#270 - From Romance to Fantasy with K.A. Tucker

In this week’s episode, we spoke to Jodi Drake, a bestselling author who writes multiple series under the name J.L. Drake! Jodi’s series span over thirty books, and these include the Broken Trilogy, the Quiet Mafia series, and her latest, Havoc of Sins, which begins with Grim – available to read now! For more info on her series, check out her reading order guide here. Jodi spoke to us about her writing career, writing dark romance, what drew her to dark romance, how she plots her novels, how she uses her “murder board” to keep track of all her characters and plotlines, and much, much more! Jodi gave us many great insights into what it’s like being a series author and an author (and reader) of dark romance. We had a great time chatting with Jodi, and if you’re a burgeoning dark romance author (or a romance author in general), you don’t want to miss this episode of the KWL podcast! For more, check out J.L.’s website, and follow her on X, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.

In this episode, we spoke to award-winning author Bethany Maines, whose romance-fuelled action-adventure novels include Eye Contact and Bulletproof Mascara, among many others. Bethany is a multi-genre author who has written in many genres and sub-genres, including action-adventure, mystery and suspense, science fiction and paranormal romance. She’s also a hybrid author who has experience working with traditional publishing houses as well as independently publishing her work! And, further, she has also written short stories and screenplays, including a screenplay that was recently turned into a short film. Bethany had a lot of illuminating observations on the publishing industry, a lot of love for fellow indie romance authors, and a lot of great advice to offer. Be sure to grab a copy of Eye Contact – Bethany’s latest release! Follow Bethany on X, Facebook, and Instagram and learn more at her website.

In this episode, we are joined by Kiki Chatfield, CEO and founder of The Next Step PR. Kiki spoke with us about her PR company, why she founded it, her best marketing tips for authors, the conference she runs, Authors in the Bluegrass, and so much more! Kiki is always open to hearing from readers and authors alike and is enthusiastic about helping others as much as she can. She had so much great advice to offer during our conversation. If you’re interested in scheduling a free 15-minute chat with Kiki to see what she and The Next Step PR can do for you, check out her booking calendar here! Kiki recently celebrated her 10th year in the PR market and her 9th year of The Next Step PR, and these huge milestones are well-deserved! Kiki brought such great energy to this episode and we hope you learn a lot and take her advice to heart as you continue on your own author journey. Follow The Next Step PR on Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for more, and be sure to follow Kiki on Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Bookbub too!

In this episode, we are joined by best-selling Canadian author Emily Austin, whose debut novel Everyone In This Room Will Some Day Be Dead was nominated for the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour, to discuss her latest release, Interesting Facts About Space! This title is available today and was one of our top reads of last year – we were so grateful to received ARCs of this must-read new release. Emily also has a poetry collection, Gay Girl Prayers, coming out next year, so be sure to add that one to your TBR list, too! Interesting Facts About Space is available now from Simon & Schuster Canada and wherever you get your books, eBook and otherwise! We spoke to Emily about her writing career, the intersections of mental health and queerness, writing LGBTQ+ narratives, writing inspirations and influences, her editing process, what it’s like working with an editor, writing both poetry and prose, and more! Learn more about Emily on her website, and follow her on X and Instagram.

In this episode, we are joined by best-selling author of the book series that became a TikTok sensation, Playing for Keeps! Playing for Keeps is a steamy, romantic hockey romance trilogy that have taken Booktok (the bookish side of TikTok) by storm. We were so excited to talk to Becka and hear all about her writing journey, the realities of both self-publishing and traditional publishing, and, of course, to get a sneak peek at what she’s working on next. Not only that, but we talked about her publishing journey, her path to becoming a writer, hockey romance, writing hockey romance as a Canadian, discussions of our favourite hockey teams, and much more! Be sure to get your own copy of Consider Me, the first book in the Playing for Keeps series, available now from Simon & Schuster Canada. Learn more about Becka on her website, and follow her on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

