"You should be writing, because that's the only thing that ultimately you can have even a hope of controlling." ~Valerie Valdes

Welcome back to the talented Valerie Valdes, also known as Lia Amador! We are here to launch her newest book, a fantasy rom-com titled Witch You Wood. We talk magical reality shows, romance, and tropes. We also get real about the struggles that persist even after being published.

Valerie discusses her experiences with self-doubt and how she manages to push through these challenges. We also explore the nuances of writing romance, the balance between subtlety and straightforwardness, and the significance of knowing your audience.

(This post went live for supporters on October 20, 2025. If you want early, ad-free, and sometimes expanded episodes, support at Patreon!)

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Links

• Valerie Valdes / Lia Amador
• Escape Pod
• International Latino Book Award
• Ali Hazelwood
• Mary Balogh
• India Holton
• Jackie Lau
• Archive of Our Own
• Baldur's Gate 3
• Hades 2
• Behooved

Evergreen Links

• See all books from Season 21
• Like the podcast? Get the book! I Should Be Writing.
• Socials: Bluesky, Instagram, YouTube, Focusmate
• Theme by John Anealio
• Savor I Should Be Writing tea blends
• Support local book stores! Station Eternity, Six Wakes, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition and more!
• OR Get signed books from my friendly local store, Flyleaf Books!

— "Exploring Romance and Reality in Writing with Valerie Valdes" is brought to you in large part by my supporters, the Fabulists, who received an early, expanded version of this episode. You can join our Fabulist community with a pledge on Patreon!

Some of the links above may be affiliate, allowing you to support the show at no extra cost to you. Also consider leaving a review for ISBW, please!

CREDITS Theme song by John Anealio, art by Numbers Ninja, and files hosted by Libsyn (affiliate link). Get archives of the show via Patreon.

October 23, 2025 | Season 21 Ep 19 | murverse.com "Exploring Romance and Reality in Writing with Valerie Valdes" by Mur Lafferty is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

In case it wasn't clear: Mur and this podcast are fully supportive of LGBTQ+ folks, believe that Black Lives Matter, and trans rights are human rights, despite which direction the political winds blow. If you do not agree, then there are plenty of other places to go on the Internet.