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Episodes
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
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Vibe Check
We’re joined this week by entertainment critic and first repeat FF Pod guest, Susan Kamyab! Coming off of a busy awards season, Susan is enjoying just watching movies as a fan and not a critic. She fulfilled a lifelong dream of doing an hour-long segment about the Oscars on WFAA!
It’s almost Spring Break for Danielle and her family and they are READY. This week, Danielle crossed 80,000 words on her WIP!
Is Gwen moving? She doesn’t know. But she had a great time at SXSW and a ton of successful events for her day job!
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Spring 2023 Media Recs!
MARCH/APRIL
Susan, Movies: Super Mario Bros (4/5), Air (4/5), Paint (4/7), Showing Up (4/7), Beau is Afraid (4/27), Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret (4/28)
Gwen, TV: Succession on HBO (3/26), Yellowjackets on Showtime (3/26), Great Expectations on FX (3/26), Martha Stewart Cooking Show on Roku Channel (4/3), Beef on Netflix (4/6), Below Deck: Sailing Yacht on Bravo(4/10)
Danielle, Books: Hotel of Secrets by Diana Biller (3/28), Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker (4/4), The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (4/18), Return to Hummingbird Way by Reese Ryan (4/28)
MAY
Susan, Movies: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (5/5), What’s Love Got to Do With It (5/5), The Little Mermaid (5/26)
Gwen, TV: Fatal Attraction on Paramount (4/30), Queen Charlotte: a Bridgerton Story on Netflix (5/5), City on Fire on Apple TV+ (5/12)
Danielle, Books: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (5/30), Lore Olympus Volume 4 by Rachel Smythe, Even if the Sky is Falling by Taj McCoy; Farah Heron; Lane Clarke; Charish Reid; Sarah Smith; Denise Williams (5/30)
JUNE
Susan, Movies: Spiderman: Across the Spider-Verse (6/2), Elemental (6/16), No Hard Feelings (6/23), Joy Ride (6/23)
Gwen, TV: Tony Awards on CBS (6/11)
Danielle, Books: To Have and to Heist by Sara Desai (6/13), Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (6/13)
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You can find Susan Kamyab at http://thischixflix.com/, and on Instagram and Twitter
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle succeeded at writing 15,000 words a week! Now, she needs to start making plans for the launch of ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE on August 8. She is enjoying the new Toni Morrison Memorial Stamps.
Gwen has started to go through her desk ahead of her move but has more to do. This week she would like to take some clothes to be recycled and get her passport renewed! She’s finding joy in the new season of Top Chef: All Stars.
Susan would like to start taking 30-minute walks every day and eat better. Watching movies from her childhood has been bringing her comfort: Smart House, Man of the House, First Kid, Jungle 2 Jungle, George of the Jungle, etc.!
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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.
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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 Jan 21, 2023
Saturday Jan 21, 2023
Vibe Check
Happy 2023, Everyone! Danielle and Gwen are both getting over colds, and catching up after the holidays. But Danielle got to meet her best friend’s brand-new baby girl and Gwen went to the doctor!
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How did we ring in New Year’s?
Gwen and her husband got massages and had a quiet night at home. Then they spent time prepping meals and seeing friends for lunch on New Year’s Day.
Danielle still had a cold but did manage to go out to dinner with her husband and daughter. They played Unicorns vs. Llamas Monopoly while Danielle napped and barely made it to midnight.
Morale of the Story: we’re old now.
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New Year’s INTENTIONS (overarching things; lifestyle changes/habits)
Danielle: getting back into the freelance groove and working from home, using her desk cycler, going out into the world (sometimes), staying in contact with friends and people in general.
Gwen: better documentation of things she enjoys, journaling regularly, keeping track of the media she consumes, and capturing moments from her big, ongoing projects, raching out to friends regularly.
New Year’s GOALS (specific things we want to do)
Danielle: finish the draft of her magical realism/women’s fiction WIP, finish editing a fake dating contemporary romance, and outline a smalltown romance series that only exists in her mind right now, LOL
Gwen: plan trips to see friends, take time off and find more work-life balance, cooking project of making 3 meals at home per week from the America’s Test Kitchen Cooking for Two Cook Book, stretch everyday, track and document things things she loves, and make a 2023 playlist.
