The Wicked Wallflowers Club

153 - Katee Robert: Neon Gods

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Katee Robert) — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

Katee Robert is back to talk all things Neon Gods! Where the idea for a mythological retelling (Katee style!) came from, what's coming next in the series, Hadestown, taboo books, and more!

152 - Rose Lerner: The Wife in the Attic

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 07:00:00 +0000

One of our favorite guests, Rose Lerner, is back to chat with us about her awesome audiobook, The Wife in the Attic! We also discuss the distance between author and subject...and the impact of personal bias on translations of classical texts.

151 - Sarah Tarkoff: Screenwriting!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 5 May 2021 07:00:00 +0000

This week, we chat with novelist and screenwriter Sarah Tarkoff - who also happens to be one of Sarah's best friends. We discuss her YA Eye of the Beholder trilogy, all about screenwriting, and that time Sarah and Sarah lived together in a house of horrors.

150 - Patricia Briggs: Wild Sign

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Patricia Briggs, Jenny Nordbak) — Thu, 8 Apr 2021 07:46:16 +0000

We're joined by #1 NYT Bestselling author, Patricia Briggs, who is the author of the Mercy Thomson series as well as the Alpha and Omega series! We chat about her latest book, Wild Sign, as well as her journey as an author, the pressures and expectations that come with writing a popular series, and why she made some of the choices she did along the way.

149 - St. Vincent Day Crossover with Heaving Bosoms and Andie!

Fri, 2 Apr 2021 07:05:36 +0000

Happy St. Vincent Day!! We're thrilled to feature a special crossover episode with Heaving Bosoms to celebrate! As if that wasn't awesome enough, we're also joined by beloved author Andie J. Christopher who hosts Drunk Romance History on Instagram! Listen for Andie's solemn vow to write us a St. Vincent/Derek Craven MMF, why we all adore Sebastian St. Vincent, and how we think you should celebrate St. Vincent Day! Come tell us who you picture as St. Vincent and how you plan to celebrate!

148 - Suleikha Snyder: Big Bad Wolf

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Suleikha Snyder) — Fri, 12 Mar 2021 07:01:52 +0000

We're joined by Suleikha Snyder! We chat about her sexy new shifter book, Big Bad Wolf...as well as soap operas, snake sex, pegging carrots, and why we shouldn't feel confined by what we're "supposed to" writer.

147 - Best Books of 2020 with Maureen Lenker!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Maureen Lenker, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Fri, 5 Mar 2021 08:24:30 +0000

Maureen Lenker from Entertainment Weekly is back to talk to us about the best books she read in 2020. We talk through the 10 that made her Best of 2020 column along with some honorable mentions she didn't have space for and some of Jenny's favorites. Also enjoy a discussion of words we evidently don't know how to pronounce correctly (are you saying segue and buoy the right way?) and why Sarah thinks Jenny is far more metal than she actually is.

146 - Holiday Movies with Naima Simone and Andie J. Christopher!

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 08:33:14 +0000

We're baaaaack! So we're releasing our holiday movies episode in February...but *gestures at the world*. We hope the absolute delight of having Andie and Naima back will help to make up for it. We discuss The Holidate and Happiest Season--and how we were shocked that we loved the one we thought we'd hate and hated the one we thought we'd love. In addition to the movies, we talk about our worst first kisses, why Andie is going to be the "vodka aunt", and what dating life might be like post covid.

145 - 3 Year Anniversary Episode!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 09:03:30 +0000

It's our third anniversary! We're so grateful for all of our listeners and guests who've made it an incredible 3 years! In this episode we reflect on some of the things we've been most struck by in past episodes, share some favorite memories, do a quick What We're Reading, and Jenny recaps the romance novel that kicked off Sarah's love of romance...and it is gloriously bananas! Also enjoy: Jenny's truly horrifying German accent, an Animaniacs song, the moment Sarah mixes Jenny up with a Miss Congeniality character, and the number of times Sarah is attacked by her cat!

144 - Elle Keck: Avon Editor!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Elle Keck, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 4 Nov 2020 09:31:44 +0000

We're joined by the fabulous Elle Keck! Elle is an editor for Avon and works with some of our favorite authors like Alexis Daria, Cat Sebastian, and Olivia Dade! During this tumultuous week (year!), we hope we can offer you some distraction and joy. If you're trying to tackle NaNoWriMo in the midst of this chaos--or just trying to get some work done--we had you in mind when we were recording! Hang in there and slay some words if you can.

143 - Katee Robert: Villains!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Katee Robert) — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 08:43:29 +0000

Katee Robert is back to talk all things villains with us! Why do we love them, which ones can't be redeemed, and how did our obsession begin? We also catch up on all the other amazing stuff she's just released or has coming soon and generally have a much needed laugh.

142 - Milla Vane: A Heart of Blood and Ashes

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Milla Vane, Sarah Hawley, Meljean Brook, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 14 Oct 2020 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Milla Vane!!! We let Sarah hardcore fangirl because Milla Vane is also Meljean Brook, which makes her Sarah's favorite romance author of all time! We also chat about her barbarian fantasy romance series, A Gathering of Dragons, which starts with A Heart of Blood and Ashes. We discuss her incredibly nuanced characters who can sometimes start out as anti heroes as well as bloody handjobs and how much we love a mean kidnapping.

141 - Madi Sinha: The White Coat Diaries

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Madi Sinha) — Fri, 2 Oct 2020 06:59:55 +0000

Sarah catches up with her friend Madi Sinha! We talk about her debut women's fiction novel, The White Coat Diaries, as well as the problems plaguing the medical field and how she balances life as a doctor, wife, mother, and author.

140 - Rosie Danan: The Roommate

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Rosie Danan) — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 07:00:09 +0000

We're joined by debut author Rosie Danan! Her novel, The Roommate, is an absolute delight, so we talk all about the book, her research into the world of adult performers, and how the pandemic has impacted our reading habits.

139 - Molly O'Keefe: Burn Down the Night

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Molly O'Keefe, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 9 Sep 2020 17:12:52 +0000

We're joined by fan favorite Molly O'Keefe! We chat about why we all love take charge heroines who chain heroes to the bed, what it's like writing across genres, Jenny's love of dick piercings (sorry, Molly!), and what it's like writing during a pandemic.

138 - What We're Reading: Coven Darlings Danielle and Jacqueline

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 2 Sep 2020 07:08:01 +0000

We chat with two of our beloved coven members, Danielle and Jacqueline, about what we've all been reading, so if you're looking for something new to read, this is a great episode! They're romance loving sisters and talking about books with them is always a delight. For reviews, covers, and stepbacks galore, check out their Instagram: @onthesamepa9e

137 - Gail Carriger: The Heroine's Journey

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Gail Carriger) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 06:35:42 +0000

Sarah chats with NYT Bestselling author Gail Carriger about her San Andreas Shifter series and her exciting new nonfiction work, The Heroine's Journey (out October 1, 2020). This book will explain (quoted from Gail's website):

* How to spot the heroine’s journey in popular books, movies, and the world around you.

* The source myths and basic characters, tropes, and archetypes of this narrative.

* A step-by-step break down of how to successfully write this journey.

It's about time heroines got more focus and Gail can explain why!

136 - What We're Reading #????

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 12 Aug 2020 07:39:35 +0000

We're back with another What We're Reading episode! We chat about the awesome books that've been giving us an escape, give some life updates, and somehow end up talking about spider mating dances.

135 - 365 DNI with Naima Simone and Andie J. Christopher

Wed, 5 Aug 2020 10:00:06 +0000

We get a little ridiculous discussing the Netflix film 365 DNI with Naima Simone and Andie J. Christopher. Chaos and giggling ensues.

134 - Book Recs and Laughs: Alexa Martin and Eva Moore

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Alexa Martin, Eva Moore) — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:00:07 +0000

It's time for another book recs and laughs episode, this time featuring Alexa Martin and Eva Moore!

133 - Book Recs and Laughs: Naima Simone and Katee Robert

Thu, 9 Jul 2020 08:20:33 +0000

We're back with another book recs and laughs episode, this time featuring listener favorites, Naima Simone and Katee Robert!

132 - What We're Reading: Antiracist Books

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 1 Jul 2020 07:00:25 +0000

In this "What We're Reading" episode, we take a break from romance to highlight some of the antiracist books that have been most impactful to us recently. We discuss our own paths to becoming better allies and ways we can all be doing a better job of examining how racism shapes our lives. We discuss how important it is to be actively antiracist as opposed to being passively "not racist," and how that work begins with deep self-reflection. Please note, this conversation is primarily aimed at our white listeners and may be particularly triggering to our Black listeners. We don't want to add to the burden of anyone who has already been dealing with the trauma of racism in their lives, but we think these conversations need to be happening more between white people. If we have said something problematic, please don't hesitate to let us know.

131 - Karina Halle: The Forbidden Man

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Karina Halle, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 20 May 2020 09:23:43 +0000

We're taking a break from our Book Recs and Laughs series this week to share the very last interview we got to do in person before lockdown! Jenny got to chat with Karina Halle about her bonkers, immersive writing process, her adventures in Hollywood going to the Westworld premiere and the Golden Globes, and why travel is the best!

Book Recs and Laughs #4: Melody from Heaving Bosoms and Sierra Simone!

Wed, 13 May 2020 07:53:24 +0000

This episode features Melody Carlisle who is a goddamn delight. She cohosts the Heaving Bosoms podcast, which you should definitely check out if you haven't yet! I was about to suggest some favorite episodes and couldn't even narrow it down--literally pick one that sounds interesting and join the cult.

Our second guest is our beloved Sierra Simone. She shares the most on brand mortifying story ever.

129 - Book Recs and Laughs #3: Christina and Lauren of Christina Lauren!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Christina Lauren, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 6 May 2020 08:16:06 +0000

We're joined once again by Christina Hobbes and Lauren Billings, the dynamic duo that makes up New York Times Bestselling author Christina Lauren! This time, they're back to share some book recs and some funny stories with us! We also discuss TV shows, how we're all occupying ourselves during quarantine, and where you should start if you're going to pick up your first CLo book as a quarantine read!

128 - Too Hot to Handle with Andie J. Christopher and Naima Simone

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 09:13:48 +0000

Things have gone off the rails here in the Wicked Wallflowers Club. This episode (and the show we're talking about) may or may not be kind of a shit show, but we hope it's a hilarious, delightful shit show. Andie J. Christopher and Naima Simone are back to help us attempt to digest the train wreck that is Netflix's new show, Too Hot to Handle! I have no idea how else to summarize this, so I've included some choice out of context quotes instead of show notes!

"I have trust issues because everyone hates my Christmas tree dick." -Sarah
"I just laughed so hard I poured coffee all over my bed!" -Sarah
"When I was in my early to mid twenties, I would've fucked both Harry and David." -Andie
"It just looked like a tit explosion!" -Naima
"...they start using Lana as a sex toy." -Jenny
"In my early thirties, I would've fucked Matthew." -Andie
"You know Sharron does not eat pussy. He has never had a pussy near his face." -Andie
"With Bryce...I had to look inside my soul and make sure I hadn't actually fucked him." -Andie
"Wait...you haven't been hogtied?" -Jenny
"What kind of trash bag doesn't even offer to reciprocate!?" -Naima

127 - Book Recs and Laughter #2

Wed, 22 Apr 2020 07:22:12 +0000

We're back with our second in our Book Recs and Laughter series intended to bring you the best books and nuggets of joy. This week includes a compilation of chats with Tif Marcelo, Leigh Kramer, and Jen Prokop from Fated Mates! We cover The Tudors, excellent memes, and Jen attempts to explain TikTok to us!

