Shelf Love

095. Demon Enemies to Lovers: Games with Jodie Slaughter, Live from Copper Dog Books

Short Description

Romance Author Jodie Slaughter joins Shelf Love Live from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, Massachusetts. Can Jodie identify excerpts from her own books? What's her favorite trope and why is it Only One Bed? We play games and share romance recommendations, answer live Q&A from the audience, are ogled by passing firefighters, question if capitalism is the real nemesis in classic rom-coms, and more. Recorded August 11, 2021 in a livestream. Watch the enhanced & edited video recording on YouTube!

Tags

book recommendations, video available

Show Notes

Romance Author Jodie Slaughter joins Shelf Love Live from Copper Dog Books in Beverly, Massachusetts. Can Jodie identify excerpts from her own books? What's her favorite trope and why is it Only One Bed? We play games and share romance recommendations, answer live Q&A from the audience, are ogled by passing firefighters, question if capitalism is the real nemesis in classic rom-coms, and more.

Recorded August 11, 2021 in a livestream. Watch the enhanced & edited video recording on YouTube!

Part 1: https://youtu.be/Una6yJPyVf0

Part 2: https://youtu.be/txultz7mqB8

Buy White Whiskey Bargain from Copper Dog Books: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781733426565

Pre-order Bet On It by Jodie Slaughter: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/book/9781250821829

Shelf Love:

Books Mentioned:

More Romance Recommendations: https://www.copperdogbooks.com/loveyourshelf

Learn more about Jodie Slaughter: https://www.jodieslaughter.com/

Shelf Love episodes mentioned:

Listen to Shelf Love Podcast on your favorite podcast app and get more info and transcripts on the website: https://shelflovepodcast.com/

Support Shelf Love on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/ShelfLove

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shelflovepod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelflovepodcast/

Transcript

Andrea Martucci: [00:00:00] If you would like to watch this episode, you can find it on YouTube in two parts. Search for Shelf Love on YouTube or follow the link in the show notes.

Jodie & Andrea: Live, from Beverly, Massachusetts, it's Wednesday night,

Andrea Martucci: Starring: Dame Jodie Slaughter

Jodie Slaughter: and musical guest. Andrea Martucci.

Andrea Martucci: Woo. Hi everybody.

Jodie Slaughter: Hi,

Andrea Martucci: we practiced that once

Jodie Slaughter: And still fucked it up. It up. Yeah,

Andrea Martucci: yeah. Yeah. Thank you all so much for being here. Hello? Hello. I was just saying, as everybody was saying hello, we've got an international crowd here.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: And by that, I mean like New England and also west coast representation so far,

Jodie Slaughter: honestly, I feel like an honorary New Englander. I've been here for three days.

Andrea Martucci: It's like you were born here.

Jodie Slaughter: I think it was like, I was meant to be here somehow. Don't let anyone in my family hear that I said that.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. I won't tell them. I don't know them.

Jodie Slaughter: I'll be shunned, I won't be allowed back up.

Andrea Martucci: So before we just like jump in, cause we obviously just jumped right in, first of all, thank you so much, everyone, for coming.

Jodie Slaughter: Thank you.

Andrea Martucci: I'm Andrea Martucci host of Shelf Love Podcast. This is Dame Jodie Slaughter, romance author extraordinaire.

We're going to get to know her a bit more, if you don't know this lovely lady already. but let's just like get some housekeeping out of the way. First of all. Thank you so much to Copper Dog Books.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes,

Andrea Martucci: we are in Copper Dog Books right now. If you cannot tell, in Beverly, Massachusetts, this is the bookstore I go to.

They're an amazing independently owned bookstore. Just celebrated two years of ownership with current owners and they are proud of genre supporters, especially dear to my heart, romance friendly bookstore, romance affirming bookstore.

And thank you so much for hosting this event Copper Dog Books. And as Jodie already indicated, Jodie is visiting me from Louisville, (Loo-ee-ville) Kentucky right now.

Jodie Slaughter: I do want to call you out for saying Louisville (Loo-ee-ville) .

Andrea Martucci: How do you say it?

Jodie Slaughter: Louisville (Loo-ah-vul).

Andrea Martucci: Louisville. All right. All right.

Jodie Slaughter: She'll learn.

Andrea Martucci: I'll learn. I'll learn. We've got a cool program here tonight. If you have any questions, enter them at any time. I think Julie co owner of Copper Dog is also monitoring the Q and A area. So if you have a question, you can put it in there and, uh, we'll, we'll see it. Or Julia will yell at us. She's like right over there.

So what are we gonna do tonight? We're gonna, we're gonna like pretend this is like a podcast recording kind of. If you've listened to Shelf Love before, usually we just come have a discussion about romance novels, or romance adjacent things. Jodie said that she was going to tell me what my podcast was. Jodie, what is Shelf Love Podcast about?

Jodie Slaughter: So I was trying to like condense this down into a, like a snappy little [00:03:00] tagline and what we came up with was, uh, life through the lens of romance novels. But like to expound upon that a little bit, I'd say Shelf Love is like a really in depth examination at romance at large, in its stages, in the past using like romance novels at the forefront.

Andrea Martucci: That's great. I'm going to borrow that from my website. Thank you so much for this quick market research into what, how other people would describe my podcast.

Now I will introduce you. So Jodie Slaughter, published romance, author of four books currently available?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: And also, recently not recent, I don't know, at some point, yeah. At some point in the near past signed a three book deal with St. Martin's Press and her first book coming out with them is out in summer 2022.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. June 12th, 2022, to be exact. So mark, your calendars

Andrea Martucci: Mark your calendars. Yes. I met Jodie just like around and

Jodie Slaughter: on Twitter,

Andrea Martucci: on Twitter and actually Charish Reid was on my podcast and had us read White Whiskey Bargain by Jodie Slaughter. I didn't know Jodie at the time. This is an episode in the twenties, I think where Charish and I talked about White Whiskey Bargain and I was like, what an amazingly talented young writer.

(flashback to episode 031 from Spring 2020)

Andrea Martucci: Yeah, it was a great book. It's so good. And I'm so happy that Jodie Slaughter is writing more stuff. It seems like she's a fairly new on the scene.

So, wow.

Charish Reid: She's knocking them out of the park.

(end flashback)

Andrea Martucci: And then I kind of just started chatting and then Jodie has been a guest on the podcast multiple times.

So that's how I've gotten to know Jodie, until we finally met in real life for the first time, two days ago, when I picked her up at the airport to come stay at my house,

Jodie Slaughter: She's letting me lay my head in her home.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. And we realized in the car last night we were driving home from the boat cruise that we did, which was super fun.

And I realized I was like, I never told you where I lived. And like I legitimately could have been luring you here for nefarious purposes.

Jodie Slaughter: And I fully was like, well, I told like my people your phone number and name. And I was like, and I kind of just stepped out on blind trust that I wouldn't end up wrapped in a tarp in the Essex River.

And I mean, I feel like it's like working out, like if you do want to kill me, you have about a day and a half.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Probably on to after this event, people knew we were doing this event.

Jodie Slaughter: So, so y'all, if I, if I go missing.

Andrea Martucci: I did it.

Jodie Slaughter: She did it.

Andrea Martucci: I really hope you don't...

Jodie Slaughter: Now you're like, bitch, you don't go missing.

Andrea Martucci: This is getting really [00:06:00] dark.

This is not My Favorite Murder podcast. Okay. So what we're going to do tonight first, we're going to start with an inspirational quote. Just before we began, I was browsing around the bookstore and I asked Julie the co-owner of Copper Dog Books. I was in the self-help and like psychology section. Cause you know, I love that. And I was like, what's your favorite book in here? And she pulled out this book called Keep Moving.

Jodie Slaughter: Maggie Smith.

Andrea Martucci: I assume Maggie Smith is the author of this

Jodie Slaughter: book. It is not about Dame, Maggie Smith,

Andrea Martucci: exactly, and I handed this book: it says notes on loss, creativity and change. I handed this to Jodie and I was like, Jodie, find a random thing in here and read it aloud and then connect it to your life in a deep, meaningful way.

She had five minutes to -no less than five minutes

Jodie Slaughter: Four,, but as if. Kismet, I pretty much opened the book and the quote popped out at me and said, this is the one, right? This is it. Okay. So ready? I'm ready. Yeah. I'm back to get my LaVar Burton on.

"Consider all you've outlived, including the life you thought you would have. You are durable, adaptable, resilient. Just being here is a triumph. (sirens in background) Hour by hour, prove the voice inside wrong. The one that says you can't do it. Do it. Keep moving."

(deep meaningful stare for a few seconds between Andrea and Jodie)

Andrea Martucci: What does this mean to you? Tell me

Jodie Slaughter: I mean, so I've obviously like made jokes about my mental health, my mental illness, like

Andrea Martucci: Beverly Fire rescue is on its way to save some lives.

Jodie Slaughter: Let's hope it's just a cat stuck in a tree. But

Andrea Martucci: it's like a third truck.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh my goodness.

Andrea Martucci: I don't know if you guys can hear this. There's like fire trucks going by. I'm so sorry. Why is this deep and meaningful?

Jodie Slaughter: I think obviously, like I spent a long time. You have this view, this like very narrow view of your life, what you want it to be, what you need to do to get there.

And when you have dreams that seem bigger than everything else, I think it's like very natural for, for your, to like, if I could not stumble over my words completely. It's very natural.

Andrea Martucci: This is live podcasting!

Jodie Slaughter: It's very natural to get to a place where you believe that you are incapable of doing it. You're not strong enough.

So I do think it's important to realize, like, you've overcome some shit, like, you know, you came into the world like kicking and screaming and crying and covered in goo. And now I'm like writing a romance novel and it's great.

Andrea Martucci: Oh my God. You're sitting here in dungarees in Copper Dog Books. I mean, when you were born, you probably didn't think that was going to happen.

Jodie Slaughter: I didn't for sure. Oh no.

Andrea Martucci: You actually recently made the jump, you quit your full-time job you are a full time, professional writer. You've taken some leaps.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. Major ones,

Andrea Martucci: we're going to jump into the programming in a second and I see that we have a question.

We're going to answer that question in just one moment. I feel like it's also really important for us to talk about who we're wearing tonight. Oh yes. If you're on social media, [00:09:00] you may have seen that Jodie and I both purchased independent of one another dungarees from

Jodie & Andrea: Lucy and Yak.

Andrea Martucci: And apparently this is a thing cool people do. I did not know. I'm not a cool person. This was completely by accident. Oh, I was inspired by a Twitter friend and I apologize my Twitter friend, who, I can't remember her name. I'll think of it later. I saw her getting these dungarees. I was like, oh, that's super cool.

I got them. We found out that we had the same ones. Yeah. And so of course, when we were like together, we had to wear our dungies

Jodie Slaughter: had to wear the dungas,

Andrea Martucci: we went to go get dinner with my husband and my child, and we're leaving. I was like, oh my God, everyone keeps like looking at us.

And Jodie was reassuring me that we looked really cool. And we saw this like guy from the restaurant, like putting a trash bag in the dumpster. And he kind of was like laughing. Cause he heard us talking and I was like, I was like, do we look cool?

Jodie Slaughter: And he said, he was like, y'all have drip. It's drip. And I was like, I know that's what I've been trying to tell her all day.

Like I get to, I like to consider myself something of a fashionista. And so we had gotten a compliment earlier about our Dungas and. I think there was a little hesitation or like, oh my God, was she serious? Or was it like making fun of us? And I was like, oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. we are cool as hell.

Andrea Martucci: I was like, is this like a young person thing? Cause I immediately, I was like, how old are you?

Jodie Slaughter: Oh yeah. Yeah. She, she, she was like, how old are you? Like snatches him up by his collar. And he's like I'm 16 ma'am!,

Andrea Martucci: it is a young person, drip, drip. I'm going to start using that.

Jodie Slaughter: Well,

Andrea Martucci: oh, okay madam. (realizing I'm too old to say it).

Jodie Slaughter: I don't even say it is how I'm like, so it's like very young.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. All right. I will act my age. Okay. So we have a question from Elizabeth who asks, what is your favorite - can you hear me? (gets closer to mic) what is your favorite trope and why is it, oh, no, there's only one bed.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh goodness. So. I get a lot of like lovers of there's only one bed because of White Whiskey Bargain. There's a famous famously.

Andrea Martucci: infamous.

Jodie Slaughter: and I love there's only one bed, but I said this on the cruise last night and I'll say it again. My favorite trope is enemies to lovers. I haven't written one yet, like a true enemies to lovers.

But it is my favorite trope and we will get there, but there's only one bed is, is sort of a like bread and butter, meat and potatoes trope.

Andrea Martucci: I just think that it is such a fantastic way to like, if I'm sorry, if I can get like deep for a moment, like it's such a great way as an author and like for readers to get that immediate, like quick [00:12:00] sense of intimacy of like, oh, they've let their guard down and they've just gravitated towards each other

Jodie Slaughter: in sleep.

Andrea Martucci: Oh, they didn't mean to do it consciously and their feelings are revealed. And then it usually hastens the sexy times, which is fun, or the intimacy, like, which is not always connected to sexy times. Yeah. But I mean, personally I'm like get to it,

Jodie Slaughter: get to the fucking. Yep.

Andrea Martucci: Yes, exactly. Do you have a philosophy on like a percentage or like a part of the book where you're kind of like, yeah, we need to get things going.

Jodie Slaughter: Ooh. So do you know actually, I mean, I feel like it's such a like cliche thing to be like, it really depends on the books and the characters. But I do feel like if I get past 30% into writing a book and there's no, no sexy to I'm like, all right, now I need to get it in there.

Andrea Martucci: I mean, like a kiss,

Jodie Slaughter: it doesn't have to be like full on, like (slapping her hands together) yeah.