**We are holding ourselves accountable and will update all of you on our intentions and goals in May 2023! Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com to tell us your 2023 intentions and goals!**
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last time, Gwen wanted to start prepping for her plan to make every recipe in AMerica’s Test Kitchen Cooking for Two. She did, and modified her big goal slightly (which is ALLOWED!). This week, Gwen wants to commit to two hours a week of journaling and planning the week ahead. Gwen has been making Brownie Baked Oatmeal for evening snacks and that is making her SO happy.
Danielle needed to finish her ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE copyedits and she did! Everything has been sent to her editor. This book will be in stores on August 8, 2023, and the cover reveal will happen on January 18! Follow Danielle on Instagram and Twitter for more details and learn how to see it early by signing up for her newsletter!! Danielle has found immense comfort in drinking hot water with lemon and honey. Water, who knew? LOL
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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 Jan 01, 2023
Sunday Jan 01, 2023
Vibe Check
We’re ready for the holidays! Also, it’s COLD. Danielle has finished her Christmas shopping and Gwen attended TWO Christmas markets.
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Faves of 2022
Both of your girls are dealing with feelings about media consumption—being okay with being behind and not being the target audience for everything anymore.
TV
Danielle: The Bear on FX/Hulu, Heartstopper on Netflix, Ms. Marvel on Disney+, Abbott Elementary on ABC, My Brilliant Friend on HBO Max, Miss Scarlett and the Duke on PBS
Gwen: The Bear, The White Lotus, The Handmaid’s Tale, Harry and Meghan doc, Rick and Morty, Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Bad Sisters, Yellowjackets, Wednesday, The Dropout, WeCrashed
MOVIES
Danielle: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Turning Red, Catherine Called Birdy
Gwen: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once; Turning Red, The Princess, Barbarian
BOOKS
Danielle: Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron, After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M Lopez, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley, Stirring Up Love by Chandra Blumberg, Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne, My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee, Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
Gwen: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman, The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson
MISC.
Danielle: Vitamin String Quartet (music), Renaissance by Beyonce (music), It’s Been a Minute with new host Brittany Luse (podcast)
Gwen: Wet Leg by Wet Leg (music); I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi (podcast), Articles of Interest (podcast, specifically the Prep season); You Must Remember This (podcast, erotic 80s); Spectacle (podcast, true crime); The Missing Pages (podcast, literary scandals); The Pixies (music)
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Host Gift Exchange!
Danielle’s gift from Gwen: a LizzyKate tea sampler: St. Nick’s Tea, Cranberry Hibiscus, Masala Chai, and Moroccan Mint and a tea-tasting notebook!
Gwen’s gift from Danielle: You Already Have the Answers: A Gratitude Journal by Amanda Deibert and a Felt Flower Making Kit
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last ep, Danielle said she needed to clean her desk. She actually cleaned her desk and her entire house, but now her desk is a mess again. This week, she needs to do ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE copyedits! She has also been enjoying Doritos 3D Crunch snacks.
Gwen wanted to get into a better nighttime face washing routine so she could use her new, fancy La Mer product, and she has started! This time, Gwen wants to start prepping for her big 2023 project: making all of the recipes in America’s Test Kitchen Cooking for Two Cookbook! Gwen is also having all the egg nog lattes (and neither host likes egg nog on its own).
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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
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Tuesday Dec 13, 2022
Vibe Check
It’s cold in Chicagoland and Seattle, but Danielle and Gwen are staying cozy.
Danielle hosted a couple of great bookstore events this week, while Gwen co-hosted Readers & ‘ritas in Texas.
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Gift Guide 2022
For Your Fancy Friend
Danielle: Voluspa Mokara Candle
Gwen: A spa gift card. My local recommendation is Yaun Spa
For the Sports Fiend
Gwen: Gritty plush
Danielle: Lewis Hamilton Funko Pop
For a Book Lover
Danielle: Check your local independent bookstores for SIGNED copies! They make excellent gifts for book lovers. Anderson’s Bookshop has a vast collection!