126 - Book Recs and Laughter #1

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Maureen Lee Lenker, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 07:49:01 +0000

We've started a new series of episodes to help us all through the isolation! It's kind of a spin on What We're Reading, but with funny stories and lots of old friends! We're having past guests (and some exciting new voices) come on to share "a book rec and a laugh" with us. We're basically crowd sourcing good books and joy for you from some of our favorite people! This first episode features Sarah and Jenny sharing their own recs and funny stories as well as a guest segment with Maureen Lee Lenker from Entertainment Weekly! In addition to adding to your TBR, you can hear about Sarah's adorable school girl shenanigans, Jenny's Playboy audition fail, Maureen's bus toilet incident, and more! Let us know what you think of the new idea and who you'd like to hear!

125 - What We're Watching with Andie J. Christopher: Satisfaction

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Andie J. Christopher, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 1 Apr 2020 07:23:17 +0000

Join us as we chat about Australian TV show, Satisfaction. Satisfaction is set in a brothel, so we get into dating, sex work, emotional labor, dick pics, and our thoughts on full frontal male nudity. We don't give any major spoilers for the show if you haven't seen it yet and are worried!

124 - Alyssa Palombo: The Borgia Confessions

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Alyssa Palombo) — Wed, 25 Mar 2020 07:00:24 +0000

Need a break from the modern world? Dive into the Italian Renaissance with us! We geek out with Alyssa Palombo about why it's one of the most fascinating parts of history, why the Borgia family has captivated people for centuries, and how The Borgia Confessions is basically Cesare's villain origin story.

123 - What We're Reading: Berkley Preview 2020!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Erin Galloway, Sarah Hawley, Jess Brock, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 18 Mar 2020 07:00:05 +0000

We're joined by Erin Galloway and Jess Brock from Berkley. We did a What We're Reading with Erin last year where she shared all the amazing stuff Berkley had coming down the pipeline, so we decided to repeat that again this year and get a preview of what exciting releases they have coming up in 2020. Because we need things to look forward to!

122 - Beyond Audiobooks: Romance as Radio Drama

Wed, 4 Mar 2020 21:24:53 +0000

We're joined by Maya Rodale, Courtney Wetzel, and Meghan Jones to talk about the awesome audio excerpt they created from Maya's newest book, An Heiress to Remember. We discuss how they adapted the excerpt, how the sound editing creates a more immersive listening experience, and where we hope this leads for the genre. We play the excerpt in its entirety, so you get to experience it too!

121 - Colleen Hoover: Regretting You

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Colleen Hoover, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 26 Feb 2020 08:07:49 +0000

We’re joined by #1 NYT Bestselling author Colleen Hoover. We cover a whole bunch of different topics from her writing journey, to her parenting advice, to travel. We chat about why women’s fiction written by authors who love and respect romance is amazing—and how that applies to her latest release, Regretting You.

Before we jump into the episode, we’ve got a few quick updates. The first is that our merchandise store is finally live on Redbubble.com , if you want to get your hands on Wicked Wallflowers shirts, stickers, and all kinds of other fun stuff. We’ve been loving seeing pictures of it all out in the wild and can’t wait to wear ours to the next meet up. The second update is that we’ve finally started a Patreon. We’re hoping to help the podcast to keep growing and start doing stuff like transcripts for each episode to be more inclusive, so we appreciate any support you can give us to reach those goals.

Speaking of support…this week’s episode is sponsored by past Wicked Wallflowers guest Janna MacGregor! Janna writes some of my absolute favorite historicals and her latest is called Wild, Wild Rake.

120 - Mia Sosa: The Worst Best Man

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Mia Sosa, Jenny Nordbak) — Thu, 20 Feb 2020 09:35:17 +0000

We're joined by the fabulous Mia Sosa! We chat about her fantastic newest release, The Worst Best Man as well as where the adorable cover came from, how she transitioned from lawyer to romance author, and much more!

119 - Maxym Martineau: Kingdom of Exiles

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Maxym Martineau, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 12 Feb 2020 08:00:14 +0000

We're joined by fantasy romance author Maxym Martineau who tells us about her debut novel, Kingdom of Exiles. We also chat about her amazing recipe for watermelon margaritas, how she's been adjusting to having a newborn, and how her books come to her in dreams. Also butt flaps and a random dude who walks in while we're talking about pubic hair and ejaculate!

118 - What We're Reading: BDSM Edition with Leigh Kramer!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Leigh Kramer, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 5 Feb 2020 08:00:07 +0000

In this special edition of What We're Reading, we chat with reviewer and author Leigh Kramer about romances that feature BDSM!

117 - Piper J. Drake: Forever Strong

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Piper J. Drake, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 08:10:05 +0000

Piper J. Drake is back to talk to us about Forever Strong--the last book in her True Heroes Series. We also talk about her gajillion other projects, food in romance novels, and the dogs who make appearances in her books! She also tells us why she's doing a workshop about how to be inclusive as you're writing characters for your books and how to write experiences that aren't your own.

116 - What We're Reading #11

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 22 Jan 2020 08:00:08 +0000

We're finally back with another What We're Reading episode chock full of book recs, shenanigans, and life updates! Books include Kennedy Ryan's latest, The Ladies Guide to Celestial Mechanics, Roughed In by Eva Moore, and much more!

115 - Tracey Suppo: Book + Main Bites

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak, Tracey Suppo) — Thu, 16 Jan 2020 06:51:48 +0000

We're joined by Tracey Suppo who is trying to create the perfect way for romance readers to find their next book. We talk about Book + Main Bites--how it works, why it's specially designed for romance readers, and where the idea came from. Sarah and Jenny try to corrupt the tool to use for their own filthy purposes ("Can I search for double vaginal penetration?"). We also cover Ice Planet Barbarians, fisting, and lots of great book recs!

114 - Jennifer Ryan and Laura Lee Gurhke: Wild Rose Ranch and Dear Lady Truelove

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jennifer Ryan, Laura Lee Gurhke, Jenny Nordbak) — Thu, 9 Jan 2020 09:43:35 +0000

This week we have a slightly different format than usual. Jenny got the chance to sit down with Jennifer Ryan and Laura Lee Gurhke during an event at the Huntington Beach Library, but since we were really tight on time they were much shorter individual interviews than normal—so we’ve combined them into one episode for your listening pleasure. We wouldn’t want to abandon you with a short episode in the middle of your commute or while you’re trying to put your laundry away. Jennifer Ryan is a NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of suspenseful contemporary romances. We chat about her brand new surprise grandbaby, her Wild Rose Ranch series, and why she’s drawn to stories with complicated family dynamics. Laura Lee Gurhke is a NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of historical romance. We chat about her latest book, Heiress Gone Wild, and the rest of the books in the Dear Lady Truelove series. We also discuss her writing process, her advice for aspiring authors, and why none of us should move to Idaho.

113 - Asa Maria Bradley: Loki Ascending

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Asa Maria Bradley, Jenny Nordbak) — Thu, 2 Jan 2020 07:43:08 +0000

We’re joined by author Asa Maria Bradley! We chat about her series which features immortal Vikings, why she fell for Norse mythology, how she juggles being a professor with her writing, and more!

112 - Nicole Fischer and Emma Brodie: How to Write a Romance

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Emma Brodie, Jenny Nordbak, Nicole Fischer) — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 08:00:30 +0000

We’re joined by Avon Books editor Nicole Fischer (who is the editor of some of our favorites like Tessa Bailey, Talia Hibbert, and Vivienne Lorret). We’re also joined by Emma Brodie who is an editor for William Morrow. We talk about their How to Write a Romance book which Emma worked on with the Avon romance editing team. We also talk about how they got their start, what we can expect from Nicole’s authors in the near future, and why Jenny and Nicole agree that “thrust” is the best word to search a book for if you’re trying to find the steamy bits.

111 - Vanessa Zoltan: Hot and Bothered

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Vanessa Zoltan, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 09:27:25 +0000

We're joined by Vanessa Zoltan who is the host of two awesome podcasts: Hot and Bothered (a romance podcast) and Harry Potter and the Sacred Text. We talk about how books can be sacred, female empowerment through romance and fan communities, and why women shouldn't need to justify the things that bring them joy.

110 - Penny Reid Part 2 Featuring Cathy Yardley: Smartypants Romance

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Penny Reid, Jenny Nordbak, Cathy Yardley) — Wed, 4 Dec 2019 10:44:35 +0000

We're back with part 2 of our interview with Penny Reid, this time with Cathy Yardley in the hot seat! We find out what Smartypants Romance is all about--what it means that authors are writing in Penny's universe, how the idea came about, and what we can expect going forward. We also chat about Cathy and Penny's publishing journeys, the state of indie publishing, and why it's so important for authors to support each other.

109 - Eva Leigh: My Fake Rake

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Eva Leigh, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 27 Nov 2019 08:00:07 +0000

We're joined by historical romance author Eva Leigh who chats with us about her latest series (and how it has all of our favorite tropes!), why editing remains brutal no matter how many books you've written, and how we could all be incorporating mindfulness into our own writing process, and more!

108 - Penny Reid Part 1 Featuring Audiobook Narrator Joy Nash

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Penny Reid, Joy Nash, Jenny Nordbak, Cathy Yardley) — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 08:00:04 +0000

We're joined once again by NYT Bestselling author Penny Reid, but this time she's brought along actress and voice actress Joy Nash who narrates Penny's audiobooks. You might recognize Joy from Dietland, Twin Peaks, or the Mindy Project. We chat about what it's like for them working together as author and narrator, Penny's latest books (and why it's not her fault if she makes us cry), how Joy got her start narrating audiobooks, what they fangirl over, and much more! This is part one of two episodes with Penny Reid. Be sure you don't miss part two, which will feature Penny Reid with Cathy Yardley!

107 - Andie J. Christopher and Kristine Swartz: Not the Girl You Marry

Wed, 13 Nov 2019 08:00:02 +0000

We're joined by fan favorite Andie J. Christopher and her editor at Berkley, the fabulous Kristine Swartz! We chat about Not the Girl You Marry, how their author/editor relationship came to be...and Jenny may or may not cry while talking about the book!

106 - TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY: What We're Reading and Reflections!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 6 Nov 2019 08:00:10 +0000

It's our two year anniversary! We reflect on the past two years, share some stats and memories, and share the books we've been reading and loving lately!

105 - Rom Coms with Andie J. Christopher #2

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Andie J. Christopher, Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 08:48:31 +0000

Andie J. Christopher is back to chat with us about Speed (it's totally a romance!), This Means War, and My Best Friend's Wedding. We also discuss some of the more mortifying moments from our youth. If there's a movie you'd love to hear us discuss, be sure to let us know!

104 - A.J. Pine and Frannie Cassano: Libraries and Romance

Wed, 23 Oct 2019 07:00:05 +0000

We're joined by USA Today Bestselling romance author (and librarian) A.J. Pine and 2018 RWA Librarian of the Year Frannie Cassano. We chat all about libraries--our love of them, why they're important, and the challenges they're facing. We also discuss cowboy romances and A.J.'s journey into writing them as well as Frannie's experiences as Librarian of the Year.

103 - Angelina M. Lopez: Lush Money

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak, Angelina M. Lopez) — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 07:00:23 +0000

We could not be more excited to be joined by Angelina M. Lopez to talk about her outstanding debut, Lush Money! Angelina was one of our earliest listeners when she was still prepublished and now her first book is out in the world! We also chat about Fated Mates, her twenty year path to publication, the upcoming books in her series, and the state of publishing.

102 - Leah Hultenschmidt: Editorial Director for Forever and Forever Yours at Grand Central Publishing

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak, Leah Hultenschmidt) — Wed, 9 Oct 2019 07:00:10 +0000

We're joined once again by Leah Hultenschmidt who is the Editorial Director for Forever and Forever Yours at Grand Central Publishing. We chat about her recent trip to Scotland, the amazing books she has coming out, and her super cool hobby of hand making cards.

