Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast

The ads and features from the July 2000 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of wtfery! It’s PEAK stepback era.Readers have been introduced to Half.com for selling their old books, and they are very excited about it – to say nothing of People.com and EW.com. We get a peek into the Romantic Times and Lady Barrow BookLover Tours – the prices made me very envious.We also spend some time talking about Monica Jackson, who died in 2012, and is part of the reason why we started addressing the racism in romance many, many years ago.Seriously, the visual aids are a feast this week. It's PEAK stepback era. We’ve got links. SO many links.THE ROMANCE SWATCH Y’ALL – it’s on eBay!PEOPLE in the 90s podcast: FabioSteve Sandalis naked on a cover, bathing in a volcanoYou can buy a signed copy of this book on eBayThere’s also the Viking Diaper stepbackWe mentioned the late Monica Jackson, and I read some of her writing at AAR, accessed via the Wayback Machine. You can also read her comments about being a Black romance author at TeachMeTonight.

What happens when a bestselling and award winning author of historical inspirational romances decides, after a break of a few years, to write spicy contemporary?If you’re Deeanne Gist, you start over from scratch as Dakota Lacoy.Amanda and I were just asking recently what had happened to Deeanne Gist, who wrote some SBTB favorites like Tiffany Girl and Fair Play. Well, as Dakota Lacoy, she’s been busy setting up a series of hot contemporary romantic comedies set in Honky Tonk, Texas, a small town with a sordid history and the greatest pun-filled business names.So my guest today is both Deeanne Gist and Dakota Lacoy, and we’re going to talk about everything – from writing historical inspirationals to figuring out how to introduce her old readers to her new name.You can find Dakota Lacoy at her website, where you can buy all her books and sign up for her newsletter.Dakota is also on Instagram, too.The illustrator for Dakota Lacoy’s website is Axana Zasorina, who is on Instagram.Music: Purple-planet.comTo advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.comOr go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooks

We’re heading back in time to July 2000 to check out new releases in Romantic Times Magazine!Highlights include:Amanda’s memories of reading Daughter of the Forest, one of her all-time favorite booksA surprising number of 2- and 1-star reviewsA heroine obsessed with pirates!Question: Did you read ebooks before the Kindle was released? What device did you use, if any?Visit the covers and the cool eReader at the episode's SBTB page!

Olivia Waite is my guest this week to talk about Murder by Memory, her new cozy space mystery. We talk about characters, inspiration, tactile memories, and what sport is not on the ship. Then: cozy sci fi mystery recs, especially queer ones. Music: purple-planet.com

Remember digital first novellas?Websites for an entire fictional town?When Indie publishing was talked about with the same language as MLMs?We’re going back to peruse at the May 2015 Romantic Times Magazine Ads and Features. It was a time!We also mentioned:Susanna Kearsley’s book page with all the covers The muscular dudes fabricThe Cover Model bagThe Jezebel article on writing Bigfoot erotica Don't miss the visual aids. You'll need your cogs AND your corsets! To advertise on this podcast please email: ad-sales@libsyn.comOr go to: https://advertising.libsyn.com/smartpodcasttrashybooksMusic: purple-planet.com

Today brings a vulnerable and honest conversation about the prevalence of penetrative sex in romance, and what happens if a writer decides to create a character with pelvic floor pain, for whom that kind of sex isn’t possible? Let’s find out!Jane Buehler’s new book, The Fire Apprentice, is out this week, and we’re going to talk about the book, and the series. But we’re also talking about the asexual spectrum, body changes from menopause, reactive desire, and kegels!Content Advisory: We are talking about pelvic floor, vaginismus, vulvodynia, asexuality and demisexuality, effective performance of kegels, sexual trauma, traumatic effects of bullying, and the paltry state of scientific research into conditions that affect people with vulvas and vaginas.You can find Jane Buehler at her website!We also mentioned:Our Reg League on books with vaginismusA Reddit r/RomanceBooks thread on similar recs Britain by Narrowboat (YouTube)Cruising the Cut (YouTube)Great Canal Journeys (YouTube)Episodes with Jen Gunter:367. The Vagina Bible, Shoes, and Other Essentials: A Conversation with Dr. Jen Gunter459. Facts, Feminism, and Menopause with Dr. Jen GunterJamiGold.com: Romance Beats vs the 12 Stages of Intimacy Pelvic Floor Biofeedback

Amanda and I have loaded the time travel machine with snacks and bubbly beverages. We’re headed back to May 2015. Some major books were released this month along with some we’re very happy to revisit.We’ve got answers to the following questions:Are there Amish Inspirational romances that have too much sex in them?How many garage freezers would a crime family need?How many stars did A Court of Thorns and Roses get?Don’t miss the erotica section – we’ve got some bangers, no pun intended.There isn’t a separate visual aid post for this one. All the images and books are in this post.Music: purple-planet.com

Once Upon a Time, Princess Mabel van Oranje, founder Vow for Girls, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage, met Stacey Abrams, author and the former minority leader of the Georgia House of Representatives.They hatched a plan to unite the romance community with Vow for Girls, which led to Every Girl Deserves Happily Ever After. Today, Princess Mabel and Stacey Abrams are here to tell us all about it.Please be aware we are talking about child marriage in the US and around the world, about childbirth, trauma, domestic violence and gender inequality.We are also talking about inspiration, hope, and determination – if you need a lift right now, you might find it here.You can find out more about Vow for Girls: Every Girl Deserves Happily Ever After online.You can find Princess Mabel van Oranje on LinkedIn and on Instagram.You can find Stacey Abrams at StaceyAbrams.com.We also discussed:The Elders organization founded by Nelson Mandela(PDF) Devolution’s Discord: Resolving Operational Dissonance with the UBIT Exemption (1999)The Fistula FoundationMusic: Purple-Planet.com

It’s time for the ads and features of the October 2000 Romantic Times magazine, where they’re both talking about new releases AND celebrating their 200th issue.What did we learn?We learned about waxing, magazines, and galleys, but not about skin care, gun parts, or boats.We’ve got Extreme Troy, everyone. Grab a drink and come hang out with us.And don’t miss the visual aids!WE HAVE LINKS.The Angelfire site devoted to Cherif Fortin (warning, loads very slowly, it’s not your internet connection)The Loose Cravat: Romantic Times vs PlaygirlAn interview with Cherif FortinBertriceSmall.com and the auction that ended in December 2024An eBay listing for the comic “Romance Novel Madness”Waxing galleys!