Podcasts about Dreamspinner Press

Talkin' Fanfic  Episode No. - 301 Episode Title - Interview with Crimson1, professional author Amanda Meuwissen  In Talkin' Fanfic's third season opener, Sara sits down with professionally published author Amanda Meuwissen, who has openly and proudly published fanfiction on both ff.net and Ao3 for decades, as Crimson1 ! Sara and Amanda discuss how Amanda's introduction to popular fiction (via, ironically, Anne Rice novels) almost immediately funneled her into the world of fanfiction reading and writing, and how a Dean/OMC fic she wrote during the early seasons of Supernatural quickly rocketed in popularity (it is still, staggeringly, the #7 most reviewed Supernatural of all time on fanfiction.net, out of some 121 thousand) and served as the first project she would “flip” into a published original work. Sara and Amanda talk about two of her ColdFlash fics from the CW's Flash fandom, her love of the characters of Barry Allen and Leonard Snart, and why in many ways, the ColdFlash fandom writes the characters better than the show itself.  They also express a random common love for a Wellingbaum RPF coffee shop AU, Wentworth Miller's hands, the surprising awesomeness of “Legends of Tomorrow” and Amanda gives listeners some tips and tricks on how best to break into publishing in the original fiction world!    Episode References Author Page - Crimson1 on Fanfic.net  Author Page - Crimson1 on Ao3  Fic - "Incubus" by Crimson1 (SPN, Dean/OMC on ff.net) Note: This is the #7 most reviewed SPN fic on ff.net (out of 121k some fics. whoa.)  Featured Fic - “Timeless” by Crimson1 (ColdFlash) on Ao3 Featured Fic - “Lovesick” by Crimson1 (ColdFlash) on Ao3  Tumblr Post - Crimson's bound copy of “Timeless” Fic Rec - "You Keep Me High" by toomuchplor (Michael Rosenbaum/Tom Welling RPF coffee shop AU) Crimson1 Rec - “Earth Boys Are Easy” by Rose Emily (toomuchplor) Crimson1 Rec - “Tumbling Together” by RedHead (roommates ColdFlash) Crimson1 Rec - “Got A Melancholic Temperament (that's what they said to me)” by RedHead (deaged!Len ColdFlash)  Author Rec - LiselleVelvet Author Rec - TheRedHarlequin Collab - “In the Wrong Kind of Light” with sugarybowl (ColdFlash) Collab - “Len & Barry Ship It” collaborative group collection (ColdFlash) Collab - “My Father the Supervillain” (tumblr collab series ft. Michael Snart) Crimson is Reading: “Sucker for Love” series by K.L. Hiers (M/M Mystery Romance) Amanda Original Fiction Resources:Amanda Meuwissen Official Website Private Facebook Group “Amanda Meuwissen Books”  A few niche publication houses: Dreamspinner Press ; JMS Books ; Stormy Night Publications ; Harlequin “The Case of the Boy in Blue” by Amanda Meuwissen (audiobook also available!) Contact and Credits: Music: Kyle Laurin "Oasis Supersonic Theme" (Twitter: @cobrakylemusic) Tumblr: talkinfanfic.tumblr.com  Instagram: @talkinfanfic Email: talkinfanfic@gmail.com 

Beau Schemery and his robot sidekick quietly fight crime and mediocrity in northcentral Pennsylvania. Beau is attempting to complete six lifetimes in one: he’s been a comic writer/illustrator, an actor and a playwright, as well as an amateur cook and costume-maker. He enjoys sewing, reading, and playing the Xbox when he isn’t crafting exciting worlds for the characters in his brain. Beau is currently a vegetarian and hopes to grow up to be a time-traveling squirrel. He would dearly love to meet a dragon and is reasonably sure that Batman could pretty much beat anybody in a fight. Theme music for Madame Perry's Salon composed and performed by Denton Perry. Authors! Need to promote your book but can't afford a publicist? Get Sell Your Books Today right now!  As a seasoned entertainment publicist I know exactly what insider info you need to get your books to the world!

JOE COSENTINO was voted favorite LGBT mystery, humorous, and contemporary author of the year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery. The other Nicky and Noah mysteries are: Drama Muscle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Dance (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), Drama Faerie. He is also the author of the Cozzi Cove series (NineStar Press): Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention/TBR Pile Favorite Book of the Month), Cozzi Cove: Moving Forward, Cozzi Cove: Stepping Out, Cozzi Cove: New Beginning, Cozzi Cove: Happy Endings; the Dreamspinner Press novellas: In My Heart: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star (Rainbow Award Honorable Mention), The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland (with Holiday Tales from Fairyland, Rainbow Award Honorable Mention, Open Skye Book Reviews Favorite Audiobook of the Month), the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories: A Home for the Holiday, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel, and the Found At Last series: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando; and the Jana Lane mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll (The Wild Rose Press). He has appeared in principal acting roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O'Donnell, Nathan Lane, Holland Taylor, and Jason Robards. Joe is currently Chair of the Department/Professor at a college in upstate New York, and he is happily married. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeff & Will wish everyone a celebrating this week a very Happy Thanksgiving! They also share a statement they made this past week about Dreamspinner Press. The EastSiders season 4 trailer is shared and Will talks about the new Flowers in the Attic Blu-Ray edition. Books reviewed this week include American Love Story by Adriana Herrera, A Christmas Wedding by A.E. Ryecart and the first two books in Charlie Cochet's North Pole City Tales series. Charlie Cochet also talks about the re-release of North Pole City Tales and the THIRDS series as well as a new installment of the Paranormal Princes series that is coming soon. Charlie is a Featured Author at the 2020 Coastal Magic Convention and she discusses what she loves about attending that con. Complete shownotes for episode 216 along with a transcript of the interview are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jess and Trisha discuss an unprofessional move by a writer in New Zealand, authors who aren’t getting paid by a romance publisher, and the romance authors, series, and subgenres they came to a bit late. This episode is sponsored by Book Riot’s mysteries giveaway, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and the Recommended podcast. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more romance recs and news, sign up for our Kissing Books newsletter! NEWS Check out the new inclusive romance podcast RomBkPod! Here is what a professional article about romance author Nalini Singh looks like. And if you want to learn more about a literary charity supporting New Zealand romance writers, check out the Sandra Hyde Romance Writers Trust. Tweets about the Dreamspinner Press non-payment debacle from Anna Zabo (not a Dreamspinner author), Avon Gale, and TJ Klune. We’re discussing The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics for the Great Big Romance Read in our next episode! Send us your thoughts before Sept 19! BOOKS I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh Wolfsong and How to Be a Movie Star by TJ Klune The Preacher’s Promise and A Champion’s Heart by Piper Huguley The Princess Trap, A Girl Like Her, and Damaged Goods by Talia Hibbert It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian Stripped by Zoey Castile Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey Let us know your thoughts and questions about The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics and what series, authors, and genres you came to late. As always, you can find Jess and Trisha at the WIR email address (wheninromance@bookriot.com) or you can still catch us at trisha@riotnewmedia.com and jessica@riotnewmedia.com. You can also find us on Twitter (@jessisreading and @trishahaleybrwn), or Instagram (@jess_is_reading and @trishahaleybrown).

