Casing the Cover

This week Jenn and Mary examine an array of sexy men under the covers...I mean on...on the covers of romance novels. Journey with us as we travel through time to the days of Fabio and follow the trail of abandoned shirts to the headless horsemen of modern romance. Also literal horse men...and dinosaur men...it's a thing.

Please take a look at the brilliant article by Jen Chen and Jessica Zhang that we examined in this episode! https://sites.duke.edu/unsuitable/men-on-covers/

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month. New and current episodes available at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qg83iCryEXcwoTIJ6aqOA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mary-harrington/casing-the-cover

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casing-the-cover/id1470176150

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qOQUYz-qEJZ0JGgFsmnQQ

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

In honor of Valentines Day Jenn takes on Lauren Rowe's Ball Peen Hammer, a romance novel all about sexy construction workers! Wait... that's not what this is about? Then what is it about? Join us for this very...um... romantic? episode of Casing the Cover as we discuss how we think Ball Peen Hammer came to be.

Warning to listeners: This episode does contain discussion of some adult themes.

To learn more about Lauren Rowe's Ball Peen Hammer visit http://www.laurenrowebooks.com/ball-peen-hammer

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month. New and current episodes available at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qg83iCryEXcwoTIJ6aqOA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mary-harrington/casing-the-cover

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casing-the-cover/id1470176150

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qOQUYz-qEJZ0JGgFsmnQQ

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

If you've ever wondered how some authors create their books overs, this is a must listen episode. This week, Jenn and Mary welcome their first ever Casing the Cover guest, Bob Frank! Bob Frank is the author of the Third Eye Trilogy and co-author of the upcoming Cloud to Cloud with our very own Jenn! Join us as we discuss Bob's series and he shares with us the traditional, and not so traditional, ways that he chose cover art for his Third Eye Trilogy.

A huge thank you to Bob Frank for joining us in this episode! To learn more about Bob Frank and his work visit http://bobfranksite.com/.

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month. New and current episodes available at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qg83iCryEXcwoTIJ6aqOA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mary-harrington/casing-the-cover

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casing-the-cover/id1470176150

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qOQUYz-qEJZ0JGgFsmnQQ

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

It's a new year so naturally Mary and Jenn had to start the decade off with a self help book. Join us as we talk all about the world of self help books, and take a look at Patti Digh's Life is a Verb, a self help book with an unusually crafty cover. Did we learn to be our best selves? Did we gain some enlightenment? Did Mary just pick this book up because she thought it was about scrapbooking? You won't know until you listen to the first Casing the Cover episode of 2020!

To learn more about Patti Digh's Life is a Verb visit https://www.pattidigh.com/books/life-is-a-verb/

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month. New and current episodes available at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qg83iCryEXcwoTIJ6aqOA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mary-harrington/casing-the-cover

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casing-the-cover/id1470176150

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qOQUYz-qEJZ0JGgFsmnQQ

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

It's the holiday season and what better way is there to celebrate than to sit by the fire with a cozy holiday mystery novel? Perhaps to sit by that same fire with a sultry romance novel? That is the question that Jenn and Mary endeavour to answer in this very special holiday episode of Casing the Cover? Which genre produces the better holiday covers? Listen and find out!

To find out more about the books we discussed in today's episode

The Mysteries -

Yule Be Dead by Lorraine Bartlett and Gayle Leeson https://lorrainebartlett.com/yule-be-dead/

Yuletide Homicide Jennifer David Hesse https://jenniferdavidhesse.com/index.html

Silent Night by Robert B. Parker and Helen Brann https://www.robertbparker.net/book-display.php?ISBN=0425271617

Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron https://www.fantasticfiction.com/m/margaret-maron/christmas-mourning.htm

Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622349/twas-the-knife-before-christmas-by-jacqueline-frost/

Santa Cruise by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark http://maryhigginsclark.com/book/santa-cruise/

Six Geese A-Slaying and Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews http://www.donnaandrews.com/

Ho-Ho-Homicide by Kaitlyn Dunnett https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/kaitlyn-dunnett/ho-ho-homicide.htm

Antiques Ho-Ho-Homicides by Barbara Allan https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/barbara-allan/antiques-ho-ho-homicides.htm

The Romances-

A Billionaire Wolf for Christmas by Terry Spear https://terrylspear.wordpress.com/2018/08/31/everyone-needs-a-billionaire-wolf-for-christmas/

The Christmas Wishing Tree By Emily March https://emilymarch.com/the-christmas-wishing-tree

Christmas Camp and Christmas Camp Wedding by Karen Schaler https://www.karenschaler.com/

The Negotiator by Helenkay Dimon https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062749840/the-negotiator/

The December Deception by Dana Volney https://danavolney.com/?p=725

A Cowboy Under My Christmas Tree by Janet Dailey https://www.fantasticfiction.com/d/janet-dailey/

The Christmas Admirer by Laura V. Hilton https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/laura-v-hilton/christmas-admirer.htm

Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D. Bricker https://www.fantasticfiction.com/b/sandra-d-bricker/merry-humbug...

