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Small-town Christmas chaos + rom-com hijinks? Yes, please. In this episode, I’m joined by romance author Erin Nicholas to talk holiday books, audio “girlie” life, and her newest festive romcom, Merry Mayhem.

Erin’s been publishing since 2009/2010 (and has 70–80+ books… she’s lost count in the best way). We get into how the romance industry has shifted from the “dark ages” of early ebooks to today’s audio boom, plus why small towns hit peak magic at Christmas.

Merry Mayhem by Erin Nicholas — Buy on Amazon | Holiday Romcom, Small Town | KU ✅

Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild by Erin Nicholas — Buy on Amazon | Small Town Romcom Series | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

In a Rush by Kate Canterbary — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Shucked by Kate Canterbary — Buy on Amazon | Small Town Romance, Fish-Out-of-Water | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Copper Valley Thrusters by Pippa Grant — Buy on Amazon | Hockey Romcom Series | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey — Buy on Amazon | Sports Romance (Golf) | Audio ✅

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance | Audio ✅

My Favorite Kidnapper by Melanie Moreland — Buy on Amazon | Romcom | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

A Love Most Fatal by Kath Richards — Buy on Amazon | Mafia Rom-Com | KU ✅

[00:00] Meet Erin Nicholas + 16 years in romance

[00:01] Industry shifts: early ebooks → Kindle → 2020 romance boom

[00:02] Erin’s origin story: writing since childhood + first publishing path

[00:07] Audio “girlie” life + cozy mysteries at bedtime

[00:08] Merry Mayhem setup: holiday competition + romcom chaos

[00:09] Writing Christmas in September (peppermint mocha + Mariah)

[00:10] Why small towns feel extra magical at Christmas

[00:12] Where to start with Erin’s backlist + Boys of the Bayou Gone Wild

[00:14] Erin’s romcom recs (Kate Canterbary, Pippa Grant, Tessa Bailey, etc.)

[00:18] The wildest rec: My Favorite Kidnapper

[00:19] Mafia romcom chat + A Love Most Fatal

[00:22] Where to find Erin online

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A holiday romance for people who hate the holidays? Yes, please. In this episode, I’m hanging out with romance author Natasha Madison to talk messy Christmas travel, big-family chaos, and why a happily-ever-after matters—even in true crime.

Natasha and I also get into how romance trends have shifted (alpha heroes, golden retrievers, dark romance, and the whole “tropes-everywhere” era), plus the comfort reads she’ll never stop recommending. If you’ve ever wanted a holiday book that doesn’t feel like a Hallmark script—or you’ve got thoughts about how romance marketing has changed—this one’s for you.

Holiday Unscripted by Natasha Madison — Buy on Amazon | Holiday romance | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary romance (second chance vibes) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary romance (alpha hero) | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

[00:00] Welcome + “wait… people read my books?!”

[00:05] Romance covers then vs. now (Fabio era!)

[00:06] True crime rules: it MUST be solved

[00:06] Reality TV chat: TLC, Sister Wives, Love Island

[00:13] Holiday Unscripted setup: stranded heroine + forced proximity

[00:16] Writing Christmas in May (and hating every second)

[00:17] Holiday expectations, big family logistics, and gift burnout

[00:22] Natasha’s comfort read: Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley

[00:24] Alpha heroes vs. golden retrievers vs. dark romance extremes

[00:29] Trope-ification + writing ahead of trends

[00:34] Where to find Natasha online

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🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners.

Audible

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What happens when a former Harlequin author turns indie, builds a direct sales empire, and writes an entire series about small-town single dads? In this episode, I sit down with contemporary romance author Amy Knupp to talk about the business of romance and her cozy, Christmasy small-town world.

We chat about Amy’s journey from writing category romance for Harlequin to going fully indie, how she uses direct sales and Shopify to connect with readers, and why she loves writing emotional, character-driven small-town stories. Then we dive into her Single Dads of Dragonfly Lake series and her new Christmas romance Single Wish, featuring a grumpy Christmas tree farmer, a reformed mean girl, and a delicious second-chance enemies-to-lovers arc set in a Tennessee lake town.

Singled Out by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Small-Town Romance | Audio ✅

Single All the Way by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Holiday Romance, Friends-to-Lovers | Audio ✅

Single Wish by Amy Knupp — Buy on Amazon | Contemporary Romance, Small-Town Romance, Holiday Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers | Audio ✅

Bootleg Springs (series) by Lucy Score & Claire Kingsley — Buy on Amazon | Small-Town Romance, Romantic Comedy, Light Mystery Threads | KU ✅ / Audio ✅

[00:00] – Meet Amy Knupp

[02:00] – From Llamas to Harlequin

[02:30] – What Category Romance Really Is

[05:00] – Learning to Revise Like a Pro

[07:00] – Going Indie & Finding Creative Freedom

[08:30] – The Indie Boom She Missed

[10:00] – Treating Publishing Like a Business

[11:30] – Why Amy Publishes Wide

[12:00] – Direct Sales 101

[15:00] – Audiobooks Beyond Audible

[16:00] – Why Buying Direct Helps Everyone

[18:30] – How to Find Authors Who Sell Direct

[19:30] – Signed Books & Pretty Packaging

[20:30] – Welcome to Dragonfly Lake

[22:00] – Inside Single Wish

[23:30] – Enemies to Lovers + Secret Pasts

[24:30] – Reading Order & More Holiday Books

[25:30] – Book Recs from Amy

[27:00] – Where to Find Amy Online

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Subscribe & leave a review!

Mentioned in this episode:

🎧 Try Audible Today I love Audible for their original novellas, binge-worthy Plus Catalog (like Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell series), and their amazing audiobook sales. Currently, Audible is offering a special promotion for new members and returning listeners.

Audible