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Conversations about what you’re reading, what you’re watching, and what you’re listening to
Episodes
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Sunday Jun 12, 2022
Vibe Check
We’re both doing our best to deal with the news, but Gwen has a very clean apartment after getting a new Dyson cordless vacuum, and Danielle has been reading a TON!
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Main Discussion
Welcome to the first FF Podcast Book Club! We read A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera. We really loved it!
Gilded Age Recs: Mr. Selfridge, The Paradise, The Buccaneers, The Age of Innocence, Howards End, Ken Burns’s Gilded Age Documentary
PS—No one understood the Gilded Glamour assignment at this year’s Met Gala.
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle was supposed to work in her garden, but did not. This week, she would like to spend time outside every day.
Gwen did not organize her office (but has a deadline to do so in a couple of days!). This week, she wants to cook for herself instead of ordering food while her husband is away.
Danielle has been enjoying the graphic novels by Reina Telgemeier! Gwen loves her teak shower foot roller!
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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
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.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen is feeling cozy! Danielle is tired!
Gwen washed and put away all of her clothes after her big move; Danielle made her family pound cake for Easter.
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Main Discussion
Let’s face it—we love a book adaptation, whether it’s on TV or a movie!
Gwen: You, Trainspotting, The Princess Diaries, Atonement, Virgin Suicides, Normal People
Danielle: Shakespeare remakes—Romeo & Juliet, Romeo + Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, The Tragedy of Macbeth, 10 Things I Hate About You, O, Hamlet; Austen—Clueless, Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Pride and Prejudice: Atlanta; TV Adaptations—Poldark, Station Eleven, My Brilliant Friend, Good Omens, “YA”: The Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games, The Hate U Give, To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Heartstopper
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Interview with ABBY JIMENEZ
PART OF YOUR WORLD, now available!
Nadia Cakes, Abby’s cupcake shop (she won Cupcake Wars!)
Movie Deal Announcement for The Happy Ever After Playlist
Abby’s Page-to-Screen recs: Warm Bodies, The Hating Game
Gwen’s Page-to-Screen recs: Clueless, My Brilliant Friend
Danielle’s Page-to-Screen recs: Trainspotting, Little Women
Connect with Abby:
https://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last time, Gwen wanted to finish packing and move... and she did! Now she’d like to organize her pantry. Gwen is also really enjoying Julia on HBO Max.
Danielle tried to read a nonfiction book but did not. This week, she’d like to write something new, not related to what she’s working on right now. Related to writing, Danielle has found comfort in long-form journal writing, and Gwen suggested she consider doing The Artist’s Way!
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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
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
Vibe Check
It’s Spring Break and Danielle is in the thick of book 2 revisions! Also, everyone should check out ALL MY RAGE by Sabaa Tahir. Gwen is MOVING and by the time this episode airs, she will be in her new place!
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WEDDINGS!
Danielle got married at the height of Pinterest weddings and made all of her flowers out of paper and book pages. Gwen was 40 minutes late to her outdoor wedding in the hills of Virginia and it had a “movie” theme.
Memorable TV Weddings
Gwen: Kelly and Zack on Saved by the Bell, Luke and Laura on General Hospital, Jim and Pam on The Office, the Red Wedding from Game of Thrones
Danielle: Meredith and Derek on Grey’s Anatomy (the post-it note), All of Parks & Rec’s surprise weddings, David and Patrick on Schitt’s Creek, Ralph Angel and Darla on Queen Sugar
Wedding Movies
Gwen: All versions of Father of the Bride, My Best Friend’s Wedding, Bridesmaids, Sex and the City, The Little Mermaid, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Danielle: Also Father of the Bride, Crazy Rich Asians, The Wedding Planner, Monsoon Wedding, About Time
Pop Culture Moments: Meghan and Harry, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, John F. Kennedy Jr. and Caroline Bisset
Books: Nora Robert’s The Bride Quartet, Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series by Jenny Holiday, D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins, Mia Sosa’s The Worst Best Man and The Wedding Crasher
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Interview with Mia Sosa
Connect with Mia: Website | Newsletter | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Romance tropes that Mia loves: Friends-to-Lovers, Fake Dating, Grumpy-Sunshine
What’s making Mia happy: Love is Blind on Netflix
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle did not read a nonfiction book, but she wants to read You Got Anything Stronger by Gabrielle Union (she also finally cleaned her desk!). This week, Danielle wants to actually read a nonfiction book!
Gwen succeeded in packing up her kitchen stuff and needs to continue to pack because she is literally moving in 24 hours.
Danielle has been reading old school romances: Morning Glory by Lavyrle Spencer and Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas. Gwen went to her local cookie kiosk!
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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
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Thursday Mar 24, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen has been traveling and booked movers! Danielle has been going outside and started working on more book 2 revisions!
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Main Discussion
Self-care has changed so much and is incredibly personal. We’re discussing our own self-care practices and how we approach taking care of ourselves.
