Podcasts about Romantic Times

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Tracie Peterson returns to the show this week to talk about her new book, A Constant Love. We discuss what the dying up winter was, how and why she tackles tough subjects, and how she got her start in publishing. Patrons hear about where and what time period she would travel to if she were a time traveler. A Constant Love  by Tracie PetersonHeartache has left them emotionally desolate, but traces of love and healing could forge a future.In the wake of a harsh winter, Micah Hamilton and Charlotte Aldrich are grappling with loss and guilt after the disaster that took the lives of their loved ones. Struggling to cope with his grief, Micah abandons his father's dreams of a prosperous ranch and cuts himself off from the rest of the world. Charlotte has loved Micah her entire life and is determined not to lose him as well. With her mother's help, she begins coaxing Micah to live again. Despite their enduring heartache, the affection between them deepens, but just as Charlotte thinks her dreams may come true, a scorned suitor threatens everything she holds dear. Micah and Charlotte must embark on a journey of healing and renewal to build a life founded on faith, hope, and love.A Constant Love is a clean, frontier-era historical romance of heartache, grief, Christian faith, and second chances in the newly developing American West.Get your copy of A Constant Love by Tracie Peterson.Tracie Peterson gave her life to Jesus at the age of six. Tracie knew at an early age that God was calling her to ministry, and writing for Him has allowed her to offer the Gospel message and encourage people to hope in the Lord. Her motto in writing, as well as all other aspects of life is Soli Deo Gloria—For God Alone the Glory.Often called the “Queen of Historical Christian Fiction,” Tracie Peterson is an ECPA, CBA and USA Today best-selling author of more than 110 books, most of those historical. Her work in historical fiction earned her the Best Western Romance Author of 2013 award from True West magazine and the USA Best Books 2011 Award for best Religious Fiction for Embers of Love. She was given the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book awards.Tracie received her first book contract in November 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row. Eventually, Tracie also managed Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents book line—overseeing the production of 52 books a year.In December 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group. She has co-written with a variety of authors including Judith Pella, Judith Miller, James Scott Bell, Kimberley Woodhouse, and Tracie's daughter Jennifer.Tracie, a Kansas native, now makes her home with her husband, Jim, in the mountains of Montana.Visit Tracie Peterson's website.

The ads and features from the July 2000 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of wtfery! It's PEAK stepback era.Readers have been introduced to Half.com for selling their old books, and they are very excited about it – to say nothing of People.com and EW.com. We get a peek into the Romantic Times and Lady Barrow BookLover Tours – the prices made me very envious.We also spend some time talking about Monica Jackson, who died in 2012, and is part of the reason why we started addressing the racism in romance many, many years ago.Seriously, the visual aids are a feast this week. It's PEAK stepback era. We've got links. SO many links.THE ROMANCE SWATCH Y'ALL – it's on eBay!PEOPLE in the 90s podcast: FabioSteve Sandalis naked on a cover, bathing in a volcanoYou can buy a signed copy of this book on eBayThere's also the Viking Diaper stepbackWe mentioned the late Monica Jackson, and I read some of her writing at AAR, accessed via the Wayback Machine. You can also read her comments about being a Black romance author at TeachMeTonight. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ads and features from the July 2000 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of wtfery! It's PEAK stepback era.Readers have been introduced to Half.com for selling their old books, and they are very excited about it – to say nothing of People.com and EW.com. We get a peek into the Romantic Times and Lady Barrow BookLover Tours – the prices made me very envious.We also spend some time talking about Monica Jackson, who died in 2012, and is part of the reason why we started addressing the racism in romance many, many years ago.Seriously, the visual aids are a feast this week. It's PEAK stepback era. We've got links. SO many links.THE ROMANCE SWATCH Y'ALL – it's on eBay!PEOPLE in the 90s podcast: FabioSteve Sandalis naked on a cover, bathing in a volcanoYou can buy a signed copy of this book on eBayThere's also the Viking Diaper stepbackWe mentioned the late Monica Jackson, and I read some of her writing at AAR, accessed via the Wayback Machine. You can also read her comments about being a Black romance author at TeachMeTonight. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the ads and features of the October 2000 Romantic Times magazine, where they're both talking about new releases AND celebrating their 200th issue.What did we learn?We learned about waxing, magazines, and galleys, but not about skin care, gun parts, or boats.We've got Extreme Troy, everyone. Grab a drink and come hang out with us.And don't miss the visual aids!WE HAVE LINKS.The Angelfire site devoted to Cherif Fortin (warning, loads very slowly, it's not your internet connection)The Loose Cravat: Romantic Times vs PlaygirlAn interview with Cherif FortinBertriceSmall.com and the auction that ended in December 2024An eBay listing for the comic “Romance Novel Madness”Waxing galleys! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the ads and features of the October 2000 Romantic Times magazine, where they're both talking about new releases AND celebrating their 200th issue.What did we learn?We learned about waxing, magazines, and galleys, but not about skin care, gun parts, or boats.We've got Extreme Troy, everyone. Grab a drink and come hang out with us.And don't miss the visual aids!WE HAVE LINKS.The Angelfire site devoted to Cherif Fortin (warning, loads very slowly, it's not your internet connection)The Loose Cravat: Romantic Times vs PlaygirlAn interview with Cherif FortinBertriceSmall.com and the auction that ended in December 2024An eBay listing for the comic “Romance Novel Madness”Waxing galleys! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We recorded this months ago, in the fall! We are sorry! He's Brendan, a DOJ attorney ferreting out white supremacists! She's Caroline, a counselor whose mom calls all the time! Will they ever buy curtains to spare the neighbors' tender eyes? Find out in Heat Wave by Barbara Delinsky, another of our “five heart romances”! If you're new to this, we're doing episodes on the list of books that Romantic Times reviewer Melinda Helfer awarded five hearts to (there are sixteen, out of ten thousand!) So far, Melinda did not miss. No real content warnings in this one except that I do not think sex scenes should ever, under any circumstances, include the word "womb". Gah.