The show celebrates its one month anniversary as Will kicks things off by talking about the Three Day Novel Contest and September's Story A Day Challenge. The guys talk about their decision to leave Dreamspinner Press and the opportunities it offers to reset Jeff's author career, which will be documented in future episodes. Jeff also discusses his September plans, which includes attending Rachael Herron's 90 Days to Done class. Will looks at two helpful books: Newsletter Ninja by Tammi Labrecque and 15-Minute Dictation by Sean M. Platt and Neeve Silver. Complete shownotes for episode 9 are at BigGayAuthorPodcast.com.

New movie and TV deals are discussed with both Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue coming to Amazon and a Love, Simon series to the Disney+ streaming service. Jeff talks about seeing The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical. New patrons Rhonda and Regi are welcomed. Will reviews the Netflix original Special. Jeff reviews Jay Bell’s Straight Boy. Jeff & Will discuss their trip to the LA Times Festival of Books. They also share the interviews they did at the festival with Julian Winters, Kim Fielding & Venona Keyes and S.A. Stovall. Julian talks about his upcoming book How to Be Remy Cameron. Kim discusses her Stars in Peril series and Venona also tells Jeff about her co-writing with Kim. S.A. gives the origin story of her Vice City series and how she uses caricature to encourage people to read the first chapter (she also did a super cute caricature of Jeff & Will). Complete shownotes for episode 185 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Here’s the text of this week’s book review: Straight Boy by Jay Bell, narrated by Kirt Graves. Reviewed by Jeff. I went into Straight Boy without knowing much about it other than it was a young adult story involving Andrew, a gay high school student, who develops a crush on Carter, a straight (or maybe not-so-straight) boy. What made me buy the audiobook was the fact I’m a huge Jay Bell fan because of Something Like Summer and also for Kirt Graves’s narration. I knew these two together would give me a great read. And they did. With Something Like Summer and its sequels, Jay proved a master of telling a story with many characters and many plot lines that involve an array of emotions. He’s upped his game with Straight Boy. Two things happen right away–Andrew, a recent transplant to Chicago, discovers a boy who lives down the street having an argument with his parents and saying things like “I was born this way.” Andrew thinks he’s found a gay friend. The next day–his first day at his new school–Andrew comes out as he introduces himself in class. This makes him a target of the school bully, Bobby. Andrew goes off on Bobby, despite the bully’s threats and ends up getting sent to the guidance office. Here he meets Carter and discovers that’s the boy he heard arguing. Both of them end up in a special program at the school where learning happens outside a traditional classroom Andrew’s year is now set. Everyone–gay, straight or otherwise–inevitably has that phase where you want a romantic relationship that you can’t have. Andrew longs for Carter but also doesn’t want to wreck their friendship, which seems to grow stronger by the minute. The thing is, Carter seems to be a little experimental too and that only makes things more confusing for them both. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would end up a disaster on the page, but Jay deftly weaves the emotions and circumstances for both guys as they figure out the place they’ve got in each other’s lives as it evolves through the school year. I cheered for the good and wanted to protect them through the bad since my fifty-year-old self could vividly recall how confusing seventeen was. Bobby’s integrated deeply into their year too. He’s a friend of Carter’s and that mean’s Andrew is around Bobby far more than he likes–and he ends up putting up with more crap that he should. Andrew accepts dealing with that because he doesn’t want to lose Carter. It’s made even harder when Carter starts dating Bobby’s ex, Olivia. Along the way another of Bobby’s friends, Jackson, becomes tight with Andrew too, creating more bonds in the group. The evolution of Andrew and Jackson’s friendship is as interesting as Andrew and Carter’s. Things get rough in the last quarter of the book. Bobby doesn’t like the changes happening to his group and he plots revenge. I have to warn here that not only does bullying happen throughout the story at varying levels but as we get into the last act there’s also off-page sexual assault and a pretty epic final battle where Andrew, Carter and the group are in way over their heads. Again, Jay does an excellent job of telling the story, ratcheting tensions and putting characters–and readers–through the wringer. The epilogue was the icing on top of this cake. Jumping twenty years into the future, we find out where everyone ended up. There were some surprises here that made me go “awwww.” It provided the perfect ending. What this book excelled at was showing friendships up close–what makes them grow, what rips them apart, and most importantly, what can make a true friend for life. It also shows, perhaps too intensely for some readers, the lengths people can go to in order to protect a relationship even if it’s toxic. I can’t commend Jay enough for how well he did all of this. Kudos to Kirt Graves too. I know well from TJ Klune’s Green Creek series that Kirt can handle a large cast of characters and high emotional impact. Kirt is perfection here handling the emotional rollercoaster without sending it over the top. His performance adds perfectly to what Jay had on the page. I highly recommend Straight Boy by Jay Bell, just make sure you’re ready for the ride. Interview Transcript - Julian Winters, Kim Fielding & Venona Keyes, S.A. Stovall This transcript was made possible by our community on Patreon. You can get information on how to join them at patreon.com/biggayfictionpodcast. Interview with Julian Winters Jeff: We are at the LA Times Festival of Books with Julian Winters. Julian: Hi. Jeff: Who I’ve just had a major fanboy moment over. Julian: I had fanboy moments. Jeff: Okay. We kinda both had the fanboy moment. Julian: Yes, yes. It is equal. Jeff: Because I had to get him to sign my “Running with Lions.” Podcast listeners know that was one of my favorite books of last year. Julian: Thank you. Jeff: And you’ve got a little sneak peek… Julian: I do. Jeff: Right now of “How To Be Remy Cameron,” which comes out September 10th. Julian: Yes, yes. September 10th, yes. Jeff: Tell us what this is about. Julian: Remy is a very personal book. It’s about an out and proud teen in high school, who has always felt like he’s known himself until he has this AP lit course. And one of the final grades he has to write an essay about who am I and it’s like the make or break essay. He’s trying to get into Emory University, and he needs this course in order to get there. And so, he has this kind of panic mode of, “Okay, but who am I?” Because he’s always been defined by, “Oh, he’s the gay kid who came out at 14,” or, “Oh, he’s one of five black students that go to our school,” or “Oh, he’s the big brother to this character,” and he’s just all these labels he wears all the time. He’s, “This is who I am.” But then he starts to realize, “Is that all I am and do these labels really define exactly who Remy Cameron is?” So, it’s kinda an exploration of what labels mean to us, but it also has a great family dynamic. A couple of secret mystery parts I can’t tell you about but there’s a lot of guessing games going on in it. And of course, it wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have like a dorky romance in there. So, that’s in there too. Jeff: A dorky romance? I like that because that’s… Julian: Yes, that’s exactly what I promise you. It’s so geeky, it’s so dorky. Jeff: That’s kind of what “Lions” was as well for sure. That’s a good label for it. How would you say that your writing has evolved from first book to second? Julian: Oh, it’s a lot. A lot. With the first book, I just kinda wanted to write the feel-good story, and that was my goal, and touching on certain issues throughout the book. And it also was written in third person and “Remy’s” written in first person. I’ve never, not even when I was like a small child, wrote in first person. I love reading books like that, but I thought, I just can’t do that, it’s just too personal. And so, it was a challenge doing that, but it was a lot of fun. And “Remy,” like I said, it’s very personal, so exploring parts of myself and things that I see throughout, you know, our community and things like that. It really helped me grow as a writer to really say, Okay, you can challenge yourself and you can fail at it, but you can also improve. And that was great. So, to fail, I struggled so much in the beginning, but to have that under my belt now, it’s I think I could write a lot of different stories. Jeff: So, you think you’ll visit first again sometimes? Julian: Oh, yeah, yes, yes. The next book I’m working on, first might be where I’m stuck now. I think this might be my calling. I don’t know. Jeff: Okay. I could tell you, first is a nice place to be. Julian: Yeah, it is. Jeff: What are some elements of this book that are so personal to you? Julian: Growing up. So, I grew up in Upstate New York where I was one of five black students at my school. And then when we moved to Georgia, I was one of 400 that went to my school. So, it’s very personal in the sense of, I went through a lot of phases of am I too gay? Am I black enough? Am I too perfect as a friend? Am I good enough friend? A lot of things that I went through, Remy goes through in the book. It also explores my love for a lot of geeky things and how for a while I wouldn’t let that define me because I thought, “Oh, no, this is bad, people are gonna make fun of me.” And Remy goes through that because he had a lot of geeky moments, but it’s almost like he’s scared to show them now that he knows that these are the things that I’m defined by. Jeff: I love that you point out the geeky thing because I saw on your Instagram earlier today of the comic books that you read into here at the Festival. Julian: Listen, I almost had to leave, you know, our booth just to go, you know, bow down at the comic book booth and just say, “Listen, thank you. I love it.” Jeff: Now, let’s talk about “Lions” for a second because you’ve had an amazing year. I mean, you started out of the gate that the book was blurbed by Becky Albertalli. Julian: Yeah. Jeff: And now, just within the last week or two, you’ve won an award for it. So, tell us a little bit about that. Julian: It’s been a wild journey because, first of all, like, I never thought I’d meet Becky Albertalli, I never thought I’d talk to her, I never thought, you know, I would become friends with her. And then just meeting all the other people along the way that I’ve met and growing in that area… I always felt like I was the kid sitting at the table in the corner where I peek over at all the cool kids and say, “Yeah, I’m never sitting at that table,” but it’s been kinda really awesome being taken in by so many different people and I never thought I’d be an award-winning author. Like, I wanted to write the book for queer kids to enjoy, to see themselves and know that, you know, you’re not some other subcategory, you’re just a normal person. It’s just that…this is just a part of you, it doesn’t define you. And to win an award, I broke down crying. It wasn’t something I was expecting going into this because my journey has always been about the reader but to have something for myself was amazing. It still is amazing. I’m not over it. I guess I won’t be over it until I actually hold the award in my hands and say, “This happened.” Jeff: This actually happened. And the cover too, which was a stunning cover, also won. Julian: Yes, the cover won for best cover. And that was so great for me in the sense that I love our cover designer, C.B. Messer. She’s amazing. She reads all the books cover to cover. And so, she knows these characters, she knows their stories, and what she did with that cover just blew me away. What she did with the “Remy” cover, I’m still in complete awe of just how well she knows these characters. Jeff: When we talked back last year, the book had hardly been out. Julian: Yeah. Jeff: How’s the reader response been to it? Julian: It’s been amazing. Today just alone, just so many people will walk by and say, “Oh my gosh, ‘Running with Lions,’ I’ve heard of that book.” And I’m just like, “What? Of all the books that came out in 2018, you heard of that book?” The response has been amazing. Going to the events and having people walk up to me and say, “Thank you for writing this book because I played soccer all my life, but there was never a queer soccer book.” Or, “Thank you for writing this because there weren’t a lot of books with bisexual main characters, or characters that were gay and Muslim, or black characters, or whatever.” It’s been amazing, the response I get. I get teary-eyed every time. I’m like, “I’m not strong enough for this, we can’t talk about this.” But it’s also been so cool to know that I’m helping someone see themselves because I didn’t always get that opportunity growing up. So, to know I’m getting to be a part of their journey, it’s just been amazing. Jeff: Fantastic. And what have you thought of the fair, of the festival? Because it’s your first time up here. Julian: Yes, this is my first time here for the festival. And I was talking to another friend about it because I went to YALLWEST last year. YALLWEST is this…it’s nice little corner and then this is like a whole city. Like, I get lost every time I go either to the bathroom or get something to drink. But it’s amazing because it brings so many different publishers, so many different books together, so many different genres, so many different kinds of authors are here. And that’s the amazing part to me, just to know how influential books are because there are people everywhere all the time, stacks of books in their arms. And you don’t really get to see that in, like, media, like how impactful books are, how much people really enjoy the art that we put out there. So, this has just been amazing to watch how excited people get when they see the books. Jeff: Yeah, it’s been very cool here. So, thank you so much for hanging out with us. Julian: Thank you. You know, I love you guys. Jeff: Best of luck on “How To Be Remy Cameron,” coming out September 10th. Interview with Kim Fielding and Venona Keyes Jeff: We are at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books with Kim Fielding and Venona Keyes. Thanks for being here. Kim: Thanks so much. Venona: Thanks for asking. Jeff: We’re excited to have you both here. And now, Kim, of course, within the past couple of weeks, we’ve raved about the “The Spy’s Love Song” and the new “Dreamspun Desires.” Where did the inspiration for this book come from? Because it was so good. Kim: I think a big part of the inspiration came from my travels in Eastern Europe. So, you know, thinking about the way things used to be in Eastern Europe and how things are changing, plus politics as they’re happening right now. And so, yeah, I think that was the main thing. Jeff: What kind of research did you have to do to develop your spy and your rock star who becomes kind of…along on this mission without even knowing he’s on it? Kim: I didn’t have to do too much research on the spy part or on the travel part, but rock stars and music is not something I know anything or have any talent or anything else about, so that was where I had to do most of my research because I don’t know what it’s like. I don’t know