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5 days ago
Saturday May 06, 2023
Saturday May 06, 2023
Vibe Check
Gwen has finally moved, and she is traveling for work for the next two weeks!!
Danielle is enjoying this blip of springtime in Chicagoland!
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Julia Quinn/Shondaland
The Netflix show, QUEEN CHARLOTTE, goes up on May 4th!
Gwen’s favorite Julia Quinn novel is ROMANCING MR. BRIDGERTON (Bridgerton #4).
Danielle’s favorite is WHEN HE WAS WICKED (Bridgerton #6)
Gwen loves two of Shonda Rhimes’s screenplays: CROSSROADS and THE PRINCESS DIARIES 2: ROYAL ENGAGEMENT.
Danielle of course loves GREY’S ANATOMY, but also STILL STAR-CROSSED.
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Interview with Julia Quinn
QUEEN CHARLOTTE by Julia Quinn and Shonda Rhimes, available May 9, 2023!
Advice for aspriring romance authors: sit down and write the book! Also, figure out the process that works for you; it will be different for everyone.
MISS BUTTERWORTH AND THE MAD BARON is the graphic novel Julia worked on with her sister, Violet Charles.
Dog-sharing with her neighbors is brining Julia much joy!
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJuliaQuinn/
https://www.instagram.com/juliaquinnauthor/
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Saturday Mar 25, 2023
Saturday Mar 25, 2023
Vibe Check
Gwen has a lot of upcoming travel and is moving! She is glad to have gotten over her recent cold. Danielle had a lot of things to do over the last week and wonders why everything happens at the same time. She also finished reading all 20+ trade volumes of the Lumberjanes series with her daughter!
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Main Discussion
Let’s talk fantasy! The differences between Paranormal and Fantasy are vast, but also not quite as different as we thought. Hopefully you can make sense of what we mean.
Danielle and Gwen both like fantasy on the screen more than on the page. The world building must be seamlessly built into the story, and, above all, it has to make SENSE.
PS Danielle is a huge Tolkien nerd and this clip of Stephen Colbert out-nerding James Franco lives rent free in her mind.
TV RECS
Danielle: Pushing Daisies, Shadow & Bone, Once Upon a Time, Merlin, The Magicians
Gwen: The Mayfair Witches, Westworld, The Good Place, House of Dragon/Game of Thrones
MOVIE RECS
Danielle: Lord of the Rings, Encanto, Labyrinth, Willow, Dark Crystal, Pan’s Labyrinth, The Princess Bride
Gwen: Mad Max: Fury Road, The Last Unicorn, Everything Everywhere All at Once
BOOK RECS
Danielle: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Mila Vane, The Kingmaker Chronicles series by Amanda Bouchet; Authors I have not read but people LOVE: Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, G.A. Aiken
Gwen: Rachel Caine’s The Great Library series (start with Ink and Bone), Ruby Dixon’s never-ending Ice Planet Barbarians; Abigail Owen’s new Dominion series (start with The Liar’s Crown)
GAME RECS
Gwen: Ascension deck building, Dragonlance tie-in game and new guidebook
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Interview with Jennifer Estep
CONQUER THE KINGDOM, now available!
https://www.jenniferestep.com/
Upcoming releases: HEART STRINGS (May 9), GOOD ENEMIES (July 18), SPIDER & FROST (September 26)
Jennifer has been watching Ghosts on CBS!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Gwen wanted to drink more water, and thanks to her cold, she did! This week Gwen wants to clean out her desk drawers before moving. Danielle turned in her pass pages for ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE (8/8/32). She is determined to write 15,000 words a week through the end of March to finish this WIP.
Gwen is finding comfort in watching Vegas tourism videos ahead of her trip with her husband!
Danielle loves any and all grocery store bakery cookies.
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Vibe Check
Yr girls are busy this week with work, writing, and life. But we are getting prepped for Rihanna (and the Super Bowl). Gwen made Death by Chocolate Trifle from scratch, including this Chocolate Pudding and these Outrageous Brownies. Danielle has a plan in place for the next few months of her author newsletter.