It's time for the Ads & Features from the November 2015 issue of Romantic Times magazine! Our cover story is…the 10th anniversary of Samhain publishing. We've got articles on series bibles and rugby romance – and a lot of ads when YA covers were all White Girls in Giant Dresses.Come back in time with us – we had a lot of fun chatting about this issue, even though it was a bit of a snooze.Don't miss the visual aids, especially the weird gun cover. We also mentioned:Vox.Com: There's something off about this year's “fall vibes”Jezebel.com: Forget Dinosaur erotica, it's all Bigfoot erotica nowMusic: Purple-planet.comThank you to EveryPlate for sponsoring this episode! Get 50% off your first box at EveryPlate.com/PODCAST and use code trashybooks599 Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for the Ads & Features from the November 2015 issue of Romantic Times magazine! Our cover story is…the 10th anniversary of Samhain publishing. We've got articles on series bibles and rugby romance – and a lot of ads when YA covers were all White Girls in Giant Dresses.Come back in time with us – we had a lot of fun chatting about this issue, even though it was a bit of a snooze.Don't miss the visual aids, especially the weird gun cover. We also mentioned:Vox.Com: There's something off about this year's “fall vibes”Jezebel.com: Forget Dinosaur erotica, it's all Bigfoot erotica nowMusic: Purple-planet.comThank you to EveryPlate for sponsoring this episode! Get 50% off your first box at EveryPlate.com/PODCAST and use code trashybooks599 Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to take a look at the new books in November 2015 inside Romantic Times! We've got spanking and small towns, and a magazine that seems more targeted toward aspiring writers than readers. That yielded a mixed bag! But we have some books to talk about so let's get to it!So many small town contemporaries, so many historicals, so many Four Star reviews with word salad. And some cat poo.TW/CW: very brief and nonspecific discussion of abusive relationships in the Erotica section.Please note: I don't have a visual aids post for this episode, but the Ads & Features certainly will! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to take a look at the new books in November 2015 inside Romantic Times! We've got spanking and small towns, and a magazine that seems more targeted toward aspiring writers than readers. That yielded a mixed bag! But we have some books to talk about so let's get to it!So many small town contemporaries, so many historicals, so many Four Star reviews with word salad. And some cat poo.TW/CW: very brief and nonspecific discussion of abusive relationships in the Erotica section.Please note: I don't have a visual aids post for this episode, but the Ads & Features certainly will! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to journey back to the October 1988 issue of Romantic Times!That's right, we're going all the way back to 1988, a time when one of us on the show wasn't born yet. We've got absolutely appalling plots, some extremely luscious covers, and more – like Amanda's engagement!Congrats Amanda and Brian!TW/CW: crappy family tales in the first 4 minutes, and overall, a number of references to enslavement, violence, colonialism, predatory behavior and assault in the reviews.Music: purple-planet.comDon't miss the visual aids!We also mentioned:Jonathan Bailey at the Emmys (Town & Country)Belle Starr (Wikipedia)Water Witching: Fact or Fake? (Farmers Almanac)And you can see Amanda's beautiful engagement ring on her Instagram!  Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time to journey back to the October 1988 issue of Romantic Times!That's right, we're going all the way back to 1988, a time when one of us on the show wasn't born yet. We've got absolutely appalling plots, some extremely luscious covers, and more – like Amanda's engagement!Congrats Amanda and Brian!TW/CW: crappy family tales in the first 4 minutes, and overall, a number of references to enslavement, violence, colonialism, predatory behavior and assault in the reviews.Music: purple-planet.comDon't miss the visual aids!We also mentioned:Jonathan Bailey at the Emmys (Town & Country)Belle Starr (Wikipedia)Water Witching: Fact or Fake? (Farmers Almanac)And you can see Amanda's beautiful engagement ring on her Instagram!  Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it take to publish seventy-five books? RaeAnne Thayne breaks it down. From her days as a journalist to navigating writing around raising a family and caring for a child with special needs, RaeAnne shares her process and responds to one listener's question about locking down the right point-of-view.  New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal and #1 Publishers Weekly bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne has written more than 70 books since selling her first book in 1995. She has received a career achievement award from Romantic Times for series romantic adventure, as well as a Pioneer of Romance award. She finds inspiration from the beautiful mountains of northern Utah, where she lives with her family.Her books have been described as “poignant and sweet,” with “beautiful, honest storytelling (that) goes straight to the heart.”Learn more at: raeannethayne.comIntro reel, Writing Table Podcast 2024 Outro RecordingFollow the Writing Table:On Twitter/X: @writingtablepcEverywhere else: @writingtablepodcastEmail questions or tell us who you'd like us to invite to the Writing Table: writingtablepodcast@gmail.com.

