Our Next Chapter

Lisa Kleypas has written romance for more than thirty years, and Queen of Lombard Street, out October 20 from Avon, is the first book she says she wrote purely for herself. Reina Martin is an economist in 1880 London who started out as nobody's child in the eyes of the law and wants to open a bank so other women can get ahead. We talk about the health scare that pushed Lisa to write the book...

Every Friday, Katie Clapham writes down what happens in her bookshop as it happens and sends it out on Substack. Those diaries became Receipts from the Bookshop, out now from William Morrow. Katie tells us how she and her mum opened Storytellers, Inc. in Lytham St Annes in 2010, why readers now plan trips around a visit to the shop, and what a £16 day looks like from behind the till. She also pres...

Kate Golden is back, and this time she brought a book and a baby...kind of. Cursed City, book two of the Harker Academy series, is out September 29. Kate tells us where Viv lands after the Half City cliffhanger, what it costs her to work alongside a demon she despises, and why she is telling readers to gird their loins before the ending. We also get into her first year as a full-time author, writi...

Before Laurie was the number one New York Times bestseller behind The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and the Dream Harbor series, she was writing werewolves under her own name, Melissa McTernan. Big Bad Wolf is that book, pulled back out, heavily rewritten and re-released under the name her readers know her by. She tells us what it is like to reopen something you wrote years ago, what she cut (the entire firs...

We’re sharing the romance books, magical realism, and new releases we’ve been reading, then taking you inside the Get Lit Adult Book Fair at the Dallas Public Library to for a little bit of convo and chaos. Andrea recommends Mad Mabel, The Mash Up by Laura Marie Myers, and Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune. Matt is reading People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry, and together we’re reading Abb...

This week, we’re joined by debut author Amy Archer to talk about Nemesis Mine , her funny and unexpectedly tender fantasy rom-com about a worn-out hero, an underappreciated villain, and the fake feud that leads to very real feelings. Amy shares how childhood poetry nights and letters from her granddad helped shape her life as a writer, why she loves bringing together characters who seemingly have...

In this episode, we put our relationship to the test with a few would-you-rather questions from a classic Cosmo-style quiz, then sit down with bestselling author and former Cosmopolitan editor John Searles to talk about his new novel, Single Girls . John shares how a brutally honest rejection nearly ended his writing career, the unlikely path that led him to Cosmopolitan, and what it was like work...

This week, we’re joined by contemporary romance author Georgia Stone to talk about her new rom-com, The Roommate Rule . Georgia shares how growing up in Switzerland shaped her creativity, how she came back to reading and writing as an adult, and how late-night writing sessions helped her turn a tiny idea into her debut novel.  We also talk about doomed rules, forced proximity, tall heroines, bante...

We’re back from a very bookish road trip with a slightly late episode, a dash of magic, and the world’s biggest em dash announcement. This week, we launch our very serious, very unofficial Save the Em Dash movement, recap a weekend of author events with Kirsty Greenwood, Ashley Poston, Kayla Olson, Livy Hart, and Naina Kumar, and dive into why magical realism has become one of our favorite storyte...

Lauren Okie is back for our first-ever return guest episode, and we’re talking all things Tropesick , her second novel out June 16. We get into romance tropes, writing through fear, sophomore-book pressure, big emotional swings, and why Lauren is so good at writing stories that feel messy, honest, hot, and human. Plus, we rank Andrea’s favorite romance tropes and somehow make room for Annabel Mona...

In this episode, we're recording at LaunchPad Studios in Dallas while surviving  May: graduations, theater awards, senior celebrations, middle school milestones, Mother’s Day, road trips, and the big-time realization we’re about to have both a high school freshman and a college freshman. Then we dive into two of our favorite new summer reads: The Shippers by Katherine Center and Dolly All the...

We kick things off with author signatures, big family updates, and the very strange feeling of watching their boys grow up and move toward their own next chapters. Then we're joined by Dr. Irena Smith, author of Troika , a powerful memoir about a three-day road trip across California with her mother and daughter that unfolds into something much deeper: family history, identity, generational d...

Andrea is back on pothole patrol, we wrestle with the soulmate question at the heart of Your Soul Mail Is Attached , and after our conversation with Joan F. Smith, we get a special soul mail delivery of our own. Joan joins us to talk about the big idea behind her new adult novel, her move from YA to adult fiction, her writing process, and how personal experiences shape her stories. Plus, she plays...

