Podcasts about la times festival

On this live episode of Vibe Check, Sam and Zach chat with poet and activist, Danez Smith, about their career journey, afro-pessimism, the balance of grief vs joy, and more. Special thanks to the team at the LA Times Festival of Books and USC!------------------------------------------------------“Poetry Loves You” merch and more, available at www.podswag.com/vibecheck You can find everything Vibe Check related at our official website, www.vibecheckpod.comWe want to hear from you! Email us at vibecheck@stitcher.com, and keep in touch with us on Instagram @vibecheck_pod.Get your Vibe Check merch at www.podswag.com/vibecheck.Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Vibe Check ad-free.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

This week, we recap the LA Times Festival of Books (3:30), rethinking a key splash page (13:40), when the "pantser" method of writing goes wrong (24:20), and thinking ahead for a 2026 project (35:30).

In this episode of My Simplified Life, Michelle Glogovac and Stephanie Hockersmith, Michelle shares her candid reflections from her trip to the L.A. Times Festival of Books — from the chaos of traveling as moms to the unexpected empowerment found in spicy romance novels. They dive into real talk about managing expectations, navigating the pressure of influencer culture, and the importance of honoring your own season of life. Through laughter and honesty, Michelle and Stephanie remind listeners that personal growth doesn't have to look like anyone else's. You don't need to have it all figured out — you just need to stay true to your own path. What We're Talking About... Traveling as a parent can be challenging but rewarding. Spicy romance novels empower women to vocalize their desires. Managing expectations is crucial for personal well-being. Influencer culture can create unrealistic standards. It's important to own your choices and space in life. Everyone's journey is unique; comparison can be harmful. Embrace your season and the changes it brings. Self-improvement is a journey, not a destination. Stay true to yourself and your values.  Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Festival Anticipation 03:41 Experiencing the LA Times Festival of Books 06:37 Connecting with Authors and Panels 09:47 The Spicy Romance Genre 12:32 Empowerment Through Romance 15:35 Diverse Voices in Literature 18:40 Closing Thoughts and Future Reads 20:12 Exploring New Reads and Author Discoveries 23:07 Reflections on Book Festivals and Networking 26:00 Navigating Family Dynamics and Travel Challenges 29:07 Balancing Work and Family Life 32:16 Managing Health and Commitments 35:09 The Pressure of Expectations and Influencer Culture 38:14 Finding Personal Peace and Realistic Goals 41:12 The Reality of Self-Help and Personal Growth 44:09 Embracing Authenticity in Life and Work

All Spoilers! Lian Dolan takes question about her book, The Marriage Sabbatical now out in paperback. Read the book first and then go deep on the who, what and why's of this USA Today Bestseller and People Magazine Pick of the Week. Lian answers reader questions, maybe even yours. To buy The Marriage Sabbatical, head to your favorite indie bookstore or find it everywhere, including here. To find out more about Lian Dolan, her book tour or booking her for your book club, visit her website here. To listen to the Satellite Sisters episode about Santa Fe and find notes about traveling to the City Different, click here. Lian Dolan's books: For information on Lian's novels, including Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding, her new novel coming out May 2025, visit her website. To see Lian's tour dates, including her appearance at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 27, 2025, visit her events page here. Thank you for Pre-ordering Abigail and Alexa Save the wedding. Pre-order options here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brea and Mallory talk about what you can do to protect libraries! Plus, they discuss Bookshop ebooks and recommend books about being in love with your best friend. Email us at readingglassespodcast at gmail dot com!Reading Glasses MerchRecommendations StoreSponsors -Steamy in Seattle by Clarion WestLinks -Reading Glasses Facebook GroupReading Glasses Goodreads GroupAmazon Wish ListNewsletterLibro.fmTo join our Discord channel, email us proof of your Reading-Glasses-supporting Maximum Fun membership!www.maximumfun.org/joinMallory at the LA Times Festival of Books!https://www.imls.gov/Five CallsHi, my name is [NAME] and I'm a constituent from [CITY, ZIP]. I'm calling to urge [REP/SEN NAME] to work to protect federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Libraries and museums are vital parts of our communities and provide so many essential services. Please show up for our libraries and urge the White House to hold back its attack on their funding. Thank you for your time and consideration.IF LEAVING VOICEMAIL: Please leave your full street address to ensure your call is talliedhttps://action.everylibrary.org/saveimls2025Books Mentioned -Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne CollinsThe Secret History of the Rape Kit by Pagan KennedyAll About Love by bell hooksThe Romantic Agenda by Claire Kann  

Liz and Lian catch up over Spring Break. Liz outlines her Med-Spa Vacation strategy. And Lian haslots of details about her new book and book tour schedule. Plus, Entertaining Sisters recs for The Residence on Netflix and Lian's Spring Pick Book Recommendations at this link: https://bookshop.org/lists/satellite-sisters-spring-2025-recommendations Happy 5th Birthday to The Sweeney Sisters. If you are a Kindle Reader or an Audible user, good deals happening now. The paperback of The Marriage Sabbatical is out April 15. Join Lian at the LA Times Festival of Books to celebrate. She'll be signing at Booth #34 sunday, April 27th. Noon to 2  RSVP to Abigail and Alexa Save the Wedding out on May 20th but available now. Find details on dates and pre-orders here" https://www.liandolan.com/events/ Pre-Order Signed copy from Vroman's here Book tour starts on May 20 in Pasadena and then... Santa Monica Carmel, Indiana Spring Lake New Jersey Newport Rhode Island Mystic CT Darien CT  Montecito, CA Newport Beach, CA  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Dollars & Sense, Joel and Rob dive deep into the world of annuities. They break down the complexities, from guaranteed incomes to the hidden fees that could affect your investments. You'll also hear about the dramatic increase in annuity sales and what it means for potential investors. Plus, they share some exciting news about their book being featured at the LA Times Festival of Books!

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. So back during Season 10 we flew to Los Angeles, California for the LA Times Festival of Books, which was held on the campus of USC. We were able to meet our bookish friend, Jennifer Caloyeras from the Books Are My People podcast; hear cool authors and audiobook narrators speak; and visit some awesome places in LA. Amy is usually the one who reads around the places she is visiting, although she is apparently rubbing off on me because I'm finding myself doing it too. We decided to make an episode centered around Los Angeles/Hollywood reads. Books Discussed in This Episode: 1- Everything I Learned, I Learned In a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 2- The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen 3- The Library Book by Susan Orlean 4- A 5 Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Lauren Becker @laurenashleybecker- Elephant and Castle by Hannah Ledford 5- Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins series) by Walter Mosley 6- The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang 7- Love & Saffron by Kim Fay 8- Daytime Drama by Sarahlyn Bruck 9- Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem 10- California Dreamin: The True Story of the Mamas and Papas by Michelle Phillips 12- Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis 13- Black Dahlia by James Ellroy 14- The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia 15- Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle 16- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 17- Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor 18- Icebreaker by Hannah Grace 19- Wildfire by Hannah Grace Movies mentioned-- Feast of Death (documentary about James Ellroy) - 2001 Articles mentioned-- 100 Best Books of the 21st Century - www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/…21st-century.html Episodes mentioned-- 1- www.perksofbeingabooklover.com/episodes/…m-vidrine 2- www.perksofbeingabooklover.com/episodes/…akespeare      

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. So back during Season 10 we flew to Los Angeles, California for the LA Times Festival of Books, which was held on the campus of USC. We were able to meet our bookish friend, Jennifer Caloyeras from the Books Are My People podcast; hear cool authors and audiobook narrators speak; and visit some awesome places in LA. Amy is usually the one who reads around the places she is visiting, although she is apparently rubbing off on me because I'm finding myself doing it too. We decided to make an episode centered around Los Angeles/Hollywood reads. Books Discussed in This Episode: 1- Everything I Learned, I Learned In a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 2- The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen 3- The Library Book by Susan Orlean 4- A 5 Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Lauren Becker @laurenashleybecker- Elephant and Castle by Hannah Ledford 5- Devil in a Blue Dress (Easy Rawlins series) by Walter Mosley 6- The Monstrous Misses Mai by Van Hoang 7- Love & Saffron by Kim Fay 8- Daytime Drama by Sarahlyn Bruck 9- Code Name Edelweiss by Stephanie Landsem 10- California Dreamin: The True Story of the Mamas and Papas by Michelle Phillips 12- Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis 13- Black Dahlia by James Ellroy 14- The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia 15- Tortilla Curtain by TC Boyle 16- Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor 17- Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor 18- Icebreaker by Hannah Grace 19- Wildfire by Hannah Grace Movies mentioned-- Feast of Death (documentary about James Ellroy) - 2001 Articles mentioned-- 100 Best Books of the 21st Century - https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html Episodes mentioned-- 1- https://www.perksofbeingabooklover.com/episodes/kim-vidrine 2- https://www.perksofbeingabooklover.com/episodes/shakespeare

Page One, produced and hosted by author Holly Lynn Payne, celebrates the craft that goes into writing the first sentence, first paragraph and first page of your favorite books. The first page is often the most rewritten page of any book because it has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. We interview master storytellers on the struggles and stories behind the first page of their books.About the guest author:Kevin Smokler is a writer, documentary filmmaker and purveyor of pop culture.  He's the author of the four books Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies (2016), the essay collection Practical Classics: 50 Reasons to Reread 50 Books you Haven't Touched Since High School (2013) and worked as the editor of “Bookmark Now: Writing in Unreaderly Times,” A San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book of 2005. His essays and criticism have appeared in the LA Times, Salon, Fast Company, BuzzFeed, Vulture, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Decider and on NPR. He is also the co-director and co-producer of the documentary film Vinyl Nation about the contemporary renaissance of vinyl records in America. Kevin has lectured and taught at Comic Con, MIT, South by Southwest, The LA Times Festival of Books and The Commonwealth Club of California. He serves as a Creator-in-Residence for The Battery in San Francisco and sits on the board of Zyzzvya Magazine. Kevin holds a Bachelor's degree in Writing Seminars from Johns Hopkins University and a Masters in American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, he lives in San Francisco with his wife. His most recent book, BREAK THE FRAME: CONVERSATIONS with WOMEN FILMMAKERS comes out next year from Oxford University Press. You can find and follow Kevin on Twitter @weegee and his website kevinsmokler.comAbout the host:Holly Lynn Payne is an award-winning novelist and writing coach, and the former CEO and founder of Booxby, a startup built to help authors succeed. She is an internationally published author of four historical fiction novels. Her debut, The Virgin's Knot, was a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers book. As an author and writing coach, she knows that the first page of any book has to work so hard to do so much—hook the reader. So she thought to ask your favorite master storytellers how they do their magic to hook you. Holly lives in Marin County with her family and two Labrador retrievers, and enjoys mountain biking, hiking, swimming and pretending to surf. To learn more about her books and writing coaching services, please follow her on IG + X @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.Tune in and reach out:If you're an aspiring writer or a book lover, this episode of Page One offers a treasure trove of inspiration and practical advice. I offer these conversations as a testament to the magic that happens when master storytellers share their secrets and experiences. We hope you are inspired to tune into the full episode for more insights. Keep writing, keep reading, and remember—the world needs your stories. If I can help you tell your own story, or help improve your first page, please reach out @hollylynnpayne or visit hollylynnpayne.com.You can listen to Page One on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher and all your favorite podcast players. Hear past episodes. If you're interested in getting writing tips and the latest podcast episode updates with the world's beloved master storytellers, please sign up for my very short monthly newsletter at hollylynnpayne.com and follow me @hollylynnpayne on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, and Facebook. Your email address is always private and you can always unsubscribe anytime. The Page One Podcast is created at the foot of a mountain in Marin County, California, and is a labor of love in service to writers and book lovers. My intention is to inspire, educate and celebrate. Thank you for being a part of my creative community! Be well and keep reading.~Holly~ Thank you for listening to the Page One Podcast, where master storytellers discuss the stories and struggles behind the critical first page of their books. If you liked this episode, please share it on social, leave a review on your favorite podcast players and tell your friends! I hope you enjoy this labor of love as much as I love hosting, producing, and editing it. Please keep in touch by signing up to receive my newsletter at www.hollylynnpayne.com with the latest episodes each month. Delivered to your inbox with a smile. For the love of books and writers,Holly Lynn Payne@hollylynnpaynewww.hollylynnpayne.com

Taylor and Sara are back with another DOUBLE recap of Vanderpump Rules, Season 11! Subscribe to the YouTube channel @PumpedUpTea Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pumpeduptea/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@pumpeduptea Join Our Patreon for some bonus content: patreon.com/pumpeduptea Stream Pumped Up Tea on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and IHeartRadio! Timestamps: - Intro/Why we took a week off (0:00-4:40) - Tea of the Week: James Kennedy made his Coachella debut (4:45-6:00) - Tea of the Week: Chef Penny is no longer working with Something About Her/SAH has an official opening dat of May 22, 2024 (6:05-8:00) - Meet Max: A Guy's Perspective on VPR (8:03-9:45) - Tea of the week: Jo's Instagram Live (9:50-12:20) - Tea of the Week: Kyle Chan went on Kristen Doug's podcast, Balancing Act (12:20-15:46) - Tea of the Week: Scheana followed and then unfollowed Tom Sandoval's girlfriend, Victoria Lee (15:47-17:15) - Tea of the Week: Ariana Madix's interview at the LA Times Festival of Books (17:17-19:30) - We are taking a hiatus on The Valley, unless they get a reunion (19:30-19:55) - Tea of the Week: Michelle Lally has a new boyfriend (20:00-20:35) - Tea of the Week: Brittany Cartwright has BLOCKED Jax Taylor and their publicist, Lori K, in the wake of rumors of their affair (20:40-22:57) - Tea of the Week: An update with Rachel Leviss's lawsuit against Tom Sandoval (23:00-24:05) - Vanderpump Rules, Season 11, Episode 12 Recap & Reaction (24:08-52:17) - Vanderpump Rules, Season 11, Episode 13 Recap & Reaction (52:18-1:26:50) - Closing/The Bravo Red Wedding, Housewives Edition (1:27:00-1:35:18) --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/pumpeduptea/message

Malik spent the weekend at the LA Times Festival of Books at USC and interviewed the one and only TIFFANY HADDISH! Malik also caught up with Dr. Muriel Buque, author of Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma. And he has all the details on Ryan Seacrest's visit to Malik Books this Thursday (4/25) at the Westfield Culver City Mall! E-mail: Malik@MalikBooks.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jon, Tommy, Dan, and Hysteria Co-Host Erin Ryan are live from the LA Times Festival of Books! As the first week of Donald Trump's Manhattan criminal trial ends, Trump defends himself by constantly violating his gag order and—allegedly—farting recklessly in the courtroom. President Biden hits the trail to highlight his plans to help the middle class and pass legislation restoring Roe v. Wade. Trump reportedly narrows in on a VP pick, but rules out governors from states with the most restrictive abortion bans. And, Jon and Tommy talk about their upcoming book, Democracy or Else: How To Save America in 10 Easy Steps.Democracy or Else: How To Save America in 10 Easy Steps is coming June 25th. Crooked is donating its profits from Democracy or Else to support Vote Save America, its partners, and other organizations who are mobilizing for progressive outcomes in the 2024 election and beyond. Pre-order now wherever books are sold: http://crooked.com/books For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.

Malik has a big week ahead as he approaches his 100th episode!  A full rundown on all the authors being featured at Malik's booth at the LA Times Festival of Books.  Malik is an official exhibitor and also is hosting the Children's Stage!  Check out the schedule on Instagram: @MalikBooks And this week, he hosts an interview with Omekongo Dibinga PhD, author of Lies About Black People: How to Combat Racist Stereotypes and Why It Matters. E-mail: Malik@MalikBooks.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join Eric Mann and Channing Martinez as they discuss the LA Times Festival of Books and the Strategy and Soul Bookstore's second time hosting a booth at the Festival. Eric and Channing name a fraction of the list of books that the Strategy and Soul bookstore will host. Eric reads from Black Jacobins by CLR James and The Black Woman by Toni Cade Bambara. Join the Strategy and Soul bookstore on April 20-21 at the LA Times Festival of Books. Booth #241 in the purple section at the University of Southern California.

#123 with Jo Piazza The Sicilian InheritanceThis week, I talk food and books with The Sicilian Inheritance author and podcaster extraordinaire, Jo Piazza.Book RecommendedThe Sicilian Inheritance by Jo PiazzaThe Secret Book of Flora Lee by Patti Callahan HenryThe House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ KluneFinlay Donovan is Killing it by Elle CosimanoFinlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle CosimanoFinlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle CosimanoThe Husbands by Holly GramazioBreaking and Entering by Don GilmoreOther things mentioned:The Sicilian Inheritance Podcast (Watch the trailer)Under the Influence Podcast Where to find Jo Piazza:Substack: Over the Influence @JopiazzaInstagram: @joypiazzaauthorBook Giveaway: Monsters We Have Made closes Wednesday, April 17th To Enter: Visit and post a comment on my Instagram Page and make sure you subscribe to my Books Are My People newsletter on Substack. Open to US mailing addresses only. Gain extra entries by tagging friends and sharing in your stories. Link to LA Times Festival of Books. Sponsorship: reach out to booksaremypeople@gmail.com  Link to my Books Are My People SubstackSmall Ways To Live Well from The Simple ThingsGet a six week suggestion box of things to note and notice this spring.Listen on: Apple Podcasts SpotifySupport the showI hope you all have a wonderfully bookish week!

Directing Comedy with Emmy-Award-Winning Comedy Director Mary Lou Belli. Some things we cover: -How do you tackle blocking a multicam show? -Who's close up do you do first? -How important are reaction shots? -How can you find the comedy beats in a script? -How can you help actors find & perform  the comedy beats? -How can an editor save your comedy? -How much blocking prep should you do? -How can you work with an actor who wants to do different blocking than you need? -What's one of the first things you should do on a new set?   (Episode 54) Hosted by Director/Producer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Jenn Page.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you want to be notified when we open our doors to our green screen virtual production studio dedicated to indie filmmakers (and indie film budgets) fill out the form on our website at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheWorkingDirector.Pro.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ You can also go there to join our private FB group for directors so you can attend these live conversations and get your questions answered; as well as, to learn about The Working Director course that helps emerging filmmakers become working directors faster. More on Mary Lou: https://www.maryloubelli.com/ Two time Emmy award-winning MARY LOU BELLI has been directing television for over 30 years including NCIS New Orleans, True Lies, Black Lightning, Bull, Legacies, Station 19, Sweet Magnolias, Pitch, Monk, Famous In Love, Devious Maids, The Quad, American Woman, and Hart of Dixie as well as Disney's The Secret of Sulphur Springs, Ms. Pat, Wizards of Waverly Place, Sister, Sister, Girlfriends, and The Game. Her short film, Straight Eye for the Gay Guy won “Best Mini-short” at the California Independent Film Fest where she also premiered I Heard Something, a thriller that went on to play fests internationally. She has done ground-breaking work on web-series. Her award-winning short, America, played its 14th fest on its 4th continent at The Hague and won best micro short. She was recently nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Comedy Directing as well an another Emmy in the Children's Programming category. Mary Lou served two terms as the Co-chair of the Women's Steering Committee at the DGA where she also has served on the Western Director's Council, presently she is on Leadership Council PAC and as an alternate to the National Board. She is an Honorary Board member of the Alliance of Women Directors and Advisory Board member of Women in Media. Mary Lou also serves on the Advisory Circle of Film Fatales is and a long time member of Women In Film as well as the Peer Group Executive Committee of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences where she presently serves as one of the Governors. She has served as judge and/or guest speaker for the CSU Media Arts Fest, a judge for the Miss America Outstanding Teen Pageant, a jury member at the Sapporo Short Festival, Newport Beach Film Fest, Regina International Film Festival, and The Voice awards, a lecturer at the Chautauqua Institute, and a panelist for Women In Film, the DGA, SAG, and AFTRA and the LA Times Festival of Books. She has been a guest artist at the International Thespian Festival for secondary school theatre where she gave workshops to thousands of teens and high school theatre teachers. Through her teaching, she supports many of the vibrant diversity programs including ABC/Disney, CBS, Sony, HBO Access, AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, and Warner Bros. Directing Workshop mentoring the next generation of directors. She is the co-author of four books: “The NEW Sitcom Career Book,” “Acting for Young Actors,” and “Directors Tell the Story” which she co-wrote with fellow DGA member Bethany Rooney. Her 4th book, “Acting for the Screen” was published by Focal Press summer 2019. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/theworkingdirector/message

Betsy Amster is the principal agent of the Betsy Amster Literary Agency, which she opened in 1992. Located in Los Angeles, the agency handles publishing rights and all ancillary rights such as film, TV, audio, electronic, and foreign. They work with both first-time and established writers and represent literary fiction, upscale commercial women's fiction, voice-driven mysteries and thrillers, narrative nonfiction (especially by journalists), travelogues, memoirs (including graphic memoirs), social issues and trends, psychology, self-help, popular culture, women's issues, history & biography, lifestyle, careers, health and medicine, parenting, cooking and nutrition, gardening, and quirky gift books. Before opening the agency, Betsy spent ten years as an editor at Pantheon and Vintage and two years as editorial director of the Globe Pequot Press. She has been described in the Los Angeles Times as “a dogged prospector of literary talent” and celebrated in a profile in the ASJA newsletter for her “no-nonsense style and whimsical sense of humor.” She frequently teaches classes on publishing at UCLA Extension's Writers Program and participates in panels at the LA Times Festival of Books. Betsy has been on the show at least six times in the past (you can find those interviews in our archives). But much has been happening in both the publishing world and the world at large lately. Betsy joins Marrie to talk about all those changes, including her take on the consolidation of many of the publishing houses, the impact of A.I. on writers and how she feels about writers using ChatGPT to write their query letters, as well as projects she's working on now that have her excited. They chat about query letters, how long to wait before assuming a rejection, what writers can do to improve their odds, and much more. For more information on Writers on Writing and additional writing tips, visit our Patreon page. To listen to past interviews, visit our website. We're also excited to announce the opening of our new bookstore on bookshop.org. We've stocked it with titles from our guests, as well as some of our own personal favorites. By purchasing through the store, you'll support both independent bookstores and our show. New titles will be added all the time (it's a work in progress). Finally, on Spotify you can listen 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 like to hear from our listeners. (Recorded on October 17, 2023) Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Host: Marrie Stone Music and sound editing: Travis Barrett

Writing Black host Maiysha Kai was invited to the LA Times Festival of Books to host a panel of brilliant and talented Black authors. The panel consisted of Clarkisha Kent, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, and Ty Hunter, who all took time to speak about their craft of writing, how their identity plays a role in their writing and what is next for them. You do not want to miss out on this excellent panel and conversation. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sharifah and Jenn talk that Marvels trailer, more AI shenanigans, a 40th Anniversary (!) edition of Song of the Lioness, characters they relate to, and more. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! BookRiot.com co-founder Jeff O'Neal explores the wide bookish world. Interviews, lists, rankings, retrospectives, recommendations, and much more, featuring people who know and love books. Subscribe to First Edition on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your podcatcher of choice. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. News SF/F in the real world: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch spreading critters [Science Alert] The Marvels trailer [Black Girl Nerds] Winners of the LA Times Festival of Books prize [LA Times] 40th Anniversary edition of Tamora Pierce's Song of the Lioness series [Publishers Weekly] AI shenanigans at r/Fantasy [Reddit] Books Discussed Sophie from Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones Cleric Chih from Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo Lauren from Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler Mika Moon from The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna Candace Chen from Severance by Ling Ma Circe from Circe by Madeline Miller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ICYMI: Later, with Mo'Kelly Presents – ‘This Weekend with Nick (Pagliochini)' sharing everything from the ‘LA Times Festival of Books,' to ‘Earth Day Celebrations' and more…PLUS – ‘Amy's On It' with the latest films and TV series to dive into AND Fandango has named the most-anticipated Summer Movies - on KFI AM 640 – Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app

Despite screwing up my knee, I'm in a fantastic mood. Part of that is acceptance and knowing it was bound to happen. Another part is all the positive stuff happening in my life. I had a great time reading through Duncan Ralston's TNTD: At Ghostland death scenes. I met with John Palisano to deliver his copies of Try Not to Die: At the Wild West. He will be signing copies at the LA Times Festival of Books this Sunday. I'm excited to have my son help teach me jiu jitsu. I've been reconnecting with readers on social media so I can send out the latest batch of books to contest winners, special readers, etc. Also a reminder that the kindle version of Untold Mayhem is free for the next few days. https://geni.us/Untold The UM and Ain't No Messiah audiobooks are on sale for $2.99 at select retailers. (10:25) Includes the short horror story "In Charge" taken from the Untold Mayhem audiobook and narrated by Chris Andrew Ciulla.

In this episode of Talking Book Publishing with Kathleen and Adanna, we continue with part three and our final installment of The LA Times Festival of Books series showcasing more talented authors and publishers in the Writers & Publishers Network (WPN) booth, which has a diverse group of individuals this year with a book for everyone. Join us as we chat with Patricia Cochee and Ravven White, who will be at our Trousdale booth #200 on both days of the festival. Plus, some of our children's authors, Parvati Markus, Nadja, and Gerry Haller. These three will be at our new-to-the-festival this year, WPNs children's booth, #575. The LA Times Festival of Books is a free event open to the public, located at USC in downtown LA on April 22nd and 23rd. So come out, enjoy the fresh air, and immerse yourself in the world of books. We can't wait to see you there!We'd like to hear from you. If you have topics or speakers you'd like us to interview, please email us at podcast@talkingbookpublishing.today and join the conversation in the comments on our Instagram @writerspubsnet.

LA's community land trusts aim to keep housing affordable by letting residents own the buildings they live in. They're also a radical experiment in living cooperatively. LA County's mental health hotline is 988, but long wait times and bureaucratic rigmarole have hobbled the program, leaving many without help when they need it most. The LA Times Festival of Books is returning for its 27th year of programming. On April 22-23, they're featuring over 500 writers, poets, celebs, musicians, and more.

Welcome back to Talking Book Publishing with Kathleen and Adanna–and part two of our LA Times Festival of Books (LATFB) series. We're excited to highlight more authors and their books, Kimberly Davis Basso, Tonia Shimin, Jacob Kilgore, and Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin. These four will join us at the festival as part of the Writers & Publishers Network (WPN) booth.This year's booth comprises incredible authors. You'll have the chance to meet our guest authors and publishers; whether you're into poetry, children's books, non-fiction, humor, or horror, we've got something for everyone. These authors have poured their hearts and souls into their work, which you'll hear in this episode, and we can't wait for you to discover their unique stories.With over 150,000 attendees, this free and open-to-the-public event is a must-attend for book lovers of all ages. Have the chance to purchase tickets and meet famous author speakers, attend readings of all kinds, and explore the poetry booth across from the WPN booth. WPN has been a mainstay at LATFB, and we couldn't be more excited to continue this tradition with such amazing authors by our side.Mark your calendars for April 22nd and 23rd. Come visit us at the Writers & Publishers Network booth at #200 on the main thoroughfare Trousdale and booth #575 in the children's area. We can't wait to see you there and introduce you to our talented authors.We'd like to hear from you. If you have topics or speakers you'd like us to interview, please email us at podcast@talkingbookpublishing.today and join the conversation in the comments on our Instagram @writerspubsnet.

Welcome to the Talking Book Publishing Podcast with Kathleen and Adanna! Join us for part one of our special series for the 2023 LA Times Festival of Books (LATFB). We are thrilled to share our exclusive interviews with three amazing authors: Susan Hartzler, Gordon Blitz, and Dale Arenson. Hear them discuss their books and their writing process. Be sure to meet our guests in person at the Writers & Publishers Network (WPN) booth (located on Trousdale, booth number 200) at LATFB on April 22 and 23. Don't forget to check out the WPNs children's booth on the main children's thoroughfare. The experience is free and open to the public! Tune in now to get to know the authors and their incredible works before you meet them at the festival!We'd like to hear from you. If you have topics or speakers you'd like us to interview, please email us at podcast@talkingbookpublishing.today and join the conversation in the comments on our Instagram @writerspubsnet.

Peppered: "Bullies Beware" J.J. LUEPKE (Jody Isaackson) has more than 15 years of experience in journalism and three years in education. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in education and has had three award-winning poems published in various anthologies. This book, Peppered: Bullies Beware was featured on the 2020 LA Times Festival of Books. Luepke is an avid reader of murder mystery novels and lives in Minnesota with her spouse and one house cat. Luepke is joined by B.J Gordon, a former truck driver who has hair-raising tales of her own to share.B.J. GORDON is a former truck driver with journalism experience. Gordon lives in Idaho with her significant other and enjoys storytelling to her 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She also enjoys reading excerpts of Rock 'N" Roll Reunion, a prequel to Peppered, to her book club

This week's guest is Joey Held, writer and podcaster.Joey resides in Austin, TX but just before we chatted had attended the LA Times Festival of books in support of his book “Kind, But Kind of Weird: Short Stories on Life's Relationships”. He even had an encounter with a star of the New Girl who people have said the book reminds them of!During lockdown, Joey started a newsletter called Crisp Bounce Pass that looks at the intersection of basketball and pop culture. It's still going. We chat about that, his very first book and also his work at a creative agency. Oh, and he is also in a band.His podcast, Good People, Cool Things is what you'll want to tune into after hearing this interview. Come along now and learn about Joey. He might turn your frown upside down! Note from Rabiah (Host): This episode was recorded a couple of months ago and ironically I mention the weather is never warm in London. This week we had the biggest heat wave in years! It was a lot of fun talking about communication styles and learning about Joey and his work. I have a feeling that after listening he's the kind of person you'll want as a colleague and a friend. See what you think!PS: there could have been many titles but this statement from Joey makes me laugh over and over again! +++++ Find JoeyWebsite: joeyheld.comCrisp Bounce Pass: https://crispbouncepass.com/ The Burning Years: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4otyX8oeBPD3UENd0VyY9r Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephcurrency +++++ Mentioned in this episode:LA Times Festival of Books: https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/ Max Greenfield: https://twitter.com/iamgreenfield Wattpad - https://www.wattpad.com/ David Shabani: http://www.ifeelgoodrightnow.com/ KLOVE Austin: https://listen.klove.com/ Nate Bargatze: https://natebargatze.com/ +++++ More than Work Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @morethanworkpod Please review and follow anywhere you get podcasts. Thank you for listening. Have feedback? Email morethanworkpod(at)gmail.com!

Podcast Staffer Ally McCoy gives an overview of the first LA Times Festival of Books since the pandemic. Listen to learn more about the history of the event, the programming of the festival and hear interviews with participants.

Malik is on the stomp at the LA Times Festival of Books 2022, the largest book festival in the Northern Hemisphere! Readings from actor Max Greenfield and author Nikolas Smith! Interviews with authors Citlali Reyes, Mona Fakki, Quan Jamison, Sharifa Anozie and musical group the Alphabet Rockers! If you missed it, Malik will will make you feel like you were in attendance at USC for the 2022 LA Times Festival of Books!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We went on an adventure! In this episode we talk about the trip we took to the LA Times Festival of Books, meeting in Casey McQuiston, and sharing a haul of all the books we bought.

