Some books arrive as love stories and leave you thinking about much more.

This week, I’m joined by Kennedy Ryan, bestselling author of Can’t Get Enough and Before I Let Go, for a conversation that feels less like an interview and more like gabbing with a very wise bestie. We talk about the fragility of success, the realities of moving between traditional and self-publishing (and why she’s done both—more than once), and the way her novels operate as Trojan horses: sweeping romances that carry big, necessary conversations about justice, equity, and identity.

Kennedy also shares how her background in journalism shapes her work, from the deep research phase that anchors each book to the responsibility she feels when writing stories meant to spark discourse. It’s thoughtful, honest, and deeply human—and a reminder that love stories can do much more than “that thing.”

Links:

Follow No Write Way on Instagram

V.E. Schwab’s Website

Kennedy Ryan’s Website

Credits:

Host: V.E. Schwab

Producer/Editor/Mixer: Jenna Maurice

Some books feel like an escape hatch you didn’t know you needed.

For the first episode of Season 4, I sat down with Matt Dinniman, author of the wildly popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series and his latest novel, Operation Bounce House. Matt calls himself a “psycho pantser” (affectionately), and he lives up to the title, walking me through a writing process that’s as wild and inventive as his stories—one that sometimes even leaves room for reader input.

We talk about writing without a map: trusting chaos, breaking rules, and finding momentum by charging toward the thing you know isn’t going to happen. Matt shares his unconventional, sometimes delightfully unhinged process, how surprise keeps him writing, why play is often the surest way through a block, and his untraditional approach to rights—what he chooses to keep, what he lets go, and why ownership matters to him.

Welcome to Season 4.

Follow No Write Way on Instagram

V.E. Schwab's website

Credits:

Host: V. E. Schwab
Producer / Editor / Mixer: Jenna Maurice

Plot twist—I’m the guest this week.

And there’s no one I’d rather hand the reins to than my BFF (and producer of this podcast), Jenna. We get into the details of my writing process—from early research to finding the right title—and talk about the kinds of fantasy I’m drawn to, and why. We explore how setting functions as a character in my stories, the balance between realism and the fantastical, and the logic behind how my worlds work.

Also, yes, we talk about mermaids. Because the ocean is still mostly unexplored, and hope is a powerful thing.