Hosts S.A. Thorne and Kara Reynolds sit down with contemporary romance author Kate Cole to talk writing women in male-dominated trades, hyper-authentic research, sticking to single POV, and why trope lists should be used responsibly.

What we talked about:

• Who is Kate Cole? (01:01)
• The Importance of Destigmatizing Trades (05:15)
• Shining a Spotlight on Women in Trades Through Romance Books (07:17)
• The Indie Publishing Journey (11:55)
• Kate's "Fake Trad" Approach to Indie Publishing (15:00)
• The MMCs in Kate's Books (24:10)
• The Significance of Research and Authenticity in Writing (31:17)
• The Role of Beta & Sensitivity Readers in Publishing (43:40)
• Kara's Expectations for Beta Readers (51:56)
• Rapid Fire Question Round (58:34)
• Kate's Industry Hot Take (1:07:57)

Books mentioned:

• Under Construction
• Hot Work
• High Voltage

Also mentioned:

• The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
• Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reed
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman
• Ali Hazelwood
• Elizabeth Everett
• Ian Fleming
• Sex and the City
• Pages and Pleasures Book Convention
• Hawkins Cheezies
• The Pink Plumber (Tampa Bay)

You can find Kate:

• IG: @katecoleauthor
• Website: https://www.katecoleauthor.com/

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Hosts S.A. Thorne and Kara Reynolds sit down with indie fantasy romance author Ava Thorne to talk writing outside your comfort zone, collaborating with fellow authors, and the cathartic power of bringing meaningful representation in her work.

Content note: This episode includes an open, personal conversation about post-partum depression. Listener discretion advised.

What we talked about:

• Who is Ava Thorne?
• Writing Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Research and Realism in Fantasy
• Writing Representation & Joy
• Writing Collab Projects With Other Authors
• Balancing Plot and Character Development
• The Impact of Early Media Consumption on Storytelling Habits
• The Journey to Writing: From Engineer to Author
• The Intersection of Motherhood and Creativity
• Experiencing Conventions: Connecting With Readers
• Rapid Fire Question Round
• Ava’s Industry Hot Take

Books mentioned:

• Beaches & Bites
• Moth to a Flame
• Born of Mist and Dragonfire

Also mentioned:

• Kelly Slater
• Villains and Vixens book convention
• Save the Cat! Beat Sheet
• Song of the Lioness Series by Tamora Pierce
• Nancy Drew & Agatha Christie
• Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
• Priest by Sierra Simone
• Still Lives & Lessons in Red by Maria Hummel
• Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
• True Detectives (Season 1)
• Jujutsu Kaisen
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Archive of Our Own (AO3)
• merriam-webster.com
• Fae Crate

You can find Ava:

IG: @avathorne_author
www.avathorne.com

Enjoying the show? Subscribe to The Indie Darlings and leave us a review—it helps more listeners like you discover the pod and these incredible indie authors.

The Indie Darlings hosts, S.A. Thorne and Kara Reynolds, sit down with their first non-author guest this week: voice actor and audiobook narrator Ash Aarrestad (known in the romance space under her pseudonym Dani Soleil). They talk career reinvention, what makes great voice acting, the importance of mentorship in the industry and a hot take that’s so sizzling hot, you might get burned.

What we talked about:

• Who is Ash Aarrestad/Dani Soleil?
• Transitioning Careers: From Make-up Artist to Narrator
• The Magic of a Second Career
• A Chance Meeting
• The Importance of Mentorship as a Safe Space
• Navigating Casual Sexism in Creative Industries
• Creative Choices in Storytelling and Voice Acting
• Exploring Dual Identities in Creative Workd
• The Challenges of Marketing in the Creative Space
• Mentors vs. Influencers
• Rapid Fire Question Round
• Ash’s Industry Hot Take

Some stuff that was mentioned:

• Voiceover Atlanta Conference
• Voice actor Ray Porter
• Karin Gilfree
• Zura Johnson
• Reedsy
• Silo
• Theo of Golden by Alan Levi
• The Glorians by Terry Tempest Williams
• The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon

Where to find Ash:

• IG: @ash.aarrestad / @danisoleilnarrator
• www.houseofash.com