We are so excited to be back on stage this weekend at the LA Times Festival of Books *and* the grand opening of CAMP West LA! But first we have to get ready. What do *you* do to get ready before you leave home? Hint hint - this episode, full of fun-facts all about teeth, will give you a clue! Join us this weekend in LA! We'll be emceeing the kids stage at the LATimes Festival of Books on Saturday and Sunday 4/23 & 4/24, introducing some of your favorite authors, some friends and even some legends - and sharing wiggles and giggles and tunes, too. And Sunday before we head there we'll be singing from 10:30-11:30 at CAMP, a new family experience space in the Century City Mall. Can't wait to see some of you there! To be on the show or to find out more, visit earsnacks.org. Thanks to NOVO for supporting Ear Snacks. Go to Novo.co/EARSNACKS and get your FREE business banking account

On today's show, we go over the announcement of Kendrick Lamar's new album, how a student composer makes his music, a conversation with Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen, and the LA Times Festival of Books. All that and more, "From Where We Are." *** Hosts: Colby Martin and Tamilore Odunsi Executive Producer: Polina Cherezova Producer: Spencer Cline & Jeffrey Lee Technical Operator: Fernando Cienfuegos

We cover the book fest in this episode. But first we review Tokyo Vice and Everything, Everywhere, All At Once, compare Taika Waititi's What We Do In The Shadows with Our Flag Means Death, and Tyler's bad time climbing a rock wall. The guys take a deep dive on the Festival of Books and look back on some great food, Rudy getting roasted by Patton Oswalt, making a case for enamel pins and why slam poetry is like improv. Got a comment or question? Send it to: toliveandtryinlapodcast@gmail.com Follow us on: Instagram: @toliveandtryinlapodcast Twitter: @toliveandtrypod

In Part two of our LA Times Festival of Books author showcase, we talk with three more authors who will be in the WPN booth (#200). Norbert Soski, Author of Only Human, A Guide to the Human Operating System; RosaLinda Diaz, Author of Rom-Com Bee Stings; and Adanna Moriarty, best-selling author of Threadbare, a Patchwork of Poems that Make a Life. In this episode, you get to know each author and what you can expect from them at the festival. Both Norbert and RosaLinda have cool giveaways for the folks who buy their books during the weekend (April 23 &24), and Adanna's publisher is bringing all sorts of goodies. The LA Times Festival of Books is one of the largest book fests in the country, with an expected 100,000 people to walk through the free event held annually on USC's campus. Thousands of books, music, special lectures, a poetry stage, and more. It's an excellent opportunity to meet authors face to face, find your next read or your future 100 reads, and don't forget to bring a large bag and get all those books signed!!

Heather Maio-Smith is an award-winning interactive storytelling pioneer and technology visionary who brings over a decade of immersive storytelling leadership to StoryFile. In 2010, Heather developed the first 3D interactive conversation with Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler through her creative agency Conscience Display. At the time, she was creating physical video installations at the United Nations, USC, and in Havana, Cuba, but she understood that the future of storytelling lay at the intersection of digital media and ‘natural conversation' and decided to create it.Heather developed a strategic partnership with two global entities with competencies in visual media and technology – USC Shoah Foundation and the Institute for Creative Technologies. The partnership she led has resulted in the development of a new medium – natural conversation video.Through Heather's leadership, immersive interactive natural conversation video has gone from being a concept to a reality, combining hi-fidelity multi-scopic video with voice commands to deliver commercial grade natural conversation with an individual, whether it's a life-sized video or on your mobile device, replicating the emotional experience of having a conversation with a person. She developed and pioneered Dimensions in Testimony, a program to interview Holocaust Survivors in volumetric interactive video without that survivor actually being present. Dimensions in Testimony won both the People's Choice Award and the Jury Prize at Sheffield Doc Fest in 2016. She produced and led the project before moving on to found and lead StoryFile.As a leader in content based technology, she has spoken about Natural Conversation at Microsoft (2017), US Holocaust Museum (2017), Dartmouth College (2018), FoST (2018), SXSW (2019), SXSW (2019), The LA Times Festival of Books (2019), M.I.T. (2020), and AI Summit (2020). Heather's work has been featured in Fast Company, NBC's The Today Show, The New Yorker, Reuters and BBC. She was also featured on 60 Minutes in 2020.www.storyfile.com https://www.instagram.com/storyfile/?hl=enSource: https://businessinnovatorsradio.com/heather-maio-smith-award-winning-interactive-storytelling-pioneer-brilliance-business

April is an exciting month for the book world. The LA Times Festival of Books is one of the largest book fest in the country, usually seeing 150,000 guests throughout the weekend. The last two years have halted this giant outdoor festival, but 2022 will bring it back to life. Expecting around 100,000 people to walk around the festival held on the USC campus in Los Angeles. Every year WPN reserves a big booth, and our members join us, allowing them to sell and hype their books up. It's networking at its most pure. In this episode, we talk with three authors from the WPN booth, S.R. Strickland, author of The Awakening of La Muse; Tamara Miller Davis, author of Despite the Buzz; and Catherine Klatzker, author of You Will Never Be Normal. These three ladies have written inspiring stories, all very different voices that need to be heard. 

BC and Anton welcome Ricki Fairley, founder of Touch, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance, and discuss Rwanda, Tefftastic, and the LA Times Festival of Books.

On the first anniversary of indie-press Curious Corvid Publishing, Kathleen talks with founder Ravven White. They cover how the house came to be from Ravvens's self-publishing dreams and what made her decide to open the imprint to submissions. The fledgling Curious Corvid has published an astonishing twelve works, from literary journals, Syfy/fantasy to poetry and a lovely collection of gothic works. There's a little sneak peek into the upcoming year, with at least a book a month, and in October, the Corvid Grimoire will be released, featuring a collection of short stories from the indie publisher's signed authors. If you are in the Los Angeles area April 23 & 24, Curious Corvid will be at the LA Times Festival of Books in the Writers & Publishers Network booth #200. We hope to see you there. curiouscorvidpublishing.com

Gary Pageau of the Dead Pixels Society talks with Heather Maio-Smith, CEO and co-founder, StoryFile, about using AI-driven video conversations to preserve family history.In 2010, Maio-Smith developed the first 3D interactive conversation with Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler through her creative agency Conscience Display. At the time, she was creating physical video installations at the United Nations, USC, and in Havana, Cuba. As a leader in content-based technology, she has spoken about Natural Conversation at Microsoft (2017), US Holocaust Museum (2017), Dartmouth College (2018), FoST (2018), SXSW (2019), SXSW (2019), The LA Times Festival of Books (2019), M.I.T. (2020), and AI Summit (2020).StoryFile is a company that turns video into a conversation. This next generation of technology uses artificial intelligence to support video conversations on any device. The company offers a consumer service called StoryFile Life and a business-to-business service offering called Conversa.  Free trial offerFor a 33-question free trial, follow these instructions:1.       Go to https://life.storyfile.com/free-trial-form2.       Fill out the free trial sign-up form.3.       Enter the promo code DEADPIXELS and click "Apply".4.       Click "Try StoryFile Life for Free" to create your account.5.       Your account is created with a Story Pack discount. Go to the Pricing page by clicking "Pricing" at the top and you can see that the price for Story Pack has been discounted.6.       To purchase a Story Pack, click "Get Started" for Story Pack, click either "For Myself" to purchase for yourself or "Gift to Another" to purchase for someone else. For the latter, you will need to enter the email for the person you are purchasing for. You will be taken to the Stripe checkout page where you can make a payment to complete the purchase.Visual 1st Visual 1st is the premier global conference focused on the photo and video ecosystem. Mediaclip Mediaclip strives to continuously enhance the user experience while dramatically increasing revenue.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREEDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

My guest this week is Heather Maio-Smith, an award-winning interactive storytelling pioneer and technology visionary who brings more than a decade of storytelling leadership to her brand new company, StoryFile. In 2010 Heather was creating an exhibit on intergenerational testimony with Holocaust survivors. She created a 3D prototype and formed a partnership to secure in-depth interviews interactively. Heather had always intended that once the survivors were filmed, that anyone should be able to tell their story and save it for future generations. In 2017, StoryFile was created as an automatic, cloud-based platform that would bring the power of conversational video into everyone's hands. 3:03 – Heather 101 She became an expert in intergenerational testimony and had great conversations with older people. She wanted everyone to be able to tell their story so future generations could actually talk to them and have a conversation. 6:46 – How does StoryFile work? She didn't know if her idea would work. They built a system that was completely automated and online. You record yourself answering a bunch of questions about your life. You can choose from 1,600 questions. 13:02 – Answers for future generations There's no reason nowadays that you can't have in-depth conversations with people you love. Do a StoryFile for a future generation you'll never meet. Some people think it's a bit egotistic to do, but it's not. It's a gift to future generations. 19:05 – Tell your story It's one thing to write down your story or do an audio recording of yourself, but you miss the non-verbal communication. The video element allows you to see the essence of the person. Every generation has gone through really difficult things, but it's what you learn from it and can pass along. 27:27 – How to start StoryFile Go to StoryFile.com and pick how many questions you want to do. You can pick individual questions or by topic and start recording. 28:27 – Get to know you Best concert she ever attended? Madonna in a small venue FEATURED QUOTES We wanted everyone to be able to tell their story this way so future generations could actually talk to them and have a conversation. If my kids could have the ability to talk to my grandfather, that would be amazing. Because then they would understand me and maybe understand themselves a little more. It's one thing to write down your story or do an audio recording of yourself, but you miss the non-verbal communication. CONNECT: https://storyfile.com/ ABOUT HEATHER MAIO-SMITH: Heather Maio-Smith is an award-winning interactive storytelling pioneer and technology visionary who brings over a decade of immersive storytelling leadership to StoryFile.  In 2010, Heather developed the first 3D interactive conversation with Holocaust Survivor Rose Schindler through her creative agency Conscience Display. At the time, she was creating physical video installations at the United Nations, USC, and in Havana, Cuba, but she understood that the future of storytelling lay at the intersection of digital media and ‘natural conversation' and decided to create it. Heather developed a strategic partnership with two global entities with competencies in visual media and technology - USC Shoah Foundation and the Institute for Creative Technologies.  The partnership she led has resulted in the development of a new medium - natural conversation video. Through Heather's leadership, immersive interactive natural conversation video has gone from being a concept to a reality, combining hi-fidelity multi-scopic video with voice commands to deliver commercial grade natural conversation with an individual, whether it's  a life-sized video or on your mobile device, replicating the emotional experience of having a conversation with a person. She developed and pioneered Dimensions in Testimony, a program to interview Holocaust Survivors in volumetric interactive video without that survivor actually being present. Dimensions in Testimony won both the People's Choice Award and the Jury Prize at Sheffield Doc Fest in 2016. She produced and led the project before moving on to found and lead StoryFile. As a leader in content based technology, she has spoken about Natural Conversation at Microsoft (2017), US Holocaust Museum (2017), Dartmouth College (2018), FoST (2018),  SXSW (2019), SXSW (2019), The LA Times Festival of Books (2019), M.I.T. (2020), and AI Summit (2020). Heather's work has been featured in Fast Company, NBC's The Today Show, The New Yorker, Reuters and BBC. She was also featured on 60 Minutes in 2020. Instagram: @storyfile Website:  www.storyfile.com

Behold: our glorious interview with the one, the only, Rhiannon McGavin! The 2016 Los Angeles Youth Poet Laureate and National YoungArts Finalist in Spoken Word, Rhiannon is an internationally-acclaimed poet and author who’s graced venues such as the Teen Vogue Summit, NBC News, Button Poetry, The NAACP Awards, and the LA Times Festival of Books. Join Liz, Zoe, and Hesandi as Rhiannon shares her most memorable spoken word experiences, her advice for aspiring writers, and a poem from her upcoming book “Grocery List Poems” (plus a few visits from her very adorable cats and dog).

Have you ever loved a book so much that you wished you could sit and talk with the author? Ask them questions about the plot, about how they came up with their ideas, the backstory, and maybe you wanted to know if after the final page, your favorite character, really did live happily ever after? Gerald Everett Jones discusses this topic with host Desireé Duffy on this episode of the Books That Make You Show. Book festivals and events are amazing opportunities for booklovers to see and meet their favorite authors. They can get autographs and take selfies. It is fun hanging out and listening to them speak on panels. The literary crowd at events like the LA Times Festival of Books, or BookCon in New York, and even the Books That Make You annual literary tea, the Beach Bound Book Bash, are a lot of fun to connect with. Right now, hanging out isn’t as easy as it once was because of social distancing. That doesn’t mean we still can’t be social, though. The LA BookFest is an event created for booklovers from around the world, and it brings together authors and thought leaders, journalists, and publishing pros to interact with the reading and writing community. Gerald Everett Jones is participating on two panels at LA BookFest. Plus, he has an amazing bookish podcast, is an author an editor and more. Gerald Everett Jones is also a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Dramatists Guild, Women’s National Book Association, and Film Independent (FIND), as well as a director of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). He is the host of the GetPublished! Radio Show, and his book reviews are published on the Web by Splash Magazines Worldwide. Listen to this lively interview and check out the festivities at LABookFest.com.

Beatie Wolfe who just turned 31, has beamed her music into space, been appointed a UN Women role model for innovation, guest curated the LA Times "Festival of Books" and held an acclaimed solo exhibition of her ‘World First’ album designs at the Victoria and Albert Museum talks about how she got there and where she is going next. If you have not yet discovered this amazing artist, or even if you have, this interview offers insights into Wolfe's ability create change through art and music. Her singularity and passion are inspiring and we play her enchanting song "Little Moth".

Josh sat down with the legendary DJ Z-Trip at the LA Times Festival of Books. Z-Trip shares his stories about his incredible journey as a DJ, producer, remixer, and some of the creative choices he's made along the way. We had a lot of fun mixing it up with him in front of a live audience. Check it out! If you liked this one, check out our interview with Ali Shaheed Muhammad: https://soundcloud.com/rebel_radio/final-ali-shaheed-muhammad EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/hip-hop/mvrs-disstance

