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.