If you’ve followed Ve for any length of time, you’ve seen the real-life romance unfolding between her and Tony—it’s a love story worthy of its own novel. Like many of us, Ve joined the community because her friends didn’t share her reading tastes—and what she found was a space full of connection, authenticity, and lifelong friendships.

In this episode, we talk about how Ve sets bold goals, pushes herself outside of her comfort zone, and has built a bookish brand that includes services for authors and co-creating a book tour company. She reminds us that we shouldn’t be afraid to put ourselves out there - we’re only competing with the person we were yesterday.

We also chat about her predictions for the book space, including her Throne of Glass predictions (will we finally learn what Lorcan did?!), how traditional publishing is eyeing the indie space, and why representation matters—paired with the responsibility to educate yourself and do the work.

You can find here on Instagram here.

Spoiler warning for the Kindred Curse Saga

Romantasy rekindled Evelyn’s love for reading, but after making her way through the typical Romantasy books, they decided to create the stories they wanted to see more of. Enter: feminine rage, morally complex characters, and fierce independence. It’s a brand they wear proudly.

After getting some interest while querying, Evelyn chose to go indie for one major reason: retaining control of their story. In this episode, we unpack why they made that call, what it’s really like navigating indie publishing, and the thoughtful decision behind writing under a pen name. We also talk about the growing problem of book pirating in the author world, and Evelyn shares their take—plus ethical ways to access free books that actually support creators.

This is an episode for anyone reclaiming their voice, writing with purpose, and building the career they truly want. You can connect with her here.

Let’s be honest—we could’ve just called this the Bonnie Bennett Appreciation Episode. Sim and I go full fangirl over The Vampire Diaries (Damon + Bonnie forever, IYKYK), and we dig into how more urban fantasy authors are using iconic TV shows as comps for their books. Warning: spoilers ahead for The Vampire Diaries, The Originals, and Legendborn!

Sim shares how embracing his love for TVD helped him let go of old biases—and why representation should never feel forced. We talk about the importance of centering main characters from marginalized backgrounds, not just sticking them in as sidekicks.

One of the most meaningful parts of this episode? Connecting over our shared South African heritage and seeing how a dual heritage shows up more and more on Bookstagram. We all have more in common than we realise.

We also dive into Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn series and how it’s reshaped modern urban fantasy, plus the difference between morally white, grey, and black characters—and why readers deserve more nuanced women characters (stop giving men all the passes, Nesta discourse incoming!)

This one’s full of hot takes, heart, and a whole lot of supernatural love.