In Bed With Books

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 question Dr Pons set to answering was “What is interactivity in storytelling?” focusing on video games. Michael and I dive into an hour long conversation connecting his findings on the limitations of interactivity to literature and...

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...

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 a...

In this episode, I’m joined by author Meghan Le Fay to talk about her debut, Wings of Life , first in the Dragonbound Chronicles. Wings of Life follows Serae as she’s thrust into the land of her country’s greatest enemy, Rihtlond. As the betrothed of the dane’s son, Serae gathers intel on the Riht in hopes of securing a victory for her people. As she learns more about the people and dragons of the...

In this bonus episode, I’m celebrating 100 episodes of In Bed with Books! There have been 68 books featured on the podcast, 55 if we don’t include books written by authors I've interviewed. There are so many books I loved (and just as many that I’d be happy never to think about again!), so to celebrate 100 episodes, I’ve ranked my top ten reads from the podcast. The Rules: It has to have been acti...

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by author Eloisa James to talk about her new release, The Last Lady B . Set in an isolated abbey, far north in Scotland, Evie finds herself thrust into the makings of a Gothic novel. What starts out as the hope of seeing a ghost, turns into the revelation that her new husband is not the man she thinks he is. James and I discuss the inspiration for creating a char...

In this week’s episode, I’m joined by poet Maria Giesbrecht to talk about her debut collection, A Little Feral . The collection was written after leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, and her poems explore themes of faith, family, and personal resurrection. Maria and I started the conversation with her background in corporate accounting and the catalysts to her being a full time poet, piece...

In this week’s episode, I’m talking about my latest read: Heiress of Nowhere by Stacey Lee. This book was offered as an ARC by the publisher. Heiress of Nowhere is the latest release from author Stacey Lee. This book follows Lucy, an orphan and heiress to her benefactor’s vast estate, racing to uncover a killer. Stuck on a small island off the coast of Washington, Lucy navigates folklore, local su...

In this episode of In Bed with Books, I’m joined by Sally Kilpatrick, author of Little Miss Petty ! It was fantastic getting to speak with her about the inspiration for the book, the generations of characters, and the romance between the book’s main character, Stella Stark, and her mysterious new neighbor, Malone. Little Miss Petty follows Stella Stark, a private investigator forced to take on a s...

This week, I was joined by author Jayne Ann Krentz to talk about her recent release, The Shop on Hidden Lane . You might know her as Jayne Castle, if you’re familiar with her futuristic/paranormal romantic-suspense or Amanda Quick, if you know her historical romantic-suspense. The Shop on Hidden Lane is the most recent publication in Krentz 'decades-long career writing romance. In it, Sophy and Lu...

This week, I sat down with author Gabrielle Wanek to talk about her latest release, Songs of Ash and Dawn . Wanek explores themes of isolation and grief as her main character, Aidan, navigates the grief of losing her grandmother in the face of an evil hunting down magic users like her. Gabrielle and I talked about her writing process and her inspiration – like deciding “I can do better than that,”...

In this episode of In Bed With Books , I’m joined by my friend Michelle Craft for a chat about our recent buddy read, Babel by R.F. Kuang. We start the conversation with a close reading of the full title, Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translator’s Revolution , asking what we can consider violence, and how it builds on itself. Kuang’s commentary on colonialism...

This week on In Bed With Books , I’m joined by author Kait Ballenger to talk about her dark and sexy paranormal romance, Original Sinner . The book follows Charlotte, a budding PR agent for a luxury company in NYC, who finds herself thrust into the middle of her boss’ sibling rivalry. Except that her boss is Lucifer and the siblings are the other 6 deadly sins. Kait and I start the conversation by...

For this week’s episode, I got to sit down with author Margaux Eliot to talk about her nostalgic but dark debut novel, Honeymoon Stage . Set against the early years of celebreality TV in the aughts, Honeymoon Stage is part romance, part chaos, and all sharp commentary on the way we consume women in the media. Margaux shares why she wrote the novel under a pen name (you can also find her under her...

