Send us your Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville stories at finediningpodcast@gmail.com.   Follow us on TikTok and Instagram @finediningpodcast   Let us know where we should go next by leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, PodcastAddict, Overcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. We read every one!   Next time on Fine Dining: Medieval Times! If you have ever worked for Medieval Times and have a story to share, send it to finediningpodcast@gmail.com.

Welcome back AMT for one special new episode! So much has changed since we retired nearly two years ago, but what remains is our desire to answer your questions. Today, questioneers wonder about what to say about working in a world-famous place, romantic bacon competitions, unromantic but important kebab competitions, Danielle Steel's sleeping habits, and looking at their own semen through a microscope. Find out more about this episode at answermethispodcast.com/episode401. We don't know whether/when we will pop up in your feed again, so stay subscribed! And follow us on facebook.com/answermethis and twitter.com/helenandolly. Hear our other work: Olly Mann has a daily podcast, Today in History with the Retrospectors, and his monthly magazine show The Modern Mann, both of which you can find along with his other work at ollymann.com. Helen Zaltzman makes the The Allusionist, an entertainment podcast about language, which you can find at the podplaces and at theallusionist.org. Martin Austwick's music is available at palebirdmusic.com, his Tom Waits podcast Song By Song at songbysongpodcast.com, and his experimental fiction podcast Neutrino Watch at neutrinowatch.org. This episode is sponsored by: • Wondrium, the streaming library of tutorials, lectures, documentaries, how-to videos, travel, craft and much more! AMT listeners get a month of free access to the whole library at wondrium.com/answer. • Squarespace. Want to build a website? Go to squarespace.com/answer, and get a 10% discount on your first purchase of a website or domain with the code 'ANSWER'.

Dive into a little sultry cringe of romance novels with Alyssa & Jamie. From some silly saucy lines to some AI generated shorts Jamie drafted!Join the ladies for some cringey romance novel lines and some of the synopses of the books in the series “The Buckhorn Ranch” by Laura Marie Altom. They ladies give them all a boner scale rating. Jamie shares some AI generated romance noveling she was dabbling with. Alyssa closes the episode out with some Danielle Steel talk. Write us some of your cringe stories at [nervouslaughterpodcast@gmail.com](mailto:nervouslaughterpodcast@gmail.com)The socials: [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/nervouslaughterpodcast) | [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/NervousLaughterPodcast) | [Twitter](https://twitter.com/NervouslaughPod)

I am fangirling out with Chicago-based author Kelly Kay! She is like a contemporary Danielle Steel, but cooler and sexier! Kelly's books definitely hit the steamy romance spot like nobody else. Her writing sucks you right in. You fall in love with the characters, the settings, and, oh yeah, the sex! They are almost too much fun to read, but read them you should. Grab some wine, throw on your favorite shade of lipstick and snuggle up with one of her books! You will not be disappointed. Check out all her novels at www.kellykayromance.com and follow her on IG for her latest book launches @kelly_kay_books! Oh yeah, these are great holiday gifts, peeps!

When the Beer News brings the Malty Boyz™ a story about a Grateful Dead themed brewery with a cocaine dealing bartender it unlocks a tale from Alex's about a giant crack apple filled with whimsical characters like Mr. Engineering Student, Mr. Stoner Frat Bro, Ms. Danielle Steel, Craft Beer Kevin, and even ol' Alex Kidd himself. In the Bottle Share, Alex brings in a eisbock final boss from Struise, Michael goes full daddy mode, and Stephen closes the chapter on this year's festbier saga. Thanks to Wax Wings Brewing Co. for sponsoring this episode! Follow them on Instagram. Head to our Patreon for weekly exclusive content. Get the Malt Couture Officially Licensed T-shirt. Follow Alex on Instagram and Twitter. Follow Malt Couture on Instagram www.DontDrinkBeer.com

