WTF happened?

On this episode of Steam Scenes, Emma Barry is on the steam seat! Emma is a teacher, novelist, recovering academic, and former political staffer. She lives with her high school sweetheart and a menagerie of pets and children in Virginia, and she occasionally finds time to read and write. Emma and I talk about how English studies weaponizes taste, how any writing you do is intrinsically valuable, and that literary fiction and romance are not as far apart as readers (ahem some readers) think. Then we get real about how sometimes we have a hard slog through the rough patches of being a writer and Emma shares how she managed to overcome it. And I read a steamy excerpt from her book Chick Magnet. Buckle in, my friends, we’re in for a steamy ride! Grab your copy of Chick Magnet.Follow Emma on the internet: AuthorEmmaBarry.com TwitterInstagramPinterestSpotify

Noué Kirwan joins me for this episode and our conversation is everything! We’re dissecting the chili peppers, digging into her introduction to the romance genre, and talking about the importance of being a black woman writer. Get your ears ready, this one is fire! 

Hey there my steamy friends. After an unexpected hiatus, Steam Scenes is coming back with new episodes!

Lee Blair is on the Steam Seat this week and this is an awesome conversation. We drill down into what makes a book low angst, why she prefers writing low angst to high, and what drew her to writing in the M/M genre. Plus I read a naughty bit from her book Eternal Hoptimist (I am HERE for the punny titles!) and we talk about her excellent podcast Low Angst Library.  Visit Lee online: InstagramFacebookTikTokFacebook groupLowAngstLibrary.com 

Maggie Sims went from romance addict to romance author when she was laid off from her tech job. She scratched her author itch by penning a contemporary romance. But when the pay phones in the novel dated it real quick, she decided to go all in on Regency romance. We dig into how language does a lot of work for us, erotic romance vs. erotica, and whether she will ever pull away from the kink. Plus I read a steamy bit from her book Sophia’s Schooling, the first book in her School of Enlightenment Series. (BTW, Regency fans, book 3 in the series, Althea's Awakening, just released in April!) Connect with Maggie:MaggieSims.com InstagramTikTokTwitter FacebookBookBub

Slow-burn romance author Sandra Young joins me on the latest episode of Steam Scenes! Find out how vintage fashion inspires her writing, learn about her wild background as an actor and rock and roll frontwoman, and how her different creative lives fuel each other, and why she opted to lower the heat level of her book. Plus we dissect women’s fiction and romance fiction, and I read an intimate scene from her debut romance novel Diving Vintage. Connect with Sandra online: SandraYoungAuthor.comGoodreadsInstagramBookBub

It's time for a new episode of Steam Scenes and Kelly Ohlert is this week’s guest! We talk about her debut rom com To Get to the Other Side and, of course, writing the naughty bits. It’s a great conversation filled with lots of talk about sexual freedom and independence so you know I was there for it! Connect with Kelly online:TikTokInstagramTwitterFacebook

Meredith Schorr is on the steam seat this week and all cheer for the single pov writers! We talk about writing Big City settings, getting inspo from our fave TV series, and how to write naughty bits using less naughty words. And I read a steamy excerpt from her debut novel As Seen on TV. Grab a copy of As Seen on TV.Connect with Meredith online:MeredithShore.comTwitterInstagram 

Erin La Rosa is on the Steam Seat and this is a fun one! This episode is all about one number and it starts with a 6, and ends with a 9. And yes, feel free to giggle! Erin and I talked about why she left what she thought would be a dream job in publishing, how her work in the pop culture trenches inform her writing, and I read a naughty bit from her punny rom-com For Butter or Worse. Plug in your earbuds – fun episode ahead! Interested in pre-ordering an anthology that features my short story The Devil’s Tattoo? Grab your copy of Reckless Deck’s anthology Tabula Rasa. Connect with Erin online:ErinLaRosaCreative.comTwitter Instagram TikTok  Finally, love this podcast? Don’t forget to rate and review on your fave podcast app! 

AC James is on the Steam Seat this week and we need to start this with a content warning. We have that conversation about the Amber Heard/Johnny Depp trial and the troubling things we noticed around romancelandia and society doubts accusers and protects abusers. We also talk about representation and conversations around women’s bodies and women’s pleasure and the shame that swirls around that. We lighten things up by chatting about very close encounters (wink wink) with aliens. And I read a steamy bit from her book Nin: Earth Girls Aren't Easy, the first book in her  Intergalactic Dating Agency series. If you are up for the conversation, spending time with AC is well worth it.  Grab a copy of Nin and Not Well Behaved Women, her multi-author group project for charity. Connect with AC online:ACJames.comTikTokFacebookTwitterInstagramBookBubGoodreadsIf you enjoy Steam Scenes, don't forget to rate and review on your favorite podcast app!