what it’s like to be a rock star. I can’t even sing. Jeff: Does that mean you what it’s like to be a spy? Kim: Hmm, I’m not…I can’t divulge. Venona: You have kids. Kim: Yeah, I have kids. Jeff: And you wrote song lyrics too? Kim: I did. Yeah, I know. And it was really fun. And then in the audio version, my narrator Drew Bacca sang them, which was so cool. And it’s like, this is the closest I’m ever gonna get to being a songwriter. And it’s so much fun to listen to. And I can pretend, you know, like, I’m the next thing. Jeff: Which actually raises the question, did you give him an idea of what the melody for it was or did he just kind of make that up? Kim: I had no melody in mind. I didn’t know he was gonna sing. When I write a book, I’m sorry narrators, I don’t think about what I’m doing to my narrators. And so, sometimes I torture them, and I wasn’t even thinking about a narrator singing it. So, that was his idea and I was so pleased. Jeff: And this is a little different in “Dreamspuns” as well and I noted it in my review that you are a single point of view here. Did you go into it deliberately that way or just kind of organically discovered it was the way to go? Kim: It made more sense for this book because there’s some surprises about our spy character and I think it’s a lot more fun if we kinda discover the surprises along with the other character rather than knowing right from the start. So, you know, for some books, the dual point of view works really well, but for this one, I think this works well. Jeff: Yeah, I totally agree on that. Now, this is part of a bigger series that’s happening within the “Dreamspuns.” Kim: It is. Jeff: Tell us a little bit about the series overall. Kim: Sure. So, this series is called “Stars from Peril” and this is the first book in it. The second book comes out next month, and that’s “Redesigning Landry Bishop.” And the third book, I just finished the first round of edits on. It’ll be out in October and that one is “Drawing the Prince.” We went over several titles on that one. And so, what all three of them have in common is the main characters are from the same small town in Nebraska called Peril, Nebraska. And all three main characters have made it big in some way. So, our first guy is a rock star, our second guy is kind of a Martha Stewart type, and the third guy is an artist. And so, they’ve made it big in the world and they meet someone. And so, you can read each of them as a standalone and in any order you want to, but you’ll kind of see the characters appearing a little bit in one another’s story. Jeff: It didn’t even click for me that it was the name of the town too because peril plays into their own peril. Kim: Exactly. And I honestly cheated a little bit on that. There is a real town, a tiny little town, I think there’s like 60 people in it, in Nebraska called Hazard, Nebraska. So, Peril. Jeff: Peril, Hazard, it works. Kim: And it’s a great name. Jeff: Now, people may be wondering, why do we have both of them here together? Well, Venona and Kim also co-write. Tell us about that book. Venona: “Running Blind.” I will tell you this came about some years ago in Portland at our Dreamspinner meetup and she pulls me aside. Now, you have to understand that I was such a fan of Kim. I love “Brute”, I loved all of her stuff. And then she’s talking to me and I’m like, “You sure you’re talking to me because, you know, I don’t, like, co-write. I’m really bad at, you know, doing it by myself.” And she goes, “Oh, yeah, I heard on NPR…” And that’s how it started. Because Peter Sagal who’s out of Chicago hosts, “Wait, wait, Don’t Tell Me.” He is a running guide for blind people for marathons.” So, she had the idea and we came up with “Running Blind.” Kim: And the reason why Venona was such a perfect choice is because, unlike me, she does triathlons. So, I didn’t have to do the research on marathon running. Venona: No, or running guides either. Stuff like, “Yeah. That’s your department,” I’m like, “All right, we can do this.” And it’s a wonderful book and we decided that we wanted to have a second story because in the beginning, and it’s not giving a spoiler away, is Kyle and Matt who have been friends, who went to college together, were friends, became lovers, and now they’re in a comfortable pattern, and they really love each other but as brothers rather than lovers. So, when something happens to Kyle, Kyle breaks it off and he goes, “You gotta go do stuff.” And Matt’s reluctant, but this story is about Kyle and how he deals with the things that have happened in his life. So, the next book that we’re writing, the working title is “Playing,” is Matt’s story about how he finds romance after the breakup. Jeff: And when do we get to see that one come out? TBD. Venona: TBD. Kim: Well, that one is still in progress. Venona: It’s still in progress. It’s now in my hands. And so, we switch back and forth when we write, and I need to get it back to Kim. So, hopefully soon. Jeff: And you’ve got some other co-writing coming too? You’re working with Shira Anthony as well. Venona: Shira Anthony, it is another story. It’s actually about a farmer and a city boy. So, that one is coming up soon and that’s an honor of a friend of ours from GRL. So, we’re writing a story about a farmer which he is and who’s not out and a city boy who is. So, it’s a lot of fun. We already have the outline and we’re just getting started on writing that as well too. Jeff: Very cool. Anything else coming up we should know about? Venona: Yes. “How to Become a K-pop Idol,” I am writing that one by myself. We might get a co-writer on that one, you never know. But that one is, if people aren’t familiar with this, I love Korean culture, a lot of Asian culture, Japanese, Korean. I’m learning Korean. I’ve been a K-pop fan since 2009 proudly with the Big Bang. Jeff: Before it was cool. Venona: Before it was cool. And my bias is right now, because Big Bang, if you don’t know in Korea, you have to go in for military service mandatory by the time you’re 30. So, a lot of the K-pop idols are going in. So, new ones are coming up. So, the third gens right now is BTS, if you’ve not heard of Bangtan Sonyeondan, BTS, they’re really big. They’re the band that I’m following right now. Jeff: Very cool. Anything coming up for you, Kim, a part from the Peril series? Kim: Yes, start of the Peril series at the end of this month, so April 30th. I’ve got a new novella coming out. So, if people who are following my “Bureau” series, there’ll be a new novella in that. And I wanna push that because I give all my royalties for that to Doctors Without Borders. So, this is the fourth story in that series, but you can read them as standalones too. Venona: And they’re awesome stories too, I love those. Kim: Thanks. Jeff: And what have you guys thought of the festival? Venona: You know, this is the first time I’ve been here, and it is awesome. There’s just so many people here, there’s so many different books, and you get to browse them all at the same time instead of in a little bookstore somewhere. So, yeah. Kim: And it’s been a lot of fun just kinda hanging out with everybody, LA is fun. So, it’s been a lot of fun. Jeff: Very cool. Well, thanks for hanging out with us for a few minutes. Kim: Thanks so much. Venona: Thanks for asking us. Interview with S.A. Stovall Jeff: And we’re at the LA Times Festival of Books with S.A. Stovall. Thanks so much for being here with us. S.A.: Well, thank you for having me. It’s super exciting. Jeff: Now, you’re the author of “Vice City,” it’s currently two books in the series. Tell us a little bit about what the series is? S.A.: It’s a crime thriller like a noir style. Ironically, if you’ve ever read “Sin City,” which is a graphic novel, it’s kind of similar to that. I used to work at a courthouse and I got a lot of green, was an attorney and all that. I don’t do that anymore because it’s a little depressing, but I used some of my experience in that to write the series. And I really like redemption stories and like criminals turning it around. That’s what I did in the courts is I helped a lot of drug addicts get to rehab and turn their life around. And so, I’m really into that kind of story. So, the series follows an ex-mobster who like, you know, leaves the mob and then becomes a private detective, and then, you know, shenanigans ensue. Jeff: Shenanigans ensue? S.A.: Yeah. Jeff: And he’s consistent through the series? S.A.: He’s the main viewpoint. There’s a romance a subplot in which he falls in love with like a police academy cadet, and obviously, that’s his in to the police and you know, again, more shenanigans ensue that way. In the sequel book that just came out, one of the subplots is that a police officer suspects the main character’s actual identity, that he had connections to the mob and used to be a mob enforcer. And so, he’s out to prove that it’s him. And so, you know, it’s a thriller story so it’s got lots of thrills. Jeff: Mystery, suspense, thrills, it’s all there. S.A.: Yes, exactly. Jeff: What got you into starting to write these books? S.A.: So, I had a friend who really likes Dreamspinner Press and I used to write just books like short stories for my D&D group, because they really liked, you know, fantasy, all that kind of stuff. So, I wrote short story fantasies and she was like, “My God, you should write me a Dreamspinner-style novel, like, that’s what you should write for me.” And I was like, “Okay, I don’t know if I can do it as good as all these other people, but I’ll try.” And I wrote “Vice City” for her specifically. I even put that in the dedication. I’m like, “It’s just for you.” I didn’t think that it would go anywhere because, you know, I was just like, “Okay.” But I got an agent after I wrote this and then the agent sold it to Dreamspinner and then they published it for the DSP line because that’s where they do genre stuff. Jeff: It doesn’t necessarily have the romance in it, right? S.A.: Yeah. Well, mine does but it’s not the focal point. The focal point is the, you know, mystery and the mobster story. So, I was very surprised. I didn’t think it would go anywhere but it totally went somewhere. So, every time somebody is like, “Oh, I don’t know if I should write a novel,” there’s a piece of me that’s like, “Man, I just wrote that novel willy-nilly. So, you should try, you should do it. You should try.” Now admittedly, you know, I was writing before I wrote this because I wrote other stories and short stories, but still, if you’re thinking about it, you should just do it, you know. Don’t even think to yourself, “Oh, nobody will read this,” because I kinda thought, “Nobody’s gonna read a crime noir.” You know what I’m saying? Like, I was like, “That’s old school, nobody reads that kind of stuff anymore.” But no, people do, and people like it. So, I was really happy. Jeff: And you noted that the second book just came out. Do you have plans for third? S.A.: Yeah. Jeff: What is yet to come? S.A.: I’m about halfway through the third book and it’s a true series in the sense that it could go for as long as I want it or, you know, that kind of thing. It’s not like a trilogy or a set thing like, “Oh, something needs to happen.” But, you know, as a private investigator, anything can happen, you know, all sorts of shenanigans can ensue. Jeff: Very true, very true. S.A.: But there is a connecting theme. The whole reason that it’s the vice enforcer is that the mob that he used to work for was the vice family, and they’re still around by book three so you can kinda see the, like, he’s trying to take them down one by one. And so, I guess I could be limited to and then it got the whole vice family and then the series is over. But, you know, there’s that connecting thread too. Jeff: Now, that you’ve been writing in this genre, do you wanna expand out to other genres or is noir thriller kind of your sweet spot? S.A.: Well, it’s just a thing that I like a lot, that I thought, you know, nobody likes this anymore, but I like it. I wrote “Modern Gladiator” which is just a pure romance for Dreamspinner. It was a sports romance with UFC fighter. Jeff: Oh, cool. S.A.: I, a few years back, was dating a guy who was in the UFC. And so, I just used all of that experience to write a sports romance. And I know a lot about, you know, wrestling and all that kind of stuff just from him. And I put a lot of that kind of information in the book and it literally just came out about two weeks ago. Yeah, “Modern Gladiator” came out. And then I do a lot of fantasy and science fiction on the side as well. So, I mean, all sorts of things, all crazy things. Jeff: Very cool. Now you’re also an artist? S.A.: Yes, that’s true. Jeff: While she’s been here doing her signings and such, she’s also been doing caricatures of people who get their book signed. And so, we had this one done of us. It is so freaking adorable. How did this get started for you? S.A.: I’ve just always drawn things. I like doodling. I was really into comic books at a point in my life. I mean, so many comic books and manga. I mean, anything that was drawn and kind of that like storybook style with the panel, super loved. But I didn’t really intend for it to go anywhere. I went and got my history degree, I got a law degree. I wasn’t like, “Man, I need to study art.” But I did at least doodle enough that I was like, “I’m mildly good, you know.” And when I went to my first ever book fair, I thought, “I can’t just be the schmoe who’s standing in a booth trying to peddle their book, because I’m gonna be like 50 other people in the road doing the exact same thing. I should try and do something that’s at least enticing or to get people to read my stuff.” And I figured, “Hey, I could try a little caricature, and while I’m drawing them, they can read my book. And if it’s enticing enough, you know, they’ll buy the book, or they’ll feel guilty enough to buy the book, you know, I don’t know, whatever gets them to buy the book.” And a lot of people usually give me comments right away. Like, the first line in “Vice City,” everybody always comments, well, not everybody but like 80% of people. The first line is, “Getting hit with a wrench hurts.” And, so many people either laugh or comment like, “Oh my God, what a good line,” and I’m like, “Yeah.” And the first chapter in “Vice City” is an interrogation of that police cadet. So, Pierce, the mobster, is interrogating this guy who he thinks is a police mole. So, it’s really intense, you know, high stakes going on. I really like that first chapter and it usually hooks people. So, they read that first chapter while I’m drawing them and, bam, that’s my sales strategy. Don’t steal it. I’m joking, everybody can use it. Jeff: It’s all her’s. S.A.: Anybody can do it. Jeff: But the key is, like, I could never draw. There’s no way I’d do this, I’d have to find another hook. S.A.: I’ve been successful with it. People typically like that. And the caricatures are free. I just give them to people. So, even if they don’t buy the book, you know, it’s fine. Jeff: And it’s awesome watching her do them. We watched as she did ours. It’s like, “Oh my God, there we are just manifesting on the page.” It was very cool. Well, thank you so much for hanging out with us a little bit. One last question, what have you thought of the fair? S.A.: It’s good. There are a lot of people here though. I mean, just thousands of people all over the place. Going to the food trucks was fun, although not during lunchtime. There’s like a mile-long line from here to the sun and back. Nobody wants to do that. But the food trucks are good, the people seem to be really nice, and I don’t know, it’s just a good time. Jeff: Excellent. Well, thank you so much for spending a little bit of time with us. S.A.: Thank you for having me again, like, super awesome.