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Our interview with KATE SPENCER
Kate’s Website
Kate’s Instagram
Kate’s memoir: THE DEAD MOM’S CLUB
Forever35 Podcast
Book recs from Kate: the entire Ice Planet Barbarians series (and spinoffs!) by Ruby Dixon, PEOPLE WE MEET ON VACATION by Emily Henry, ACCIDENTALLY ENGAGED by Farah Herron, A THOUSAND MILES by Bridget Morrissey (6/21), FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK by Elissa Sussman (4/12)
Kate has a new puppy! The Encanto soundtrack is giving her entire household life. And she recommends the folk singer Henry Jamison, especially for writing!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle did not clean her desk (and probably won’t now that revisions have started) but would like to read a nonfiction book. Gwen did not start going through her closets but thinks packing up her kitchen might be a better place to start.
Danielle loves her Old Skool platform Vans.
Gwen is reading and loving Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at danielle@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Saturday Mar 19, 2022
Saturday Mar 19, 2022
Vibe Check
It’s cold and dreary in both Washington and Illinois. Gwen has found a new apartment and Danielle hosted two events: a virtual event with Lauren Kate and a sold-out in-person event with Bob Odenkirk.
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Main Discussion
In just a few short weeks, this year’s Academy Awards will be handed out. Gwen and Danielle discuss if the Oscaras “matter” anymore, what goes into Oscar campaigns, and of course, our predictions for this year’s winners! We don’t over all the categories, but you can find a full list of nominees here: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2022.
Danielle mentioned the podcast Fat Mascara, and in particular episodes with Cruella makeup artist Nadia Stacey and Gwen Stefani.
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Interview with Kristy Woodson Harvey
THE WEDDING VEIL will be in stores on March 29th! It is set at the legendary Biltmore Estate.
Kristy’s Peachtree Bluff series has been optioned to be adapted into a TV series! She told us about helping write the pilot and more exclusive details.
Reading is Kristy’s self-care! She recommends GILT by Jamie Brenner, REMINDERS OF HIM by Colleen Hoover, ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patty Callahan, THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews, and books by William Kent Kreuger.
Head to Kristy’s website, sign up for her newsletter, and find her on Instagram and Facebook. She’s also a part of the Friends & Fiction Facebook group!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
We gave ourselves a break from goals last time! This week, Gwen wants to clean out her closet and Danielle needs to clean her desk! Danielle bought a huge tub of Stonefire Naan Dippers from Costco and has been enjoying them immensely. Gwen is loving the Salt & Straw Pot of Rainbows cereal-flavored ice cream.
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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 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Vibe Check
It has been... a week, LOL!
Gwen is going to her first concert in a while—Eddie Vedder!
Danielle did a virtual event with friend of the pod Jessica P. Pryde with Books are Magic last week. Follow her on social media for the link the replay!
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Main Discussion
Some of the cool girls we discussed:
Gone Girl, and the Salon article
Everyone on Euphoria
Julia Gardner/Anna from Inventing Anna
Anne Hathaway/Rivka in We Crashed
Sarah Michelle Gellar/Katherine in Cruel Intentions
Mila Kunis/ Rachel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Megan Fox/Reagan from New Girl
Celebs: Glen Close, Olivia Coleman, Jennifer Lawrence, Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Betty White, Dionne Warwick
Books: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
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Recs from Mia P. Manansala
Website: https://www.miapmanansala.com/ (sign up for her newsletter!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPMtheWriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPMtheWriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpmthewriter/
All the food!
Celebration/common Filipino dishes: Adobo, Lumpia, Pancit
Unheard of dishes: Ginataang Bilo-bilo
Good starter dish for the home cook: Sinigang
Mia’s website has a ton of recipes from and inspired by her book!
Cozy mystery series Mia and her mom enjoy: Joanna Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series, Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries, Raquel V. Reyes’s Caribbean Mystery series
Mia LOVES candles. Bath & Body Works are among her favorites, but she also mentioned two small Filiapina-owned candle makers: Terra and Kilig
Mia is also a new romance reader and enjoys novels by Talia Hibbert, Alyssa Cole, and Sherry Thomas!
Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle has succeeded in making her lunch for work! Gwen hasn’t gotten around to exploring her neighborhood, but she has been taking Ronin (her dog!) on new walking routes.
And... we are taking a break from goals this week!
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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 Dresser
Fresh Fiction
Friday Feb 18, 2022
Friday Feb 18, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen is busy but making lists, and took the time to relax by going on a long drive to see the snow. Danielle is being lazy on purpose but did some major Valentine’s Day crafting with friends.
Black Romance in Media
MOVIES
Gwen: If Beale Street Could Talk, The Lovebirds, Poetic Justice, Malcolm and Marie, Southside with You, The Bodyguard, Beyond the Lights, Cinderella
Danielle: Love and Basketball, The Photograph, The Incredible Jessica James
TV
Gwen: Insecure, Harlem (also Run the World), Black-Ish, The Wonder Years (new version)
Danielle: Insecure, Queen Sugar, This is Us, Living Single, Girlfriends
CELEB COUPLES
Gwen: Berry Jenkins and Lulu Wang, Oprah and Stedman
Danielle: Gabrielle Union and Dwayne Wade, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Barack and Michelle Obama, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky
BLACK ROMANCE AUTHORS TO CHECK OUT!
