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Illicit Liaisons

Jenna Harte

The good, the bad, and the naughty of romance fiction.

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  • 22 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 1 hr 5 min
  • English

Episodes 22

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  • S2 · E29
    Tuesday · 1 hr 13 min

    Illicit Liaisons: The Butterfly Effect with author Suzy England

    This week, we chat with author Suzy England about the impact of the butterfly effect on building a writing career, as well as learning about her new and upcoming women's fiction and romance novels. Suzy England is an Amazon Charts bestselling author of Women's Fiction and Romance. Her heartfelt and relatable stories first captured a global audience on Wattpad, where her work was read by millions. A finalist in Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write contest, Suzy has also penned pieces for Amazon Prime Video and BookTrib. She's a proud member of the esteemed Tall Poppy Writers and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. Before turning her full attention to storytelling, Suzy spent 26 years as an elementary educator. These days, she enjoys traveling with her husband, spending time with her grown children, and rooting for her alma mater, The University of Texas at Austin. Her most recent release is the romantic women’s fiction novel, A Singing Bird Will Come, and this fall, her contemporary romance novel, Unmasking Mr. Crown, will release; she has ARC slots still available to those listening who might be interested. You can find out more and follow Suzy’s bookish adventures on her website suzyengland.com, and more on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/suzyenglandwrites/ Unmasking Mr. Crown ARC Team Application (need to read by Sept 1) https://tally.so/r/Gx04ek BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW A Singing Bird will Come by Suzy England https://amzn.to/4y2g1cc The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer https://amzn.to/4hTxYoD Ice Planet Barbarians (series) by Ruby Dixon https://amzn.to/4gQw5YC Fantastical Foes: Steamy Romantasy Zine by Tender and Tempting Tales https://amzn.to/46qP5XC TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

    • Transcript
  • S2 · E28
    August 19 · 1 hr 10 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Tropes & Love Triangles with Suzy Langevin

    This week, we chat with author Suzy Langevin, discussing tropes, love triangles, and Suzy's new release, The Plus One Pact. Suzy Langevin writes happily ever afters where people are loved because of, not in spite of, the things they see as their flaws. She is the winner of the 2024 RWA Golden Heart Award, and her short fiction appears in anthologies and magazines. Suzy lives in Massachusetts and does, in fact, run on Dunkin'. Suzy's Website https://www.suzylangevin.com/ Suzy's Books https://www.suzylangevin.com/team-3 Suzy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/suzylangevinwrites/ MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Plus One Pact by Suzy Langevin https://amzn.to/45wspVJ Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard https://amzn.to/4znhETe V.C. Andrews https://amzn.to/4gsq0Ay Eye of the Dragon by Stephen King https://amzn.to/4gsq0Ay The Dead Zone by Stephen King https://amzn.to/4gF38if TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E27
    August 11 · 1 hr 16 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Romance authors Mara Heath & Annabella Lowe

    This week, we chat with authors Mara Heath and Annabella Lowe about the cosy romantasy debate, AI art scams, as well as their own works and upcoming releases. Mara fell in love with the romance genre when she first started reading the Sweet Valley High and Sweet Dreams series as a teen. Decades later, after working as an English teacher and taking time to be a mother, she's finally become the romance writer she always wanted to be. She's the author of the New Adult Contemporary Romance series The Secrets of Brownhill, with book one, Caged in Silver, releasing last year, and book two, Harnessed in Gold, coming out in August. In her stories, there's nothing Mara enjoys more than matching a soul-searching young woman with the man who truly "sees" her, especially in a setting where the supernatural collides with the real world. Mara lives in Maryland with her husband, son, and elderly cat. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading, sipping hot drinks, and binge-watching shows from the early 2000s. Mara's website https://maraheathauthor.com/ Mara's Amazon Page: https://amzn.to/45hvlp4 Mara's Substack https://maraheathauthor.substack.com/ Mara's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maraheathauthor/ Books have always been a passion for Annabella Lowe, who was raised on The Vampire Diaries, Shadowhunters, and Twilight, so it was no surprise that she started writing books that contained vampires—her first love! She published her first book, Find Me in the Shadows, in late 2024. She loves to blend genres to create something unique and add new and sinister twists to the paranormal mythology in her books. She has a talent for writing despicable villains, and she always aims, no matter the genre, to reveal the complexities of being human. Book Two of her series is coming out in 2027. She lives in a small town in the UK with her husband, teenage son, two spaniels, and a devious cat. She also has a photography business, and naturally she spends time writing, reading, and, more recently, learning to draw. Annabella Website https://annabella-lowe.com/ Amazon Author Page https://amzn.to/4hoKufp Annabella on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@annabella.lowe.author Annabella on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annabella.lowe.author/ MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Caged In Silver by Mara Heath https://amzn.to/3UcE61f Harnessed in Gold by Mara Heath https://amzn.to/3Ubf5U6 Find me in the Shadows by Annabella Lowe https://amzn.to/3RKm45T TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E26
    August 4 · 57 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Sci-Fi Romance Tara Leederman, plus book drama and more

