Episode 234 / Liz Shipton is a freelance writer, hybrid author, and full-time, off-grid, liveaboard sailor. She shares how changing her lifestyle to become a digital nomad created more time for writing and how she uses Tik Tok to market her books. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! Get access to the backlist of exclusive supporter episodes, the…

The Highlights: Getting Vaguely Technical About Air Conditioning Weekly Reminder Kate is Bad at Math It (Was) Too Dang Hot When Did 40k Words Get In Here The Book You Envision at the Start VS the Book That Manifests When Does Character Motivation Come In? Infodumping VS Answering Questions as They Come Up Just Add a Dick to It The Real Brand Identi…

Episode 233 / Ever wished you had some writing hacks to make your drafting and editing go more smoothly? (And who hasn’t?) Then this episode with cozy author Barbara Emodi is for you! Barbara is a developmental editor for emerging writers and has great insights. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast and get access to the backlist of exclusive suppo…

The Highlights: How Romance Readers Play Minecraft Use Your Half-Started Ideas For a Change Theory about TikTok Theories Kate and Marty List Some Real Horny Shit Your Books Need A Quick Treatise on Instalove Everybody Looks Better with a Little Bit of Dirt on Their Face Your Hero Can't Just Be Hot But He Better Have Some Fucking Hands On Him Acts o…

Episode 232 / Jessie Kwak writes supernatural thrillers and sci-fi crime as well as nonfiction productivity books including, From Chaos to Creativity and From Big Idea to Book. Topics: Trusting your own process, reassessing expectations, and enjoying the writing process How Jessie blends sci-fi and crime genres and found her second series easier to…

The girls record their first episode together in Michigan! It's important to start this episode with a reminder with just how bad we are at math. Setting up an Etsy Vs. Woocommerce What to Stock Intermittent Nail Polish Breaks How to Run a Giveaway Strategies Around Engaging Your Reader Group Pre-Order Kate Prior's new-release, Mated to My Ex! (Div…

Episode 231 / Dr. Nick Courtright of Atmosphere Press, a literary hybrid publisher dedicated to author rights, joins us to discuss different publishing options, letting go of the mindset that you must have an agent, and the importance of a personal brand. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! Get access to the backlist of exclusive supporter episo…

The Highlights: New Recording Time, Who Dis Marty's Dilemna: Two Books, One HEA Kate Recaps the 2019 Tumblr Nose-Dive Vanity Metrics VS. Backlog Awareness Long, Possibly Bad Shelved Projects Bob Ross and the Order Of Operation Spending 10x the Time to Write A Sentence as A Reader Spends Reading It Instead of a Mind Palace Kate Has A Mind TrashCan Q…

Subscriber-only episode In this supporter-exclusive chat, we broke down the Enemies to Lovers trope–and it’s not just for romance novels! From Pride and Prejudice to You've Got Mail, we've got tons of insights and examples that show how friction and chemistry can turn rivalry into romance. Why readers love this trope The need to maintain the core c…

Episode 230 / A.B. Herron blends elements of fantasy and romance in her fiction. She shares about balancing a full-time job while diving headfirst into the world of writing, the joy of connecting with readers at book fairs, and the critical role a supportive community plays in overcoming challenges, especially for authors with dyslexia. 💙 🎙 Become …

The Highlights: Sometimes It's Better that an Opportunity Missed You Publishing Is Intensely Cyclical Statistically, How Are You Doing? The Fruits of Consistency Sometimes You Have to Make Terrible Choices (For Your Sinuses) Who Would Have Guessed that Authors Run on Positive Feedback Different Strategies for Writing Series Critically Acclaimed Hol…

Episode 229 / Learn about the four basic types of relationship arcs from freelance developmental editor and writing writing instructor, September C. Fawkes. Discover how mapping arcs can define the direction and evolution of your characters' relationships and create a dynamic, zigzag narrative. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! Get access to t…

The Highlights: We Don't Care for Episode Topics Gaslight Yourself Into Thinking Your Book is Good Marty Forgot Her Dog Outside But It's FINE FOMO About BookCons When You Don't Even like Leading the House Kate Hates NYC on an NJ Level Author Group Chats are Good and Bad for Learning Bite Off What You Can Chew, Despite FOMO Cultivating Joy In A Writ…

Episode 228 / Kemper Donovan is the host of the All About Agatha podcast and author of The Busy Body, a USA Today bestseller on launch earlier this year. Kemper shares tips for querying and how podcasting about Agatha Christie helped him connect with mystery authors and also provided a built-in audience for his book. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the p…

The Highlights: Kate Can't Rawdog a Movie 5 Minutes Straight of Explaining The Above It's Andrew's Podcast Now Marty's Plans for Release Romancelandia Discourse You Can't Tell But We Edited Out The Part Where We Retcon Whatever The Episode Was Going to Be About If You Read this Book Wrong The Metaphor Ran Away from Me Outlines Have A Strange DNFing…