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ESCAPISM WITH INTENT
Danielle’s Recs: Movies: Under the Tuscan Sun, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Brooklyn, The Holiday, Toy Story 4, Wild/Eat Pray Love/Julie & Julia; TV: Schitt’s Creek, Ted Lasso, Virgin River; Books: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn, The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller, After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M. Lopez
Gwen’s Recs: TV: The Peripheral, Poker Face, The White Lotus; Book: Flirty with Fifty by Jane Porter; Board Games: Pandemic, Takiedo
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Interview with Rochelle Bilow
https://www.rochellebilowwriting.com/
https://www.instagram.com/rochellebilow
https://twitter.com/BilowRochelle
Rochelle recommends the Olive & June Mani System and the color Caramel Budino
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last time, Danielle wanted to get to 20,000 words in her WIP, and she is at 16,000! Now she needs to spend some time on her pass pages for ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE. Danielle has been eating all the Girl Scout Cookies, and encourages everyone to buy cookies from Troop 6000, which has scouts in NYC’s homeless shelter system: https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/en/whatgirlsdo/gs-troop-6000.html.
Gwen wanted to fill out her conscious spending plan and has... not. But it is open on her internet browser! This week, Gwen needs to drink more water to help with hydration because it is so dry and cold right now. Leftover Chocolate Pudding is bringing her very much joy right now!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Monday Feb 06, 2023
Vibe Check
Gwen and Danielle have both had sort of rough weeks, but we’re getting through it! Gwen has been going to bed early and Danielle successfully revealed the cover of ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE.
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Truth in Fiction
Gwen likes when real figures pop up in fiction works, to see how people reimagine them. Danielle struggles with real historical figures in fiction, unless under very specific circumstances.
Gwen’s Recs: Inspired by real-life figures: The Menu, RRR, A Star is Born; Biopics: The Crown, Rocketman, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story; Recent/Upcoming: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Oppenheimer, Maestro
Danielle’s Recs: Egregiously Inaccurate/Different: The Great, Dickinson, Reign, My Lady Janies YA series; Side Characters who are real life figures: Ever After, Downton Abbey, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Sisters in Arms by Kaia Alderson, Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
People we’d like to see portrayed on screen: Danielle—Josephine Baker, Gwen—Mary Pickford
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Interview with Krystal Marquis
THE DAVENPORTS, now available!
https://www.instagram.com/krystabelle_reads
https://twitter.com/krystalmarquis
https://www.tiktok.com/@krystalmarquis
Follow Krystal for updates about Book 2!
She’s enjoying the excitement and support in the days leading up to her book release, as well as making time for self-care and taking some time away from work.
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle did NOT get anywhere close to writing 20,000 words of her WIP, so she’s continuing this goal for this week. The graphic novel series Heavy Vinyl by Carly Usdin, Nina Vakueva, and Irene Flores is bringing her immense joy.
Gwen has spent about 30 minutes everyday making plans for everything she needs to do. This week, she would like to fill out the Conscious Spending Plan, specifically with her subscription services. Gwen is enjoying the new reality show THE TRAITORS!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Saturday Oct 15, 2022
Saturday Oct 15, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen has been all over the country, and she survived almost a full month of constant travel.
Danielle is doing well, but is tired! Our family’s fall routine is finally getting into the groove, and she attended a book signing for her friend, Hanna Earnest and her new book, END OF THE DAY.
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Host Check-In
Gwen traveled for most of the month of September: NYC, Chicago, OKC, and back to NYC. Seeing friends and family and eating good food has refilled her creative well.
Danielle is having a very busy time at the bookstore, is waiting for final word on book 2, thinking about what is beyond book 3, and everything else!
How we cope when we’re overwhelmed: Danielle makes lists on lists on lists. Gwen makes charts and tries to journal every morning to organize her thoughts. Also, new candles, taking walks, or watching reality TV.
Get excited for Readers & ‘ritas 2022, which is in person in Texas!
Join Danielle and Denise Williams at an LSA Event on 10/22. Also, if you need a gentle writing challenge, check out #FinishUrBookFall, hosted by author Claribel Ortega!
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Interview with Celestine Martin
WITCHFUL THINKING is now available!
Celestine’s Witchy Faves: The Teen Witch starring Robin Lively, The Craft, Charmed (the OG), Practical Magic, The Good Witch, Bonnie Bennet on Vampire Diaries
Fan casting her main characters: Nicole Beharie as Lucy and Winston Duke as Alex
Celestine will be at New York Comic Con on October 7th!
