It’s Matt’s birthday, and we’re celebrating with author Jamie Varon. We talk about her newest novel Charlie Quinn Lets Go, a story about starting over, chasing joy, and learning when to finally let go. Jamie shares her honest take on writing, healing, and building a life that truly feels like yours. Plus, we play a chaotic Mad Libs game where we build Jamie’s potential yes day and see if she’d actually be up to the adventure.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

Matt kicks things off with a brand-new show intro, and Andrea talks about meeting Abby Jimenez, before we welcome author Maggie Gates. We dig into her Griffith Brothers series, her path from pastry chef to bestselling romance author, and why first drafts just need to exist! 

Follow Maggie Gates
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormaggiegates
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormaggiegates
Website: https://maggiegates.com/

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

We’re chatting with Kathleen Barber, best-selling author of Truth Be Told and Follow Me, about her brand-new novel Both Things Are True. We dive into love, contradictions, and we play a fun game inspired by the title itself. Plus, Andrea is taking a trip to meet Abby J - maybe we should roleplay how that'll go. 

Connect with Kathleen Barber:
Website: kathleenbarber.com
Instagram: @katelizabee

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

This week we kick things off with Matt’s sultry sandwich artist R&B moment, Andrea’s family reunion reflections, and then dive into our author spotlight on the brilliant Kirsty Greenwood. We’ll talk about her books, her humor-filled style, and even her new musical project. Plus, we share updates on Indy, Zoe, and the newest character to join our story. Big laughs, big book talk, and big things ahead.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

This week, we catch up on summer life, play our Make Up the Date game (this one gets a little ridiculous), and sit down with author Megan Sotelo Padilla to talk about her latest romance novel, I Object, and the writing journey behind it all.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

This week, we welcome the incredibly talented Brent Black, also known as Brentalfloss, to the show. We chat with Brent about his journey from YouTube favorite to full-on creative powerhouse. He shares stories from his work as a lyricist, composer, and game developer, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to bring creative projects to life. Whether you’re into video games, musicals, or just love hearing how great ideas come together, we promise this episode is full of inspiration, laughs, and a whole lot of heart.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

In Episode 22 of Our Next Chapter, we share summer excitement with the boys at  theater camp, plus exciting updates on our book. We also spotlight Katherine Center, dive into the Romance Con controversy, and talk through our creative process and plan. 

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

We’re back from summer camps, vacations, and a little chaos, and ready to catch up. This week, we shine a spotlight on indie author Matt Dinniman and his litRPG series Dungeon Crawler Carl. Plus, we’ve got a big announcement about our podcast schedule and a fresh update on where our own romance story is headed.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

In this episode, we shine our Author Spotlight on Karen Dukess and explore the themes in her work. We also chat through a New York Times article about the emotional retreat of modern men, and use it to make some decisions about our main character, Alex. Plus, Matt shares a surreal moment meeting movie icon Tommy Wiseau, and getting some writing advice.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com

This week, we’re recording from the aisles of Half Price Books! Join us for a special bookstore episode featuring Kennedy Ryan in our Author Spotlight, a deep dive into her incredible career and personal story, and three games you can only play surrounded by used romance paperbacks. From guessing spicy plots to making up entire storylines from a single sentence, this one’s a chaotic love letter to readers everywhere.

Matt & Andrea here. Thanks for joining us on this journey. 
We'd love to hear from you. Visit us at www.OurNextChapterPodcast.com