Rebel Ever After

My guest is Kate Stayman-London, political strategist and author known for One To Watch and Fang Fiction. She shared how working for politicians like John Kerry and Hillary Clinton inspired her rivals-to-friends-to-lovers campaign trail rom-com See You Next Tuesday. We talked about what it was like to write and market this book in the wake of the 2024 election, when fights about electability and idealism vs pragmatism were at an all-time high. Plus, why Kate thinks more romance readers should run for office, and what you can still do to move the needle before this year's midterms.

Follow Kate on Instagram @katestaymanlondon, and purchase See You Next Tuesday from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Adopt an electoral race and get involved in this year's midterms by going to runforsomething.net

Force me to read Purple State by Dana Perino for the Ruin Ella's TBR pledge drive! Join the REA community on Bindery to support our mission of starting a progressive romance novel imprint: rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Media mentioned this episode:

• Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
• Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
• Glee
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer
• Broadcast News
• Twisters, Hit Man, Anyone But You (Glen Powell, why are you so hot but Republican-coded??)
• The West Wing
• When Harry Met Sally

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

My guest this week is Shirlene Obuobi. She is a general cardiologist, an artist, and the author of several novels. Her latest is the outstanding paranormal romance Die For Me, published this summer by Penguin Books. We talked about how we are socialized by patriarchy to desire what is most dangerous to us. Is it possible to find true, healthy love with your apex predator? Spoiler alert: white supremacist hetero-patriarchy is the true monster this episode. Plus: "reverse" age gap romances, writing power imbalances, and a lot of feminism.

Content warning: This episode contains non-specific conversation about gaslighting, domestic violence and gun violence.

Follow Shirlene on Instagram @shirlywhirlmd, and purchase Die For Me from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com

The best way to support the show is now to subscribe on Bindery, a home for booklovers and the (hopefully!) future Rebel Ever After romance publishing imprint. We are 49% of the way to reaching our goal of 100 subscribers! Join at rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Media mentioned this episode:

• The Tragedy of Heterosexuality by Jane Ward

• The Will to Change by bell hooks

• The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen

• The work of Nikki Payne

• The work of N. K. Jemisin

Upcoming Events:

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

10/5: I'm hosting another Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans at Book Club Bar in Manhattan on October 5th at 7:30pm! Tickets just went on sale here.

This week's guest is Sophia Benoit, author of the historical romance The Very Definition of Love and the essay collection Well, This is Exhausting. I asked her about putting her own spin on the "rake accidentally compromises a bluestocking" historical romance trope. We talked about our favorite historically accurate dirty slang terms and why there are so many euphemisms for sex workers. Plus, how she thinks about responsible depictions of relationships and intimacy as a sex writer and a romance author, and why we both have strong feelings about choking and breath play.

Follow Sophia on Instagram @sgbenoit, and purchase The Very Definition of Love from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com

The best way to support the show is now to subscribe on Bindery, a home for booklovers and the (hopefully!) future Rebel Ever After romance publishing imprint. We are 49% of the way to reaching our goal of 100 subscribers! Join at rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Media mentioned this episode:

• A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grouse
• The works of Jane Austen
• The works of Nora Ephron

Upcoming Events:

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

JUST ADDED 10/5: I'm hosting another Romance Read-In to benefit Authors Against Book Bans at Book Club Bar in Manhattan on October 5th at 7:30pm! Tickets just went on sale here.

This week my guest is Alicia Thompson, the author of five adult romance novels including With Love, From Cold World and Never Been Shipped. We talked about balancing magical realism with grounded characterization in her new book In Every Possible Way. Plus: Alicia's amazing newsletter about music, our hatred of the "reverse" trope, and how she writes men worth falling for.

Follow Alicia on Instagram @aliciabooks and on Substack at aliciabooks.substack.com. Purchase Alicia's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com

The best way to support the show is now to subscribe on Bindery, a home for booklovers and the (hopefully!) future Rebel Ever After romance publishing imprint. We are 40% of the way to reaching our goal of 100 subscribers! Join at rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Don't forget to rate and review on your favorite podcast app, too!

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Media mentioned this episode:

• Hype & Type marketing newsletter: bethearchetype.substack.com
• Ulysses by James Joyce
• Groundhog Day (1993)
• Chernobyl (2019, HBO)
• The Cranberries
• Tom Petty
• Kelly Clarkson

Upcoming events:

8/12: Celebrating Sea of Charms with Sarah Beth Durst at Northport Books in Northport, Long Island. Tickets here.

8/26: Rebel Ever After Bindery virtual launch party with special guests Adib Khorram, Laura Piper Lee, and Erin Baldwin. Join for free on Bindery to attend.

9/3: Launching Love Me Like a Rock Song with Shelly Jay Shore at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

9/30: Launching Happily Ever Afterlife with Emma R. Alban at the Ripped Bodice BK. Tickets here.

In her upcoming sophomore novel Let's Kiss and Tell, Joss Richard explores sex-positive topics like sex work, vasectomies, and childfree happily-ever-afters. In this episode of Rebel Ever After, we dug into what romance genre conventions are made to be broken, and writing stories that make readers feel seen. Plus! You will not guess what fan fiction Joss wrote as a teenager. She shared how an idea for a Three's Company fic led to her first novel, It's Different This Time.