Follow Celestine:
Twitter (where she’s most active)
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle was successful in some long-term social media planning (follow her on Instagram for regular giveaways and book recs) and would like to have a successful baby shower for one of her best friends in the next week.
Gwen successfully stayed hydrated through all of her travels and is probably moving in the next few weeks!
Danielle is leaning into all things witchy with the Amenti Oracle Feather Heart Deck by Jennifer Sodini and Modern Witch Tarot Deck by Lisa Sterle.
Gwen found immense comfort in eating Tex-Mex from Chuy’s and Texas BBQ while she visited home!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen is doing a lot of reflecting, and successfully booked a hotel for her upcoming trip to NYC. Danielle is getting used to back to school and turned in Book 2.
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MESSY CHARACTERS!
This discussion came about purely so we could talk about Carmy from THE BEAR again.
Danielle’s TV and Movie Picks: How to Get Away with Murder, Fleabag, Starstruck, Lovesick, New Girl, Insecure, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Harley Quinn, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Bridget Jones’s Diary
Gwen’s TV and Movie Picks: This Fool, A League of Their Own, The Wedding Season, Euphoria, Girls, most reality TV, and a shout-out to the couples on the I Will Teach You To Be Rich podcast.
Danielle’s Book Picks: 99% Mine by Sally Thorne, Act Your Age Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, Boyfriend Material/Husband Material by Alexis Hall, Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Gwen’s Celebrity Picks: Courtney Love, Britney Spears, Adele, and J.Lo and Ben Affleck
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Interview with Denise Williams
DO YOU TAKE THIS MAN is in stores September 6!
You can find out more about Denise’s books and novellas on her website: https://www.denisewilliamswrites.com/
Watching Superstore on Hulu has given Denise great joy and comfort (and we agree)!
Denise has three books planned for 2023: a compilation of her 2022 novellas set at an airport called LOVE AND OTHER FLIGHT DELAYS, a story in the romance anthology EVEN IF THE SKY IS FALLING, and her 4th full-length novel, coming in September 2023—title and cover reveal coming soon!
Follow Denise on the socials:
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle is working on drinking more water and wants to plan out some ongoing social media for her author platforms.
Gwen hasn’t been working on her squats, but she would like to join Danielle on increasing her water intake. A new water bottle perhaps?
Danielle is enjoying the Black Girl Magic Red Wine Blend, which was a gift from her author pal Melonie Johnson!
Gwen has been indulging in Crumbl cookies! Particularly the French Silk and Chocolate Chip.
REMINDER: We are taking the month of September off because of travel and new writing endeavors. We will be back in October because it’s the most wonderful time of the year: HALLOWEEN!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Sunday Aug 28, 2022
Vibe Check
THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP by Danielle Jackson has finally arrived! It has been a whirlwind week; Danielle’s Instagram has all the details: https://www.instagram.com/djacksonbooks/
Gwen has taken the bus to work and got to spend time at a farewell dinner for her friend who is moving to France! Ooh la la!
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Main Discussion
Pop Culture Baking!
Gwen’s Recs
Movies: Ratatouille, any studio Gibli movie, Waitress, Sweeney Todd, Hook
TV: Crime Scene Kitchen, Is it Cake? (avoid Sweetbitter)
Books: Joanne Fluke’s cozy mysteries (Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder) with Hannah Swenson
Danielle’s Recs
Movies: Chocolat, Like Water for Chocolate
TV: Cupcake Wars, Great British Baking Show, Nailed It, Pushing Daisies
Books: Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall, Battle Royale by Lucy Parker, Mangoes and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera, For Butter or Worse by Erin La Rosa
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Interview with {author name}
THE ROMANCE RECIPE, now available!
Hot Copy is also available
https://twitter.com/RubyBarretWrite
https://www.instagram.com/rubybarrettwrite/
Foodie Reality TV Recs: Ruby loves Master Chef and Hell’s Kitchen. Danielle enjoys the OG: Top Chef. Gwen is a big fan of Guy’s Grocery Games.
Ruby recommends a fancy latte with a design and some kind of breakfast snack, like a yogurt parfait, to eat while reading her book!
Ruby’s recent book recs: FIRE SEASON by KD Casey LOVE & OTHER DISASTERS by Anita Kelly, NEVER BEEN KISSED by Timothy Janovsky, and FOOL ME ONCE by Ashley Winstead
What’s bringing Ruby Joy: the release of Harry’s House by Harry Styles, Heartstopper on Netflix
Ruby has more books in the works, and hopes to self-publish a SFF/post-apocalyptic second chance romance sometime this year.
