Demythifying

Lauren jumped at the opportunity to speak to romantasy great Carissa Broadbent about the first in a trilogy Daughter of No Worlds after it was picked up by traditional publishers.

Talking about the inspiration behind the main characters. Carissa's feelings on booktok and transitioning to traditional publishing and those all obligatory plot spoilers

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What if you see a little something you can't quite explain but your brain tries to rationalise?

 Venture into Angel City for the first in the Red City series with Lauren and author Marie Lu. Lauren gets into the world building of the alternate Los Angeles (Angel City) and it's alchemy magic system. They discuss the challenges of YA vs Adult writing, Marie's reaction to the AI emotional support kangaroo PLUS meeting our MC's on page and their first experiences with seeing alchemy IRL and no awards are given for mother of the year.

Spoilers are juicy with plot points being broken down, the escalation of the crime syndicates increasing and Lauren asks her burning "I know you did it for the plot but I don't have to like it but did you have to?"

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Head on a quest for family with Lauren and Maddie Martinez as they dive into The Maiden and Her Monster. They discuss how Maddies educational background shaped the novel and the history of the Jewish Golem myth. They also talk about the crafting of the love plot and obviously obligatory spoilers

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Jane is back for a bumper episode about one of the first women of Rome.... Fulvia.

They get into roles of women and the perfect Roman woman and what Rome was like in Fulvias time. They dig into certain events from Fulvias life (taxes), her choice to remarry and reremarry and of course THOSE bullets.

They also play and invite you to play along with one of the stressiest Shag Marry Kills ever

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We all know the story of Anthony and Cleopatra. Have you ever thought about their daughter? No Lauren hadn't either until she discovered Dr Jane Draycotts book all about her. They get into the backstory of Cleopatra and Mark Anthony, iconography and retrospective romantacising. Then we get into the woman of the moment and her journey from Egyptian Princess to Roman Prisoner and then Finally African Queen. Prepare to learn more about crocodiles than you expected.

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Lauren is going full on lover girl for a summer of love with Phoenicia Rogerson and her second book Aphrodite. They cover thousands of years of mythology guided by a goddess? who admits straight away that she lies. 

They get into the two origin stories of her and fitting that into an already confusing timeline and theres obvious obligatory spoilers

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Get ready to adventure down to the underworld.... Lauren hangs out with one of her earliest guests JJA Harwood for advice on how to get an undead vampire husband of her own ala FMC Irina. They discuss Jo's vampire reseach and real life weddings to the undead. Jo enthuses hard about her partly research and partly fun trips to Romania.

In obligatory spoilers they get into Jo's underwordly inspirations, plot points and how she plotted an enemies to lovers/quest gothic romantasy. Both are on tenderhooks to know if YOU think the steaks are higher in this or in an office enemies to loves with Steve who isn't pulling his weight.

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Have you ever been obsessed with a book before you've even read it? Thats how Lauren felt about Liz's new book Sinners. Introducing us properly to Beatrice Cenci who you may remember from Disobedient. They go into her story, Liz teaches Lauren about convent dowries and what early Rome was like.

In the obligatory spoilers they get into the events around a court case, a painting that for years was misidentified and the mythology of a woman who's story needed to be told.

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Lauren goes back to school with Shannon Mayer and her FMC Harlow -  a more age relatable morally grey heroine.

They get into world building, staple fantasy building blocks like chosen family, why we love magic systems and school books and Shannons journey from indie published to traditional publishing.

The spoilers are some of the hottest ever with a teaser for book 2 including the book two name and a juicy detail about the plot. Lauren goes into theories for book two betrayals and backtracks on one during the episode. Shannon also shares what you can expect from book two.

In the goodbyes Lauren and Shannon also reveal their Neverthorn house as Lauren's doing the house sorting quiz during recording.

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Lauren meets a new Roman woman to the historical fiction space - Fulvia.

Author Kaarina Parker teaches Lauren how not to get pregnant the ancient Roman way. They discuss which theory about the Bona Dea festival they want to bring back together and Kaarina makes her views on one Roman orator VERY clear.

They discuss the obligatory spoilers as they demyth the first of Kaarinas duology about the life of one of the most important Roman women you may not know enough about.

Lauren brings back shag marry kill but themes it for the roman pasttime of exiling to not cause Kaarina too much trauma

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