Podcast: Guilt-free Pleasures and Chasing Your Dreams with Romance Novelist Alyssa Jarrett
Let’s talk about sex, baby! Or, talk about how reading and writing about sex is a guilt-free, shame-free political act. That’s right, in this conversation with the fabulous debut romance novelist Alyssa Jarrett we go on a wild ride about feminism, authenticity, identity, privilege, pursuing our creativity in the face of nay-sayers, and… werewolf erotica. (She doesn’t write werewolf erotica, but we both celebrate those who do!)
Fuck “guilty pleasures.” This episode is a battle cry for liking what we like, not yucking anyone’s yum, and going all in on our dreams. It’s an absolute treat, and you’ll leave with some great resources for finding exactly the level of spiciness you want in your fiction as well as (I hope) encouragement for centering the things that bring you joy.
You can listen on Apple, YouTube, Spotify, or anywhere else you listen to podcasts. (And please leave a review when you do!)
Read Alyssa’s thoughts on the romance genre here on Substack
Follow Alyssa on Instagram
Order her book – Love Apptually (in print or digital)
Or visit her website.
Read the transcript on SettlingIsBullshit.com (with the caveat that the timestamps don’t match up, and there are a fair number of edits to the audio that are not reflected in the transcript).
Resources, References, and Links:
Bukowski. Charles Bukowski was an American poet who, if we’re being gracious about it (like the Poetry Foundation is), “satirized” violence and sexuality in his work. “Charles Bukowski”
Dan Savage. Writing since the early 1990s, Dan Savage is the LGBTQ+ advocate and love/sex advice guru behind the “Savage Love” advice column and podcast.
Alyssa’s post about the spiciness scale. Most Writers Don’t Read Smut.
Romance.io and the steam rating system.
Gail Carriger. Honestly one of my favorite non-erotic authors in addition to her gay werewolf San Andreas Shifters series (that she publishes under G. L. Carriger and are 5/5 on the steam rating scale). Most of her novels generally fall under the “glimpses and kisses” rating but occasionally reach “open door” rating. She’s wonderful, and has also written a book about the Heroine’s Journey and the bullshit that is cultural dismissal of the romance genre.
MM or M/M Romance. Books with two men at the center of the romantic plot – such as the San Andreas Shifters series or A Rake of One’s Own, the award-winning fifth book in A.J. Lancaster’s Lord of Stariel series (which I loved).
Emily Henry - Bestselling author of Beach Read and many others who straddles the lines between romance and women’s fiction. 3/5 on the Romance.io steam rating system.
Abby Jimenez - Bestselling romance author of Part of Your World. 3/5 on the Romance.io steam rating system.
My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The 2010s reboot of the 1980s cartoon, which is just so very wonderful.
Alyssa’s favorite emo bands. She’s especially fond of AFI, All Time Low, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Mayday Parade, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Set It Off.
Study about women and guilty pleasures - When media company Vudu surveyed 2,000 Americans on what they rank as their top “guilty pleasures,” among the most popular responses were all activities that are typically associated with women: reality TV, romance movies, daytime TV, and “cheesy” music.
Sarah J. Maas - Bestselling fantasy romance author of the A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series and the reason behind the recent romantasy boom.
Ruby Dixon - Bestselling sci-fi romance author of the Ice Planet Barbarians series. 4/5 on the Romance.io steam rating system.
Tessa Bailey - Bestselling rom-com author of It Happened One Summer, dubbed the “Michelangelo of dirty talk” by Entertainment Weekly. 4/5 on the Romance.io steam rating system.
Katee Robert - Bestselling erotic romance author of the Dark Olympus series. 5/5 on the Romance.io steam rating system.
Kristen Tate at the Blue Garret - Book editor for indie authors and publishers, including Alyssa Jarrett.
Book about sucking at stuff. Karen Rinaldi – It’s Great to Suck at Something: The Unexpected Joy of Wiping Out and What It Can Teach Us About Patience, Resilience and the Stuff That Really Matter. (This title really explains itself).