Gwen: A fresh journal to document 2023’s TBRs and reads. Read Between the Lines has some adorable options, but also look for local spots to support your community
For the Crafter
Gwen: A cross body style apron from Hedley and Bennett
Danielle: Michael’s Felt Applique Kit
For a Woo-Woo Witch
Danielle: The Modern Witch Tarot Journal
Gwen: Cantrip Candles
For the Kiddos
Gwen: A big cozy blanket shaped like an animal
Danielle: Anything and everything Squishmallows
Also, a Costco-sized box of BandAids
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Long-term Goal Check-In:
Danielle has started working on her writing routine and has some outlines to get her started on new drafts in the coming month or so.
Gwen definitely did Fall activities but did not keep up with intermittent fasting during her busy travel season.
Last Episode Goal Updates:
Danielle didn’t really do anything extra for her anniversary, but had a lovely weekend with her husband celebrating 9 years! This week, Danielle needs to clean her desk. Danielle’s IMAK RSI Smart Glove 2-Pack (recommended by fellow author Hanna Earnest) is helping her wrists while drafting.
Gwen has prepped for THanksgiving and just needs the big day to get here for a Friendsgiving celebration. Her new goal is to wash her face at night and use her new splurge on La Mer! Gwen has been wearing Bombas merino wool long socks to stay warm.
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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
Friday Dec 02, 2022
Friday Dec 02, 2022
Vibe Check
Gwen is prepping for more travel, but is excited to go back to Texas for Readers & ‘Ritas. She also scheduled a haircut while she’s there!
Danielle is fighting off a cold that will not decide what it’s going to be... She and her family had an awesome Halloween in their neighborhood!
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BORN IN FIRE by Nora Roberts
The first of the Irish Born Trilogy. We LOVED this book. This was also Gwen’s first Nora Roberts read!!
Danielle mentioned episodes of Fated Mates and Learning the Tropes, fellow romance podcasts, and Bonnets at Dawn, a podcast about women writers from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.
Danielle’s Nora Roberts Recs: Gallaghers of Ardmore series (another series set in Ireland), Bridal Quartet, Chesapeake Bay Series
Gwen’s Born in Fire read-alikes: Danielle Jackson (LOL), Stella Cameron, Susan Elizabeth Phillips
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle painted Halloween cards and sent them to her friends! This week, she would like to do something nice for her husband for their 9th wedding anniversary. Re-reading the Irish Born series has brought her comfort, as well as watercolor painting regularly.
Gwen made a schedule and stuck to it! This week, her goal is to start prepping for Thanksgiving. She has been drinking a lot of LizzyKate Tea and that makes her happy!
BONUS: the podcast needs to start planning 2023!!
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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 Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Vibe Check
After all of her recent traveling, Gwen got sick last week! But she is recovered and was able to finalize the program for Fresh Fiction’s Readers & ‘ritas event on November 12th!
Danielle had two book events with Anderson’s Bookshop: Courageous Discomfort by Shanterra McBride and Rosalind Wiseman and The Book of Boundaries by Melissa Urban. She also got her COVID booster and flu shot!
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HOCUS POCUS 2!
Beware: SPOILERS! We talk about the ENTIRE movie, so if you haven’t watched it yet, you’ve been warned.
We loved how much fun everyone was having and that the subplot wasn’t a romance. We also LOVED the bit in Walgreens, but also wondered about the musical numbers. Nonetheless, we recommended for family-friendly spooky viewing!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle successfully hosted her BFF’s baby shower! She made these awesome Spice Cake Mix Cookies that everyone loved! This week, she would like to send Halloween cards to her friends.
Gwen did NOT move, and that has been put on hold for now. Her new goal is to plan out the next three weeks and stick to the schedule... including adding some breathing room/planned breaks.
Danielle has been reading graphic novels to catch up on her Goodreads goal. Some recent reads: The Bad Guys series (enthusiastically recommended by her 8-yr-old daughter), The Sandman comics, and the Lumberjanes.
Gwen recently enjoyed some Penzey’s Hot Chocolate Mix with Penzey’s Black and Red Spice and the show BAD SISTERS on AppleTV+.
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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