101 - Angela James: Editor Extraordinaire

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Angela James, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 2 Oct 2019 07:00:06 +0000

We're joined by editor Angela James! We discuss her departure from Harlequin, her work at Carina Press, her advice for writers, and her Before You Hit Send self editing workshop! She demonstrates how she does a Candid Cold Read to evaluate the first pages of Jenny's manuscript, giving us a fascinating glimpse into the way an editor's brain works.

100 - Sierra Simone Returns!

Wed, 25 Sep 2019 07:00:17 +0000

We're joined once again by Sierra Fucking Simone with special guest cohost Maureen Lee Lenker! Human sacrifice, ritual sex, ancient religions, and more!

99 - Maya Rodale and Tessa Woodward with guest cohost Maureen Lee Lenker

Wed, 18 Sep 2019 07:00:24 +0000

We're joined by an author editor duo for the first time! Historical romance author Maya Rodale and her editor at Avon, Tessa Woodward chat with us about what it's been like working together for 10 years, why Tessa won't let Maya make every cover pink, and why we're determined to talk Tessa into historical lady pirates.

98 - Jen DeLuca: Well Met

Wed, 11 Sep 2019 07:00:40 +0000

97 - Live Crossover Episode with Fated Mates!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Sarah MacLean, Jenny Nordbak, Jen Prokop) — Wed, 4 Sep 2019 07:00:24 +0000

96 - J.R. Ward: The Black Dagger Brotherhood

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, J.R. Ward. She's chats with us about her rocky path to publishing success, why it's her fault Jenny became a dominatrix, her advice for women, and her writing process. She's everything we dreamed she would be...and more!

95 - Karelia Stetz-Waters: Out in Portland

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 21 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by lesbian romance author Karelia Stetz-Waters who chats with us about her Out in Portland series, why she's on a quest to spread “cliteracy” across the country, and how she's using her work as a romance writer to teach readers about female sexual anatomy, desire, and pleasure.

94 - Nita Basu (Hachette Audio) and Caro Perny (Tor)

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Nita Basu from Hachette Audio and Caro Perny from Tor (formerly Avon)!

93 - Abby Jimenez: The Friend Zone

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 7 Aug 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by USA Today Bestselling author, Abby Jimenez! Abby is also a Food Network champ who founded the Nadia Cakes Bakery out of her home kitchen back in 2007. Nadia Cakes has since gone on to win numerous Food Network competitions and has amassed an international cult following. We chat about her fascinating journey from one of the lowest points of her life to the wonderful successes she's achieved and the risks it took to get there. We discuss her debut novel, The Friend Zone, her hilarious dogs, and so much more!

92 - Sarah MacLean: Brazen and the Beast

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Sarah MacLean who is not only a NYT Bestselling author, but is also a cohost of one of our favorite podcasts, Fated Mates. We chat about her latest book, Brazen and the Beast, how podcasting has impacted her writing, and the fabulously bananas books she's been reading lately.

91 - Mia Hopkins: Trashed

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 17 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Mia Hopkins to talk about Trashed, her Eastside Brewery series, why we find it impossible to tell love stories without sex, and how motherhood has impacted her writing process.

90 - Naima Simone: The Billionaire's Bargain

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 10 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Naima Simone to talk about her latest releases, her love of reality TV, and our thoughts on the new live action Disney movies.

89 - Kate Clayborn: Chance of a Lifetime and Love Lettering

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 3 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by author Kate Clayborn who chats with us about her Chance of a Lifetime series and her upcoming standalone novel, Love Lettering. We discuss what we would do if we won the lottery, our feelings on tense and POV in writing, and her thoughts on grunting heroes.

88 - Andie J. Christopher: Stern Brunch Daddies and Rom Coms

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by author Andie J. Christopher to get her thoughts on Notting Hill, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, and to explain to us just what a Stern Brunch Daddy is!

87 - Melonie Johnson: Getting Hot With the Scot

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by author Melonie Johnson!

86 - Anna Zabo: Reverb

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by author Anna Zabo!

85 - Jenn LeBlanc: The Lady and Her Secret Lover

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 5 Jun 2019 07:00:00 +0000

A recording of Jenn LeBlanc's book launch event at The Ripped Bodice for The Lady and Her Secret Lover. We moderated a discussion with her and the cast about what it takes to shoot an illustrated romance, stories from behind the scenes, and more!

84 - Rose Lerner: Interpreting Historical Sources

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 29 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

83 - Tif Marcelo: The Key to Happily Ever After

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 22 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Tif Marcelo to chat about her latest book, The Key to Happily Ever After, what it was like raising four kids, being an army nurse, and all things weddings!

82 - Christina Lauren: The Unhoneymooners

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 15 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined once again by dynamic writing duo, Christina Lauren! We chat about all of their recent and upcoming releases, the latest movie news for Roomies, what it was like writing the screenplay, and how their careers have evolved.

81 - What We're Reading #9 with Eva Moore: The Tipsy Edition

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 8 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

80 - Jennifer Estep: Protect the Prince

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 1 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000

79 V.E. Schwab: Villains, A Darker Shade of Magic, and Addie La Rue

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 24 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000

78 - Tessa Woodward: Executive Editor at Avon

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000

77 - Sally Thorne: 99 Percent Mine

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 10 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000

76 - Kennedy Ryan: Hook Shot

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 3 Apr 2019 07:00:00 +0000

75 - Lora Haddock: Pleasure Tech Pioneer

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Lora Haddock who is the founder of pleasure tech company Lora DiCarlo. We chat a

73 - Robin Covington: Never Trust a Thief

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 13 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000

We’re joined by Robin Covington to chat about her sizzling books, why we love controversial characters, and how hard it would be to pick a designated survivor of Romancelandia!

72 - Adriana Herrera: American Dreamer

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 6 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by debut author Adriana Herrera to chat about American Dreamer, the details she included about Afro-Latinx cuisine that made us hungry when we were reading, and how romance could handle stories that include trauma better.

71 - Piper J. Drake: Fierce Justice

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 27 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000

70 - Penny Reid and Maureen Lee Lenker: Toxic Masculinity

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Penny Reid and Maureen Lee Lenker to have a conversation about toxic masculinity. We also delve into why Penny has in the past deliberately written characters who start their arc exhibiting these traits, why she feels like we're much harder on our heroines, and some of our own experiences with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Check out Penny's latest incredibly timely book, Motion!

69 - What We're Reading #8 with Erin Galloway

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 13 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000

In this 8th edition of What We're Reading, we're joined once again by our brilliant romance loving friend Erin Galloway who is the Deputy Director of Publicity for Berkley. We chat about all the great books we've read in the last month and what we're looking forward to this year!

68 - Katee Robert: The Fearless King

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 6 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Katee Robert joins us to talk about The Fearless King, juggling motherhood with writing, and her plans for a series inspired by classic villains!

67 - Sierra Simone: Sinner, Priest, and New Camelot

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 30 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Sierra Simone who discusses mixing Catholicism with kink, her transition from YA to erotic fiction, and her well earned title of Erotic Theologian.

66 - Sierra Simone and C.D. Reiss from The Ripped Bodice: Writing Erotic Romance

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Thu, 24 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

This episode was recorded at a live event at The Ripped Bodice called Writing Erotic Romance for the Modern Reader featuring C.D. Reiss and Sierra Simone discussing how they write high heat levels. Jenny moderated, so we recorded it to share with everyone who wasn't able to attend!

65 - Victoria Denault: Now or Never

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

Victoria Denault joins us to talk hockey romance and tell us all about the latest in her San Francisco Thunder series, Now or Never! She tells us the story of actor/comedian Paul Sheer live tweeting her book to make up for mocking the cover on social media--and what it was like to be caught in a public kerfuffle like that. We also chat about her recent move from LA to a small village in France (where we hope she's enjoying her wine and cheese and French countryside and we're not even a little bit jealous!).

64 - Darynda Jones: Charley Davidson Series

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by New York Times bestselling author, Darynda Jones! Darynda tells us all about her Charley Davidson series, which has just come to its conclusion with Summoned to Thirteenth Grave. She also talks about falling for her husband at the age of 10, discovering her son was deaf, her degree in Sign Language Interpreting, and her journey to becoming an author.

63 - Lindsay Emory: The Royal Runaway

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 9 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

62 - Sophie Jordan: The Me I Meant to Be

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 2 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined again by the fabulous Sophie Jordan to talk about her new YA release, The Me I Meant to Be, as well as our New Year's resolutions (or lack thereof), and books we're excited about in 2019!

61 - What We're Reading: 2018 Wrap Up (#7)

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 26 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We chat about what we've been reading recently and reflect on 2018.

60 - Elizabeth Hoyt: Not the Duke's Darling

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by New York Times Bestselling author Elizabeth Hoyt! She tells us about her new series that starts with Not the Duke's Darling, the secret society of women that it features, and where her often dark storylines come from.

59 - Naima Simone: Sin and Ink

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 12 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

58 - Holiday Special with Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe, Sarah MacLean, and Sophie Jordan

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Fri, 7 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We’re joined this week by four incredible authors who've all been guests in the past: Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe, Sarah MacLean, and Sophie Jordan! They tell us about their stories from their holiday anthology, How the Dukes Stole Christmas, chat about some of their holiday traditions, and answer questions from our Great Holiday Debate 2018! If you want to weigh in on the debate, you can submit your votes here:

WWC Great Holiday Debate 2018 Listener Survey

You can check out How the Dukes Stole Christmas here! The audio book is now available as well!

You can find their past episodes here:

Thanks to everyone who has heeded our call from the Anniversary Episode and left us a review on iTunes (or wherever you listen!)—we appreciate it more than you know! Make sure you remember to shoot us an email (wickedwallflowersclub@gmail.com) to claim your reward(s)! If you haven’t done it yet, offer still stands!

A signed copy of Jenny's book!
A custom limerick written about you by Sarah!
Name a character in Jenny's column!

We’re also thrilled with our new Facebook group and loving being able to connect more with listeners, so if you haven’t joined yet, come be part of our Facebook club!

Our first newletter will go out in December, so if you want to get it and haven't signed up yet, you can do that HERE!

WAYS TO LISTEN

About the Guests

Here are the links to each guest's website where you can find info about their books, social media, and more!

Tessa Dare

Tessa Dare is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling American historical romance novelist. She has authored fifteen novels and novellas and created four different series. In 2012, she won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for Best Regency Historical Romance for her book A Night to Surrender.

Joanna Shupe

Award-winning author JOANNA SHUPE has always loved history, ever since she saw her first Schoolhouse Rock cartoon. In 2013 she won Romance Writers of America’s prestigious Golden Heart® Award for Best Historical.

Joanna’s first Gilded Age historical novel, Magnate, was named one of the Best Books of 2016 by Publishers Weekly, and one of 2016′s top romances by The Washington Postand Kobo. The Washington Post named Joanna’s The Lady Hellion as one of 2015’s top five romance novels.

Sarah MacLean

New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages, and winner of back-to-back RITA Awards for best historical romance from the Romance Writers of America.

Sophie Jordan

Sophie Jordan grew up in the Texas hill country where she wove fantasies of dragons, warriors, and princesses. A former high school English teacher, she's also the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Avon historical romances.

57 - Emma Barry: Free Fall

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 5 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

56 - Priscilla Oliveras: Their Perfect Melody

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 28 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We’re joined this week by award winning romance author Priscilla Oliveras to chat about how she got her start in romance, her experiences as an RWA board member (and some of the challenges the organization faces), and how her characters become like family to her. We also talk all about her Matched to Perfection series, the latest of which is Their Perfect Melody--featuring a victim's advocate heroine and a hero who's a Spanish guitar playing Chicago PD officer.

A signed copy of Jenny's book!
A custom limerick written about you by Sarah!
Name a character in Jenny's column!

We’re also thrilled with our new Facebook group and loving being able to connect more with listeners, so if you haven’t joined yet, come be part of our Facebook club!