Jeff opens the show talking about the work he’s doing on a holiday short story. They also remind everyone about the LA Times Festival of Books happening April 13 and 14 on the USC Campus and the authors expected to attend from Dreamspinner Press and Interlude Press. Jeff & Will talk about the series finale of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Books reviewed this week include Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert and Paternity Case by Gregory Ashe. Lisa joins Jeff to recommend four speculative fiction books: The Mortal Sleep by Gregory Ashe, Prince of Air and Darkness by M.A. Grant, All Souls Near & Nigh by Hailey Turner and Not Dead Yet by Jen Burke. Complete shownotes for episode 183 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Book Reviews Here’s the text of this week’s book reviews: Arctic Sun by Annabeth Albert. Reviewed by Will While his uncle is recuperating from minor surgery, Alaskan bush pilot Griffin is tasked with taking a tour group into the wilds of Alaska. One of the group is River, former male model-turned inspirational travel writer, who’s gathering material for his next book. There’s an immediate attraction and chemistry between them and over the course of the week, as they spend more time together, they fall for one another. One of the many things that drew me into Arctic Sun, is that Griff and River are two interesting, compelling, genuinely dimensional characters, with actual lives. And by that, I mean that they’re not just cardboard cut-outs going through the motions, playing out a standard romantic plotline. They’ve both faced challenges in the past, overcome them, and – through emotionally intelligent conversations — work to figure out how they can move forward together. After the tour is over, they make plans to meet in Vancouver. River is going to be hanging out with some old friends from his modeling days, and Griff’s visit is a kind of “real world” road test to see if their relationship can work. It’s, of course, a total disaster. The old friends bring out triggering scenarios for both Griff and River. Their true “Real World” was the connection they shared in the wilds of Alaska, not fancy date night restaurants or going to exclusive clubs. The problem is that they’re using relationship criteria from their screwed-up pasts to judge their current situation. They realize this far too late and break things off. They each take some time apart and do some soul searching, River about his family history and public persona and how it relates to his work, and Griff about how he interacts with the outside world and family’s tour business. Griff makes his way to L.A. for the premiere of the film based on River’s book. The things they each want and need out of life are actually more aligned than they first realized. They can live, love and work surrounded by the nature that gives each of them so much joy. Paternity Case by Gregory Ashe. Reviewed by Jeff. I’ve continued to work my way through Gregory Ashe’s Hazard & Somerset Mystery series. Gregory’s way with mystery thrillers along with possibly the slowest burn romance ever keep drawing me back. After dealing with a Clue-like mystery taking place over Thanksgiving in Transposition, the action now moves to Christmastime. An interesting turn of events, one that I believe only Gregory could concoct, finds Emery Hazard and John-Henry Somerset on a double date as the book opens. Readers of the series know this just cannot end well as Hazard, his boyfriend Nico, Sommers and his estranged wife Cora attempt to have a meal together. Saying the scene is uncomfortable is an understatement and it’s the perfect scene to begin the story. The mystery in Paternity Case revolves around an incident that occurs at the Somerset family home. Sommers’s father calls him away from dinner to help with the problem. When Hazard and Sommers arrive, they discover a quite high, naked Santa causing issues and before they can sort out why, a teenage girl is dead, Sommers’s father is shot multiple times and the Santa is killed after being taken into custody. Nothing is ever what it seems in a Hazard and Somerset book and the reason and motive for the shootings is disturbing and extraordinary. Gregory has concocted his most twisted mystery of the series and shines an even brighter spotlight on the shady goings on in the Wahredua good old boy network. I’m always stunned at how Gregory reveals the whodunit and this one continually blew my mind. We know from previous books that Sommers and Hazard have complicated pasts, together and separately. Significant details are finally laid out in this book. We find out why Hazard had to leave St. Louis, which honestly wasn’t as shocking as I expected…but it doesn’t mean that those in power in Wahredua don’t try to capitalize on it. Learning more of what happened to the boys in high school upset me. More about Sommers’s senior year came to light and the feelings Sommers has about Hazard continue to have a major impact on his future choices. Many authors would dump this information out much earlier, but the parsing that Gregory’s done over the three books made it more impactful. It’s like a traffic accident–uncomfortable to witness and yet you can’t look away. It’s expert writing that keeps you glued to the page to see what gets revealed next and guessing what the far reaching implications will be. There are some sublime side characters in this book and I have to give a particular shout out to Sommer’s mother, Grace Elaine. She’s every bit a southern matriarch who you do not want to cross–sugary sweet in one moment and ready to claw your eyes out in the next. The cat and mouse game she plays with Hazard is equal parts highly entertaining and disturbing. She goes to great lengths to protect her son, her family and what she believes is right all while being a terrible person at heart. She made me shudder as I knew people just like her from growing up in the south. Back to the mystery, it’s impossible to easily talk about it without revealing too much. Suffice to say of the three books so far, this mystery has been the most disturbing because of the ramifications for the teenage characters involved–not only the girl who is killed but two of her friends who are swept up in the drama. Anyone who is potentially triggered by abusive parents, child abuse, and similar issues would be advised to proceed cautiously with this book. Of course, I’m ready to read more from Gregory. I have no doubt that things that were planted in this book will matter even more in what follows. I can’t wait to see where it all leads to ultimately.

