A Bookshelf Binge

I was honored to be invited to sit down with Farah Heron to discuss her newest release, Kamila Knows Best! From the story being a contemporary retelling of Emma by Jane Austen to how diverse characters don't need to live in a world of adversity, we discuss it all! I loved discussing the heavier topics while also discussing puppies, biryani parties, and how women who are seen as vapid because they take extra time with their appearance or want to host parties doesn't mean they don't have added depth.   Kamila Knows best is available for preorder and is set to be released on March 8th!   This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the books mentioned on the podcast here! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Farah Heron (@farahheronauthor) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Earlier this year, we heard from Emily Wittig Designs about creating book covers as a freelancer. Today, I got to sit down with Courtney Dodson, creative director of Amazon Publishing, about creating book covers on the more traditional side of the publishing industry! Courtney and I talk all things cover design, such as how much authors have as input, how you decide what trends to embrace vs push away from, and how to really engage readers who are shopping for books! We also talk about understanding language and the best way to represent that along with simplifying is almost always a good choice! Courtney is one of the most eloquent people I have ever spoken to and I am straight up obsessed with her!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the books mentioned on the podcast here! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Courtney Dodson from Amazon Publishing (@amazonpublishing) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab? Did you cry your eyes out? Do you think Luc really loves Addie? Well, my dear friend Tatyana and I sat down to discuss all things Addie LaRue! From whether we think Henry would have been able to survive Addie's curse to how we both peaked at 23 and its all down hill from here, we break down why we love this story and why it made us incredibly emotional.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Tatyana (@theliteraturellama2.0 and @thebookishbanterpodcast) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Why is ghostwriting such a secretive aspect of the literary world? How do you even find a ghostwriter? Do they only work with one author at a time? Do they get upset that they aren't credited? If you have ever asked yourself these questions, then you will find great enjoyment out of today's guest! I got to sit down with Dan Gerstein, CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters, a company that helps pair ghostwriters to projects and is "a one-stop solution for any author or speaker looking for help telling and selling a story."  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Dan Gerstein from Gotham Ghostwriters (@gotham_ghosts) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you read Savage Lands or any books by Stacey Marie Brown? Are you curious how these characters came to her head? Do you wonder why her book feel so real and tangible? Well, you're in luck, because I got to sit down with Stacey and ask her all of these questions! From her writing process, her history in Hollywood, to the future of the Savage Lands series, we cover it all!  I will warn you, there were some technical difficulties with this episode, so I am super sorry if the audio quality is annoying. I loved this episode, so I wanted to release it despite there being slight microphone issues.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Stacey Marie Brown (@staceymariebrown) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you listened to Shelby Mahurin's instagram lives and heard all about her fabulous critique partner, Jordan? Have you ever heard someone mention a critique partner and have wondered "what's that?" or "how do I find one of those to look at my novel?" Well, you're in luck because I sat down with Jordan Gray and discussed all things critique partnering! We break down how she started in the business, how the industry as a whole can sometimes suck, how to find a critique partner if you don't want to pay someone, and why the industry is a rough world but surrounded by the most amazing people! There are also some fun Serpent and Dove antidotes, and a fun discussion about Passionflix. Come for the knowledge, stay for the smut adaptations.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Jordan Gray (@authorjordangray) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you heard about the New Adult Category? Do you think it deserves to be its own bookshelf in bookstores? Danielle (@TheNewAdultBookClub) and I sat down to discuss everything about it. From Jezebel saying that the New Adult Category is just a marketing gimmick, to who has to embrace the genre first - the publishers or the booksellers, to why we think New Adult really resonates with millennials. Authors like Jennifer L Armentrout and Danielle Jensen are really pushing for their books to be classified as New Adult, but is that possible? What makes them fall into a category like that rather than Adult or Young Adult?  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Danielle (@TheNewAdultBookClub and @FlorallyMarked) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you ever been curious how a book gets its cover? What the process is with working with an artist? Why are there sometimes a couple different covers for a book? Why is this cover more artistic while this cover is a photo? Well, you're in luck because I sat down with Emily Wittig from Emily Wittig Designs to talk all about what it means to be a book cover artist!  Emily is one of the sweetest people and I know I loved learning more about this side of the book world, so I hope you do too! This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Emily Wittig (@emily_wittig_designs) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Happy New Year! We are starting 2022 off with a bang by starting with one of my favorite authors. Have you seen the Plated Prisoner series everywhere? Are you in love with Auren and Rip and Slade? Did you cry your eyes out in Gleam? Are you equally obsessed with Raven Kennedy as I am? Well I got to sit down with Raven and ask her all about the magic systems, Auren's ribbons, how real her characters feel, and more. I am in love with Raven and I hope you love learning more about this deep multifaceted world like I did. Stay tuned through the end of the episode for a fun Patreon announcement!   This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Raven Kennedy (@ravenkennedybooks) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Surprisingly little gets left on the cutting room floor for this show. I try to keep as much as I can to give listeners a truly authentic look at these people that keep the literary world turning. However, sometimes the stuff that does get deleted is hysterical and I am truly sad to see it get removed either for time or because its so off topic it doesn't belong in the episode. I also almost always have a favorite clip in each episode, so I really took my time to find some of them and compiled it all here! Normally, bonus episodes belong on the Patreon, but I really wanted everyone to enjoy some of these clips.  I hope everyone had a happy holiday if you celebrate anything this season, that you are taking time to rest and relax, and that you enjoy this shorter episode!   This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Who is this woman that comes on a podcast every week to ask questions about the literary industry? If you have ever asked that, then this is your episode! I put a question box on Instagram and man did you deliver. You asked some fantastic questions that showed I have 0 credibility to be doing this podcast, but all of the obsession and drive to bring it to your ears! I answered questions about my favorite books, my favorite tropes, what I do for a living, why this podcast even exists, and more! Really you learn that I have 0 control over my ideas and must execute them with the finesse of a bull driving through a wall!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Danielle (@TheNewAdultBookClub) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