We took this one to the movies. In this special episode, we headed out to see Project Hail Mary  , then talk through all of it, and yes, this is your official spoiler warning. We’re breaking down what worked, what surprised us, and the moments that stuck with us most. From Gosling's glasses crawling all over his face to Rocky being Amaze Amaze Amaze, we’re getting into everything. If you have...

Matt and Andrea kick things off with an audiobook narration audition before welcoming bestselling author Natalie Keller-Reinert to the show. Natalie shares how a lifelong love of horses turned into a writing career, the path from indie publishing to Flatiron Books, and the story behind her new novel The Jump . We then wrap up with a story about the Dreamers and Readers festival and how the Dallas-...

We’re back with a conversation we loved with bestselling author Jenn Dugan, whose newest novel, Anderson in Bloom , is out tomorrow! Jenn shares her journey from writing after bedtime to publishing multiple books a year, and what it really means to write messy, complicated characters who still deserve big love. We talk about finding your voice, navigating YA and adult romance, reclaiming your stor...

We’re continuing our one-year POD-aversary celebration on Our Next Chapter — and this week we’re joined by USA Today bestselling fantasy romance author Kate Golden . Kate stops by to talk about her new romantasy novel Half City , the first book in the Harker Academy series — a dark academia story featuring demon hunters, forbidden attraction, and a mystery that unravels at an elite supernatural ac...

One year in, and we’re celebrating our podaversary with romance author Sophie Sullivan. In this chapter, we talk about her long road to publication, redefining success, and trusting the timing of the story you’re in. We dig into anxiety, joy, and what it means to keep writing anyway, even when the goalposts move. Plus, we play Check In / Check Out, wrap with our final five questions, and reflect a...

In this chapter, we’re joined by YA romance author Jessica L. Cozzi to talk forced proximity, big teenage emotions, and her debut novel We’ve Hit Turbulence . We dig into what it’s like writing a book while also working as a publishing publicist, seeing the industry from both sides of the mic, and knowing how the sausage gets made. Plus, we play a quick game of Real or Fake Genres, where things ge...

We’re starting 2026 with coffee, chaos, and a little main-character energy. First up, Matt and Andrea swap New Year’s resolutions and immediately rate how likely they are to actually happen. Spoiler: confidence is high, follow-through is questionable. Then we’re joined by a true legend, Jayne Ann Krentz, for a fun and thoughtful conversation about writing, intuition, romantic suspense, psychic ene...

We’re hanging out with romance author LaQuette and chatting about her latest novel Janae Sanders' Second Time Around, releasing January 6th! We talk second chances, high school enemies who come back hot and emotionally competent, and why romance after real-life experience just feels good. There’s soap operas, Brooklyn stories, confident heroines, and a very fun game where charming men keep tu...

Matt and Andrea roll into Thanksgiving week with birthday chaos, cafeteria turkey lunches, and a quick chat about why gratitude hits a little harder when you’re raising teens. They dig into how gratitude shapes your brain, why it shows up so often in modern romance, and what they’re reading this week. They wrap with “Thankful or Thankful It’s Over,” a fast Thanksgiving game full of hot takes on ev...

Author Erin La Rosa joins us to talk about her writing journey, the creation of the Burbank Book Festival, and the story behind her new time-loop rom-com. We dig into the balance between joy and grief in storytelling, what community means to a writer, and why giving yourself permission to break the rules might be the key to better writing. Matt also tests out a few birthday gift ideas for Andrea,...

It’s our Halloween special! Matt and Andrea face off in the ultimate candy draft, play Trick or Thirst (where things get a little spooky and a little steamy), and chat with author Lauren Okie about her debut romance The Best Worst Thing.  Come for the sugar rush, stay for the sweet talk. Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey.  We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at ww...

It’s Matt’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with author Jamie Varon. We talk about her newest novel Charlie Quinn Lets Go , a story about starting over, chasing joy, and learning when to finally let go. Jamie shares her honest take on writing, healing, and building a life that truly feels like yours. Plus, we play a chaotic Mad Libs game where we build Jamie’s potential yes day and see if she’d ac...