    This week, we chat with author T.A. Leederman about sci-fi romance, the book drama over whether book influencers are reading the books they recommend, hot takes in the bookish community, and more. Tara is a PhD in English and former writing teacher, one of our editors and all-around press gremlin here at Tender and Tempting Tales, and main fiction writer for Starship Valkyrie. Typically she writes science-fiction romance for our publications, though she’s branched out into urban romantasy for our most recent zine, Fantastical Foes. She’s also the editor of Sapphics of Saturn, which is open to submissions this month and will publish in November, and she’ll appear in our fall anthology, Starlit and Spellbound. T.A. Leederman Website https://taleederman.com/ Starship Valkyrie on Substack https://taleederman.substack.com/ Vox Protocol on Substack https://taleederman.substack.com/t/vox-protocol Instagram https://www.instagram.com/author_taleederman/ Contact Unknown by Tara Leederman https://amzn.to/4wcCS3x MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fantastical Foes by Tender & Tempting Tales https://amzn.to/4z3LJHw Susannah Friesen YouTube: BookTok Biggest Creators AREN'T Reading the Books they Review https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8FQxlWO1vc Peace Love Books XO https://www.youtube.com/@PeaceLoveBooksxo Read with Cindy https://www.youtube.com/@readwithcindy Just One Damn Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor https://amzn.to/4pYzNCG Ice Planet Barbarians https://amzn.to/4xcQg8G TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E25
    July 28 · 1 hr 7 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Dark Paranormal Romance with Eva LeClerc

    This week, we chat with author Eva LeClerc, who has a secret. We discuss hot takes around slow-burn romance, use of pen names in romance fiction, and what happened in the finale of Outlander. Eva LeClerc set out to write a dark mafia romance set in New York City. Somehow, that turned into a dark paranormal romance set in New Orleans, serialized to Substack and now published just this last week as Shadow of Betrayal, the first book in the Oathmarked series. Eva loves myths and folklore that involve magic and romance, and she’s also intrigued by the city of New Orleans, a whole world of folklore and magic on its own. Eva LeClerc Website https://www.evaleclerc.com/ Eva LeClerc Substack https://evaleclercauthor.substack.com/ Eva LeClerc Amazon https://amzn.to/4fKvM01 Eva LeClerc TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@evaleclercauthor Eva LeClerc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/evaleclercauthor/ BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://amzn.to/4x5VUcD Black Dagger Brotherhood by JR Ward https://amzn.to/4w5vNSo In Death series by JD Robb https://amzn.to/44UW1f2 Contact Unknown by T.A. Leederman https://amzn.to/4wlSpyK Outlander (books) by Diana Gabaldon https://amzn.to/4fCqTpx Outlander (Starz/Prime TV) https://amzn.to/44UMQLD TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E24
    July 21 · 1 hr 4 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Paranormal Romance with Author Annabella Lowe

