What is it that makes small towns such perfect backdrops for romance? In this week's episode, Tawdra and Violet explore their own small town backgrounds as they discuss the benefits and pitfalls of living in a place where everyone knows your name. Then, they reveal how those experiences have shaped the different book series each of them have created set in small towns.

As people who remember the 80s fondly from our youth, we're enjoying the trip down memory lane that Stranger Things provides. In this week's podcast, we discuss the explosive popularity of the show, its appeal to our age group (and others), and the enduring charm of the 80s, which seems in some ways more innocent than today and in others, more deadly.

We love the rom-com film genre. We can watch our favorites over and over again. But sometimes when we watch an old favorite, we realize that it hasn't held up while over time. Things that were perfectly acceptable way back then can be uncomfortable or cringeworthy in today's world. It's also impossible to ignore that the happily-ever-after we're rooting for often sends unhealthy and/or unrealistic messages about love and romance. But does it matter? After all, it's fiction. It's supposed to be an escape from reality. So should we care if rom-coms might not be politically correct or may portray relationships that aren't healthy or have a low chance of success? Hear our thoughts and let us know yours!

What is the draw that keeps the Beatles so popular long after they disbanded and stopped making music together? In honor of Global Beatles Day (and the upcoming release of a new film featuring their music), we discuss the Beatles--which one is our favorite, which songs we especially enjoy, which of us really isn't that much of a fan, and our take on their enduring impact on the music industry as a whole.

Join us as we interview special guest Cate Kandle, a recent graduate of Unity College, America's Environmental College. Learn more about Cate's degree in Sustainable Agriculture, and the educational journey that inspired Tawdra Kandle's character careers in the Anti-Cinderella trilogy. We also discuss attitudes toward sustainability, as well as Cate's real-life, practical suggestions for changes we can implement to make a difference for our environment.

We asked our readers to submit questions for us to answer---anything they wanted to ask! And they delivered! This week, we embark upon the question list with not-so-rapid answers. It turns out neither Tawdra nor Violet is good at just giving an answer without a lengthy explanation of WHY that's the answer. But it's all in good fun, and we learned some things about each other!

After nearly a month away from the podcast, we are back! We have an update on our activities while we were on hiatus--including family trips and new releases, and we also discuss our upcoming plans for the summer. Find out where you can find us for book events, and which stories will be coming soon.

What are the books you can read over and over again? What book spoke to you and gave you a message that stuck with you long after you read it? This week, we discuss the nonfiction and fiction books that have inspired us at different times of our lives--childhood, teenager, and the various stages of adulthood.

Some days it's easier than others to be thankful. But does making an effort to have gratitude make you appreciate the people and things around you more? This week, we talk about cultivating an attitude of gratitude and what works (and doesn't work) for putting us in a thankful state of mind.

Is it possible to be nice AND be a badass? It turns out, it is! This week, our guest is Lady Fury, a roller derby phenom and personal trainer who is well on her way to mastering being a badass while at the same time being a thoughtful, considerate, nice human. Fury reveals a few practical tips she employs to keep herself from falling into traps of guilt and insecurities, as well as her path to being empowered to be a badass. Join us for a funny and insightful interview with a very large personality!