Guest: Rudi Bremer | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 4/03/2017 ARRC Event debriefs are always a mixed bag in the podcast, but I think Rudi and I did a commendable job of keeping on theme in this episode. Gabby couldn’t make it this time around, but if things go to plan, we should be able record more of these blogger roundtables in the coming months. Rudi and I recap some of our highlights at the Australian Romance Readers Convention. This is somewhat poignant, because at the last ARRA AGM, it was confirmed that there would be no more ..read more

Guests: Gio Gahol, Chachic and Mina V. Esguerra | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 22/08/2017 Manila We have saved the raunchiest extract from our Manila interviews for our final episode of the year. We wrap up a year of podcasts by chatting with Gio Gahol, one of the first live readers for the #romanceclass community. Chachic and Mina V. Esguerra join us for this interview, and we talk about the experience of live reading from different perspectives — actor, reader and author. Mina talks about having to overcome people’s assumptions a ..read more

Guests: Jay E. Tria, Six de los Reyes and Mina V. Esguerra | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 19/08/2017 Manila It all started on Twitter. I think I semi-jokingly suggested that we need romance imprints for indie books, so that readers can find books with a similar reader promise. Author Mina V. Esguerra responded, and within a few months our discussion evolved into a #romanceclass writing workshop that aimed to produce books that could be loosely grouped into an imprint that we decided to call Flair. To do this, Mina challenged the worksho ..read more

Guest: Chachic and April | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 19/08/2017 Manila I’m joined in this episode by two of my partners in #romancelandian (a play on Romancelandia; loosely translated, it means flirty romance), Chachic and April. I caught up with these ladies in Makati and managed to sneak in a chat after we recorded the live readings. They’re huge advocates for romance, both in the Philippines but also internationally through online channels, and I’m so chuffed that we were able to get together in person. April, in particular, had to tra ..read more

Guests: Rachel Coates, Miguel Almendras, Fred Lo and Salve Villarosa | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 19/8/2017 Manila This episode is the start of a very special series of podcasts that I recorded with the #romanceclass community in the Philippines. When I made plans to go to Manila, but couldn’t make the dates for an official event, #romanceclass founder Mina V. Esguerra offered to bring #romanceclass to me. What was going to be an interview with a couple of actors who have done live readers at the #romanceclass events turned out to be a series o ..read more

Guest: Lauren Rosewarne | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 8/09/2017 OzPod17 This episode is s little late going live, but if you love dissecting the relationship between culture and fiction, I think you’ll love our interview with Dr Lauren Rosewarne, an academic and social commentator, whose writings have featured in mainstream Australian media. We’re so chuffed that she took the time to chat with me and Rudi, to share her insights on feminism, writing, and pop culture. We start by asking: why is it that so many cultural taboos are related to normal ..read more

Guest: Diem | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 27/2/2017 Melbourne When I was in Melbourne earlier this year for ARRC, I was fortunate enough to be able to chat with Diem Nguyen, a fellow podcaster and book reviewer. Diem’s blog and podcast, Bookish Friends, looks mainly at young adult books, but she has also started reading historical romance, and I’m thrilled to share our love of books with you. We talk about a lot of books in this episode, so be warned: you will probably one-click yourself out of your book budget! I think this episode might h ..read more

Guest: Gabby| Host: Rudi Bremer | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 21/09/2018 Sydney What better way to celebrate the new year than with our (super very) belated podcast anniversary episode! *cue applause* We talk about Lisa Valdez’s books, whether you can have a multi-book romance, our urban fantasy faves, and Gabby’s love for Flowers From the Storm. Once again, Rudi has organised a special treat for us — we’re playing Book Thingo bingo! If you want to play along, you can generate a bingo card here. But let me just say: this game was totally rigged not in my favour ..read more

Guest: Courtney Milan | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 26/02/2017 ARRC Update 19/9/17: Hamilton’s Battalion is now available for preorder! We have updated the shownotes with buy links. This episode begins a series of interviews that we conducted at the Australian Romance Readers Convention. This was the last ARRC to be organised by ARRA (at least, in the foreseeable future), and although it was a smaller event than I had expected, it meant that we were able to spend more time chatting with authors, catching up with friends, and meeting new rom ..read more

Guests: Gabby &  Rudi | Host: Kat Mayo | Audio producer: Rudi Bremer | Recorded: 9/06/2018 Sydney When the AAR Top 100 Romances List came out this year, we had to interrupt our podcasting schedule to talk about the results. A quick count of the books by authors of colour paints a dismal picture: 16 books in total by 6 women of colour. Of the 6 women of colour, there was 1 black author (Alyssa Cole), and only 1 was not from the US (Nalini Singh). There was a lot of conversation about the list in my Twitter timeline, and Rudi, Gabby and I definite ..read more