Lex.Btw.TheLines...

We catch up with indie author SM Love and gush over the cozy Harlem summer vibe of Uptown Love while side-eyeing those “72 pages” that are not really 72 pages. We also get real about self-sabotage in love, what a patient partner looks like on the page, and how SM Love builds stories with editing, ARC feedback, and a lot of lived experience. 
• SM Love’s background beyond writing, including being a mum and studying psychology 
• The origin of Uptown Love as a New York collaboration and why Harlem fits the story 
• Cozy nostalgia on the page, from cookouts to bickering aunties to family pressure 
• Why she writes “happy right now” endings and why readers want more closure 
• Malik as the steady love interest and how patience can still have boundaries 
• Keisha’s self-sabotage when love feels too real 
• The “you’re too much” breakup theme and what the right partner never says 
• Novellas as tight, fast reads and how she keeps the pacing clean 
• Her process with editors, ARC readers, and using feedback 
• What’s coming next, including The Pink Room, Club Venus, collabs, and holiday stories 
Don’t forget to follow Arthur SM Love and don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe if you are not already subscribed to my podcast or my YouTube.

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I talk with author Inez Moon about turning a painful marriage and a hard-won restart into All Signs Point Forward, a story built around self-liberation, sexuality, and healing. We laugh, gasp, and get honest about why the messiest scenes can still carry the clearest life lessons. 
• introducing Inez Moon and her debut novel All Signs Point Forward 
• breaking down Shared Hunger and writing erotica with plot 
• stopping the first draft when it felt like a memoir 
• leaving a relationship that crushes self-worth 
• writing hypersexuality and desire without shame 
• building characters with real backstory and emotional logic 
• weaving LGBTQIA representation and unconventional soulmates 
• adding spirituality through meditation, crystals, and intention 
• using cultural details and Brooklyn influence for authentic representation 
• flipping BDSM power dynamics and why readers loved it 
• crafting a jaw-dropping ending and planning spin-offs like Steve’s story 
• teasing His Favorite Crystal with cover reveal and release date 
Make sure you guys are following author Inez Moon and of course Lakes Between the Lines 

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We catch up with thriller author Keira N. James on the one-year anniversary of Orchid and why she now treats a release like an immersive experience. We talk craft, grief, revenge, and the real work behind showing up as an introvert while building a bigger platform and a live thriller community. 
• rebranding Orchid for an anniversary edition with more intention 
• using a business admin and social media marketing background to guide launches 
• building a believable botanical artist through research and lived details 
• writing Granny Irene from real memory and honoring loss on the page 
• designing a creative, character-driven demise and why it feels “justified” 
• unpacking Exodus as justice-seeker and problem-maker 
• writing from the ending first, tightening drafts in edits, using a small beta team 
• handling writer’s block by not forcing bad pages 
• drawing boundaries around trauma and taboo topics in Black thrillers 
• teasing romance without promising a romance ending 
• previewing Love and War and the License to Thrill event 
the anniversary edition book boxes um are available for pre-order.

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We sit down with thriller author and therapist Geletta Shavers to talk about how real trauma, caregiving, and anxiety helped shape The Inheritance of Amaya Montgomery. We dig into the gaslighting, the inheritance stakes, the characters who make you want to yell at the page, and what Geletta wants to explore next in book two. 
• why the audiobook feels like a full production and changes the experience 
• how dementia caregiving can reopen childhood trauma and push you toward therapy 
• writing fiction as self healing before deciding to publish 
• Amaya’s vulnerability and why some readers struggle to empathise with her 
• the inheritance premise and how the gaslighting escalates into terror 
• Bree’s future, identity, and the choice to challenge stigma in character arcs 
• what got revised or cut after publication and how that affects pacing 
• what Gilletta is releasing next and why she also writes under GP Jackson 

If you leave a review before September the 30th on Instagram, TikTok, Goodreads, and Amazon, you go into a drawing for two $25 Visa gift cards, and each review is another entry 

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We sit down with author Samyra Alexander to talk twists, dark psychological thrillers, and how Road To Malevolence unexpectedly grew from a standalone into a full trilogy. We also unpack Janet’s choices through the lens of trauma, family secrets, and the uncomfortable truth that adults can create the very chaos they blame on kids. 
• Samyra’s early influences from Hitchcock-style storytelling and twist endings 
• Why Road To Malevolence was meant to be standalone then became a trilogy 
• The reality of self-publishing costs and wanting fair pay for creative work 
• Janet’s origin story and the theme of parents’ consequences landing on children 
• Keeping key events in a child’s POV to preserve innocence and suspense 
• Writing Janet across huge age jumps while keeping core traits consistent 
• Trauma responses, coping strategies, and “looking fine” while struggling 
• Family mental health patterns and how strict parenting can fuel secrecy 
• Book three pacing, added suspense, and confirming the series is complete 
• Upcoming events and where to find signed copies and follow Samira online 
SamyraAlexander.com, you can get signed copies of my my paperback Road to Malevolence, the series, or any of my other dark psychological fiction books. 