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle successfully enjoyed going on vacation AND releasing her book! This week, she needs to clean her house. The latest episode of the Boozy Book Broads with special guests Pippa Grant and Ali Hazelwood is bringing her much joy (and great writing advice): The Boozy Book Broads Talk Publishing
Gwen is making progress on her goal of potty training her puppy Aria, and will continue to work on this!! Gwen has found a new recipe to love: Japanese Curry from NYT Cooking (you can find a similar recipe here that isn’t behind a paywall)
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Vibe Check
We took a break and feel great! But we’re so happy to be back!!
Danielle is attempting to go on vacation and release a book and work at the bookshop all at the same time. But she actually updated the News and Events sections of her website—go look at them!
Gwen got a NEW PUPPY (who is noisily chewing/playing with her bone throughout this episode)! That is both her vibe and her achievement this week, and we are here for it.
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What pop culture have we been consuming this summer?
We both HIGHLY recommend The Bear (FX on Hulu).
What Gwen is watching: Loot (Apple TV+), Barry (HBO Max)
What Danielle is watching: Heartstopper (Netflix), Ms. Marvel (Disney+) Queen Sugar (OWN/Hulu), Wimbledon
What Gwen is reading: Meet Me in The Bathroom by Lizzie Goodman
What Danielle is reading: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley, Heartbreaker by Sara MacLean (August), Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng (October); re-reads: the entire Reluctant Royals Series by Alyssa Cole, all of Lore Olympus on Webtoons
What Gwen is listening to: Podcasts: You Must Remember This, Spectacle podcast, You’re Wrong About (Go Ask Alice); Music: Wet Leg, WILLOW, Beyonce, Bob Moses
What Danielle is listening to: Podcasts: Newcomers (MCU season), Wait is This a Date w/ Drew Gregory and Christina Tucker; Music: Harry’s House
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Interview with Danielle Jackson (we know her!)
THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP hits stores on July 19th!
For buy links and info to order personalized, signed copies from independent bookstores: https://daniellejacksonbooks.com/books
Website: https://daniellejacksonbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/DJacksonBooks
https://www.instagram.com/djacksonbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/daniellejackson
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle didn’t really spend a ton of time outside like she wanted to (plans to make up for this in FL!)… This week, Danielle wants to focus on enjoying vacation and her book launch week!!!! She has found immense comfort in Ben & Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream Ice Cream and Pilot Acroball Fine Point ballpoint pens (Gwen recommends Pentel Energel RTX pens as well)
Gwen did cook for herself while her husband was on a business trip, but then her fridge died, so... This week, Gwen wants to potty train her new pup, Aria! Her comfort this week comes from La Colombe Coffee (found at our beloved Costco, natch)
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Monday May 23, 2022
Monday May 23, 2022
Vibe Check
Danielle has a cold but finished book 2!
Gwen is nervous and excited to go on a work retreat and outlining her schedule in her journal has helped with her mood!
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Host Check-In + Summer Rapid Fire
We are ready for summer! Some highlights from this rambling discussion:
Gwen enjoyed her vacations to Puerto Rico and Pennsylvania, but enjoyed being home most (to watch *Nsync videos and walk around with her BFF).
Danielle remembers going to San Francisco and really enjoying the touristy stuff!
Yogurt parfaits and Oreo ice cream cakes are IMPORTANT.
We like ice cream a lot, actually.
Danielle is going to publish a book this summer! Gwen is going to the beach!!
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Interview with {author name}
SOMETHING WILDER, now available!
https://christinalaurenbooks.com/
Adventurous Movie Recs: Romancing the Stone, Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, National Treasure, Goonies, Fool’s Gold, Tangled, Speed, The Princess Bride.
What’s Bringing CLo joy: BTS and K-Pop! Jungkook’s Bad Guy lip-sync convinced Lauren to become a part of the BTS Army!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle sort of kind of maybe started working on something new, and would like to give her garden some extra attention. Gwen organized her pantry, and needs to spend more time organizing everything else, especially her desk and what is behind her during video calls.
Danielle recommends Tony’s Chocoloney’s Chocolate Bars and Gwen is really into the oat milk mochas she gets from her new café!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
*
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction