Pop Fiction Women

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome New York Times bestselling author, Emiko Jean, to discuss her debut adult thriller, The Return of Ellie Black. The novel follows Chelsey Calhoun, a Japanese American police detective, as she investigates the mysterious reappearance of Ellie Black, a missing teenager. We chat with Emiko about the ways this novel delves into the experiences of women in a world with violent men, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the impact of trauma on individuals and families, and the societal expectations placed on girls and women. She also shares insights into her writing process, why she moves between genres, and how her astrological sign clearly suits her! The Return of Ellie Black is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler free chat wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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On today’s Friday Preview (ok so it’s actually Wednesday, but we were too excited to wait!) we catch you up on recent and exciting experiences for us both! Kate shares the celebrity stalking deets from her exciting trip to Las Vegas, where she attended a golf tournament hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Carinn talks about her experience recording part of the audiobook for her upcoming debut novel, The Astrology House. What a thrill! We then share book recommendations, discuss Taylor Swift's new album, and note TV shows we are currently watching. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today we recap Episodes 1-3 of Under the Bridge on Hulu, a true crime limited series developed by Quinn Shephard, based upon the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, and starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone. Based on the real life 1997 murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Victoria, British Columbia, the series explores the hidden world of the teenagers accused of the savage murder, the small town justice system, and the ways this tragedy acts as a looking glass for the members of this stellar ensemble cast. We are all in on this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Hazel Hayes to discuss her new novel, Better By Far, a genre-bending story about love and loss, hope and heartbreak, and the healing to be found in life’s little limbos, those in-between spaces where you’re no longer who you were and not yet the person you will be. We chat with Hazel about the concept of liminality and the importance of sitting with and processing grief; the connection between horror and love, and how both genres explore the human condition; the idea of soulmates and having an abundance mindset around love and connection; writing and the idea of leaving a piece of oneself on the page; and the role of astrology and spirituality as a way of finding meaning in cycles and community. Better By Far is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Suzanne Scanlon to discuss her memoir, Committed, On Meaning and Madwomen, which reclaims the idea of the madwoman as a template for insight, discovery, and recovery. We chat with Suzanne about the loss of her mother and her time in the New York State Psychiatric Institute in the 90s; the word “madness” and the limits of language; the moments of magic between book and reader; what it means to live in a body; and complicated it is to share one’s grief and trauma. Committed is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Suzanne wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Hannah Brown. You might know Hannah as the star of ABC’s The Bachelorette, or from her Mirrorball trophy win on Dancing With The Stars, or most recently her domination on Fox’s Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test, where she ended up being one of two women who completed the course and outlasted the other sixteen contestants, most of whom were professional athletes. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of the memoir, God Bless This Mess. We chat with Hannah about her debut novel, Mistakes We Never Made, a story about an epic coastal road-trip that gives two lifelong rivals a second chance at love. There's amazing friendship, a road trip to save a wedding with the guy you hate to love, and a woman really working through the non-relationship she has with her father. We chat with Hannah about her lifelong love of reading and how it influenced her writing journey; the personal inspiration behind the book; her exploration of anxiety, trauma and the journey towards self-discovery and healing; the importance of relatability and her hope that readers can find a piece of themselves in the characters; our shared love of second chance love stories and rivals to lovers; and the importance of strong female friendship. Mistake We Never Made is out on May 7th - preorder now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler, free chat wherever you get your podcasts! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversation, we welcome Suzanne Park to discuss her new novel, One Last Word, which follows Sarah Che, an app developer who creates an app that allows users to send messages after they pass away. The novel asks what would you say to your meddling parents, your ex-best friend, your toxic boss, or your high school crush if you didn’t have to face the consequences? Suzanne talks about the inspiration behind Sarah's character and the challenges of writing her; developing the concept of the app and her exploration of technology and authentic communication; themes of conflict avoidance, adulting, the complexities of family dynamics, and the challenges faced by women in male-dominated fields. One Last Word is out now! Buy it, read it, share it! Follow us at @popfictionwomen! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our series Debut Discussions, we're asking debut authors to tell us their story -- not only the story in the novel they wrote -- but the journey they took to hold that book in their hands. On today's episode we welcome KT Nguyen to discuss her debut novel, You Know What You Did, a thriller about a first-generation Vietnamese American artist who must confront nightmares past and present. KT shares her story as an early reader to writer and discusses the portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder in the book, the power of thoughts and the mind, the structure of the novel, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, and the importance of collaboration in the creative process. Listen now to KT’s story wherever you get your podcasts. You Know What You Did is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our series, Debut Discussions, we're asking debut authors to tell us their story -- not only the story in the novel they wrote -- but the journey they took to hold that book in their hands. On today's episode we're chatting with Yulin Kuang about her contemporary romance debut, How To End A Love Story, an emotional enemies-to-lovers story about two writers with a complicated history that end up working on the same TV show and trying to write themselves a new ending. Yulin, who is also a screenwriter and director, shares incredible examples of her early love of reading and storytelling, the role fanfiction played in her journey, how it feels to be adapting Emily Henry’s Beach Read and People We Meet On Vacation, the role of the Enneagram in her writing, and so much more! How To End A Love Story is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome back international bestselling author, Jo Piazza, to discuss her new novel, The Sicilian Inheritance. The Sicilian Inheritance is a must read … a dual timeline, dual POV novel that is part murder-mystery, part historical fiction, all parts women being badasses and finding their way in the world! We chat with Jo about the personal inspiration for this story that had her traveling to Sicily and investigating her great-grandmother’s murder; reclaiming womens’ narratives; motherhood and identity; women helping women, and the true crime podcast she’s created to accompany this novel. Jo is a total force who pursues all her passions fiercely - we are in awe! The Sicilian Inheritance is out now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today’s Complicated Conversations we welcome back New York Times bestselling author, Mary Kubica, to discuss her new novel, She’s Not Sorry, a chilling thriller about an ICU nurse who accidentally uncovers a patient’s frightening past. We chat with Mary about writing twists (and how this particular one was the seed for the story), exploring themes around motherhood and being a woman in the world, examining good and evil with nuance, and her writing process. She’s Not Sorry is a twisty, heart-pounding page-turner and it is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our series Debut Discussions, we're asking debut authors to tell us their story -- not only the story in the novel they wrote -- but the journey they took to hold that book in their hands. On today's episode we welcome Ela Lee to discuss her debut novel, Jaded, a blistering—and sometimes darkly funny—account of consent, power, race, sexism, and identity in a broken society. We chat with Ela about her journey from lawyer to author and how, as fellow BigLaw lawyers, we had much to relate to; the inspiration behind her female protagonist, Jade, and the importance of showing the effects of sexual assault within the context of Jade's entire life; how she hopes readers will find empathy for Jade’s story; and the very auspicious day she decided to send her queries out to literary agents. Jaded is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Neely Tubati Alexander to discuss her novel, In A Not So Perfect World, a Caribbean-set romcom romp about an ambitious designer of apocalyptic video games with a strategy for (almost) everything who discovers what happens when her best-laid plans go off course. We chat with Neely about why she wanted to write the kind of female protagonist that isn’t always represented in the romance space (hellooo pessimists out there!); her “cinnamon roll” male lead, Charlie, who is sexy but is most attracted to her ambition; writing what a healthy relationship looks like and how love makes someone more profoundly who they are; the pressure women face to balance and do it all, and how she leaned into her favorite romance tropes in writing this novel! In A Not So Perfect World is out now and it is a delight! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome back Rebecca Serle, New York Times bestselling author of One Italian Summer and In Five Years, to discuss her new novel, Expiration Dates, a story about the search for love and finding yourself in the process. This is our third time chatting with Rebecca and every time our minds are blown by what we take away about the interplay between fate vs free will and life’s big questions. We discuss the scene that moved Rebecca to tears when writing it and what it taught her about not abandoning herself; the radical act of putting yourself first; magical realism as a natural extension of external things occurring in life; the energetic footprint of love; the mantra that she tells herself about the Universe; and how the “twists” in her novels tell her what the story is really About. Rebecca told us, of her writing, that she just wants “to make people feel.” Mission accomplished! Expiration Dates is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please do us a favor and rate us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts! Follow @popfictionwomen on Instagram. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our series Debut Discussions, we're asking debut authors to tell us their story -- not only the story in the novel they wrote -- but the journey they took to hold that book in their hands. On today's episode we welcome Sarah-Jane Collins to discuss her debut, Radiant Heat, a slow-burn, atmospheric story about a catastrophic wildfire and the mysterious connection between two apparent strangers. Sarah-Jane shares her early reading habits and the strong influence of her family's love for books; the inspiration behind Radiant Heat and the themes she wanted to explore; how being a journalist informed the story; her decision to pursue writing and enroll in an MFA program; the process of finding an agent; and the incredibly permanent way Sarah-Jane embraced astrology! We were impressed! Listen now to Sarah-Jane Collins’ story wherever you get your podcasts. Radiant Heat is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our new series, Debut Discussions, we're asking debut authors to tell us their story -- not only the story in the novel they wrote -- but the journey they took to hold that book in their hands. On today's episode we welcome Sophie Wan to discuss her debut, Women of Good Fortune, a story about three women, one daring plan, and a wedding heist to remember. In this conversation, Sophie shares her journey as a reader and writer, and how she came up with the idea for the book. Set against a high-society Shanghai wedding, the novel follows three women, Lulu, Rena, and Jane, as they plan a heist on Lulu's own wedding. Sophie chats with us about each of these women, their unique struggles and desires, and why she wanted to explore themes of friendship, identity, and societal expectations. We also discuss her path to becoming a published author - one that involves perseverance while also pursuing other careers and interests. Ultimately, Sophie knows she is debuting with the right book at the right time for her and we love that! Listen now to @thesophiewan’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Women of Good Fortune is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, we’re taking you to a cultural flashback moment … the iconic pilot episode of the beloved TV series, Felicity, which premiered on The WB in September 1998. Starring a then-unknown Keri Russell who gives up everything her parents planned for her to follow a boy to college that she didn’t even know, Felicity took us all on her coming-of-age journey of self-discovery in a way that still resonates today!! Were you a Felicity fan? Let us know in the comments and listen to our episode wherever you get your podcasts. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices