Episodes
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The 5 Best & 5 Worst Things About Being Romance Authors
Time to getting brutally honest about the top five things we love and the top five things we hate about being romance authors. From the readers who make this job magical to the creepy DMs that make us want to throw our phones into the ocean, nothing is off limits. Basically: the highs are really...
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Billionaires: Fantasy Hero or Walking Red Flag?
This week, we’re diving into romance’s favorite walking red flag: the billionaire hero. In Romancelandia, billionaires are everywhere, always emotionally available, and ready to whisk a heroine away at a moment’s notice. In real life, it's way more complicated. (And rare!) Is the billionaire a...
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Romance Writing Icks: What Pulls Us Out (of Immersion)
You know that moment when you’re fully in a book and then suddenly… you’re not? In this episode, we share their romance icks. The lines, character choices, and plot moments that instantly pull us out of the story and make us question everything. We get into awkward language, forced chemistry,...
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How We Actually Write Our Books
There’s the romantic idea of writing a book. And then there’s what actually happens. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on our real writing process from first spark of an idea to finished novel. We’re talking plotting versus pantsing, messy first drafts, mid-book meltdowns, and how we…
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Steamy Scenes That Live Rent-Free in Our Heads
Some scenes just stick with you. The kind you reread. The kind you think about at completely inappropriate times. The kind that quietly raise the bar for every moment that comes after. In this episode, Skye and Sarah are talking about the steamy scenes that live rent-free in their heads. The ones...
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Romance Isn’t Fluff. And We Need to Talk About It.
People love to call romance “fluff.” Easy. Predictable. Not real literature. In this episode, Skye and Sarah challenge that assumption head-on. They break down why romance is so often dismissed, what “substance” actually means, and why stories centered on love and emotional growth are taken less...
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The Truth About Grand Romantic Gestures
Pop culture taught us that love is proven with spectacle. Flash mobs. Public proposals. Last minute airport chases. But are grand romantic gestures actually romantic? In this episode, Skye & Sarah break down why some big moments make us swoon while others feel manipulative, uncomfortable, or...
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The Valentine’s Day Love Myth
Valentine’s Day sells grand gestures, expensive dinners, and picture perfect love. So why does it leave so many women feeling unseen? In this episode, we break down the biggest love myth behind the holiday and why romance novels deliver something far more satisfying. Real intimacy. Emotional...
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The Ones We Crawl Back To: Why Comfort Stories Never Get Old
If you know exactly how it ends and still reread it anyway, this episode is for you. In this episode of the Quick and Dirty Romance Podcast, Sarah & Skye talk about comfort stories and why readers crawl back to the same stories again and again. From emotional safety and guaranteed happily ever...
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New Year, New (Wo)Man: Why Romance Loves Reinvention
Romance loves a fresh start. Real life loves a mess. In this episode of The Quick and Dirty Romance Podcast, we unpack why romance loves reinvention and why the fantasy hits hardest in January. From fresh starts and glow-ups to the reality of change that is anything but tidy, we explore how…
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Big D Energy? Romance Fantasy, Ideal Men & Body Image
Is his size really the point… or is it just shorthand for fantasy? In this episode, we start with a cheeky romance-reader favorite and dig into the deeper conversation underneath: why romance novels so often depict “ideal” men, how those ideals intersect with body image, and where readers (and...
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Meet-Hate Magic: Turning Enemies into Lovers
When a meet-cute becomes a meet-hate. Want to talk conflict, sparks, and all the delicious tension that comes when two people shouldn’t be meeting, yet absolutely do? In this episode, hosts Sarah Smith & Skye McDonald dive into the trope of the “meet-hate,” that moment when attraction isn’t...
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Romance Book Conventions Deconstructed: How Authors & Readers Connect
Join Sarah & Skye for the Quick & Dirty ins and outs of Romance Book Conventions. In this episode, we dive deep into: 💖 What makes cons an amazing place for readers & authors to connect 🙅♀️The pitfalls, disasters, and behind-the-scenes drama of book conventions gone wrong ⁉️ A sneak peek at a...
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The Science of Smut: What Readers Want in Romance Books
Put the headphones in for this one! Sarah and Skye are talking about the steamy bits in books, and we are explicit! Skye recently polled her newsletter and Facebook group to learn what readers want in their steamy romances. Do you agree? We break down the "dirty" data and discuss how it informs…
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Quick Fingers or Slow Hands? How Often Should Authors Publish Books?
New Year, New Topic, Same Fascinating Conversations! Sarah and Skye kick off 2025 by diving deep on how fast romance authors should publish books. In the Bookstagram/Booktok era of rabid fandoms, authors are working hard to make sure they give their readers more, more, more. Is this a smart...
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Quick & Dirty Wrap Up: 2024
What A Year! Skye & Sarah look back on 2024's highs and lows of author life. We Each Published a Hockey Series! Growth, Learning, & Disappointments. All Part of Our Journey! Join us as we celebrate another year of friendship and romance. AND we're celebrating 5 years of Quick & Dirty Romance...