    This week, our guest host is author Annabella Lowe, and we're talking about bookish overconsumption, paranormal romance, Summerween, and more! About Annabella Lowe: Books have always been a passion for Annabella, who was raised on The Vampire Diaries, Shadowhunters, and Twilight, so it was no surprise that she started writing books that contained vampires—her first love! She published her first book, Find Me in the Shadows, in late 2024. She loves to blend genres to create something unique and add new and sinister twists to the paranormal mythology in her books. She has a talent for writing despicable villains, and she always aims, no matter the genre, to reveal the complexities of being human. Book Two of her series is coming out in 2027. She lives in a small town in the UK with her husband, teenage son, two spaniels, and a devious cat. She also has a photography business, and naturally she spends time writing, reading, and, more recently, learning to draw. Annabella Website https://annabella-lowe.com/ Amazon Author Page https://amzn.to/4hoKufp Annabella on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@annabella.lowe.author Annabella on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/annabella.lowe.author/ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS Ascendant: Songs of Chaos Book 1 by Michael R. Miller https://amzn.to/4gKA7lS Off Campus (The Deal) by Elle Kennedy https://amzn.to/3RNnDQj Off Campus TV Show on Prime https://amzn.to/4ftFYd9 With This Ring, I Thee Kill by Jenna Harte https://amzn.to/4ywZldJ Stories by Urna Semper on Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki https://amzn.to/44pHd87 Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon https://amzn.to/4b6b9tA Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Devereaux https://amzn.to/3TgJPCM TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Latest Releases: Fantastical Foes: Enemies to Lovers Romantasy Zine https://amzn.to/3T28SJT Fireworks & Flirtation Summer Anthology https://amzn.to/4gKFu4z Follow Us: Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

    • Transcript
  • July 14 · 1 hr 7 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Book Chat with Laura Solar from Laura Rae Says

    This week, we chat with Laura Solar, a booktuber who covers news and drama from the book community on her channel, Laura Rae Says. We discuss book piracy, bookish drama, and questionable editors. Laura Solar is a book lover and the host of a YouTube channel that focuses on topics related to the book community. Making videos for over three years featuring reviews, interviews, and all things involving books, she's recently started making videos to expose the dark side of the book world. Uncovering scams and badly behaving companies and authors has become a passion project for Laura, as she continues to deliver in-depth and entertaining book world coverage! Laura's YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@lauraraesays Laura's Playlist of multi-video topics (e.g. Christina Kaye) https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLt0A7GSlDSSWkIHFaoU7QgKkbZuyzqBsE Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraraesays/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lauraraesays CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb https://amzn.to/4w2485n Gate to Kagoshima by Poppy Kuroki https://amzn.to/44pHd87 Fantastical Foes from Tender & Tempting Tales https://amzn.to/4hhDPU6 Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://amzn.to/4vukAKM Contact Unknown by T.A. Leederman https://amzn.to/4f1MJUw Reel by Kennedy Ryan https://amzn.to/4plW4dk Stolen Death by J.D. Robb https://amzn.to/3Ty7WwK Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune https://amzn.to/4vsBRUm TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E22
    July 7 · 59 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Fantastical Foes Enemies to Lovers Romantasy Celebration

    This week, we're celebrating Fantastical Foes, an enemies-to-lovers romantasy zine. We're chatting with the editor, Parrish Baker, and contributing authors Marissa Marinello, Lynne Solisse, and Tara Leederman. Parrish Baker/Urna Semper Urna Semper is a romance author from Argoshaan, known for her books depicting passionate tales of forbidden love between clones and born-humans. Born to a family of scriveners, she learned the art of writing at her mother's side. Her breakthrough came with Olava: Fallen into Bondage, followed by Kyrie: Betrayed into Bondage, and Kingdom of Maids. Her most recent projects, The Pearl Crucible and Where All Past Years Are, are out on Amazon. She can be found at https://urnasemper.substack.com. Marissa Marinello Marissa Marinello is a SoCal native who writes urban, high fantasy, and cozy-romantasy. A TTRPG nerd who grew up on Tolkien, musical theater & comics, she's always been inspired by finding the fantastical in the mundane and building amazing worlds to tell rich stories in. Much of her work is inspired by real life moments that spark something more. Her work can be found in several anthologies, and she is an active participant in fandom and her writing group in Southern California. In Fantastical Foes, she did something new with Tender and Tempting Tales and wrote an epic romantasy story. https://marissamarinello.com/ Lynne Solisse Writing found Lynne Solisse later in life, and never let go. She writes romance that doesn’t flinch, centering on women who are fierce, loyal, and unafraid to demand more out of life. Women who want to reclaim passion on their own terms. Whether contemporary, fantasy, or even proving that love can still burn bright in a gritty post-apocalyptic world, her stories are raw but sweet, fun and emotionally charged, threaded with just enough tension to keep your heart racing. She lives in the Southern US with her three boys and two spoiled cats, and she believes it’s never too late for a second chance. Or a plot twist. https://lynnesolisse.com/ Tara Leederman Tara Leederman is the Social Media Manager here at Tender and Tempting Tales, and Lore Maven and main fiction writer for Starship Valkyrie, a science-fiction game and story universe. She writes science fiction stories, including romance, and you can often find her in our anthologies, including our upcoming zine, Fantastical Foes! https://taleederman.com/ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS Fantastical Foes: A Steamy Romance (Print, ebook, KU) Zine https://amzn.to/3QWEe3S Princess Bride by William Goldman https://amzn.to/3QWEe3S A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas https://amzn.to/4gneFmR Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson https://amzn.to/44NG8a7 A Heroine of the World by Tanith Lee https://amzn.to/44NG8a7 Dresden Files by Jim Butcher https://amzn.to/4h1b0LD (TV Show: https://amzn.to/4aJ6Ynf) October Daye Series by Seanan McQuire https://amzn.to/4psgIZr Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris https://amzn.to/4eOYZYn In Death Series by JR Robb https://amzn.to/3RnMhGY The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer https://amzn.to/4vsyqgM TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E21
    June 30 · 56 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Contemporary Fantasy Romance with Author Mara Heath

    This week, we're joined by author Mara Heath to talk about romance books, bookish drama and hot takes, romance categories, and more. Mara fell in love with the romance genre when she first started reading the Sweet Valley High and Sweet Dreams series as a teen. Decades later, after working as an English teacher and taking time to be a mother, she's finally become the romance writer she always wanted to be. She's the author of the New Adult Contemporary Romance series The Secrets of Brownhill, with book one, Caged in Silver, releasing last year, and book two, Harnessed in Gold, coming out in August. In her stories, there's nothing Mara enjoys more than matching a soul-searching young woman with the man who truly "sees" her, especially in a setting where the supernatural collides with the real world. Mara lives in Maryland with her husband, son, and elderly cat. When she isn't writing, she enjoys reading, sipping hot drinks, and binge-watching shows from the early 2000s. Mara's website https://maraheathauthor.com/ Mara's Substack https://maraheathauthor.substack.com/ Mara's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maraheathauthor/ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh https://amzn.to/3QHCxXT Filthy Rich Fae by Genva Lee https://amzn.to/4oVEyMw A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas https://amzn.to/4ecqR6Z Valentine Mysteries by Jenna Harte https://amzn.to/4ff6wif Lion in the Garden https://urnasemper.substack.com/ TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E20
    June 23 · 1 hr 13 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Bookish News, Drama, and Hot Takes

    This week, we discuss bookish news, hot takes, drama and more. Join us and let us know your hot takes. BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Pearl Crucible by Urna Semper https://amzn.to/4waBkHK Serialized stories by Urna Semper Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ Dead but Not Forgotten by Jenna Harte https://amzn.to/4eEltKh Back to Us by Jenna Harte free at https://jennaharte.com/ Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://evaleclercauthor.substack.com/ TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E19
    June 16 · 52 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Sports romance with Allie Lasky

