Épisodes

  • Author TD Lua - Hockey Romance
    Aug 5 2026
    Summary:Hockey romance author TD Lua goes Backstage with the Book Babes for an amazing conversation about lumberjack competitions, sports romance, and finding a balance between work, author life, and parenthood.TD tells us about her Ballad U hockey romance series and her next project Ballad University Next Season. As an athlete for most of her life, sports romance was a natural fit for her, but initially she only thought she’d write the one book. And then realized her characters had more stories to tell, so this one book turned into her first series.We talk about embracing chaos and how her books usually start with the characters first rather than the plot. While having an idea about the beginning, middle, and end of her stories, she generally just starts writing and lets the characters tell their stories. TD enjoys listening to Noah Kahan and Ed Sheeran while writing. Until she makes an official playlist, which she likes to do for each book. Iced coffee is a must have. And she’ll often meet up with her author friend Trinity for writing sessions.TD tells us about the hockey night with the Griffins she participated in this year hosted by the bookstore Pages & Grapes. She enjoyed the intimacy of the smaller event and the chance to get together with the other authors after. But she also enjoys a larger convention like Sports Romance Con. She’ll be attending it again for 2027 as are Nikki & Alby. So they’re all excited to meet up there.TD’s trope for life is brother’s best friend. She loves the angst and secrecy of it.Her question for listeners is: Why do you love sports romance books?We hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.Music by Christopher TallonIf you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee. Help Support the podcast:Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblakeBuy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewellAbout TD Lua:T.D. Lua is a spicy sports romance author who writes stories where the athletes fall to their knees for the women they love. Her books are packed with heart, heat, and happily-ever-afters that leave readers swooning long after the final page.Born and raised in southwest Michigan, T.D. spent six years in upstate New York while her husband served in the U.S. military before returning home to the Great Lakes State. She has been married to her husband, Ryan, for eight years and is the proud mom of their son, Bennett, whose name was inspired by hockey star Sam Bennett.When she isn't writing romance, T.D. is pursuing her Master of Social Work degree with the goal of becoming a school social worker and children's therapist.T.D. loves writing short, sweet, and relatable stories that make readers laugh, cry, swoon, and promise themselves "just one more chapter" only to finish the whole book instead.You can find her books in Kindle Unlimited, paperback, and audiobook.Pucks and Kisses,T.D. LuaHere’s where you can find TD:https://www.instagram.com/tdlua_author/https://www.threads.com/@tdlua_authorhttps://www.tiktok.com/@tdluaauthorhttps://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BMM6HWRZKeep Up With The Book Babes:Social Media: BackstagewiththebookbabesEmail: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.comLinks & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabesFind Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Cowboy Romances:New Release: Wrangled by the StarHollywood lands at Heartland but make it spicy.https://mybook.to/wrangledbythestarLinks:Social Media: @nikkijewell_booksWebsite: authornikkijewell.comEvent Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooksFind Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blakeWebsite: www.lovelunapress.com
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    49 min
  • The Book Babes Talk Found Family
    Jul 29 2026
    Summary:This episode features your hosts Alby Blake and Nikki Jewell chatting about all things Found Family in real life as well as fiction.The book babes talk about their first time they met at the 20Books author convention and how these can be great places to find an amazing group of author friends. Nikki also shares her excitement about her soccer x hockey short story that’s going to be in this years Reader Nation romance anthology. It has a gorgeous limited edition hardcover version and you can get it signed by all the authors. Look for All in on Love on Kickstarter. It will be open until August 18th.They talk about the origins of their love of found family in fiction. A great example of found family can be found in the young adult paranormal and dystopian novels of the early to mid 2000’s. They both loved these books like Twilight, the Hunger Games, and the range of angel themed books. And it even prompts them to talk about their own fantasy or paranormal ideas they’d like to write one day.They talk about how found family makes it’s way into all of their own books whether they be sports romance, cowboy romance, or why choose. And also about the importance of community and making our own found family’s especially in the current world where we often find ourselves disconnected from the people around us.The babes talk about attending author and reader conventions to find your people and your readers. But how important it is for the organizers to create a safe and positive space for everyone.You can find them at these upcoming events:Alby:Pages of Glass, Romancing the Glass City, August 1st, Toledo, Ohio: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pages-of-glass-romancing-the-glass-city-tickets-1560142782059Booked in Des Moines, Sept 26th, Des Moines, Iowa,https://www.eventbrite.com/e/booked-in-des-moines-tickets-1992148416541?aff=oddtdtcreatorReader Nation, Nov 14th, Las Vegas, Nevada, https://www.readernation.live/tickets-2026 (Free general admission)Art Prize, Grand Rapids, Sept 18 - Oct 3Nikki:Readers Take Cornwall, Sept 27th, Cornwall, Ontario, https://www.readerstakecornwall.ca/event-details/readers-take-cornwall-fall-2026Romance, Eh?, Oct 3rd, Edmonton, AB, https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/romance-eh-2026-tickets-1985653681614Royal City Romance, Oct 31st, Guelph, Ontario, https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/royal-city-romance-book-event-tickets-1330950531869?aff=oddtdtcreatorReader