Jenny Nordbak earned a B.A in Interdisciplinary Archaeology from the University of Southern California. After graduating, she spent two years leading a double life, working in healthcare construction by day, while secretly working as a Dominatrix at a dungeon in LA by night. Her memoir, The Scarlett Letters: My Secret Year of Men in an LA Dungeon (St. Martin’s Press, 2017), is a candid look into that time in her life.
Jenny is an advocate for sex positivity and female empowerment. She writes the Stocks and Bondage column for Penthouse and has been featured as a sex expert on The Doctors. She contributes to Men’s Health and has appeared in numerous publications including Newsweek, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and Redbook. She is currently working on developing her memoir for TV and finishing her next book, a romance novel. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and children.
Need a break from the modern world? Dive into the Italian Renaissance with us! We geek out with Alyssa Palombo about why it’s one of the most fascinating parts of history, why the Borgia family has captivated people for centuries, and how The Borgia Confessions is basically Cesare’s villain origin story.
If you’re looking for community, consider joining ours! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! Also…if you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
There is a world only a few clicks away if you know where to look. A world of desire, love, and friendship. A place where you can share your passion for romance with others. This place is called Romancelandia. And if you are reading this, congratulations! You’ve found us. Now, let us show you around…
Welcome to Romancelandia
Your Traveler’s Guide to the World of Romance
Romancelandia has a reading problem. It’s true! We simply can’t stop ourselves. We want to read ALL THE TIME, because really, who needs sleep? We live on coffee and passion. And while that might sustain us, unfortunately, it doesn’t keep us in books. That, my friend, takes money. And sometimes money can be tight. We understand this, so we’ve prepared a guide to help you get the most out of your money while adding to that glorious TBR (To Be Read) pile.
Our first stop is the library.
This one is easy. Your local library is an excellent resource for books: both physical and electronic. Many libraries loan ebooks and audiobooks using apps like Overdrive, Libby, or Hoopla. Using these apps is as simple as finding your library system and entering your library card information.
If your local library doesn’t yet have an ebook library, there are many public libraries that will issue you a non-resident library card for a yearly fee.
And if you commute for work, you may be eligible for a library card in the city you work.
Next we have used bookstores, thrift stores and more.
If you are lucky, you have a good used bookstore near you. But if you aren’t, you can still check out your local thrift stores or pop into that yard sale down the street. Even your local library is a good place to check for sales. Often they sell discontinued or donated books at a fraction of the suggested retail price. And if all that fails, there are many places online that sell used books, including Amazon.
Try subscribing to Bookbub or Freebooksy.
Sites like Bookbub and Freebooksy are gaining popularity with readers and authors alike. It’s a great way to keep track of free and discounted books but also stay informed about your favorite authors. Bookbub will alert you with new releases or sales from the authors you follow. If you want to try an author, but you aren’t sure you want to pay full price for one of their books, follow the author and wait for a sale.
Do you Review Books?
Did you know that you can get publishers to send you books for free? While terms may change per book and/or publisher, it generally only requires an honest review. Reviews are one the best things you can do to support an author you love. If you aren’t doing this already, consider posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads to tell everyone about the books you love. If you are interested in exploring this further, head over to Netgalley for more information.
And our last stop: Amazon Loans.
If you have a romance reading buddy with a healthy ebook library, ask for some recommendations and see if the book can be loaned. Amazon loans last two weeks but as quick as we read, that should be plenty of time.
Every citizen of Romancelandia is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of romance! Don’t let a lack of funds stand in your way. There is never a shortage of books. You just have to know where to look.
This month we showed you how to save on books, next month we talk about all the ways you can put your money to good use supporting your community and the authors you love.
We’re joined by #1 NYT Bestselling author Colleen Hoover. We cover a whole bunch of different topics–from her writing journey, to her parenting advice, to travel. We chat about why women’s fiction written by authors who love and respect romance is amazing—and how that applies to her latest release, Regretting You.
Our merchandise store is finally live on Redbubble.com , if you want to get your hands on Wicked Wallflowers shirts, stickers, mugs, and all kinds of other fun stuff! We’ve been loving seeing pictures of it all out in the wild and can’t wait to wear ours to the next meet up.
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
We’re joined by fantasy romance author Maxym Martineau who tells us about her debut novel, Kingdom of Exiles. We also chat about her amazing recipe for watermelon margaritas, how she’s been adjusting to having a newborn, and how her books come to her in dreams. Also butt flaps and a random dude who walks in while we’re talking about pubic hair and ejaculate!
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
WAYS TO LISTEN
Some highlights from our conversation include:
Butt flaps.
How she gets book ideas from her dreams.
Why we demand more fae books.
Our mutual adoration of Alexa Martin and how we plan to kidnap her and force her to be our mom BFF.
Adventures in breastfeeding.
How she’s adapting to early motherhood.
Check out All The Kissing if you haven’t yet!
