Looking for your next unhinged dark romantasy obsession? Look no further. 

In this episode of Two Girls, One TBR, we sit down with debut author Gemma Vale to talk about her upcoming book, Daughter of the Night. If you are a reader who craves shadow magic, complex character arcs, and a sharp, sophisticated love interest who wears glasses and serves pure elite energy, you are going to fall completely in love with Kael. Gemma breaks down how she approaches writing heavy themes, trauma, and ultimate women's empowerment, while still delivering the high-stakes fantasy we all live for.

We also get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a book boyfriend. Gemma shares what it was like to record her own audiobook in a professional studio, the chaotic reality of preorder deadlines, and why her upcoming projects are going to completely shift your expectations for spice and shadow magic. Plus, we chat about the relatable madness of balancing a massive reading list with motherhood and life. 

Get ready to add this one to the top of your TBR pile!

In this episode:

* Gemma’s self-publishing journey and debut release

* Recording the audiobook in a professional studio

* Preorder challenges, launch prep, and publishing logistics

* Writing dark fantasy, romantasy, and emotionally complex characters

* Character arcs for Seren, Kael, and future series plans

* Social media, author branding, and building a readership

* Bookish conversation about spice levels, tropes, and future reads

Highlights:

* Why Gemma chose to self-publish

* The hardest part of creating the audiobook

* How she developed Seren and Kael

* Why her upcoming books will feel very different

* The importance of preorder support for indie authors

Connect with Gemma Vale:

Instagram: @author.gemmavale

TikTok: @author.gemmavale

Connect with us!

linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

The shadows are officially calling, Book Babes. 🖤✨

​In this episode of Two Girls, One TBR, Rebecca and Chelsea sits down for an unfiltered conversation with the brilliant indie author AG Harris to decode the ultimate dark romantasy formula. If you are obsessed with intense fantasy worldbuilding, complex magic systems, and beautifully written, high-spice romance, this episode is your next addiction.

​AG pulls back the curtain on her smash-hit book, Kingdoms of Silent Sorrows, and shares her incredible journey from graphic designer to full-time author. We dive deep into her unique creative process...revealing how she creates her own visual character art, draws her own custom maps, and weaves real-world inspirations like Japanese temples into her dark landscapes.

​From balancing the chaos of motherhood with a full-time creative hustle to the delicate art of writing high heat, explicit love scenes that actually drives the plot forward without the clichés, nothing is off-limits.

​Grab your favorite drink and get ready to upgrade your TBR list!

​🍷 Our Sips for the Show:

Head over to our Instagram under "Sips" for the full the full recipes for The Velvet Whisper and The Silent Sparkler...our signature cranberry infused refreshments crafted specifically for dark romantics and book witches alike.

​Connect with AG Harris:

​Website & Exclusive Signed Hardcovers: https://www.authoragharris.com/

​Instagram & TikTok: @authoragharris

​Make sure to follow the podcast, leave us a review, and share this episode with your favorite book bestie!

linktr.ee/twogirlsonetbr

​"I love spice. That's my platform."

​How does a powerhouse author successfully manage a massive lineup of upcoming releases while keeping the quality of world-building and character development incredibly high? You’re about to find out.

​In this episode, Rebecca and Chelsea sit down with dark romantasy author L.E. Sells for an exclusive deep dive into what it actually takes to build and maintain a thriving writing empire. From mapping out futuristic technology in old-world settings to the intentional strategy behind character development, L.E. Sells shares a masterclass in creative momentum.

​Why you need to press play right now:

• ​The Creative Empire: An inside look at how L.E. Sells juggles multiple exciting projects and upcoming releases without losing speed.

• ​The Tropes & The Spice: We break down the deliberate language of romance novel descriptions, writing complex female leads, and the intentional use of toxic dynamics in dark romantasy literature.

• ​The Writer’s Blueprint: Expert insights into storyboarding, chapter drafting, and how to masterfully hide Easter eggs for your most dedicated readers.

​Grab your drink and get ready for an unforgettable conversation with one of the most exciting, prolific authors in the genre.