Our first newletter will go out in December, so if you want to get it and haven't signed up yet, you can do that HERE!

Ways to listen:

iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 56 - Pris Oliveras: Their Perfect Melody
Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 55 Gail Carriger: The Omega Objection
Click here for GooglePlay!
It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

You can find Pris on her website or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

Some highlights from our conversation include:

How she got her first exposure to romance and how her career began
How writing gave her a piece of her identity that gave her something important outside of motherhood
How her daughters are now old enough that they come to support her the same way she has supported them their whole lives--and how wonderful that is!
Some of the challenges that the RWA board is facing right now, particularly when it comes to representation and the RITA awards
How RWA is trying to become a more inclusive space
Where she gets inspiration for her characters
How her brand is "contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor"
How she had to learn to write what was in her heart, which included writing the world that she knows and wasn't seeing depicted
4 Chicas Chat Facebook group
All about her Matched to Perfection series--where the characters came from and what each book is about
What it's like starting a new series as an author when your readers have embraced the one you've just finished
Where she draws inspiration for the Latinx elements of her stories
Fiction From the Heart Facebook Group

Books mentioned:

Their Perfect Melody by Priscilla Oliveras

His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras

Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

55 - Gail Carriger: The Omega Objection

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We’re joined this week by the utterly charming Gail Garriger to talk about her fabulous books, her journey into romance, and her experiences as an archaeologist!

A signed copy of Jenny's book!
A custom limerick written about you by Sarah!
Name a character in Jenny's column!

We’re also thrilled with our new Facebook group and loving being able to connect more with listeners, so if you haven’t joined yet, come be part of our Facebook club!

You can find Gail on her website or follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

Some highlights from our conversation include:

How little YA there was when we were growing up and how much better it’s getting
What it means to be a whale reader
How Soulless came about
How she got her start in publishing without an agent
Why she crossed over into self publishing
Our theories about who ends up doing archaeology and why there are so many who cross over into writing
Why Gail loves Middle Kingdom Egypt so much
Her friend "Smelly Cat"
How she has shifted gears to write contemporary M/M romance
All about The Omega Objection, her latest in the San Andreas Shifter series
How she drives readers crazy by making them wait for beloved secondary characters to get their love stories
How she's behind on her latest book because she had to sign 10,000 copies of her books at once
How frustrated she gets when people dismiss romance
"I am almost entirely composed of pet peeves!" -GC
"I read alot and I have strong opinions!" -GC

Books mentioned:

Arrow Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey

Judy Blume books

Sweet Valley High books

Paradox trilogy by Rachel Bach (Fortune's Pawn is Book 1)

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Circe by Madeline Miller

Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

The Omega Objection by Gail Carriger

Poison or Protect by Gail Carriger

The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip

Books by Cat Sebastian

Books by KJ Charles

Books by R. Cooper

For Real by Alexis Hall

The Lightning Struck Heart by TJ Clune

54 - What We're Reading: Anniversary Edition (#5)

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

It's our one year anniversary, and we couldn't be more honored that you've chosen to spend time with us and be part of this incredible journey! The show has grown into something much bigger than we could ever have hoped for a year ago!

We start this episode reflecting on the past year, sharing all the cool new Wicked Wallflowers stuff we're working on, and then go into a discussion of the fabulous books we've been reading lately. Fair warning, wine was consumed during the recording of this episode!

We were overly ambitious when we recorded, and the website changes aren't quite finished yet, but it should be all up, running, user friendly, and gorgeous by the end of this week, so keep an eye out!

Wicked Wallflowers Club Updates!

Join the Wicked Wallflowers Club Facebook Group!

We want to have a place where you guys can talk to each other and share the awesome stuff that you send us in messages, emails, and on Twitter right now! We're terrified of Facebook, but are super excited to build a group where we can support each other and connect about books. In our group, you will probably be able to find anything from fantastic book recs to a beta reader. Click HERE!

We've rebranded!

Have you noticed our fancy new logo? We're pretty excited about her! When we started out, we didn't have a clear sense of our identity, but now we feel like it's time that our logo feels a little more like our show. We're also in the process of revamping the website, so keep an eye out in the next few days for those changes to be completed!

It's taken us a year to get our shit together, but we're finally ready to start sending out a monthly newsletter with all kinds of fun stuff! We're planning on sharing updates, book recs, author spotlights, events, and more! Click HERE or go to our Contact page to sign up!

Please leave us a review on iTunes or the platform you use to listen! We have some hilarious rewards available if you shoot us an email at wickedwallflowersclub@gmail.com to let us know you did it! Options:

Signed copy of Jenny's book, The Scarlett Letters: My Secret Year of Men in an L.A. Dungeon
Shout out on the podcast
Custom limmerick written by Sarah and shared on the podcast--seriously, please make her write so many of these!
Name a character in Jenny's Penthouse column!

Life Updates

Sarah has finished another book and Jenny is Beta reading it! It's a fantasy novel about a ruthless princess and Jenny is all about the lady rage so far!
Jenny spends alot of time at Petco. Like alot of time.

Books!

Duchess by Design by Maya Rodale
- Historical that is incredibly timely and empowering
- Both Jenny and Sarah absolutely adored it
- Dresses with pockets, a Duke who is educated by the heroine about his privilege, marvelous sexual tension, and powerful feminism
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- YA fantasy heist story that lives up to the hype
- Hero is a glove wearing, cane wielding, antihero named Kaz...and he's marvelous
- The whole cast of characters is brilliant with wonderfully ass kicking, competent female characters.
- Not everyone is white and not everyone is straight...and that isn't a thing, which was great.
For the Duke's Eyes Only by Lenora Bell
- James Bond meets female Indiana Jones on a quest to recover the Rosetta Stone
- Lady Indy gives no fucks about the rules of society
- Rochester is a spy pretending to be a drunken, useless Duke as part of his cover
- Childhood friends to enemies to lovers with delightful pop culture references and witty banter
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas
- Final book in the Throne of Glass series
- Epic world building and a fantastic conclusion to the series
- Well done female friendships, love stories, and empowered female characters
Jane Doe by Victoria Stone
- Feminist rage book of 2018
- Sociopath named Jane plots the downfall of her only friend's boyfriend who drove her to suicide
- Psycho in the best way
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep
- Gladiator meets Game of Thrones in which all the power players are female
- Heroine survives a massacre of the entire royal family and finds her power and identity while hiding out with a gladiator troupe
Managed by Kristen Callihan
- rock star romance with buttoned up, control freak hero
- workaholic British band manager falls for sassy American social media manager
- blistering sexual tension
- "Spray that filth on the page and I'm gonna lap it up!" -SH
Sin and Ink by Naima Simone
- Former MMA fighter tattoo artist falls for his brother's widow
- Lots of simmering sexual tension and smoking hot sex scenes
- Heavy on the angst
Scoring With the Wrong Twin-Jenny has just started!
The British Knight by Louise Bay-Sarah is currently reading!
Burn Down the Night by Molly O'Keefe
- Smoking hot story with a kickass proudly bisexual heroine
A Nordic King by Karina Halle
- A widower, single father king of Denmark falls for the nanny
- Navigates the power dynamics well
- Sexytimes

Currently Reading:

Pride by Ibi Zoboi as part of the Great Big Romance Read
Flow, Grip, and Still by Kennedy Ryan
Unraveled by Courtney Milan
Camp So-and-So by Mary

Recs We're Looking For:

Control freaks
Super sexy books ("explodey bangs")
Paranormal romance

53 - Courtney Miller-Callihan: Literary Agent

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 7 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by literary agent extraordinaire, Courtney Miller-Callihan! She answers all of our burning questions about what it means to be a literary agent, how she became one, and why she loves it!

Ways to listen:

iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 53 - Courtney Miller-Callihan: Literary Agent
Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 53 Courtney Miller-Callihan: Literary Agent
Click here for GooglePlay!
It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

You can find out more about Courtney (or query her!) on her website or follow her on Instagram or Twitter!

Highlights from our conversation include:

How she got her start in the publishing industry
How and why she founded Handspun Literary
Why agenting is the most telecommutable job in the world
What an agent actually does!
What made her want to be an agent of all the jobs in publishing she could have chosen
How the books she represents are hugely representative of her personality
Why she hates the term "gatekeeper" for agents--she prefers curator, which makes total sense!
How a new agent builds relationships and why those relationships matter
How she can get a read on editors based on what TV shows they watch
Some of the issues that the publishing industry is grappling with and what could help with them
Why she's hybrid publishing friendly and how she handles clients who want to self publish
How she decides which clients to sign
A few agent horror stories
Job hazards of being an agent

Books mentioned:

One and Only by Jenny Holiday

52 - Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined this week by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter, bestselling authors of some of our favorite books--and real life besties! We talk about their upcoming projects, their tortured heroes, kickass heroines, and their epic friendship. You'll find out about who wants to wear the other one's skin, the literal shrines they have to each other, and why this game of Fuck/Marry/Kill has a shockingly high body count!

Ways to listen:

iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 51 - Maya Rodale: Duchess by Design
Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 51 Maya Rodale: Duchess by Design
Click here for GooglePlay!
It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

To find out more about Maya, you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Highlights and favorite quotes from the episode:

"Gena knows how to kill people REAL BAD!" -GS
All about Gena's Gods of War series--spoiler alert, it contains lots of Alpha heroes!
How Gena is the heroine of all her books
Why Gena's friends don't piss her off
Why Gena's new YA series called The Forest of Good and Evil is the hardest to write that she's ever experienced
"I just want one fucking book to flow out of me!" -KC
"Let me inspire and excite you!" -GS
"It's like going to war and battling for every word." -KC
How the pressures of audience expectations impacts their writing and how they work past it
"When you're writing, it's like sanding wood and you can feel the grains that still need to be sanded." -KC
How often there's synchronisity between their separate projects
How their epic friendship began ("Can I lick your face?" "When is she going to lick my face?")
"We are not a tasteful show!" -SH
Why writer jealousy is bullshit
"By God, you better fucking like your own product...or don't sell it!" -KC
What it's like writing a storyline that you know will disappoint fans
Kresley's inspiration for the Arcana Chronicles and how she developed it
Their hilariously differing responses to killing characters
Gena and Kresley's preferences when it comes to Kresley's Gamemaker Trilogy
What's coming next in the Immortal's After Dark series!
"Twist our arm!"
The Gena shrine
"Can my game be Kill/Kill/Kill!?" -GS
"So it's like a praying mantis situation?" -GS
"I want to incentivize them for good sex. Bring it or die!" -KC
"We emerge as the only survivors...with some very fond memories!"
That time they had too much to drink and got lost in Manhattan and ended up in a horse drawn carriage--with Cherry Adair.

Books mentioned in this episode:

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

Shadow and Ice by Gena Showalter

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Warrior's Woman by Johanna Lindsey

Darkest Warrior by Gena Showalter

The Master by Kresley Cole

The Player by Kresley Cole

The Professional by Kresley Cole

Books by P.C. Cast

Books by Jill Monroe

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Dating by Christina Lauren

51 - Maya Rodale: Duchess by Design

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 24 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by bestselling author, Maya Rodale! We discuss her outstanding new release, Duchess by Design...as well as how she started reading romance, some of the real historical inspiration for her books, why the Gilded Age is so awesome, feminism, and much more!

Ways to listen:

iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 51 - Maya Rodale: Duchess by Design
Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 51 Maya Rodale: Duchess by Design
Click here for GooglePlay!
It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

To find out more about Maya, you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Highlights from our conversation include:

Listen to Jenny fangirl over her love of Duchess by Design
The real historical people and places that inspired the book
How Maya was introduced to romance novels and how that led to her publishing a nonfiction book about romance: Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained
Why a dress with pockets can change the world
What's coming next in the series
What makes the romance genre so powerful and endlessly fascinating
How she started writing romance
How her husband reads and provides feedback on her books
Her amazing fantasyland workspace

Books mentioned in this episode:

Duchess by Designby Maya Rodale
Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained by Maya Rodale
The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen Woodiwiss
Books by Tom Robbins

50 - Shayla Black and Lexi Blake: Masters of Menage

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 17 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake! They are two bestselling, prolific authors who talk all about their gloriously filthy stories, their writing process, and a slew of random topics!