    This week, we're joined by author Allie Lasky to talk about romance books, including what it means to be well-read, sports romance, and more. Allie Lasky is a queer and AuDHD writer with a hyper-fixation on inclusivity and representation. She loves the color purple, Michigan football, the Detroit Lions, and the Boston Bruins. When she’s not absorbed by a book, she likes to watch sports and spend time with her nephews. A San Diego, CA native now residing in South Carolina, she’s allergic to the cold, rain, snow, and mosquitos. When you read Allie, you’re guaranteed a few things: He falls first… but she comes first, as well as found family, mental health and neurodivergent rep, and body positivity in all shapes and sizes. Allie's Website https://www.allielasky.com/ Allie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/allielasky/ BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fourth and Falling by Susan Renee https://amzn.to/4gnx8Q2 Color His World by Taryn Quinn https://amzn.to/4vXgXxD A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas https://amzn.to/4ecqR6Z The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer https://amzn.to/4uH83Do TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E18
    June 9 · 1 hr 16 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Sci-Fi Romance with Urna Semper & Tara Leederman

    This week, we're still celebrating the release of Fireworks & Flirtation by chatting with Tara Leederman and Urna Semper, where we discuss: - Anti-intellectualism in reading - Follow-up from Romanstasy-gates - Plus, we learn about Tara and Urna's stories in Fireworks & Flirtation, other books they have coming up, and more! Urna Semper is a romance author from Argoshaan, known for her books depicting passionate tales of forbidden love between clones and born-humans. Born to a family of scriveners, she learned the art of writing at her mother's side. Her breakthrough came with Olava: Fallen into Bondage, followed by Kyrie: Betrayed into Bondage, and Kingdom of Maids. Her most recent projects, The Pearl Crucible and Where All Past Years Are, are out on Amazon. She can be found at https://urnasemper.substack.com. Tara is the Social Media Manager here at Tender and Tempting Tales, and Lore Maven and main fiction writer for Starship Valkyrie, a science-fiction game and story universe. She writes science-fiction stories, including romance, and you can often find her in our anthologies, including in our upcoming new summer anthology, Fireworks and Flirtation! Learn more at Tara's Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fireworks & Flirtation https://amzn.to/4uacLtQ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS A Heroine of the World by Tanith Lee https://amzn.to/4fwLYDu Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold https://amzn.to/4fACE1x A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas https://amzn.to/4ecqR6Z In Death Series by J.D. Robb https://amzn.to/43Zcaj2 TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E17
    June 2 · 53 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Fireworks & Spice Levels with Lynne Solisse and Miranda Tamrakar

    This week, we're still celebrating the release of Fireworks & Flirtation by chatting with Lynne Solisse and Miranda Tamrakar, where we discuss: - Spice levels in romance and what each chili pepper means - Plus we learn about Lynn and Miranda's stories in Fireworks & Flirtation, other books they have coming up, and more! Lynne Intro: Writing found Lynne Solisse later in life, and never let go. She writes romance that doesn’t flinch, centering on women who are fierce, loyal, and unafraid to demand more out of life. Women who want to reclaim passion on their own terms. Whether contemporary, fantasy, or even proving that love can still burn bright in a gritty post-apocalyptic world, her stories are raw but sweet, fun and emotionally charged, threaded with just enough tension to keep your heart racing. She lives in the Southern US with her three boys and two spoiled cats, and she believes it’s never too late for a second chance. Or a plot twist. Links to Lynne Lynne's website https://lynnesolisse.com/ Lynne's Substack https://lynnesolisse.substack.com/ Miranda Intro: Miranda Tamrakar was raised in SoCal on a steady diet of books and musicals. She finds joy in creating worlds that chase the same sense of sweeping romance and wonder, sometimes with dragons and sometimes with spies, but always telling a tale of how the right people can change a life. She is inspired by looking at relationships in real life and asking herself, "what if?" When she's not writing, she is winning at cards, losing at elaborate board games, or finding inspiration out in the wild with her husband and two daughters, all of whom are delightfully weird. Links to Miranda: Miranda Instagram https://www.instagram.com/miranda_writes_author/ BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fireworks & Flirtation https://amzn.to/4uacLtQ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS McRae Bodyguards by Jolie Vines https://amzn.to/4dY9l6C Green Rider Series by Kristen Britain https://amzn.to/4a8VNUx Lane Sanders Mysteries (Art Deco) by L.A. Chandlar https://amzn.to/4aq5Zbk Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain https://amzn.to/43vxBrL The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer https://amzn.to/4uH2Lsd Our Perfect Storm by Carly Fortune https://amzn.to/4x5wXyP The Shippers by Katherine Center https://amzn.to/4o6YwDQ Urna Semper at Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ The Book Witch, Our Perfect Storm, and The Shippers, Jenna picked up through Book of the Month (BOM). BOM is a fun way to get great new books at great prices. Don't see a book you like for a month? That's okay, you can skip that month. Get your first book for only $5 here. https://www.mybotm.com/yoljbhec8pc TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Tender and Tempting Tales ARC Team: https://booksprout.co/reviewer/team/56782/tender-and-tempting-tales Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E16
    May 26 · 1 hr 5 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Fireworks & Flirtation with Aline Francoure and Jenna Harte

