Rebel Ever After

This week my guest is queer rom-com author Amy Spalding. Her new sapphic romance IN HER SPOTLIGHT is about Tess Gardner, the closeted star of a superhero film franchise who finds out the director of her next play is her super hot ex-girlfriend. We talked about how Amy wrote all of the competing power dynamics of a fling backstage in post-Me Too theater. Plus, writing a villain I wanted to punch th...

This episode my guest is Emma R. Alban, the author of queer historical romances  Don't Want You Like a Best Friend ; You're The Problem, It's Yo u; and Like In Love With You . Her first contemporary paranormal romance Happily Ever Afterlife hits shelves this September. We talked about writing pop-forward historical romances for Gen Z readers, how fanfiction influenced her as an author, and the log...

On this episode of Rebel Ever After, my guest is romance cover illustrator Leni Kauffman. She is the creator of iconic covers like Hannah Grace's Icebreaker , as well as covers for books by Olivia Dade, Ashley Herring Blake, Emma R. Alban, and many more. I guarantee that you have some of Leni's work on your bookshelf or Kindle.  We talked about how she started working in the romance genre, what th...

My guest this week is a returning champion, my friend Laura Piper Lee! Her third romance POT SHOT comes out on May 19th and was just named an indie next pick. We talked about what inspired her to write about a woman living with Crohn's Disease who opens a dispensary in her hometown, happily-ever-afters that include chronic illness, and why the world needs more stoner rom-coms. This episode contain...

In this episode, TJ Alexander and I celebrate their new historical romance A Lady For All Seasons , a Shakespearean-esque screwball comedy with an unforgettable genderfluid lead. Then TJ introduces me to the real queer historical figures who inspired their characters, like the Ladies of Llangollen and Lord Byron. Plus: what you should know about the first proposed national book ban, and the import...

This week my guest is queer BDSM romance author Kate Hawthorne, who also writes as Nikki Markham. We talked about the nuance of depicting ongoing negotiation and consent on the page, accountability in kink communities, and the long-lasting appeal of submissive coming out stories. Plus: why everyone needs a good platonic spanking. We do discuss some potentially triggering topics like what abuse can...

This week on Rebel Ever After, my guest is Adib Khorram, a queer Iranian American author of fiction for all ages. His adult romances are I'LL HAVE WHAT HE'S HAVING and IT HAD TO BE HIM, and his newest YA novel ONE WORD, SIX LETTERS comes out March 17th. We had a wide ranging conversation about queer joy versus queer liberation, writing hot sex scenes with occasional farts, and dysmorphia and body...

This week my guest is LaQuette, author of many contemporary romances including The King's Pregnancy Proposition and the brand new rom-com Janae Sanders' Second Time Around . We talked about her Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club series about couples in their 40s that explores communication, healing and mental health. Then we discussed the beautiful ridiculousness of romance and the perils of expecting a...

This week I'm the guest! I went on my friend Emily Hessney Lynch's podcast It's A Lot to talk about my romance novel, BUT HOW ARE YOU, REALLY. We dug into my writer's block and the depression a lot of authors experience thanks to the shifting goal posts of success in this industry. Plus I shared some conspiracy theories about why best-seller lists are rigged and if hardcover books are doomed to fa...

In the first Rebel Ever After episode of 2026, my guest is Ashley Herring Blake! I asked the author of DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE and countless other queer books about her shift from writing kid-lit to adult romance, and the authors who inspired her along the way. Then we broke down the role of astrology and tarot in her new book GET OVER IT, APRIL EVANS (Feb 2026) and why queers love our star cha...

This week my guest is Allie Oleander, author of the dark-ish romance WILLING PREY about a woman who gets paid $30,000 to let a sexy, awkward lawyer hunt her in the woods. We talked about the definition of primal kink, how Allie approached consent and power dynamics in the book, and the differences between BDSM and Dark Romance. Plus: Why do some readers find Dark Romances so cathartic to read? All...

This week my guest is Katherine Grant, indie romance author and the host of the Historical Romance Sampler podcast. We talked about the conclusion of her historical romance series The Prestons and how her characters live by their progressive principles in Regency Era England. On a craft level, Katherine shares how she interrogates thorny issues of labor exploitation and divesting from the slave tr...