Ways to listen:

iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 50 - Shayla Black and Lexi Blake: Masters of Menage
Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 50 Shayla Black and Lexi Blake: Masters of Menage
Click here for GooglePlay!
It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

To find out more about Shayla, you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. And Lexi on her website, Facebook or Twitter.

Highlights from our conversation include:

Their first experiences going to RWA.
How they met and starting working together as part of an accountability writing group and discovered that they were compatible.
How they accidentally predicted current events in their Perfect Gentleman series.
What their joint writing process looks like.
How the Masters of Menage series came about...tequila!
Why "traditional menage" felt limiting to them.
"Let's take tropes and make them really dirty!"
"She starts a virgin, but it doesn't last long."
"We'll just give you more cock. It's fine."
"He finally did give her his penis, in case you're wondering..."
How their husbands are the backbones of their businesses.
How they juggle all their many writing projects.
How they deal with writer's block when their schedule doesn't have room for it.
How their Perfect Gentleman series came about and how they developed it.
"Those things can be slippery suckers!"
Pickles, clowns, and pranks!
Why they don't want to survive the zombie apocalypse

Books mentioned:

At the Pleasure of the President by Shayla and Lexi (not up yet, so here's the link to the first book in the series!)
Their Virgin Captive by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
Their Virgin Secretary Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
More Than Crave You by Shayla Black
Protected by Lexi Blake
Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
Lucky's Lady by Tami Hoag

49 - What We're Reading #4

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 10 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

In this fourth edition of What We're Reading, we're joined by special guest Eva Moore! Eva is an author and admin of OSRBC (Old School Romance Book Club) on Facebook and one of the founders of a new book club on Instagram called Romanced by the Book.

How has everyone been? We've been rage baking and fantasizing about punching all the dicks. Seriously, guys. Group hug.

Recs we're looking for:

Anything that smashes the patriarchy

F/F romance

Life updates:

Sarah has been cat sitting and has started writing a new book (a science fiction Gothic romance!). Jenny took a whirlwind trip to Scotland to see family. Z got her first two teeth!

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Beyond Series by Kit Rocha
Gideon's Riders by Kit Rocha
- Sarah's rage read/therapy
- Sexy post apocalyptic series
- All the characters are trauma survivors finding happiness, but the writing doesn't linger on the trauma
Earth Bound by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner
Disorderly Conduct by Tessa Bailey
- Contemp cop romance
- cute, funny, outside of Sarah's normal reads, but she's enjoying
Vicious by V.E. Schwaub
- Not a romance--fantasy exploring villainy
- X-Men-esque plot with two super genius characters who begin as friends and become arch enemies
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik
- Rumplestiltskin retelling
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- Jenny will discuss in next WWR episode
Skullsworn by Brian Staveley
The Duke with the Dragon Tattoo by Kerrigan Byrne
- Book one features a deeply tortured hero who escapes prison and assumes a dead boy's name. The boy was not really dead. He's found with amnesia and is the hero of this book
- He wakes up in a mass grave with no memory of who he is
- Feels like he doesn't deserve the heroine who saves him and he fixates on her
Magic Harvest by Mary Karlik
Scoring the Player's Baby by Naima Simone
- 3rd book in the WAGs series
- Heroine who wants nothing to do with football players after her asshole football player exhusband. Has a one night stand with the hero without knowing he's a football player and ends up pregnant.
- EVERYONE loves this book.
Cherish Me by Farrah Rochon
- Set in Rome
- Marriage redemption plot
- "Loving, kind book"
Hold Me Down by Sarah Taylor Woods
- BDSM romance
- Other people have called it one of their best books of 2018
- Sexy, hot hero,
- Angsty
Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
A Crown of Bitter Orange by Laura Florand
- Set in the south of France in perfume territory
- Cousins trying to hold on to the family land, family grows flowers and produces perfume
- Follows youngest cousin, Tristan, who does adventure sports and is dismissed by everyone but has a phenomenal nose
- Falls for woman who comes for a line of traitors to his family
- Only one who really sees him for who he is
A Duke by Default by Alyssa Cole (check out our interview with Alyssa!)
- Silver fox Scottish swordsmith hero
- Heroine with ADHD who underestimates herself
- Super sexy consent
A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
- Dark, heavy, but super powerful story that revolves around domestic violence
- Empowering
- Set in the world of the NBA
Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan
- Enemies to lovers sports romance
- Kennedy Ryan is a fucking goddess
- There are writers who push me to be better. And then there are writers like Kennedy Ryan who make me want to stop writing because I will never be that good!"
- Curvy heroine grappling with insecurity
Single Malt by Layla Rayne
- Three book series that follows the same couple
- Eva trusts her implicitly to pick her back up after she's been dropped off the cliff
For Real by Alexis Hall
- Seasoned sub who has just gotten out of a relationship with younger, brand new Dom
- May/December M/M
A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe (check out our interview with Joanna!)
- Gilded Age romance with a deaf hero
- Jenny's favorite of Shupe's books!
For the Duke's Eyes Only by Lenora Bell (check out our interview with Lenora!)
- Lady Indy's story
- super strong feminist heroine who does not give a fuck
- Enemies to lovers feel
- James Bond meets Indiana Jones with a badass heroine
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (check out our interview with Tessa!)
- Jenny's favorite Tessa Dare
- funny, heartwarming, sexy, emotional, exsquisite
All Chained Up by Sophie Jordan (check out our interview with Sophie!)
- Heroine is nurse volunteering at a prison where there's a riot and they plan on harming the her. Hero gets himself beaten to get back into the infirmary to save her.
- Sophie Jordan brand: batshit plot point (woman being auctioned as a wife in the town square, family curse, prison riot) as a meet cute that then forms into an authentic narrative.
- Bonkers Alpha hero who fulfills the classic damsel in distress trope
Thirsty by Mia Hopkins
- Ex con who gets out and is trying to live by the rules
- Ends up living in garage of single mom heroine
Ransom by Julie Garwood

som by Julie Garwood

You can find Eva on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter!

48 - Andie J. Christopher: Not the Girl You Marry

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 3 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by USA Today bestselling author And J. Christopher and special guest cohost Jenny Holiday. We chat about her upcoming release with Berkley, Not the Girl You Marry. We also discuss Andie's dating history, that time she flashed a priest, and what it was like for her growing up in Minnesota.

47 - Carolyn Brown and Leah Hultenschmidt: Cowboy Honor

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 26 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We managed to get an author and her editor in front of the mic at the same time! We’re joined by New York Times Bestselling author Carolyn Brown and her editor at Forever Romance, Leah Hultenschmidt. We chat about Carolyn’s latest releases, why people love cowboy romances, how they both came to romance, Carolyn’s personal romance with her husband, and much more!

46 - Alexa Martin: Intercepted

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by debut author, Alexa Martin and special guest cohost, Maureen Lee Lenker! Alexa chats with us about her book, Intercepted, what it was like being a real life NFL wife, her love of reality TV, and much more!

Highlights from our conversation:

How her husband felt about her writing in his football world

How becoming an author is her reclaiming her identity outside of being a wife and mother

How #pitchwars ultimately led to her becoming a published author

What her revision process looked like and how it led to her getting an agent and a book deal

How she hasn't fully embraced her identity as an author yet and is still battling self doubt

Her gateway drug into romance--Fifty Shades!

Her relationship with football and how she struggles with the dangers of CTE, the risks to players, and the issues of domestic violence and culture around the sport

Some of the downsides of being a professional football player, especially being a football family

Her own adorable romance story with her husband

Her love of reality TV and how that trickles into her writing

What she's working on next

How there can be a target on your back when your husband plays football

Books mentioned in this episode:
Intercepted by Alexa Martin

Crossfire Series by Sylvia Day

Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

45 - Kennedy Ryan: Block Shot

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Kennedy Ryan, a Top 100 Amazon bestseller, to chat about her newest release, Block Shot. We also fan girl over our love of Long Shot and talk about her deeply involved research process for that book and what it taught her about survivors of domestic violence.
Ways to listen:

- iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 45 - Kennedy Ryan: Block Shot
- Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 45 Kennedy Ryan: Block Shot
- Click here for GooglePlay!
- It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

To find out more about Kennedy, you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Highlights from our conversation include:

- - What inspired her to write something as dark and powerful as Long Shot
  - How she spoke to numerous survivors of domestic violence in an attempt to make the story as authentic as possible
  - All about her newest release, Block Shot, which is a standalone in the same world as Long Shot--it's enemies to lovers between two competing sports agents!
  - Her other series that includes Flow, Grip, and Still
  - How sometimes the story or ideas just come to her and flow out of her
  - Her efforts to raise autism awareness and her foundation to support families living with autism

Books mentioned in this episode:

Block Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan

Grip by Kennedy Ryan

Flow by Kennedy Ryan

Still by Kennedy Ryan

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

44 - Helena Hunting: The Good Luck Charm

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 5 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Our guest this week is New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting. We chat about her latest release, The Good Luck Charm, what makes second chance romances so compelling, why she loves hockey romances, and so much more!
Ways to listen:

- iTunes: Click the button in the banner or here to download (and subscribe!) iTunes: 44 - Helena Hunting: The Good Luck Charm
- Stream on Simplecast: Ep. 43 Tessa Dare: The Governess Game
- Click here for GooglePlay!
- It's also available on Stitcher, Spotify, or most other podcast apps!

To find out more about Helena, you can check out her website or follow her on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Highlights from our conversation include:

- - Her earliest exposure to romance (Sweet Valley followed by Flowers in the Attic)
  - How she thinks she'll introduce her daughter to romance
  - Her experiences as a high school guidance counselor
  - How she started writing on maternity leave because her daughter wouldn't sleep
  - Why taking a toddler to the grocery store is like shopping with a friend who's on acid.
  - All about her newest book, The Good Luck Charm
  - Why hockey is awesome
  - Why she uses running to clear her head
  - Why Belle is kind of a bitch
  - What she's writing next
  - What she does for self care to get a break from her busy writing schedule

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Good Luck Charm by Helena Hunting

Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews

Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

Wicked Lovely Series by Melissa Maar

Twilight by Stepheni Meyer

Pucked Love by Helena Hunting

Pucked by Helena Hunting

Fall on Your Knees by Anne-Marie MacDonald

Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

43 - Tessa Dare: The Governess Game

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 29 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Our guest this week is New York Times bestselling author, Tessa Dare, who writes fabulously witty and charming historical romances. We talk about her latest book, The Governess Game, historical lady scientists, and the mating practices of both lobsters and ducks!

Highlights from our conversation include:

How we accidentally had Tessa play photographer for us without knowing it was her.
What it's like to be readers' "break in case of emergency author"
How authors who claim not to read reviews are lying.
Her marvelous new book, The Governess Game!
Awesome historical lady scientists.
Historical accuracy in historical romance and the concept of "historical rom coms"
How history is written by the Victors not the Victorias!
Her next book, The Wallflower Wager.
The backstory on her Girl Meets Duke series covers.
Her worst typo ever.
The specifics of lobster sex and why she felt it was the perfect fit for a romance.
Duck sex. More about duck sex and genitalia than you ever wanted to know.
"I don't know how to write a face eater!"

"Historical lube--how did we get here?"