If you have hung around the podcast for a while, you know I love From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout. So today, I sit down with two of my best book friends to discuss all our theories we have for the series! We discuss everything from how Poppy is a god and what happened to Cora to how the fandom feels toxic at times. This chat is longer and chaotic but was so much fun to record!  TW: We discuss plus sized Poppy and the Joining, so if either of those topics are uncomfortable or triggering in any way, please be aware and listen as your comfort level dictates!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: Jessica (@BookishBaddy) and Danielle (@TheNewAdultBookClub) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

What is this supply chain issue? Why can't I always get the book I want at an indie bookstore? What does it mean to be an indie bookstore? Is pre-ordering really a thing? Well, all these questions and more get answered on today's episode! I had a wonderful time sitting down with booksellers from East City Books in DC, Mysterious Galaxy Books in San Diego, and Savoy Bookstore & Café in Rhode Island. They really give you a behind the scenes look at buying books to be in stock on Indie Bookstore shelves and I found the entire chat fascinating!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guests: East City Bookshop (@eastcitybookshop), Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore (@mystgalaxybooks), and Savoy Bookshop & Café (@savoybookshopcafe) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you read A Touch of Darkness and have wondered about the wonderful woman behind the series? Have you seen the teasers for King of Battle and Blood and are extremely intrigued? Well, I was, so I sat down with Scarlett St. Clair to discuss everything relating to these two series! From handling bad reviews on Instagram, to the research behind her series, to some nice vague mentions about what to expect with her new series, we got deep and covered a lot in this chat! Scarlett is wonderfully down to earth and answered all of my questions about joining Bloom Books, going viral, writing in dual perspectives and more. We also dive into King of Battle and Blood, which I could not be more stoked to read when it is released on November 30th. You can preorder King of Battle and Blood here This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Scarlett St. Clair (@authorscarlettstclair) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Steamy Lit and the Steam Box are all about embracing self pleasure and whatever form that takes. It's wonderful and something I wish more companies pushed. Whether that's vibrators or candles, we should all be embracing what makes us feel good! As an added bonus, the Steam Box includes romance novels written by authors that are BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ (along with other marginalized communities). I got to sit down with the owner of Steamy Lit, Mel, and talk about the origin story of Steamy Lit, why she focuses her box on romance, how starting a company that caters self pleasure is a risk on so many different levels, as well as her what she loves to read!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Mel (@steamylit and @thesteamboxco) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Do you read young adult novels or are you like me and struggle with 15 year old kids saving the world? I sat down with my friend Kasey (@Kaseybereading on instagram) to discuss one of her favorite genres, YA. We go over fun and obscure history of the genre, some of our favorite authors and books, topics and tropes we love and hate, and more! We also slightly go off topic about my love to spoil books for myself and why she questions my sanity.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Kasey (@Kaseybereading) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