But there's gotta be something. I do like to like build sexual tension. So I feel like I tend to do like a pretty good job, even if the sex comes a little later in the story. I like to like really make it known that these, these people are like real horny for each other.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah.

Jodie Slaughter: But yeah, I'd say like around 30%, I like to have something happens, something, whatever that may be.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. And I know you and I obviously like sex in our stories and not everyone likes sex in their romance and romance can be romance without sex, but for those of us who really enjoy the steamy times, like, yeah, it's like, I kind of want to get it going. I want to know it's happening.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. Yeah and now don't get me wrong. Like I love a good slow burn. I mean, I come from the world of like fan fiction where you can have a 250 word thousand story and you don't get so much as a handhold until 200,000 words in

Andrea Martucci: Like not even like brushing of elbow,

Jodie Slaughter: there will be a brushing of elbow, but like

Andrea Martucci: what about longing glances?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Oh, yes. That's a major part of the slow burn.

Andrea Martucci: What about handing into carriages or?

Jodie Slaughter: Well, if it's historical, but it will be like, you know, oh, I had to hand them something and oh my (Andrea & Jodie playfully bat hands) God. You know, it's like that.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Isn't that funny? There's like a theme of like, it's like the accident and then all of a sudden there was like the awareness.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. And then they're starting to find ways to I,

Andrea Martucci: I accidentally just really needed to be close to this person

Jodie Slaughter: 100%.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. I think that that's it's very similar to only one bed.

Jodie Slaughter: That's what I was going to say. And I was like, and would you look at that? Just so happens that right now, there's only one bed.

Andrea Martucci: Exactly. Right now we have to be close.

So here's what we're going to do tonight. We have a little bit of a program and you guys can join in on this. I'm going to, I know there's another question. I'm going to jump to the question. After we do a couple of these, I [00:15:00] have some quotes that I'm hiding from my guests.

And Jodie has to figure out if this is something she's written or somebody else has written. And if she doesn't think she wrote it, she has to see if she can guess, like who wrote it. Okay. So you guys feel free to put in the chat if you can guess the book before Jodie can guess the book. Okay. So I'm going to hold on. Let me start in the middle.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, ma'am all right.

Okay.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. Here we go. I'm going to like cut out characters names. Cause that might make it a little bit obvious. Okay.

"Rain hit character's back, tears burned her eyes. She was freezing. She knew the right thing to do was go inside, shower, go to bed, take up meditating, write a resume. Do not sleep on friend's couch for six months. Do not throw yourself at other character. But the wrong choices were so much more attractive than the right ones."

Jodie Slaughter: Okay. So at first I thought I had an idea that this might've been something I wrote in a specific book and now I'm not so sure.

Should I just guess?

Andrea Martucci: Guess.

Jodie Slaughter: Did I write this in All Things Burned?

Andrea Martucci: No, you didn't write this. (laughs)

Jodie Slaughter: I'm so sorry to whatever. I'm like, that's beautifully written. It must've been me.

So should I guess?

Andrea Martucci: You thought you wrote it now, you're going to guess another book?

I'm going to try to guess, I don't know if I can get it. Okay. Okay.

Jodie Slaughter: I don't know if I can get the book, but can I try to guess the author? Is it Talia Hibbert?

Andrea Martucci: No.

Jodie Slaughter: Damn. Okay.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. This is Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters.

Jodie Slaughter: I have never read this.

Andrea Martucci: It's just out.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh

Andrea Martucci: yeah. Yeah. I read an advanced reader copy. Uh, so yeah, I think it came out. I don't know this summer.

Jodie Slaughter: I love that you looked at your watch

Andrea Martucci: Yeah, like it would tell me when this book came out.. Like yeah, so this book is about a free spirited artist who has a really close relationship with the owner of a sex toy store and the sex toy store owner, Ruth, I believe, dies of cancer and leaves sort of like one of these like legal arrangements that you're not quite sure would ever be legally real where Ruth's niece, Cade, who is like the "accountant" in the family of Artistes Anyways, I won't get all into the details. But she's like kinda like straight laced and everything, says that they have to like, run this sex toy store together and live in the house together and like save it from the brink of like bankruptcy because she was a terrible business woman.

And and Cade is is not a Virgin, but like has not had a lot of great sexual experience. And so there's like some sexual awakening. [00:18:00] Selena, the other main character, is just like really free-spirited and like really open. It has a cool community of friends. Anyways. I enjoyed it.

Jodie Slaughter: Awesome. Thank you for the rec. Okay.

Andrea Martucci: No prob Bob! All right. I got another one. Okay.

Jodie Slaughter: All right.

Andrea Martucci: Did you write this. "'I'm going to make you so happy wife.'"

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, I know this.

Andrea Martucci: "His voice sounded wrecked. 'Just wait and see.'"

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah, I wrote that.

Andrea Martucci: In

Jodie Slaughter: what book?

White Whiskey Bargain. Why is that so memorable? It's the moment after Hannah effectively hurts Javier's feelings and he kind of just like leaves and whatever.

Andrea Martucci: To lick his wounds..

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. And ultimately realizes that he has to like communicate to her that

Andrea Martucci: Is communication important?

Jodie Slaughter: Who's to say? To communicate to her that he was hurt and that that's like the only way to like, you know, exist together. And. I believe she's like, you know, okay. She's like, is kind of taken aback by him being so straightforward.

Like you hurt my feelings and that's not acceptable. And you said mean things.

Andrea Martucci: I guess some people do that, they're like really straightforward about their emotions. Use your words, Javier.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: Good boy.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. I mean, look truly, and they decide to give this old thing a try and that's what Javier says to her

Andrea Martucci: cause, cause marriage of convenience also.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, yes. Also. Excuse me. Yes.

Andrea Martucci: So that's where -oh the firetrucks coming back. Somebody made a comment earlier. Firefighter trope is a classic for a reason. Yeah.

Jodie Slaughter: I'll say when he was driving by, he was totally staring at us. Boom. The fire probably

Andrea Martucci: He probably should have been a little bit more focused on the task at hand.

Jodie Slaughter: Well, like a romance novel. Can't focus for like babes.

Andrea Martucci: Oh no, I accidentally drove into the bookstore window to be close

Jodie Slaughter: How horrific would that be? (makes a veering motion and crash sound) anyway,

Andrea Martucci: this is not a true crime podcast. Okay.

Jodie Slaughter: We are macabre.

Andrea Martucci: Indeed, we are. Okay. Oh, oh no.

Jodie Slaughter: I'm not looking. Don't worry. I'm not cheating.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. All right. I'm going to do another one and I'm going to take a question.

Jodie Slaughter: Okay.

Andrea Martucci: " She'd vomited her feelings all over him as if they were in some kind of angsty fan fiction that would end up any way other than it actually did with her crying into her pillow for months on end."

Jodie Slaughter: I think I wrote this one as well.

Andrea Martucci: You better be right.