The ads and features of the September 2015 issue of Romantic Times are a nine-layer cake of wonderment and weird.Don't miss the visual aids! WE GOT FONTS. And dogs!Side trips include:Janet Dailey and who is writing her books (we don't know)lawyer romanceschanges in cover designa twist cliffhanger in a quiz with no answer key!Plus, this issue of the magazine and also Amanda both have terrific memories of RT 2015 in Dallas.We have So many links!Meet Louisa, the cover model dog! (Instagram)Reformed Rakes' episodes on Janet Dailey Part 1 and Part 2JanetDailey.com – all present tenseTopaz Literary: “Janet Dailey and the Curious Case of the Missing Author”The Contemporary Romance Color of the Year (SBTB)Joyfully Jay“This is the Last RT: Kathryn Falk Announces End of Romantic Times” (SBTB)Thanks to our sponsor for this week's episode: Lume!  New customers get 15% off ALL Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code SARAH15 at LumeDeodorant.com Music: Purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ads and features of the September 2015 issue of Romantic Times are a nine-layer cake of wonderment and weird.Don't miss the visual aids! WE GOT FONTS. And dogs!Side trips include:Janet Dailey and who is writing her books (we don't know)lawyer romanceschanges in cover designa twist cliffhanger in a quiz with no answer key!Plus, this issue of the magazine and also Amanda both have terrific memories of RT 2015 in Dallas.We have So many links!Meet Louisa, the cover model dog! (Instagram)Reformed Rakes' episodes on Janet Dailey Part 1 and Part 2JanetDailey.com – all present tenseTopaz Literary: “Janet Dailey and the Curious Case of the Missing Author”The Contemporary Romance Color of the Year (SBTB)Joyfully Jay“This is the Last RT: Kathryn Falk Announces End of Romantic Times” (SBTB)Thanks to our sponsor for this week's episode: Lume!  New customers get 15% off ALL Lume products with our exclusive code and link. Use code SARAH15 at LumeDeodorant.com Music: Purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison aka Fashionably Evil is back with us recapping the ads and features from Romantic Times' October 1999 issue!There were leers, horny men, and nipples with personalities, and we explore effective friction and learn about The Douche Chills.The visual aids are amazing this week – don't miss the horny covers!We also mentioned:Daniel Craig's campaign for LoeweThe updated text of Whitney, My Love covered at AAR Our conversation about Crusie's books which capture a specific time periodMusic: Purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alison aka Fashionably Evil is back with us recapping the ads and features from Romantic Times' October 1999 issue!There were leers, horny men, and nipples with personalities, and we explore effective friction and learn about The Douche Chills.The visual aids are amazing this week – don't miss the horny covers!We also mentioned:Daniel Craig's campaign for LoeweThe updated text of Whitney, My Love covered at AAR Our conversation about Crusie's books which capture a specific time periodMusic: Purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going back to December 1997 to look at the Ads & Features from Romantic Times.We've got a cover with many, many fonts, several memorials for Princess Diana, and we find out what happens when you win an award and find out while you're on the john. There are profiles of readers and romance reading book clubs, AOL chat rooms about romance for writers and readers, and the price of the Essence of Romance.It's a wonderful time capsule, folks.CW/TW: antifat bias and deathDo not miss the visual aids - the covers alone, my goodness. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going back to December 1997 to look at the Ads & Features from Romantic Times.We've got a cover with many, many fonts, several memorials for Princess Diana, and we find out what happens when you win an award and find out while you're on the john. There are profiles of readers and romance reading book clubs, AOL chat rooms about romance for writers and readers, and the price of the Essence of Romance.It's a wonderful time capsule, folks.CW/TW: antifat bias and deathDo not miss the visual aids - the covers alone, my goodness. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going back in time to look at the ads and features of the September 2002 issue of Romantic Times!This issue left us with many questions, such as:What the hell is Tart Noir?Are reviewers elsewhere too mean? (Not us – we weren't online yet!)How much lore is there about pesto?Should you jump into a pile of leaves?Should you soak crawfish tails in milk?Why is an author defending polygamy?What snack is best for reading and why is it not an apple?We had a lot of fun, even if the feature article was a bit of a let down, so please come join us for assorted silliness, and a Shadow Prince with no neck!Don't miss the visual aids – so many screengrabs, so many weird necks! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're going back in time to look at the ads and features of the September 2002 issue of Romantic Times!This issue left us with many questions, such as:What the hell is Tart Noir?Are reviewers elsewhere too mean? (Not us – we weren't online yet!)How much lore is there about pesto?Should you jump into a pile of leaves?Should you soak crawfish tails in milk?Why is an author defending polygamy?What snack is best for reading and why is it not an apple?We had a lot of fun, even if the feature article was a bit of a let down, so please come join us for assorted silliness, and a Shadow Prince with no neck!Don't miss the visual aids – so many screengrabs, so many weird necks! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join New York Times bestselling author Skye Warren each week as she crafts a new story with one of her author guests!About Adriana Anders:Adriana Anders is the award-winning author of Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotic Romance. Her books have received critical acclaim from the New York Times, Oprah, Entertainment Weekly, Booklist, Bustle, USA Today Happy Ever After, Book Riot, Romantic Times, Publishers' Weekly, and Kirkus, amongst other publications. Today, she resides with her husband and two children on the coast of France, writing the love stories of her heart.And if you enjoy this episode, you'll love Kink Camp: Hunted by A. Anders.Download a FREE steamy audiobook novella by Skye Warren!https://BookHip.com/GQAFNCBYou get to help us pick our story prompts inside the Storytime with Skye Podcast Facebook group. Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1030813154714760Rate, Review, & Subscribe Like what you heard? We will be so grateful if you'd rate, review, and subscribe to the Storytime with Skye. It helps your book lovers find the podcast, too!Want to learn more about Skye Warren's books? Find her books at www.skyewarren.com/books.

Co-host Sean guides us into the fascinating world of private press records with the mysterious Lewis Baloue. We listen to his second album, originally released to little fanfare in 1985, and brought to much wider attention in 2014.   If you like us, please support us at patreon.com/idbuythatpodcast to get exclusive content, or tell a friend about us. Broke and have no friends? Leave us a review, it helps more people find us. Thanks!

