Welcome to Smart Podcast, Trashy Books! Each Friday, I talk with authors, readers, reviewers, bloggers, publishing professionals, editors, and librarians, or combinations thereof, and share the fun and mayhem with you. Frequent topics include romance fiction, the brilliant and interesting people who read, write, and produce it, and issues common among romance readers, along with a hefty side order of silliness. Plus, we always recommend some books we’re reading and really enjoying.
And speaking of recommendations, are you new to the podcast? Welcome!
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, fear not: here are some of our most popular episodes – so far!
We are recapping the October 2015 issue this month, in part because of a letter to the editor from last month’s issue, which was June 2007. This magazine is going to be in conversation with itself whether it likes it or not! We’ve got so many books in this issue that this will be a beefy episode. And the erotica section is top tier this month, too! Be aware: mention of suicide about 23 minute … Continue reading 744. RT Rewind: October 2015 Reviews→
Katie Wilbert is a writer and performer, she moonlights as a disco ball, and she writes television romantic comedies, including A Vineyard Christmas. So we are going behind the scenes to explore what makes a good Christmas rom com, and what her experience as a writer is like. This is really a story about how, as Seneca allegedly said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Katie is currently writing for the Roku limited … Continue reading 743. Behind the Scenes of Holiday Rom Coms with Katie Wilbert→
Lea Vale is the author of Blue Sky Black, a dual-timeline recent history romance that takes place, in part, on 9/11/2001. We talk about writing recent history, especially recent traumatic history, into romance, we also discuss the power of the HEA, and we chat about her NHPR show, Check This Out! So I want to be clear here that we discuss 9/11 on and off throughout the episode. Both of us witnessed the attacks on … Continue reading 742. Writing Recent History with Lea Vale→
It’s time machine time! We’re going back to June 2007 to look at the Ads & Features in Romantic Times magazine. This one’s got some gawdawful letters to the editor and some equally heinous responses, and we are prepped for battle. First, we talk about cereal. As you do. And I have a Content Warning! At about 20 minutes into our conversation, we start talking about this awful letter to the editor. Please be advised … Continue reading 741. RT Rewind: June 2007 Ads & Features→
By listener request! My guest today is author and professor Jodi McAlister. You might remember Jodi from her appearance in episode 626 when we talked about her Marry Me Juliet trilogy, set within a fictional version of The Bachelor. Now she’s in the middle of a new trilogy she’s calling Love Notes, and we’re going to discuss the latest book, A Study in Sparkling. We’re going to discuss learning a TON about wine, and about … Continue reading 740. A Study in Sparkling with Jodi McAlister→
We’re going back to 2007 to take a look at the new releases in Romantic Times Magazine, and we’re so glad you’re joining us! We’ve got kooky books, taxidermy, chick lit, and a new entry into the character name hall of fame. Strap in, it’s getting weird. At about 38 minutes in, Amanda’s track started having some kind of digital echo. I did as much as I could to adjust it. Don’t forget – you … Continue reading 739. RT Rewind: June 2007 Reviews→
Adib Khorram’s new book, Isn’t He Romantic, is out this week, so of course I wanted to ask many questions about it. This is the third in a trilogy about three queer Iranian American friends, and our conversation touches on some of the themes of the book, such as aging and ageism in the gay community, reclaiming fun games from your youth, and about trends in m/m romance currently.
We’re back in the time machine to check out the ads and features from the February 2012 issue of Romantic Times. We’re talking about Anastasia, Madame Toussauds, and how close some cover models get to showing some hog. THEN! Then, we have about a half hour of live cover snark. I’m wondering if this video will be taken down by the Y’Tube, because these covers are…unclothed. What was the thing you were obsessed with when … Continue reading 737. RT Rewind: February 2012 Ads & Features→
My guest this week is Dylan Allen, and Lucy Wilson-Tagoe, who are conveniently the same person. Dylan Allen is a bestselling author of contemporary romance, while Lucy Wilson-Tagoe’s newest book To Catch a Sinner, is out now. It’s a mystery and a romance set in DC that focuses on art repatriation and the cultural minefield therein. So we’re going to talk about art, writing, the DC of her imagined world in the book, and about … Continue reading 736. The Romances that Inspired Dylan Allen and Lucy Wilson-Tagoe→
This month we’re going back to September 2012 to take a look at the new books in Romantic Times magazine. We’re talking about a very male hero, letting teens be teens, and hooray, there are dozens of terrible men to add to the pile. We also talk about our favorite Garth Brooks songs, and our go-to karaoke songs. (What’s yours?) At about 25 minute in we talk about something rather morbid – books bound in … Continue reading 735. RT Rewind: September 2012 Reviews→
Jess Rothschild is a podcaster and journalist, one of the founding writers at Autostraddle, and her latest project is a documentary podcast called Finding Fire Island, about the history of Fire Island, Cherry Grove, and the Pines. Her prior work includes The Cult of Body and Soul, about SoulCycle, and I love BOTH of these productions. Jess has been writing online longer than I have, and we talk about internet history, the process of making a … Continue reading 734. Finding Fire Island with Jess Rothschild→