    This week, we're celebrating the upcoming release of Fireworks & Flirtation by chatting with Aline Francoure and Jenna Harte. We discuss: - The Romancestasy controversy - What inspired Aline's story, Back to Us, a second chance romance with a singing telegram - Factoids about the mafia and New Orleans, and Blackbeard folklore, and a whole lot more! Aline Francoure is a passionate romance writer hailing from the picturesque countryside of Spotsylvania County, Virginia. When she's not crafting tales of love and passion, she enjoys the company of her two loyal dogs and my supportive husband. A lover of all things Scotland, she's enchanted by the rugged beauty of the Highlands and the iconic Highland cows. She also has a passion for crime TV, and you can often find her glued to the screen, unraveling thrilling mysteries. LINKS TO ALINE Aline's Website: https://alinefrancoure.com/ Aline's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alinefrancoure/ Jenna Harte is a die-hard romantic who writes with heat, heart, and always an HEA. She's the author of the Southern Heat contemporary romance series and the sexy Valentine Mysteries. She's also the managing editor of Tender & Tempting Tales, a romance anthology for readers who like romantic quickies. LINKS TO JENNA Jenna's Website https://jennaharte.com Jenna's Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jennaharteauthor Jenna's Page on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4x9ZweH BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fireworks & Flirtation https://amzn.to/4uacLtQ It's About Damn Time (free short story) Subscribe: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS Poison Ivy by Misty Simon https://amzn.to/4uBF1pt Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain https://amzn.to/43vxBrL Disability in Romance (article by Mariah Ankenman) https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/disability-in-romance TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E15
    May 19 · 55 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Fireworks & Guy Fawkes with Annie R McEwen

    This week, we're celebrating the upcoming release of Fireworks & Flirtation by chatting with Annie R McEwen. We discuss: - Publishers ending their historical romance lines - The future of publishing - Plus, we learn how Guy Fawkes inspired Annie's story in Fireworks & Flirtation, share book recommendations, and more. A career historian, Annie R McEwen has lived in six countries and under every roof from a canvas tent to a Georgian Era manor house. She writes historical romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical fiction. Annie is published by Bloodhound Books (UK), Harbor Lane Books (US), The Wild Rose Press, and Rowan Prose Publishing. She lives in both the UK and US. Winner of the 2022 Page Turners Writing Award (Romance Category), Annie garnered both a First and Second Place 2022 RTTA (Romance Through the Ages Award), the 2023 MAGGIE Award, and Finalist Status in the 2023 Daphne du Maurier Award. She was a Finalist for the 2024 Page Turners Writing Award and Shortlisted for a Writer’s Mentorship Award. Annie’s short fiction appears in numerous anthologies. LINKS TO ANNIE Annie's Website https://www.anniermcewen.com Annie's Books https://amzn.to/4dwetyr Annie on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/anniermcewen/ FIREWORKS & FLIRTATION Fireworks & Flirtation https://amzn.to/4uacLtQ Available in print, ebook, and in KU. CURRENTLY READING & RECOMMENDATIONS Austen at Sea by Natalie Jenner https://amzn.to/42G2gT1 Fantastical Foes...coming in July from Tender & Tempting Tales The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow https://amzn.to/4wCQwhF Dark and Shallow Lies by Ginny Myers Sain https://amzn.to/43mDZkU Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery (Bryant & May) by Christopher Fowler https://amzn.to/4v1ayB1 British Library Crime Classics https://amzn.to/4tMd8K3 TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • May 12 · 1 hr