In this episode, we are joined by Lisa Shaughnessy, founder of The Writing Retreat Sampler and creator of The Writing Retreat Directory. The Writing Retreat Sampler is a series of virtual events that help writers find writing retreats that best suit their writing and publishing goals, and The Writing Retreat Directory is a free directory that features more info on writing retreats across the globe! We have a great conversation with Lisa about all things to do with writing retreats, and how writing retreats can really be a boon to authors. Lisa also tells us how she started her business, what inspired her to create a writing retreat directory, talks about what retreats can do for authors overall, how hosts can create great workshops, virtual vs. in-person retreats, and much more! We go on to discuss how to build community at a writing retreat, what feedback can do for you and how to respond to it, and much more. If one of your goals for the coming year is to participate in a writing retreat, this is the episode for you. To learn more, check out Lisa’s blog, and follow The Writing Retreat Directory on Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.

In this episode, we sat down as a team to talk about everything do with Kobo Writing Life that took place over the last year! KWL Director Tara, Author Engagement Manager Laura, Promotions Specialist Rachel, Kobo Originals Lead and Content Coordinator Vanessa and Content Coordinator Terrence all shared highlights from their work in 2023, including insights into Kobo Plus, the Kobo Plus expansions, Kobo Originals, translations, conferences we attended, the Kobo Writing Life podcast, promotional offerings, and much, much more! We also chatted about what to expect from us next year, including some exciting hints as to what’s to come. Plus, don’t miss out on the many great books we recommend to our listeners – be sure to take notes and stack your TBR piles for the coming year! Lastly, happy 2024 from the Kobo Writing Life team. Here’s to another great year of publishing! We can’t wait to continue working with you in the new year. Go to our site to learn more about Kobo Writing Life, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and X.

In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and international bestselling author Elena Armas, author of The Spanish Love Deception and The American Roommate Experiment! Elena is a life-long romance fan who got started writing and publishing three years ago. We chat with her about her latest rom-com romp, The Long Game, which is a small-town, contemporary sports romance between a soccer exec and a former soccer star who band together over the summer to help coach a struggling children’s soccer team. Get ready for a lot of laughs and a lot of love in this one! The Long Game is available now from Simon & Schuster Canada and wherever books are sold. Learn more about Elena on her website, and follow her on Instagram, TikTok, X and Facebook.

In this episode, we are joined by Bethany Lopez, a USA Today best-selling, multi-genre author who has written over thirty books! Bethany is a prolific author with multiple ongoing contemporary romance series to her name, as well as several paranormal romance series under the pen name DJ Bryce! Her latest release on Kobo is a box set of her popular series, The Jilted Wives Club, available now. Bethany tells us about her career as an author, getting started in YA fiction before transitioning to new adult romance, the changes she has seen in the indie publishing landscape, how she uses her newsletter, how she markets her books, all about how she reaches her readers through different avenues, and much, much more! Follow Bethany on Instagram, Facebook, and X, or visit her website to learn more.

In this episode, we are joined by New York Times and USA Today best-selling author Jenn Sterling, writing as J. Sterling, whose latest series, Fun for the Holidays, features holiday romances for every season. Check out her latest instalment, The Thanksgiving Hookup! Jenn is also the author of dozens of books across several series, and is the author of sports romances, celebrity romances, new adult romances, and many more. We had a great conversation with Jenn about all things romance writing, marketing, advice from friend and fellow author Colleen Hoover, and how the independent publishing world has changed since she first published in 2011. We spoke to Jenn about her writing career, how she has written and published books for almost twelve years, how much indie publishing has changed, how marketing for indie publishers has evolved, TikTok and its many uses (as well as how fun of an app it is), and, of course, lots of talk about sports! We had a fun, frank, and inspiring conversation with Jenn, and can’t wait for you to listen to this episode! Learn more about Jenn on her website, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.