Happy Pride Month! Jeff discusses the awesome Pride Month video from the NHL. He also talks about all the things that happened during release week for Netminder. Members of the Queer Sacramento Authors Collective had a reading this past week at the Lavender Library and will be reading again this coming week at Time Tested Books. The live streams are available on the podcast’s Facebook page. We talk about the Coastal Magic Convention 2020 lineup of m/m romance featured authors. We review the Elton John biopic Rocketman. Jeff reviews Max Walker’s A Lover’s Game. Will recommends books for Pride month: Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag by Rob Sanders, Stonewall: A Building. An Uprising. A Revolution by Rob Sanders, The Stonewall Riots: Coming Out in the Streets by Gayle E. Pitman, Stonewall: The Definitive Story of the LGBTQ Rights Uprising That Changed America by Martin Duberman and The Stonewall Reader curated by The New York Public Library. Jeff interviews C.B. Lee about the latest book in her Sidekick Squad series, Not Your Backup. We also discuss the origin of the Sidekick Squad, what C.B. hears from readers and what’s coming up next. Complete shownotes for episode 191 along with a transcript of the interview are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Interview Transcript – C.B. Lee This transcript was made possible by our community on Patreon. You can get information on how to join them at patreon.com/biggayfictionpodcast. Jeff: Welcome C.B. to the podcast. It’s great to have you here. C.B.: Hello, thanks for having me. I’m so excited to be here. Jeff: Yeah, it’s very exciting. We got to see you last year at the LA Times Festival of Books for a little, teeny, tiny interview. But we’re thrilled to have you back as we start to talk about “Not Your Backup” which will come out on June 4th, just the day after this airs actually. C.B.: Oh my gosh, that will be really exciting. I actually got to touch the advanced copies for the first time last week at YALLWEST, which due to this fun time jumps of podcasting… Jeff: Well, actually a bit about a month ago. C.B.: Right, right. But, yeah, it was really interesting just to, like, hold it for the first time and see it in print. Granted, the advance copies have typos since, you know, I went through and did all the pass through the typos. But it’s fun, it’s fun. It’s great that, you know, it exists, it’s in physical form, hasn’t quite felt real till now, but now it’s a real book or will be very soon, or tomorrow for your listeners and readers. Jeff: There is something about holding that physical copy, even if you see it, you know, even if it’s on your tablet as an ebook. It’s like there’s nothing like that paperback when it gets there. C.B.: Yeah. Jeff: Now, “Not Your Backup” is book 3 in the “Sidekick Squad Series.” And, for those who haven’t experienced this series or heard of it, tell us what this series is all about. C.B.: Sure, it is about a group of queer teens that take on a corrupt government superhero agency. And they live in this sort of post-dystopian world where superheroes are kind of treated like celebrities. And there’s, you know, shadowy government organizations and mysterious heroes, league of heroes, that kind of dictates who gets to be a hero and who gets to be a villain. And our protagonists all kind of uncover this huge conspiracy, and then they work together to build a resistance and take it down. Jeff: It’s quite the world that you’ve built here. I mean, you hit so many things that are dystopian, U.S. future, superheroes, villains. What was your inspiration for all of this? C.B.: So I’ve always been fascinated by kind of the, like, post-apocalyptic or dystopian worlds. But a lot of the media that I’ve read mostly focuses on kind of the…when you’re in the middle of the disaster, when you’re in the middle of the catastrophe, when everything is going wrong, how are people struggling to survive. So I really wanted to see a world that was…you know, so this is more of like a solarpunk take where the world has started to move forward, where it’s 100 years after all of these disasters have happened – kind of the impetus for the superpowers. And my book is a really extremely intense solar flare that catalyzes latent gene in people. And then after the flare, which knocks out a bunch of nuclear power plants, also, it starts kind of a chain reaction of a bunch of environmental disasters. So 100 years later the governments of the world have kind of shifted and changed, there’s been wars, there’s been fights over resources, so the United States is now part of the North American collective, which is the entire continent of North America, which is now the habitable places. There’s, you know, 24 regions, which is, you know, kind of what’s left of the states. So there’s different areas all across North America, which are now the regions in which people live and, you know, continue to move forward with, like, their amazing technology, and hover tech, and all this amazing, clean technology. But, at the same time, you have all of these like high-tech cities, but outside of those regions, everything else is like the unmaintained lands. So, you know, the government is claiming there’s radiation danger and don’t venture out, but, of course, our heroes are like, you know, what the government tells us isn’t necessarily true. So a lot of…actually, the fun of writing “Not Your Backup” is one of my working titles was “Not Your Road Trip,” because there’s a lot of road tripping in this book. Jeff: Yeah, I noticed. There’s a bit of a road trip in the sneak peek that I got to read too, that they’re out on this road trip, essentially on a mission. C.B.: Right, right. Yeah, there’s the heist in the beginning of the very first chapter. But, yeah, there’s a lot of fun. We get to see a little bit more of the country outside of the cities in this book, so that’s exciting. Jeff: Now, each of the books deals with one of the main heroes, if you will, or the sidekicks, if you will, given the titles of the book, but they’re really the heroes. In “Not Your Backup”, we focus on Emma, who is really the only one of them without the powers. What’s happening to our heroes this time out? C.B.: So at the end of “Not Your Villain,” we have destroyed the registry, which…the big name of everyone who’s ever registered with powers that Captain Orion was planning to use to kidnap people and use for experiments. At that point, our heroes have been looking for the resistance the whole time. And they find a mysterious group that’s been leaving messages on encrypted channels. But then, at the end of the book, they realize that this is actually like a group of nerds that have been joining together to watch movies like “Star Wars,” and “Harry Potter,” and stuff. So they realize that they need to start the resistance. So that’s where we are at the beginning of “Not Your Backup,” where Emma and Bells are back in Nevada, and they are kind of in the midst of this fledgling resistance group – meanwhile, Jess and Abby are at the villain’s guild hideout in the Rockies and they’re trying to corral all the other meta-humans into taking action. So, the beginning of the book, you know, where kind of everyone has different goals, but then they all come together. It’s more about like building the resistance and finding… For Emma, it’s her journey in finding who she is. And, really, she’s a very natural leader, she loves coming up with plans, and she’s definitely a Gryffindor. She’s the first to jump in and try to take action. Her default is, like, fight me. But she also is, as you mentioned, she doesn’t have powers, and so when she’s trying to take a more active role in the resistance, she kind of butts heads with a few of the other members as they have different ideas about who is and who isn’t part of the resistance. Jeff: She just needs to remind them that Batman didn’t have powers either. He just had a really good utility belt and brains. So she could definitely fill that role. What’s been the driving force behind deciding the type of character that you have at the forefront of each book? Because the three books have very different, distinct character types and personalities, and just everything about them is just…they’re just very different from each other. C.B.: So, from the beginning, I wanted to tell this story about, you know, this fun adventure story with queer protagonists. So each book would center on another one of them in the main four. So there’s…and then after “Not Your Backup”, there’s one more book which will be Abby’s story, and so she will round out the quartet. But each of their…you know, they have very different personalities, but it’s been interesting writing their stories because each of them are on their own journey in what makes them a hero and finding how do they define success, and how do other people see them, and how do they see themselves. So, for each story, because we’re moving forward in time, as we get to see who is really, you know… It’s been interesting, because all four books will fit together as a series, but in each book, everyone gets to have their own journey. Jeff: Which I really like because we’ve been introduced to all of them all the way back, you know, back in the first book, but then they get to their own story, which could essentially be read as a stand-alone, if you wanted to, I guess, although reading all of them together is much better. What was the bigger challenge to come up with the trajectory of these four diverse characters or to build this alternate universe of the U.S., or were they kind of equal challenges? C.B.: I feel like the challenge for me is I’m not like a great outliner or I haven’t ever really been a planner. So I’ve always been more of the pantser in the writing style. So when writing a series, when I wrote “Not Your Sidekick,” I didn’t know, up until I think I was about 50,000 words in when I realized that I could not basically solve the problem in that one book, you know, because when I pitched it, it was one book. And then I was like, “Well, I really love all of these characters.” There’s a huge…there’s a bigger story here that I’ve introduced, and I will need more than one book to solve it. And so, from the get-go, I knew the next story after Jess would be Bells because you get into, like, the backstory of the meta-human training and the heroes, league of heroes. And so, I think, overall, just planning a series is really challenging. Some people are great at it, where, you know, they have very detailed outlines, they know, from the very beginning to the very end, what the key points are going to be. And so, as I was writing book 1, I kind of had a panic attack and I was like, “Oh, no, I have to figure out what’s going to happen in each of the books.” And then as I restructured things and then writing book 2 and then 3, it’s kind of come to a point where I’m working on book 4 and now, like, everything that I… One of the reasons why it took me a longer time between book… So “Not Your Villain” came in 2017 and “Not Your Backup” is coming out in 2019. So I didn’t have a book come out last year because I was still working on crafting the storyline because whatever I did or didn’t do in book 3 would determine what would happen in book 4. So everything had to fall into place, and I had to like figure out a lot of stuff. So it was challenging, but I think, you know, it’s still challenging, but that’s part of the joy of writing is to figure out how to tell the story you want to tell. Jeff: If you do a series again, do you think you’ll try to do outlines more in the upfront or now that you’ve had this experience, do you kind of know how to do it and keep your pantser ways going on? C.B.: I don’t know if I’ll ever… Like, I feel like with each book, I’m like, “Oh, do I know how to write a novel now?” But like every book is its own challenge. I do have a better sense of like, okay, you know, how do I plot as a pantser? And then plotting for pantsers, and like learning how to like… For me, I just tend to think of an outline like a road map where I have these destinations I wanna hit, but I’m not committed to – I don’t have to see everything and if I go off track or take a different route, that’s okay as well. So as long as I kind of get the same…like, it’s all in the journey of how I get there, and then the destinations that I pick along the way, if I get to them or not, that’s cool. I kind of have these benchmarks that I want to reach. But I really like thinking of the framework in which I think about my books as a roadmap. So I’ll try to plan out, you know, all the cities I want to visit, but I’m open to discovering places along the way and kind of building up on that. Jeff: How does the pantser sort of method work while you’re world building? Or do you try to, at least, before you start writing, “No. This is my world. This is what’s happened. This is what the U.S. looks like now, and how all that works?” Or does that come organically as you go as well? C.B.: I actually thought like, really early on established the world and what it looked like. I drew a map of which countries were left and which, how, who, what alliances were made in probably much more detail than you’ll ever see in the books because basically I plotted out what happened in that World War III, and what areas were no longer habitable, and all of these things, and all the different lines of, like… I probably spent way too much time figuring out the socio-economic holes, ramifications of which country is now aligned with what country and which countries refuse to join a union or…and they’re all new countries. So there is this whole political backstory of, like, which country fought….you know, which alliance was at war, which alliance and what’s still happening overseas. Some of which you’ll see, but it is the world itself. I’ve always enjoyed world building, and I think it’s really fun to come up with the…I think once I wrote book one where I established, like, how do the powers work. Every power level is different. For example, like the A class, B class, or C class, depending on how…basically, I wanted all the meta-humans in my world to…their powers basically are dependent on…like, they have a limited number of time per day that they can use their powers. So once they’ve used it, then they can’t use it for the next 24-hour period. So it’s a different sort of look at superpowers and abilities because you have to be more mindful about how you use your powers. And so that was an element that I established early on, but overall, I think for me, world building, there are some details I discovered along the way, but I pretty much plotted the world building which is a funny like…and it’s interesting to think about, even though I do consider myself a pantser, how much of this series I did very much envision out from an early stage. So like some of the confrontations and the fight scenes, and the stuff that… I’ve been planning one particular scene in book 3 since book 1, and I didn’t get to do it until… And, so that was like a fun way to be like, “Oh, yes, I’m finally going to like write the scene that I’ve been waiting for.” But I’d had a lot of these moments in my head, and just planning it out and getting the opportunity to like, “Okay, yes. Now, I’m getting to that chapter. I’m getting to the point in the whole series where we’re getting…you know, it’s coming full circle.” So that’s very satisfying. Jeff: It sounds like you’d have a lot of bonus material too if you ever wanted to release it, if all the stuff that you’ve got of the world itself, and the disaster, and how it’s split up. C.B.: Yeah, I mean, potentially, I have a whole timeline that I could release. And then I did these fun… For “Not Your Villain,” I did all the deleted scenes, well, deleted as far as they were cut for length. But I still consider it part of the story, the cannon. So those are an extra that are available on my website. I’ll probably do something similar for Backup, but I’m not at that stage yet. Jeff: Right. It’s good to know about the Villain extras. I’ll be going to check those out. C.B.: Yeah, yeah, they’re fun. They’re all in one PDF. And my book designer, C.B. Macera, was amazing. And she formatted them the same way as the book because we have a lot of extra art as well because she does these amazing, like, chapter headers for each chapter. She’s so talented and amazing designing the covers and the interior of the book, really, you know, capture that feel. And so, “Not Your Villain” actually, in the edits, went from…yeah, it was cut a lot. So, you know, it’s really sad as a writer to kind of see these scenes go, but, you know, as far as, yes, and my editors are great about, like, “This scene is great. But, you know, it kind of slows down the pacing,” or like, “This scene takes us in a different tone or direction, and, like, while they’re great, they don’t fit in the story at that moment and kind of take us away from the main action.” So I understand why they had to go. And, yes, the story is stronger overall, but I like them as an extra. Jeff: Yeah, we’ve all gotten used to those on DVDs over time, so there’s really no reason books can’t have them too. C.B.: Yeah, yeah, it’s a fun extra to have the deleted scenes. Jeff: So you mentioned one more book in the series, the fourth one, is that gonna be it for these heroes? C.B.: Yeah, I can’t say for sure that the door is completely closed. But for this arc, this storyline, that will be the series. It will be completed with Abby’s book. Jeff: We could treat it like the Marvel Universe. Now, if phase 1 is over, and there could be a phase 2 eventually, once you figure out what that is. What got you started in writing? C.B.: I love telling stories. And think I was very young when I tried, like, writing a story for myself. I had an old notebook that I would scribble this adventure story in when I was in sixth grade. And then I’d kind of start and then every recess, I’d pick it up or I’d work on it when I was supposed to be doing homework or stuff in class. And so I’ve always wanted to tell stories. I didn’t really think of it seriously as a career. And then, after college, I went to school for science. And so I was going to get a PhD and do all this stuff, and I, you know, ended up going a different route. And really writing has been a journey where it kind of comes…it ties back to, and I guess like the “Sidekick Squad Series” and the titles were all, you know, the titles are all about, like, hey, I’m not who you think I am, I’m not the person that you’re claiming that I should be or expect me to be. It comes back to where, as a queer woman of color, I didn’t really see a lot of myself in books growing up. And so what I really hoped to write was, like especially when I was writing Sidekick for the first time, I wanted to write a book for my 16-year-old self. So this is the book that I wanted to read. And I wanted it to exist. And so writing…and then I also just like telling stories. So I wanted the story to be fun, I wanted them to be happy and have, you know, there’s drama in them. But overall, I wanted to see kids like myself, and kids who looked like me, and other kids, that reflect the world that we live in because trans kids exist, asexual kids exist, mentally ill kids exist. And there aren’t enough stories where they get to be part of something that’s a superhero adventure, or something fun and fantastic like this. And so I wish that I hope…and I think there are definitely now, in the past, you know, 5, 10 years, there’ve been a lot more stories, and I think that’s great. So I’m just really excited that now people are writing more and more and reading more and more, and there’s a lot of great books to come. Jeff: And one of the things to not…I don’t want to knock the coming out story because those are very important and very needed. But in these books, that’s not really part of it. I mean, this is a much bigger adventure these teenagers are on that just doesn’t revolve around their sexuality so much, that just, there’s so much more going on, which I think is awesome and gives everybody something different to read. C.B.: Yeah, I love that…like, I want us to have the breadth of different types of genres and stories that there are for, like, able-bodied heterosexual people. Like, I want there to be so many stories to choose from. And so, you know…and I really love…I think there’s a lot of power in having joyful stories as well and stories where, yes, sexuality is a part of it, but, you know, who I am is not just my sexuality. Like, every person is multitudes where who you are is made up of so many things like your passions, your dreams, your hopes, your hobbies, your friends. Who you are as a person isn’t just one thing, and we’re all…I love being able to explore that and getting to see… I want people to see that people in the LGBTQ community are like fully nuanced people that get to be complicated and have flaws and go on adventures, or fall in love, or discover more about themselves in the way that all straight people can. Jeff: Well said. I like that for sure. Who were some of your author influences as you got started on your writing journey? C.B.: So I really love the “Harry Potter” series growing up. That’s a huge influence for me. That was one of the first ways I started writing was “Harry Potter” fan fiction because I loved that world so much. And just a lot of…I read so much fantasy like Ursula Le Guin, Diane Duane, Eoin Colfer, like tons of fantasy, Jane Yolen. I started to read a lot more widely. I think when I was a kid, there was a point when I would like go to the YA section and just read like everything in the library. So I would pretty much read everything, but I tended to love fantasy and sci-fi the most. Jeff: Nice, and now you get to write your own. C.B.: Yes. I’m really lucky. Jeff: Is there a genre you want to branch into as you close up the “Sidekick Series?” C.B.: I’m excited to write more fantasy. So the “Sidekick Squad” is more sci-fi, speculative. So I’m working on some fantasy stuff. I’m excited to share it. I have some contemporary stuff. I have a short story coming out next year in the next “All Out” anthology. So that’ll be fun. It’s like a very fluffy high school romance that’s just set in like… The only magic is the friendship and the romance so… Jeff: Aww, sometimes that’s all you need though. C.B.: Yeah, yeah, it’s fun because when I was writing it, I hadn’t written just contemporary in a long time. So that was really fun to try and explore that. Plus, I got to put a lot of puns in there, so it’s all good. Jeff: You seem to travel a lot. I feel like every time I see you on social media, it’s like, “I’m going to this event” or, “Here I am at this event, come see me over here.” What drives you to be out on the road so much? C.B.: So I like the opportunity to see, meet readers. I live in Los Angeles, and I’m really lucky to have the opportunity to go to a lot of events that are fairly local. I also think it’s really important to travel when I have the opportunity to, and I’m lucky that I’ve been able to, and sometimes I will just commit to doing it out of my own pocket because I want to meet readers in those areas. So I love…yeah, I already said it, I love meeting readers. But, especially in places where you don’t get a lot of, you know, LGBTQ resources, or teens don’t necessarily get to see a lot of authors or books with this content come their way and getting to meet teens in, you know, small towns or getting to meet people even though I do a lot of web chats. And so that’s fun chatting with libraries or classrooms through the power of the internet, which is amazing. But, part of being on panels and having these conversations is important to me just because, you know, I get to share with people that might not have heard of my books before or are just learning about it for the first time. And so that’s always a very special moment to me when someone’s like, “Oh my gosh,” like, “This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I didn’t know it exists, but now I do.” And so that’s very meaningful. And sometimes I get to meet people who have already read the books, and that’s very important to me. And that’s a part of the most rewarding things to me as a writer is knowing that your work has made an impact on someone, whether it’s just making them smile, or, you know, to the depth of having someone like… I’ve cried over several really long emails just because sometimes people are really sweet and talk about like, “Oh, this is my coming out experience”. I want people to see that they’re valid. And so knowing that someone else has read my work and recognize themselves, that’s one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done. I was in Seattle recently, earlier this year, and one of the events I did was with the Seattle Public Library where we went to the LGBTQ Youth Center. And that was really powerful just to, like, hang out with kids and chat with them and what are they looking forward to as far as like, “Hey, what’s powerful to me, what’s fun to me?” A lot of this is stuff that I totally resonate with when they connect with a character on TV or are upset that, you know, that character got killed off in one season or whatever, because of TV. But, you know, it’s always great to chat with people. Everyone’s always going through something. Jeff: Yeah, for sure. So we’ve hinted a little bit about some stuff that’s coming up for you. You’re working on Sidekick 4, you’ve got a short story coming out next year, anything else we should know about? C.B.: I’m also writing the new “BEN 10” original graphic novels with BOOM! Studios and Cartoon Network. So one is already out. It’s called “The Truth Is Out There.” It’s where “Ben 10” is part of the Cartoon Network show where Ben can turn into 10 different aliens. So it’s fun. It’s a fun, middle-grade romp. So I’m doing a number of those graphic novels with BOOM! So those will be available throughout…I can’t recall the dates off the top of my head, but another one is coming out in July, and then one more in October of this year and then the next year, there will be some more coming as well. Jeff: What’s it like writing for graphic novel because, I mean, that’s a different sort of animal, a novel that, you know, is 60,000 or 70,000 words long? C.B.: It was definitely a new experience. It was a lot of fun trying a different medium. Like, definitely writing a script goes differently as far as…and I catch myself like “Oh, I’m being too descriptive. This is literally…the only person who will see this is the artist.” And it’s also a great collaborative process. So it’s really fun to work with the artists and editors and bring together this story that exists in its own medium. It’s not just me, the writer, but what the artist is bringing, and collaborating with them, and getting to like…you know, I’ll write the dialogue and the action. And then they’ll imagine it in a certain way of like, “Oh, I didn’t think of that,” and that’s really fun. I really like the graphic novel format. I’m hoping to do more. I’m really excited to be working on these projects. And, yeah, hopefully, I’ll be able to share more upcoming projects. Jeff: Pretty cool. And speaking of, what is the best way for people to keep up with you online? C.B.: You can always find me on Twitter and Instagram at, C-B-L-E-E_C-B-L-E-E, because it’s double the trouble. My website is cb-lee.com, and then you can find more links to other ways you can connect with me. Usually Twitter and Instagram, where you can find me the most – that’s where you can connect with me. So in my website, it has like fun stuff. I try to update it with writing resources and my upcoming events. And I also have a newsletter, which will have some special tidbits probably like the deleted scenes, which is the very first place I offered the “Not Your Villain” extra scenes. Jeff: Pretty cool. Well, C.B., thank you so much for hanging out with us. We wish you all the success with “Not Your Backup” when it comes out on June 4th. C.B.: Thank you so much for having me. And I really appreciate it. I’m so excited. And I hope everyone enjoys the book. Book Reviews Here’s the text of this week’s book reviews: A Lover’s Game by Max Walker, narrated by Greg Boudreaux. Reviewed by Jeff I was so happy that this fourth book in Max’s Stonewall Investigations series released in audio just a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been eagerly awaiting the final installment of the series and I was not disappointed. The series has been working up to the final showdown between private investigator Zane Holden and the Unicorn Killer. The Unicorn has loomed large over the series–a serial killer that terrorizes the gay community in NYC. The killer’s gone after partnered gay men and Zane’s husband was aomng the victims. In the first book we find out the Unicorn’s returned and now in the fourth one Zane’s obsessed with bringing the reign of terror to an end. At the same time, Zane is preparing for his wedding to Enzo, the defense attorney who captured his heart in that first book. Unfortunately, Zane is so occupied with the case, he’s missing things, like cake testing and venue selection, and he hasn’t told Enzo that he’s even back on it. Zane thinks he’s protecting Enzo by keeping his activities a secret, but Enzo feels it puts him more in danger not knowing. And boy does everything hurtle towards a massive, satisfying conclusion. Max had me super stressed in this installment. He always does a great job of creating suspense. Here though I suspected everything. Is the Uber driver a killer? Is that bottle of wine spiked with something? What does it mean that someone looked at them on the street? Is the person providing information or misinformation? I suspected everything and also never figured out who the Unicorn was ahead of the reveal. I love that! While Zane and Enzo have been featured in the middle two books of the series, it was great to see them returning to the spotlight. Their dynamic as the move towards their wedding date was wonderful to watch. The quiet, sexy moments they share along with their wedding planning and time they spend with Enzo’s family shows their strong relationship and amazing friends. And, man, are there some super sexy times in this book. There’s always steamy scenes in this series, but these were the best yet. Max contrasts these happy times with how they handle the increasing threats–they want to be strong for each other and also do what’s necessary to keep the other safe. They find it’s hard to maintain the balance and that only increases the tension. I both hated and loved what Max put them through because it was so realistic. Is it weird to say that I liked the terrible choices were made? Despite being great at their jobs, Zane and Enzo sometimes do things that are terrible choices and what makes those so good in the story is that I could see myself doing the same thing. These two are flawed and make bad decisions like anyone can. It makes them human. It makes you scream at them to not do something. It makes you cheer when it all works out too. Kudos to Greg Boudreaux. He’s done a great job with this series overall but I have to shoutout his work voicing the Unicorn. It’s a creep, calm yet evil voice that made me shudder. The spin off for Stonewall Investigations Miami is set up here too. That first book, Bad Idea, just released last week and I can’t wait to pick it up as soon as there’s an audio version.