I am so excited for today's episode. I sat down with Ava from @KingdomofMaas and @Maastastic and the podcast Fandomtastic and discussed all things fan accounts! We start with how the handle @kingdomofmaas got started and everything she wanted to create with it (hint it had a lot to do with one of her favorite water boys), and then dive into some of her more "controversial" choices with the page and the backlash that came with that. We also discussed her podcast, and I highly recommend you guys check it out if you love Sarah J Maas content! Some trigger warnings for today's episode: We talk about the backlash behind her choosing to post only "Plus Size Bryce" and we talk about the death threats she has received. We don't go into much detail about it all but it is mentioned, so as always prioritize your mental health rather than this podcast! If either of those topics are triggering in any way, I will not be insulted if you skip this week's episode. This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the books from the podcast! Shop the show's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Ava (@KingdomofMaas) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

If we have ever talked on bookstagram about book recommendations, you should know this week's guest well! Kate Canterbary (probably one of my favorite authors) and I sat down to discuss how she visits witches in Salem and how the voices in her head tell her stories. We also talk about how I am obsessed with her books, how these characters come to her fully formed, her rehabilitation from the corporate world, and more! I love this chat! Kate was so open and honest, so I cannot wait for everyone to become just as obsessed with her as I am.  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the books from the podcast! Shop the show's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Kate Canterbary (@katecanterbary) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Have you ever wondered how an artist gets inspiration for their fanart? Well this week, I sat down with artist Sasha Lee Coleman to discuss inspiration, growth, partnerships, and more! We dive dep on how she started doing fan art, what she has learned about running a business, and dream commissions. Each piece of hers takes about 15-20 hours of work and is incredible. You might recognize some of her pieces from A Touch Of Magic Designs and each piece is just more and more incredible!  We spent a lot of time complaining about the Sarah J Maas fandom, but we are both admittedly huge fans of hers, so don't take too much of the complaining to heart! We also discuss some of our favorite fantasy books. Come for the art talk, stay to add to your TBR!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Sasha Lee Coleman (@sashac_art) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)

Today I am talking to author Sajni Patel to discuss all things about her new release First Love, Take Two! We sat down and talked about her nerves of sharing her culture with the world in a book, who should tell what stories, and how no matter how successful we become, we will consistently fan girl over our favorite authors! TW: We discuss racism, mental health, and touch on sexual assault as it is a topic of her novel The Trouble with Hating You. Order First Love, Take Two here!  This episode is sponsored by Audible! Follow this link to get a free 30-day trial for Audible. Become a Patreon Member!  https://www.patreon.com/abookshelfbinge Join the discord server! Shop the Podcast! We have merch! Click here to shop the podcast's merch!   Credits: Host: @bookshelfbinge  Guest: Sajni Patel (@sajnipatelbooks) Cover art: SaraSomethingCo (@sarasomething.co)