In Episode 207, Sarah chats with author Regina Black about her newest novel, August Lane. A second-chance romance about two people healing from trauma, August Lane is set in Arcadia, Arkansas, with themes of family, generational scars, and a unique thread of Black country music. Regina also talks about how she got into writing Romance on top of her job as a law school administrator, how long she's been writing, and what spurred her on to seeking publication. Plus, Regina shares some of her top book recommendations!

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CLICK HERE for the full episode Show Notes on the blog.

Highlights

• Books by Regina Black: The Art of Scandal and August Lane
• A brief, spoiler-free overview of August Lane.
• How long Regina has been writing and what moved her to seeking publication.
• Her unique journey to finding an agent
• What exactly does it mean to have a likable character?
• The way Regina uses and leans into typical romance tropes.
• Her decision to step away from social media to write like "no one's watching."
• A bit about the novel she's working on.
• Regina talks about how a lot of writers become lawyers rather than the reverse.

Regina's Book Recommendations [34:41]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds, 1) by Micaiah Johnson (2020) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [34:57]
• Indigo by Beverly Jenkins (1996) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [36:54]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• The Princess and the P.I. by Nikki Payne (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org[38:59]
• Black in Blues:How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry (2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [41:03]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • South to America by Imani Perry (2022) [41:14]

One Book She DIDN'T Love

• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (1813) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:41]
• Other Books Mentioned
  • Persuasion by Jane Austen (1817) [44:54]

One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About

• Where the Wild Flowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris (February 17, 2026) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [46:36]

Books From the Discussion

• Seven Days in June by Tia Williams (2021) [7:34]