​

Connect with our Guest:

​Instagram: @lesellsbooks

TikTok: @L.E.Author

https://theleap.co/creator/L.E.SellsBooks

​Resources Mentioned:

​Book Love Designs: https://booklovedesigns.com

​Spark and Quill Publishing: https://sparkandquill.com

​

What actually makes a book true enemies to lovers? Is it real, deep-seated hatred, or is it just a mild workplace rivalry with a side of tension?

​In this episode, Rebecca and Heather are diving deep into the ultimate romance trope. We are breaking down the exact anatomy of a true enemies to lovers arc, screaming about our favorite morally grey characters, and giving you a massive list of spicy romantasy, dark fantasy, and dystopian recommendations to fill your summer TBR.

​But before we get to the spice, we have to talk about the survival guide. From summer skin care and kids' potty training challenges to surviving the grocery store with children, we are laying bare the real-life chaos of balancing a massive reading goal with summer parenting.

​Grab your iced coffee or your favorite potion, turn up the audio, and let's get into it.

​What We Pack into This Episode

• ​Parenting in the Wild: Our best tips for grocery shopping, dining out, and surviving family outings with kids this summer.

• ​Audiobook Lifelines: Why busy moms need audiobooks to keep their sanity intact.

• ​The Anatomy of a Cliffhanger: Why some trilogy endings leave our jaws unhinged, featuring Dani Francis's Broken Dove.

• ​True Enemies vs. Rivals: Breaking down why Carissa Broadbent's The Serpent and the Wings of Night and LJ Andrews' The Ever King nail the ultimate slow burn.

​Episode Chapters

​00:00 Introduction to the Chaos

02:40 Summer Skin Care and Sun Safety

05:36 Innovative Bathing Solutions

08:18 Parenting Challenges and Potty Training

11:20 Grocery Shopping with Kids

14:02 Dining Out with Children

16:58 Family Outings and Experiences

22:16 Exploring Ancient Burials and Ice Age Mysteries

23:18 Book Discussions: Broken Dove and Character Arcs

24:08 The Impact of Cliffhangers in Trilogies

25:13 Dystopian Themes in Literature

28:42 Genetic Modifications and Societal Conflicts

30:50 The Role of Gods in Fantasy Narratives

34:28 The Demand for Audiobooks Among Busy Moms

35:41 The Importance of Recaps in Book Series

37:57 Favorite Tropes: Enemies to Lovers

45:39 Exploring Enemies to Lovers Trope

47:36 Spicy Reads and Book Recommendations

49:05 The Magic of Poisoned Daughter

51:59 Dystopian Fantasies and Dark Themes

53:48 Anticipating Upcoming Releases

58:02 The Slow Burn of Romance

01:03:21 World-Building and Cosmic Conflicts

01:06:06 Rivalry and Betrayal in Fantasy

01:08:29 Morally Grey Characters and Trust Issues

01:09:37 Rivals to Lovers: A Complex Relationship

01:11:15 Character Development and Spoiled Agendas

01:13:21 The Evolution of Enemies to Lovers

01:15:23 Exploring True Enemies to Lovers

01:16:03 The Serpent and the Wings of Night

01:21:15 The Ever King: A Rivalry Unfolds

01:32:56 True Enemies to Lovers: A Must-Read

​

• ​Two Girls One TBR Podcast: linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

• ​Lena Kazakh's Books: https://a.co/d/04iiDXe2

• ​Your Path is Sorrow by Parker A. Garner: https://a.co/d/08IocjQ0

• ​Silver Elite Series by Dani Francis: https://a.co/d/08D0JmCQ

• ​The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent: https://a.co/d/00oeKS3x

• ​Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent: https://a.co/d/00OX3kvl

• ​Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer: https://a.co/d/0f6Fm7yD

🍷 Welcome Back, Book Babes! 🛡️

Grab a glass of wine and your finest emotional defense shields! Today on Two Girls, One TBR, Rebecca, Chelsea, and Heather are sitting down with the brilliant indie romantasy and dark romance author, Heidi Adams! ✨

We are spilling all the tea, from her exciting audiobook cast reveals to the "ugly truth" of navigating subjective book reviews. Plus, we spiral into a massive adaptation debate (Bridgerton and Fourth Wing, anyone? 🐉) and absolutely break the Spice-o-Meter with a deep dive into vampire lore and high-heat scenes. 🔥🩸

• 🌌 Heidi’s Universe: Exclusive tea on her upcoming projects, audiobooks, and dream character casting.