Jodie Slaughter: I'm like taking deep breaths. I feel like Katie Ledecky about to do like a hundred meter swim. Okay. I think I wrote this as well, and I think it's from All Things Burn.

Andrea Martucci: Ding Ding ding. She got it.

Jodie Slaughter: Yay.

Andrea Martucci: Julie's clapping. Yes. This is from, To Be Alone With You, a novella. Oh no, I got it wrong.

Jodie Slaughter: I said All Things Burn.

Andrea Martucci: I hope I got that.

Right. I think this is from, To Be Alone With You.

Jodie Slaughter: It must be

Andrea Martucci: by Dame Jodie Slaughter.

Jodie Slaughter: I think you're right. And I'm wrong.

Andrea Martucci: I took screenshots earlier and like, [00:21:00] I hope I arranged them

Jodie Slaughter: genuinely think you're right.

Andrea Martucci: I think it's the first time that she shares her feelings for him.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: And he's like, ehhh.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, yes.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. So To Be Alone With You, is a novella that it is, that is COVID era and our main character. Uh,

Jodie Slaughter: Naomi,

Andrea Martucci: Naomi, has vomited her feelings for this gentleman, how many years in the past?

Jodie Slaughter: 10 years ago. And he is 10 years older than her. So when she was like, she was a bit fresh faced 21. Yeah. She was like to this 31 year old man, like I I'm just in love with you.

And also they weren't in any type of like sexual or romantic relationship. He is the mentee of her mother who is an artist. And he was kind of just like, eh, pump the brakes. Like you're 21. I don't think this is appropriate, but I think he didn't, you know, he didn't say that.

Andrea Martucci: He was into her, but he was like, I don't know if this is ok.

Jodie Slaughter: He was like, I feel like this is not appropriate. And you you're 21. You've probably got like

Andrea Martucci: some living to do.

Jodie Slaughter: Right. He makes the decision for her, which like, you know, That's what it is.

Andrea Martucci: I'm doing this for you

Jodie Slaughter: Right. And obviously she spends the next decade, like incredibly humiliated because who'd, wouldn't be

Andrea Martucci: totally right.

Just love this one because you've got the angsty fan fiction in there and I feel like it is such a theme with Jodie to talk about fan fiction and like, insert that.

Jodie Slaughter: I love it so much.

Andrea Martucci: Oh my goodness. Yeah. Jodie and I had a super long conversation about fan fiction because she got her start basically reading romance via Twilight fan fiction..

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. Yeah. That's my romance canon. Like, you know what I mean? My like first. Stuff, right? Yeah.

Andrea Martucci: Right. Fanfiction. It's a gateway drug. And I was saying this the other night too. And I apologize if I've said this on the podcast before. I feel like I kind of want to like find all the people who are reading fan fiction because they're like, wishing that things had happened in the book or the show that they're reading fan fiction about.

And they're like, this doesn't happen in, in like published things. Like I need to like go seek this out here for these things to actually happen. And I'm like,

Jodie Slaughter: look at the wonderful world of Indies

Andrea Martucci: or just like romance right here. People that you're imagining kissing actually kiss.

Jodie Slaughter: also odds are like, someone's written a book loosely based on the characters you ship.

They just, obviously can't say that

Andrea Martucci: how many authors got their start in fan fiction and basically took their really popular fan fiction. And then basically like changed some names and details,

Jodie Slaughter: a ton some of whom are incredibly wealthy.

Andrea Martucci: It's not a secret. Like Christina Lauren their Beautiful Bastard...

Jodie Slaughter: Beautiful Bastards series was a fan fiction.

Andrea Martucci: Was it Twilight?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, it was Twilight. Obviously, like, I know there's like contention about 50 shades, but whether it's a romance or not, it started as a Twilight fan fiction.[00:24:00] There's actually, there's a lot more that we're kind of, there was a not to get into like Twilight fan fiction, but there was a time when tons of people were pulling their fanfictions off of fanfiction.net because they were publishing them.

So there were a lot of like stories that were quieter fanfictions that are also novels.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. I have read several books recently that are clearly ships, you know, and I'm like, oh, okay. I get it. I get it. And I don't even watch TV or movies really that much. So like if I get it...

Jodie Slaughter: Get a load of this guy

Andrea Martucci: yeah. I read book, of course Essie knew that it was to To Be Alone With You.

Jodie Slaughter: Essie. I love you.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Me too.. Okay. Oh, we've got two questions. This is from Essie.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: Love Essie, who has a podcast (Jodie sends a kiss) Love Essie is a podcast by Essie (we laugh) Do you go into a book thinking of a trope or is it pointed out to you after you've completed the story?

Jodie Slaughter: So I'm like. A very tried and true pantser. maybe sometimes have a wisp of an idea what's going to happen when I sit down to write every day or every session. And so when I'm in that moment, I will be like, what do I want to happen for these characters? What do I want to accomplish?

And that's when I am like, oh, okay. normally a trope pops out at me. I don't go searching for it. (Andrea pounces toward Jodie) Yeah. Yes. (Jodie laughs) Yes.

Andrea Martucci: Firefighter. That's not a trope.

Jodie Slaughter: I mean, I feel like anything could be a trope if you just say it's a trope

Andrea Martucci: you know, I really want to impose some structure on the trope (Jodie laughs) conversation.

Jodie Slaughter: People are not going to like that.

Andrea Martucci: No, I mean, but like, I mean, let's just go back to the definition somebody needs -to hold on and I'm sure there's a dictionary around here somewhere.

I think it's funny because I read a lot of books where I just read it and then afterwards I'm like, oh, that was a trope. And like, I enjoyed it, but it didn't pop out to me while I was reading it as the trope.

I feel like I really have to sit down and when I'm thinking about books that I'm recommending, I'm trying to like really get it down into something concise. It takes me a while to like figure out what the trope is. And then I see it and I'm like, oh, duh.

Jodie Slaughter: Well, is that because you don't read for trope?

Andrea Martucci: I don't, maybe

Jodie Slaughter: not that you don't have any that you like, but that you just, it's not maybe even in the top five things that would make you decide that you want to read a book,

Andrea Martucci: I just, I feel like my enjoyment of a trope depends so much on execution, where there are things that like are tropes where I'm like, that sounds great. And I love that. But if it's not executed well, I'm not going to love it. It's like the trope is appealing to me, it sounds appealing to me, like pining. Pining, blacksmiths is always going to be -it's highly specific. And I just really like it. Okay. I like pining a lot. And if you tell me there's pining, I'm like, oh, that, that [00:27:00] gets me interested.

But then if it doesn't execute on the pining well, I'm disappointed. So ultimately I feel like everything comes down to execution and it could not have a trope. Like it could not clearly be a trope and I could enjoy the crap out of it. And then it could be like really hard to tell other people, like what the hook is.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. Yeah.

Andrea Martucci: You know,

Jodie Slaughter: that makes sense. Let's see, what else is in here? When a book is mismarked with a lackluster presentation of a trope, that's so disappointing.