Enjoy the moment a random man walks into the room when we were discussing pubic hair and ejaculate.
Her writing process.
Why she creates maps for her books.
Why fantasy with female protagonists automatically gets characterized as YA.
We’re joined by Avon Books editor Nicole Fischer (who is the editor of some of our favorites like Tessa Bailey, Talia Hibbert, and Vivienne Lorret). We’re also joined by Emma Brodie who is a senior editor for William Morrow. We talk about their How to Write a Romance book which Emma worked on with the Avon romance editing team. We also talk about how they got their start, what we can expect from Nicole’s authors in the near future, and why Jenny and Nicole agree that “thrust” is the best word to search a book for if you’re trying to find the steamy bits.
Want to hear some of Nicole’s authors on one of our sister podcasts? Tessa Bailey and Talia Hibbert have both been on Heaving Bosoms!
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
WAYS TO LISTEN
Some highlights from our conversation include:
Where the idea came from for the How to Write a Romance guided journal
What the fun early brainstorming session over wine was like
Why character motivations are a fundamental base to any story
How they got started reading romance
Nicole’s amazing authors and books we should be excited about
Why we love illustrated covers
Why reading a racy cover in public is sometimes the worst
The Fischer Law now declares that if you’re listening to an audiobook or a podcast and it’s overheard in a public place, it will be during an inappropriate moment
Why the library is so amazing for audiobooks (and books in general!)
We’re joined once again by New York Times Bestselling author Penny Reid, but this time she’s brought along actress and voice actress Joy Nash who narrates Penny’s audiobooks. You might recognize Joy from Dietland, Twin Peaks, or the Mindy Project. We chat about what it’s like for them working together as author and narrator, Penny’s latest books (and why it’s not her fault if she makes us cry), how Joy got her start narrating audiobooks, what they fangirl over, and much more! This is part one of two episodes with Penny Reid. Be sure you don’t miss part two, which will feature Penny Reid with Cathy Yardley!
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
WAYS TO LISTEN
Some highlights from our conversation include:
Why Penny didn’t really want to write the Winston Brother’s backstory, but she did it for her readers
Why Beard With Me was such an emotional book to write
What Penny’s research process looks like
Joy’s acting experiences and how she translated that into voice acting as an audiobook narrator
How Penny feels like Joy adds a dimension to the story that goes beyond simply reading the text
Support for today’s episode comes from NYT Bestselling author Anna Zaires who has the first in a new, super steamy contemporary series out called Wall Street Titan.
Andie J. Christopher is back to talk movies with us again! This time we talk about Speed (it’s totally a romance), This Means War, and My Best Friend’s Wedding. We also chat about that time in high school Andie wrote the varsity catcher an erotic thirst poem and read it aloud in creative writing class. (Tom was also in the class)…and that time Jenny got caught stalking her high school crush.
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
WAYS TO LISTEN
Some highlights from our conversation include:
Why Speed is a romance and why we love it!
Why This Means War should unquestionably be rewritten as a menage!
Why Julia Roberts is a little wacko in My Best Friend’s Wedding…but we’re here for it!
Shenanigans the three of us pulled when we were young and foolish
We’re joined by USA Today Bestselling romance author (and librarian) A.J. Pine and 2018 RWA Librarian of the Year Frannie Cassano. We chat all about libraries–our love of them, why they’re important, and the challenges they’re facing. We also discuss cowboy romances and A.J.’s journey into writing them, as well as Frannie’s experiences as Librarian of the Year. Be sure to check out A.J.’s brand new Meadow Valley series and her Crossroads Ranch series that starts with Second Chance Cowboy!
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
We could not be more excited to be joined by Angelina M. Lopez to talk about her outstanding debut, Lush Money! Angelina was one of our earliest listeners when she was still prepublished and now her first book is out in the world! We also chat about Fated Mates, her twenty year path to publication, the upcoming books in her series, and the state of publishing. This is one of Jenny’s favorite books of the year–go read it immediately!
If you haven’t joined our Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
We’re joined once again by Leah Hultenschmidt who is the Editorial Director for Forever and Forever Yours at Grand Central Publishing. We chat about her recent trip to Scotland, the amazing books she has coming out, and her super cool hobby of hand making cards.
If you haven’t joined our new Facebook group yet, you’re missing out on the fun! Find our Wicked Wallflowers Coven HERE! If you have a moment to leave us a rating on iTunes, we would be ever so grateful!
WAYS TO LISTEN
Some highlights from our conversation include:
Leah’s recent trip to Scotland and why Scotland is so magical
Why we love reading fiction about the places we’re going to visit
The amazing books she has coming out
How she got started making cards and what it’s like having it as a hobby
Books mentioned:
The Paris Orphan by Natasha Lester
Down Too Deep by J. Daniels
Rosalind James New Zealand Rugby Series
Photos of You by Tammy Robinson
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez (check out our episode with Abby!)