Cody Sisco and Dan Lopez debrief on the LA Times Festival of Books, Dan's new job in publishing, and theatrical literature featuring LGBTQ characters. Cody interviews poet, activist, and inter-country adoptee Julayne Lee. Her memoir in poems, Not Your White Savior, shares her journey as an adoptee from South Korean who is placed in a Midwestern Christian family. Shannon Eagen shares recommendations for the LitFest Pasadena.

This week, your faithful hosts went on a field trip to the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books and the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes and came back with ALL THE GOSSIP. So listen in as Maggie & Tod take you behind the scenes of America's largest book festival.

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.

Megan and Andrea recap their visit to the LA Times Festival of Books, clarify the charming differences between sociopaths and psychopaths, and discuss the relatable aspects of Tom in The Talented Mr. Ripley LISTENERSODE.

We start with our remembrances of Notre Dame, after yesterday's terrible fire. Then more from The Edna and Jim "I've Already Been To College" Update on the Admissions Scandal: It's not looking good for Aunt Becky Books: At the wonderful LA Times Festival of Books, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors, Liz went to panels featuring: Frederick Douglass Prophet of Freedom by David W Blight. It just won the Pulitzer for History The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C Stewart. Just won the Pulitzer for Biography. Bad Blood by John Carreyroux, about Theranos, which we have discussed on previous podcasts. Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe about The Troubles in Northern Ireland. Bitter Business Bureau. Wait a sec. The Uber people are going to make $100 million dollars in a IPO for a company that LOST a billion dollars in 2018?? We could think of plenty of business ideas that could LOSE money. We love Abby Wambach and recommend her new book Wolfpack plus two really great interviews with her: TBD with Tina Brown podcast and Norah O'Donnell on CBS This Morning podcast on Stitcher. Stitcher Premium: For ad-free versions of our show and many other great Wondery podcasts, go to www.stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use the promo code wondery Lian announces two great upcoming guests: Poet Kim Dower, author of Sunbathing on Tyrone Power's Grave, and Jennifer Weiner, who's new book coming in June is Mrs. Everything. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We start with our remembrances of Notre Dame, after yesterday's terrible fire. Then more from The Edna and Jim "I've Already Been To College" Update on the Admissions Scandal: It's not looking good for Aunt BeckyBooks: At the wonderful LA Times Festival of Books, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors, Liz went to panels featuring:Frederick Douglass Prophet of Freedom by David W Blight. It just won the Pulitzer for HistoryThe New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C Stewart. Just won the Pulitzer for Biography.Bad Blood by John Carreyroux, about Theranos, which we have discussed on previous podcasts.Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe about The Troubles in Northern Ireland.Bitter Business Bureau. Wait a sec. The Uber people are going to make $100 million dollars in a IPO for a company that LOST a billion dollars in 2018?? We could think of plenty of business ideas that could LOSE money.We admire Abby Wambach and recommend her new book Wolfpack plus two really great interviews with her: TBD with Tina Brown podcast and Norah O'Donnell on CBS This Morning podcast on Stitcher..Thanks to the sponsors of today's episode. Please use these urls and promo codes to support them:Ritual: www.ritual.com/sistersOpenFit: Text sisters to 303030Zip Recruiter: www.ziprecruiter.com/sistersThirdLove: www.thirdlove.com/sistersStitcher Premium: For ad free versions of our show and many other great Wondery podcasts, go to www.stitcherpremium.com/wondery and use the promo code wonderyLian announces two great upcoming guests: Poet Kim Dower, author of Sunbathing on Tyrone Power's Grave, and Jennifer Weiner, who's new book coming in June is Mrs. Everything.

The California Politics Podcast remains on hiatus while we determine its long-term fate (we're working on it). In the meantime, a special episode as we discussed Gov. Gavin Newsom and California politics 2019 from the stage of the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. With John Myers and Melanie Mason of the Los Angeles Times.

**caution Diana accidentally lets a spoiler slip*** Michele and Diana fangirl over "A Woman is No Man." We learn how to make chai and Diana talks about how disgusting her dog is. We also continue our discussion of Woman 99.  Pick up a copy of Etaf's book here. (we are an amazon affiliate and do make a commission off of book sales) If you are in the LA area 4/13 and 4/14 swing by booth 912 at the LA Times Festival of Books to say hello to Diana. Check out our online discussions on Instagram at @winewomenwords

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.

Co-creators Christoff Visscher (Cantrip Candles) and Spencer Williams (Walk The Night) join host Noah Nelson to talk about their new collaboration Tales By Candlelight. This scent guided storytelling experience mixes the best of tabletop roleplaying with an olfactory journey to create an artifact of a place that never was. A place drawn from your imagination. Join us on the trip. Also: if you're in LA this month don't miss our talk at the LA Times Festival of Books or LEIA's Immersive Intensive. (Plus Noah rambles on about whatever at the end of the show.)

Is snowplow parenting related to the college admissions scandal? We think so.Brexit. Could it be going any worse? In a word, no.This woman who feels no pain. It seemed cool until we read the part about her flesh burning.The right restaurants for those of us over 50.How to talk to dogs. And yes we'd like to see them on court at the U. S. Open. Who wouldn't?Breakdancing in the Paris Olympics? Oui ou non? Julie recommends following Harry and Meghan in instagram here @sussexroyal.We are going to see Patrick Radden Keefe and John Carreyroux at the L A Times Festival of Books. Here's the whole schedule. Are you going? There's also a special audio Sound Trip: An Immersive Experience from our podcast network Wondery.Don't forget to shop our merch at the Satellite Sisters Shop. Or order our book You're The Best here.Thank you to today's sponsors. Please use these urls and promo codes:Harry's: harrys.com/sistersMeUndies: meundies.com/sistersRobinhood: sisters.robinhood.comThe New Yorker: newyorker.com/sisters and use the promo code sistersListen to Liz's workplace advice show Safe For Work and the Madam Secretary recap show Lian and Julie do called Satellite Sisters Talk TV.Follow us on @Twitter and @Instagram @satsisters. Like our Facebook Page for all our news.Join our Facebook Group to get in on the conversation.Visit our complete website satellitesisters.com.To email us, use info@satellitesisters.com.

You loved her as Mrs. C. on Happy Days. You'll be blown away when you see what a passionate go-getter she is in real life. I sat down with Marion at her home in Los Angeles and we had quite a time! You'll hear Marion talk about: Happy Days - and how the cast really was a family Trouble with Tom Bosley, however What she learned from her "shrink" Why most people in Hollywood are driven "A-types" Why her parents were devastated when she got married Getting divorced at age 40 Why she knew she just HAD to be a successful actress Her big move to Hollywood Not feeling quite up to snuff Learning how to "play the game" Rubbing elbows with Tony Curtis Janet Leigh Cary Grant Getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Dinners with Henry Winkler, Ron Howard, Don Most, Anson Williams and Scott Baio Her son, Jim Meskimen, and a fun factoid! Her daughter, Ellen, and a fun factoid! Surprising stories from her book, My Days: Happy and Otherwise    TRIVIA: Who did Marion play on The Brady Bunch? Send me your guess! reallyfamouspodcast@gmail.com # MARION ROCKS the RUNWAY Watch my video at https://youtu.be/izHmVjPD-bQ # Watch us BEHIND THE SCENES! (FUN!) Have fun with us on a YouTube Q&A: https://youtu.be/suGhrAEn4ZY # See Marion and me OVER THE YEARS! reallyfamouspodcast.com/now/marion-ross # SEE MARION in person at the LA Times Festival of Books https://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/schedule/ # Get Marion's book, My Days: Happy and Otherwise amazon.com # JOIN MY (FREE!) SPECIAL INSIDERS GROUP https://reallyfamouspodcast.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=f61df6c5ebb2b3fad24db6558&id=47e8c674d1 #   # LET'S BE FRIENDS! Connect with me on: Instagram:  @reallyfamouspodcast https://www.instagram.com/reallyfamouspodcast/ Twitter: @kara1to1 https://twitter.com/kara1to1 Facebook:   @karamayerrobinson https://www.facebook.com/karamayerrobinson YouTube:   Really Famous https://www.youtube.com/ReallyFamous   # I want to interview ... YOU! (Or someone you know.) Want to do something spectacular for someone in your life? Give them an episode of Really Famous (for their own private collection...or yours!). I'll interview anyone you like -- your family member, friend, colleague, you -- and package it as a podcast episode. It won't air on Really Famous, but you'll have a major keepsake -- forever. Get started here: https://www.reallyfamouspodcast.com/donate  # Celebrity interview by Kara Mayer Robinson. Music - Take a Chance by Kevin MacLeod - incompetech - Creative Commons