This week my guest is Marisa Kanter, author of the adult rom-com FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS , as well as several YA romance novels. We talked about writing the ultimate contemporary marriage-of-convenience about best friends who get married for health insurance and housing. We had a good venting session about ableism and misogyny in romance reviews, and the weird trend of readers wanting to "rescue" ma...

My guest this week is Rachel Runya Katz, the author of  Thank You For Sharing , Whenever You're Ready and the brand new instant USA Today Best Seller Isn't It Obvious? We talked about writing rom-traum-coms, balancing serious subjects with swoony romance, bipolar representation and our love of Michael Hobbes podcasts. Plus, should we be concerned about all the condomless big penises taking over se...

My guest this week is Julian Winters, the author of adult rom-coms I THINK THEY LOVE YOU and LAST FIRST KISS, as well as many books for teens and children. We talked about his passion for writing inclusive love stories that make people feel seen and celebrated. Julian walked me through how he approached demisexuality and pansexuality on the page of his new book LAST FIRST KISS in a responsible and...

This week my guest is former journalist and current novelist Chloe Angyal! In her Dancers Down Under trilogy, Chloe writes about ballet dancers as athletes, employees, and hotties. We talked about her decision to self-publish BARRE FIGHT , the final book in the series, and how she wove the extensive research she did for her nonfiction book Turning Pointe: How a New Generation of Dancers is Saving...

It's time for another Rebel Ever After's premium episode! This month my guest is Katherine Morgan, the owner of Grand Gesture Books, Portland's first romance bookstore. She shared what she has learned during the store's first year at 814 SW 10th Ave — from managing stock to building community at events. She shared her advice on how authors can build strong relationships with their local bookseller...

This week my guest is Alexandria Bellefleur, the author of many queer romances including Written In The Stars , The Fiancée Farce , and  Truly Madly Deeply ! We talked about her groundbreaking career and what it was like to publish one of the earliest breakout sapphic rom-coms in the trad space during this era of romance. We also discussed bi4bi romances, navigating the expectations of queer reade...

It is spooky witchy season, and this week's guest is Celestine Martin! She is the author of the Elemental Love series, including Witchful Thinking , Kiss and Spell , and Deja Brew . We talked about finding inspiration in the history and liminal magic of the Jersey Shore, and giving black women the paranormal fairytale romances they deserve. Plus why cozy low-stakes romances are having a moment! As...

My guest this week is Elissa Sussman, author of Funny You Should Ask and Once More With Feeling . She walked me through writing her new book Totally and Completely Fine , about a widow and single mom still grieving her late husband when she meets a famous, younger actor. Then we talked about her new podcast But How's the Sex about the sex lives of fictional characters, and how romance novels celeb...

This week on Rebel Ever After, my guest is the wonderful London Sperry, author of the 2024 rom-com Passion Project . London and I talked about the range of mental health representation in romance and her quest to write a self-destructive, grieving baddie who deserves love. Content warning that this episode touches on depression, anxiety, mourning and some light references to suicidal ideation. I p...

This week my guest is Eva Leigh, the author of My Fake Rake , Scandal Takes the Stage , Forever Your Earl , and many more historical romances. Her new romantasy The Sea Witch publishes this August with Canary Street Press. Eva writes fantastically bold heroines who find freedom and power despite the patriarchy. We talked about sustaining a career in the romance genre, why pirates should be your ne...

This week my guest is Olivia Dade, the author of Spoiler Alert, All The Feels , At First Spite , 40-Love and many others. She has two books coming out this year, ZOMROMCOM in August and Second Chance Romance in November. We had a sprawling conversation about her dive into paranormal romance, writing fat heroines who are older than 27 years old, and the unique challenges of editing sex scenes.  Fol...

My guest for Pride month's premium episode is Nina Haines, the founder of the virtual sapphic book club Sapph-Lit and the brand new publishing imprint of the same name. Nina is an advocate for queer authors and a community builder both online and offline. I asked her about her career as a bookish content creator, her thoughts on sapphic representation, and her decision to partner with Bindery to p...

My guest this week is author, actress, and journalist Keah Brown. She has published three books, the 2019 essay collection  The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall In Love With M e; the 2022 children's book Sam's Super Seats , and her YA romance debut The Secret Summer Promise in 2023. Keah, like the protagonist of  The Secret Summer Promise , has cerebral palsy...