Kendra Elliot has sold twelve million books, hit the Wall Street Journal top ten bestseller list more than a dozen times, and is a three time winner of the Daphne du Maurier award. She is an International Thriller Writers' finalist and a Romantic Times finalist. She grew up in the lush Pacific Northwest but now spends most of her time on a warm beach wearing flip flops. You can learn more about her at: https://www.kendraelliot.com/ Melinda Leigh is a #1 Amazon Charts and #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author and has sold over 14 million books. As a fully recovered banker and a life-long lover of books, she started writing as a way to preserve her sanity while raising her kids. Melinda's debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was an International Thriller Award finalist. Since then, she has garnered numerous writing accolades, including two RITA® Award nominations and an induction into the NJ Romance Writers Hall of Fame.She lives near the beach with her family and two spoiled rescue dogs. With such a pleasant life, she has no explanation for the sometimes dark and disturbing nature of her imagination. Find out more at: www.melindaleigh.com And for more about our host Lisa Kessler visit http://Lisa-Kessler.com Book Lights - shining a light on good books!  

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Jen Turano is back with us this week, and as you can imagine, we had so much fun. Join us as we talk about her new book, Meeting Her Match. She tells us what she does on release day, how some of her characters get names, and if she laughs or not while she's writing. Patrons, you have a very special bit of bonus content and we discuss some of her many book covers. (Here's your special link, patrons. Be sure to have this page open when we get to your bonus content. https://loom.ly/-Y-N4MY)Meeting her Match by Jen TuranoMiss Camilla Pierpont, a renowned matchmaker and influential member of the New York Four Hundred, has vowed never to marry after suffering a devastating heartbreak during her debut years ago. However, when she is nearly abducted along the Hudson River, she finds herself rescued by an annoyingly outspoken, albeit fascinating, gentleman who challenges her in a manner she wasn't expecting.After learning that Camilla Pierpont has enjoyed success with taking wayward young ladies in hand, Mr. Owen Chesterfield travels to the Hudson River Valley determined to convince Camilla to sponsor his sister, who is in desperate need of social rehabilitation.Knowing her life is in danger, Camilla agrees to Owen's proposition and travels with him to West Virginia, finding herself charmed by the less-than-formal attitude of his small hometown, as well as by Owen himself. But danger waits in the shadows, disrupting what she knows would be the most spectacular match she's ever made--her own.Get your copy of Meeting Her Match by Jen TuranoNamed One of the Funniest Voices in Inspirational Romance by Booklist, Jen Turano is a USA Today Best-Selling Author, known for penning quirky historical romances set in the Gilded Age. Her books have earned Publisher Weekly and Booklist starred reviews, top picks from Romantic Times, and praise from Library Journal. She's been a finalist twice for the RT Reviewers' Choice Awards and had two of her books listed in the top 100 romances of the past decade from Booklist. When she's not writing, she spends her time outside of Denver, CO. Readers may find her at www.jenturano.com – www.facebook.com/jenturanoauthor, www.instagram.com/jenturanoauthorJen is represented by Sarah Younger, senior literary agent, Nancy Yost Literary Agency, New York.

Mark interviews Gail Carriger about her writing life, her journey through publishing, analytics, the careful curation of her author brand, being a hybrid author and so much more. Prior to the interview, Mark shares comments from recent episodes, a personal update, and a word from this episode's sponsor. Learn more about this self-publishing/WIDE-publishing focused cruise. In the interview Mark and Gail talk about:- How honored Mark is to learn that Gail listens to the Stark Reflections Podcast Gail's branding phrase of "Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs" and the various experiments she's done with that over the years Always being a person who wrote, or had a passion for writing Reading The Lord of the Rings as a child and deciding to craft her OWN ending for the story Growing up in a "commune" environment with a bunch of poets Gail's career as an academic when her first traditionally published book (Soulless) came out and took off The challenge/dare to herself of wanting to write a genre-blending/cross-genre tale of something that she would enjoy as a reader Negotiations taking a long time because Gail dug in her heels on specific contract clauses Her agent investigating a back-door deal with another publisher who offered her 3X the deal the first was looking at and was willing to adjust the right of first refusal clause The vision that the publishers had that Soulless was the beginning of a series (despite Gail believing, when she first wrote it, that it was a stand-alone) Having a two-book contract and then writing a cliffhanger at the end of the 2nd book in order to grease the wheels of a contract for other books Gail's love-affair with spreadsheets and the fact she reads all 56 pages of her royalty reports One of the main reasons she became an indie author was her ability to have direct access to data about her sales and her readers Gail's cautionary note to authors that with a "right of first refusal" a publisher is allowed to take their time with that offer, which can significantly delay an author's forward-movement plans The possible "rights grab" that a publisher might do even if it's not something within their regular publishing plans How growing up Gen-X and being a non-native to computers and the internet has resulted in an abundance of caution about digital, computers, the world wide web, how she is presented on the internet, etc. Gail's recommendation to test the waters in self-publishing with short stories first Nerding out with Mark about the "old days" of self-publishing and podcasting Being a social scientist by training and loving analytics and spreadsheets Pinging her rabid fan base and testing things all the time Gail's A/B testing on whether it's better to put a newsletter signup link at the front of a book or the end of the book, or both Ensuring that her author brand is not diluted with author business stuff that she's known for from other authors and industry insiders Talking to her readers constantly to continue to stay in the loop on insights The importance, when communicating to your readers to use the same language that they're used to Learning that her readers tend to not have a distinction between libraries and bookstores - that many of them see them under the same umbrella of a place they go to see what books are on display Confirming the reports that "word of mouth" is, by a landslide, the way that most readers find out about new books and new authors to read The value of a recommendation from another author in a newsletter or on social media The challenges of book blurbs A podcast that Gail recommends: Reading Glasses - and that authors should subscribe and listen to it in order to understand the language that readers use The deliberate curation and creation of the Gail Carriger persona, including her love of wearing retro outfits The side benefit of being able to be a fan at conventions, etc when "out of uniform" and how she's rarely recognized when not sporting that specific "look" A little bit about Gail's book THE HEROINE'S JOURNEY The next book for writers that Gail is working on called GOING HYBRID, structured to help established and existing traditionally published authors to learn the indie publishing landscape And more . . .   