Nation, Nov 14th, Las Vegas, Nevada, see aboveHamilton Fantasy Ball & Romance Market, Dec 4th & 5th, Hamilton, Ontario, https://www.pagesandpleasures.com/event-details/frostbitten-forbidden-a-winter-fantasy-ball-hamilton (free general admission to romance market onlyWe hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.Music by Christopher TallonIf you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee. Help Support the podcast:Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblakeBuy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewellKeep Up With The Book Babes:Social Media: BackstagewiththebookbabesEmail: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.comLinks & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabesFind Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Cowboy Romances:New Release: Wrangled by the StarHollywood lands at Heartland but make it spicy.https://mybook.to/wrangledbythestarLinks:Social Media: @nikkijewell_booksWebsite: authornikkijewell.comEvent Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooksFind Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blakeWebsite: www.lovelunapress.com
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    1 h et 16 min
  • Author Katharine Sweet - Small Town & Diet Dark Romance
    Jul 23 2026
    Summary:Small Town and Diet Dark Romance author Katharine Sweet goes Backstage with the Book Babes for a fun conversation about writing spicy romance books that she dubs rated R hallmark, planning our own events, and going on book tour adventures.Katharine tells us about how she fell into small town romance and shares all the details on her Windmill Creek Hearts Series. She also has two darker novellas published under her pen name KJ Sweet that feature a serial unaliver. She calls these diet dark romance as they have some darker themes, but always feature consent and care for the FMC.She shares with us some of the common themes that run through her books. Found family, consent, strong women, humor, and dealing with deeper emotional topics but with a light hand.Katharine tells us about the book tour she planned for herself in the UP. For those of us not in the know, (like Nikki), this is the Upper Peninsula area of Michigan. This tour had lots of shenanigans like a stay at a hotel/tanning salon that actually turned out to be quite clean. A stay at a not so clean hotel. And the dreaded miscommunication trope with a bookstore owner. There are no hard feelings there, though, and she hopes to visit it for a signing eventually.She also tells us about her own event, Books in the Barn, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. When she had to pull out of another event due to conflicting values with the organizer, she planned this event, inviting the other authors who had to pull out. This turned out to be a wild 90 day ride where she learned the ropes of event planning on the fly. And while it led to many sleepless nights, she considers it a great success.Katharine tells us about the other upcoming events she has booked and the evidence bags she sells her diet dark romance books in at signing events. This is such a fun and unique idea.Katharine’s trope for life is Found Family and the book babes are a hundred percent on board.Her question for listeners is: Have you ever changed your opinion about a trope? Whether for or against. Let us know in the comments or on our Instagram post.We hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.Music by Christopher TallonIf you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee. Help Support the podcast:Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblakeBuy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewellAbout Katharine Sweet:Katharine Sweet is a happily married dog mom. She hails from Michigan where her days are powered by good coffee, hockey, nerd culture, and (when possible) the perfect new hairstyle. Katharine has been writing and storytelling for as long as she can remember. She loves the way that stories can not only pull you in but also help you connect. On paper, Katharine’s deep interest in human character and her sharp wit gives her a unique voice that draws you into her work. Here’s where you can find Katharine:https://www.facebook.com/SweetTalesWithSpicehttps://www.instagram.com/sweettaleswithspice/https://www.tiktok.com/@sweettaleswithspicehttps://www.facebook.com/Twistedtaleswithheart/https://www.instagram.com/twistedtaleswithheart/Keep Up With The Book Babes:Social Media: BackstagewiththebookbabesEmail: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.comLinks & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabesFind Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Cowboy Romances:New Release: Wrangled by the StarHollywood lands at Heartland but make it spicy.https://mybook.to/wrangledbythestarLinks:Social Media: @nikkijewell_booksWebsite: authornikkijewell.comEvent Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooksFind Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blakeWebsite: www.lovelunapress.com
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    59 min
  • Author Etta Lane - Small Town & Why Choose Romance
    Jul 15 2026
    Summary:Small town and why choose contemporary romance author Etta Lane goes Backstage with the Book Babes for a fantastic chat about learning as you go, switching up subgenres, and struggling with self care.Etta shares a little bit about her small town Wanderlust series with us as well as her first novel which is a why choose. She tells us all about how she was really winging it with her first why choose novel and how she learned from this experience.She switched it up to small town books with a single couple after this one and found it to be a little easier than keeping track of multiple men. But never fear, she still loves writing why choose and is currently working on a couple more including a very fun sounding holiday romance.As a mom, Etta finds she doesn’t have a lot of time for self care, so she asked the book babes for ideas. (We didn’t have any, we struggle with this too.) But Etta did mention how she finds working out to be a great way to decompress.Etta needs music to fit the mood of the scenes she’s working on. And she loves to have fresh fruit handy during a writing session. But other than that she loves to move around and write in different places.Etta’s trope for life is Found Family.Her question for listeners is: What is it that makes an author an autobuy author for you? Is it the person, the books, the writing style? Let us know in the YouTube comments or on our social media accounts.We hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.Music by Christopher TallonIf you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee. Help Support the podcast:Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblakeBuy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewellAbout Etta Lane:Hi I'm Etta, and I'm a small town romance author that is currently living in Alabama, I'm a dedicated mother who loves spending time with her daughter and aging pup. When I'm not writing swoon worthy books that will probably make you cry, you can find me outside. I'm a small town girl at heart, preferring a slower pace to life, no traffic, a good cup of coffee and time in the sun. Whether that's hiking in the mountains or swimming at the beach, or even working in the garden, I'm not too picky.If I have fruit to munch on, fresh air, and a cozy sweater I'll be your best friend. Preferably start the conversation with what you're reading right now.Here’s where you can find Etta and her books:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EttaLane-AuthorInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ettalane.authorWebsite: https://www.etta-lane.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@etta.lane.authorKeep Up With The Book Babes:Social Media: BackstagewiththebookbabesEmail: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.comLinks & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabesFind Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Cowboy Romances:New Release: Wrangled by the StarHollywood lands at Heartland but make it spicy.https://mybook.to/wrangledbythestarLinks:Social Media: @nikkijewell_booksWebsite: authornikkijewell.comEvent Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooksFind Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blakeWebsite: www.lovelunapress.com
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    32 min
  • Author Madyn Rose - Canadian Contemporary Romance Author
    Jul 8 2026
    Summary:Canadian contemporary romance author Madyn Rose goes Backstage with the Book Babes for a delightful conversation about writing messy love stories as well as baseball romance, and embracing the many story ideas competing to get written.Madyn shares her writing journey with us and how she learned about the process by doing. As an avid Blue Jays fan, she kind of fell into writing baseball romance when her FMC needed to level up. And of course, once you fall into a found family world, some of the other characters will inevitably beg for their own stories to be told which led to her second release in the series, Chasing SummersShe also tells us about how Dating Lexi, her dating romance, came to be. It’s a nontraditional romance where the female main character is young and widowed and on her healing journey. So, she dates multiple men as she dips her toe back into the dating pool. There ends up being three that could catch her heart, but only one wins out in the end and you might not guess who it is. So, this is not a why choose.Madyn, like many of us authors, has way too many ideas rattling around in her head, so the most difficult part for her is often choosing which one to write next. At the moment she is currently working on two different books. One will be the start of a new series and one will be the third book in her Twisters baseball romance.We also chat sports romance and what we all think might be up and coming sports we’ll be seeing more of. Because while hockey romance still has a strong hold on romance readers, there are definitely readers looking for something different.Madyn’s trope for life is Burn the World for Her.Her question for listeners is “What makes you want to read a book? Is it the hype, the reviews, the cover, the blurb? And also what other types of books would you like to see coming out? Do you like the current subgenres or something a little different.Enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.Music by Christopher TallonIf you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee. Help Support the podcast:Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblakeBuy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewellAbout Madyn Rose:Hi I'm Madyn, a Canadian romance author. Whether it's a bad ex, grief of a love lost, best friends and badass FMCs with cinnamon roll love interests. My books are filled with sass, steam and of course some drama before they reach their HEA. I'm an avid snacker, and I drink coffee like a Gilmore Girl, which I need to chase around my house full of wild and crazy kids. Not to mention our spoiled pets. When I'm not busy with the kiddos, I'm plotting a new book, glued to a smutty book. Research, of course ; ) or watching Bravo TV with the hubs. You can follow along on my socials and sign up for my newsletter below to be kept in the loop. Here’s where you can find Madyn and her books:All socials are under @madynroseauthor (Threads, Instagram, FB)Website: www.madynrose.ca (new)Amazon:Chasing Hartes: Currently unavailableChasing Summers:https://a.co/d/07V7DlVN (on sale for.99 until July 22/ and in KU)The Trouble With Dating Lexi: https://a.co/d/0g7ipThO (IN KU)Keep Up With The Book Babes:Social Media: BackstagewiththebookbabesEmail: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.comLinks & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabesFind Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Sports & Cowboy Romances:New Release: Wrangled by the StarHollywood lands at Heartland but make it spicy.https://mybook.to/wrangledbythestarLinks:Social Media: @nikkijewell_booksWebsite: authornikkijewell.comEvent Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooksFind Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blakeWebsite: www.lovelunapress.com
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    43 min
  • Author Alli Temple aka Allison Temple - Queer Romance
    Jun 24 2026

