In this episode, Leslye and Ines break down the necessary elements of First Scenes and First Lines. Want to see how we cracked the code to awesome beginnings? Curl up and listen close!

Grab K.M. Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel for tips on crafting your first scenes here: https://amzn.to/3RXzad9

We love the movies too, but have you ever read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Check it out: https://amzn.to/3TDRiKp

Check out Leslye’s voice with her masterful novels

• Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope - https://books2read.com/TheMonstersWeDefy

Great First Line Examples

• Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - https://amzn.to/3H5YHKI

• Uprooted by Naomi Novik - https://amzn.to/3GXwt54

• Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover - https://amzn.to/3tC32T0

• Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay - https://amzn.to/3NMp4t8

• Paradise by Toni Morrison - https://amzn.to/3NMNoLw

• Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh - https://amzn.to/3vhCLtH

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Find the hosts online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Our discussion of Mine to Possess includes all the trigger warnings! This novel takes us on a journey through the turbulent reunion and uncovering of long-buried secrets of Clay, a leopard changeling with a troubled past, and Tally, a human with deep emotional scars and a mysterious connection to the Psy.

Grab your copy of Mine to Possess here: https://amzn.to/40SBchm 

Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/

Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/

Check out the books from Leslye’s four book deal: https://amzn.to/3trkGbY

Check out Ines’ constant rereads:

Marrying Winterbourne: https://amzn.to/3sZ307f 

Bet Me: https://amzn.to/49VBqIH 

Watch Lessons in Chemistry to see Leslye’s brother Paul James (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1482818/): https://tv.apple.com/us/show/lessons-in-chemistry/umc.cmc.40yycssgxelw4zur8m2ilmvyx

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Find the hosts online at

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

In this episode, we’re exploring an exciting trend of narratives featuring strong heroines who rescue themselves, and the supportive heroes who love them for it. 

Gone are the days of damsels in distress waiting for a hero; today's romance stories are about empowered women charting their own destinies, creating community, and finding partners who respect and admire their strength. 

Want to read Ines’ single mother Cinderella story? Grab Pumpkin: a Cindermama story here: https://amzn.to/3RoCFc4

Our favorite Cinderella retellings and books/movies that follow this theme are:

• Ever After: https://amzn.to/3SXKTct 

You should have Theodora Taylor’s 7 Figure Fiction in your library to make sure you butter up those Universal Fantasies: https://amzn.to/3Gei6su 

Also check out her Romance List for a complete breakdown of the Cinderella trope: https://amzn.to/3Ge14Lp 

Want to learn more about the Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger? You can read it here: https://amzn.to/49Wwtzn

Interested in the Save the Cat plotting method? Here’s the book: https://amzn.to/3uzsKaT 

James Scott Bell talks about the Mirror Moment in Write Your Novel From the Middle: https://amzn.to/47qQU67 

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Find the hosts online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

As we break down Caressed by Ice, we delve into a story where the cold world of the Psy meets the fiery realm of the Changelings. We also explore the complex dynamics between the emotionally suppressed Psy and the sensually alive Changelings, focusing on the intriguing bond between Brenna, a wolf changeling recovering from a traumatic ordeal, and Judd, a Psy assassin trained to feel nothing. 

Grab your copy of Caressed by Ice here: https://amzn.to/47Pnv5b 

Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/

Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/

Ines highly recommends How to Write Hot Sex, with a particular nod at Cara Mckenna’s essay “Real Ugly.” https://amzn.to/47oVEce 

Both Ines and Leslye recommend that you give author Noelle Adams a try. She has a huge backlist, so if you’re looking for a place to start, try A Negotiated Marriage.

Need a pick me up in the morning? Try out the Artist Morning meditations: https://www.artistmorning.com/ 

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Find the hosts online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Today's topic is one that sets our hearts racing and pages turning: the Enemies to Lovers trope. We dissect some of the most iconic enemies to lovers stories in literature and on screen and dive deep into the intoxicating dance of characters who start off at odds, only to find their hearts entwined as the story unfolds and explore why this trope captures our imaginations and keeps us hooked, from the fiery initial clashes to the eventual tender admissions of love. 

Grab Leslye’s current favorite The Hating Game, the book https://amzn.to/3N9sUwa or the film https://amzn.to/3RaLzce.

Interested in the Save the Cat plotting method? Here’s the book: https://amzn.to/3uzsKaT 

And here’s a blog post that discusses the Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis: https://savethecat.com/tips-and-tactics/revisiting-save-the-cat-strikes-back-the-three-worlds

Snyder goes more into this theory in Save the Cat Strikes Back: https://amzn.to/3MVUi0v 

Check out the only bully romance that Ines and Leslye could handle Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein: https://amzn.to/3Rde1v9 

Check out the Kresley Cole’s unlikeable heroine in Kiss of the Demon King: https://amzn.to/3uxNzn6

Check out Angelina Lopez’s super strong heroine in After Hours on Milagro Street: https://amzn.to/3GpF5Ru

Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is chef’s kiss: https://amzn.to/3Ge4JIY 

Check out Ines’ nonfiction recommendation Body Work by Melissa Febos: https://amzn.to/47ucer4

Check out Leslye’s recommendation Dragon Chained by Kenley Davidson (The Dragon of 23rd Street series): https://amzn.to/3Gm0XNA 

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Subscribe to the podcast at: https://inkandmagic.net/ 

Find us online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Join us as we discuss how Singh expertly crafts a narrative that's not just a tale of forbidden love, but also a compelling commentary on freedom, identity, and the nature of emotion. From the nuanced development of characters to the richly detailed setting, Visions of Heat offers a masterclass in building a captivating paranormal world.

Grab your copy of Visions of Heat here: https://amzn.to/40YhDVc 

Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/

Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/

Wanna rewatch Rocky? You’ve heard the trigger warnings: https://amzn.to/3STr6Lr

Wanna reexperience Edward watching Bella sleep in Twilight? https://amzn.to/47PnY7y

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Subscribe to the podcast at: https://inkandmagic.net/ 

Find us online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

In our second episode, we take a hard look at the quintessential romance hero: Fitzwilliam Darcy and how his character has crafted so many that came after him in what Ines (not Leslye!) likes to call the Darcy Arc.

Ines postulates that the Darcy Arc can be found in the evolution of characters like Edward Cullen from Twilight and Christian Grey from Fifty Shades of Grey. These characters begin as misunderstood and emotionally distant figures who eventually reveal a deeper capacity for love and kindness.

This transformation, triggered by their relationships with strong-willed heroines, sees them shift from aloofness to passionate commitment.

The discussion highlights common elements across these stories, such as the challenges of wealth and status, the heroes' moral complexities, and their ultimate transformation through love, which captivates readers and makes these stories enduringly appealing.

Read Pride and Prejudice

Want to watch it? Do what Leslye and Ines do and chain smoke both the 2005 movie here.

You can read  or watch Edward Cullen’s arc in Twilight.

You can read or watch Christian Grey’s arc in Fifty Shades of Grey.

You can read or watch The Hunger Games.

Watch Sex in the City here.

You can watch Austenland here.

We briefly mention The Hating Game, which you can read or watch. We’ll talk much more about this in a future episode.

Here’s that Kresley Cole mafia romance series we were talking about: https://amzn.to/49zVRuH

Read JT Geissinger's Beautifully Cruel.

Instagram of Sterying leaving the Meowtrix. - (Viewed 14.4 million times as this goes out!)

Up next is Visions of Heat! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/49zWC71

Find the hosts online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

It's the kick-off episode of the Ink and Magic podcast!! We're starting with a dream of a book Slave to Sensation which, coincidentally, also includes some steamy sex dreams! 

In our first foray into the Psy-Changeing world, where emotions are forbidden and the wildest of passions take center stage, we meet the pivotal characters of Sascha Duncan, a Psy struggling with her feelings, and Lucas Hunter, an Alpha leopard determined to find a serial killer in his territory.

We discuss worldbuilding, plotting vs. pantsing vs. structure, and biting kink!

Grab your copy of Slave to Sensation here: https://amzn.to/3SDrMo3

Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/

Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/

Interested in the Fated Mates podcast featuring Nalini Singh’s interview? Here it is: https://fatedmates.net/episodes?offset=1698206400510

Wanna read that Alpha Female book by TS Joyce? This is it: https://amzn.to/46of000

Literature and Lattes by Travis Baldtree: https://amzn.to/3G2lpmQ

Curious about L. Penelope’s Bliss Wars series? Check it out: https://amzn.to/40I3j32

Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/

Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP

Find the hosts online at:

L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/ 

Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/ 

Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.

Meet your hosts Ines Johnson and L. Penelope and learn what the Ink & Magic podcast is all about and why you should tune in.

Find us at https://inkandmagic.net/

Credits:

"Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.