    Illicit Liaisons: Celebrating Summer Romance with Suzy Langevin and Marissa Marinello

    This week, we're celebrating the upcoming release of Fireworks & Flirtation with our authors, Suzy Langevin and Marissa Marinello. We discuss: Bookish drama over an editor asking an author to remove similes and other metaphorical language from their story to avoid being accused of using AI With the popularity of MM romance, where is the love for sapphic romance? Plus a whole lot more. Suzy Langevin writes happily ever afters where people are loved because of, not in spite of, the things they see as their flaws. She is the winner of the 2024 RWA Golden Heart Award, and her short fiction appears in anthologies and magazines. Suzy lives in Massachusetts, and does, in fact, run on Dunkin'. Marissa Marinello writes urban, high fantasy, and cozy-romantasy. A TTRPG nerd who grew up on Tolkien, musical theater & comics, she's inspired by finding the fantastical in the mundane. Her work can be found in several anthologies, and she is an active participant in fandom and her writing group in Southern California. LINKS TO SUZY AND MARISSA Suzy's Website https://www.suzylangevin.com/ Suzy's Books https://www.suzylangevin.com/team-3 Suzy on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/suzylangevinwrites/ Marissa's Website https://marissamarinello.com/ Marissa's Books https://marissamarinello.com/books/ Marissa on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mmarinello_author/ BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Fireworks & Flirtation https://amzn.to/4uacLtQ BEACH READ RECOMMENDATIONS Moonlight & Margaritas: Steamy Romance Anthology https://amzn.to/4tNokqt Summer Sisters by Judy Blume https://amzn.to/4u7XuJO Chesapeake Bay Series by Nora Roberts https://amzn.to/42tZksA Persuasion by Jane Austen It's About Damn Time (Skullhaven Bay) Free at https://tenderandtemptingtales.com/free-romance-story/ or https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Urna Semper on Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson https://amzn.to/49GJsGQ Paws & Peril: Steamy Romantic Suspense Stories with a Dog (Tender & Tempting Tales Magazine) https://amzn.to/4nmxg3M TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E13
    May 5 · 1 hr 20 min

    Illicit Liaisons: MM Hockey Romance with Jason Wrench

    This week, our guest host is author Jason Wrench, and we discuss: * Face Off cover controversy * Jason's appearance at BookCon * Hockey romance and more! Jason Wrench writes. He writes a lot. With his publisher, Pride Publishing (now Totally Entwined) he’s the author of three different series: 12 Days of Murder & Till Death Do Us Wed, Up on the Farm (Finding a Farmer, Bewitched by the Barista, Sanctuary for the Surgeon, & Catching the Composer), and the Love and Liquidation Series (Boy Bands and Bullets, A Choreographed Coup, & Rhythmic Reclamation), and the standalone novella Wolf Island. As an Indy author, he’s published Life on the Naughty List, or What the Elf!, Jekyll/Hyde, and The Veil. His latest book, Shattering Securities, came out in Spring 2025. His day job is a college professor at SUNY New Paltz where he teaches in the Department of Communication. He’s a member of the Romance Writers of America, Rainbow Romance Writers, Text and Academic Authors Association, and The Authors Guild. Jason appears in our first summer anthology, Moonlight and Margaritas, with his gay enemies-to-lovers romance, “Ship Happens,” a contemporary story set on a cruise ship. LINKS TO JASON WRENCH Jason's Website: https://jasonwrench.com/ Jason's Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/42T2ZQw BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Goalie and the Geek by Jason Wrench https://amzn.to/4tgOnoW Moonlight & Margaritas https://amzn.to/4tNokqt Face Off by Chelsea Curto https://amzn.to/4eoTuzN Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid https://amzn.to/3QP9Jwo READING OR RECOMMENDED Playing Dirty by CE Ricci https://amzn.to/4d78f8c The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow https://amzn.to/42ffc20 Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://evaleclercauthor.substack.com/ Urna Semper on Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E12
    April 28 · 1 hr 10 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Sports Romance with Sierra Hill