    Summary:

    Queer romance author Alli Temple aka Allison Temple goes Backstage with the Book Babes for an insightful and fun conversation about leaving the publishing treadmill behind, the importance of noise cancelling headphones, and the Heated Rivalry effect.

    Special Guest: Mango, Alli’s shoulder cat.

    Alli tells us about the differences in spice levels between her two pen names and fills us in on the details of writing in multiple subgenres. Her books range from contemporary MM romance to her grim Reaper x ghost series and her popular lesbian pirate romance series inspired by The Princess Bride.

    Alli is not much of a plotter or a researcher, but she acknowledges the importance of research for accuracy in some areas. She’s happy to write anywhere but does require noise cancelling headphones for the perfect writing vibes.

    She also tells us all about the Winter Olympics shared world series she participated in recently. Her book Ski-Crossed Lovers is a MM romance featuring best friends, amnesia, and Olympic ski action. And also how the timing was great with Heated Rivalry creating a new fan base for queer sports romance books.

    Speaking of Heated Rivalry, we did go off on a bit of a side quest where Alli shares with us her personal experience going to see the Heated Rivalry premiere in Montreal before Connor and Hudson were famous. And a little bit of the background behind Jacob Tierney creating the series. This led us to talk about never discounting your back list and also how you can’t create fame, or predict the future of publishing, but you do have to be prepared to ride the wave if it hits.

    She shares with us how she uses her author voice as her brand and the importance of creating a community of fellow authors. Particularly authors that are at the same stage of publishing as you are. Her author voice: quirky found family side characters, a sense of safety, and dry humor.

    Alli’s trope for life is second chance.

    Her question for listeners is a two parter:

    1. What’s the last book you read that you’d recommend to everyone?

    2. What’s the book you read when you were 16 that you’d still recommend?

    We hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.