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Dirty Details of Author Life
Sarah & Skye, both professional romance authors, dive deep on what it's like to write for a living. Join us as we discuss our daily schedule for cranking out word counts, how we juggle marketing and writing books, plus what we REALLY think about social media! Read Sarah's DIRTY PUCKER now. Read...
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There's No Crying In Publishing (Or is There?)
Should authors vent about their jobs on social media?? Skye & Sarah are ruffling feathers! Hot takes on whether authors are doing themselves favors by bemoaning the publishing industry on social media. Warning-we don't hold back here! **We both have new releases right now! And we're giving away a...
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Why Choose?
Join Skye & Sarah for a discussion of why choose romance. From rebranding (reverse harem) to polyamory, from Adirondack chairs to upside down pineapples, we get quick and dirty on this trope and its rise in popularity! Read Skye's books! Click here. Read Sarah's books! Click here.
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Between Pages and Personalities: Navigating Author/ ARC Reader Dynamics
Skye and Sarah discuss the delicate dynamic between authors and ARC readers. -Do authors have a right to request positive reviews only? -Do readers have an obligation to communicate with an author if they're unable to meet expected deadlines? Listen and learn! And the leave a review!
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Quick & Dirty Romance With Friends: Lori Matthews
Romantic Suspense author Lori Matthews joins Sarah & Skye. Today, we discuss how we give our audience what they're thirsty for--while staying true to our own ethical boundaries. This convo goes deep, so get ready! Learn more about Lori on her website http://www.lorimatthewsbooks.com Sarah's new...
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Quick & Dirty Romance With Friends: Allie Lasky
Queer and AuDHD author Allie Lasky joins Sarah & Skye to talk about expectations and ideals on relationships, in fiction and real life. Does romance set too high a bar for real life dynamics? How do we know when we're in our happy-ever-after phase? Let's dive into this fascinating topic! Learn…
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Quick & Dirty With Friends: R.L. Merrill, Author
Sarah & Skye welcome R.L. Merrill to the show to talk about music. R.L. ("Ro") writes contemporary, paranormal, and horror romance. Her newest book, UNDER HIS SHEETS, is a M/M light Romantic Suspense and part of the Accidentally Undercover series. In this episode, we dive deep into the impact…
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Quick & Dirty With Friends: Tonya Clark & Naomi Springthorp
Sarah & Skye welcome special guests to the pod! Tonya Clark & Naomi Springthorp are contemporary romance authors. They team up to photograph romance covers and host the LOVE & DEVOTION reader con. Partnerships. How do we collaborate for success in this industry? What are best practices for…
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Quick & Dirty or Slow and Teasing? The Slow Burn in Romance
(New logo!) Sarah & Skye discuss the SLOW BURN in romance. What even defines the slow burn? How slow is too slow? The Quick & Dirty ladies then go deeper on steamy scenes in their novels. (This episode isn't for kids!) *Special Announcement!!* Get ready for new episodes featuring guest romance...
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Naming Romance Characters
Skye & Sarah chat about choosing names for characters in our romance books. Why does Skye swoon for Quentin & Luke Paris? What name will Sarah never, ever name her hero? Listen now and find out! THANK YOU FOR LEAVING US A REVIEW, DEAR LISTENER!
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A Necessary Climax? 3rd Act Breakups in Romance Novels
Sarah & Skye have a lot to say about the pros and cons of romance's 3rd act breakup. Readers have been trending away from this trope, but if done right, it's still a great climax for the story. But does it hold up IRL? The ladies discuss this and more. *Thank you for 10K downloads! We're giving...
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A Quick & Dirty Holiday Message
Sarah & Skye drop in for a quick holiday message! We'll be back in 2024 with lots of new content. For now, relax, enjoy, and know we appreciate you! *Don't miss the title reveals of both Skye and Sarah's upcoming releases!* PREORDER BOTH: Click now and get SCORELESS at a 30% discount when you...
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In Our Hockey Romance Era
Sarah and Skye are in their hockey eras! Find out why ice is so damn hot! In this episode, the Quick & Dirty Romance ladies discuss why hockey romance is so popular. They share their fandoms--or not--in real life, too, and what inspired them to write their respective hockey love stories. Buy…
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Hard Limits: Tropes Edition
We're not here to yuck your yum! But today Sarah & Skye discuss their hard limits on tropes they'll write. With a lot of love to all the niches of romance, there are some out there that just aren't for us. So listen, laugh, and let us know where you high five-and where you hard disagree! Check…
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The Impact of ARC Readers
Sarah and Skye discuss advance review readers and their importance to a book's release. Authors and their readers have a strong relationship. Each party has an important role. Listen now and discover more about how to become an ARC reader, plus what is involved! Want to know more about reading…
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3-Star Book Reviews
Sarah and Skye talk about a VERY controversial topic that will have the book community–both readers and authors–a little hot: 3-star reviews! Are they good or bad? How should authors feel about receiving 3-star reviews? Should readers tag authors in 3-star reviews?
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New Books From Sarah & Skye!
