Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner

Talk Spicy To Me

Arts EN ↓ 31 episodes

Talk Spicy to Me is a podcast where bestselling romance authors Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling go rogue and talk all things romance — the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. From behind-the-scenes writing stories and industry myths to swooning over messy book boyfriends and the spiciest reads, nothing is off limits. Grab your favorite drink, curl up in your reading nook, and get ready — it's about to get spicy.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: sites.libsyn.com

Author

Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner

Category

Arts

Podcast website

sites.libsyn.com

Latest episode

Nov 11, 2026

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Episodes

Why Good Books Still Flop w/ Dylan Allen | Talk Spicy to Me Video 11.11.2026

In Episode 2 of Season 4 of Talk Spicy To Me, bestselling romance authors Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling are joined by special guest Dylan Allen for an honest conversation about book flops, release-day anxiety, publishing expectations, and what it really takes to keep going when a book underperforms. Dylan shares her experience navigating nearly a decade in publishing, redefining what success loo...

Mom Guilt, Hustle Culture & the Pressure to Have It All w/ Catharina Maura | Talk Spicy To Me Video 04.11.2026

We're kicking off the season with a very special guest! Bestselling romance authors Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling are joined by USA Today bestselling author Catharina Maura, author of The Windsor Series, to tackle a question so many women struggle with: Can you be a good mom AND be ambitious? In this episode, we're getting honest about motherhood, career ambition, work-life balance, and the myth...

Why Cozy Romance Is Taking Over w/ Laurie Gilmore | Talk Spicy to Me Video 09.09.2026

For the Season 3 finale of Talk Spicy to Me, bestselling romance authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurie Gilmore, creator of the beloved Dream Harbor series and The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Laurie takes us behind the scenes of her newest release, Big Bad Wolf, a cozy paranormal romance with Little Red Riding Hood vibes, werewolves, slow burn ten...

What NO ONE Tells You Before Becoming an Author | Talk Spicy to Me Video 02.09.2026

What do we wish someone had told us before becoming authors? In Season 3, Episode 8 of Talk Spicy to Me, bestselling romance authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner get candid about the realities of building a writing career - from finding your author brand and marketing your books to handling bad reviews, creative burnout, writer's block, and the pressure that comes with turning your passion into...

Romance Audiobooks: What Readers & Authors NEED to Know ft. Amy Daws | Talk Spicy To Me Video 26.08.2026

How much does it really cost to produce a romance audiobook and why has duet narration become so popular?  In Season 3, Episode 7 of Talk Spicy to Me, bestselling authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by New York Times bestselling romance author Amy Daws to talk all things audiobooks. From dual vs. duet narration and $10K+ production costs to narrator casting, audiobook rights, royalt...

Romance, Murder & Plot Twists: Writing Romantic Suspense w/ Catherine Cowles | Talk Spicy To Me Video 12.08.2026

In Season 3, Episode 6 of Talk Spicy to Me, bestselling authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Cowles to talk all things romantic suspense - from crafting believable villains and planting red herrings to using suspense to push the romance forward. Catherine also gets candid about career milestones, setting boundaries as a woman in publishi...

How Bestselling Romance Authors Build Unforgettable Worlds w/ Ava Rani | Talk Spicy to Me Video 05.08.2026

In Episode 5 of Talk Spicy to Me, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by USA Today bestselling author Ava Rani for a deep dive into one of the most important (and often overlooked) aspects of storytelling: world building in romance novels. Whether you're writing fantasy romance, dark academia, sports romance, mafia romance, small-town romance, or contemporary romance, this episode is...

The Truth About Creative Burnout w/ Giana Darling & Kandi Steiner | Talk Spicy to Me Video 29.07.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me! In Episode 4 of Season 3, bestselling romance authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are getting honest about burnout, motherhood, creativity, author life, and the pressure to keep producing when your brain and body are begging for a break.  This week, Giana and Kandi dive into what burnout really feels like, how it starts with overwhelm, the warning signs they'v...

What It's REALLY Like Being Married to a Romance Author | Talk Spicy To Me Video 22.07.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me! I n Episode 3 of Season 3, bestselling romance authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by two very special guests: their husbands, Haden and Jack. In this episode, Giana and Kandi pull back the curtain on what it's really like being married to a romance author. Haden and Jack share how they were first introduced to the romance book world, what surprised...

The Truth About Being a Hybrid Author w/ S.J. Tilly | Talk Spicy to Me Video 15.07.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me! In Episode 2 of Season 3, bestselling romance authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by the hilarious, wildly talented, and always chaotic S.J. Tilly for a deep dive into what it really means to be a hybrid author. In this episode, Giana, Kandi, and S.J. talk about the realities of balancing indie publishing and traditional publishing, how Kindle Unlim...