Beverly Jenkins, Brenda Jackson, Alyssa Cole, Tracey Livesay, Farrah Rochon, Vanessa Riley, Christina C. Jones, Rilzy Adams, Katrina Jackson, Tasha L. Harrison, Rebecca Weatherspoon, Chencia C. Higgins
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Recs from JESSICA P. PRYDE
BLACK LOVE MATTERS was in part, inspired by WELL-READ BLACK GIRL by Glory Edim, but with more romance!
Jess co-hosts a podcast called When In Romance, with Trish Brown.
Book recs: LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS by Anita Kelly, YOU MADE A FOOL OF DEATH WITH YOUR BEAUTY by Akwaeke Emezi (May 2022), TO CATCH A RAVEN by Beverly Jenkins (Aug 2022)
What’s bringing Jessica comfort: Star Trek: Discovery on Paramount+
Find Jess on Twitter and Instagram
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last week, Danielle said she was going to deep clean, and whoo boy, she did NOT. This week, she wants to make her lunch at home to take to work. Gwen absolutely excelled at her daily yoga practice, and this week is going to explore a new part of her neighborhood!
Gwen is obsessed with water in all forms. Danielle highly recommends the Universal Standard Seine skinny jeans (and just about everything else on the site).
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at danielle@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Friday Jan 28, 2022
Friday Jan 28, 2022
Vibe Check
D and G are both feeling Mercury in retrograde. Danielle hosted a small family get-together for her husband’s birthday and Gwen made dinner at home every day!
Host Check-In: Danielle has a new job at a local independent bookstore. Not to worry, the podcast will continue! Gwen is committed to doing more creative endeavors this year!
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Early 2022 Anticipated Media
JANUARY
TV: The Gilded Age, Abbott Elementary
Books: Violeta by Isabel Allende, D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
Movies: Scream 5, The 355, The Tragedy of Macbeth
FEBRUARY
TV: Pam and Tommy, Inventing Anna
Books: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake
Movies: Dog, The Tinder Swindler, Marry Me, Book of Love
MARCH
TV: The Dropout, Atlanta Season 3, Bridgerton Season 2, Barry Season 3
Books: The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Meuller, Savvy Sheldon is Feeling Good as Hell by Tag McCoy
Movies: The Batman, TUrning Red, Downton Abbey: A New Era, The Lost City
APRIL
TV: More to come soon!
Books: The Wedding Crasher by Mia Sosa, In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce
Movies: The Northman, X, Aline, The Bad Guys
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle sort of made a writing schedule for the first part of 2022, but now really needs to deep clean her house. Gwen did journal but didn’t exactly set up her entire week (it’s a work in progress). This week, Gwen would like to start a daily Yoga practice!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at danielle@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Friday Jan 14, 2022
Vibe Check
Danielle and Gwen are both basking in the afterglow of taking time away over the holidays and disconnecting! Danielle has been taking care of her health and going to all the doctor’s appointments and Gwen has started eating more veggies at every meal.
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Main Discussion
Gwen’s Recs: Sex and the City (also And Just Like That), The Phantom Thread. Halston, FASHION CLIMBING by Bill Cunningham and The Times of Bill Cunningham (documentary film), GRACE by Grace Coddington
Danielle’s Recs: The Devil Wears Prada (with the most iconic fashion montage ever), The Mindy Project, Insecure, Project Runway, House of Gucci, IRIS APFEL: ACCIDENTAL ICON by Iris Apfel
We’re both obsessed with the anachronistic fashion found on Reign, The Great, Marie Antoinette, and Bridgerton
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Recs from Mimi Matthews
THE SIREN OF SUSSEX is now available!
Mimi wrote about Victorian Fashion in A VICTORIAN LADY’S GUIDE TO FASHION AND BEAUTY.
Mimi’s author and book recs: Lisa Kleypas, Evie Dunmore, Harper St. George, Suzanne Allain, JANE AND THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER by Stephanie Barron
Find Mimi on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and on her website, https://www.mimimatthews.com/.
Look for the second book in Mimi’s series, Belles of London, THE BELLE OF BELGRAVE SQUARE, in fall 2022!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle has finished her book 2 revisions and will send it to her editor soon. Her new goal is to work on a writing schedule for the first half of 2022! She is also obsessed with Soap and Glory Hand Food hand cream.
Gwen definitely enjoyed traveling over the holidays. She would now like to take 30 minutes every Sunday and set up her journal/plan for the week. Gwen is also loving the Showtime show, Yellowjackets (and Danielle rec’d a recent episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour that does a deep dive on this show).
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email danielle@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction