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 look like within a BDSM dynamic, particularly in undernegotiated power exchange relationships. That being said, BDSM is not inherently abusive and we do not conflate the two.

Follow Kate on Instagram and Threads @kate.hawthorne or go to www.katehawthornebooks.com.

Breaking The Mold is available for pre-order now! You can find Kate's books on Kindle Unlimited, and in the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore on Bookshop.org at bit.ly/REAbooks

Reserve your ticket to our Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans on April 29th: https://bookclubbar.com/events/4612720260429

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Books and authors mentioned this episode:

• Danielle Steele
• Norah Roberts
• Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James
• Heated Rivalry (Crave, 2025)
• The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs