This week, we’re not airing our scheduled episode.

We couldn’t.

In this unfiltered, off-schedule conversation, we talk honestly about why continuing as normal felt wrong and how writing, reading, and storytelling have always existed as responses to power, fear, and collapse.

We discuss:

• why silence isn’t neutral for creators
• writing during rage, grief, and political overwhelm
• books as resistance (even when they’re fantasy or romance)
• how to create without forcing productivity
• and why processing the moment matters, even if you never share the work

This episode isn’t polished. It isn’t profound. It’s real.

If you’re feeling frozen, angry, exhausted, or unsure how to keep creating while the world feels on fire...this conversation is for you.

Content note: This episode references current political realities and may be heavy for some listeners. If today isn’t the day for this kind of conversation, it’s okay to skip. We’ll return to our regular programming soon.

You’re not alone. And your voice, whatever form it takes, still matters.

Getting a literary agent is supposed to feel like the moment—but no one really talks about what it’s actually like when it finally happens.

In this bonus episode, we sit down with Crystal to talk through her real querying journey: nearly 90 queries, revise & resubmits, unexpected phone calls, multiple agent offers, and the emotional whiplash that comes with all of it.

We talk about the envy no one admits to, the panic of “I can’t not query,” and why so much publishing content feels performative and unhelpful. This is the version of the story most writers don’t hear—but desperately need.

If you’re querying, waiting on responses, revising yet again, or refreshing your inbox while trying not to spiral, this episode is for you.

🍸 A short bonus episode pulled from our Episode 8 conversation—because this story deserved its own space.

Romance Novels Are the #1 Bestselling Genre—Here's Why | Heated Rivalry Review, Book Recs & Publishing Trends

How did romance become the bestselling fiction genre? From bodice rippers to contemporary romance to romantasy—romance novels have evolved alongside feminism, LGBTQ+ rights, and what readers want from love stories.

In this episode of Margs & Manuscripts, we talk with Crystal Leigh (@crystal.writes)—sapphic F1 romance writer—about:

📚 How Heated Rivalry became the best book-to-TV adaptation

📚 Romance sales: 21.5M to 51M copies in 8 years

📚 The history of romance novels and feminism

📚 Why romance outsells thriller, mystery, and sci-fi combined

📚 Book recommendations: Sarah Adams, Ali Hazelwood, Carly Fortune, Jessica Joyce

📚 The difference between romance, erotica, and smut

📚 LGBTQ+ representation and diversity in modern romance

Perfect for romance readers, BookTok fans, writers, and anyone who loved Heated Rivalry.

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#RomanceBooks #HeatedRivalry #BookRecommendations #BookPodcast #ContemporaryRomance #BookTok