Reading Schedule
Want to read Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling Series along with us? Here are the dates we'll be discussing the books:
Collection: Wild Invitation - May 3, 2024
Book 13: Shield of Winter - May 17, 2024
Book 14: Shards of Hope - May 31, 2024
Book 15: Allegiance of Honor - June 14, 2024
After book 15, we'll be on a brief summer break. Stay tuned for Season 2 reading dates!
Episodes
Friday Jan 26, 2024
Ep 11: Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh
Friday Jan 26, 2024
Friday Jan 26, 2024
This week it’s dominant versus dominant as we delve into the intense relationship between Mercy, a high-ranking leopard changeling, and Riley, a wolf changeling with an equally strong personality. Their romance is marked by a fierce, passionate dynamic that challenges both characters' deeply held beliefs and pack loyalties.
Grab your copy of Branded by Fire here: https://amzn.to/3RwMynb
Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/
Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/
BOOKS MENTIONED:
Leslye is reading a Big D of a book called Passion by Lisa Valdez: https://amzn.to/42alZc4
Ines was finally in the mood to love The Spymaster’s Lady by Joanna Bourne: https://amzn.to/3u0LEaG
A Court of Thorn and Roses by Sarah J Maas has divided Ines and Leslye: https://amzn.to/3u0LEaG
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Blaze of Memory, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/47krsOQ
Find the hosts online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Jan 19, 2024
Ep 10: Marriage of Convenience
Friday Jan 19, 2024
Friday Jan 19, 2024
This week, we breakdown Ines’s favorite trope to write: the Marriage of Convenience story (MoC), where characters marry for reasons other than love, such as financial gain or social necessity.
Forget something borrowed or blue, Ines presents her Seven Must-haves to Successfully Pull Off a MoC as she and Leslye explore this compelling romantic trope, its enduring appeal, and its reflection of changing societal views on relationships.
More info on The Twelve Stages of Intimacy- https://www.noblechoices.org/12-stages-of-intimacy/
BOOKS MENTIONED:
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me https://amzn.to/3vCmXlz
Noelle Adam’s MoC series:
- Convenient Marriages https://amzn.to/3O49IjN
- Trophy Wives https://amzn.to/48zqQ9m
- Beaufort Brides https://amzn.to/3vIwhEc
The Interstellar Brides series by Grace Goodwin https://amzn.to/4b1gPDB
Heroes of Chance Creek series by Cora Seton https://amzn.to/4b1gPDB
Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (Derek Craven’s book) https://amzn.to/4b1gPDB
Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (Lord St. Vincent’s book) https://amzn.to/48VYJRm
Marrying Winterbourne by Lisa Kleypas (Rhys Winterbourne’s book) https://amzn.to/3HgLgIh
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan https://amzn.to/3vCuWPs
A Kiss for Midwinter by Courtney Milan https://amzn.to/421GWpM
Radiance by Grace Draven https://amzn.to/3HmudEK
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare https://amzn.to/4aVjIFP
Liars Like Us by JT Geissinger https://amzn.to/41Yde54
The Mountain Man’s Mail Order Brides series by Frankie Love https://amzn.to/3Hm0Nqk
FILMS MENTIONED
The Magic of Ordinary Days https://amzn.to/3RXKJ2F
Green Card https://amzn.to/3HinWtJ
The Proposal https://amzn.to/48VV9qm
Purple Hearts on Netflix
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Branded by Fire, coming in 1 week! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/3RyQALJ
Find the hosts online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Ep 9: Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Friday Jan 12, 2024
Though the cover to Hostage to Pleasure will mislead you about M-Psy Ashaya Aleine, leopard changeling Dorian Christensen is ready to set her straight. Their paths intertwine in a story of forbidden attraction and political intrigue against the backdrop of a society where emotions are suppressed, and shifting abilities are latent.
Ready to get lost in this gripping tale of love, rebellion, and the transformative power of emotional vulnerability?