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We talk with author Anna J about Rainy Days, her first romance, and why writing a “soft” love story takes just as much courage as writing a thriller. We also get honest about divorce, faith, red flags, and the kind of love that feels safe enough to be real. 
• shifting from thriller author to romance writer without following “protocol” 
• reader reactions to Rainy Days and the appeal of Reggie’s softness 
• pulling from real life and faith to shape character and story 
• learning to live with the quiet after divorce and starting over 
• not ignoring red flags and dropping the fixer mindset 
• why reciprocity matters and sex can hide incompatibility 
• writing the relationship “list” and needing an equally yoked partner 
• keeping your cup full and only giving overflow 
• what’s next: Gabby’s story, events, audio plans, and the backlist 
Across all social media, I am author anj or annaj author. Definitely reach out. 

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We sit down with author S.M. Love and get honest about why her romance stories feel like real life, from messy past wounds to mature choices that actually make sense. We talk communication, boundaries, and the kind of self-love that changes who you date and what you will never compromise again. 
• S.M. Love’s approach to women’s fiction romance that makes readers reflect 
• Why The Space Between lands like a therapy session on the page 
• How her psychology background shapes emotional realism and character voice 
• Writing love stories with mature characters, careers, and sisterhood after 30 
• Building a friend group from real traits without turning friends into plots 
• Avoiding an easy love triangle by making everyone complicated and human 
• When to have serious relationship conversations and why waiting creates resentment 
• Healing after divorce, rebuilding your identity, and choosing yourself without guilt 
• Second-chance love, family blueprints, and being met where you are 
• Reader reactions, DMs, and the lessons people take into their own relationships 
• What’s next in the S.M. Love universe, including Dania and Club Venus 
• Upcoming events and where to follow her online 
Leave us your thoughts and your reviews. You can comment below. Make sure that you rate our podcast.

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We sit down with thriller author and audiobook narrator JR Mason to unpack how she turns books into fully immersive audio with sound effects, music, and performance level acting. Along the way, we get honest about burnout, reviews, writing from real life, and what it means to build suspense that actually earns the “thriller” label. 
• getting into audiobook narration after a layoff and learning production the hard way 
• re-recording early work for consistency and upgrading a home recording space 
• dual narration versus duet narration and why duet editing takes more time 
• performing sex scenes, breath control, and building believable timing 
• sound design choices, royalty-free music, and premium audiobook packages 
• writing thrillers as a Black author without relying on characters making foolish choices 
• pulling characters and scenes from real neighbors, coworkers, and workplace experiences 
• dictating novels into a phone, then editing for a conversational voice 
• writing specifically for audiobook drama and avoiding audio problem words 
• bonus chapters, intrusive thoughts, and making audiobooks feel like an event 
• dealing with random one star ratings and the impact of platform drama 
• what a thriller must include, especially twists and sustained suspense 
I am author underscore Jr. Mason on Instagram and TikTok, and I'm just Jr. Mason on Facebook

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We sit down with author Adrian Thomas to talk about her nine-year writing hiatus, her return to indie publishing, and why Hooked On Onyx hits so hard even when it makes you mad. We unpack dark urban fiction choices, reader expectations like trigger warnings, and the craft behind characters who feel too real. 
• stepping back from writing because of procrastination and discouragement after leaving a publisher 
• the shift from publisher support to indie self-publishing and learning the new industry 
• trigger warnings as a courtesy and how the “new batch of readers” changes book culture 
• how Adrian creates characters at random and why King’s obsession drives the story 
• nature versus nurture in Onyx’s mindset and how family influence shapes her choices 
• jealousy, hidden motives, and side characters that bring comedy and chaos 
• writing tropes after the draft rather than chasing tropes on purpose 
• mental health themes, drugs, and how trauma can speed up a breakdown 
• dramatic endings, cliffhanger reactions, and whether book two is coming 
• where to start next with Adrian’s books and what she has coming up 
"if you go to my page you'll just you'll see like the forms to submit for the read for the readers and they can win like you know free copies and a gift card as well" 

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