Join Jenn, Mary, and their live audience from CoKoCon 2019! In this episode Jenn reviews Paula Brackston's The Little Shop of Found Things, a science fiction novel wearing a mystery novel's book jacket, and Mary tackles Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf a genre bending teen novel. Will either of us be reading the respective sequels to these titles? You'll have to listen to find out! While you're at it, stick around for our audience Q & A where our live liseners tell us some of their biggest cover pet peeves.

Can't get enough of this live show? Well stay tuned, a full unabridged, live recording of our CoKoCon panel will be up by the end of the year on or Casing The Cover Youtube channel, so stay tuned!

To find out more about the books we talked about at our live show visit the links below.

Paula Brackston's The Little Shop of Found Things: http://www.paulabrackston.com/books/the-little-shop-of-found-things

Ryan Graudin's Wolf by Wolf: https://www.ryangraudin.com/wolf-by-wolf

Special thanks to CoKoCon for hosting us. To learn more about the convention visit https://cokocon.org/2019/concom.html

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month. New and current episodes available at

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qg83iCryEXcwoTIJ6aqOA

Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mary-harrington/casing-the-cover

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/casing-the-cover/id1470176150

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5qOQUYz-qEJZ0JGgFsmnQQ

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

For our spoopy Halloween episode, Mary and Jen take a look at John Everson's The Pumpkin Man. Does this book provide the perfect scary read for All Hallows Eve, or does the titular killer fail to frighten us? Take a listen to find out what we think about this horror novel. Please be advised, this episode does deal with some gory subject matter, as is the case when reviewing books about serial killers.

To learn more about John Everson's The Pumpkin Man visit http://www.johneverson.com.

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month, and all available episodes can be found on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

Have you noticed how cozy Science Fiction and Fantasy novels are getting on library and bookstore shelves? Have Science Fiction and Fantasy become so close that we can't tell them apart anymore? That's what we find out in this week's episode as Mary takes revenge and tests Jenn's knowledge of our two favorite genres. Play along with us by testing your own knowledge of Science Fiction and Fantasy covers.

Check out the links below for more information on the books that we talked about in today's episode.

The Five Daughters of the Moon by Leena Likitalo: https://leenalikitalo.tumblr.com

The Apocalypse Ark by Peter Roman: https://peterdarbyshire.com/peter-roman/

Unseemly Science by Rod Duncan: https://www.angryrobotbooks.com/our-authors/rod-duncan/

The Galaxy Game by Karen Lord: https://karenlord.wordpress.com

The Horn of Ruin by Tim Akers:https://www.timakers.net

The Mortal World by Genevieve Cogman: http://www.grcogman.com

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month, and all available episodes can be found on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

In this week's episode, Jenn learns all about Buddhism from an overweight feline and we both unleash our inner crazy cat ladies. Join us as we dive into David Michie's "The Dalai Lama's Cat".

To discover more about the Dalai Lama's Cat and more of David Michie's work visit https://davidmichie.com.

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month, and all available episodes can be found on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner

In the romance novel market, there seems to be a little something for everyone, but have you ever noticed that many of the covers follow some pretty similar tropes? We certainly have, and in this episode Mary poses the theory that most romance novel covers fall under one of three categories... and Jenn is determined to prove her wrong. Join us this week for a new episode of Casing the Cover where we talk all about romance novel covers.

Check out the links below for more information on the books that we talked about in today's episode.

Blade Bound by Chloe Neill : http://www.chloeneill.com/?page_id=6826

Seconds to Live by Melinda Leigh: https://melindaleigh.com/project/seconds-to-live/

In the Barren Ground Loreth Anne White: https://www.lorethannewhite.com/in-the-barren-groun

Buried Secrets by Barbara Cameron: https://www.familyfiction.com/amish-qa-barbara-cameron-buried-secrets/

Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon: https://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/book/son-of-no-one/

New episodes of Casing the Cover are uploaded on the last Tuesday of each month, and all available episodes can be found on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

To get regular updates about Casing the Cover, or to suggest an upcoming episode topic or book for review you can find us at:

https://www.facebook.com/CasingTheCover

@casingthecover on Twitter

or email us at [email protected]

Special thanks to Mic Leone for our logo design: https://www.facebook.com/MicLeoneDesigner