• 🎬 The Adaptation Trial: Our completely unfiltered thoughts on Game of Thrones, Bridgerton deviations, and exactly what we need from the upcoming Fourth Wing series.

• 📚 TBR Mountains: Honest recommendations for the Blood and Ash series, Fury Bound, and how we successfully pace ourselves through massive fantasy series.

• 🎨 The Indie Culture: Why we are utterly obsessed with indie cover art, and why community support and honest reviews are the ultimate lifelines for independent creators.

We are sipping on mermaid-lore-inspired cocktails tonight: The Lunar Tide and The Meridian! 🌙🌊

📸 Head over to our Instagram Highlights for the full recipes so you can drink along with us!

✨ Connect with Heidi:

• 📸 Instagram: @heidi_adams_author

• 🌐 Website: heidiadamsauthor.com

🎙️ Connect with Two Girls, One TBR:

• ✨ All Links: linktr.ee/twogirlsonetbr

💬 This is your community-first, no-filter space for everything spicy, dark, and bookish. New episodes drop weekly!

Enjoying the chaos? Don't forget to Follow the show so you never miss an episode, and leave us a rating, it helps more readers find our bookish coven! 🖤✨

🏴‍☠️ Grab your compass and a glass of rum! Today on Two Girls, One TBR, we are joined by the absolute queen of seafaring romantasy, LJ Andrews!

We’re diving deep into her highly anticipated upcoming release, The Stolen Crown, the rich power of Norse mythology, and her incredible journey from indie success to traditional publishing. Whether you are obsessed with her Viking-inspired lore or her high-seas heist energy, this conversation covers the heart, the heritage, and the heat behind her stories.

🎧 In This Episode, We Discuss:

• The Stolen Crown: An exclusive look at the October 6th release.

• Norse Mythology: How family heritage and ancient lore shape LJ’s interconnected worlds.

• Indie to Trad: The evolution of LJ’s career and expanding her reach to new readers.

• World-Building Magic: LJ’s framework for building immersive, sensory-driven fantasy landscapes.

• Parenting & Publishing: The real-life balancing act of being a prolific creator and a mom.

⚓️ Connect with LJ Andrews:

• • Website: ljandrews.net
• • Instagram: @authorljandrews
• • Facebook Group: Wicked Darlings https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1H5xF34opm/

  
  

  🥀Connect with the Inner Circle

  • linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

The Potion: The One Where the Villain Wins.

​Pour a glass for this week’s Poison & Potions reveal as we toast to the characters who would burn the world down. This week, Rebecca and Heather are joined by dark fantasy author Parker A. Garner to deconstruct the art of building morally complex characters and interconnected worlds.

​From the hidden Easter eggs in the Entwined series to the subverted tropes in Magpie, we are digging into why the "bad guy" is often the most compelling part of the story. We also discuss why reality TV is the ultimate writer's palette cleanser and how to navigate mental health themes in fiction.

​What is in this episode:

• ​Villain Development: Writing morally complex characters readers actually love.
• ​World Building: How to craft dark fantasy landscapes and interconnected series.
• ​The Entwined Series & Magpie: A deep dive into Parker’s books and hidden Easter eggs.
• ​The Reset: Why reality TV is the ultimate writer's reset.
• ​Community: Book conventions and the indie bookstore scene.
• ​The Box Break: Heartwarming pet stories and Parker’s sweetest Velcro baby.

​Grab Parker’s Books:

• ​Magpie: https://a.co/d/02DVwPOR
• ​Your Path is Sorrow: https://a.co/d/03RFj9cW
• ​Connect with Parker: parkeragarnerauthor.com | IG: @parkeragarnerauthor

​Join the Coven:

linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

00:00 The Potion: Drink Reveal and Villain Tropes

05:15 Introducing Parker A. Garner

12:30 Writing Morally Grey Villains

22:10 The Entwined Series: Building Interconnected Worlds

34:45 Magpie and Subverting Romance Tropes

45:00 Mental Health Themes in Dark Fantasy

55:30 Indie Bookstores and Convention Culture

01:05:00 The Box Break: Sweetest Pet Stories

What if the most feared pirate in history was actually a woman on a revenge mission? This week Rebecca, Heather, and Chelsea sit down with indie author Rhiannon Hargadon to dive deep into her dark romance novel, Bloody Black.

