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What happens when a literary agent decides to become the author she's spent her career championing for other people? Jennifer Herrera joins us to talk genre-hopping, feminine rage, and why her new witchy fantasy almost didn't happen.

Jennifer Herrera — literary agent at the David Black Agency and author of the thriller The Hunter — is back with something completely different: Siren Says, a Celtic-Welsh botanical fantasy about power, curses, and reclaiming your humanity. If you've ever wondered what agents actually do for writers (beyond "sell the book"), or you're hunting for your next romantasy pick with real teeth, this one's for you.

Siren Says by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy / Romantasy (Celtic-Welsh mythology, botanical magic) |

The Hunter by Jennifer Herrera — Buy on Amazon | Thriller |

If Women Rose Rooted by Sharon Blackie — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Mythology & Feminism |

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross — Buy on Amazon | Fantasy Romance (Letters of Enchantment prequel) |

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fantasy |

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [01:00] From philosophy grad school to literary agent
• [02:00] Moving to NYC to break into publishing
• [03:00]–[05:00] Why writing rarely pays the bills — and why that's okay
• [06:00]–[08:00] The myth of the "debut author"
• [09:00]–[10:00] Why thrillers feel easy and fantasy feels hard to write
• [10:00] Elevator pitch for Siren Says
• [11:00]–[13:00] The myth of Mis, power, and reclaiming humanity
• [13:00]–[16:00] Romance, healthy relationships, and feminist themes in fantasy
• [16:00]–[20:00] What writers should expect from a literary agent
• [20:00]–[23:00] Networking, community, and building your author platform
• [23:00]–[25:00] Marketing, selling vs. giving, and how author podcasts changed
• [26:00]–[29:00] Book recs: If Women Rose Rooted, Wild Reverence, The Last Unicorn
• [29:00]–[32:00] On aging, identity, and living an interesting life
• [32:00] Where to find Jennifer online

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Ever wanted to try horror but didn't know where to start? This episode is your gentle on-ramp.

Bri from the Book Goose Substack joins the show to talk about building a book community from scratch — and brings three monster hunter reads perfect for horror-curious readers. If you love found-family adventure stories, a dash of romance, or eerie underground worlds but want something that won't keep you up at night, this episode is for you.

A Fable for Hollow Creatures by R.R. Schaeffer — Buy on Amazon | Dark Fantasy/Horror | Releases Oct 27, 2026

(Mostly) Human Resources by Grace Viall — Buy on Amazon | Borrow on Libby | Horror/Fantasy, light Romance |

What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne — Buy on Amazon | Horror/Fantasy | Releases Oct 6, 2026

• [00:00] Welcome & intro
• [00:01] Bri's blogging journey: from Blogger to horror blog to Substack
• [00:07] Substack community & the ARC conversation
• [00:09] Book Goose publication & upcoming virtual book club
• [00:12] How Bri finds hidden-gem books to recommend
• [00:16] Bookseller mindset & intro to today's trope
• [00:17] Trope reveal: Monster Hunters
• [00:17] Book 1: A Fable for Hollow Creatures
• [00:19] Book 2: (Mostly) Human Resources
• [00:21] Book 3: What Feeds Below
• [00:24] Where to find Bri online & outro

CONNECT WITH BRI

https://bookgooseblog.substack.com/

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What if the boy secretly writing your story isn't just trying to help you grieve — he's trying to get into college with it?

Debut author Gabriela Gonzales joins the show to talk about her YA rom-com How to Love You When You're Gone, a fake-friends-to-lovers story about grief, first love, and the messy business of growing up. We dig into writing Latine representation in genre fiction beyond trauma narratives, why romance's happy ending is actually the hardest thing to earn, and Gabriela's favorite grief-and-joy reads.

How to Love You When You're Gone by Gabriela Gonzales — Buy on Amazon | YA Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (narrated by Elena Rey & Jeff Ebner)

Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce — Buy on Amazon | YA Rom-Com | Audio ✅

Book Lovers by Emily Henry — Buy on Amazon | Adult Romance/Rom-Com | Audio ✅

• [00:00] Welcome + Gabriela's arts school & circus class background
• [00:03] Deciding to become a writer at age five
• [00:05] Signing with her agent in 2020 on a dystopian circus novel
• [00:06] Her sister's passing and discovering rom-coms
• [00:09] Why a happy ending is the hardest thing to write
• [00:11] The many subgenres of romance — there's a book for everyone
• [00:12] Writing Latine characters beyond trauma narratives
• [00:14] Latina identity isn't monolithic
• [00:17] Elevator pitch: How to Love You When You're Gone
• [00:19] The "grief backpack" metaphor
• [00:21] DBT, glimmers of hope, and managing big emotions
• [00:25] Book recommendations begin
• [00:26] Our Way Back to Always by Nina Moreno
• [00:31] Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce
• [00:35] Book Lovers by Emily Henry
• [00:39] Where to find Gabriela online

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