"I want to tell a duck story that's not about rape."
Books mentioned in this episode:

Books by Brenna Aubry (Tessa Dare's office mate)

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

A Week to be Wicked by Tessa Dare

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

Romancing the Duke by Tessa Dare

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ward

42 - What We're Reading #3

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 22 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Our third iteration of What We're Reading, featuring Jen Prokop from JenReadsRomance!

We give a few life updates on Sarah's new book and Jenny's adventures in motherhood. Also, dicksoap. We have thoughts.

Books we discuss in this episode:

A Taste of Pleasure by Chloe Blake
Gorgeous cover!
"Ghost Chef" meets handsome Italian man at a wedding
Snappy dialog, great banter.
Jen considers it "perfect"

Whiskey Sharp: Unraveled by Lauren Dane
Angst vs stakes
high stakes low angst (external conflict)
Forbidden Hearts series by Alisha Rai

Forbidden by Beverly Jenkins
Historical in which hero is passing as white
High stakes/high angst, but the drama is driven by the internal conflict

Sparks Like Ours by Melissa Braeden
F/F surf romance
Friends to lovers with one heroine discovering her sexual identity

My Lady's Lover by Nicola Davidson
F/F historical novella
Lady's maid falls for her employer
"spectacular"

Vegas Top Guns Series by Katie Porter
Sexy kinks.
Exhibitionism at its finest
Bisexual showgirl and a photographer

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan
Dark story of a woman escaping an abusive marriage
Incredibly powerful story of a woman surviving and fighting
Basketball romance

Burn Down the Night by M. O'Keefe
Motorcycle club romance
AMAZING heroine who is not here for your bullshit

Judgment Road by Christine Feehan

Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase

Rules of Scoundrels series by Sarah MacLean

Radiance by Grace

Hidden Legacy Series by Ilona Andrews

Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews

Guardian Series by Meljean Brook

Anita Blake Series by Laurel K. Hamilton

Recs We're Looking For:

Angsty Books!

Vikings!

41 - Avery Flynn: Butterface

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Our guest this week is Avery Flynn who chats with us about her previous career as a crime reporter, her transition from writing romantic suspense to writing romantic comedy, and her newest book, Butterface!

You can find Avery Flynn on her website or follow her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook!

Highlights from our conversation include:

How she got started reading romance.
Her experiences as a crime reporter.
How she embraced her sense of humor in her writing and started writing romantic comedy.
How Butterface explores embracing women exactly as they are and how powerful that is.
Our mutual obsession with enemies to lovers.
The story of the cat Sarah and Jenny had in college who liked to hide in the bathroom and attack men's genitals.
Where her ideas come from.
How her career as a romance novelist began.
How she juggles motherhood with writing.
Why we love Scrivener!
How she deals with writer's block.
How she's grown as a writer and her craft has changed.
Books mentioned in this episode:

Butterface by Avery Flynn

Books by Johanna Lindsey

Books by Jackie Collins

The Charmer by Avery Flynn

Text Me When You Get Home by Kayleen Schaefer

Scoring the Player's Baby by Naima Simone

The Governess Game by Tessa Dare

Rock Chick by Kristin Ashley

Dangerous Kiss by Avery Flynn

In the Woods by Tana French

40 - Laurell K. Hamilton: Serpentine

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 8 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Highlights from our conversation:

How the world has changed in the 25 years she's been writing the series in terms of feminism, representation, technology, and so much more--and how that has impacted her writing.

How social media has changed the world and our interactions with people whose views differ from ours.

Why her readers were so distressed when she broke two characters up in the aftermath of 9/11.

How she responds to negative fans and the criticism that her series has changed and now has too much sex.

Her experiences with polyamory and how it was through research for Anita that she learned about that world.

What her research into BDSM looked like in 1997 long before discussions of BDSM were mainstream.

Her hilarious first experience in a BDSM club when she knew absolutely nothing.

Why you're safer at a BDSM event than at an average bar.

How she learned to balance motherhood with her own identity and her art.

Can you be happier?

Books mentioned in this episode:

Serpentine by Laurell K. Hamilton

Guilty Pleasures (First in the Anita Blake Series) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Different Loving by William and Gloria Brame

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben

What You Can Change and What You Can't by Martin E.P. Singleman

To keep up with Laurell, you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook--or on her website.

39 - Carolyn Mackler: The Universe is Expanding and So Am I

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 1 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We’re joined by bestselling author Carolyn Mackler!

38 - Sophie Jordan: The Duke Buys a Bride

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Sophie Jordan to talk about her newest release, The Duke Buys a Bride...as well as some of her other books, things she has enjoyed reading lately, and her theories about what the Gamemaker series can tell us about you as a reader.

37 - Valerie Bowman: A Duke Like No Other

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by historical romance author, Valerie Bowman to talk about her new release, A Duke Like No Other, as well as favorite plays, and more!

36 - Robinne Lee: The Idea of You

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 11 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Robinne Lee to discuss her powerful debut novel, The Idea of You. Robinne is a graduate of Columbia Law School and is also an accomplished actress. She has been in films like Hitch and Seven Pounds as well as Fift Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. We discuss her experiences as a writer and actress as well as the big themes from her book like ageism, the invisibility of "older" women, the madness of fame, and more!

35 - What We're Reading #2 with Maureen Lee Lenker

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 4 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We share what we've been up to and what we've been reading with special guest, Maureen Lee Lenker. Bonus: hear all about our first kisses, both real life and on stage!

Life Updates:

Sarah got an agent!
Jenny is back from the wilderness!
Sarah is back from Guatamalan adventures!
Recs we're looking for:

Sci fi/fantasy
Enemies to lovers (of the saucy variety)
Ancient or Renaissance historical fiction
Books mentioned in this episode:

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (listen to our episode with Helen!)

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas

Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwaub

Fantasy Maureen loved
pickpocket heroine from Victorian England
Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean (listen to our episode with Sarah!)

Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean

Inheritance Trilogy by N.K. Jemison

American Queen by Sierra Simone

Only $.99 right now!
Camelot retold as a
Best portrayal of BDSM in fiction that Jenny has read
Priest by Sierra Simone

Hot Dom Priest
Sexy BDSM
Gloriously filthy and somehow spiritual at the same time
A Storied Life by Leigh Kramer

High on our TBR pile
"Weaving together grief and beauty, humor and romance...will make you rethink life, love, and loss."
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

Gothic romance
sexy priest
The Forbidden Hearts Trilogy by Alisha Rai (listen to our episode with Alisha!)

Maureen loved the conclusion
sexy, satisfying family drama
Forbidden and Tempest by Beverly Jenkins

Historical Western series
Often based on real historical figures
Jenny is now binge reading all things Beverly Jenkins
The Red by Tiffany Reisz

Art history based erotica
Da Vinci Code erotica!
The Idea of You by Robinne Lee

39 year old heroine falls for 20 year old boy band member when she takes her preteen daughter to a meet and greet
gorgeous exploration of ageism, madness of fame, the invisibility of "older" women, art world, and love.
Does not have an HEA.
Rec from Michelle Jenkins!
My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (listen to our episode with Julia!)

Maureen felt it was deeply authentic having experienced her own Oxford Year
found it breathtaking
Always Never Yours by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broca

High school sweetheart authors who got engaged at The Ripped Bodice
teenage girl who thinks she's always The Girl Before
about her finding her self worth
lots of Shakespeare
sex positive teen heroine
Royals by Rachel Hawkins

YA with snarky, funny heroine
her sister is getting married to Crown Prince of Scotland and she has to live there for the summer and learn etiquette
Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

34 - Olivia Boothe: Wicked Dance

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 17:15:00 +0000

We're joined by author Olivia Boothe. We talk about her debut novel, Wicked Dance, how she discovered romance, and how she balances writing with a difficult job in the field of child protective services.

33 - Sarah MacLean: Wicked and the Wallflower

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by bestselling author Sarah MacLean. Her latest novel, Wicked and the Wallflower, just came out, and it is amazing. We talk about historical lockpicking, her romance review column in the Washington Post, and the true nature of the Alpha in romance.

We also got an incredible list of romance recommendations. Our conversation was so good that we went far longer than normal, so you get a massive episode this week!

31 - Helen Hoang: The Kiss Quotient

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 6 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

A conversation with Helen Hoang about her wonderful debut novel, what it’s like to be diagnosed on the spectrum as an adult, and how it impacted her writing. As always, we also chat romance, writing, and more!

30 - Jess Michaels: The Duke of Hearts

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 30 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

A conversation with historical romance author Jess Michaels.

29 - Erin Galloway: Book Publicity

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 23 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Erin Galloway, Associate Director of Publicity for Berkley, talks to us about book PR, favorite books, and upcoming releases she's excited about.

28 - Julia Whelan: My Oxford Year

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 16 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by Julia Whelan to discuss her debut novel, My Oxford Year, as well as her careers as an actress and audiobook narrator. We also learn what it means to be a Tea Master.

27 - Janna MacGregor: The Bad Luck Bride

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 9 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Janna MacGregor talks to us about The Bad Luck Bride, triplets, and travel.

26 - What We're Reading!

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 2 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

Jenny and Sarah chat about the books they've been reading for the last few months (that aren't already the focus of another episode).

25 - Joanna Shupe: A Scandalous Deal

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 25 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined by historical romance author Joanna Shupe! Her newest release is A Scandalous Deal, the second book in her 400 Club series, which is set in Gilded Age New York. We also talk about fascinating historical women, her tattoo, and why the Gilded Age is such a compelling setting for romance.

24 - Cathy Maxwell: A Match Made in Bed

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

This week our guest is Cathy Maxwell, a New York Times bestselling author of historical romance. In this episode, we talk about her latest release, A Match Made in Bed, as well as her prolific writing career and her fascinating past as one of the first women in the Navy.

23 - Angela: Fan Fiction

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

An episode talking all about fan fiction.

22 - Lenora Bell: What a Difference a Duke Makes

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 4 Apr 2018 07:00:00 +0000

This week we’re joined by Lenora Bell. She is a USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of historical romances. In 2014 she won the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award for Best Historical.

In this episode we discuss her Mary Poppins-inspired historical romance What a Difference a Duke Makes and some of her other works. We also learn about her writing process, including the pop culture references she always includes and the rituals that help her stay focused and creative. She gets candid with us about some of the struggles of being a writer, including imposter syndrome and the difficulty of getting that second book out.

21 - Eva Leigh/Zoe Archer: Counting on a Countess

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000

This week we’re joined by Eva Leigh, a historical romance novelist who also writes as Zoe Archer. Her latest release in her London Underground series is Counting on a Countess.

We discuss her four pen names, what it’s like to be married to another romance novelist, intersectional feminism, and historical orgies.

You can follow Zoe/Eva on Twitter and Facebook or find her on her website.
Her intro to romance.
How and when she started writing romance.
What her earliest writing looked like at age 6.
How her heroines embody the fearlessness that she wishes she had.
What it's like being married to a fellow romance author and how her husband, Nico, got his start writing romance. Check out Nico's website!
What it's like having two writers in their household.
How mindfulness can be useful for writers.
What it's like juggling four pen names: Ami Silber, Zoe Archer, Eva Leigh, and Alexis Stanton.
Why writing romance is a feminist act.
Why work by women for women is so easily dismissed.
The importance of intersectional feminism.
Why it's important to know when to shut up and listen to other people's experiences.
How feminism is about choices and is not going to look the same for everyone.
Historical orgies and underground sex clubs and how she'll be exploring that in the third London Underground book.
Books mentioned in this episode:

Counting on a Countess by Eva Leigh

Books by Jude Devereaux

Books by Johanna Lindsey

Skies of Gold by Zoe Archer

Taken to the Limit by Nico Rosso

Dare to Love a Duke by Eva Leigh

20 - Jodi Ellen Malpas: With This Man

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000

This week we’re joined by Jodi Ellen Malpas. She is the #1 NY Times and international bestselling author of the erotic This Man Trilogy and The One Night Trilogy, as well as several standalone novels.