​This is a story about an SA survivor who escapes her abusers, claims the sea as her own, and becomes the most feared pirate alive. We are talking about writing trauma with care, the historical research behind the Blackbeard legend, and why revenge fantasy is such a cathartic genre for readers.

​Inside the Episode:

​Bloody Black: The inspiration behind the most feared pirate on the high seas

​Revenge & Resilience: Writing trauma and survival with intention and care

​The Irish Connection: How Rhiannon’s move from North Carolina to Ireland shaped her worlds

​The Narrator's Booth: The unique challenges of audio book duet narration

​Upcoming Release: A sneak peek at her Salem witch trials retelling

​Mental Health: Trigger warnings and the importance of representation in dark romance

​⚠️ Content Advisory: This episode discusses themes of trauma and SA. Detailed trigger warnings for the book and episode are discussed within the audio.

​Join the Coven:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/TwoGirlsOneTBR

Azrella’s Bookstagram → https://www.instagram.com/AzrellaReads

​Listen & Watch:

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

​🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

Your Mother’s Day wishlist starts and ends right here. In Season 3, Episode 3, Rebecca and Heather are joined by an incredible lineup of authors and small business owners. From deep dives into dark romance to book collecting tips, we are uncovering the very best of the indie book community.

​Whether you are looking for the perfect gift for a fellow book babe or building your own wishlist, we have the exclusive codes and indie spotlights you need to make this season magical.

​Inside the Episode:

​The Mother's Day Coven: Gift ideas for fantasy and dark romance lovers

​The Allure of Pirates: Why high-seas romantasy is taking over

​Character Magic: Mental health representation and the power of antiheroes

​Small Business Spotlights: Celebrating the humans behind the bookish shops

​Giveaway Watch: How to enter for signed books and exclusive eBooks

​🎁 EXCLUSIVE CODES & SHOPPING:

​Rhiannon Hargadon: 10% off Bloody Black Signed Sprayed Edge Edition with code DOMINO

​Ink and Ivy Shop: 10% off with code INKIVY10

​The Book Dragon’s Library: 10% off with code 2G1TBR10

​Kristen’s Creations: 25% off with code TYSM25

​Elissa Marie Creative: 15% off with code TWOGIRLS15

​Charming Chapters: 15% off with code LOVEIT15 (Mention us for freebies!)

​Flight of Fantasy Bookshop: 10% off with code MOM10

​The Cozy Charm Store: Code MOTHERSDAY26

​Lucid Glass: Book Lovers Drop on May 22nd at 2:00 PM PST

​Ambrosia and Honey: Automatic tiered discounts on Tavern Signs

​Join the Coven:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/TwoGirlsOneTBR

Azrella’s Bookstagram → https://www.instagram.com/AzrellaReads

​🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR

​"Writing is my way of unpacking life's boxes." In this guest segment, we sit down with the incredible Landyn Hill to discuss her Trauma Bonded series and the cathartic power of dark romance. Landyn shares how she weaves themes of trauma and redemption into her stories, creating a space for healing through fiction.

​Whether you are here for the spicy scenes or the deep emotional resonance, Landyn’s insights on mental health, representation, and the reality of the indie author life are not to be missed.

​Inside the Episode:

​The Trauma Bonded Series: Landyn Hill on the inspiration behind her most emotional work

​Dark Cowboy Romance: Defining a unique subgenre and why it’s taking over the charts

​Healing Through Fiction: Exploring trauma, redemption, and the catharsis of writing

​The Nitty Gritty: Character development, world building, and navigating consent

​The Indie Reality: Challenges of publishing, community support, and the impact of reviews

​Game Time: A spicy round of "Marry, Fight, or F*ck" and character casting

​Join the Conversation:

Which character from the Trauma Bonded series do you relate to the most? Head over to our Instagram and tell us why!

​Join the Coven:

Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/TwoGirlsOneTBR

Azrella’s Bookstagram → https://www.instagram.com/AzrellaReads

​Listen & Watch:

Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, YouTube, or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

​🎥 Watch the full episode here: https://linktr.ee/TwoGirlsOneTBR