Once upon a time... A teacher, tattoo collector, mom, and rock 'n' roll kinda gal opened up a doc and starting purging her demons. Several self-published books and a debut gay romance with Dreamspinner Press later, R.L. Merrill is still striving to find that perfect balance between real-life and happily ever after. You can find her lurking on social media where she loves connecting with readers, educating America’s youth, being a mom taxi to two busy kids, in the tattoo chair trying desperately to get that back piece finished, or headbanging at a rock show near her home in the San Francisco Bay Area.How Do You Write Podcast: Explore the processes of working writers with bestselling author Rachael Herron. Want tips on how to write the book you long to finish? Here you'll gain insight from other writers on how to get in the chair, tricks to stay in it, and inspiration to get your own words flowing. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jeff updates everyone on the Codename: Winger books, including news that Tacker Hacker (book #1) is available for free, through May 15, at Amazon and other online retailers. Mark, Maureen and Katie are congratulated for winning the Keira Andrews giveaway from Episode 134. They guys also share the news that Tammy Middleton's Autism Awareness Auction in April raised more than $2400. Kendra is thanked for raising her pledge on Patreon. The guys talk about Adam Rippon's stint on Dancing with the Stars. Will reviews Showing Him the Ropes by Christa Tomlinson. Together, Jeff & Will review Wilde Fire by Lucy Lennox. Jeff discusses Nothing Happened by Molly Booth and Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli. Audiobook narrator Finn Sterling (aka Jess Hanks) stops by to talk about how he got into the business, what his favorite type of characters are to voice as well as the band he's in. Along with Dreamspinner Press, he's offering four listeners the chance to win an Audible code to get one of his books. Complete show notes for episode 136, including the chance to win Audible codes, are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Jeff & Will discuss various aspects of their debut collaboration, "The Hockey Player's Heart." The book is now available from Dreamspinner Press at all major online book retailers. Among the topics they talk about this being Will's debut novel, their writing process, populating the book with out and proud characters, their love of category romance, short reads vs. epic length, the small town setting and they wrap up with Will reading from the book's prologue. Complete shownotes are available at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Jeff and Will kick off the 100th episode with champagne and a reflection on the podcast milestone as well as the announcement that they are giving away a Dreamspinner Press $100 gift card to celebrate, courtesy of Dreamspinner Press. They also toast their 20th marriage anniversary, which comes up on September 7. Jeff updates on the progress he's making boosting his word count using Dragon Dictation for transcriptions. Will reviews the books Owning It by Devon McCormack and Riley Hart and Off Base by Annabeth Albert. Jeff also discusses K.C. Wells's Out of the Shadows. Jeff interviews best-selling author Andrew Grey. They start off talking about Andrew receiving the RWA Centennial Award this year for publishing 100 books as well as his new book, Never Let You Go, which comes out this week. Andrew also talks about how he got started writing, where he gets his ideas and how he keeps up his writing pace. Complete shownotes for episode 100, plus the chance to win the Dreamspinner Press gift card, are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

