Underline That

What makes a story impossible to put down—and how do you keep crafting them over decades (and decades!) of a thriving career?

Steph welcomes iconic New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen, whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide, for a warm, revealing conversation about crafting captivating fiction. With more than sixty adult novels, an Agatha Award for Best Novel, and a writing schedule that still includes two books a year, Rhys brings extraordinary experience—and plenty of wit—to the table.

Her latest novel, The Castle in the Glen, takes us to Scotland’s atmospheric Isle of Skye, where a young writer agrees to finish a famous novelist’s final manuscript… only to suspect the mystery on the page is real—and someone wants it to stay buried.

From that irresistible premise, we go behind the scenes of Rhys’s storytelling: how she hooks readers, creates settings you can practically smell and taste, and tackled the challenge of writing a book within a book. 

We also explore:

• Why even an experienced novelist sometimes needs to rethink her opening

• Her unexpected path from teenage romances to award-winning mysteries
• Her honest take on social media, book sales, and author scams
• The 1,500-word daily goal—and simple habit—that keeps her writing
• Collaborating with her daughter and finding small comforts after losing her husband

Whether you’re a reader who loves getting swept into another world or a writer working toward your own dream, this episode offers a fascinating look at how unforgettable stories—and lasting careers—are built.

Thank you so much for listening! 

Leave a review, share the episode with a friend, and let us know what you underlined!

✍️🖤

CONNECT WITH RHYS BOWEN:

IG: @authorrhysbowen
Website: www.rhysbowen.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

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⁠Underline That: When There's More to Say⁠

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TODAY’S TBR

The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen

Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure by Rhys Bowen

The Tuscan Child by Rhys Bowen

Evans Above by Rhys Bowen

Murphy’s Law and the Molly Murphy series by Rhys Bowen

The Royal Spyness series by Rhys Bowen

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Call of the Camino by Suzanne Redfearn

Welcome back, bookish besties! It's here: Season Two of Underline That. It's a thrill and honor to have you!

We're kicking things off with a charming fall dream. New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey is taking us back to Peachtree Bluff—and here to dish about all of it! 🍂📚

Joined by guest co-host and rom-com author Devon Daniels (Star-Crossed Summer), we’re talking Falling for Peachtree Bluff, returning to the beloved series Kristy never expected to write, and the surprising story of how it all began at a moment when Kristy genuinely thought her career was over.

As always, we go far beyond the book, and you don't want to miss it!

Tune in as we chat:

• Going back to Peachtree Bluff + series writing

• The #BTS realities of author social media

• Book-tour fashion + 89 stops (!!) in one year

• A Happier Life goes Hollywood

• Kristy’s upcoming ski-resort book

Plus: a Mary Oliver underline so good, it becomes a grounding theme of our chat.

Welcome back, everyone! To Peachtree Bluff and the pod!

It's going to be a great season!

✍️🖤

FIND KRISTY WOODSON HARVEY:

IG: @kristywharvey

Website: www.kristywoodsonharvey.com

FIND DEVON DANIELS:

IG: @devondanielsauthor

Website: www.devondanielsauthor.com

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TODAY'S TBR:

Falling for Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey

Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels

Devotions by Mary Oliver

Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser

The Bell Haven Finishing School by Adele Myers

Love You More by Emily Giffin

Paper Ghosts by Sarah Addison Allen

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

What better way to close out Season One of Underline That than with a celebration of TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE?

This week, we're marking the fresh release with a special behind-the-scenes conversation about the journey that brought this story from dream to bookshelf!

Joining Steph are three incredible women who played pivotal roles in her traditional publishing journey:

✨ Danielle Egan-Miller — Literary Agent at Browne & Miller Literary Associates

📚 Stephanie Broene — Fiction Publisher at Tyndale House Publishers

💕 Devon Daniels — Beloved rom-com author with Berkley Romance, dear friend, and guest co-host for this special episode

Together, we pull back the curtain on the realities of publishing today—from querying literary agents and navigating acquisitions to republishing indie titles, writing authentic female friendships, and exploring the evolving landscape of faith-based contemporary fiction.

We also discuss the heart behind TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE—a story about marriage, motherhood, friendship, nostalgia, second chances, and asking the question so many women approaching midlife wonder:

What if?

Whether you're a reader, writer, aspiring author, or simply someone who loves stories about the roads that shape us, this episode is filled with encouragement, insight, and celebration.

About TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE

Turning forty wasn't supposed to involve a pickleball accident that sends Sutton Layne spiraling back through an alternate version of her twenties. As she revisits old dreams, paths not taken, and the choices that shaped her life, Sutton must decide what truly matters—and whether the life she's built is the one she would choose all over again.

Think 13 Going on 30 meets It's a Wonderful Life, with all the millennial nostalgia, heart, friendship, marriage, and pickleball magic.

TWENTY SOMETHING ELSE is now available everywhere!

Thank you for listening to Season One of Underline That. Whether you've joined us for one episode or every conversation, I'm so grateful you've been part of this community.

Thank you for underlining this season with me!

Here's to the next chapter! 💕📚✨

MORE UNDERLINES RETURNING THIS FALL!

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

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With just days until Twenty Something Else releases, Steph is pulling back the curtain on the real-life inspirations behind her debut novel with Tyndale House, available on June 9!

In this special solo episode, she shares ten fun facts about the novel—including the pieces drawn from her own life, the experiences that shaped Sutton's journey, and the elements that are indeed completely fictional (spoiler: most of them).

That said, from turning forty and raising three daughters in Orange County to taking a theater improv class at USC, spending time in Nicaragua to marrying a surfer, Steph reveals how her own experiences indeed found their way onto the page—and why writing this book became such a meaningful milestone in her life.

She also discusses the origins of some of the novel's most memorable moments, answers a reader question about deleted scenes, and reflects on the themes of gratitude, identity, womanhood, marriage, and the unexpected detours that shape who we become.

Whether you've already read or pre-orderedTwenty Something Else or you're simply curious about the stories behind the story, this episode offers a fun, personal look inside the author's desk.

If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow book lover!

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Join Steph in welcoming beloved New York Times bestselling author Courtney Walsh to Underline That! What a total joy to discuss her brand-new novel, Brighter Than Before, available June 9. This swoony summer read is a joyful, tender, laugh-out-loud story about starting over, finding friendship as an adult, and asking what you really want in the wake of it all crashing down.

Steph and Courtney talk about writing 40-something heroines, Chicago as the perfect rom-com backdrop, the vulnerability of making new friends as a grown woman, and why reinvention is never just for the young.

Courtney also shares her best author advice on Instagram, indie vs. traditional publishing, trusting your gut when a manuscript isn’t working, and why creating with your own voice matters more than ever.

Trust me—you don’t want to miss this one!

Thank you so much for listening, and thank you for joining me, Courtney!

FIND COURTNEY WALSH:

Instagram: @courtneywalsh

Website: www.courtneywalshwrites.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

Brighter than Before by Courtney Walsh

Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan

Star-Crossed Summer by Devon Daniels

Cover Story by Mhairi McFarlane

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Today on Underline That, Jessica Guerrieri rejoins Steph for a conversation about motherhood, sobriety, sisterhood, publishing, reviews, recovery, generational trauma—and the way women can hold two completely contradictory emotions at the same time.

We dive into Jessica’s brand-new novel, Both Can Be True, the emotional reality of debut year, audiobook obsession, unlikable female characters, and the complicated beauty of womanhood in your 30s and 40s.

The conversation is funny, vulnerable, honest, millennial, and packed with the kinds of truths that make you pause and think: Wow, me, too.

We discuss:
– Why “both can be true” resonates so deeply with women
– Motherhood, resentment, gratitude, and identity shifts
– Recovery, connection, and found sisterhood
– The reality of publishing after the debut dream comes true
– Goodreads, reviews, and protecting your mental health as a creative

…and so much more!

Jessica’s new novel, Both Can Be True, is available now wherever books are sold.

Thank you so much for listening! 

FIND JESSICA:

IG: @jessicaguerrieriauthor

Website: www.jessicaguerrieri.net

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

Both Can Be True by Jessica Guerrieri

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Jessica Guerrieri

This week on Underline That, Steph chats with bestselling Christian romance author Sarah Monzon about her adorable upcoming release, Bookmarked for Love—a cozy, bookish romance featuring librarians, literary references, publishing drama, and forced-proximity goodness. Don’t miss this lovable rom-com, available July 21, 2026!

Sarah opens up about her journey from indie to traditional publishing, writing novels while raising young kids, navigating comparison in the publishing world, and why representation and vulnerability matter so deeply in her stories.

We also discuss:
• Why bookish books never go out of style
• The magic of Christmas romances
• Balancing motherhood and creativity
• Covers, tropes, launch teams, and marketing realities
• Favorite authors, reading habits, and rapid-fire book talk

Plus, we bond over libraries, Kindle obsessions, Katherine Center fandom, and the emotional vulnerability of writing fiction straight from the heart.

Thank you so much for listening!

FIND SARAH MONZON:

Instagram: @sarahmonzonwrites
Website: www.sarahmonzonwrites.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

Bookmarked for Love by Sarah Monzon

Hearts in Circulation by Sarah Monzon

An Overdue Match by Sarah Monzon by Sarah Monzon

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

This week on Underline That, Steph is joined by Eliza Knight—USA Today bestselling author of the upcoming novel Lost in the Summer of ’69, releasing June 9. Set against the backdrop of music, memory, and massive cultural change, the novel follows a grandmother, mother, and daughter on an unforgettable road trip after a shocking disappearance. It’s heartfelt, nostalgic, layered, and simply perfect for summer reading!

Today we dive into Eliza’s inspiration behind the book, writing women across generations, and why stories about mothers and daughters hit differently when you’re living in that “sandwich generation” season of life. We also chat about music playlists for writing, historical research rabbit holes, the emotional reality of watching daughters grow up, and the surprising truths about building a decades-long writing career.

And yes—we absolutely get into her other writing life, too! From historical fiction to revenge thrillers and her buzzy upcoming Tradwife novel—written under pen name Michelle Brandon—Eliza shares what it’s been like writing nearly 100 books across genres, publishing under an alias, and creatively reinventing herself again and again.

Thank you so much for listening! If you loved the episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share the show with a fellow reader, writer, or fellow woman figuring it out as she goes!

FIND ELIZA KNIGHT:

Instagram: @elizaknightfiction
Website: www.elizaknight.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

Lost in the Summer of ‘69 by Eliza Knight

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight

In today’s episode, Steph is joined by rom-com author Andra Loy to talk about her delightful, magical rom-com debut, The Roman Holiday Rule from Haven Fiction—and the winding, unexpected journey that brought her here.

From living overseas for over two decades to writing stories that blend romance with magical realism, Andra shares how her real-life experiences shaped a novel full of heart, humor, and sparkle. We dive into her creative process, the dream of debut season, and the deeper themes that emerged as Andra wrote and revised this story.

We also talk about the rise of clean romance in publishing, finding your lane as a writer, and why some of the most meaningful stories come from simply paying attention to what’s right in front of you.

Thank you so much for listening!

FIND ANDRA LOY:

IG: @andraloy

Website: www.andraloy.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

The Roman Holiday Rule by Andra Loy

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

Today on Underline That, Steph sits down with historical fiction author Nicola Harrison to talk about her dazzling new novel, The Island Club—a layered, addictive story set on 1950s Balboa Island, where paradise looks perfect on the surface… but secrets are simmering underneath.

They discuss the real-life inspiration behind Balboa Island as a setting, the fascinating history of spring break culture in Newport Beach, and why tennis became such an important thread in the novel. Nicola also shares how women’s friendship, play, and community shaped the story in unexpected ways.

Plus, they dive into Nicola’s publishing journey—from fashion journalism in New York City to becoming a bestselling novelist—her writing process, the magic of early-morning drafting, and what’s next for her (including a brand-new novel set in the English countryside).

In this episode, you’ll hear all about:

• The premise behind The Island Club
• Why Balboa Island was the perfect setting
• The surprising real history behind “Bal Week”
• Tennis, friendship, and reclaiming joy as women
• Nicola’s path from journalism to fiction
• Her daily writing goals and 5 a.m. routine
• How the gorgeous cover came to life
• What she’s writing next

If you love smart escapist fiction, glamorous settings, female friendship, and books with secrets at their center, this episode is for you!

FIND NICOLA HARRISON:

Instagram: @nicolaharrisonauthor

Website: www.nicolaharrison.com

FOLLOW STEPH + THE POD:

IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@stephanienmack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@underlinethatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Website:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.stephaniemack.com⁠

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TODAY’S UNDERLINES:

Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
The Island Club by Nicola Harrison
Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis
The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett
Dolly All the Time by Annabel Monaghan