The Fanatics Have a New Best Friend, Meet Kate Goldbeck!

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Hey Nerds, have you ever wondered what it's like to leap from the world of fanfic to the shelves of your local bookstore? The enchanting Kate Goldbeck joins us to recount her metamorphosis from fanfiction aficionado to the author of the bewitching novel "You Again." We wade through the complexities of reimagining beloved characters for a whole new audience, and the shift from the fanfic community's embrace to the terrain of traditional publishing. Kate's insights illuminate the dedication required to breathe new life into well-loved tropes and the delicate balance of staying true to the fanfic spirit while courting mainstream success.

If you're hankering for a tantalizing tale of love, laughter, and the occasional sprinkle of life's bittersweet symphonies, Kate's "You Again" is a rendezvous you won't want to miss. Join us for a podcast episode that's a love letter to storytelling, a toast to personal growth, and, above all, a tribute to the books that make us swoon.

***Produced by Jen Hardin***

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***Produced by Jen Hardin***

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:10):
Hi, I'm Chanel.
Hi, I'm Stacey hey nerds, thisis Ashley and this is Fiction
Fanatics.
Oh well, I guess let me showyou my.
We can start my.
Yes, I had to wear this Wow Ilove it.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
I should have worn mine.
I have a whole wardrobe that.
I acquired back in 2018 that Ishould have put on.

Speaker 1 (00:43):
Right, right, the thick of the fandom.
Well, yeah, okay, so let'sintroduce you.
We have a special guest.
Kate Goldblac is with us forthis episode.
The author of our Book of theMonth.
You again, ooh, we're so happy.

Speaker 3 (01:00):
Yay, excited to be here.

Speaker 1 (01:03):
Yay, so thank you for joining us.
Yeah, so we can dive right injust to get to know you.
We all kind of compiled thisamazing list of get to know you
questions.
So, yeah, when did youofficially start writing?
Going back to, I guess, fanfiction, but yeah, when would

(01:23):
you was your first inspirationto start writing?

Speaker 3 (01:28):
So actually I started , it started when I started
really reading fan fiction.
So I had dabbled in fan fictionthrough like many different
fandoms, like you know,throughout my like young adult
life I guess.
But when, when the sequeltrilogy for Star Wars came out,

(01:51):
I was just like instantly likethere's something here Like my,
my spidey senses were tinglingand I actually got really into
reading like metas on likeTumblr.
So this was like when Tumblr wasso really the fandom community
and was just like super involvedin like analyzing you know sort

(02:16):
of like the interactions andthe films, and I myself am a
film.
I was like a film major, I'veworked in film museums, so like
analyzing film is like catnip tome, so like with all, and I was
always a Star Wars fan, so likethis all combined to just make
me like extremely obsessed withStar Wars again.
So this would have been like2017 and 2018,.

(02:38):
The last Jedi came out andwithout even really like
realizing it, I just like kindof threw myself into just being
like a lurker reader in the Ralofandom and I discovered like
the like really great fanfiction that had already been
going on in for the ForceAwakens and really like exploded

(03:04):
after the last Jedi and Istarted I like rebranded my
humbler to kind of just be likerecommending different Ralo fan
fictions.
This was like literally all Idid.
I would I would likeobsessively read them and then
write very long recommendation.
I love it.

Speaker 2 (03:24):
It sounds like the kind of Tumblr page I would be
following honestly.
Yeah, I mean.

Speaker 1 (03:28):
I would throw in some fan art.
Oh, this goes with.

