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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S.A. Thorne and Kara Reynolds talk with Canadian indie romance author Megan McSpadden (also known as Finley Clark) to talk about juggling two pen names, writing differences POVs at once, channeling her anger at toxic hockey culture into her new book Want You, and why romance can be allegorical, and hold space for grief, rage and hope all at once.

Content note: This episode discusses sexual assault and the Hockey Canada sexual assault trial that occurred in 2024. This topic may be triggering for some listeners, so listener discretion is advised. Support resources can be found on the Ending Sexual Violence Association of Canada's website.

See below for topics and timestamps to avoid our conversation about this topic. Anything with an asterisk next to it is included in the discussion.

What we talked about:

• Who Is Megan McSpadden? (02:19)
• The Duality of Pen Names (03:35)
• *Discussing Toxic Hockey Culture and Its Impact (09:51)
• *The Power of Fans (13:54)
• *Addressing Difficult Topics in Writing (15:09)
• *The Duality of Writing Heavy and Light Themes (23:05)
• Exploring Morality and Hope in Romance (27:17)
• A Love Letter to Scotland (32:54)
• Cultural Identity and Ancestry (36:30)
• The Art of Naming Characters (38:40)
• Exploring Real-Life Themes in Fiction (45:06)
• Marketing Strategies and Author Growth (48:13)
• Addressing Grief and Loss in Literature (50:29)
• Rapid Fire Question Round (53:30)
• Megan's Industry Hot Take (55:43)

Megan’s books mentioned:

• If Things Were Different
• Want You
• Deck the Hores
• An Unexpected Path

Also mentioned:

• Sterling Point (Prime Video)
• Heated Rivalry
• Promising Young Woman
• A Knight’s Tale
• True Detective (Season 1)
• Silo
• Plato’s Allegory of a Cave
• Ali Hazelwood
• Carley Fortune
• Ronan Farrow’s reporting on Harvey Weinstein and Rose McGowan
• Amanda Sinatra (previous Indie Darlings guest)
• Love & Romance Toronto
• PWHL
• Toronto Maple Leads
• Pittsburgh Penguins
• Glasgow, the Scottish Highlands, Fort William, Glencoe and Inverness
• r/namenerds and r/namenerdscirclejerk
• Kara’s book Priestess
• Fossil Fued by Maggie North
• Sunny Disposition by Deanna Grey
• Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman

You can find Megan:

• Instagram: @authormeganmcspadden and @authorfinleyclark
• Website: www.authormeganmcspadden.com/links/

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.

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

The Indie Darlings sit down with Andra Larkin—an indie author and painter who wrote the dystopian science fiction novel Veil of Eden and illustrated its cover—to talk about her decade-long road to publishing, the trad-publishing offer that didn’t happen, and why AI should be cleaning our oceans, not creating our art.

What we talked about:

• Who is Andra Larkin?
• The Journey to Publication
• AI’s Impact on Society and Literature
• The Human Element of Veil of Eden
• Constantly Testing Ideas in Marketing
• The Power of Writing and Creativity
• AI in Art and Its Future
• Craftmanship vs. Technology in Modern Society
• World Building in Sci-Fi Writing
• Navigating the Publishing Industry and Self-Worth
• The Vulnerability of Writing vs. Other Art Forms
• Connecting with Readers Beyond the Page
• Art as a Legacy and the Human Experience
• Rapid Fire Questions
• Andra’s Industry Hot Take

Books Mentioned:

• Veil of Eden

Also mentioned:

• Technological determinism – the communications theory from Andra’s college coursework that became the philosophical backbone of Veil of Eden
• Meta Brain2Qwerty v2
• Google Glass
• NFTs
• Ali Hazelwood
• Big Mouth (Netflix)
• Laura Jane Grace (frontwoman of Against Me!)
• Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s comments on making content for Netflix that’s “on in the background”
• The Wire
• Merlin Bird ID app
• WordHippo vs. Thesaurus.com vs. MerriamWebster.com
• StoryGraph and Fable

You can find Andra:

• Website: andralarkin.com
• TikTok: @andralarkin
• Instagram & Threads: @andra.larkin

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.

Hosts Kara Reynolds and S.A. Thorne welcome romantasy author Lorin Coffler to the show to talk about starting her publishing journey in her late thirties, the joy of getting consumed by your story, defining success as an indie author and more.