70% of animals are gone. Not 17. 70. SEVEN ZERO. Recurring feature Cold Brew Ecosystem™ returns. We talk about streetcars again!!! ALSO: Dodge Ram drivers hate to hear about declining animal populations, a fresh round of Elon Musk bashing, and Chris meets Danielle Steel at The Southern Festival of Books. PLUS: Song of the week by Dion DiMucci!!!!Dion - "Your Own Backyard": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_E2QgzBHyk

Two very different kinds of writers with one thing in common: a bunch of trashy divorces! This week, Alicia has the five marriages and divorces of bestselling powerhouse Danielle Steel, while Stacie has the man behind television's most notable sound, Dick Wolf.SponsorsTruebill. Spot and cancel money-draining unused subscriptions at truebill.com/trashy.Manscaped. Get 20% off and free shipping with code TRASHY at Manscaped.com.Angry Birds Journey. Download it for free at the Apple App Store and Google Play.The Oak Tree Group. Mention Trashy Divorces for your free one hour financial preparedness conversation. Call 770-319-1700 or visit them on the web at theoaktreegroup.net.Betterhelp.com/trashy – Get 10% off your first month when you sign up at the link!Advertise with us! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Season Four starts today, you Magnificent Firebirds!Season One gave us a full lAD deep dive (if you've never read Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark, general existential malaise is a really good reason to start), and Season Two gave us The Books That Blooded Us -- the books that made us the romance readers we are. Season Three was during a pandemic, so just let us live (but also, there was a Roy Kent episode)! Now, Season Four is here, and we have — dare we say — a plan? We're going to deep dive on books that are new and fabulous, old and transformative, and generally reveal how vast and magnificent the romance pool can get. We've got some great interstitials planned, including some fabulous, brilliant guests on deck…and when Munro is released, we'll (obviously) drop everything and read with you!But we've got something new and different to add to the mix — a collection of interviews with trailblazers of the genre—the people who have built the romance house over the last fifty years. We're already blown away by who we have on deck, with many many more to come! Stick with us, it's going to be a terrific ride. We begin our read alongs in two weeks with a delicious book that did not bring romance the bluestocking, but definitely made sure we all knew who she was. It's Amanda Quick's Ravished—which Sarah describes as “Harriet, in a cave, with a rake.” It's great. Get reading at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, or at your local indie. You have two weeks to read, but in the meantime, sit back, relax, and let us give you a preview of what's to come! Don't forget to like and follow in your favorite podcasting platform!Show NotesThe only Fated Mates episode where one of us was absent was back when Sarah was sick and Kate came on to talk about sickbed scenes--It was March of 2020 and we weren't as Coronavirus-aware as we thought.Keeping our fingers crossed that the FDA will approve the vaccination for kids between 5 and 12. Health care workers are facing increasingly hostile and frightening aggression from anti-vaxxers. We were ahead of the ball on calling Ted Lasso as a romance. You should follow Phil Dunster, the actor who plays Jamie Tartt, on Twitter. Last week, Roy and Jamie had a heartbreaking and perfect moment.All about gaffing and scatting.Hannah Waddingham is from the theater world, so maybe that's why we didn't realize her brilliance before this show. Apparently we just didn't realize she was on Game of Thrones, which sounds terrible.Kresley sent a newsletter and let everyone know that she might have news this month about Munro and the next book in the Arcana chronicles.You can change the time zone of your Kindle, but I don't think the books arrive any earlier. The Flame and the Flower was published in 1972. We will not do a read along of the book, but we will talk about its influence on the genre. Julie Moody-Freeman, host of the Black Romance Podcast, was a guest on Fated Mates at the end of season two. Here's a New Yorker profile of Nora Roberts from 2009, and a People magazine story on Danielle Steel from 2014.Many of romance's writers and editors have already passed. Two we mentioned: Carolyn Nichols, the original editor for Loveswept, died in 2017, and legendary author Johanna Lindsey died in 2019. 24 ounces is a lot of fluid. Our first season four read-along will be Ravished by Amanda Quick.