Jeff & Will talk about their upcoming trip to the 2019 LA Times Festival of Books. They also discuss two series they’ve been watching: Comedy Central’s The Other Two and Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists. Books reviewed this week include Kim Fielding’s The Spy’s Love Song, Ari McKay’s Take Two and Erin McLellan’s Clean Break. Jeff interviews Erin McLellan about Clean Break, the second book in her Farm College series, and about why it’s important for her to tell stories based in her home state of Oklahoma. They also talk about her Love Life series, what got her started writing, her author influences and the TV she likes to binge watch. Complete shownotes for episode 182 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. -------- Here’s the text of Jeff’s book reviews: The Spy’s Love Song by Kim FieldingRock star and secret agent on a mission to a foreign country to topple a dictator all wrapped up in a Dreamspun Desires package. That combination pushed all of my romantic suspense buttons and I had no choice but to pick up this book. And I loved it every bit as much as I thought I would. I was in tropey goodness heaven with the rock star thing, a bodyguard vibe plus lovers on the run and some occasional forced proximity. Jaxon Powers is a jaded rock star who’s at the end of a long tour. After waking up in a hotel room barely remembering what happened the night before, he might also be ready for a change in lifestyle. He gets a lot more than he bargained for when his manager brings him to a meeting with the State Department. It seems the dictator that runs the small country of Vasnytsia is a fan and wants Jaxon to perform a private concert as well as a large outdoor one for a worker’s festival. The U.S. wants Jaxon to do this because it’s a chance to improve US relations with the Russia-supported dictator. The only person going with Jaxon on the trip is secret agent Reid Stanfill. Besides keeping Jaxon safe, Reid’s got an agenda that has global ramifications. I fell in love with this book right from the beginning. Kim plays with expectations from the beginning. While Jaxon appears to be the spoiled rock star we quickly find that’s not what he wants to be. He’s a small town boy, doing what he loves to do but he wants more substance to the way he’s living. The trip to Vasnytsia does exactly that as his world view gets a complete makeover. Not only does Jaxon end up traveling without the entourage he’s used to, as Reid’s mission goes sideways the two end up on the run. Reid’s mission is to try to destabilize the country and force elections and that makes him an enemy of the state. Despite his fear, Jaxon won’t leave Reid to fend for himself. Jaxon knows his celebrity can protect both of them and he sticks by Reid even as Reid tries to force the star to safety. Through all of the crazy events that could result in either of them dying, Jaxon and Reid manage to start a romance. Reid tries to keep it from beginning since they’re in a country where homosexuality is illegal but they give in to their passions. That’s just the beginning as they share stories about their pasts, which only endears them more to each other. The mix between the romance and suspense is perfect, giving our guys time to fall in love even while things around them go crazy. I liked that Kim avoided the usual Dreamspun scenario of having alternating points of view. Everything in the story is Jaxon, which works perfectly so we don’t know Reid’s mission or anything else too early. It makes for a very snappy read going on the roller coaster that Jaxon experiences. Kim brings Vasnytsia to life through its people. It starts with the guides taking Jaxon around the country, giving him peek behind the propaganda. As he meets fans who must covertly speak to him as it wouldn’t be proper for anyone to talk with the American he begins to understand why Reid’s mission is so important. Ultimately it’s these people who shelter Reid and Jaxon and help complete his mission–with a particularly awesome assist from Jaxon. Drew Bacca does a great job on the audiobook, including having to sing a couple of Jaxon’s songs. This is the first book in the “Stars From Peril” series that Kim has in the Dreamspun line. The second book, Redesigning Landry Bishop, comes out in May and I’m already looking forward to it.  -------- Clean Break by Erin McLellanI almost didn’t pick this book up because I couldn’t imagine reading a book that included the characters taking care of Madagascar hissing cockroaches. I’m not a fan of bugs and the trigger warning page discusses more about the bugs than anything else. However, I’m glad I listened to the re-assurances I wouldn’t be creeped out because this is a terrific book–and the bugs really are a non-thing. This book, the second in Erin’s “Farm College” series, throws together Connor Blume and Travis Bedford–two guys who very much don’t like each other in the aftermath of an awkward, failed hookup. As their final college term begins, Connor and Travis are taking Entomology 101 and because the professor likes students to sit alphabetically, they’re next to each other and end up becoming class partners. Their dislike for each other radiates from them during that first class. Connor’s OCD and anxiety flare up just being near the guy, who he’s still wildly attracted to and wants to have a real discussion with. Travis has the attraction too but carries the anger from their previous hookup. It only gets worse as they get the assignment that they’ll be caring for Madagascar hissing cockroaches for the semester or that they’ll have to answer discussion questions together. It doesn’t take long for the sparks of dislike to turn into sparks of desire and they end up spending time after class in a storage closet making out. Neither of them is particularly happy that they’re giving in to their desires, which makes the scenes cuter and hotter. Travis wants the fussy farmer and Connor very much wants the stand-offish English major. Even as their make out sessions start to cool their hatred, they realize they’re constrained by time. At graduation, Connor is set to take over management of his parent’s farm, even though he doesn’t necessarily want that. Meanwhile, Travis can’t wait to get out of the small town for his legal aid internship and then on to law school. The guys have their futures mapped out and there’s no space for the other. That doesn’t stop them from getting emotionally entangled. Erin does a terrific job of bringing these two together. As they move their hookups to the bedroom, Travis discovers he likes Connor’s controlling side and gives himself over to it. Connor though never takes advantage, making sure that he’s always got Travis’s consent and that Travis enjoys himself. That continues as Travis reveals he’d like to be spanked. Both guys discover this is exactly what they need. Beyond the sex though, their efforts to not get too attached aren’t helped by their post-sex talks. Travis usually wants Connor to tell him a story and it’s here that he opens up bit by bit about his anxiety, his OCD and his pre-determined future. There’s so much going on for him, as a reader I wanted to wrap him in a hug and do whatever I could to ease the load he carried. Travis talks a lot too and over time we learn what makes him so driven–it turns out he lost one of his dreams due to an accident and he doesn’t want to let anything or anyone cost him this one. Just a she was great at bringing them together, Erin tears the guys apart just as expertly. It’s a tough go as Connor and Travis force themselves apart as graduation nears. Erin does a number on the characters as they emotionally hurt themselves and each other as they keep to their plans. Both guys want to talk to the other so badly and yet they’ve promised not too. For Connor, this is particularly bad for his OCD. Of course, this is a romance, so all must end happy. Thankfully how Erin gets the guys back together his as satisfying as everything she did earlier in the book. There is a way for them to be together–it just takes time for them to get there. -------- Interview Transcript - Erin McLellan Jeff: Welcome, Erin, to the podcast. Erin: Hi. Thanks for having me. Jeff: Very excited to have you here. You’re a new-to-me author and I just finished reading “Clean Break,” which I have to tell you, I adored so much. I’m reviewing it right before we get into the interview segment I’ll have reviewed it to kinda tell everybody about it. Erin: Yay, thank you. Jeff: It is the second book in your “Farm College” Series. So before we dive into “Clean Break,” tell us more about what the “Farm College” Series is about. Erin: Okay. So it’s just two books so far like you said and they are set in a fictional college in Western Oklahoma. And I would say kind of the overarching themes are… Since they’re college stories, they’re new adult that’s kind of coming of age and self-discovery, finding your authentic self, finding a home is kind of a big one. I think that’s kind of important at that age. You’ve moved out of your parent’s house or wherever you grew up for a lot of people and kinda figuring out what is home, what is family, that kind of thing. So those types of themes are kind of follow both books. They’re both kind of angsty to be honest though “Controlled Burn,” more so than “Clean Break” actually. Jeff: Oh, my goodness. Erin: So be prepared. But, yeah, and I think in terms of… The setting is really important to me at least as the author and those books is important to me. I’m from Oklahoma. I live in Alaska now, but I’m from Oklahoma. And it’s important to me to write stories that are set in Oklahoma that have, you know, LGBTQIA+ characters in Oklahoma. And I know as somebody that reads a lot of romance, I don’t see that very often. I don’t see romance set there or it might be… I have seen it where it’s, you know, characters that are like, escaping Oklahoma which certainly is the case for a lot of people, but it’s also the case that people live and love, and make their lives there. And I kinda wanna show that. Jeff: Does a farm college like this exist in Oklahoma? Is it based on a real place? Erin: No. Kind of I guess. A lot of the kind of small details mirror Oklahoma State which was my alma mater for undergrad, but Oklahoma State is so much bigger than the college that I created. So Farm College is kind of a smaller college in Western Oklahoma that I’ve created, but in terms of being, you know, having a strong agriculture program, but also kind of having this liberal arts situation that’s going on and a pretty vibrant LGBTQIA community, I’ve kind of made most of that up. So… Jeff: And I agree that we don’t see, I mean, besides books set in Oklahoma, really the more rural settings kinda, it’s always escaping from those places. And I like that you kind of built a place as if this is what you’d like to see even if it doesn’t quite exist there now. Erin: Right. And I think it’s kind of funny when I started writing “Controlled Burn.” It was pre-2016, right? And I kind of had this, you know, I kind of had this idea that it’s getting better, right? It’s looking up for lots of communities and I’m not sure if that’s necessarily the case anymore. I hope it will be and I hope it is eventually. But, you know, there’s good and bad, I think, about places like Oklahoma and Kansas, and Texas. And, you know, Oklahoma is really special to me. It’s really important to me. Kansas is the same, but there’s also problems and, you know, I wanna kinda write those stories. And I also, thinking about Oklahoma or Texas probably more so, a lot of the romances that I’ve read that are set there are like, ranch, you know, the cowboys, the farmers which there is kind of a farmer in “Clean Break.” But there’s a lot of people that live in Oklahoma and in Texas, in Kansas that aren’t cowboys. So I wanted to tell that story too. Jeff: Right. And you really hinted that a little bit with some of the dialogue between Travis and Connor in “Clean Break” too as they kind of talk about the difference between cowboy and more the farmer type that Connor and his family are. Erin: Right. Jeff: And so, as we kinda move this direction, tell us what “Clean break” is about and kind of who Travis and Connor are. Erin: Right. So “Clean Break” is about Travis and Connor. Travis is…he’s the best friend in “Controlled Burn.” So if you read “Controlled Burn,” you see quite a bit of him. He’s an English major. He’s from Houston, Texas, very ambitious. He’s got these kind of life plans and nothing’s gonna slow him down, right? He wants to go to law school. He’s got an internship after for the summer. He’s planning to move to Saint Louis eventually to work at this legal aid charity. He has this very, you know, set goals and he’s also kind of a unique, quirky, funny character to me. And then you have Connor who comes in and I don’t know if I would say at the beginning of the book, it’s more like pre-book before the book happens, they have a little bit of a failed hookup in a lot of ways. Some misunderstandings and so, they don’t like each other very much. And then in the first chapter, they get paired together as class partners in a class. And Connor is a farm boy. He’s kind of a townie, right? He’s from Elkville which is the city that’s it’s set in. He’s expected to take over the family farm and so, he’s got this, you know, he kind of his future plans are set, right? He doesn’t have a say over them and he’s… I have a big soft spot in my heart for him. He’s got anxiety, he has OCD. I really wanted to kind of write against the archetype of the like, lackadaisical cowboy or even like, the kind of the hard cowboy or, you know, that kind of archetype that I had in my head. I wanted to write a sensitive farm boy who’s in therapy and, you know, it doesn’t really match some of the people or the characters that I have seen written that way. And kind of the main issue between them, first is that they don’t like each other, but they’re attracted to each other, right? But the kind of the main two things that I wanted to do with the book is I wanted to write a complex authentic characters that are really well-rounded and hopefully, I accomplish that. And then the other thing that I really wanted to do was kind of write to people that are heading towards their future which is graduation and then, you know, the future beyond. And then their futures don’t mesh. There’s not really a way to come together at the end of graduation. They’re moving in different directions and I think that’s a really universal thing for people in college that are dating and dating seriously… do you compromise your future for somebody else? Do you change it? How do you make it work? So those are kind of the two things that I really wanted to hit on and of course, there’s, you know, there’s some kink that happens in the book and kind of self-discovery with that especially on Connors’ part. So there’s a lot going on, but those two things. The characterization and the conflict there with their futures not meshing are the two things I really wanted to hit. Jeff: And I think you did them both, I mean, really well. This book has so much going on in it and yet it never…the story also never gets way down either with the weight of everything that’s kind of moving around here. Erin: Thank you. Jeff: And really, you started them off as enemies who sort of move to friends to sort of get to lovers. Erin: Right. Jeff: Just that progression was so fun to watch unfold as they both pick at each other and then also help each other grow at the same time. It’s like, they lift each other up and kinda tear each other down at the same time. Erin: Right. And I hope that that is realistic. I think people… Because in a lot of ways they are kind of mean to each other at certain points and people can be mean to each other in real life. Especially, they’re not very old, you know, they’re 21, 22. So they kinda make stupid mistakes sometimes and say things that can be hurtful and then have to figure out how to make it better. Jeff: And I think with Connor too, you talked about writing against the archetypes and just having kinda the anxiety plus the OCD. And being, you know, a young gay man in that setting really just sets up so much for him in that situation. Erin: Right. Yeah. He has a lot going on. He’s bi actually and… Jeff: Right. I’m sorry. You’re right. Yes. Erin: And so, kind of a lot. I mean, it’s just a lot and I think it’s a lot for him to kind of deal with all at the same time. Jeff: What was your research on the mental health side of it to kind of figure out what traits to weave into his personality? Erin: So I did a lot of research and I had some readers too that read it for me. One of the main things that I really looked at was kind of the myths especially with OCD, kind of the myths surrounding OCD. I think a lot of people think it’s just, you know, a cleanliness thing or even an organizational thing where they, you know, people with OCD have an impulse to organize or clean. And that’s not really how it presents for a lot of people. A lot people have intrusive thoughts which he has or, you know, they have checking where he checks the expiration dates on food and he can’t kind of stop doing that even though he knows he shouldn’t be doing it, and it’s not healthy for him to do. And so, I did a lot of research about the myths and the different ways that it presents for people and kind of the hardships that it causes them. And I also really wanted to make sure that I kind of made it clear. It’s something that he’ll always deal with, right? It’s not going away and so, it’s really… I did a lot of research on how to manage it, how, you know, how to kind of continue life dealing with a mental health problem like that. Jeff: Yeah. I just… So often I wanted to just give him a hug when he was starting to lapse into it. It’s like, “Oh, I’m so sorry this is happening.” What you did through the black moments and I don’t wanna give spoilers for folks who, you know, need to read the book. But what you did to the black moments for both Connor and Travis as they dealt with their emotions and for Connor how those emotions kinda manifest themselves in his OCD was really just, I really liked seeing two young adults kinda come to grapple with all of that. Erin: Yeah. And I think it’s pretty normal when you’re more stressed, right? Or when there’s more and more stress for, you know, the OCD to kind of build on itself. The same with anxiety like, whenever I am really stressed about my anxiety, it’s gonna be worse about small things, you know, you can kind of blow them out of proportion. I know I do that and so, I was kind of trying to show that how it’s like as things got more stressful for him with graduation moving and with kind of this relationship with Travis, that’s not going away he wants it to go. It does kind of snowball for him and it kinda snowballs for Travis too just in different ways because he doesn’t, you know, he doesn’t have anxiety or OCD of course, but, you know, he struggles just kind of the same way. Jeff: Yeah. When you were talking about with this books about you left out one of its major points. Erin: The bugs? Jeff: That is the inclusion of the the hissing cockroaches. Where did that idea even come from? Erin: So I knew I wanted to put them in a class together and I wanted them to be class partners. But Travis is an English major and Connor is agriculture sciences, agribusiness major. And so, I knew it had to be like a gen ed class for at least one of them. And so, I really started thinking about the gen ed class that I had taken as an English major whenever I was an undergrad trying to figure out what class would make sense. And then I realized that I actually had taken an ag class that was Entomology 101. And I loved it, I, you know, I held like, tarantulas and I held millipedes. And I could see myself being that like, weird bug girl a little bit. I just loved it. And so, that’s kinda how I decided to put them in an entomology class. And it’s funny because, I mean, I do think that college is one of those times to take the weird class and do the weird thing. And so, I think it kind of made sense there and I also felt like, I gave a degree of what kind of humor and lightness I thought it would to the story. But I realize now that a lot of readers maybe don’t like bugs. So it’s something that’s like a little distracting to some people. When I had took the entomology class, we had an assignment where we had that exact assignment with the Madagascar hissing cockroaches where we had to take them home and observe them. And so, you know, for an entire semester, I had a Madagascar hissing cockroach in my dorm room with me. I never took it out of its box. I like, you know, I fed it, like, carrots through the little hole that it couldn’t get out and so, that would be fun to put that in the story. And I can tell you for the readers, the cockroaches do not escape ever. They never… There’s no, like, unexpected cockroach scenes. I promise. Jeff: Yeah. And I can vouch for that. There are no unexpected scenes and in fact, I had to check… I had to ask about that before I took the book to read and I’m like, “Bugs, I don’t know about that.” Erin: I know. I have put it in the trigger warnings for the book and on my website, it really does lay out kinda scene by scene where they’re at and kind of the degree that they’re on the page. And they’re not on the page that much. Jeff: No, they’re not and I never got squirmy reading it either because I really don’t like bugs. But I was totally fine with how this turned out. So… Erin: Yeah. I know. I don’t know why it hadn’t occurred to me that it would gross people out. At that point it was too late when it, like, finally hit me. I was like, “Well, I can’t do anything about it.” But I kind of thought that they were funny. Jeff: Well, I think it really fits with the whole ag culture of the college that of course, they’re gonna end up with bugs or whatever and have to learn about them. So it all meshed in together and like you said, there’s no point where they’re escaping or, you know, being gross. They’re just kind of there. Erin: Right. And students… Jeff: I like to, you know, those classes sometimes you take in high school where you’re having to take care of the doll for a week or whatever. And in this case you’re hanging out with a cockroach. So… Erin: Right. It’s kinda like a little pet for them for this semester. Jeff: So is there more plan for the Farm College Series? Erin: I have not kind of set plans. I do want to write a story for Alex. He’s in both books. He’s not in “Controlled Burn” for very much though his part is kind of important in “Controlled Burn.” He’s a friend of Connor’s really in “Clean Break” and I do wanna give him a story and I will. I’ll probably start writing that soon. Kind of be on that. I don’t know how much more I’ll write in the Farm College Series though I do wanna do a spin off that’s kind of several years in the future. So they’re not really in college anymore and I want to do an F/F romance for Desie and Lena. So I would start there for them. Jeff: Yay. Yeah. I would totally read that book because one of the things you did in “Clean Break” and I’m sure you established it back in “Controlled Burn” too, was just the tight community of friends that Travis and Connor both have, and even, like, the strong family presence of Connor’s family and how they support him. So it would be great to see more of all of that. Erin: Yeah. So… Yeah. And I definitely… I think I did a little bit more successfully in “Clean Break” for sure where they have very supportive families and they do have kind of a big wide friend group. And so, yeah, I’m glad that you like that, but I do want to do the F/F romance for Lena and Desie kind of. But Lena is quite young in this book. She’s 20 and so, I wanna give her a little bit of time to grow up, I guess. Jeff: Yeah. That’s cool. Now, you’ve got another series out there called “Love Life.” And tell us a little bit about what goes on in that series? Erin: Sure. So that’s also, they’re both male/male romances. Set in Oklahoma, Eastern Oklahoma for the first book, “Life on Pause.” They’re kind of small town romances there. The first one is about a guy that works at a homestead kind of prairie museum. They’re kind of common in Oklahoma where the people that work there have to dress in like, historical costumes of the time. So he works at that type of museum and then he is paired with a high school choir teacher. And it’s kind of them trying to fall in love and figure out how their relationship will work. It’s definitely kind of lighter in tone than the farm college series, but it’s still a little angsty. The second book in the series, “Life of Bliss,” is more novella link that’s a little short and it’s very tropey. It’s kind of two people that don’t like each other very much, but are fooling around kind of behind their friends’ backs. They agree to be fake boyfriends for a family wedding in Arkansas and Arkansas kind of, well, it has this… Historically in the area, it was the only state that didn’t have a waiting period for marriage licenses. Now, most of the states don’t, but back in the day, you know, they made you like, test for syphilis and all kind of stuffs. But extended the marriage license period. So Arkansas is kind of the place where people go for their shotgun weddings historically. So this is going back quite away, but in this book they go to a wedding in Arkansas, they get drunk at the wedding and basically, end up getting married themselves. It’s set in Eureka Springs, Arkansas for the wedding part and I don’t know if anybody would be familiar with that. But you can get married practically anywhere in Eureka Springs. It’s kind of an economy there. So it’s quite easy to get married and that’s what happens. So it’s kind of fake dating to accidental marriage. Jeff: Fake dating to accidental marriage. I like… Those are favorite tropes right there. Erin: Yeah. It’s a fun one, I think. Jeff: So what is your writing origin story? You’ve got these four books out. How did all this start? Erin: Well, I was a creative writing English major in undergrad, but then I ended up going to grad school for library and information studies. And I was a public librarian. And I had… I kind of had a lot of big changes in my life. I just graduated grad school. I just got married, I just moved away from home like, all of these big changes. I had a full time job for the first time and I had… I was living in Houston, Texas and I had this horrible commute. It was like, an hour and a half each way and… Jeff: Yeah. that’s pretty horrible. Erin: I think most people that have been in Houston know what I’m talking about. And I had all this time to kind of think and I basically on my commute started plotting a book. And some of it came from, I missed kind of the creative outlet writing research papers and stuff like that from school. And so, yeah, that’s kind of how I started writing as I plotted this book on my commute and then finally, I decided that I was gonna sit down and write it. And that book was “Controlled Burn.” Jeff: That’s an awesome story. Erin: Thank you. Jeff: What led you into putting this creativity towards M/M romance amongst all of the genres that were possible? Erin: Yeah. Some of it I think is that I was reading a lot of it at that time, I kind of got into M/M romance I guess if we’re going further back by reading Suzanne Brockmann, right? So she has the “Troubleshooters” series and that has Jules Cassidy who’s the gay FBI agent, right? He’s got that kind of the secondary romance through several books and then the primary thorugh a novella. And then whenever I was in grad school, I kind of didn’t have time to read for pleasure very much. So I wasn’t reading very much and then I took a class about reader’s advisory that we had to read like, the books from the best books of the year for “Publishers Weekly” and “Kirkus,” and stuff. And I just kind of… I can’t remember what year it was, but I grabbed kind of a random book off the romance list and it ended up being “Brothers of the Wild North Sea” by Harper Fox and I didn’t really realize that it was a male/male romance. So I just kinda grabbed it and started reading, and then it became quite clear, you know, very early on what it was. And it’s a beautiful book. Harper Fox is, you know, is a beautiful writer. Everything that she writes is really awesome and so, I kind of gobbled up everything that she had written and then it kind of hit me at that time. There has to be other writers that are doing this and, you know, they weren’t the books that were in the libraries. They weren’t in my libraries. So I kind of started searching them out and, you know, read a lot of K.A. Mitchell and Z.A. Maxfield, and some of those authors at that time that were the most prolific. And I was just very excited because I felt like there are all these authors that I had never heard of that I didn’t know about and they were all really, really good. And they were writing, you know, stories that kind of the themes were very important to me. And so, then when I write finally, eventually, decided to sit down and write a book. I think probably the main thing for me is that I wanted to write characters who are LGBTQIA in Oklahoma and it just happened to be that the first book that kind of came to mind, and that I plotted fully was an M/M romance in “Controlled Burn.” So that’s definitely how I got started. Jeff: That’s very cool and some great authors there to get you introduced to the genre as well. Who do you count as your author influences? Erin: Well, definitely, you know, my gateways were Suzanne Brockmann into romance in general and then Harper Fox. Kind of on a wider scale, I really like Alisha Rai. She kind of, she writes the heroines that are the type of parents that I just love. They are raunchy and rowdy, and wonderful. I would say also Annabeth Albert in terms of contemporary romance. Alexis Hall, I think kind of teaches or his books are like a master class on first person point of view if you look at “For Real” or “Glitterland.” And so, I really, really like his books too. Jeff: Now, your bio mentions that you like binge worthy TV shows. So of course, we have to know what are you binging these days or have binged recently that you would recommend? Erin: So my husband and I have been rewatching “Game of Thrones” of course, because the last season was about to come out. So when you binge that show, you just kind of realize how many awful things happened back to back to back because the first time we watched it, we didn’t binge it. We are watching it week to week, but when you’re binge watching that it’s like, “Oh, my God. That’s so awful, these things that keep happening.” Other than that, I really like… I like true crime, but I’m not watching any kind of true crime right now. And I like comedies. So I’ve watched “Schitt’s Creek” recently which I love, “The Good Place,” “Brooklyn Nine-Nine,” “One Day at a Time,” all these sitcoms that I think are really good, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” because I love musicals is really good. And then I also watch a lot of like, reality TV. So I like, like, “Tiny House Hunters,” and “Instant Hotel,” and “Project Runway,” shows kind of like that. Jeff: Very cool. Yeah. Some good stuff on there. Erin: You can tell me I watch a lot of TV. Jeff: “The Good Place” is a particular favorite. Erin: Yeah. It’s so smart. It’s so different than like, yeah, it’s very, very unique. So this is a great list for everybody who’s looking for something to binge the spring right here. So what’s coming up next for you in your release plans? Jeff: So I don’t have anything kind of set in stone. I’m not very good at planning. [I”m working on one about] tornado chasers or storm chasers. That’s a male/male romance that I have on submission right now to a publisher that I’m hoping will pick it up. If they don’t, then, you know, it’ll keep going out and hopefully somebody else will want it. I’m currently writing a book about a rec league softball team and I want this to be really, really tropey and kind of fun and light. The first one is using kind of the one bed trope. So I hope that that would be a lot of fun. I’ll write Alex’s story pretty soon and then I have a book that I wrote. But I’m hoping to put out at Christmas, it’s called “Stocking Stuffers.” And it’s a M/F romance with a bi heroine who sell sex toys. You know, like the Tupperware parties, but it’s like the, you know, the sex toy Tupperware parties kind of. And so, she works for a company kinda is the marketing person for a company like that and she’s hosting one of those parties, get snowed in, you know, with a big red bag of toys basically. Jeff: Yeah. That’s like an interesting forced proximity story. Erin: yeah. So it was a lot of fun to write. Jeff: And I’m very interested in the storm chasers one too because I’m kind of a weather geek at heart. So you kind of got me on that one. Erin: It was a lot of fun to write. Growing up in Oklahoma, you know, tornadoes are such a kind of a constant really. I mean, my parents have lost a house in tornado. I know lots of people that have lost houses in tornado. It’s so common. It’s just kind of a part of your life especially if you’re from Central Oklahoma like me and so, it’s… Yeah. It was a really fun one to write because you are just kind of entrenched in bad weather in Oklahoma in the spring all the time. So… Jeff: Very cool. And how can readers keep up with you online to keep track of all these projects? Erin: So I have a Facebook group called Erin McLellan’s Meet Cute. That’s a good one if you kind of… I do giveaways and book recs, and stuff. On Twitter my handle is @emclellanwrites and I’m on Twitter pretty often. On Instagram it’s @erinmclellanwrites and on Instagram, I would say it’s about 70% Alaska stuff like, every moves that I’ve ever seen and then 30% books. Unless there’s a book released and then it flips. But it’s a lot of Alaska if you follow me on Instagram. And then my newsletter which you can get too on my website or through any of the social media too. You would be able to kind of find the link to my newsletter and that’s probably the best way if you just want like, to know about new releases or sales, or things like that without having to kind of trudge through Twitter. Jeff: Well, fantastic. Well, I thank you so much for coming to talk to us about “Clean Break” and wish you all the success on that one and the upcoming releases as well. Erin: Thank you so much. It was so fun.

