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We’re going back to May 2016 to look at the Ads & Features in Romantic Times magazine. The kilts are kilting and the abs are ab-ing, and we’ve got some questions.
So hop into the time machine, we’ve got the snacks, and we’re off to May 2016.
Patreon folks, you have an extended cut of this episode, available through the app or through your private feed.
We also mentioned Elyse’s review of Imagines, complete with Amanda’s specialty Photoshop.
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I’m bringing back a classic episode from the archives of the show, and because she has excellent taste, Amanda said it should be this one. When I originally published this episode, I focused on how silly we were – and we are plenty silly.
But since then Amanda and I have talked about the fact that when we recorded this, we were, in fact, baked out of our gourds.
So it’s a different kind of time travel: We’re going back to June 22, 2018, when Amanda, Elyse, and I were cruising on the special herbs at the Romantic Times BookLovers convention in May – the last RT convention.
You can see how many full circles that is – I think this is why Amanda suggested this episode.
We’re going to talk about Amanda’s weakness for Val Kilmer, the ranking of Hemsworths in order of physical density, how bad of a style icon was Anita Blake really? And can Amanda and Elyse find a villain hero I’d be interested in? Nah.
As I said in the original intro:
This is what happens when Sarah, Amanda, and Elyse get really silly, and stop making sense. And given that this has been A Rough Week, we hope you enjoy our completely bubbly, goofy, discussion.
It’s still been a rough week! So I hope this makes you laugh.
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Grab your carry on, your snacks, and a blanket, because we’re hopping in the time machine again to go back to the May 2016 issue of Romantic Times to look at the new releases and reviews!
This issue caused some big questions.
We have lots to talk about so let’s get started!
We also mentioned:
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Alexandra Vasti is back, because her new historical romance Ladies in Hating is out this week!
We are going to talk about:
Side trips include historical publishing houses, how nothing in romance is new, and how a lot of our current erotica, including that book where someone schtupps a door, is connected to books with the same sexual pairings in the Victorian era.
You can find your copy of Ladies in Hating wherever you most like to acquire your books. And if your library doesn’t have it, ask them to order it for you!
And don't miss Alexandra's last appearance on the show in Episode 664. Haunted Abbeys and Hidden History with Alexandra Vasti!
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It’s the 90s so the Ads and Features from the August 1996 issue of Romantic Times are a treasure trove of confusion. We’ve got:
We mentioned:
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The second book in Holly Black’s Night duology, Thief of Night, is out now, and I was so excited to talk with her about it.We start right off by talking about creepy places – like, what kind of magic comes out of Jersey?
Then we talk about world building, starting with atmosphere instead of plot, and the intricacies of shadow magic in her duology. Plus, we squee about books we’ve loved, magic powers we wish we had, and Kelly Clarkson.
Truly, if you’re writing romance, this episode contains many pieces of advice and perspective – it’s a banger.
Remember: you can’t hide from your own secrets.
You can find Holly Black at her website, BlackHolly.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter, and on Instagram.
We also mentioned:
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We’re going back to August 1996 – that’s a bit of distance – to take a peek at the new releases and the book reviews in Romantic Times magazine.
We’re back in the era of time travel, a scifi imprint named Avonova, and probable worms.
NSFW worms.
As usual, we learn astonishing amounts of unexpected information from this magazine. For example: we’re both obsessed with the 1996 movie Twister and we have many thoughts on tornadoes.
Content warnings: the following episode contains discussions of large worms, racist language in 29 year old reviews, and spiders.
Worm discussion: 5 minutes long at 35:00
Spider discussion: 47 seconds long at 45:00
We also mentioned:
Special thanks to the sponsor for this week's episode: The Spite Date by Pippa Grant, available in KU, special print edition, and/or duet narration audiobook.
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Valerie Bowman returns to talk about her new book, The Honeycrisp Orchard Inn, out September 9. Valerie has written over 30 historical novels but when asked by her agent if she’d be interested in pivoting to contemporary, Valerie jumped on the opportunity.
Please join us as we puzzle through the reasons why historical romance isn’t as popular, and what led to the pivot that so many authors are making. Plus Valerie shares the differences and similarities in writing contemporary and historical romance, and what question she gets the most from historical romance readers.
