In this chapter, we’re joined by YA romance author Jessica L. Cozzi to talk forced proximity, big teenage emotions, and her debut novel We’ve Hit Turbulence. We dig into what it’s like writing a book while also working as a publishing publicist, seeing the industry from both sides of the mic, and knowing how the sausage gets made. Plus, we play a quick game of Real or Fake Genres, where things get weird fast.

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 starting 2026 with coffee, chaos, and a little main-character energy.

First up, Matt and Andrea swap New Year’s resolutions and immediately rate how likely they are to actually happen. Spoiler: confidence is high, follow-through is questionable.

Then we’re joined by a true legend, Jayne Ann Krentz, for a fun and thoughtful conversation about writing, intuition, romantic suspense, psychic energy, and her upcoming novel The Shop on Hidden Lane. It’s craft talk, career wisdom, and a few “wow” moments all rolled into one.

And because this is Our Next Chapter, we also dive into our podcast-within-a-podcast, The Bedazzled Archives, where we revisit the gloriously unhinged 2000 film Bedazzled and ask the important questions. Like… did we love it?

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 hanging out with romance author LaQuette and chatting about her latest novel Janae Sanders' Second Time Around, releasing January 6th! We talk second chances, high school enemies who come back hot and emotionally competent, and why romance after real-life experience just feels good. There’s soap operas, Brooklyn stories, confident heroines, and a very fun game where charming men keep turning out to be walking red flags. If you like smart romance, messy conversations, and brilliant authors, give it a listen.

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

Matt and Andrea roll into Thanksgiving week with birthday chaos, cafeteria turkey lunches, and a quick chat about why gratitude hits a little harder when you’re raising teens. They dig into how gratitude shapes your brain, why it shows up so often in modern romance, and what they’re reading this week. They wrap with “Thankful or Thankful It’s Over,” a fast Thanksgiving game full of hot takes on everything from matching tattoos to big airport gestures.

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

Author Erin La Rosa joins us to talk about her writing journey, the creation of the Burbank Book Festival, and the story behind her new time-loop rom-com. We dig into the balance between joy and grief in storytelling, what community means to a writer, and why giving yourself permission to break the rules might be the key to better writing.

Matt also tests out a few birthday gift ideas for Andrea, and together we imagine what our perfect time-loop day would look like.

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

It’s our Halloween special! Matt and Andrea face off in the ultimate candy draft, play Trick or Thirst (where things get a little spooky and a little steamy), and chat with author Lauren Okie about her debut romance The Best Worst Thing. Come for the sugar rush, stay for the sweet talk.

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

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