Grab your copy of Hostage to Pleasure here: https://amzn.to/47M2BUy
Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/
Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Branded by Fire, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/3RyQALJ
Find the hosts online at:
Leslye Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Jan 05, 2024
Ep 8: Novel Openings: How We Get Hooked
Friday Jan 05, 2024
Friday Jan 05, 2024
In this episode, Leslye and Ines break down the necessary elements of First Scenes and First Lines. Want to see how we cracked the code to awesome beginnings? Curl up and listen close!
Grab K.M. Weiland’s Structuring Your Novel for tips on crafting your first scenes here: https://amzn.to/3RXzad9
We love the movies too, but have you ever read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice? Check it out: https://amzn.to/3TDRiKp
Check out Leslye’s voice with her masterful novels
- Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope - https://books2read.com/TheMonstersWeDefy
- Savage City by L. Penelope - https://books2read.com/savagecity
- Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope - https://books2read.com/earthsinger1
- Whispers of Shadow and Flame by L. Penelope - https://amzn.to/2SGZtmF
Great First Line Examples
- Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor - https://amzn.to/3H5YHKI
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik - https://amzn.to/3GXwt54
- Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover - https://amzn.to/3tC32T0
- Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay - https://amzn.to/3NMp4t8
- Paradise by Toni Morrison - https://amzn.to/3NMNoLw
- Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh - https://amzn.to/3vhCLtH
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Hostage to Pleasure, coming in next week! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/47M2BUy
Find the hosts online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Dec 29, 2023
Ep 7: Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Friday Dec 29, 2023
Friday Dec 29, 2023
Our discussion of Mine to Possess includes all the trigger warnings! This novel takes us on a journey through the turbulent reunion and uncovering of long-buried secrets of Clay, a leopard changeling with a troubled past, and Tally, a human with deep emotional scars and a mysterious connection to the Psy.
Grab your copy of Mine to Possess here: https://amzn.to/40SBchm
Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/
Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/
Check out the books from Leslye’s four book deal: https://amzn.to/3trkGbY
Check out Ines’ constant rereads:
Marrying Winterbourne: https://amzn.to/3sZ307f
Bet Me: https://amzn.to/49VBqIH
Watch Lessons in Chemistry to see Leslye’s brother Paul James (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1482818/): https://tv.apple.com/us/show/lessons-in-chemistry/umc.cmc.40yycssgxelw4zur8m2ilmvyx
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Hostage to Pleasure, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read alone: https://amzn.to/47M2BUy
Find the hosts online at
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Dec 22, 2023
Ep 6: Girl on Her Own Horse
Friday Dec 22, 2023
Friday Dec 22, 2023
In this episode, we’re exploring an exciting trend of narratives featuring strong heroines who rescue themselves, and the supportive heroes who love them for it.
Gone are the days of damsels in distress waiting for a hero; today's romance stories are about empowered women charting their own destinies, creating community, and finding partners who respect and admire their strength.
Want to read Ines’ single mother Cinderella story? Grab Pumpkin: a Cindermama story here: https://amzn.to/3RoCFc4
Our favorite Cinderella retellings and books/movies that follow this theme are:
- Ever After: https://amzn.to/3SXKTct
- Penelope: https://amzn.to/3T4xGhY
- Frozen: https://amzn.to/3SZrfwY
- Working Girl: https://amzn.to/47vxYCY
- Disney’s Cinderella: https://amzn.to/3ux0zcz
- Amazon’s Cinderella: https://amzn.to/47RwEub
- Brandi’s Cinderella: https://amzn.to/49VAfsL
- If the Shoe Fits: https://amzn.to/40UNEgI
- Graceling by Kristin Cashore: https://amzn.to/3ux0OV1
- Rafe by Rebeka Weatherspoon: https://amzn.to/47wAh8Y
- The Twilight Saga, particularly Book 4: https://amzn.to/47PrkHG
- Hermione in the Harry Potter series: https://amzn.to/3RfSHFe
- Jane Eyre the book: https://amzn.to/3ReHcxT
- Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender: https://amzn.to/4a67xpt
- Jane Eyre with Toby Stephens: https://amzn.to/47RwUt9
- Wide Sargasso Sea is not a Cinderella retelling, but a prequel to Jane Eyre: https://amzn.to/3QYpPjk
You should have Theodora Taylor’s 7 Figure Fiction in your library to make sure you butter up those Universal Fantasies: https://amzn.to/3Gei6su
Also check out her Romance List for a complete breakdown of the Cinderella trope: https://amzn.to/3Ge14Lp
Want to learn more about the Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger? You can read it here: https://amzn.to/49Wwtzn
Interested in the Save the Cat plotting method? Here’s the book: https://amzn.to/3uzsKaT
James Scott Bell talks about the Mirror Moment in Write Your Novel From the Middle: https://amzn.to/47qQU67
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Mine to Possess, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/40SBchm
Find the hosts online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Dec 15, 2023
Ep 5: Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh
Friday Dec 15, 2023
Friday Dec 15, 2023
As we break down Caressed by Ice, we delve into a story where the cold world of the Psy meets the fiery realm of the Changelings. We also explore the complex dynamics between the emotionally suppressed Psy and the sensually alive Changelings, focusing on the intriguing bond between Brenna, a wolf changeling recovering from a traumatic ordeal, and Judd, a Psy assassin trained to feel nothing.