Claire Bidwell Smith, LCPC, is a therapist specializing in grief, and the author of three books of nonfiction: The Rules of Inheritance (Penguin, 2012), After This: When Life Is Over Where Do We Go? (Penguin, 2015) and Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief (Da Capo, 2018).The Rules of Inheritance, a coming-of-age memoir about grief, was a Books for a Better Life Nominee, a Barnes & Noble Discover pick, has been published in 18 countries, and is currently being adapted for film. After this chronicles Claire’s journey as a grief therapist searching for meaning as she explores various beliefs about the afterlife.Claire has written for The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Salon.com, Slate, Chicago Public Radio, The Guardian, Psychology Today, Yoga Journal, and BlackBook Magazine.Claire has a bachelor’s degree from The New School University and a master’s degree from Antioch University. She is a licensed therapist (LCPC) and has a thriving private practice in Los Angeles with offices in both Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. She also works remotely with clients around the globe via Skype and phone.Since the publication of her books Claire has made many media appearances on both television and radio, gone on to speak and lecture at numerous events, and regularly leads dozens of workshops and retreats on both writing and grief.Claire is also very involved in the literary community, speaking on panels every year at conferences like AWP, the LA Times Festival of Books, Bindercon and BlogHer. Claire also curates the Los Angeles branch of the popular Happier Hour literary series. She has a vibrant social media life and large community of professional support.Claire deeply loves her work and seeks to further the conversation about death in order to help our culture reach a healthier understanding of how to move through grief. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I saw Amy Alkon speak at the LA Times Festival of Books and was delighted with her talk on her book, Unf*ckology, which breaks down the science of building up courage. Here, I thought, was a person who can address this fear so many people have of calling themselves writers. I was right in guessing she'd have a lot to say on the topic, but we went so much further into how to trick your brain into being brave, what routines help jump-start Amy's writing day (one of my favorite writing routines EVER). Plus Amy is very funny. I adored her and this conversation, and I know you will too. Happy listening! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL LIVE EPISODE: Ali Shaheed Muhammad is a hero of mine, maybe yours too. First of all, there’s the music. The music of A Tribe Called Quest. If don’t know Low End Theory, put down this podcast and go listen to that. We’ll wait. Then there’s the music of Lucy Pearl, of D’Angelo, the co-productions with Dilla, and lately the collab with Adrian Younge on the music for Marvel’s Luke Cage. But then there’s the man himself. Humble, worldly, introspective. As you’ll see in our interview, he has a special combination of being willing to say something of value and not being too in love with his own ideas. Maybe that’s why he’s one of the best collaborators hip hop has ever known. Oh, he’s also an amazing DJ, and host of the incredible podcast: Microphone Check. We got Ali on stage at the LA Times Festival of Books: Newstory. This episode was filmed in front of a live audience. And it’s a good one. If you liked this episode, check out our 2nd year anniversary interview with Zen Freeman: https://soundcloud.com/rebel_radio/zen-freeman-how-to-give-people-what-they-actually-want EDM.com Track of the Week: https://soundcloud.com/your_secret/synymata-and-miss-mary-frost-douglaswastaken-remix

Marcellus Wiley is an NFL all-pro turned author, speaker, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Whether as a host on ESPN, a partner in e-commerce platform, Hyperr, creating unprecedented courses with Columbia University, or penning his life philosophy in the upcoming book, Never Shut Up, Marcellus has mastered the art of transitioning from dormant dreams to explosive realities. Recorded live at the LA Times Festival of Books, Marcellus joins Innovation Crush, spitting slew of quotables on business, technology, leadership, family, and balance.

On this episode, Maggie & Tod tell stories from their visit to the LA Times Festival of Books and then, in the second half, put together the ultimate summer reading list. Don't listen while drinking water, as the hosts tell some spit-take stories of woe...

"Teens on TV" from the LA Times Festival of Books. Lauren Iungerich (creator, On My Block and Awkward), Gina Fattore (Better Things; Gilmore Girls; Dawson's Creek), and Dave Nadelberg (creator, The Mortified Guide) discuss angst on TV, from the scripted (The Wonder Years, Freaks & Geeks) to The Mortified Guide, a nonfiction storytelling project where adults share the embarrassing things they wrote as teenagers.CONNECT W/ BEN BLACKER & THE WRITER'S PANEL ON SOCIAL MEDIA:https://twitter.com/BENBLACKERhttps://www.facebook.com/TVWritersPanelTHE WRITER'S PANEL IS A CO-PRODUCTION OF THE FOREVER DOG PODCAST NETWORK AND THE ATX TELEVISION FESTIVAL.http://foreverdogproductions.com/fdpn/podcasts/the-writers-panelhttp://atxfestival.com

Six-time Grammy nominated artist Moby joins Bob at the LA Times Festival of Books at the University of Southern California for the first podcast recorded in front of a live audience. They talk about the tragic death of Avicii, Moby's own struggles with sobriety on his rollercoaster of a career and his dedication to creating music every single day of his life. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Catching up with Colony creator Ryan Condal and co-showrunner Wes Tooke. Season 3 of Colony premieres on USA tomorrow night, May 2! Then, Aline Brosh McKenna (co-creator, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Sam Bain (creator, Peep Show, Fresh Meat, Ill Behaviour), Tanya Saracho (creator, Vida; How to Get Away with Murder; Looking). Recorded live at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 22, 2018.