Andrea Martucci: Yes.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah,

100%. As a lover of enemies to lovers, that's a big one, Or I guess, cause what I consider enemies to lovers isn't, you know, and this isn't like shade. I'm actually not thinking about a specific book. We're in a bookstore so I'm going to use this. When I think about enemies to lovers, I don't think about two rival bookstore owners.

Andrea Martucci: Are you thinking You've Got Mail? Cause you just described, You've Got Mail.

Jodie Slaughter: I've never seen you got mail. No. Sorry. (Andrea pretends to be so shocked her health declines) I've also never seen when Harry met Sally. I don't know. There are other ones.

Sorry.

Andrea Martucci: Anyway I think we should just cut this short..

Jodie Slaughter: Andrea's like, no, you're canceled.

Andrea Martucci: Absolutely canceled.

Julie, (Jodie dying of laughter) where's the cane that you use to pull guests off here? She hasn't seen any of this. Oh my God.

I think we should just move on. (resigned.)

Jodie Slaughter: Everyone makes fun of me all the time for being young. Well, there you go. You know.

Andrea Martucci: You can't help it.

Jodie Slaughter: Exactly.

Andrea Martucci: You're just drip.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, Andrea. I'm I'm just drip. That's going to be my next Instagram caption.

Andrea Martucci: Did I use it right?

Jodie Slaughter: No, (laughs) not at all, but it's very cute. Yeah. But yes, it's, it's hard to, I I'm thinking like Mr and Mrs. Smith, do you know what I mean? That's what I want. I want like real stakes.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah, there have to be real stakes. If it's something that they could just talk about, it's like, Hmm. Okay. You're just like dumb,

Jodie Slaughter: yeah, it's just miscommunication., yeah, yeah. I want, "I've been ordered to kill you or be killed" and "I've been ordered to kill you or be killed." and we got to kill everybody so that we don't have to kill each other because we're in love.

Andrea Martucci: Now I'm sitting here is the real villain of You've Got Mail, capitalism?

Jodie Slaughter: Well, the real villain is always capitalism.

Andrea Martucci: True. (Andrea and Jodie both look at the camera and smile as if they've planned this but they haven't!) And colonialism

Jodie Slaughter: and white supremacy.

Andrea Martucci: Yes, exactly. Woot woot, Margo Hendricks!

Ideologies, not ideology. It's ideologies. (Calls off screen) Let's get that on a t-shirt, Julie.

Jodie Slaughter: I love how we're like Julie, jot this down.

Andrea Martucci: Julie, cut that part out.

Marker

Andrea Martucci: Did you know that you can support Shelf Love on Patreon? We've got a hopping Discord chat going on, and I'd love to welcome you to the community. You can support Shelf Love starting at just three dollars a [00:30:00] month by visiting patreon.com/ShelfLove.

I'd like to thank my $20 a month patrons: Gail, Copper Dog Books, Frederick Smith, and John Jacobson. Hear your name on the podcast or see your name listed as a Patreon supporter on the Shelf Love website if you join at any level. You can also support Shelf Love by giving it a rating and or review on Apple Podcasts. And by sharing it with a friend who enjoys critically engaging with romance. Thank you for your support.

Marker

Andrea Martucci: Uh, Jodie, would you like to quiz me?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, I would.

Andrea Martucci: Did I write this book or did somebody else write this book? Okay, look, this look, it's going to be a little bit different here because I've written zero books, but Jodie is going to see if I can guess who wrote this book or what book it is?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Okay. You ready? We ready?

Andrea Martucci: I'm ready. I'm so ready,

Jodie Slaughter: "her heart ached with shy excitement as if they'd never touched before. The kiss was a chaste brush of lips, barely there yet powerful enough to dislodge an uncomfortable truth inside her. She wanted him here and just the act of wanting in itself made her exhilarated and afraid as if she were falling slowly enough to enjoy the sensation, but fast enough that landing would hurt." Gorgeous. Beautiful.

Andrea Martucci: I feel okay. Like I have two guesses and I'm going to guess the first one, I feel like maybe it's just going to sound like every guess is this person I apologize. Is it Talia Hibbert?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, it is.

Andrea Martucci: And I'm going to guess based on the fact there's some context clues available to me.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah.

Andrea Martucci: That it's from Take a Hint Dani Brown.

Jodie Slaughter: Take A Hint Dani Brown!

Andrea Martucci: Okay. Now what is, is that the first kiss?

Jodie Slaughter: Actually I don't remember.

Andrea Martucci: Oh, why don't?

Jodie Slaughter: I don't think so. I don't think so.

Andrea Martucci: I covered Take a Hint Dani Brown in an episode about Black witches in romance.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Uh, Dani Brown is like a witch. She's like witchy she's woo woo.

Andrea Martucci: She actually, uh, manifests a lover. Is that what she does at the very beginning? It's like, she's manifesting a lover.

Jodie Slaughter: That's the prologue is her and a friend manifesting a lover and it comes in the form of beautiful Zaf, ex rugby player reader,

Andrea Martucci: romance reader,

Jodie Slaughter: friend, just like the greatest friend. Also, I'll say this, and I've said this on record. I'm not a huge fan of friends to lovers, but I think Talia Hibbert could make me love someone falling in love with a brown paper bag. You know what I mean? So,

yeah.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. I just, I love her pink hair.

Jodie Slaughter: She's so hot.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah,

This is what's cool about doing this in a bookstore is like we had books that we want to talk about. We just like went to the shelves

Jodie Slaughter: and like pull it off.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Like this is fun. Okay. All right. I got one. Okay. [00:33:00] Next.

Jodie Slaughter: (clears throat dramatically) Okay. I'm sorry. Give me one second. Okay.

Andrea Martucci: We both had COVID tests this week.

We don't have COVID.

Jodie Slaughter: "That sounded intimate. Oh, wait, I'm sorry. Excuse me. Excuse me.

Andrea Martucci: This is a G-rated podcast. There will be no talk of intimacy,

Jodie Slaughter: no talk.

Okay. I started the quote at the wrong place.

"'Are your injuries still troubling you?' He asked. 'No, I'm just tired and glad I finally get to spend some quiet time with you.' That sounded intimate and quite desirable, more than the choosing ordinarily permitted. He suspected they had bonds forming already, and that was both wonderful and terrible. He had never let himself feel too much before. Not with the prospect of failure looming over him. This was what an outbound feels like, caring for her, despite our differences."

Andrea Martucci: I'm so touched by this. This is obviously Strange Love by Ann Aguirre.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Oh is that how you say it?

Andrea Martucci: I think I finally said her name, right?

Jodie Slaughter: I was saying Ag-We-Are. We are, but I was, I, I was like, I don't think that's right.

Andrea Martucci: I heard somebody else say Aguirre and I think that's correct.

Jodie Slaughter: Uh-Gear-Ay, that's what we'll settle on.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Ann Aguirre. Strange Love. hate to sound like a broken record. I also have an episode about this one.

Jodie Slaughter: She does.