Speaker 3 (03:31):
I was reblogging the fan art and I was and that's how
it started to meet people wasbecause I was just like writing
like long essays about these,like different, you know, like
fanfics that I was reallyenjoying.
And so I think at first in thefandom most people knew me as
somebody who was just literallylike the fanfic recommendation

(03:55):
person, like one of the onesthat kind of like was
recognizable when the fandom wasreally like really taking off.
And at some point, like a fewmonths after doing that and just
being like a voracious fanficreader, I was like, huh, I
wonder if I could, like I'veread enough of these, like I

(04:15):
wonder if I could just try towrite something.
And a friend of mine, like afanfic writer, friend of mine
who I had gushed about which ishow I meet literally everyone I
know who's a writer is just mesliding into DMs, being like I
love you, and she had written areal one shot that had a one

(04:36):
Harry Met Sally reference in it.
It was like something aboutlike that's I knew like you know
about a good melon, which islike a random line from one
Harry Met Sally.
She had it in her thick Like.
So I messaged her and I waslike I liked that reference and
so we got to talking and it justsort of like got the wheels
turning.

(04:57):
I was like if, if I were towrite a when Harry Met Sally, a
you, there are a lot of relo aus, it's like probably more than
there are that in the Star Warsuniverse there are like a use.
But if I were to write that, Ifeel that it would have to be
gender swapped.
Because Sally is veryfastidious and spends a lot of

(05:20):
time on her hair.
There's like multiple shots ofher like blow drying, doing her
makeup.
And I was like that would bethe Kylo Ren you like, because I
feel like he is also probablyvery like fastidious about his
hair and his whole look, yeah.
And so I was like, okay, what ifI gender swapped it and I just

(05:40):
started writing it?
So that was literally the firstthing I've ever written.
That was like fiction, like Ireally have never tried to write
anything like that before.
I'd never tried to write reallylike a fanfic before and like
put it out there and I juststarted like hosting it and
that's how I started writing andit took me about like a year to

(06:04):
finish that one and in thattime I wrote a few other like
fanfics, shorter ones mostly,and that's honestly just like my
only real like creative writingexperience.
In a lot of ways was like I waslike I feel inspired and I'm
just going to do this so that's,that's how I started.

(06:28):
it, you know is like a fulladult, where I think most people
are like teenagers and I meanthis in the best way, yeah who
are like getting so into thisand like really developing their
craft.
And I was just like writing itat work on my phone.
It was kind of my escape and Ijust like got so into it and got

(06:50):
so into the community andalways continued reading fix too
.
So it was just like to me it'sone of the best ways to get into
the writing community becauseit's it's not as like
competitive in the sense that,like in publishing your whether
you're traditionally publishedor self published you're always
getting rejected or you'regetting like there's a lot of

(07:13):
for a negative feedback loop.
But in fanfic it's likeprimarily positive and
encouraging.
So it was just like directfeedback.
Yeah, I mean the comments youget just keep you going and
you're like I owe it to, likeyou know, screen name, whatever,
69 to that next chapter out,and you know people are going to
go on for a few weeks and thenthey write you long apologetic

(07:36):
notes like oh, like I was in thehospital of any nurse, like
it's okay, this is.
you know, you're doing this forfree, don't worry about it.
So it's just such an amazingcommunity.
I think that that's how I Ifell into it and yeah, that's,
that's the the origin story.
It just all came back to thislike weird fanfic idea.

Speaker 1 (07:58):
That's so awesome.

Speaker 2 (07:59):
It's so it's so crazy .
It's your first thing thatyou've written and it's just.
I mean, I'm obsessed with it.
I'm only halfway through thebook right now, but their banter
.
I feel like I could just readit forever.
It's amazing how incrediblethat's your like first writing
experience.
I'm blown away.
Well, I was gonna say how yousaid you were like just slipping

(08:20):
into people's DMs, like writersand stuff, and talking to them
and I was like that's us justslipping to, like I remember
when Chanel said that she wasgoing to message you and she was
going to message you and she'slike I think I'm going to
message, message Kate about herbook this is usually on the
podcast and I was like, yes, doit, it's going to be great
fingers crossed.

Speaker 3 (08:36):
Like I know I was.

Speaker 2 (08:38):
I was like this is never going to happen, but you
go for it Now let's see if itworks out.