Says Whovians, we've been waiting for this moment for all our lives. Mr "Says Who" himself, Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, burst into the news this week. And it wasn't just a one-and-done kinda thing. Nope, Maureen's original boyfriend came with all the plot twists and surprise reveals of a good mystery novel. Dan can barely even speak, Maureen's love is rekindled, and they both dig down deep to sort out the ups and downs of one of the most upside-down weeks yet. Good gravy. But then. Then they get to the "Taint Team" and the metaphor for exactly this moment in history that you never knew you wanted, and probably still don't. We're sorry. We're so sorry. All that, plus Says Whosterpiece theater returns, Comey admits that the pee tape may be a thing, Paul Ryan is a quitter, and so much more. Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? Oh lord. Show Notes If you haven't yet read "Michael Cohen and the End Stage of the Trump Presidency" yet, you absolutely should. Listen to the Trump, Inc. Podcast. They know a lot about Trump and his business associates. This week's Sayswhosterpiece Theater was based on the article "A Congressman's Profanity Laced Tirade in a Safeway Grocery Store" Buy candles from Dan at omfg.church See Maureen at the LA Times Festival of Books on Saturday at 2pm

Jeff & Will remind everyone about the Autism Awareness Auction currently happening through the end of the month. They also discuss their April 21 and 22 appearances at the LA Times Festival of Books. Will reads a special letter to listeners regarding diversity in the gay romance genre. Will reviews "Bearly Legal" by Kiki Burrelli. Jeff talks about the recent audiobook release of "City Boy" by A.E. Wasp and narrated by Michael Pauley. Mary Calmes stops by to talk about her latest book, "Twisted and Tied," as well as how she got started in gay romance, her writing process and what's still to come this year. She's also got an audiobook giveaway for listeners. Complete show notes for episode 132 are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com.

Enon Gaines stops by 3 Gigs Podcast to tell us stories about their first show was at the LA TIMES FESTIVAL at USC, and it wasn't what they expected. Then his best show was performing at Oakland, CA FIRST FRIDAY Festival on his birthday! Finally his worst show was when he discovered you can get WAY too drunk on red wine and waffles before playing a show in SF on a rooftop. Website: www.3gigspodcast.com Host Website: www.dominicdavi.com

Back in late April, I attended the 2017 LA Times Festival of Books. The largest book festival in the US, this free annual event celebrates the written word. With panels on a variety of topics, readings and interviews with authors, and even music performances, there’s always something for everyone. This was my third year attending. While I was there, I interviewed many of the people in the various vendor booths throughout the festival. For complete show notes, go to my website.

More lightning-round interviews with authors at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, BookExpo America, and BookCon festivals, including: Brandy Colbert; David Connis; Dhonielle Clayton; E. Katherine Kottaras; Holly Black; Jennifer E. Smith; Jessica Morgan; Kiersten White; Karuna Riazi; Laini Taylor; Maggie Stiefvater; Maurene Goo; Morgan Matson; Nic Stone; Renee Ahdieh; Robin Benway; Samantha Mabry; Soman Chainani; Susan Dennard; Victoria Aveyard; and Zan Romanoff. LATFoB/BEA/BookCon Minisode Show Notes Brandy Colbert (listen to her First Draft interview here), author of Pointe and the forthcoming Little and Lion) The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas David Connis, author of the forthcoming The Temptation of Adam   Dhonielle Clayton, co-author of the Tiny, Pretty Things series and author of the forthcoming The Belles (listen to her First Draft interview here, or read the transcript) E. Katherine Kottaras, author of How to Be Brave and The Best Possible Answer The Education of Margot Sanchez by Lilliam Rivera (listen to her First Draft interview here, or read the transcript here) Holly Black, author of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and the forthcoming The Cruel Prince Jane Yolen, SFF writer Jennifer E. Smith, author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, among many others!, and her newest book, Windfall, out now! (Her First Draft interview coming soon!) Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Jessica Morgan, co-author of Spoiled, Messy, and The Royal We (Listen to her First Draft interview [with co-writer Heather Cocks] here) Kiersten White, author of the And I Darken series and the forthcoming middle grade Beanstalker and Other Hilarious Scarytales (and so much more) (listen to her First Draft podcast here) Karuna Riazi, author of The Gauntlet Ellen Oh, author of The Dragon King chronicles and the forthcoming Spirit Hunters (listen to her First Draft podcast here) Laini Taylor, author of Strange the Dreamer and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone series (among other things!) Maggie Stiefvater, author of the forthcoming All The Crooked Saints, the Raven Boys series, Scorpio Races, and more Jonathan Strange and Mr. Morrell by Susanna Clarke Michael Chabon Maurene Goo, author of Since You Asked and the recently-released I Believe in a Thing Called Love (listen to her First Draft interviews here and here!) Morgan Matson, author of Amy & Roger's Epic Detour, Since You've Been Gone, and The Unexpected Everything (listen to her First Draft interview here) Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin Renee Ahdieh, author of The Wrath and the Dawn and her newest book, Flame in the Mist (listen to her First Draft interview here) Flyleaf Books  Quail Ridge Books Books of Wonder McNally Jackson Parnassus Books Red Balloon Bookshop Robin Benway, author of Audrey, Wait!, Emmy and Oliver, and the forthcoming Far From the Tree (listen to her First Draft podcast here) Emery Lord and her first book, Open Road Summer Samantha Mabry, author of A Fierce and Subtle Poison and the forthcoming All the Wind in the World (listen to her First Draft podcast here) Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good or Evil series Susan Dennard, author of the Something Strange and Deadly series, the Witchland series, and contributor to the forthcoming Because You Love to Hate Me anthology Jurassic Park (movie) (and book by Michael Crichton) Victoria Aveyard, author of the Red Queen series (listen to her First Draft interview here) Kaz and Inej from Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom series Zan Romanoff, author of A Song to Take the World Apart and Grace and the Fever (listen to her First Draft interview here, or read the transcript here) Battlestar Galactica (TV show) Julie Buxbaum, author of Tell Me Three Things, and the forthcoming What to Say Next (listen to her First Draft interview here)

Sandhya Menon, debut author of WHEN DIMPLE MET RISHI (out May 30 and available for pre-order now!) talks up libraries that run on guilt, candy bar scenes, and what to do when you hit a major slump.   Sandhya Menon Show Notes Lilliam Rivera (listen to her First Draft interview here, and get the transcript here) The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Ruebén Martinez, winner of the LA Times Festival of Books' 2017 Innovator Award  "Candy Bar Scenes" idea by Holly Lisle Jenny Han (listen to her First Draft interview here, and get the transcript here) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sofie Kinsella Morgan Matson (listen to her First Draft interview here, and get the transcript here) Stephanie Perkins

This week, a special episode from the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. A panel of Times political writers discusses the view from California in the era of Trump. With John Myers, Melanie Mason, Mark Barabak, Seema Mehta and Liam Dillon.

Lightning round questions with some of the fantastic authors I came across at the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, including Susan Dennard, Ransom Riggs, M.A. Larson, Tahereh Mafi, Maggie Hall, Danielle Paige, Victoria Aveyard, Kara Thomas, Maurene Goo, and Julie Buxbaum! Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Roundup Show Notes   Susan Dennard, author of the SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY series and TRUTHWITCH Starbuck from Battlestar Galactica (TV show) Mal from Firefly (TV show) BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young THE CATHEDRAL OF THE WILD by Boyd Varty Ransom Riggs author of MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE by Gabriel Garcia Marquez M.A. Larson author of THE PENNYROYAL ACADEMY Tahereh Mafi SHATTER ME series and FURTHERMORE RainyMood.com Maggie Hall author of THE CONSPIRACY OF US and MAP OF FATES   Cassandra Clare Danielle Paige author of the DOROTHY MUST DIE series and STEALING SNOW Mary Shelley FRANKENSTEIN Crimson Peak (film) Guiding Light (soap opera) Margaret Stohl Melissa de la Cruz Kami Garcia Anne M. Martin Victoria Aveyard author of RED QUEEN Kara Thomas THE DARKEST CORNERS and PREP SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL Maurene Goo author of  SINCE YOU ASKED and forthcoming K-Drama romcom! Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film) Last of the Mohicans (movie) Wonder Woman theme from Batman and Superman (movie) Julie Buxbaum (SP) author of TELL ME THREE THINGS  

Covered in this episode: Tesla Cards Against the World, MyWillows Steampunk Glasses, Deepart.io - Turning Your Photos into Paintings, Newest Posts to The Mostly Steampunk Blog, History of The Mostly Steampunk Blog, New Bodacious Creed Cover Art, & McCall's Cosplay Patterns Coming Soon. My links - Website: http://jonfesmire.com/ The Mostly Steampunk Podcast YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-MIbEQEOLBiRhjcfTBoYug The Mostly Steampunk Blog: http://www.jonfesmire.com/#!blog/c1bqk Twitter: http://twitter.com/FesmireFesmire Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonfesmire/ deviantArt: http://jonathanfesmire.deviantart.com/ Support The Mostly Steampunk Podcast & Blog: https://www.patreon.com/jonathanfesmire Featured - Tesla Cards Against the World: http://www.drivethrucards.com/product/154410/TeslaCards-Against-The-World-Set-1?affiliate_id=605581 Original Blog: http://jf-mastersthesis.blogspot.com/ Deepart: http://deepart.io/ LA Times Festival of Books: http://events.latimes.com/festivalofbooks/ Cosplay by McCall's: http://cosplay.mccall.com/ My Willows: http://www.mywillows.com/ Theme Music by Incompetech: http://incompetech.com/

You are not going to believe this one.  Satellite Sister Lian Dolan went to Washington and got locked down in the Capitol Building.   On today's show, Lian tells Julie and Liz all about her long-awaited, momentous trip to Washington with her son Colin.  The reason for her visit was the ceremony to honor the International Women of Courage at the State Department.  Lian was invited to the event as part of her work for NGO American Women for International Understanding.   Much advance planning took place.  Who knew that spring break/cherry blossom season is a very popular time in town?  Not Lian!   Planes. Hotels. Reservations for tours of the Capitol and the White House.  She got it all locked in.  But then who would have guessed that Lian and Colin would be in the Capitol Building during the incident with the shooter on Tuesday.  They got hustled into a lockdown, held by the Capitol Police and finally released, along with thousands of others.  One problem:  their phones has be taken by the police and they had just one flimsy claim check to get them back.  That took days.  But meanwhile, she and Colin had an amazing day at Foggy Bottom.  The personal stories of the Women of Courage were very moving. Secretary of State John Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden spoke.  Check of the photo. After Lian's report, Julie has a neighbor issue that she needs some advice on.  Is this request appropriate or too much? Liz has an update on her Aqua Zumba experiment.  She's also got a review of her night at the theatre with Sheila.  They went to see Women Laughing Alone With Salad at the Kirk Douglas. Described as a "gender-bending comedy vinaigrette, inviting everyone to savor this complex recipe of desire and shame." Sheila laughed so loudly that the women next to her asked her to be quiet!! Coming up this week, don't miss our Satellite Sisters Meet-Up at Slipstream in Washington DC on Friday night 6 - 8 pm or Lian and Liz's book signing at the LA Times Festival of Books Sunday April 10 at 11 am.  You will find us at booth #103 Prospect Park Books.  

Leigh Stein and Lux Alptraum are the guests. They are co-directors, with Jenny Lumet, of a non-profit organization called Out of the Binders. It is devoted to advancing the careers of women and gender non-conforming writers. Had a great time with Leigh and Lux. It's very impressive what they've built. We sat down in the wake of BinderCon LA and talked about gender politics and community-building and how much work it takes to run a grassroots organization. It's one thing to know about social injustices; it's another thing to do something about them. These guys are doers. And they're helping an awful lot of people.   In today's monologue, I talk about AWP and the LA Times Festival of Books. And I plug my upcoming appearances at Literary Death Match and the Lit/Comedy Roundtable.    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's segments include a discussion on William Giraldi's New Republic essay "Immortal Beloved: Why writers want fans who last forever;" Hilary Mantel's wildly popular Wolf Hall; Laurie Winer reviews the Broadway hit Fun Home; Maret Orliss, senior programming manager for the LA Times Festival of Books, talks about this coming weekend's festival, now in its 20th year.

Topic: LeVar Burton and I at the LA Times Festival of Books and answering your dating questions in the 'Dear Dating Advice Girl' segment including a single guy that wants to wait to have sex, a single girl who wants encourage chivalry with online suitors, and how to stop the online dating message chain and go on a date already!!

Lian Dolan and Julie Dolan connect for the latest podcast: Prayers for the victims of the Kansas City shooting and the California bus crash Rebuttal Time for Julie and Lian on the last Satellite Sisters episode Tips for Remembering where you left your keys or iPhone or wallet Shopping for Baby Strollers in Manhattan Losing your Luggage in Arizona The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Sister Selfridge: our re-cap of the latest episodes of  Mr. Selfridge        

Lina and Julie connects on a Tuesday podcast: Lian Walks the Dog This Week's Parenting OUtrage: The Parents who Took their One Year Old on a Boat Today's Study Abroad Programs: The Good News and The Not So Good News Lian's Panel and The LA Times Festival of Books and Sheila Weller's Girls Like Us Tuesday Trends Julie Reviews The Lunch Box Paleyfest Update, Homemade Celery Salt; Girls Like Us Sister Selfridge: Mr. Selfridge recap

On today's Satellite Sisters, we tackle the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing. Having lived in Russia, Julie has a personal perspective on the history of Chechen people.  Plus, Julie's daughter-in-law was born and raised in Kyrgyzstan, where the Tsarnaev brothers were born. Once again, she knows more about this than most of the people you are watching on TV. Growing up in New England, we've attended the Boston Marathon as a family.  We are happy to see the city back on it's feet so quickly. But we draw the line at supporting the Red Sox. Later, we share our plans to support Lian's new book Elizabeth The First Wife. Julie's flying in for the launch at Vromans in Pasadena on Wednesday May 8, then Liz and Sheila are hosting an ice cream social at Diesel at the Brentwood Country Mart on Sunday May 19. More details on Lian's Author Page on Facebook.  Be sure to go there and LIKE her. Finally, Lian's appearance at the L A Times Festival of Books yesterday was a success but her search for the fro-yo on the way home?  Not so much. Listen for the Sheila-like details.

DC Pierson joins Jen this week to talk about his latest novel Crap Kingdom, which is about a teenager who discovers he's the Chosen One in a fantasy kingdom that to his disappointment turns out to be, well, crappy. DC also chats about his first book, The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To, and the various ways he interacts with his readers, from writing their names into custom rap songs if they pre-ordered Crap Kingdom, to replying directly to a query about his book on Yahoo Answers. Former theater nerds, current comedy nerds, really nerds of any kind will totally relate to DC's protagonists. And of course, idiot douchebags won't get it at all. If you're enjoying PrePopCulture, please rate/review it on iTunes, and like it on Facebook! Want to suggest a topic for an episode? Email prepopculture@gmail.com! Show notes: You can follow DC on Twitter, watch sketches by DERRICK comedy, see him in Shitty Jobs on Sundays at 11pm at Upright Citizens Brigade, and check out his weekly stand-up show Big Money on Thursdays at 7:30pm at The Virgil. Buy Crap Kingdom! Buy The Boy Who Couldn't Sleep and Never Had To! See DC at the LA Times Festival of Books on Sunday, April 21 at 1:30pm at the Young Adult Fiction: Guffaws & Giggles panel at the YA Stage. And check out the custom raps for people who pre-ordered Crap Kingdom! Theme song: Alps by Motorama is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) License.