This week’s episode is part two of my chat with Kristin, and we’re continuing our chat on Harry Potter but from a slightly different angle. In the second half of our conversation, we’re (at times unseriously) looking at one of the biggest and most complicated conversations in the book world right now: the Alchemised controversy and what it says about fanfiction, publishing, and existing IP. In thi...

In this week’s episode, I’m reviewing a recent read, Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland, the second book in the Broken Blades Trilogy . After the fallout of Aeri’s betrayal in book one, Four Ruined Realms takes things to an whole new level. I unpack how Corland’s writing has evolved, the deeper emotional arcs of Aeri, Royo, Mikhail, Sora, and TiYoung, and what makes this book such a powerful explor...

In this episode, we take on one of the biggest discussions in the book world right now: the controversy around Alchemised , the book igniting conversations about people’s (lack of) support for Harry Potter and its related fanfiction in 2025. Kristin is back on the podcast! Our conversation starts with thoughts on the recent trailer for “Wuthering Heights” (2026) before we jump into the messy inter...

We’re back for Season 9, and we’re kicking things off with something a little different: a full-on chat about Banned Books Week 2025. The theme this year is “ Censorship Is So 1984. ” Which, honestly… yeah, that tracks. I’m joined once again by my friend, and academic, Michael Pons , who’s currently deep in his PhD studies. Together, we dive into what book bans really mean for readers, for kids, a...

Join me and author Noel Stark for episode 86 of the podcast, where we talk about her debut novel, Love, Camera, Action , a workplace romance set on a modern television set between Cali, the director, and Jory, the director of photography. We discuss the enemies-to-lovers arc that the leads follow, the themes of creative tension in their love story, and the elements of realism that Stark was able t...

In episode 85, I’m giving a review of Analeigh Sbrana’s, “Lore of the Wilds,” a romantasy novel set in a world where generations ago, Lore Alemeyu’s ancestors fell into a magical world ruled by fae. Now, Lore’s village is held prisoner by the reigning kingdom, subject to the cruelty of the sentries and whims of the royals. I have my qualms with the book, but it was a great debut. From the brooding...

In episode 84, I was joined by author Jade Presley to talk about her new book, The Never List ! It was a joy to have Jade on to talk about her writing process, how she found the why-choose genre, and how a healthy dose of delusion can be great on the road to publication. The Never List follows Rylee, a woman on a quest to save her sister who gets a little side-tracked trying to save her kingdom. T...

In this episode, I’m talking about my reading goals for 2025! As a devotee of SMART goals for many years, my reading goals are really more intentions than milestones I’m looking to achieve. This year, I’m really trying to find the joy in reading again, without the pressure that super defined goals can bring. This year is about me reinforcing reading’s role in my downtime and escape, and it really...

In episode 82, I’m giving a review of the latest book from The Hollows series by Kim Harrison, “Demon’s Bluff,” an urban fantasy novel set in an alternate world where magic and modern sensibilities coexist. As always, I was so excited to talk about this book and this series, since I’ve been such a big fan of Rachel Morgan and her adventures as a witch in Cincinnati for so long. Join me as discussi...

In this episode of In Bed With Books , I sit down with J.K. Kennedy, author of Clumsy Beauty , a beautifully illustrated collection of bite-sized poems filled with warmth, wit, and a dash of irreverence. Clumsy Beauty is a celebration of life’s imperfections, offering inspiration for embracing our quirks, stumbles, and unique journeys. J.K. and I discuss the joy of self-acceptance and finding beau...

In episode 80 of In Bed With Books , I dive into What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez, a captivating historical fantasy romance. Join me as I explore Inez’s thrilling adventure to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths and the mysterious gifts they left behind, including the dreamy but closed-off Whitford Hayes. With book two, Where the Library Hides , coming soon, this is the perfect time...