The Grumpy Sunshine Podcast

Jess Weber shares her journey from being inspired to start her own bookish business, to making it a reality. 

Jess is the owner of The First Chapter book store in Adelaide, South Australia. 

She's successfully run "A Romantic Affair" a fantastic romance author convention that centres around local and international indie romance authors (of all sub genres.) 

This episode is full of laughs, we hope you enjoy!

You can find Jess’s store both online at www.thefirstchapter.com.au or in person at Unit 2, 15 Sturton Road, Edinburgh, SA.

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In this episode, Kate and Laura chat with New Zealand indie author Colette Rivera, who has over ten published books, all set in paranormal worlds of her making. 

Come along as we pick Colette's brain about writing queer romances, relationship dynamics, world-building, and how to manage paranormal rules and lore with creativity. 

Colette's upcoming release, Her Ghosty Embrace, is an FF paranormal romance about two women who have had enough and will stop at nothing to get their happily ever after. And vengeance. This is the first book in the Lockwood Coven series, a group of interconnected, stand-alone novels. Pre-order now, or read it on May 4, 2026!

You can find Colette at @collete_rivera on Instagram!

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Episode three takes off with Shara from Aura and Alchemany. Shara creates bookish perfumes, which are taking the bookish community by storm. 

Having worked in the worlds of both beauty and aromatherapy she has honed her skills to create timeless, unique perfumes. 

Shara inspires us to branch out into our creative endeavours and shows how creating a supportive and safe environment can help encourage others to start their own business. 

Shara is grateful for her community and her authenticity shines! 

If you'd like to check out her perfumes you can follower her here:

Instagram: auraandalchemy.perfumery

Enjoy!

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In this episode of The Grumpy Sunshine Podcast, we welcome indie romance author Emme Goode to the show!

This time last year, Emme Goode was a couple of months away from being a debut author. Now, she has three published novels, one being edited, and another WIP in the works. Emme writes spicy contemporary romances with strong female leads and the men who worship them. All of her stories so far are set in the fictional Australian town, Heart City, which has truly taken on a life of its own.

Today, we’ll be talking about spice scenes! How to write them, how to infuse emotion and link them to character growth and plot. We’ll also delve into why spice scenes resonate with readers and why they’re important to the romance reading experience.

Enjoy!

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In the season return of the Grumpy Sunshine Podcast, Kate and Laura sit down and chat with fantasy author and woman of many talents, MG Hunt. 

Monica speaks about her gradual discovery of the fantasy and sci-fi genre through gaming, movies, and reading.

Monica also deep dives into her creative process, along with some advice on writing at your own pace, and trusting your gut when it comes to who you let into your online community.

We also speak to her about her love for giving authors a voice on her own podcast, "The Indie Author Show." 

This conversation was so genuine and fun, and it's a juicy episode length, so get comfy and have a listen! 

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Join Kate and Laura as they wrap up the first year of the Grumpy Sunshine Podcast!

Diving in to some of their favourite moments and moments that made them laugh. 

This is a cosy ep! Grab a cup of coffee and listen in. 

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Thank you so much for listening to our podcast! We've had such a blast this year and we can't wait to comeback next year!

xx Kate & Laura 

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In this episode Kate & Laura welcome indie author H.A. Walker to discuss the world of mythical creatures in fantasy literature. They explore Hayley's journey into writing fantasy, the duality of dragons and unicorns, and why unicorns are often sidelined in adult fantasy. 

There is also a huge list of fantasy recs from H.A Walker, for those who don't know where to start up to the advanced fantasy reader. 

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This week on the pod we have our first indie bookstore discussion. With Alisha from Tales and Tomes.

Tales and Tomes is an indie book store that has had so much success as an online store, it is now getting a physical store. Alisha talks with us about the struggles of trying to keep up with the phsyical and mental demands of running a store. She also discusses how romance authors can help have their books in a store. 

Alisha's chat is funny, honest and super motiviating. 

We really enjoyed speaking with her! 

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In episode 13, Kate and Laura talk about their reading habits, from childhood to now. 

Talking all things fairy tales, first loves of romance and favourite re-reads. 

This episode is a cosy one. Grab a cup of coffee and catch up with the girls.

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In this episode, Kate and Laura chat with Rachel O'Rourke, a self-published author who has released four books and is in the midst of writing her first trilogy. The discussion centres on certain aspects of self-publishing that Rachel and Kate wished they had known when they were publishing their first book. From when to book in service providers, setting your expectations, dealing with KDP and Ingram, and building a community, this episode has it all. 

Enjoy!

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Stay connected:

@thegrumpysunshinepodcast

@kate_louise_author

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