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You can find Valerie Bowman at her website, ValerieBowmanBooks.com.
And you can listen to her in Episode 586. Saying Yes to the Dress with Valerie Bowman.
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Support for this episode comes from Head Witch In Charge by Avery Flynn, out on September 2, 2025. Several romance bookstores in the UK, Canada, and the US will have signed swag goodie bags for anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge while supplies last. Many offer online ordering, too! See the list and place your order at AveryFlynn.com.
Plus, Bookshop.org is offering a 15% discount to anyone who orders Head Witch in Charge and uses the code LOVEBOOKSELLERS.
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Thank you to HelloFresh for sponsoring this week’s episode. Visit HelloFresh.com/SARAH10FM to get 10 free meals and a free item for life!
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It’s July 2016, and we’re back in the time machine to check out the ads & features from this issue of Romantic Times Magazine!
We spot an SBTB friend in the letters to the editor, and we talk about romances translated into English, the appeal of the wounded hero, and we spot an ad that’s very clearly some Tay-fic, as I’m calling it. We also discuss an article about Kickstarter in romance – and this is 2016. Look how far we’ve come – and how much RT had its finger on the pulse of new trends.
The July 2016 issue also has several scrapbook-style pages of the RT Convention in Vegas. We recorded a separate episode about those pages, with some conference memories, analysis, and memorabilia, and that will be the bonus episode for this month, dropping on August 26, 2025, for Patreon subscribers, with pictures galore.
We also discussed:
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Molly Horan is a YA author, playwright, and professor who is writing a dissertation on aromantic and asexual characters in YA literature. Molly also teaches classes about YA literature, so we have a LOT to talk about.
Examining relationships between people within the context of aro/ace characters requires a re-examination of how we portray human bonds in media, and how they work in real life. There are many book recs, so don’t forget to check the shownotes to embiggen your TBR.
Find all the books Molly mentions in the show notes at SBTB!
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Music: purple-planet.com
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Want a free preview of our bonus content? You're in luck! Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
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We’re back! Amanda picked this month’s issue and so we are journeying back to July 2016!
Hop into our newly refurbished time machine – we needed a bigger drinks fridge – and let’s look at the July 2016 new releases!
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Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
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Recently, I posted a collection of cozy, mostly British mysteries that all mimic the Richard Osman Thursday Murder Club covers in just about every way.Then, Kayleigh Donaldson said she had many thoughts about them.
One of the worst things you can do is be one of my favorite people to listen to and then tell me you have thoughts about something I posted on SBTB. I WANT TO HEAR THE THOUGHTS. Good thing I have a podcast, right? So here we are.
We’re going to talk about the Osman Aesthetic in cozy mystery, where it comes from, why it works, and what’s happening next.
TW/CW: mentions of a book that contains on-page sexual assault and discussion of That Writer being a TERF, plus the effect of her politics on Scotland. That discussion is at 35:30 and you’ll want to skip forward about 1 minute.
Note for Patreon folks: our bonus episode next week is going to be over an hour of Kayleigh and I talking about pop culture, concepts of masculinity and femininity in celebrity personae, and more.
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Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jo Piazza’s new book, Everyone is Lying to You, is a trad wife influencer murder mystery out this month. I loved this book. Jo has been covering trad wives and influencers for a long, long time – she has a podcast called “Under the Influence,” and has been writing about celebrity culture for most of her career.We are talking about trad wives, celebrity influencers, and how celebrity has changed with social media. We also talk about how and why trad wife influencers are so, well, influential, and how so many parts of our society have let women down.
Want some fresh burning feminism and critique of predatory influencing? This is your episode.
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Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
When I record with Nalini Singh, since she’s in New Zealand and I’m on the east coast of the US, it’s weird hours for both of us – so thank you to Nalini for speaking to me bright and early in the morning. We talk about Atonement Sky, about writing and worldbuilding, and saying goodbye to characters. I also mix up my animal pluralities but I fix it, don’t worry.
NOT thanks to Wilbur, my cat, who was vocally put out with my choices, and ends up with Nalini representing him in feline court.
Music: purple-planet.com
Find links to Nalini's website and newsletter, and the picture of her + Nutella, at SBTB!
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Danielle Allen is the author of 55 books, including the new release Plus Size Player, part of the Curve series alongside Curvy Girl Summer, and Big Girl Blitz. And the player, as you’ll find out, is the heroine.
The trilogy focuses on three best friends, and so we talk about friendship, loyalty, and about centering fat Black women as romance heroines. Danielle has also written contemporaries inspired by Poe stories, so of course we talk about interpreting Poe as well.
You can find Danielle Allen at her website, AuthorDanielleAllen.com, and on her Patreon, Curvy Girl Confessions. You can also follow her on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and BlueSky.
Her cover artist is Keo Majoy.
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A special invitation: free samples of our bonus content!
Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You may know Gaby Leon as HappyGabyCooking on TikTok and Instagram. She’s also the author of a new cookbook! The Enchanted Feast is a gorgeous book filled with recipes inspired by Gaby’s favorite Rrrrrromantasy titles. There are cocktails, snacks, entrees, and terrific cookies and desserts. This episode, and this cookbook, might make you hungry.
If you’re thinking you might need to check out this cookbook, yes, yes you do. And if you’ve got a potluck coming up, this book has you covered.
Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
You can find Gaby León at HappyGabyCooking on TikTok and Instagram.
We also mentioned:
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This is a delightfully unhinged issue. We’ve got a plethora of old-skool covers, weird language about China and Taiwan, Poconos hot tubs, and Elizabeth Lowell is thrown under the bus – twice?
Are you one of the most privileged readers in the world? I crave satisfaction in this matter!
Don't miss the links and visual aids for this episode - they're at SBTB.com.
A few housekeeping notes:
In July, I won’t be doing any RT Rewind episodes. This is partly because I have a BUNCH of interviews I am very excited about and want to share with y’all. We’ll be back in August with RT Rewind, so the time travel machine can have its annual service appointment in July.
And! Inspired by other Patreon folks, including Chris DeRosa at Fixing Famous People, I’ve made some of the Patreon content free so you can sample what we’ve got.
This collection of special previews is available now to all listeners, and there’s a link in the show notes to dive in. And if you like our free samples, join us in the Patreon community where there’s bonus content and more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Every now and again, I get to do a crossover episode with the Heaving Bosoms podcast. We pick a truly bonkers sexy book, and recap it across two shows. In this case – it’s three shows.Hi Heaving Bosoms listeners! I’m so happy you’re here!
This time, Melody asked if I had any suggestions for a title. YES I DID. A Soul to Keep: Duskwalker Brides: Book One by Opal Reyne was taking up a LOT of room in my brain and I needed to discuss it with someone. Thank goodness Melody emailed me.
So, first, THIS IS SO NSFW. Seriously.
Second, if you want the full recap, check out Heaving Bosoms part 1 and 2 this week, and join us for part three here.
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Amanda and I are traveling back to May 1995 – yes, thirty years ago.
I know, me too.
We’ve got weird reviews, outstanding side character names, a debut of a much-loved historical romance author, and a few side trips into pet names and fanfic ships in traditional publishing.
We’re talking about the past and the present at the same time, which is one of my favorite things to do when discussing romance fiction!
We also mentioned:
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One of Chelsea Devantez’s listeners connected her to my show after my interview with Joanna Shupe.Meanwhile I’d been working up the nerve to ask her onto my show, and then the universe intervened through this lovely person. Thank you!
I recapped Danielle Steel’s dog memoir on her show, and now, she’s in the guest chair on mine.
We talk about her memoir, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going to Anyway), which was published last summer. Along the way we discuss embracing vulnerability, hating small talk, and avoiding it by…writing a memoir! We also examine how the Depp/Heard case affected the final version of that memoir. Chelsea’s book is bookended by her own story of intimate partner violence, and much of it was redacted, as we discuss in this interview.
CW/TW: throughout this episode, we talk about domestic violence, intimate partner violence, infertility, donor conceived children and adults, the infertility industry, drive by shootings, shame, and mental health.
“Not talking is never the answer. Just talk about it.”
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