KWL was recently in Atlanta, Georgia attending RT Booklovers Convention. Considered the Book Lover Event of the year, RT (Romantic Times) Booklovers brings more than 3,500 fans and between 600 to 800 authors together for a celebration of romance novels. Mark Lefebvre, Director of Kobo Writing Life, was on site interviewing authors and industry folks about various topics on writing, reading and promotions. The RT Booklovers interviews have been broken into more than one episode. In Part 1, we share Mark's chats with: Helen Hardt Her latest novel, Surrender; her penchant for ending her series books with cliffhangers and the direct relation with her pre-order success; A teaser regarding her forthcoming MISADVENTURES series; some advice for beginning writers Jeff Adams & Will Knauss Jeff's new release Somewhere on Mackinac and its relation to the classic film Somewhere in Time; their publisher Dreamspinner Press and collaborating on a novel; Jeff and Will's Big Gay Fiction Podcast Julia Kent Her most recent novel, Shopping for a CEO's Wife in the bestselling romantic comedy SHOPPING series of novels; the pseudonym that Julia writes romantic suspense and pulse-pounding fiction under: Meli Raine Chloe from Written Word Media Opportunities for writers looking for promotions for their reduced price and free ebook titles; more places where writers can get great tips and advice Dan from Draft2Digital The free universal link tool that D2D has released for authors, making it simpler than ever before to be all inclusive when linking to retail websites where people can buy their books.      

Will interviews Jeff about Somewhere on Mackinac, which debuts on Wednesday, May 3 from Dreamspinner Press. The guys are at the RT Booklovers Convention in Atlanta this week. They discuss their schedule and would love to meet any listeners that are also attending. For those not attending, Jeff & Will plan to post photos and video to the podcast's Facebook page. Jeff talks about the upcoming Readers & Writers for LGBT Chechens auction that begins on Friday, May 5. Will reviews The Solder's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian. Paul Richmond and Aaron Anderson are welcomed to the podcast. Paul is the associate art director for Dreamspinner Press as well as the author of the Cheesecake Boys Coloring Book. Aaron is one of Dreamspinner's cover artists. During a coloring party, we discuss the new coloring book as well as book covers and more. There's also a Rafflecopter on the shownotes page for a chance to win the images Paul, Aaron and Will colored. Complete shownotes for episode 82, and the Rafflecopter for the chance to win autographed coloring pages, are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Jeff talks about Somewhere on Mackinac starting pre-orders on Monday, April 3 along with the cover reveal and giveaway that his email list is getting that same day. He also updates on a new novella he's started, tentatively titled Ballroom Goal, and other projects he worked on this week. Gilbert Baker, creator of the Rainbow Flag, is honored. Listeners are reminded that April is Autism Awareness Month and Tammy Middleton's Auction to raise funds for the cause has begun. Jeff is offering autographed copies of the Hat Trick trilogy in paperback as part of the auction. Poppy Dennison, author and Dreamspinner Press marketing director, was in Paris recently for the Paris Book Fair and was the podcast's special correspondent for the event. Her video report is on the shownotes page. We thank our latest patron, Nancy, and let everyone know the next bonus episode will release on Tuesday, April 11. After reminding everyone that the Hot Jock Paperback giveaway ends on April 9, the guys review the film, Lazy Eye. Jeff and Will sit down with Damon Suede to discuss his latest novel, Lickety Split. There's a Rafflecopter on the shownotes page for listeners to register to one an autographed paperback of the book. Complete shownotes for episode 78, and the chance to enter the Hot Jocks Paperback Giveaway as well as the “Lickety Split” giveaway, are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.  