What we talked about:

• Who is Lorin Coffler?
• Rediscovering the Joy of Writing
• The Decision to Publish
• Writing in Your 30s vs. 20s
• Defining Success as an Indie Author
• The Joy of In-Person Connection
• Navigating Marketing Challenges
• The Magic of the Second Book
• Starting Late: Encouragement for New Authors
• Character Development and Personal Reflections
• Rapid Fire Question Round
• Lorin’s Industry Hot Take

Books Mentioned:

• Sun, Moon & Shadow – out now!
• Death Will Follow – releases September 25

Also Mentioned:

• Beecham's Infirmary for the Affluent Afflicted by Briar Somerset
• The Pisces by Melissa Broder
• Edgy Pages
• House of the Dragon
• Heartstopper

You can find Lorin:

• Instagram: @lorincofflerauthor
• Website: www.lorincofflerauthor.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.

Hosts Kara Reynolds and S.A. Thorne sit down with Lauren M. Leasure, the author of the Benevolence & Blood series, including Sin of Saints, The Bones of Benevolence, The War of Wings, and Unmasked. She’s currently writing a small-town rom-com set in Maine. Today she talks about genre leaps, the fight against AI publishing and the dark period that almost closed the book on her author career.

Content note: This episode includes an open, personal conversation about hyperemesis gravidarum, pregnancy and mental health challenges. Listener discretion advised.

What we talked about:

• Who is Lauren M. Leasure?
• The Pivot to Contemporary Romance
• Researching Lobster Finishing for the New Book
• Querying vs. Indie Publishing
• The Experience That Almost Made Lauren Quit Being an Author
• Reflections on Motherhood and Writing
• The Hidden Work Behind Indie Publishing
• The Impact of AI in the Creative Space
• Rapid Fire Question Round
• Lauren’s Industry Hot Take

Books Mentioned

• The Sin of Saints (Benevolence & Blood #1)
• The Bones of Benevolence (Benevolence & Blood #2)
• The War of Wings (Benevolence & Blood #3)
• Unmasked (Benevolence & Blood spin-off)
• Untitled Cedar Bay series

Also mentioned:

• Villains and Vixens – book event
• Carly Watters – literary agent and co-host of The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast
• Rejoice Literary Editing Company
• Jacob Knowles
• Yes Chef by Grace Reilly
• Good Spirits by B.K. Borison
• Love Resigned by Lauren Asher
• WordHippo
• Ted Lasso
• House of the Dragon
• Toontown Unwritten
• Candy Crush

You can find Lauren:

• Instagram: @laurenmleasure
• Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Target.

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 inaugural episode of The Indie Darlings Podcast! Hosts Kara Reynolds and S.A. Thorne sit down with international bestselling author Amanda Sinatra to talk genre-hopping, 4 a.m. book ideas, and writing complicated characters.

What we talked about:

• Who is Amanda Sinatra?
• Talking Cloud Nine and Snowy Peaks Series
• Writing in Five Tabs
• Doing the Work: Craft vs. AI Slop
• Finding Community in Writing
• Exploring Flawed Characters
• Transitioning Genres: Fantasy to Rom-Com
• Writing in Color
• Utilizing Character Art as Emotional Storytelling
• Navigating Traditional Publishing and Audiobooks
• Writing Rom-Coms
• Exploring Deeper Themes in Character Relationships
• Amanda’s Industry Hot Take
• Rapid Fire Question Round

Books Mentioned:

• Cloud Nine (Snow Peaks, #1) – audiobook out now!
• Deck of Scarlets (The Scarlet Quill, #1)
• Deck of Saints (The Scarlet Quill, #2)
• Hollow (Hollow, #1)
• Fallen (Hollow, #2)
• Whispers in the Hall
• The Monster in the Dark

Also mentioned:

• Elizabeth Skarpnes, author of To The Gallows
• @inspiredtowrite
• Kara's Substack
• Shelly's Substack
• Vanderpump Villa
• House of Stassi
• Palworld
• Call of Duty
• Breaking Benjamin
• Nickelback

You can find Amanda:

@authoramandasinatra | www.amandasinatra.net

Books available on Amazon, Books-A-Million and Barnes & Noble

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.