Andrea Martucci: With the lovely ladies from Whoa!mance Podcast. This book is so surprising because it, I don't know if any of you guys like, have you read Strange Love? It's about an insectoid alien who accidentally abducts an earth woman.

Jodie Slaughter: From St. Louis. (pronounced loo-iss).

Andrea Martucci: Is that how you say it? St. Louis, not St. Louis (Loo-Eee).

Jodie Slaughter: Were you really saying St. Louis? (Loo-EE)

Andrea Martucci: I don't know!

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. It's St. Louis. (Loo-Iss)

Andrea Martucci: Okay. She,

Jodie Slaughter: I love you so much (laughs).

Andrea Martucci: I love you!! Accidentally abducts her and her dog. You may ask how accidentally, I mean, just read the book.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah, you gotta read it.

Andrea Martucci: It's it, it is the most tender romance and so beautiful. When, when I tell you like the sex scenes are beautiful because they deconstruct, Ann Aguirre, deconstructs, what feels good, like so much of sex scenes, in my opinion rely kind of like on these like, markers of like, this is how we think sex goes based from sex scripts that we read about or see or whatever, and it becomes kind of like rote, and it's amazing when you read a romance or a book or see a movie or whatever, where they really just take apart your expectations and put them back together. And you're like, I never thought of that before, but you're absolutely right. That would feel good. And if I sat down and thought about what felt good without my preconceived notions about what I think I'm supposed to feel good, what is supposed to feel good, that would [00:36:00] feel good.

And if I really had to sit down and think about it, maybe I would do different things or do different things for my partner.

Jodie Slaughter: I was like very drawn in by, I think as a writer, I was like in awe of the way I'm just going to like, have to completely come at like sex and intimacy from, (we are cracking up because Andrea did a weird not delicate throat clearing cough thing) from like a level that I've known. I've read alien romances and they're all like alien there. They tend to have similar anatomy to humans because obviously that's like easiest,

Andrea Martucci: but like but like amped up to the point where you're like, if I were to craft the perfect anatomy for

Jodie Slaughter: right.

Andrea Martucci: For one's pleasure.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: How would I

Jodie Slaughter: yes and then make it blue

Andrea Martucci: and this. Yes, exactly. And this book does not take anything easy.

Jodie Slaughter: At all.

Andrea Martucci: No, no.

Jodie Slaughter: Uh, you really have to like, cause there were definitely some moments during the sex scenes where I was like, I'm certainly not disgusted, but I was

Andrea Martucci: you're like, the chitin, like his, his, (makes a claw motion)

Jodie Slaughter: yeah, yes. I'm seeing the words spines. I don't know, you just have to completely reimagine what is possible that someone would like view as like sexy and intimate and pleasurable, like you said, I don't know. I think it can blow your fucking mind, that's it?

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Your mind will be blown to pieces. It'll be out of this world.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. And Zylar is so cute

Andrea Martucci: and the talking dog,

Jodie Slaughter: like, oh my God. And also like the talking dog is a real, he's like fucking hilarious, but like I've genuinely laughed out loud.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. It's so good.

Jodie Slaughter: He's always like, can I have treats now?

Andrea Martucci: I just, I think that again, like in sort of like deconstructing, like the things we say, like how we interact with each other, when you have a talking dog, it really like exposes all the weirdness. Look at it. Look at us, both trying to read. (Andrea & Jodie lean close to screen) I can't remember the dog I thought we were going to get the dog's name.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, so well, this is an interesting comment, of it feeling very heteronormative. I guess, cause it's kind of like in the blurb, right? The choosing,

Andrea Martucci: Oh, because it was all kind of like based on a mate, but they didn't sexually reproduce.

Like there was no genetic material that needed to be used.

Jodie Slaughter: I can totally see where you're coming from, but I never was like, oh yeah, this is a straight alien, Do you know what I mean? I guess I, I don't know why. I sort of viewed it as like a completely different thing from what humans do and

Andrea Martucci: what is heteronormativity... ,

Jodie Slaughter: how they behave yeah. Within couplings and [00:39:00] like intimacy and all that stuff. Obviously it's like a thing of like one partner stays with the nest and the nestlings is what I'll say. Cause I don't remember this specific word.

Andrea Martucci: Nest Guardian.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Nest guardian.

Andrea Martucci: And Snaps was the dog..

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, Snaps. But also, I don't know that it didn't, I dunno, it just didn't,

Andrea Martucci: we should set up a debate about this.

Jodie Slaughter: I don't know. I understand this point, but I'm also like, I don't know.

Andrea Martucci: We would need, we would need more detail.

We would need to

Jodie Slaughter: really get nuanced,

I think I'm going to need to like go through and like highlight passages and like study it. But yeah. Anyway,

Andrea Martucci: I encourage you to do that.

Jodie Slaughter: I know you do.

Andrea Martucci: I'm a nerd. Oh, I see we have another question. Jodie, get another thing ready for me. Got you. Do you have plans to write an alien romance in the future? Space or paranormal perhaps from Essie.

Jodie Slaughter: Essie this is a tough question. I am a hard sell on Sci-fi

Andrea Martucci: What about fantasy?

Jodie Slaughter: Unless it's really kitschy. I have a Game of Thrones tattoo.

Andrea Martucci: What about a fantasy world where people only wear dungarees.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Only. Their dungarees are attached to that.

Andrea Martucci: And it's drip. (Jodie cackles)

Jodie Slaughter: I am a firm believer in never say never, but I think there would have to be a pretty big change in me. Now, paranormal, on the other hand, I'm a much easier sell.

I think I would be like completely remiss to go my entire writing career without never writing a paranormal when Twilight was how I came into the game. Like, so

Andrea Martucci: Werewolves or aliens, if you had to choose. And you do.

Jodie Slaughter: I'm going to say vampires

Andrea Martucci: that wasn't an option. You made Julie laugh. That wasn't an option.

Jodie Slaughter: Okay. Werewolves.

Andrea Martucci: (sullenly) Werewolves or vampires.

Jodie Slaughter: Vampires,

Andrea Martucci: Vampires or enemies.

Jodie Slaughter: Vampire enemies. That's like the easiest to do. Vampires. You've been alive 500 years without making enemies.

Andrea Martucci: Vampire enemies or demons

Jodie Slaughter: fuck. Demons. Okay.

Andrea Martucci: Demons or firefighters.

Jodie Slaughter: Demons

Andrea Martucci: Okay. I see. We're stuck on demons. All right. Demons. Would you ever write a demon romance? I've read demon romances!

Jodie Slaughter: Okay. Also, like for those who, like, if, you know, you know the arc on Supernatural with Sam and Meg where soulless Sam was like, totally having a thing with Meg. And I was like, interesting because Meg is like this demon. I was like, that's very interesting. So I think I could write - okay. I think

Andrea Martucci: with horns.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, but also I think so much about like demon is such like a Christian.

Andrea Martucci: Well, I mean, what is a demon? Is the concept of a demon specifically Christian or just your idea is Christian because of that being your influence?

Jodie Slaughter: I think my idea [00:42:00] is Christian because that's my influence.

Andrea Martucci: Speaking of creatures with horns. Probably my favorite romance with a character who has horns is His Beauty by Jack Harbon. Oh, I haven't read that one yet. It's so good. It's beauty and a beast. But Belle isn't helpless. Her name isn't Belle and the beast stays a beast.

Jodie Slaughter: Is the beast a devil?

Andrea Martucci: No, he's a beast.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, just like a beast. Fantastic. Jack Harbon is really like doing what needs to be done.

Andrea Martucci: Yes.

Jodie Slaughter: Like completely.

Andrea Martucci: Yes. I mean just, if you haven't read His Beauty by Jack Harbon, please do. Oh. Speaking of beauty and the beast things, I really enjoyed Bitterburn by Ann Aguirre who also wrote Strange Love. Bitterburn is a beauty and the beast. Is it also, he stays a beast?

Jodie Slaughter: Is it alien?

Andrea Martucci: No. No. It's like, fantasy-esque see now I've read them both like around the same time and now I'm like, trying to keep them apart in my head. I think also stays a beast. But also another great, like I kind of like a little bit of like a fairy tale retelling thing.

So are you, are you ready to ask me another?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes, I am. Are you ready? "This is his super power, I realize. Capable of bringing you from zero to 60 with a single kiss, touch, or look. Of course he ruins it the moment he opens his mouth, but the way he's kissing me now makes up for it. It's hard for me to picture not wanting him. When he leans back just enough so our lips are no longer touching, I am under his spell. It happens that quickly and completely."

Andrea Martucci: Harbor by Rebekah Weatherspoon.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes it is, fuck you, by the way. Every one right..

Andrea Martucci: I wrote that one.

I wanted to make you feel better. (both laugh)

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. I mean, yeah, you did a great job. I'm proud of you.

Andrea Martucci: Thank you. Uh, Harbor by Rebekah Weatherspoon is a

Jodie Slaughter: poly queer. Yes.

Andrea Martucci: Polyamorous.

Jodie Slaughter: Queer kinky book,

Andrea Martucci: I was searching for a word. Polyamorous triad.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh yes, yes. That's because it is a closed triad. Yes.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. a lot of it deals with grief and healing.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: And I feel like that book is just all about the communication.

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, 100%. The characters are like very honest with each other. They call each other out

Andrea Martucci: to the point where I'm like,

Jodie Slaughter: damn,

Andrea Martucci: it's like I was reading it. I was like, do people do this? And I'm like they probably should.

Jodie Slaughter: In a perfect world. I think we would all be talking to each other, like that.

Andrea Martucci: It's great modeling. That's what I appreciated about this was like, imagine a world where people actually talk to each other, like this honeslty.

Jodie Slaughter: Also the other person is like, Okay. I can acknowledge that like this thing that you said, like [00:45:00] bitten me a little bit, but also yeah. Let me dig into that. Yeah. Also, I mean, because I have to go there, like kink in such a gorgeous, beautiful, incredibly fucking hot portrayal, but also that's Rebekah Weatherspoon's entire, what is this series called?

Andrea Martucci: Oh, uh, Beards and Bondage?

Jodie Slaughter: And bondage. The entire series is like really great. I think Harbor is the last one in the Beards and Bondage series, I believe. All three characters are Black. It is two cis men, one cis woman. Just (chef's kiss motion) delicious. Delicious.

Andrea Martucci: Are you ready for another from me?

Jodie Slaughter: Oh, I didn't know you had more.

Andrea Martucci: Oh my God. I've got a million more.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. I only

had three for you.

Andrea Martucci: You know I over-prepared come on. " She'd made herself small and quiet, disguised herself as someone who wasn't quietly whittling her own seat at the table since she hadn't been offered one."

Jodie Slaughter: I don't think I wrote this.

Andrea Martucci: You didn't.

Jodie Slaughter: Okay. Who did? Is that a Katrina Jackson?

Andrea Martucci: No. It sounds like something Katrina would say

Jodie Slaughter: Is it?

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

Andrea Martucci: Yes. So this is the Runaway Royals. Which is an offshoot of the Reluctant Royals series. This is the first in the series. And the second one, which is an Anastasia retelling just came out.

Do you remember what it's called? Something about a princess.

I don't know.

Jodie Slaughter: Is it the, uh, Sapphic one?

Andrea Martucci: Yes.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. I know exactly what you're talking about, but I can't pick up the title right now.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. But anyways, How to Catch a Queen, (from off-screen Julie speaks) How to Find a Princess, Julie for the win. It's How to Catch a Queen. How to Find a Princess.

Whoever is naming these books knows how to do it.

Jodie Slaughter: Exactly they're kind of all connected. Well, duh, literally

Andrea Martucci: We're punchy. What day is it?

Jodie Slaughter: I had a dark and stormy at dinner. So,

Andrea Martucci: I really loved Shanti? Yes. Yes. like her growth in this story of sort of like having drive and ambitions and like going for it and coming up with a plan and making it happen and also dealing with the gross inequities of the life that she lived and being like, yeah, this sucks. But instead of complaining about it, I'm gonna like, just push on through and, and get through. And I think that that quote actually really like quietly whittling her own seat at the table since she hadn't been offered one.

Jodie Slaughter: Whittling, is such like a visceral word.

Andrea Martucci: It is.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah, it is literally.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. Yeah. But anyways, that spoke to me.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Beautiful. Beautiful.

Andrea Martucci: So I told dame Jodie, Hey Julie, do you have a Sharpie? Can I ask. Oh, cool. Okay. All right. All right.

Jodie Slaughter: Julie is obviously the MVP

Andrea Martucci: Julie and Meg who own Copper Dog Books. Like they are

Jodie Slaughter: top notch

Andrea Martucci: one [00:48:00] of us,

Jodie Slaughter: one of us. (chanting) Thank you, Julie.

Andrea Martucci: Julie's like, do not get me on here. Okay. Here's Ooh, look at that Sharpie. Okay. I have right here, White Whiskey Bargain by Dame Jodie Slaughter. can you start getting Dame put in front of your name?

Jodie Slaughter: I can try.

Andrea Martucci: Here's what we're gonna do, please try.

Jodie Slaughter: Yes. Ma'am

Andrea Martucci: while Jodie signs this book, I'm going to tell you what's coming up from Jodie Slaughter.

She's gonna write, a really deep moving inscription for me right here. And then I'm going to read it in front of all of you and

Jodie Slaughter: no pressure.

Andrea Martucci: This week is Jodie's first official author events. So we had a boat cruise last night. That was Jodie's first in-person author event. And then this, that you are all taking part in virtually is I guess her second.

Jodie Slaughter: Disclaimers. My handwriting is chicken scratch.

Andrea Martucci: I just want everyone to see us holding hands here.

Jodie Slaughter: My handwriting is chicken scratch.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. (long pause)

Jodie Slaughter: And that's it mostly.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. All right. Jodie, what is your first book from St. Martins Press about?