After the interview Mark reflects on several different topics that came up in the conversation, including contract clauses, being incognito, and Gails's suggesting for testing the self-publishing waters.   Links of Interest: Gail Carriger Website ScribeCount (Mark's Affiliate Link) DropCap Marketplace  Use coupon STARK20 to get 20% off Cruising Writers Buy Mark a Coffee Patreon for Stark Reflections How to Access Patreon RSS Feeds An Author's Guide to Working With Bookstores and Libraries The Relaxed Author Buy eBook Direct Buy Audiobook Direct Publishing Pitfalls for Authors An Author's Guide to Working with Libraries & Bookstores Wide for the Win Mark's Canadian Werewolf Books This Time Around (Short Story) A Canadian Werewolf in New York Stowe Away (Novella) Fear and Longing in Los Angeles Fright Nights, Big City Lover's Moon Hex and the City Only Monsters in the Building The Canadian Mounted: A Trivia Guide to Planes, Trains and Automobiles Yippee Ki-Yay Motherf*cker: A Trivia Guide to Die Hard   Gail Carriger writes books that are hugs, mostly comedies of manners mixed with steampunk, urban fantasy, and sci-fi (plus cozy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). These include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School and Tinkered Starsong series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine's Journey. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times.   The introductory, end, and bumper music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

In episode 611, we talked about the ads and features in the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times, and there was an ad on the back cover for Romance Soundtracks. We could not find anything about them, but Malaraa in our Patreon sure did!We've got samples! We've got MUSIC that you're meant to read with, and Amanda tries to identify the genre/album the music was from.MASSIVE THANKS to Malaraa for finding this treasure trove!We've! Got! Links!Episode 611. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Ads & FeaturesThe Wayback Machine copy of the Book Soundtracks Website – thanks to Malaraa!Pure Moods!Music LeagueThrowback Trivia TakedownMedieval Fantasy MusicMusic: Purple-Planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In episode 611, we talked about the ads and features in the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times, and there was an ad on the back cover for Romance Soundtracks. We could not find anything about them, but Malaraa in our Patreon sure did!We've got samples! We've got MUSIC that you're meant to read with, and Amanda tries to identify the genre/album the music was from.MASSIVE THANKS to Malaraa for finding this treasure trove!We've! Got! Links!Episode 611. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2005 Ads & FeaturesThe Wayback Machine copy of the Book Soundtracks Website – thanks to Malaraa!Pure Moods!Music LeagueThrowback Trivia TakedownMedieval Fantasy MusicMusic: Purple-Planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

His job is Amish! She's an accountant with an ulcer and a bad case of second chance romance! Will they fall back in love? Can she get over that weird beard thing? Find out in Cheryl Reavis' A Crime of the Heart, another of our "five heart romances"! If you're new to this, we're doing episodes on the list of books that Romantic Times reviewer Melinda Helfer awarded five hearts to (there are sixteen, out of ten thousand!) This one is very sweet but their problems are real and grounded - if "I had your baby and I gave it away" adoption stories or religious communities shunning family members are an issue for you, they're discussed here in a way that's pretty realistic and therefore troubling to some people. Spoiler - they do not go find the adopted child.

Y'all, the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times is a treasure of truly amazing fun. So many of you told me that episode 609, where we looked at the reviews, made you laugh so hard you cried.Well, let me share some highlights of what is about to happen to your eardrums.The Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant was a Six-episode reality tv show on the Oxygen network, and we missed it when it ran. It's not all on YouTube but we have a few links!We have the arrival of what I called the “venti sized” paperbackRomance writers with “dedicated rooms for Star Wars collectibles!”We've got some disturbing gimp masks on computer generated Poser people.It's a glorious time. Come on over.Did you ever attend Mr Romance at RT? Did you see the Mr Romance Pageant on tv?! And gosh, do you have a Romance SoundTrack CD? Please tell me everything.Don't miss the visual aids!Links! For your browsing pleasure!Jafar's staff on EbayThe 2005! cover snark featuring The Big Sword and the Naked GuyThe 2006 post about the Venti sized paperbacksThe cover for Running Anonymous – NSFW, NSFLAnd visit the visual aids for a clip from Mr Romance on the Oxygen network! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Y'all, the April 2005 issue of Romantic Times is a treasure of truly amazing fun. So many of you told me that episode 609, where we looked at the reviews, made you laugh so hard you cried.Well, let me share some highlights of what is about to happen to your eardrums.The Mr. Romance Cover Model Pageant was a Six-episode reality tv show on the Oxygen network, and we missed it when it ran. It's not all on YouTube but we have a few links!We have the arrival of what I called the “venti sized” paperbackRomance writers with “dedicated rooms for Star Wars collectibles!”We've got some disturbing gimp masks on computer generated Poser people.It's a glorious time. Come on over.Did you ever attend Mr Romance at RT? Did you see the Mr Romance Pageant on tv?! And gosh, do you have a Romance SoundTrack CD? Please tell me everything.Don't miss the visual aids!Links! For your browsing pleasure!Jafar's staff on EbayThe 2005! cover snark featuring The Big Sword and the Naked GuyThe 2006 post about the Venti sized paperbacksThe cover for Running Anonymous – NSFW, NSFLAnd visit the visual aids for a clip from Mr Romance on the Oxygen network! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking a tour through the new releases across many genres from April 2005, nearly 20 (!!!) years ago. Romance has changed a wee little bit.How much cringe shall we find? Plenty!Other oddities? Mainstream includes YA and Chick Lit. Contemporary includes New Reality. Regency in Format includes Corinthians! And we're trying to understand a character who wants to “dim the pain of turning 30.” It's a ride, as usual.Side trips include Sea Breeze, Stridex, and St Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub.TW: for mention of sexual assault, body horror – we do announce it in the audio so you can skip ahead.You can find all the Romantic Times Rewind episodes, visual aids posts, and more in one convenient place!Don't miss the visual aids for this episode!We also mentioned:Regency in format, not genre: This r/HRNovlesDiscussion post shows a treasure trove of Regency/format books. Did you use St. Ives Medicated Scrub? I sure as heck did.RegRom.com answers the question, ‘What is a Corinthian?'Amanda mentioned author Naomi Hirahara in a recent Get Rec'd with Amanda post Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're taking a tour through the new releases across many genres from April 2005, nearly 20 (!!!) years ago. Romance has changed a wee little bit.How much cringe shall we find? Plenty!Other oddities? Mainstream includes YA and Chick Lit. Contemporary includes New Reality. Regency in Format includes Corinthians! And we're trying to understand a character who wants to “dim the pain of turning 30.” It's a ride, as usual.Side trips include Sea Breeze, Stridex, and St Ives Medicated Apricot Scrub.TW: for mention of sexual assault, body horror – we do announce it in the audio so you can skip ahead.You can find all the Romantic Times Rewind episodes, visual aids posts, and more in one convenient place!Don't miss the visual aids for this episode!We also mentioned:Regency in format, not genre: This r/HRNovlesDiscussion post shows a treasure trove of Regency/format books. Did you use St. Ives Medicated Scrub? I sure as heck did.RegRom.com answers the question, ‘What is a Corinthian?'Amanda mentioned author Naomi Hirahara in a recent Get Rec'd with Amanda post Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian Historical Fiction Talk is listener supported. When you buy things through this site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Become a patron and enjoy special perks and bonus content.Tracie Peterson returns to the show this week, and it's always a delight to have her. We chatted about her new book, A Love Discovered. She shared why she decided to write a marriage of convenience story, why she chose Cheyenne as the setting for this new series, and what she would ask a reader if she could. Patrons get to hear about her long-ago pen name and why she chose one. That was a very interesting discussion we had on that topic. A Love Discovered by Tracie PetersonThe heart finds its way when one least expects it--even in the most unforgiving frontiers.Invited by a friend to trek west and help establish the newly formed town of Cheyenne, Edward Vogel is prepared to leave the haunting memories of his wife and son's deaths behind him. The only problem is the corrupt new railroad town wants family men who can establish law and order, and desperation leads Edward to his friend Marybeth with a proposition of marriage.After her father's death leaves her with no means of support, Marybeth Kruger is in danger of having her two-year-old half sister taken from her. So when Edward Vogel, the widower husband of her late best friend, offers her a marriage of convenience to escape both their troubles, she has no choice but to accept.Life in Cheyenne is fraught with danger, but will this arrangement be enough to save Edward and Marybeth from the pasts they tried to escape? Or will life with each other put them--and their hearts--in more danger than ever?Get a copy of A Love Discovered by Tracie Peterson.Tracie Peterson gave her life to Jesus at the age of six. Tracie knew at an early age that God was calling her to ministry, and writing for Him has allowed her to offer the Gospel message and encourage people to hope in the Lord. Her motto in writing, as well as all other aspects of life is Soli Deo Gloria—For God Alone the Glory.Often called the “Queen of Historical Christian Fiction,” Tracie Peterson is an ECPA, CBA and USA Today best-selling author of more than 110 books, most of those historical. Her work in historical fiction earned her the Best Western Romance Author of 2013 award from True West magazine and the USA Best Books 2011 Award for best Religious Fiction for Embers of Love. She was given the Life Time Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers in 2011 and the Career Achievement Award in 2007 from Romantic Times, as well as multiple best book awards.Tracie received her first book contract in November 1992 and saw A Place To Belong published in February 1993 with Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents. She wrote exclusively with Heartsong for the next two years, receiving their readership's vote for Favorite Author of the Year for three years in a row. Eventually, Tracie also managed Barbour Publishing's Heartsong Presents book line—overseeing the production of 52 books a year.In December 1995 she signed a contract with Bethany House Publishers. Tracie now writes exclusively for Bethany House Publishers/Baker Publishing Group. She has co-written with a variety of authors including Judith Pella, Judith Miller, James Scott Bell, Kimberley Woodhouse, and Tracie's daughter Jennifer.Tracie, a Kansas native, now makes her home with her husband, Jim, in the mountains of Montana.Visit Tracie's website.

This is our first intentional entry in a little project we're doing - friend of the podcast Steve Ammidown posted this fascinating spread with a list of all the books Melinda Helfer, a Romantic Times editor, awarded five hearts in a review. Sixteen books out of ten thousand! Well, it turns out we'd already done two of them - Lightning that Lingers and The Windflower, both by Sharon and Todd Curtis (sometimes writing as Laura London.) Go check out those episodes, they're fantastic books! So every now and then going forward we're going to do one of these five heart books. This is a mercenary book, but it's surprisingly gentle - there's that hostage situation, but nobody is seriously hurt and it doesn't feel incredibly perilous. There's later a bit of a threatening situation but it is also pretty low key. The author makes up some fake South American rebels but goes to real Northern Ireland in 1987, bold move! This is a delightful romantic suspense book for its time period.

