Black Chick Lit

The series goes back to its roots in this book, with couples hiding from the tribe and making out in caves.

But things get messy (literally!) quickly for Kate and Harrec when the big blue barbarian suffers a serious injury. To complicate matters, our boy can't handle the sight of his own blood.

Ellen and Ellen's Mom from the Not Your Mom's Romance Book Club join me to discuss Ice Planet exposure therapy, Harrec's lack of game and whether the sa-khui kiss-and-tell.

Join me for the next episode when we discuss Warrek and Summer's book, Barbarian's Rescue.

This is a repost of episode thirteen of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Lady. Originally published on May 19, 2020.

This book starts with the hero buying human slaves from intergalactic smugglers.

Big yikes!

Luckily for us, Ms. Dixon doesn't burden the story with descriptions of horrors and trauma. Instead, we follow our newly resonated couple, Bek and Elly, as they work to trust and understand one another.

Jen, from the Twitter account JenReadsRomance, joins me as we discuss Bek's surprising redemption (okay, not that surprising ... it's in the title).

Next week, I'll be joined by Ellen and Ellen's Mom from the Not Your Mom's Romance Book Club to discuss Barbarian's Lady. What debauchery have I introduced into their lives?!

This is repost of episode twelve of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Redemption. Originally published on May 5, 2020.

Things are tough right now. Why not avoid it all by listening to Heaving Bosoms' Melody and I talk about all the alien sex featured in Barbarian's Choice?

Our girl, Farli, is all grown up and looking for a resonance mate of her very own. Luckily for her, angsty mechanic Mardok lands on the ice planet. He's big, blue and broody. Even better, he's Farli's resonance mate.

Listen in as we answer questions you never had about sa-khui sex, anatomy and birth control.

Get ready for next week's episode when Jen of JenReadsRomance and I discuss Bek's big fuck-up in Barbarian's Redemption.

This is a repost of episode eleven of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Choice. Originally published on March 24, 2020.

This is a heavy one, friends, so get the tissues ready. Andrea, from the Shelf Love Podcast joins me for a discussion of Barbarian's Hope.

We were impressed by all the emotional work Asha and Hemalo did to reconnect following their break up. Healthy conversations? Had 'em. Avoidance behavior? Called it out. Grief? Dealt with, but not minimized, in a productive manner. We stan a mentally healthy resonance couple.

Heads up, readers: Both the book and this episode deal with the loss of a child. Please be aware and listen with caution, if needed.

Things get even more out of this world in next week's episode, when Melody from the Heaving Bosoms podcast joins me to discuss Barbarian's Choice.

This is a repost of episode two of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Hope. Originally published on March 17, 2020.

Erin, of the Heaving Bosoms podcast, and I discuss the tragic romance of Pashov and Stacey from Barbarian's Heart.

She loves him, but he can't remember her. It's my kryptonite, y'all.

We follow these two as they road-trip across the ice planet to the tribe's new home and try to repair their broken bond. But he keeps saying the wrong and she won't give the guy a break.

In one last ditch effort, Pashov "kidnaps" Stacey (with permission from his chief, of course) and whisks her away to a hunter cave to rekindle their romance.

Come back next week when Andrea, of the Shelf Love podcast, and I discuss Barbarian's Hope. Heads up for that one: the book contains discussion of the loss of a child.

This is a repost of episode nine of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Heart. Originally published on March 10, 2020.

Urban Lit Month continues? We read Their Eyes We're Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston and couldn't help but spot a few similarities between Janie Crawford and a few of other past heroines. (*cough* Zoe *cough*)

Her tragic background. Her wild and crazy man problems. Her relationship with a fast-talking man who introduces her to sex, fighting and gambling. Don't tell us this book isn't a proto-urban lit title!

We also discuss Tea Cake and his never-ending schemes, Hurston's history with the Niggerati (bet you didn't know about that!) and that mad dog who hitched a ride on that cow.

Be sure to join us next month when we read Attica Locke's Heaven, My Home. 

As always, thanks to our patrons for their support: Frank, Kat, Montara, Bryonna, Ellen, I Found This Great Book Podcast, Sylvia, Adoria, Ali, Emily, LaToya and Maria.  Join us on Patreon starting at only $2 a month and help support the podcast!

Thanks for listening and be sure to rate, review and subscribe to us on iTunes. Special thanks to Suite45 for our theme song, Jones’n.

In case you didn't know, my all-time favorite gif is the one featuring Marie Kondo gleefully stating that she loves mess.

Well, Ms. Kondo, you'd love Barbarian's Taming, because our girl Maddie and her man, Hassen, are MESSY. Ana Coqui, of the Beyond the Sectors and RomBkLove podcasts, joins me as we discuss their questionable decisions.

Not only does Maddie pick the tribe's loneliest, most desperate man to have a no-strings-attached fling with (lol good luck enforcing that), she picks the dude who is exiled for stealing her own sister.

Somehow, though, these two outsiders make it work. But, will Maddie's sister ever accept them? Will Hassen be able to convince Vektal to put an end to his (admittedly mild) exile?

Turns out, none of that matters because a catastrophic earthquake destroys to Tribal Caves and puts the whole community out on the ice streets.

It's a plot-heavy read with some big consequences for the tribe. Listen in next week as I discuss Barbarian's Heart, featuring poor Pashov and his poor busted head, with Erin of Heaving Bosoms.

This is a repost of episode two of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Taming. Originally published on March 3, 2020.

I can't believe I made it through this entire episode without making a single! Miss Cleo joke. This episode, Melinda, from Romance Sparks Joy, joins me to read about the Ice Planet's resident psychic and his alien girlfriend, Lila.

Lila gives us some of the series best character development, as she grows a timid damsel-in-distress to a daring outdoors-woman.

This books gives us a lot of series firsts, as well. We got the first mention of the fruit caves, the first hint that those creepy metlaks aren't as feral as they seem and, finally!, the series' first failed kidnapping. Hassen, buddy. Sucks for you.

Hear more about his sad punishment when I discuss Barbarian's Taming with Ana from the RomBkLove podcast and a reviewer for Love in Panels.

This is a repost of episode seven of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Touch. Originally published on Feb. 25, 2020.

2020 is about some real shenanigans. Between the brown-face fiasco Jeanine Cummins brought with her American Dirt release and the Barnes & Noble "Diverse Editions" mess, we've been facepalming since the new year began.

Flatiron Books tried to both-sides their way out of the Cummins mess with the year's worst PR statement. B&N took the classier route and just cancelled themselves.

Listen in as we stare agog at the state of modern publishing, and be sure to join us next month when we read the Black literary classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston.

Do you have a suggestion for a future #BCLChat? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us at @blackchicklit. And don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe to Black Chick Lit on iTunes.

We're taking it back to where it all began! This week, I'm joined by my longtime friend and cohost, Mollie, from Black Chick Lit. We discuss the very first book in the series that I ever read, Barbarian's Mate.

Mollie was there with me when I discovered the series, so it's only proper that she join me for this trip back to Not Hoth.

We had a lot of questions: How did Josie not feel that IUD slip out her pants? Where is the Ice Planet sex planet? And is Haeden actually an idiot?

The pod is off next week, but be sure to check back the following week when Melinda, from Romance Sparks Joy and the RomBkPod joins me to discuss book seven, Barbarian's Touch.

This is a repost of episode six of the Ice Planet Podcast covering Barbarian's Alien. Originally published on Feb. 11, 2020.