    Music by Christopher Tallon

    If you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee.

    Help Support the podcast:

    Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblake

    Buy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewell

    About Alli Temple

    Allison lives in Toronto with her very patient husband and the world’s cutest team of rescue pets. She tries to split her time between writing, exploring Toronto’s parks, and traveling anywhere that has good wine. Tragically, this leaves no time to clean the house.

    Here’s where you can find Alli and her books:

    All Links:

    Allison/Alli Temple (she/her)

    Welcome to Afterlife Incorporated

    A reaper will be with you shortly

    allisontemple.com


    Keep Up With The Book Babes:

    Social Media: Backstagewiththebookbabes

    Email: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.com

    Links & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabes


    Find Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blake

    Website: www.lovelunapress.com


    Find Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Contemporary Romance:

    Social Media: @nikkijewell_books

    Website: authornikkijewell.com

    Event Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooks

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    55 min
  • Sera Taino - Harlequin Special Edition Romance Author
    Jun 17 2026

    Summary:

    Harlequin romance author Sera Taino goes Backstage with the Book Babes for a fantastic conversation about writing for Harlequin, her LatinX Characters, and writing queer normative worlds.

    Sera Taino tells us all about winning a Harlequin romance contest which resulted in her novel being edited and published and how that led to her ongoing relationship with the publisher. Her novels focus on small towns, family & community connections, LatinX characters and different pairings both queer and MF.

    While Harlequin is her primary publishing outlet, she also enjoys finding anthologies where she can publish short romance stories. These are often to raise money for charities that are important to her.

    Sera tells us all about balancing family, her job as a high school teacher and her author life. She tells us about the importance of taking some time for herself after finishing a book, reading books and watching movies as well as exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep.

    We also learn about Sera’s use of journaling and tarot cards in her creative process. If ever she’s staring at a blank page, she’ll take some time to journal which helps her reconnect with her creativity and her characters. She also uses tarot cards for inspiration. She finds the storytelling aspect and use of archetypes is very useful when exploring her characters and the story she’s currently working on.

    Sera has always been a fan of fanfiction and spent her teen years making fanfiction comics with her cousin. She’s been involved with lots of different fandoms over the years, and while she doesn’t currently have time to write it herself, she loves to read other people’s day in the life stories on Threads. Especially for Heated Rivalry.

    Her trope for life is slowburn. She loves an angsty journey to get to the HEA.

    Sera’s question for listeners is a fantastic one: If there’s a book you love your think she’ll like, drop it in the comments on our YouTube video or visit the Book Babes Instagram/Threads accounts to answer. Bonus points for queer or BIPOC authors.

    We hope you enjoy the show, and if you do, leave us a review on Spotify, Apple, YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. And make sure to follow us on your fave platform.

    Music by Christopher Tallon

    If you listen and it brings you joy, you can help support the podcast through Buy Me A Coffee.

    Help Support the podcast:

    Buy Nikki a tea: buymeacoffee.com/nikkijewell

    Buy Alby a tea: https://buymeacoffee.com/albyblake

    About Sera Taino:

    Sera Taíno has lived all over the world and now calls Central Florida her home. She writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. When she's not missing a deadline, you can find her teaching, slinging tarot cards, and reading about her latest hyperfixation.

    Here’s where you can find Sera and her books:

    All Links:

    Social media - serataino on all platforms (IG/Threads)

    www.serataino.com

    Books can also be found on https://www.harlequin.com/shop/authors/29243_sera-tano.html


    Keep Up With The Book Babes:

    Social Media: Backstagewiththebookbabes

    Email: backstagewiththebookbabes@gmail.com

    Links & Guest Author Applications: linktr.ee/backstagewiththebookbabes


    Find Nikki Jewell & Her Spicy Contemporary Romance:

    Social Media: @nikkijewell_books

    Website: authornikkijewell.com

    Event Links: ://linktr.ee/nikkijewellbooks


    Find Alby Blake & Her Unique Sports Romance Books:

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/author_alby_blake/

    TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@alby_blake

    Website: www.lovelunapress.com

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    48 min