In Bed With Books

Join me and author David Ly to talk about his recent release, Not All Dragons. After waking up on the shores of Lanilia, with no memory of who he is, Rhys sets off on a journey through this unfamiliar land to figure out his identity, aided by his fast friend, Delia. Their journey starts as a quest to figure out who he was, but as their troubles unfold, Rhys’ focus changes to who he might become.Ly and I start our chat with the question of identity, as Rhys himself tries to answer the questions of his past and what even defines one’s self-concept. As Rhys journeys through an unfamiliar world, Ly introduces us to Lanilia, a place full of magic and color rarely seen in fantasy novels today. Our conversation turned to Ly’s use of water imagery to explore the fluid space that Rhys finds himself in, and the way this influences other creatures in the land of Lanilia. Finally, Ly and I talk about the process he took in creating Rhys’ story, from a single image in a poem written years ago, to the main character in Ly’s first novel.This is episode 111 of the podcast.Buy Not All Dragons now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781998408429Learn more about David Ly here:https://davidlywrites.ca/https://www.instagram.com/davidlywrites/Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Join me and author Jonathan Edward Durham for a conversation about his novel Winterset Hollow. Rereleased on October 6, Winterset Hollow follows Eamon and his friends on a pilgrimage to the home of their favorite author. Their trip takes a dark turn when they discover that not only are the animals from their favorite book real, but they really hate the book and its fans.Durham and I talked about the creation of the novel, as well as his decision to rerelease the book as a traditionally published work after a few years as a self-published work. We talked at length about his experience with different forms, which was primarily focused on scriptwriting until he wrote Winterset Hollow. In writing Winterset Hollow, Durham also tested his hand at poetry (you can find passages of the book-within-the-book throughout the novel!). His ability to toggle between forms made for a suspenseful and at times heartbreaking story of the cost of nostalgia.This is episode 110 of the podcast.Buy Winterset Hollow now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781454965329Learn more about Jonathan Edward Durham here:https://www.jonathanedwarddurham.com/https://www.instagram.com/thisone0verherehttps://substack.com/@jonathanedwarddurham?r=4obieu&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile&shareImageVariant=lighthttps://www.threads.com/@thisone0verhere?igshid=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Join me and author Tanaz Bhathena to talk about her recent adult fantasy, Witch Daughter. A modern retelling of part of Ferdowsi’s epic, The Shahnameh, this book follows the princess Tahmineh and her relationship to fate. First, as she runs towards it and her marriage to Rostam, a famed warrior who she hopes can provide the protection she needs as a suspected witch. And later, after the birth of her son, as she desperately tries to avoid a prophecy where her son and his father fight each other on the battlefield.Bhathena explores classic prejudices and patriarchy through the main character, Tahmineh, and the suspicions around her lineage. She explores what lengths a person will go to in order to secure their own safety, and then how that changes when those concerns have to include someone other than yourself. In all of her attempts to secure her safety, and then her son’s, Tahmineh also unknowingly works through the tensions she has around love, first through passion, and then through a slow burn and earned trust. Bhathena and I also discuss the research that went into writing this story. Tahmineh’s journey as a literary figure has shifted over the centuries, with suspected origins as demon or a witch, and was potentially sanitized for reader consumption. What does it mean to give this power back to her?This is episode 109 of the podcast.Buy Witch Daughter now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781538780862Learn more about Tanaz Bhathena here: https://tanazbhathena.com/Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Join me and author Ryan Douglass to talk about his latest release, Night of Madness. When Jack Stanley, famed horror movie maker announces a competition with a $100k prize at the end, Mara knows that could be her ticket out of poverty. But once she makes it to the show, she fears that $100k may not be worth the cost.Douglass and I discuss the theme of influencer culture, especially how it skews our ability to cope with trauma and our understanding of class. Mara’s main motivation is the cash prize promised to the winner, but that’s not the case for all of the contestants of Jack’s haunted asylum. We look at how Mara’s upbringing - living with her grandparents, abandoned by her father, less fortunate than those closest to her - become driving forces for her, even after the asylum becomes a true case of life or death. Using classic slasher tropes, Jack plays out his fantasies with a cast and a crew held hostage to the promise of money and begs the question, how far would you go?This is episode 108 of the podcast.Buy Night of Madness now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781665983044Learn more about Ryan Douglass here: www.instagram.com/ryan_soufleeBe sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Join me and poet Isabelle Correa to talk about her recent release, “Portrait of a Person Who Pushes Love Away in Fear of Losing It.” The collection explores intergenerational trauma, religious myth, and pop culture in an intimate, cinematic interior life. Throughout the collection, Correa looks at the different ways we can corrupt our perceptions of love, and the power “no” has in healing that.During our conversation, we talk about how Correa establishes Love and Death as opposing universal forces, and how that becomes a foundation for peeling back the layers on how love and pain can become twisted. We take a couple of tangents, to talk about similar lessons we were taught as kids in church, and then later to talk about our joint interests in tarot and astrology. We also dive into a subject we lovingly called “The Work,” as in, the healing work that we are blessed to be able to do now that those who came before us could not.This is episode 107 of the podcast.Buy Portrait of a Person Who Pushes Love Away in Fear of Losing It now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781968451110Learn more about Isabelle Correa here:https://www.isabellecorrea.com/https://isabellecorrea.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/isabellecorreawrites/Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Join me and author Ann Aguirre to talk about her latest book, The Hocus Pocus Handbook. The book follows Thea, a human member of the Winter Court. After being replaced with a changeling as a baby, Thea has grown accustomed to the ways of faerie - their customs and rules, and the ways she can bend the rules for her own acts of “good trouble.” But when she takes things a little too far, she’s forced on a quest with the broodiest knight in the court. With the threat of being exiled back into the human world looming over her head, Thea must find her missing betrothed and try not to fall in love with someone else in the process.Aguirre and I had chatted about how she tied in heavier themes of classism, privilege, and The Other to her cozy fantasy. Afterall, who decides what’s cozy? We explored this theme of The Other through Thea, the main character, but also through Kerboros, the brooding enforcer for the Winter Court who’s trapped in servitude as punishment for his father’s crimes. The more they work together to find her betrothed, the more they start to understand each other, which threatens the very thin ice they’ve found themselves on.This is episode 106 of the podcast.Buy The Hocus Pocus Handbook now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781464224119Learn more about Ann Aguirre here: https://www.annaguirre.com/Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