Sarah and Skye each have new releases for you! Skye's THE NOT SO NICE GIRL is out May 30. Sarah is teasing newsletter subscribers with the first 10 chapters of DESSERT, FLIRT, REPEAT every Monday leading up to her July release. Get Skye's book! CLICK HERE Get on Sarah's newsletter now! CLICK HERE
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New Release! Talking Whiskers & Sunshine
Sarah Skye has a new release! The ladies of Quick & Dirty Romance chat about their co-writing process, the unlikely themes of the Unlikely Pairings Series, and dogs, of course! Romance books always have the HEA. But they also tackle deep themes, such as alternative family systems, mental health,...
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The Inside Scoop on Romance Book Covers
What exactly goes into the romance book cover design process? Sarah & Skye discuss everything--how long it takes, trad pub vs. indie, minority representation, and some recent social media drama.
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Bridgerton Breakdown
Sarah & Skye dive deep into their thoughts on Bridgerton Seasons 1&2. Which was your favorite season? Listen now to find out what the ladies of Quick & Dirty Romance have to say about it!
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Epilogue Hot Takes
How do you like your epilogues? Sarah and Skye discuss preferences, what falls flat for them, and some hot takes they heard on social media lately! Check out the epilogues in Sarah Skye's Unlikely Pairings Series here, and follow on Instagram to vote in the epilogue poll.
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Epic Fail
There is no success without failure. Sarah & Skye discuss the fails that brought them to where they are now. From redefining success to rolling with a "long spreadsheet of no", the Quick & Dirty Romance ladies have learned a lot from the times their dreams fell flat. Advice to all listeners:...
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Loving The Hating Game Movie
Sarah & Skye moonlight as movie critics in the latest episode of the Quick & Dirty Romance Podcast. Join the ladies as they dissect the long-anticipated film version of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game. Highlights, lowlights, and why “the movie was nothing like the book” isn’t a valid criticism....
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Book Two Reveal!
Sarah & Skye are back and ready to give you the inside scoop on their second co-authored novel! SIPS & STROKES was such a hit that the ladies have written a sequel, and you'll never guess who it's about. Get ready for your jaw to drop and your intuition to tingle as Sarah & Skye discuss who the...
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Match Making Mysteries
Sarah & Skye chat about what makes a match, in fiction and also IRL. Why do 2 people or characters fall for each other? What is needed in a romance novel to make the chemistry realistic? Their conclusion? This topic has obvious answers, but the biggest part of chemistry is undefinable! Check out...
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Rom Coms(?)
Rom-com: Romantic Comedy. A term that used to apply exclusively to movies, "rom-com" is now the go-to catch phrase for most contemporary romance. But what level of laugh out loud is really needed to class a book as a comedy? Or are we shielding our love of romance with a safer term? Special…
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Valentine's Day Announcement!
Happy V-Day! Join Sarah & Skye as they chat about some of their favorite prompts from the Instagram Candy Hearts Challenge they've hosted all month. Sarah & Skye give their hot takes on: Memorable Kisses, Dating Adventures, Swoony Messages and "I Love You", but it's the last 5 minutes you don't...
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It's Anti-Belle Thanksgiving!
Skye is hosting #antibellethanksgiving on Instagram all week (Nov 16-20, 2020)! Join the ladies of Quick & Dirty Romance as they discuss all the prompts for the hashtag game. They go deep on what makes their hearts happy, friendship, and food! Check out Skye's book, Not Suitable for Work, to...
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Consent is Sexy
"Yes?" "YES YES YES!" Sarah & Skye share excerpts from their books and thoughts on how hot it is when characters consent. In real life and in romance, hearing your partner say yes is far from an awkward moment! The ladies of Quick & Dirty Romance want to see a world where consent is normalized…
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Simmer Down!!
There is no stopping these ladies! It's our THIRD book release party of 2020 as we celebrate Sarah Smith's impending release, SIMMER DOWN. This rivals-to-lovers food truck rom-com is the Maui vacation you need right now. Join Skye & Sarah as they talk about book boyfriends, food, grief and…
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Quick & Dirty: Past, Present, Future
Happy 1st birthday to NOT SUITABLE FOR WORK and FAKER! One year ago, Skye & Sarah met up in Nashville, Tennessee to celebrate both of their book releases and have a blast. Listen to the ladies discuss the past, present, and future of their romance novelist journeys. Thank you for your subscribes,...
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Our Favorite Things
Under smoky skies on the West Coast and personal heartache on the East Coast, Sarah & Skye take a moment to chat about their favorite things. From romance to Dolly Parton to flame emoji horror stories, the ladies go deep on what bring them comfort, joy, and inspiration during these trying times....
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The HEA from 6 Feet Away: Quarantine & Romance
Sarah & Skye are back and talking about social distancing and new romances. Do we want to read Zoom love stories? Are romance writers using the pandemic in their new books? What does the state of New York have to say about COVID & safe sex? Thanks for leaving a review! Be sure to check us out on...
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New Book Release: If You Never Come Back by Sarah Smith
Skye and Sarah chat all about Sarah's new novella, If You Never Come Back. It's available now! Buy it here: amzn.to/3cFSNz2