In this episode we discuss what it was like to have This Man become an overnight success and her wild ride of a publishing journey from there. We also talk about adapting her novels for a Passionflix movie and TV series, the need for more full-frontal male nudity, and the casting process for her larger-than-life characters.

19 - Kelly Bowen: A Duke in the Night

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We're joined this week by Kelly Bowen who is the RITA award winning author of historical romance including her Lords of Worth series, A Season for Scandal series, and her new Devils of Dover series. We discuss her new release (A Duke in the Night), her background in agriculture, and which body part was most crucial in selecting the cover of her latest book.

To find out more about Kelly and her books, you can check out her website or follow her on Twitter or Facebook.

Ways to listen:

Highlights from our conversation include:

How she ended up reading her very first romance novel.
Why working on farms meant that she didn't feel any shame about the sex in romance novels.
The fabulously varied educational and work backgrounds of romance authors.
How her degrees in veterinary physiology and veterinary endocrinology have impacted her.
Her (sometimes hilarious) experiences in the male dominated field of agriculture--and how she enjoyed and was challenged by it.
How she parents her boys to have a healthy view towards women.
How the guys from the barn have been supportive and are a positive group to work with.
Why she loves the editing process and working with a team in publishing.
All about her new release, A Duke in the Night.
Margaret Anne Buckley who pretended to be a man and became a doctor.
Forearm porn and gorgeous cover models.
When King will be getting his own book.
Her adorable foster dog.

The variations of the cover of A Duke in the Night that we discussed:

Books mentioned in this episode:

A Duke in The Night by Kelly Bowen

Last Night with the Earl by Kelly Bowen

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux

The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

18 - Grace Burrowes: A Rogue of Her Own

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 7 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week we're joined by Grace Burrowes, a NYT and USA Today Bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. We talk about her new book, A Rogue of Her Own, how her experience as a child welfare lawyer impacts her writing, and how writer's block isn't writer's block at all--but a key part of the process.

17 - Jennifer Prokop: Representation in Romance

Fri, 2 Mar 2018 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we're joined by Jennifer Prokop, perhaps better known as @JenReadsRomance on Twitter. She's an avid romance reader and reviewer, and teaches middle school English, so she has a knack for breaking complex concepts down in a way that makes them easier to grasp. We discuss representation in romance, how to be better allies, and how uncomfortable but necessary these conversations are.

The full show notes with links to everything we discuss are available on our website: wickedwallflowersclub.com

16 - Jenny Holiday: One and Only

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

This week we’re joined by Jenny Holiday, a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and historical, gay and straight romance. We discuss her new release, One and Only, the epidemic of bridezillas, our theories on the romantic lives of Canadian ice dancers, and how she balances writing and motherhood.

15 - Cat Sebastian: It Takes Two to Tumble

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode we're joined by Cat Sebastian chatting about her latest book, It Takes Two to Tumble and what we can expect from her next. We discuss everything from representation in romance novels to how they can help with Post Partum Depression.

14 - Sir Rucifer: Pro Male Dominant

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 14 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Need a break from all the horseshit this Valentine's Day? We give you, Sir Rucifer, a professional Dominant. He is a well respected BDSM lifestyle educator, performer, and private instructor. We were excited to get his insight into what it's really like to be an Alpha male, what his clients come to him for, and how BDSM can be introduced to a relationship in a healthy way. We chat about Alpha males in romance and how BDSM is treated in fiction. We've stopped doing sexy passage reading, but couldn't resist having him read some 50 Shades to us at the end!

A trigger warning for this episode: We discuss fantasies of nonconsent (using the word rape) and how BDSM can help with the healing process after sexual trauma.

Download the episode (and subscribe!) on iTunes or click below to listen:

You can follow Sir Rucifer on Twitter or Instagram--or find him at The Dominion.

Other highlights from the conversation include:

-What it's like to grow up with the guilt and shame of being a dominant male.

-Why consent is sexy.

-What's behind the appeal of fantasies of nonconsent? Why are women so drawn to that fantasy?

-How BDSM can help people to recover from sexual trauma if handled correctly.

-Common requests that his clients are looking for.

-How to introduce kink to a relationship.

-Why it can be hard for men to assume the dominant role in a relationship.

-How to spice things up with sensation play.

-The importance of Aftercare.

13 - Jasmine Guillory: The Wedding Date

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 7 Feb 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined in this episode by debut author, Jasmine Guillory, who is as adorable as her "sexy gem of a novel", The Wedding Date. You can find Jasmine on Twitter or Instagram or on her website.

Some highlights from our conversation include:

Her Dad's reaction to reading her romance novel.
Why she doesn't want to write historicals despite having a history degree and loving to read them.
What her journey to publication looked like--querying, pitching to publishers, and ultimately seeing her book on shelves.
Why lawyers can make successful novelists.
The modern realities of dating and how those come into play in contemporary fiction: texting, social media, and the amusing intricacies of dealing with them.
How she chose to handle race in her book--as something that is present, but not a point of conflict between her characters.
The future of diversity in romance.
How food plays into her stories.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

32 Candles by Ernessa T. Carter

Books by Julie James

Books by Jill Shalvis

Books by Ruby Lang

Books by Jenny Holiday

On Writing by Stephen King

Bird by Bird Anne Lamott

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Books by Beverly Jenkins

Books by Alyssa Cole

Books by Alisha Rai

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Betsy Tacy books

12 - Jennifer L. Armentrout: Moonlight Sins

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We’re joined in this episode by Jennifer Armentrout. Jen is the #1 international and #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 40 books, including Wait for You, the Lux series, the Dark Elements series, and Til Death.

In our interview we cover everything from her writing process to her love of llamas to the life altering diagnosis she received in 2015 and how she’s handling the knowledge that she’s losing her sight. We also get the scoop on her latest book, Moonlight Sins, the start of a sexy and intriguing new series that follows the three notorious de Vincent brothers.

You can follow Jennifer on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram--or find out more on her website.

Some of the highlights from our conversation include:

-Her first intro to writing--poetry on her bedroom wall in permanent marker as an adolescent. She wrote her first book in 9th grade algebra.

-First intro to romance was around age 11 or 12 with Johanna Lindsey and Brenda Joyce historical fiction that she picked up in the free books section of the library.

-Her funny and interesting source of inspiration for her new de Vincent series--a house on The Dead Files TV show that had all kinds of awful things happening and they decided the land was cursed and nothing should have been built there. That concept combined with the idea of Kennedys of the South--a family who has everything in terms of wealth, power, and prestige...but ultimately have nothing--formed the basis of the series.

Moonlight Sins is out now! (Lucian's book)
Moonlight Seduction out in June (Gabe's book)
Moonlight Scandals out in January (Deb's book)

-Why writing sex between characters who don't know each other well is challenging.

How Apollycon started as a way for her not to have to do a book signing alone.

-The Origin event is starting November 3rd in Austin, Texas this year. There may be a few tickets left here.

-How the expectations that come with a growing fan base can make writing harder and impact or influence your writing.

-Why she rarely reads reviews of her work.

-Why the moment you start believing your own hype is the moment the quality of your writing is going to go down.

-The fact that James Patterson was #2 to her #1 on the NYT bestsellers list was what helped her husband to realize the magnitude of what she was doing with her work.

-Her rocky road to publication--She received over 150 rejections before she got an agent--including one from the agent who ultimately signed her.

-How she was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa diagnosis in 2015. RP is a rare group of genetic disorders that means she’s eventually going to go blind.

-What it’s like to be told that you’re going to lose your sight and there isn’t a treatment for it.

-How we all take our senses for granted.

-Why her writing output actually increased after her diagnosis rather than decreasing while she processed her new reality.

-How people disregard silent disabilities.

-Her writing process—7 days/week, she tries to finish a chapter per day.

-What the mid book crisis looks like when you think the book sucks and you want the whole cast of characters to die. She jumps ahead and writes the ending of the book, which gives her motivation to finish and helps her not to rush the ending.

-She writes with TV on in the background and has become known for subtle TV show references making their way into her books.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Moonlight Sins by Jennifer Armentrout

Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey

The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith

Secret Circle by L.J. Smith

Books by Richie Coosick

The Carpathian series by Christine Feehan

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

*By request, we have included Amazon links above for ease of ordering digital copies, but if you plan to read in print, please consider purchasing from The Ripped Bodice and supporting one of our favorite small businesses!

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett.

If you’re lucky enough to be listening to this before February 9th, Jennifer is doing an awesome Swag Pack promo that you should jump on. The details are below and you can access and submit the form by clicking this LINK.

11 - Christine Feehan: Judgment Road

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 24 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

In this episode, we’re joined by #1 NYT Bestselling author Christine Feehan. We’re so excited to share it with you, but we need to acknowledge and apologize that this isn’t our normal audio quality. Technology can be wonderful, but this time the interweb overlords got the best of us. Please bear with us—it improves after a few minutes and Christine is by far one of the most fascinating people we've talked to—a kickass romance novel heroine in her own right! Her latest book, Judgment Road, is the first in a new series called Torpedo Ink.

Some highlights from our conversation include:

-How she managed to write while parenting her 11 children (there goes my every excuse!)

-Her background in martial arts--she's a third degree black belt in Tang So Do Mu Duk Kwan and taught martial arts for 20 years.

-Her hilarious early mistakes in publishing--she hung up when they said they wanted to buy her book!

-Her advice for dealing with internet trolls after facing more than her fair share.

-Where the idea for Torpedo Ink came from and how she set up a brand new series.

-How the response to men who have been abused as children can be different from women and how that informed Reaper's story.

-How her martial arts background impacts her writing.

-Where she thinks writer's block originates--from the author inserting their own motivations and reactions into the story in place of the characters' authentic reactions.

-How an extreme low point in her life led her to martial arts and how those experiences still influence her stories.

-All about her writing process--why she doesn't outline, competitive "power hours" with her son, and how much she hates doing edits.

-Some of her unconventional yet awesome parenting practices.

-How ridiculously cool her steampunk writing den is.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Judgment Road by Christine Feehan

Bound Together by Christine Feehan

The Drake Sisters series by Christine Feehan

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

10 - Rose Lerner: Lively St. Lemeston and Hamilton's Battalion

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined by historical romance author Rose Lerner to talk about her Lively St. Lemeston Regency series and her collaboration on Hamilton's Battalion. We discuss everything from the role of food to the role of religion in fiction, her writing process, and more!

Listen on Google Play Music
Ways to listen:

You can click the button above or this link to download (and subscribe!) on iTunes!

Click this link to stream:

Or click the button above to access the show on Google Play.

You can follow Rose on Twitter or find out more on her website!

Some highlights from the conversation include:

-How her Hamilton's Battalion story, Promised Land, came about.

-Exploring how characters practice Judaism in historical fiction.

-Amusing family stories.

-Beta heroes and how wonderful they can be.

-How food can be used to express love.

-Lots of mouth-watering discussions of food--historical recreations, use in fiction, and more!

-Her writing process and how it tends to come together.

-Some of the advantages of self publishing.

-How she started reading and writing romance.

-How fantasy casting her characters impacted her writing and heated up the sex scenes.

Books/websites mentioned in this episode:

Hamilton's Battalion by Rose Lerner, Courtney Milan, and Alyssa Cole

Sweet Disorder (Lively St. Lemeston Book 1) by Rose Lerner

True Pretenses (Lively St. Lemeston Book 2) by Rose Lerner

Listen to the Moon (Lively St. Lemeston Book 3) by Rose Lerner

A Lord for Miss Larkin by Carola Dunn

The works of Georgette Heyer

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Pinterest Rose Lerner for fantasy casts

Historicfood.com

Colonial Williamsburg website

*The above links will take you to The Ripped Bodice website where you have the option to purchase the print books from the only exclusively romance bookstore in the US. We love them--please consider showing your support to such a wonderful small business! If you're in the LA area, definitely go and visit the store--it's magical! In a few cases, the books weren't available through the store, so we've linked directly to Amazon.