Queer Joy, MM Romance & Happily Ever After w/ Chip Pons | Talk Spicy To Me Video 08.07.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me and welcome to SEASON THREE! 🌶️ We're kicking off the new season with the amazing Chip Pons, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary gay romance, including Winging It With You and Dearly Departed. In this episode, Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner sit down with Chip to talk all things queer love, queer joy, MM romance, found representation, grief, romance tropes...

Building Author Friendships & Writing Community | Talk Spicy to Me 18.03.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In this season finale episode, Kandi and Giana discuss the realities of life in the publishing trenches, the importance of genuine author friendships, what really happens at writing retreats, and answer reader qu...

The Anatomy of a Romance Bestseller w/ Liz Tomforde | Talk Spicy to Me 11.03.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 9, the hosts are joined by bestselling romance author Liz Tomforde to break down the anatomy of a bestseller. They also share personal updates, reality TV obsessions, and the importance of au...

Boundaries, Burnout & Publishing Deals w/ Shanora Williams | Talk Spicy to Me 04.03.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. This week, we're joined by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shanora Williams for an honest, vulnerable conversation about boundaries, burnout, publishing contracts, and whether you can actually bal...

Why Raw & Messy Romance Hits Harder w/ Ambar Cordova | Talk Spicy to Me 25.02.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 5, hosts Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling are joined by special guest Ambar Cordova for a deeply honest conversation about messy characters, third-act breakups, reader reactions, and why raw,...

How to Build an Indie Author Career From Scratch | Talk Spicy to Me 18.02.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 6, hosts Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling share life updates, celebrate publishing milestones, and break down exactly what they would do differently if they were building an indie author caree...

Meet Cutes & First Impressions | Talk Spicy to Me 11.02.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between.   In Season 2, Episode 5, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner catch up on life updates, celebrate major career milestones, and dive deep into one of the most important (and underrated) moments in romance writin...

Kink in Romance Writing w/ Sara Cate | Talk Spicy to Me 04.02.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 4, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by a surprise guest, USA Today bestselling author Sara Kate, for an honest, thoughtful conversation about kink   Sara Cate Instagram: https...

14 Lessons in Romance: Surviving a Decade in Publishing | Talk Spicy to Me 28.01.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 3, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by special guest Melanie Harlow for a candid, behind-the-scenes conversation about surviving a decade in romance publishing. 💬 Got a quest...

Building an Author Team: Editors, Agents & PAs | Talk Spicy to Me 21.01.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 2, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are back for a full solo episode covering real-life updates, spicy media recommendations, and a deep-dive discussion on building an author team as an...

Writing Secrets ft. Laura Pavlov | Talk Spicy to Me 14.01.2026

Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me , the podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, and everything in between. Season 2 kicks off with a deep dive into writing a romance series , featuring special guest Laura Pavlov . We talk series vs standalones, series bibles, character continuity, managing reader expectations, and what it takes to keep...

How Life Experiences Shape Romance Writing w/ Elsie Silver | Talk Spicy to Me Ep. 10 19.11.2025

Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me: A podcast where two bestselling authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Episode 10, It's Giving Influential: How Life Impacts Art, we're hanging out with Elsie Silver to talk about all the ways real life finds its way into our books: the funny moments, the emotional ones, and the things readers...

Dating as a Romance Author (Swoon, Red Flags & Reality) | Talk Spicy to Me Ep. 9 12.11.2025

Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me: A podcast where two bestselling authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between.   In Episode 9, It's Giving Swoon & Doom: Dating as a Romance Author , Kandi and Giana are getting real about love, heartbreak, and the hard-earned happily ever afters behind the scenes. From how Giana and Hayden met and naviga...

What Makes a Story Truly Magical w/ Sierra Simone | Talk Spicy to Me Ep. 8 05.11.2025

Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me: A podcast where two bestselling authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Episode 9, It's Giving Magic , we're hanging out with the one and only Sierra Simone to talk about books that just have that thing. You know, the ones that feel a little enchanted and stick with you long after you finish the...

A Real Day in the Life of a Romance Author w/ Brittany C. Cherry | Talk Spicy to Me Ep. 7 29.10.2025

Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me: A podcast where two bestselling authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Episode 7, It's Giving Ever-Changing Days in the Life of a Romance Author, we're joined by Brittany C. Cherry for an honest look at what it's like to live, write, and love as a romance novelist. This episode highlights the m...

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