This week Don speaks with author and fellow bookseller Amanda McCrina, hot off the release of her latest historical fiction novel Beyond Seven Forests. Amanda discusses her experiences writing in an often stigmatized genre, her literary interests and influences, and prejudices experienced as a woman writing about history. Also featuring Mo the cat!
Stop in at your local bookstore and look around — and shield your eyes! How do we explain the explosion of books we might describe as “dark” and “spicy”? Donovan talks to his fellow bookseller Danielle to delve into the history of the phenomenon, starting with Amazon and indie publishing houses, and then their deep implications. And how can Disney be so litigious if they didn’t even originate most of their characters? Dicks. … More What Does Modern Romance Fiction Say of Us? (DANIELLE Edition)
The first of a two-part exploration on modern romance fiction has the guys discuss the internet’s influence in mainstream fiction writing and marketing, the differences between romance and erotica, 365 Days, gendered perspectives, and more!
This week Don and Stella discuss the topic of interracial relationships, with special guest Shai. Taking inspiration from Dr. Umar yelling about movies for children, is there any reason left to think about mixed-race coupling in the 21st century?
This week the guys welcome Alex Jaffe and Professor Chris Ceary to talk about Asexual Representation in Media. The gang discusses personal exploration, the inevitability of romantic storytelling, harmful stereotypes and which characters are Ace but don’t know it.
The guys once again return to a previous topic with professional help, this week in the form of Author and Romance Storytelling Specialist Nancy Northcott!
Harry’s pal Cassandra guest stars in this episode, giving her perspectives on love, dating and consent. What’s the point of dating when nobody is match for you? Is it ever worth it? What pressures people into constantly dating?
This week the two fools return to the subject of love and romance, albeit fictionalized in a creator’s mind. What romantic tropes drive our expectations of romance in both the real world and fiction? Which of these are most harmful and what would a best case scenario look like in a romance with no toxic … More What will Romance Tropes be in the Future?
The year for the podcast TRULY ends with the guys going over several feedback emails concerning how to avoid writing stereotypes, avoiding the cons of the “Will they/Won’t they” romance plots, and discussing the trajectory and possibilities for the podcast in the coming weeks of 2018!
Questions: We Don't Have Answers 