Jeff talks about zero word counts, editing, cover reviews and getting logos for the series he'll debut this spring. This week's new patrons--Juli-Anna, Patty and Theodore--are welcomed. Foster Bridget Cassidy talks about her debut novel Pipelines in Paradise, which is part of States of Love series from Dreamspinner Press. With only a week left in the Valentine's Day Gay Romance Paperback giveaway, Jeff & Will review some of the favorite tropes we've heard from listeners. In addition the guys also congratulate some of their favorite Oscar nominated films, talk about the premiere of Riverdale and the hilarious comedy/mystery series Where the Bears Are. Lisa from The Novel Approach stops by to talk about books from Peter Styles and Cat Sebastian. Complete shownotes for episode 69, and the chance to enter the Valentine's Day Gay Romance Paperback Giveaway, are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

It's a big anniversary show this week! Jeff & Will celebrate 21 years since their first date, the podcast celebrates six months and Dreamspinner Press celebrates nine years in business with a week long sale of books from authors who started with them during their first three years (which includes Jeff). Jeff also talks about the decent writing month he had in April and that Tammy Middleton's Authors "Sign Off" for Autism Awareness Auction ended with a $110 bid for the Hat Trick books. Jeff will be on the WROTE podcast on Friday, May 6. The guys also gave a shout out to their friend David LaBounty whose Bookstores & Baseball zine was written up on Minor League Baseball's website and that David had written a nice piece about BGFP on his The First Line Facebook page. The writeup included the instructions for the a BGFP drinking game. Will reviews two books: The Unstable Stud by Ariel Tachna and Duke in Hiding by M.J. O'Shea. They guys also discuss the upcoming second season of Lifetime's UnReal and the webseries they caught this past week, UnReal: The Faith Dairies, which focuses on the lesbian character, Faith. Jay from Joyfully Jay stops by to discuss a couple of LGBTQ panels from the recent RT convention and gives some book recommendations. Then Jeff welcomes Jeff Garvin, author of Symptoms of Being Human to the show to talk about the book, his writing process, Stephen King and more. Complete shownotes for episode 30 are available at BigGayFictionPodcast.com

**Content warning: This episode of THR features some discussion of transphobia and dysphoria and other potentially triggering subjects.** The third episode of The Hopeless Romantic, "You and Me Could Write a Trans Romance," features the podcast's first guest, author Sam Schooler. Amanda and Austin ask about Sam's experiences as a genderqueer author, discuss ways cis authors can respectfully represent trans characters, and how presses can better market trans books. Other topics include writing contemporary vs historical trans literature, not writing trans characters to meet a diversity quota, and Sam and Austin's favorite trans books. Follow Sam Schooler on twitter: [@samschoolering](twitter.com/samschoolering) Trans submission calls: (Please review the submission guidelines thoroughly. Please note that these calls may not be romance-specific.) [Topside Press ](http://topsidepress.com/call-for-submissions-short-speculative-fiction/) [Trans-Genre Press](http://trans-genre.net/trans-genre-press/submissions/) As mentioned in the episode, many LGBTQIA romance presses accept trans romance. Below is a partial list: [Riptide Publishing](http://riptidepublishing.com/call-for-submissions), [Less Than Three Press](https://www.lessthanthreepress.com/submissions.php), [Bold Strokes Books](http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com/submission-guidelines.html), [NineStar Press](http://ninestarpress.com/submissions/), [Dreamspinner Press](https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/pages.php?pID=6&CDpath=0) *, [Torquere Press](http://www.torquerepress.com/submissions.html), [LooseID](http://www.loose-id.com/submissions/), [Pride Publishing](http://www.totallyboundpublishing.com/submissions/) * trans m/m only

Artist Paul Richmond joins the show to talk about his art and activism on tonight's show! Call 323 657-1493 to ask Paul a question and join the fun! Visit Paul's website and purchase his art here! Paul is a visual artist and activist whose paintings draw inspiration from his own experiences as a young gay man. Since graduating college in 2002, his artwork has become a vehicle for exploring and understanding his own journey, as well as developing a dialogue with other members of the LGBTQ community. Influenced by his own struggles as he came to terms with his sexual identity, he seeks to challenge social constructs that exist around sexual orientation and gender roles. His career has included exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States, as well as publication in numerous art journals and anthologies. His work is collected by individuals from around the globe. In his role as the Associate Art Director for Dreamspinner Press and their young adult imprint, Harmony Ink Press, he has created over two hundred and fifty novel cover illustrations. He teaches community art classes for Stonewall Columbus. He has volunteered with the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, encouraging LGBTQ teens to use art as a means of self-exploration and expression. He is a co-founder of the You Will Rise Project, an organization that empowers those who have experienced bullying to speak out creatively through the language, visual, and performing arts. Paul shares his life with husband, Dennis Niekro. They were married in a group ceremony with twenty-four other LGBT couples in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in June 2013. Together, they are committed to using their artistic talents to raise equality awareness.

Artist Paul Richmond joins the show to talk about his art and activism on tonight's show! Call 323 657-1493 to ask Paul a question and join the fun! Visit Paul's website and purchase his art here! Paul is a visual artist and activist whose paintings draw inspiration from his own experiences as a young gay man. Since graduating college in 2002, his artwork has become a vehicle for exploring and understanding his own journey, as well as developing a dialogue with other members of the LGBTQ community. Influenced by his own struggles as he came to terms with his sexual identity, he seeks to challenge social constructs that exist around sexual orientation and gender roles. His career has included exhibitions in galleries throughout the United States, as well as publication in numerous art journals and anthologies. His work is collected by individuals from around the globe. In his role as the Associate Art Director for Dreamspinner Press and their young adult imprint, Harmony Ink Press, he has created over two hundred and fifty novel cover illustrations. He teaches community art classes for Stonewall Columbus. He has volunteered with the Kaleidoscope Youth Center, encouraging LGBTQ teens to use art as a means of self-exploration and expression. He is a co-founder of the You Will Rise Project, an organization that empowers those who have experienced bullying to speak out creatively through the language, visual, and performing arts. Paul shares his life with husband, Dennis Niekro. They were married in a group ceremony with twenty-four other LGBT couples in front of the U.S. Supreme Court building in June 2013. Together, they are committed to using their artistic talents to raise equality awareness.

Romance novelist Bernadette Walsh interviews Tere Michaels. Tere is a romance writer and her motto us "happy endings guaranteed." A New Jersey native, Tere's books have been published by Dreamspinner Press and her titles include Three to Get Ready, and Love & Loyalty.