Episode 227 / Liz Long shares her journey of embracing her own uniqueness, particularly in relation to ADHD and finding peace and growth after personal loss. Quick note: the language in this episode isn’t as family-friendly as our usual G/PG episodes, so just be aware of that. 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! Get access to the backlist of exc…

Katerina Stone is back! Kate, Marty and Katerina chat about the last four episodes of Bridgerton season 3. They have some mixed feelings and hot takes! Prepare yourself, or don't, it's up to you. SPOILERS ABOUND! Watch Bridgerton season three before listening, but don't forget to listen. (And maybe read the first 5 books in the series… 'Kay, thanks…

Episode 226 / Author, musician, and marketer, Paul Indigo shares insights on seeking validation, embracing our voice, and the unconventional use of an Excel spreadsheet for writing and marketing. If you’ve tried all the writing software and haven’t found one that works for you, perhaps your answer is a spreadsheet! 💙 🎙 Become a supporter of the pod…

Jami Albright joins Marty in this episode about understanding and presenting your author brand! Jami shares her expertise on the promise an author makes to their readers, figuring out what is the unique thing you offer in your writing/books, and pinning down your ideal reader. She not only give advice on how to build your brand, but actionable task…

Episode 225 / Megan Vernon, author of over 40 romance novels, joins us to talk about starting over after a difficult experience of being publicly criticized. We talk about the need to give ourselves grace and the importance of a supportive community for navigating the ups and downs of a writing career. Megan shares about her creation of the Mojo Do…

We're back with our lovely friend Katerina Stone, to do what we did last time. This time it's about season 3 (the first four episodes). SPOILERS ABOUND! Watch Bridgerton season three before listening, but don't forget to listen. (And maybe read the first 5 books in the series… 'Kay, thanks!) Kate Prior and Marty Vee are joined by Regency romance au…

Episode 224 / Kate Johnson is the co-founder of Zory, an interactive reading app that merges the depth found in fiction with the choose-your-path-style plotlines of narrative video games. Kate shares details about Zory and craft tips about GMC as well as the All Is Lost moment. Plus we talk about trends in genre blending, and what Kate sees coming …

In the us episode, Marty chats with contemporary and PNR author Lauren Connelly. In it they discuss: Lauren is the hero we need! Figure out your personal output. Five minute author. The critical part is so loud. This discussion was an absolute mind opener for Marty! Find Lauren Connelly at www.laurenconnollyromance.com. Get Marty's latest novel Haz…

Episode 223 / Do you like to discover the plot as you write? Do you get bored if you know where the story is going? Then a skeleton draft might be what you need. Paranormal and gothic romance author Steffanie Holmes joins us to talk about how discovery writers can use a skeleton draft to get their ideas down on paper and avoid writer’s block. We al…

This episode contains little Vingettes of: The Ritual Is Simple, Are You Recording? Marty Outlines her Year Long Plan (this is from february) In Your Heart You Know Second Place Is Losing The Emotional Rollercoaster of Giveaways Canva Punishments Penis Envy but It's Over Book Length In Defense of the Short Stories It Keeps Coming back to Subjectivi…

Subscriber-only episode Ever wondered how to add a twist of mystery to your narrative? Find out exactly what mystery elements are, how to sprinkle them into your narrative, and why they keep readers turning the pages. Whether you're writing romance, sci-fi, or fantasy, a mystery can add layers of intrigue and depth to your story. I'll be sharing so…

Episode 222 / Jessica Renwich, who writes fantasy and horror for kids ages 9-12, joined us to share her experience as an indie middle grade author. She has terrific insights on approaching schools for author visits and the impact of creating whimsical and fun content to appeal to young readers. In addition to discussing how marketing middle grade b…

Marty and Kate are back after a longer than expected haitus, and we're kicking off season 4 the only way we know how-- a long, rambly, conversation about How You Are Doing Enough. The Highlights: Scapegoat for Kareoke Discovering We're Both Obsessed with Jethro Tull 7 Minutes in We Get On Topic Re-Structuring Marty's Time Writing Is For You Marty's…

Episode 221 / Looking to grow a community around your books? Romance author Amy Pine shares how she and her co-hosts created a podcast and built a vibrant community around Korean dramas. We also dive into craft book recommendations, beat sheets, and combining tropes in unexpected ways. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give yo…

Episode 220 / KimBoo York joins us to share how to embrace flexibility and spontaneity in your writing process through discovery writing. Whether you thrive on outlining or prefer a more free-flowing approach, there are different techniques to suit your writing style. 💜 🎙 Become a supporter of the podcast! We can’t wait to give you a shoutout in a …

Episode 219 / Martha Carr is a journalist who now writes escapist fiction in the urban fantasy genre with a lot of magic, some action and adventure, and a little romance. Martha shares about beating health challenges, changing her business model, and dealing with the ups and downs of publishing. We also talk about leaving regret behind, her Kicksta…

Episode 218 / Julie Duffy has long been involved in the publishing industry, but she found herself not actually writing fiction due to the demands of school and work. This realization led her to challenge herself with a "story a day" project in order to get back to writing and creating fictional stories. Julia joins us to talk about A Story A Day i…