Grab your copy of Caressed by Ice here: https://amzn.to/47Pnv5b
Sign up for author Nalini Singh’s newsletter to receive fan service here: https://nalinisingh.com/
Want the official Psy-Changeling Reading Order? Click here: https://nalinisingh.com/books/psychangeling-series/
Ines highly recommends How to Write Hot Sex, with a particular nod at Cara Mckenna’s essay “Real Ugly.” https://amzn.to/47oVEce
Both Ines and Leslye recommend that you give author Noelle Adams a try. She has a huge backlist, so if you’re looking for a place to start, try A Negotiated Marriage.
Need a pick me up in the morning? Try out the Artist Morning meditations: https://www.artistmorning.com/
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Mine to Possess, coming in 2 weeks! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/40SBchm
Find the hosts online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Ep 4: Enemies to Lovers
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Friday Dec 08, 2023
Today's topic is one that sets our hearts racing and pages turning: the Enemies to Lovers trope. We dissect some of the most iconic enemies to lovers stories in literature and on screen and dive deep into the intoxicating dance of characters who start off at odds, only to find their hearts entwined as the story unfolds and explore why this trope captures our imaginations and keeps us hooked, from the fiery initial clashes to the eventual tender admissions of love.
Grab Leslye’s current favorite The Hating Game, the book https://amzn.to/3N9sUwa or the film https://amzn.to/3RaLzce.
Interested in the Save the Cat plotting method? Here’s the book: https://amzn.to/3uzsKaT
And here’s a blog post that discusses the Thesis, Antithesis and Synthesis: https://savethecat.com/tips-and-tactics/revisiting-save-the-cat-strikes-back-the-three-worlds
Snyder goes more into this theory in Save the Cat Strikes Back: https://amzn.to/3MVUi0v
Check out the only bully romance that Ines and Leslye could handle Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein: https://amzn.to/3Rde1v9
Check out the Kresley Cole’s unlikeable heroine in Kiss of the Demon King: https://amzn.to/3uxNzn6
Check out Angelina Lopez’s super strong heroine in After Hours on Milagro Street: https://amzn.to/3GpF5Ru
Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy is chef’s kiss: https://amzn.to/3Ge4JIY
Check out Ines’ nonfiction recommendation Body Work by Melissa Febos: https://amzn.to/47ucer4
Check out Leslye’s recommendation Dragon Chained by Kenley Davidson (The Dragon of 23rd Street series): https://amzn.to/3Gm0XNA
Want to learn worldbuilding from Leslye? Sign up here: https://learn.myimaginaryfriends.net/
Want to learn story structure from Ines? Sign up here: https://ineswrites.com/PTP
Get ready for Caressed by Ice, coming in next week! Grab your copy to read along: https://amzn.to/47Pnv5b
Subscribe to the podcast at: https://inkandmagic.net/
Find us online at:
L. Penelope: https://lpenelope.com/
Ines Johnson: https://ineswrites.com/
Credits: "Moonlight Hall" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com). Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.