Bethan Croome joined me to chat about her debut novel, Reign. Reign follows Niamh as anti-magic laws force her out of the home she’s always known and into a war for the throne. Croome’s debut romantic fantasy novel features forbidden magic, deep yearning, and cinematic battle scenes.Croome and I discuss our joint love of fantasy, and the weight that comes with authoring stories in that space. Later in the episode, we talk about the influence for Niamh, the main character, and how her and other characters within the book confront misogyny. How does Niamh handle being her blacksmith father’s secret protege in a kingdom that won’t allow her to be his mentee? How does her best friend cope with the systemic patriarchy holding her in place? And how does a thwarted Queen fight for her stolen throne in a kingdom that cannot even accept a woman as a blacksmith?This is episode 105 of In Bed with Books.Buy Reign now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781464280665Learn more about Bethan Croome here: https://www.instagram.com/bethfiit/Be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review!If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

This week I’m joined by my friend Dr Michael Pons. He recently received his PhD in English Literature, and I was lucky enough to sit in on his dissertation defense. The focus of his dissertation was on the role that interactivity plays in narrative, if there is one at all, focusing on video games. Michael and I dive into an hour long conversation connecting his findings on the limitations of interactivity to literature and television. Who are the participants involved? What is the role of the audience and the creator? What do they owe each other? Where does desire play into all of this?This is the first part of a 2-part conversation.You can find Michael on IG @mackerel_prawnsIf you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author Lauren Kate to discuss her latest release, White Lights. Falling back into a world of angels, romance, and millennia-old feuds, Kate brings us back into the world of Fallen, after Luce and Daniel’s happily ever after to see the effects their choice had on heaven. What does heaven look like when love is suddenly on the menu for the angels?White Lights follows Dez to Acheron, an elite film school no one’s ever heard of before, but has resources she never dreamed would be available to her. The only catch: she has to leave behind everyone she loves, and someone she might have grown to love. As she learns more about Acheron and some of her fellow students, Dez fears she’s made the wrong decision. But her connection with her mentor, Rafe, is undeniable, bringing her back to her love of filmmaking every time she questions herself.We discussed the influences on the creation of this universe, and the decision to continue the story, with Kate referencing dreams, higher education, and apocryphal texts. Her inspiration dates back as far as 500 BC, and the feminist themes that exist then, and that we look for now. We look at some of the bigger questions that Kate is exploring in these series, like what and who love has the power to change, and how one positive choice can radiate out and effect change on a larger scale.As a fan of Lauren Kate and her work, I truly did not have enough time to cover everything I wanted to, but for a look at how she explores the theme of love, grab White Lights now! https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781538776773Learn more about Lauren Kate here:  laurenkatebooks.netAnd you can find her on Instagram, Facebook, Threads and TikTok @LaurenKateBooks If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author Kait Ballenger, once again, as she rounds out the Original Sinner trilogy with Beautiful Redeemer. Charlotte and Lucifer have come a long way since their fake engagement in book one - now they have to contend with the apocalypse, timeless battles between angels and demons, an absent Father, and a meddling mother. As identities are revealed and powers are discovered, Charlotte and Lucifer question their worth in the battles to come. In the midst of all this, Charlotte’s connection with Death is growing but will his and Lucifer’s past get in the way of her why-choose happy ending?It was great having Kait back on to talk about the conclusion of her Original Sinner trilogy. We start the conversation with a gentle reminder of what happened in books one and two, including some major spoilers, so listen at your own discretion if you haven’t read Original Sinner or Wicked Believer yet! After realizing that Lucifer and her were destined by forces grander than either of them could control, Charlotte begins to realize that she is more powerful than they could have anticipated. Kait talks about how she knew their story wasn’t over, the process of bringing in Death to help balance out their dynamic, and the questions that Charlotte faces when confronted with the reality that she hasn’t had nearly as much freewill as she thought. I get the scoop on upcoming books, as Kait plans to extend the universe by exploring the love stories of other seven deadly sin siblings!You can buy Beautiful Redeemer now: https://bookshop.org/a/54661/9781662528903You can learn more about Kait Ballenger here: www.kaitballenger.comArt mentioned in this episode: Cabanel, Alexandre. The Fallen Angel. 1847, Musee Fabre, Montpellier, France.If you have an author, book, or topic you want to hear about on the podcast, then don't hesitate to slide into my DMs on Instagram or shoot me an email!Subscribe to my newsletter to keep up to date on the latest podcast happenings: https://in-bed-with-books.kit.com/76d11f1d51Where else to find me:IG: @inbedwithbookspodYT: https://www.youtube.com/@InBedWithBooksPodEM: [email protected]