We're traveling back to April 2006 in this month's RT Rewind!We discuss the evolving cover art for the Immortals After Dark series and style changes in illustrated covers. We also talk aboutWell water adventuresAuthor photo? MUST be leaningA contest made of author prom photosMany predecessors to GoodReadsA book from 1991, promoted in 2006, made into a movie in 2022.And a FULL PAGE of Mr. Romance.When I start talking about Redeeming Love, massive trigger warning and content warning, just a giant pile of YIKES. The book summary begins at 35:20.Thank you for the reviews, the support, and the positive feedback to this series! If you're enjoying these episodes, please drop a comment below or on the visual aids post and let me know?Music: purple-planet.comDon't miss the visual aids! Really, I mean it! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to April 2006 in this month's RT Rewind!We discuss the evolving cover art for the Immortals After Dark series and style changes in illustrated covers. We also talk aboutWell water adventuresAuthor photo? MUST be leaningA contest made of author prom photosMany predecessors to GoodReadsA book from 1991, promoted in 2006, made into a movie in 2022.And a FULL PAGE of Mr. Romance.When I start talking about Redeeming Love, massive trigger warning and content warning, just a giant pile of YIKES. The book summary begins at 35:20.Thank you for the reviews, the support, and the positive feedback to this series! If you're enjoying these episodes, please drop a comment below or on the visual aids post and let me know?Music: purple-planet.comDon't miss the visual aids! Really, I mean it! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to April 2006 in this month's RT Rewind! We take a look at the reviews in this issue and we've got some one-star reviews, and curiously paranormal is part of contemporary? It's weird.Things I initially pronounce wrong: demesneTW/CW: mention of suicide in book reviews, plus snakes and rat infestations.Link to visual aids!...Music: purple-planet.comCoupon! LUME: New customers get $5 off Lume's Starter Pack with our exclusive code. Use code SARAH30 at LumeDeodorant.com.Support for this episode comes from LUV! LUV is an app that connects authors and fans with producers, actors, plus film and publishing industry folks to celebrate romance in many marvelous formats, and demystify the process of adapting books for film and television. LUV is available on Apple and in Google Play, and online: checkoutluv.com. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to April 2006 in this month's RT Rewind! We take a look at the reviews in this issue and we've got some one-star reviews, and curiously paranormal is part of contemporary? It's weird.Things I initially pronounce wrong: demesneTW/CW: mention of suicide in book reviews, plus snakes and rat infestations.Link to visual aids!...Music: purple-planet.comCoupon! LUME: New customers get $5 off Lume's Starter Pack with our exclusive code. Use code SARAH30 at LumeDeodorant.com.Support for this episode comes from LUV! LUV is an app that connects authors and fans with producers, actors, plus film and publishing industry folks to celebrate romance in many marvelous formats, and demystify the process of adapting books for film and television. LUV is available on Apple and in Google Play, and online: checkoutluv.com. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to December 2015 in this month's RT Rewind, and we're taking a look at the ads and features in this issue!We've got LONG series from Elizabeth Hoyt, Kresley Cole, and Shannon Stacey, plus SWAT team shifters, Navy SEAL Highlanders, and some memories, some not so great, of the 2016 RT convention in Vegas…at the Rio.And then! We have a supplement that only appears in the digital editions of RT at the time: the Indie/Hybrid News & Reviews Supplement. It's a wild ride.Don't miss the visual aids for this week's episode!What's the longest series you've stuck with?What Duran book should Amanda read?Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to December 2015 in this month's RT Rewind, and we're taking a look at the ads and features in this issue!We've got LONG series from Elizabeth Hoyt, Kresley Cole, and Shannon Stacey, plus SWAT team shifters, Navy SEAL Highlanders, and some memories, some not so great, of the 2016 RT convention in Vegas…at the Rio.And then! We have a supplement that only appears in the digital editions of RT at the time: the Indie/Hybrid News & Reviews Supplement. It's a wild ride.Don't miss the visual aids for this week's episode!What's the longest series you've stuck with?What Duran book should Amanda read?Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to December 2015 in this month's RT Rewind!We take a look at the reviews in this issue and along the way talk about audiobook series, historical romance, Jesus by Volume, and the ever-so-small range of grades in each genre. We also take a side trip into JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.You can find the visual aids for this episode right here!You can find all the Romantic Times Rewind episodes, show notes, and visual aids at RTRewind.com!We also mentioned my review of Lover Revealed by JR Ward.And finally: thank you to the SFWA for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out HEA Quest on January 20! Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're traveling back to December 2015 in this month's RT Rewind!We take a look at the reviews in this issue and along the way talk about audiobook series, historical romance, Jesus by Volume, and the ever-so-small range of grades in each genre. We also take a side trip into JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.You can find the visual aids for this episode right here!You can find all the Romantic Times Rewind episodes, show notes, and visual aids at RTRewind.com!We also mentioned my review of Lover Revealed by JR Ward.And finally: thank you to the SFWA for sponsoring this episode! Be sure to check out HEA Quest on January 20! Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's July 2004, and the ads and features are a wild ride.I might say that every month but this month it is especially true. We learn about a bunch of different bookstore that are still in business - and encounter a lot of ads for small presses that are, alas, long gone. There's a lot of romance history in this issue.Bonus: I solve a HaBO for Amanda! Live! I'm so proud of me.Important: Do NOT miss the visual aids for this episode. My goodness me. Music: Purple-planet.comCoupon! New customers get $5 off Lume's Starter Pack with our exclusive code and link. And for a limited time, returning customers can get $5 off their next purchase of $30 or more, too! Use code SARAH30 at LumeDeodorant.com. Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back with the June 2014 issue of RT Book Reviews, and we are taking a look at all the advertisements and features – and it's a ride.We discuss the RT awards, the ads congratulating the winning authors, strange distorted feet, and wolf eyed vikings.No, we don't know what that means, either.But we do have a question! Amanda, it seems, has never read a Harlequin Presents! Which one should she read for Maximum Presents experience?Music: purple-planet.comCoupon! Coupon! New customers get $5 off Lume's Starter Pack with our exclusive code and link. And for a limited time, returning customers can get $5 off their next purchase of $30 or more, too! Use code SARAH30 at LumeDeodorant.comLink! Link! Check out all the visual aids for this episode right here at SBTB! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're heading back to June 2014 to look at the nearly three hundred new books reviewed in RT Book Reviews.Come on a journey with us through historical, contemporary, thrillers, and inspirational, and learn more about cattle fraud. We are obsessed with boilers.Also: apologies in advance for the fact that I cannot say "minutiae," which, my bad. It's a word that never comes out of my brain correctly. My apologies.All the book covers, images, and more are right here at this link.Music: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back, traveling in time to May 2014 to take a look at the ads and the features inside RT Book Reviews magazine! Side trips include Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, the immortality of strange stock images on book covers, and the importance of alligator fritters in the marketing budget.You can find all the ads and images on SBTB! Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's our first Romantic Times Rewind episode, starting with May 2014! We are looking at all 298 (!) book reviews in issue 363 of RT Book Reviews Magazine.Amanda and I are going to pick a book from each of the review collections by genre, from historical to urban fantasy to the Teen Scene. We also discuss the very narrow grading rubric, and the rarity of two- and one-star reviews.Journey back to May 2014 with us! And come find all the fun visuals and books in the show notes at https://bit.ly/RTRW584 and at Instagram and Tumblr!You can find all the visual aids, screengrabs, and covers right here at SBTB.And the entire RT Rewind archive is at RTRewind.comMusic: purple-planet.com Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Typically on Tuesdays I release bonus episodes for the Patreon community, but this week, everyone gets the bonus because Amanda and I are introducing Romantic Times Rewind, a new series of podcast episodes where we look back at old issues of RT Book Reviews and Romantic Times Magazine. WOO HOO!Amanda and I are going to re-read old issues of RT, and record two episodes each month. One issue will be looking at all the reviews by genre in a particular issue, and the other will look at the features, ads, and book covers inside.I'll be posting images and screengrabs from the issue on Smart Bitches, and on Instagram and Tumblr (for that extra retro flavor!).Plus, as a member of the Patreon, you'll have access to the complete issues we're looking at, so you can read along with us - and tell us which books from back issues you'd most want to read.Part of the inspiration for this series comes from the absolutely wonderful podcast Listen to Sassy, where Tara Ariano, David T. Cole, and Pamela Ribon re-read old issues of Sassy Magazine, which was a formative part of my teenager-hood.Romantic Times Magazine and RT Book Reviews isn't online anywhere that I've seen, and the site went dark in May 2018 shortly after the closure of the magazine and the conference was announced.Most humbly, I ask: if you have back issues of RT Book Reviews or Romantic Times, print or digital, and you'd like to send them to be, PLEASE get in touch with me - sarah AT smart bitches trashy books.com. I'm scouring eBay magazine vendors and trying to gather as many as I can, and right now I have some from 2014, 2015, and 2016.Links!Listen to Sassy at ListenToSassy.comTime Magazine, March 2008: “Crazy and In Charge.”Delia's Catalog NewType Magazine Join our Patreon for complete mayhem, shenanigans, and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey HBssssssssssss! Surprise! This episode is tardy because we decided to thoroughly enjoy our Labor Day weekend over at HBHQ and wow did school start right after! Very exciting changes. This week, Sabrina joins Mel to recap Dark Lover by JR Ward, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series! If you love a hate episode, this just might be for you because... let's just say this was a rough first time read in 2023. Luckily, Sabrina is here with her wrap-around-mid-2000's-nostalgia-glasses, so there's some balance! We've got Wrath and Beth and lessers and Tohrment and Phury and doggens and Rhage and casual police brutality and Zsadist and pimp juice and Vishous and Escalades and shellans and war horniness. Welcome to a brand new world!Bonus Content: Mel read this book to the tune of constant and unstructured 4 year old whistling *eye twitches*, Mel goes on a rant about white supremacy, misogyny, fatphobia, police brutality apologists, toxic sexuality, strict binaries, gender essentialism, etc etc (you know, NORMAL STUFF), Darius the accountant, #justiceforMarissa, and so much more!Lady Loves: GET YOUR GREENS!Sabrina - make healthy routines that you can stick to when your mental health takes a dive. It's ok to set up shortcuts in advance! Mel - hide your greens in a chocolate protein smoothie! Trick yourself like a toddler as a grown-ass-person!Notes and Resources from Mel:Sarah Wendell's excellent review of Lover Revealed which is an imagining of the actors who play these characters in the movie.Top BDB scenes from Saucy Wenches Book Club.A bonus recap series of Dark Lover by DocTurtle on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.Re: white supremacist themes. I've sat with this for a while after recording this episode and I can understand how it might have been hard to spot or parse these themes when this book came out because everyone in the two warring factions (to my knowledge) are white. Hell, the lessers get fairer and fairer as they age to a point that seems to mimic albinism. I still hate it, but I can see how readers in 2005 and beyond might have whimsied on past without further interrogation. Re: queerbaiting. The panel I referenced was at the 2012 Romantic Times conference (apparently the same event that launched #peegate). A summary of what was discussed can be found here. While I completely stand by everything I said in the episode, I can acknowledge some complicating factors that may have influenced the trajectory of BDB. This series is traditionally published and it's well-known that representation like queer relationships, let alone HEAs, were much harder to get approved by trad publishing houses of the time because "readers don't want that" was the status quo within that machine. Ward was a newer author at that point and may not have had the power to push for an MM HEA, even if she wanted to. HOWEVER, other than what is on the page, my main issue is the camp-straddling that is exhibited when you pair series canon with Ward's unofficial statements to readers. Here's the pertinent excerpt from that write up:Q: We haven't seen much of Butch and V lately--JR: interrupts They've been seeing plenty of each other!Q: -- will we ever see any of that on the page?JR: No.. [paraphrased]... I will give hints about it and