Jodie Slaughter: My first book St. Martins Press releasing June 12th 2022 is called Bet On It. It is a book that we have been sort of like the tag lining, like a bingo based sex pact.

It involves like mental illness and a small fictional Southern town and, peach cobbler and closure with like one's family and like found family and friendship and, the importance of like allowing yourself to love and be loved.

Andrea Martucci: Should I do that?

Jodie Slaughter: Yes.

Andrea Martucci: I'll read your book. I'll see if it's okay. I mean, I'll, I'll find out like, if it's the thing I want to do.

Jodie Slaughter: You think you don't allow me to love you?

Andrea Martucci: It's really hard. I try.

Jodie Slaughter: I know.

Andrea Martucci: Okay. Now I let you love me.

Jodie Slaughter: Well, tell the truth. Shame the Devil. That's another Southern phrase, tell the truth, shame the devil.

Andrea Martucci: Explain that to me later on. Okay.. And the book that you are writing while you are in my abode,

Jodie Slaughter: yes. I cannot currently share the title largely because it's subject to change at any moment, but it's similarly follows the gambling theme only this time we follow like a lottery winner. It's got like a marriage in trouble meets second chance, romance. There's like a skating rink and it's also set in like a small fictional Southern town and there's a lot of descriptions of beautiful nail art.

Andrea Martucci: Is everybody ready for the inscription?

Jodie Slaughter: No, I'm not.

Andrea Martucci: "To Andrea. Thank you for bolstering me, supporting me, and teaching me things. I scratch. Scratch. Didn't know I needed. Love you endlessly. Does that say Jodie Slaughter

Jodie Slaughter: Well kinda. A little bit. You should put a Dame in there.

Should I? I'll write a dame.

Andrea Martucci: All right, here we go. I'm very demanding. Thank you all so much for coming to this live Shelf Love [00:51:00] event.

Jodie Slaughter: Live from Copper Dog Books.. It's Wednesday night.

Andrea Martucci: Thank you so much for being here. I hope you all had fun. I guess, I'm going to like download this and like put it on the podcast at some point.

But of course I'm going to edit it because I am a perfectionist. So I'm going to take out all the ums. If any of you thought that I didn't actually say um in real life because you've only listened to me on the podcast. That's what the editing is for.

Yes.

Jodie Slaughter: Yeah. Thank you so much coming to see me. Thank you for supporting me and Andrea. We love you and I don't know, you know, like keep fucking rocking.

Andrea Martucci: Keep fucking. Rocking.

Jodie Slaughter: Keep fucking. Rocking.,

Andrea Martucci: yeah. All right. Thank you everybody. Have a fantastic night. Please support my local indie bookstore,

Jodie Slaughter: Copper Dog books!

Andrea Martucci: You can support yours. If you have one and they're like into romance or just support mine

Jodie Slaughter: but support Copper Dog Books first

Andrea Martucci: also, also. Yeah, I think Julie put in, you can pre-order Jodie's books when they're available on Copper Dog Books.com and this is Jodie's official bookstore now.

Jodie Slaughter: Absolutely 100% is, uh, this is my home.

Andrea Martucci: Just FYI I actually buy, if I want a paperback copy of a book that I can't usually find in a bookstore search on their website because I actually get a lot of books. There are books that people like self published on Amazon that you can get paperbacks through indie bookstores.

So it's, it's because of distribution rules depends on like, if they can get it or not, but there's actually a lot you can get. And so you can get your paperback copies, support, a local bookstore, support an indie author, get a book on your shelf. Plus of course, traditionally published stuff, I guess, a little bit, you know?

All right. And that is it for tonight. I hope you have a great night or day, depending on what time it is. I don't know where you are. I guess you're all like

Jodie Slaughter: it's wicked late.

Andrea Martucci: Wicked late, oh my God. She's trying Boston accent.

Jodie Slaughter: Was that it?

Andrea Martucci: No, we'll practice.

Jodie Slaughter: I hate to see it.

Andrea Martucci: Yeah. All right. Bye.

Thank you for joining me today. A transcript and show notes for this episode can be found on Shelf Love, Podcast dot com. If you have any thoughts on the show, I would love for you to reach out to me. You can send an email to Andrea at Shelf Love Podcast dot com. This podcast is produced by me, Andrea Martucci. Thank you to Shelf Love's editorial advisory board members, Katrina Jackson and Tasha L. Harrison.

Listen now!

Guests

Alyssa Cole, Amanda Allen, Amanda Cinelli, Amanda Diehl, Andrea Martucci, Andrew Piper, Angela Toscano, Arielle Zibrak, Ash Dylan, Becky, Bree, Bree Hill, Candice Ransom, Carter Sherman, Charish Reid, Christina Fattore, Copper Dog Books, Dani Lacey, Danielle Knafo, Denise Williams, Diana Filar, Dr. Margo Hendricks, EE Ottoman, Emma, Emma Barry, Eric Selinger, Erin Leafe, Esme Brett, Fangirl Jeanne, Felicia Grossman, Funmi B., Hannah Hearts Romance, Helena Greer, Hsu Ming Teo, Huike Wen, Jack Harbon, Jayashree Kamble, Jennifer Crusie, Jess, Jessica Lyn Van Slooten, Jhen, Jodi McAlister, Jodie Slaughter, Joe Martucci, John Jacobson, Julie Moody-Freeman, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Kassi, Kate Clayborn, Katee Robert, Katrina Jackson, Kelly Reynolds, Kennedy Ryan, Kianna Alexander, Kini Allen, Kit Rocha, Leigh Kramer, Lucy Hargrave, Lucy Score, Lynell, Margarita Guillory, Margo Hendricks, Maria DeBlassie, Megan Erickson, Mia Sosa, Nicola Welsh Burke, Nicole Falls, Norma Perez-Hernandez, Penny Reid, Philippa Borland, Rebecca Romney, Rebekah Weatherspoon, Reformed Rakes, Renee Dahlia, Rosie Danan, Ruby Lang, Sandra Kitt, Sarah Rutherford, Sarah Skilton, Scarlett Peckham, Sionna Fox, Sri Savita, Steve Ammidown, Suzanne Jefferies, Talia Hibbert, Tamara Lush, Tasha L. Harrison, The Swoonies, Tif Marcelo, Tina Benigno, Whoa!mance, Whoamance, fangirl jeanne

Tags

antagonist april, audience reception, book discussion, book recommendations, business of books, cannibalism, category romance, contemporary romance, crossover podcast, dystopian romance, fairy tales, fandom, fanfiction, film discussion, genre discussions, historical romance, joyful hag book club, joyful problematization, joyful problematizing, original scholarship, paranormal romance, pop culture in the classroom, problematic favorite trope, quarantine romance book club, queer romance, romance in pop culture, romance myths, romance novel discussion, romance novelist representations, romance scholarship, romantasy, scholarly, scifi and fantasy romance, teaching popular culture, tell me about, tv show discussion, video available, young adult