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett.

9 - Alyssa Cole: A Hope Divided and Hamilton's Battalion

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 10 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined this week by Alyssa Cole, the award winning author of contemporary, historical, and sci fi/fantasy romance. We discuss how Hamilton's Battalion came about, her powerful The Loyal League series, and her writing process--as well as why she no longer drinks martinis! We love her thoughts on why a Happily Ever After is important.

You can follow Alyssa on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook--or check out her website.

*Books and sites mentioned in this episode:

Hamilton's Battalion by Courtney Milan, Alyssa Cole, and Rose Lerner

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole

Be Not Afraid by Alyssa Cole

Talk Sweetly to Me by Courtney Milan

Beauty Awakened by Anne Rice

Literotica.com

SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett.

8 - Jayne Ann Krentz: Promise Not to Tell

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 3 Jan 2018 08:00:00 +0000

Today’s guest is Jayne Ann Krentz who is the author of more than 50 New York Times bestsellers. She writes romantic suspense in three different worlds under three different names: Jayne Ann Krentz for contemporary, Jayne Castle for futuristic/paranormal, and Amanda Quick for her historical novels. Her books have won numerous awards including the Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award from Romance Writers of America. There are over 35 million copies of her books in print.

I was excited to find out what drives Jayne to tell stories and learn as much as possible about the writing process of an author who has been so massively successful for so long—she’s clearly doing something right!

Download (and subscribe!) on iTunes or click below to listen:

You can find more of Jayne on Facebook, Twitter, or JayneAnnKrentz.com

Highlights from the episode include:

-The fabulous 82 day cruise she just got back from and what it was like to meet readers in Australia and New Zealand.

-The mysteries and challenges of the game of Bridge.

-Her riveting new book, Promise Not to Tell, which follows Virginia and Cabot as they try to uncover the truth about the alleged suicide of a woman from their past. Both spent their early childhood in a cult and were rescued from a horrific fire that was set by the leader of the cult, Quinton Zane, to eliminate his followers. Now they are trying to make sense of the final message, a mysterious painting, that was sent to Virginia before a woman burned her cabin down and jumped to her death. Is Zane still alive and out for revenge?

-The nuts and bolts of her writing process that has led to such a prolific and successful career.

-How she ended up with three pen names and why she doesn't advise multiple names for aspiring authors.

-The fascinating world of late 1930's California where her current Amanda Quick stories are set and what her research for historical settings looks like.

-Author's block vs author's boredom and what Jayne suggests you do to fix it.

-Jayne's advice for aspiring authors who are trying to get a career started.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Promise Not to Tell by Jayne Ann Krentz

When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

The Other Lady Vanishes by Amanda Quick (May 2018)

7 - Alisha Rai: Wrong to Need You

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 27 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Sarah and I were perusing a stack of books at The Ripped Bodice, discussing how much we love Alisha Rai when someone laughed and said, "You realize she's sitting right there, right?" Sure enough, there she was--and she was awesome enough to do an impromptu interview with us.

Alisha is the author of critically acclaimed contemporary and paranormal romance novels (and an attorney!). Her most recent book, Wrong to Need You, was just named one of Entertainment Weekly's Ten Best Romance Novels of 2017. We dig into her phenomenal Forbidden Hearts series and then talk writing, dating as a romance novelist, and how to approach racial issues in your writing. Alisha is lovely and full of wonderful wisdom!

*Books and authors we mentioned in this episode:

Nalini Singh

Cabin Fever by Alisha Rai

Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai

Night Whispers by Alisha Rai

Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai (March 2018)

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

Hurts to Love You by Alisha Rai

Serving Pleasure by Alisha Rai (first Indie book on the Washington Post list of best books)

Shirley Busby

A Gentleman in the Street by Alisha Rai

*The above links will take you to The Ripped Bodice website where you have the option to purchase the print books from the only exclusively romance bookstore in the US. We don't get anything from the purchase except the satisfaction of supporting a small business that we love! If you're in the LA area, definitely go and visit the store--it's magical!

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

6 - Christina Lauren: Roomies

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 20 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. The #1 international bestselling coauthor duo writes both Young Adult and Adult Fiction, and together has produced fourteen New York Times bestselling novels. They are published in over 30 languages, won both the Seal of Excellence and Book of the Year from RT Magazine, named Amazon and Audible Romance of the Year. Their third YA novel, Autoboyography was released in September, and their latest is a contemporary romance, Roomies that just came out a few weeks ago. Their first Women’s Fiction, Love and Other Words in April.

In this episode we cover all kinds of topics from their writing process to how they were first introduced to romance—and eventually how they started writing it—with some funny reactions from the people in their lives. We also ask them about the comments Hillary Clinton recently made about romance novels to get their take on it.

Other highlights from our concersation include:

-How changes in the world can impact a book in progress.

-Their organic writing process for working as a duo and how their outlining process has evolved to include the emotional transitions for their characters.

-How research opens up a broader world for Christina.

-The importance of writing different types of families.

-Their thoughts on Hillary Clinton's misguided comments about romance novels. Lo wants to send her some Courtney Milan, Tessa Dare, and Sarah MacLean to demonstrate how strong romance heroines really are. We mention Lisa Kleypas's Washington Post article.

-We discuss how the people in their lives reacted when they started writing romance. Lo had been doing research on macular degeneration and got mixed responses when she left to write romance full time. Christina doesn't talk about it as much, but still had some stories of her own.

To keep up with them, you can follow Christina Lauren on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter or find more information on their website.

*Books we mentioned in this episode:

Palomino by Danielle Steele

Barbara Cartland

Thornbirds by Colleen McCullough

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

5 - Courtney Milan: Hamilton's Battalion

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

This week we're joined by Courtney Milan, an award-winning and bestselling author of historical and contemporary romance. Her most recent release, Hamilton's Battalion is a trio of short romances set during the Revolutionary War written with Alyssa Cole and Rose Lerner. We chat about her fabulous story in Hamilton's Battalion and how she developed two such interesting characters. Other fun highlights from our wide ranging conversation include:

Her fascinating journey from math degree to theoretical physical chemistry to law school to law clerk to law professor to romance author (!).
-She decided she was bad at writing when she started college, and was fascinated by math, so she majored in math. One of my favorite quotes from this episode: "I ended up not being able to disprove all of modern mathematics, but I did have a lot of fun!"
-As a lawyer, she served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Kennedy, Sandra Day O'Connor, and others before becoming a law professor. The reactions from the law community to her writing romance ranged from heartwarming (Justice Kennedy!) to infuriating.
-We dig in to her intriguing writing process, which she describes as chaotic, like building a snowflake from the outside edges in. Listen as Sarah and I start to twitch when she describes how she handwrites everything!
-How her editor has to give instructions a specific way because Courtney can't be told what to do.
-How she essentially trained herself to like olives--and how that strategy didn't work with dark beer.

After sitting across from Courtney for an hour, it was clear that she is brilliant, humble, and kind...but what we didn't learn until last week is just how brave she is. In the episode, she references a federal judge who forbid her from reading romance novels during her dinner break. Last week she came forward with five other women to expose Judge Alex Kozinski's sexual misconduct while she was working for him as a clerk. The Washington Post broke the story, but Courtney's own statement is powerful and worth a read. Standing up and exposing behavior like that takes incredible courage. Courtney has cemented herself as not only one of our favorite authors, but now one of our feminist heroines.

Regrettably, we didn't talk about Courtney's adorable dog, Pele, but if you follow her on Twitter, you can see all the pictures! She can also be found on her website or on Facebook.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Hamilton's Battalion by Courtney Milan, Alyssa Cole, and Rose Lerner

A Civil Campaign by Lois McMaster Bujold

Georgette Hayer Regency romances

Thunder and Roses by Mary Joe Putney

Serving Pleasure by Alisha Rai

The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

4 - Bea Koch: Owner of The Ripped Bodice

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Wed, 6 Dec 2017 08:00:00 +0000

We're joined this week by Bea Koch of The Ripped Bodice. The Ripped Bodice is the only exclusively romance bookstore in America and a truly wonderful place.

We talk about Bea's fascinating graduate degree in fashion history, her love of Early Modern British history, and passive aggressive embroidery. We discuss why romance is unquestionably feminist and some of the challenges she faces as the owner of a romance only bookstore.

Two of my favorite Bea quotes from this episode:

"Elizabeth I is the Beyonce of her time."

"Are you scared I'm going to cut your dick off? I would never do that, I don't like blood."

You can follow The Ripped Bodice on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. You can also follow Fitzwillian Waffles, the roguishly charming dog, on Instagram.

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning

Song of the Lioness by Tamora Pierce

A Lady's Code of Misconduct by Meridith Duran (passive aggressive embroidery)

Harlots the TV show on Hulu

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett.

3 - Maureen Lee Lenker: EW's New Romance Columnist

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 29 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000

This week we interview Maureen Lee Lenker, writer of the monthly romance review column "Hot Stuff!" for Entertainment Weekly. We discuss our similar backgrounds, her relatively recent exposure to the genre, and what it's like to review romance novels for a living. We're looking forward to checking back in with Maureen next year to see how the column has grown!

You can keep up with Maureen by following her on Twitter or Instagram! You can also follow The Wicked Wallflowers Club on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook--and if you're enjoying the show, be sure to subscribe on iTunes!

*Books mentioned in this episode:

Wilde in Love by Eloisa James

When We Were Gods by Colin Falconer

Ransom My Heart by Meg Cabot (writing as Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia)

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce

Much Ado About You by Eloisa James

Temptations Of A Wallflower by Eva Leigh

A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

Sweet Little Lies by Jill Shalvis

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

Then Comes Winter ed. by Christina Boyd

Hot Holiday Reads, Vol. 2: Christmas Nookies, ed. by Tricia Skinner, Story by Maureen Lee: "From Keats, With Love"

A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole

Wrong To Need You by Alisha Rai

Hate To Want You by Alisha Rai

Duke of Desire by Elizabeth Hoyt

NY Times article

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

2 - Firsts and Favorites

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Jenny Nordbak & Sarah Hawley) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 08:00:00 +0000

Happy Wicked Wednesday, Wallflowers! We're back talking about our firsts and our favorites. Do you remember your first exposure to the genre? Sarah and I dig into our wildly different first encounters and then explore some of our favorites. We couldn't pick just one!

Books we mentioned in this episode:

The Scarlett Letters: My Secret Year of Men in an LA Dungeon by Jenny Nordbak

Wicked Abyss by Kresley Cole

Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole

Mine 'Til Midnight by Lisa Kleypas

Special thanks to our Editor, Chris Willett!

Welcome to The Wicked Wallflowers Club

jenny.nordbak@gmail.com (Sarah Hawley, Jenny Nordbak) — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 18:44:00 +0000

Welcome to The Wicked Wallflowers Club! This is our first episode that will give you a quick overview of who we are and where we'll be going with the show (or at least where we thought we were going with it back then!). We are two authors who read, write, and love everything about the romance genre. We celebrate female empowerment and sex positivity.

In this episode, we dig into (and dispel) some of the common misconceptions about romance and discuss how it has impacted our lives. We would love to hear from you too! What was your very first romance novel? Have you heard this nonsense before? Do you feel any shame or embarassment talking about what you read?

We hope you'll join our club and listen to future episodes! You can keep up with us by subscribing on iTunes or following us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.

The books mentioned in this episode are:

The Scarlett Letters: My Secret Year of Men in an LA Dungeon by Jenny Nordbak

Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole (naughty passage #1)

The Professional by Kresley Cole (naughty passage #2)

We also mentioned SmartBitchesTrashyBooks.com a great blog all about romance.