This episode is not appropriate for children, or people who don't want to bonk radioactive ghouls in the post-nuclear fallout wasteland. If you know you know.

You can find Joss on social media at @joss.richard or on her website jossrichard.com. Purchase Joss's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Rep the podcast with Rebel Ever After MERCH! Browse our new store here: https://rebeleverafter.creator-spring.com/

The best way to support the show is now to subscribe on Bindery, a home for booklovers and the (hopefully!) future Rebel Ever After romance publishing imprint. Join at rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com

Don't forget to rate and review on your favorite podcast app, too.

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

Authors and media mentioned this episode:

• Emily Henry

• Ali Hazelwood

• Elissa Sussman

• Kennedy Ryan

• Emily Griffin's Something Borrowed

• Sophie Kinsella's Confessions of a Shopaholic

• Fallout (video game franchise and Amazon Prime show)

• Three's Company

• Mary Poppins

• The Sound of Music

• How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

• Heroes

I've been sitting on this secret for months and I cannot WAIT for what's coming next.

Go to rebeleverafter.binderybooks.com to become a Rebel and help us reach our goal of 100 subscribers by the end of September! You can also join our Bindery community for free and receive updates about the podcast and our progress toward starting a publishing imprint.

This week my guest is queer rom-com author Amy Spalding. Her new sapphic romance IN HER SPOTLIGHT is about Tess Gardner, the closeted star of a superhero film franchise who finds out the director of her next play is her super hot ex-girlfriend. We talked about how Amy wrote all of the competing power dynamics of a fling backstage in post-Me Too theater. Plus, writing a villain I wanted to punch through the page, and misogyny's ripple effects on set and on stage.

Follow Amy on social media @thatames and subscribe to her newsletter at amyspalding.substack.com

Purchase Amy's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen!

This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons. Support my work and the show financially by becoming a subscriber at patreon.com/brosandprose.

Theme music created by Dalton Deschain.

This episode my guest is Emma R. Alban, the author of queer historical romances Don't Want You Like a Best Friend; You're The Problem, It's You; and Like In Love With You. Her first contemporary paranormal romance Happily Ever Afterlife hits shelves this September. We talked about writing pop-forward historical romances for Gen Z readers, how fanfiction influenced her as an author, and the logistics of sapphic ghost f*cking. Happy pride month everyone!

Follow Emma on Instagram, Threads and TikTok at @eraofemma, or on her website www.emmaralban.com

Purchase Emma's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Books films, and other media mentioned this episode include:

• Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• The Dakota: A History of the World's Best-Known Apartment Building by Andrew Alpern
• Gilmore Girls
• The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon
• The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn
• The Parent Trap
• Mean Girls
• Freaky Friday
• You've Got Mail
• Singin' In The Rain

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons. Support my work and the show financially by becoming a subscriber at patreon.com/brosandprose.

On this episode of Rebel Ever After, my guest is romance cover illustrator Leni Kauffman. She is the creator of iconic covers like Hannah Grace's Icebreaker, as well as covers for books by Olivia Dade, Ashley Herring Blake, Emma R. Alban, and many more. I guarantee that you have some of Leni's work on your bookshelf or Kindle.

We talked about how she started working in the romance genre, what the process of cover design looks like, whether or not she reads the books she illustrates, and many more questions you've always wanted to ask a cover designer. We also talked about our mutual loathing of AI and how it is impacting visual artists.

Follow Leni on Instagram @lenikauffman or go to her website www.lenikauffman.com

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, Ella's newsletter, and other bonuses! Save 10% when you buy an annual membership — your financial support makes this independent podcast possible.

Purchase recommended romances from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Books and authors mentioned this episode include:

• Along for the Ride by Mimi Grace
• Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
• Spoiler Alert, At First Spite, and ZOMROMCOM by Olivia Dade, as well as her other works
• Dream on, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake, as well as her other works
• Amy Award
• Lyla Lee
• Lily Chu
• Emma R. Alban

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

My guest this week is a returning champion, my friend Laura Piper Lee! Her third romance POT SHOT comes out on May 19th and was just named an indie next pick. We talked about what inspired her to write about a woman living with Crohn's Disease who opens a dispensary in her hometown, happily-ever-afters that include chronic illness, and why the world needs more stoner rom-coms.

This episode contains a lot of conversation about cannabis, and I apologize in advance for how much I sound like a narc. I promise I am not anti-weed, I am just from Connecticut and deeply uncool.

Follow Laura on Instagram and Threads @laurapiperlee, and at laurapiperlee.com

Purchase Laura's books from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REAbooks

Remember to get your tickets to Laura's book tour events! You can find more information at linktr.ee/laurapiperlee.

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, Ella's newsletter, and other bonuses! Save 10% when you buy an annual membership — your financial support makes this independent podcast possible.

• Parks & Rec

• Broad City

• Laura's past books Hannah Tate, Beyond Repair and Zoe Brennan, First Crush

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.