    This week, our guest host is Sierra Hill, with whom we discuss the controversial attempt by Ivory Chapters to trademark "Blind Date with a Book," the impact of AI in publishing, sports romance, and more! Sierra Hill is a RONE Award-winning romance author of Game Changer and the award-winning college sports series Courting Love. She writes steamy new adult and sports romances, including the Vancouver Vikings hockey series, the Puget Sound Pilots, and the Clearview Falls University football series with her co-writing partner, S.E. Rose. She also writes award-winning LGBTQ+ romance under the pen name, K.C. Kassidy. SIERRA'S LINKS Website: https://www.sierrahillbooks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sierrahillbooks Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/4twzU9o READING & RECOMMENDED We All Live Here by JoJo Moyes https://amzn.to/4cDPoma The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow https://amzn.to/4tqPiUD Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://evaleclercauthor.substack.com/ Urna Semper on Substack https://urnasemper.substack.com/ TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E11
    April 22 · 1 hr 2 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Mariah Ankeman & Disability Representation in Romance

    This week, our guest host is author Mariah Ankenman. We discuss hot takes around the author ARCs, disability representation in romance fiction, #authorapril, and book adaptations we'd love to watch. Mariah Ankeman is a bestselling romance author living in the beautiful Rocky Mountains with her two rambunctious children and loving spouse, who is her own personal spell checker when her dyslexia gets the best of her. Mariah loves to lose herself in a world of words. Her favorite thing about writing is when she can make someone’s day a little brighter with one of her books. MARIAH'S LINKS Website: https://mariahankenman.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariahankenman/ Mariah's Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/4t84Rjr Backstage Night with the Billionaire by Mariah Ankenman https://amzn.to/3OIyk50 AUTHORS & BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW Talia Hibbert https://amzn.to/48hKiJB E.V. Mitchell https://amzn.to/4tX0HLN In Death Books by J.D. Robb https://amzn.to/3Owa32f Fox & O'Hare books by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg https://amzn.to/4mGckEw Evelina by Frances Burney https://amzn.to/4cEfyUx READING & RECOMMENDED Lore Olympus Vol 9 by Rachel Smythe https://amzn.to/4tVxsZQ The Other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow https://amzn.to/4tqPiUD Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley https://amzn.to/4cFOhRs Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc https://evaleclercauthor.substack.com/ TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/ Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tendertemptingtales/ Calls for Submissions: https://tenderandtemptingtales.substack.com/p/write-for-tender-and-tempting-tales ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Substack: https://taleederman.substack.com/ Jenna Harte: https://jennaharte.com/ Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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  • S2 · E10
    April 14 · 1 hr 16 min

    Illicit Liaisons: Bookish Tea, Hot takes, News and More in the Romance World

    This week, Tara and I share the tea, hot takes, and news from the romance book world, including Shy Girl drama, worst spicy writing, and more. AUTHORS & BOOKS MENTIONED ON THE SHOW The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow An Offer from a Gentleman by Julia Quinn Paws & Peril from Tender & Tempting Tales READING & RECOMMENDED Shadow of Betrayal by Eva LeClerc Urna Semper on Substack TENDER & TEMPTING TALES Tender and Tempting Tales Substack: Subscribe and get a FREE story! Tender and Tempting Tales on Instagram Tender and Tempting Tales Calls for Submissions: ILLICIT LIAISONS PRODUCED & HOSTED BY Tara Leederman Website Jenna Harte Website Outline and Show Notes: T.A. Leederman Editing: Jenna Harte

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Showing 1–20 of 22 episodes