In the first Rebel Ever After episode of 2026, my guest is Ashley Herring Blake! I asked the author of DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE and countless other queer books about her shift from writing kid-lit to adult romance, and the authors who inspired her along the way. Then we broke down the role of astrology and tarot in her new book GET OVER IT, APRIL EVANS (Feb 2026) and why queers love our star charts so much.

I also asked Ashley for her advice on how to live and work in line with your values in an industry where having principles can feel like a luxury. Plus: writing about kink and queerness in small-town settings, and why third-act breakups are the best, actually.

Find Ashley on Instagram @ashleyhblake or at www.ashleyherringblake.com

Pre-order Get Over It, April Evans from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REABooks

Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee is an all-volunteer, grassroots, multiracial, and multinational immigrant rights mass-movement organization. MIRAC fights for legalization for all, an end to immigration raids and deportations, an end to all anti-immigrant laws, and full equality in all areas of life. Donate to MIRAC here: www.miracmn.com

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Save 10% when you buy an annual membership! Your financial support makes this independent production possible.

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

Books and authors mentioned this episode:

• The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
• Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
• The Brown Sisters series by Talia Hibbert
• Rebekah Witherspoon
• Kennedy Ryan
• Nicole Brinkley

This week my guest is Allie Oleander, author of the dark-ish romance WILLING PREY about a woman who gets paid $30,000 to let a sexy, awkward lawyer hunt her in the woods. We talked about the definition of primal kink, how Allie approached consent and power dynamics in the book, and the differences between BDSM and Dark Romance.

Plus: Why do some readers find Dark Romances so cathartic to read? Allie patiently helped me make sense of my complicated feelings about the subgenre's rising popularity.

Content warning: This episode is definitely not safe for work and includes discussion of kink, stalking, trauma and sexual violence.

Follow Allie on Instagram and Threads @allie.oleander. You can also subscribe to her Patreon for free at Patreon.com/AllieOleander.

Purchase Willing Prey from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REABooks

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Save 10% when you buy an annual membership! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. Please reach out at rebeleverafterpod.com/contact with advertising and sponsorship inquiries.

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

Books mentioned this episode:

• The works of Nenia Campbell
• Rebecca Kinkade's Streams and Schemes trilogy

This week my guest is Katherine Grant, indie romance author and the host of the Historical Romance Sampler podcast. We talked about the conclusion of her historical romance series The Prestons and how her characters live by their progressive principles in Regency Era England. On a craft level, Katherine shares how she interrogates thorny issues of labor exploitation and divesting from the slave trade while writing character-driven romance novels. Plus: How she approached writing the sexuality and personal growth of characters in their 60s in THE WIDOWER WITHOUT A WILL.

Then we dove into the state of historical romance in the indie publishing space. Is it true that indie authors will keep the subgenre alive? How are hist-rom authors doing these days? And how can historical romance appeal to new and young readers?

Find Katherine on Instagram as @katherine_grant_romance and at katherinegrantromance.com. Listen to the Historical Romance Sampler wherever you get your podcasts, and follow the show on Instagram at @historicalromancesampler.

Purchase Katherine's romances from the Rebel Ever After affiliate bookstore at bit.ly/REABooks

Subscribe on Patreon at patreon.com/brosandprose to get access to the Rebel Ever After Discord server, as well as premium episodes of the podcast. Save 10% when you buy an annual membership! Your financial support makes this independent production possible. Please reach out at rebeleverafterpod.com/contact with advertising and sponsorship inquiries.

Please remember to RATE AND REVIEW the podcast wherever you like to listen. Theme music created by Dalton Deschain. This show is brought to you with the support of my patrons.

Books mentioned this episode:

• The work of Nicholas Sparks
• The work of Jodi Picoult
• The work of Mary Higgins Clark
• The work of Mary Balogh
• What a Wallflower Wants by Maya Rodale
• Magic and Mischief at the Wayside Hotel by Elizabeth Everett
• The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh
• The Roman Heirs series by Jenna Bigelow
• Mate by Ali Hazelwood
• Princess Weekes's Dramione video
• The work of Emma R. Alban
• The work of Adriana Herrera