Love Letters and Books

I spoke with Maggie Gates, author of raw, relatable romance books. We discussed her Griffith Brothers Cowboy Romance series, including Dust Storm, Down Pour and Fire Line, three swoony, high-heat love stories set on a Texas ranch where we meet a protective single dad, an ex–bull rider learning to live again, and a grumpy cowboy who hates change, plus the unforgettable women who match their grit. We talk found family, grief, anger, ...

I spoke with Katherine Bitner about her new book, Lucky Penny, the emotional, second-chance, small-town romance in her Hometown series (an interconnected standalone series that began with Unravel Me). Katherine takes us inside Penny’s journey of maasking pain with with upbeat enthusiasm and introduces Jesse, her former foster brother turned tattooed animal rescuer, as a dual-POV, dual-timeline love story unfolds in Wilmington, Nort...

I spoke with Measha Stone, a dark romance author of spicy and complex psychological thrillers such as Dolly and Marked, as well as mafia romance series, Mafia Brides and Vicious Sinners. We explored Dolly, one of my favorite reads of 2024, a psychological thriller that blends survivor healing, trauma bonding, and gloriously cathartic revenge, and how she crafts protective heroes, powerful heroines, and that sigh-worthy “ahh” ending...

I spoke with Tawnya Torres, a dark romance and fantasy romance author, who writes about underrepresented characters. We discussed her latest book, A Taste of Candy, about an unhinged yet tender hacker–stalker FMC who sets her sights on Jeremy, a sweet, lonely office worker living with a chronic heart condition. We talk flipping power dynamics (soft MMC/shameless FMC), compassionate chronic-illness representation in dark romance, an...

I spoke with Amanda Jones, author of the Queen City series, a dark forbidden romance series, and the Guardian series, a fantasy romance series. We dive into I Stop Somewhere Waiting for You (Maverick & Jonesie’s forbidden romance across rival gangs), how it sparked We Were Together, and the forthcoming conclusion, As Long As We Live, exploring how redemption, reinvention, and found family power her character-driven plots. Amand...

I spoke with K. Webster, bestselling author of over 150 books and the banned book queen of some of our favorite taboo romance books, including The Wild and The Free. Kristi opens up about writing as escapism, the fierce compassion she brings to her flawed characters, their complicated relationships, and how she navigated backlash and book bans. We discuss challenging happily-ever-afters, trusting the process, double standards for w...

I spoke with Tylor Paige, the horror-romance author of Slash or Pass from her Final Girls trilogy, her follow-up novella, Thots and Prayers, and the forthcoming novel, Good For Her. We spoke at length about Tylor’s cult-survivor slasher romances where villains stay villains, the chemistry is electric, and a goth FMC steals everyone’s heart. We explore the difference between dark romance and horror romance, Tylor’s cinematic writing...

I spoke with Kate James, paranormal romance author, to talk shifter romance, soul-deep bonds, and writing the kind of love that feels a little bit like magic. Inspired by a real backcountry rescue, Kate’s wolf-shifter firefighter novella, Rescued by the Wolf, delivers a tender second-chance romance with fierce pack/found-family vibes and an FMC learning to find her voice. We also dive into her nostalgic, beachy ghost romance Summer...

I sat down for a solo episode today. It's my birthday week, and so much has risen to the surface as I process this rollercoaster year. I share a heartfelt, extended dance remix, stream of consciousness love letter from me to you for anyone who needs it today. Live well and love easy. xx Casey

Connect with Love Letters and Books

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lovelettersandbooks

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lovelettersandbooks ...

I spoke with Raya Morris Edwards, the dark cowboy/country romance author of the Sovereign Mountain series, which includes books Sovereign, Westin, Deacon, and the soon-to-be-released Jensen and Jack. We discuss Raya’s “Yellowstone meets 50 Shades of Grey” universe, set in fictionalized rural Montana, where timeless stories and wild landscapes collide with high-spice, age-gap, and BDSM-forward love stories, and themes of trauma and ...

I spoke with Maren Riley, the dark thriller romance author of the Grave Series (Grave Obsession, Grave Possession, and the forthcoming book three) and Wrong Turn. We'll explore how love, obsession, and survival collide across the jaw-dropping twists of the Grave series. Maren gets candid about writing on-page trauma, hypersexuality as a lesser-talked-about survivor response, balancing horror with heat, and building a multi-book uni...

I spoke with debut romance author Emmy Kendall about her upcoming book, Ricochet, a second-chance medical romance where two doctors reunite a decade after an explosive betrayal. Emmy reveals why she dared to make her FMC the one who strayed, how real-life experience as a labor-and-delivery nurse fuels the novel’s authentic operating-room tension, and what forgiveness, self-acceptance, and messy, grown-up love truly look like. We ex...

I spoke with best-selling romance and fantasy author C.R. Jane. I am obsessed with her viral Pucking Wrong hockey romance universe, the Wrong Player spin-off series, and all of her red (ish) flag MMCs! Jane explains how Taylor Swift tracks inspire every book idea, why she mixes laugh-out-loud locker-room banter with raw emotional themes and powerful love stories of healing and connection. We also discussed the importance of sharing...

I spoke with Bailey Hannah, the best-selling author of the Wells Ranch series, which is full of small-town heat, heartfelt stories, and an abundance of hope and healing. Together, we explore what makes the Wells Ranch series so impactful for readers. We discuss Bailey's emotional debut novel, “Alive and Wells,” which introduces us to this spicy cowboy-romance world set in rural British Columbia, where heroine Cecily escapes an ...

I spoke with Kitty King, a dark romance author, who writes unforgettable stories with blazing spice where flawed characters, making mistakes, deconstructing shame, exploring kink, and sexual trauma survivorship take center stage. We discuss the electric relationship between Xavier and Marissa, the fan-favorite couple from Red Night, and the exploration of male sexual assault and survivorship from her book White Hole. Plus, Kitty ge...

I spoke with Albany Archer, an indie country romance author known for her “Hallmark-After-Dark” blend of heart, heat, and happily-ever-afters. In this episode, we drop into her wilderness romance, Roughing It (a 30-day wilderness challenge that pairs an Austin influencer with a gruff mountain man), her first book, Keep This Between Us, and her novella Wild Horses. Albany reveals why she writes about 30-something protagonists, the p...

I spoke with Alina May, a bestselling indie author of dark romance thrillers. Alina shares her experience going from voracious reader to international hit author with her why-choose, captive, dark romance book, Better Run. We dig into Alina’s real-life inspirations, her craft secrets, and the compelling characters she creates, including her resilient heroines who reclaim their agency after experiencing PTSD, miscarriage, and abuse....

I spoke with dark romance indie author Summer Riley about her Possession Duology, including Mine, and its brand-new sequel, Ours, and the choices that make this stalker romance resonate with readers. We dive into using a third-person POV and delivering a cliffhanger ending that actually satisfies. Summer reveals how revising and re-releasing Mine on social media helped the book find its audience, why fiction is a safe space for tra...

I spoke with author Katherine Bitner about the inspiration behind her book, Unravel Me, the first book in The Hometown Series of interconnected stand-alone novels.

Unravel Me is a steamy strangers-to-lovers, opposites attract, small town romance. Think: The Notebook meets Sweet Home Alabama. This sweet and spicy love story is about two people from different worlds and the invisible string that keeps pulling them back together. Kath...