Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

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607. RT Rewind: March 2016 Ads & Features Mar 22, 2024

Show notes

We’re looking at the ads and features from the March 2016 issue of RT Book Reviews!

We’ve got cowboy heads growing out of gravel roads, a dude who looks like he’s on fire, and that one guy who is always ripping his shirt off from romance covers. We decide on an in-house definition of “Castle Bangenschloss.”

Oh! And a really angry reader wants self pub authors to stop using the same stock images for different covers. It’s wild, y’all.

Don’t miss the visual aids that go with this episode!

We’ve got links!

Thank you to our sponsor, Lume! New customers get $5 off Lume’s Starter Pack with our exclusive code.Use code SARAH30 at LumeDeodorant.com.

Music: Purple-planet.com

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606. Behind the Scenes of Classic Cover Art: Shirley Green and Sharon Spiak Mar 15, 2024

Show notes

Shirley Green and Sharon Spiak are the duo behind many, and I mean many of your favorite romance covers, and are absolutely 100% the duo behind one of mine – For the Love of a Pirate by Edith Layton. The hair. The waves. THE ROCKS.

I connected with Shirley and Sharon and got a History Lesson in how cover shoots used to work. We’re talking costume, art direction, photography, and painting skills combined to make some very memorable covers, and how much deliberate emotional care went into some of the photo shoots with the cover models.

You can find Shirley Green’s portfolio and stock image collection at ShirleyGreenPhotography.com. You can find Sharon Spiak at SharonSpiakArt.com.

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605. RT Rewind: March 2016 Reviews Mar 08, 2024

Show notes

Amanda and I are diving into the reviews from the March 2016 issue of RT Book Reviews.

In this episode you will learn about A Tale of Two Biddies. You’ll discover Baby Bothering and God Bothering. And most importantly, are demons really a natural fit for the Regency era?

All these questions are more will be answered in this episode!

Don’t miss the visual aids for this episode!

Music: Purple-planet.com

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604. Dessert Projects, Romantasy, and Whimsy with Katee Robert Mar 01, 2024

Show notes

Katee Robert joins me to talk about her many releases this year, about marketing through Kickstarter and direct-to-reader options like Patreon, and about the foundational books in fantasy and romance that got her started.

We also talk about current issues, like Findaway Voices and Spotify’s changes to the terms of service for authors.

You can find Katee Robert on her website, KateeRobert.com. You can also check out her Patreon.

We also mentioned

“The trial put the inner workings of the company on public display in sometimes unflattering ways. In his testimony, Dohle argued that success in publishing is driven by instinct and random luck, not necessarily a company’s size — an argument that the judge found unconvincing. And he revealed his dissatisfaction with the company’s performance since the 2013 merger.”

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603. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2006 Ads and Features! Feb 23, 2024

Show notes

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 about

Well water adventures
Author photo? MUST be leaning
A contest made of author prom photos
Many predecessors to GoodReads
A 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.com

Don't miss the visual aids! Really, I mean it!

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602. Foundations of Fantasy Romance with Jennifer L. Armentrout Feb 16, 2024

Show notes

Jennifer L. Armentrout joins me to talk about the books she considers the foundation of her fantasy romance reading, and what classical historical romances she adores. Her newest book, Visions of Flesh and Blood is out next week, so we’re looking forward, and back – and way, way back in the past.

We talk about a series she’s paused, and why, and what it means to update a book that doesn’t ‘age well.’

What fantasy or historical romances were foundational reading for you? I’d love to know which are your favorites!

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601. Romantic Times Rewind: April 2006 Reviews! Feb 09, 2024

Show notes

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: demesne

TW/CW: mention of suicide in book reviews, plus snakes and rat infestations.

Link to visual aids!

...

Music: purple-planet.com

Coupon! 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.

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600. Life is Too Short to Have Sex You Don’t Like, with Emily Nagoski Feb 02, 2024

Show notes

It's our 600th episode!! Emily Nagoski is back to talk about her new book Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections.

We talk about the genesis for this book, which is in part that writing a book is stressful and hard, and while writing Come As You Are, Emily noticed that her own interest in sex was missing. By diving headlong into all the research, she realized that people who sustain lasting sexual connections have a few major things in common, which is what this book is all about.

CW/TW: we mention this in the conversation, but it's important to note that at 23:36 we talk about intimate partner violence, and at 1:00:45 we talk about intentional weight loss. We are also talking about intimacy, sex, and sexual practices.

Music: Purple-planet.com

You can find out more about Emily Nagoski at her website, EmilyNagoski.com.

We also mentioned Dr. Shamika Thorpe's work, which you can find at DrShemeka.com.

And I mentioned this Tweet from author Racheline Maltese.

Thank you to our sponsor, HelloFresh. Visit HelloFresh.com/smarttrashyfree and use code smarttrashyfree for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active.

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599. Romantic Times Rewind: December 2015 Ads and Features Jan 26, 2024

Show notes

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

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598. Historical Romances for Horse Girls with Mimi Matthews Jan 19, 2024

Show notes

Mimi Matthews returns to the show to talk about her latest novel, The Lily of Ludgate Hill, which is the third book in her Belles of London series. Among the major themes of this book? PINING. SO MUCH PINING. Which I love.

But this is also a book about grief: characters are pining for what was as much as other characters are pining for what could be. So we talk about grief, loss, hope, and about adapting to massive upheaval - and about The Gilded Age television show.

CW: We talk a lot about grief, disordered eating, diet culture in the 90s and 2000s, the death of Mimi’s father, which inspired parts of Lily.

Music: purple-planet.com

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