Speaker 3 (08:42):
I did like your year.
It's amazing, the best likeemails or messages to get to,
because it's like usually it'slike scams or like stuff that
you absolutely don't want to do,or like something you're late
on and then like sometimes it'sreally nice, it's like, oh, I
think these are my people and,like I said, I am I still to
this day like a lot of thepeople like honestly.

(09:05):
So one of my closest writingfriends is Ali Hazelwood, the
famous author, also obviouslyfrom the Ralo fandom.
But the way that I kind of likemet her was that I she was the
only person I knew who had anagent and I had had an agent

(09:26):
approach me after reading someof my fanfic and I had no idea
about publishing and I was likeI don't know who to talk to
about this in the real world.
So I'm just gonna like DM everso Ralo was Ali and she was like
, so, like, kind and you knowlike she just like told me like
everything.

(09:47):
She did not have a book deal yet.
She was like really strugglingbut she's like okay, here's what
this means and do this andthat's how like we became
friends and it's like that'skind of how I've met almost
everyone is just me like goinginto their DMs and like yelling
at them like I love you, evenlike Julie Zotto.
So we have the same agent,actually, and the way I met her,

(10:11):
I think, was when she had a ficin the Ralo fandom called food
of love, which if you looked atthe cover, reveal, yeah, next
book, which is very steamy cellocover, that's food of love,
yeah, reworked it, and thatthat's because, like notorious
and famous and also I love yourtweets about it.

(10:35):
I just went back the other daywhen she was on the cover is
like I feel like I have like afew unhinged tweets before I
even knew loves eight and waslike there is a scene in here
that is absolutely insane and weall need to be reading this.
And now it's like we, we talkevery day and she's like a very

(10:56):
close confidant and it's likebecause I was just like
screaming like cello.

Speaker 2 (11:04):
When, when I saw the cover reveal for her new book, I
was like, oh my god, I was sopumped.
It was Nikita Jobson again whodid it and like it looks so, but
it looks I just like from thelittle thing she's posted, and
like people have been commentinglike how steamy this one is and
stuff, like because we reallyloved her, forget me not.
So I'm pumped to read yeah,yeah yeah, forget me not, was

(11:25):
not.

Speaker 3 (11:26):
I think she had the idea as a potentially to be a
real little thick, but it wasnot a fic and a lot of big
misconception about that.
She's amazing.
She wrote that book.
She was like I think I'm goingto try to like write another
book and she just like finishedit in like a few months.
And I remember being like I'vebeen in the dev edits for like
two years now and you justfinished a book and then like it

(11:47):
sounds like it sounds like her.
She's unbelievable, and but likeI try to remember the actual
title, not another love song, Ijust think of it as cello.
It's, it's, it's really good,and every time I go to like the

(12:09):
symphony or some kind ofclassical music thing, it's like
you will never look at celloand violin players the same way.

Speaker 2 (12:18):
So I cannot wait, I know oh yeah, that's hilarious.

Speaker 1 (12:24):
Ok, so you kind of touched on it a little bit just
with the agent stuff.
But I guess, how is writing anactual book different than
writing a fanfic?
You kind of talked aboutwriting your one Harry went
sally fanfic, but how did youactualize it into an actual, you
again book?

Speaker 3 (12:47):
Great question.
Personally, I find writingfanfic way more enjoyable and
fun, and I'd probably only dothat if I had time to do that
now.
I would also say that I don'tnecessarily recommend you
reworking a fanfic as the bestpath into publishing, just

(13:09):
because it's almost like youhave a whole first draft that
you've already been around theblock with once and then it can
be very hard to take it and thenhave to then twist it and mold
it into something different fora lot of reasons, and I think

(13:29):
it's probably just a lot easierfor people to just start fresh,
knowing that, ok, I'm trying towrite an original novel and,
just based on where I am now,I'm like, yeah, it's actually
easier to not have to takesomething that I struggled with
for a year and had all thesethoughts about and then have to

(13:51):
throw a lot of that away andthink about this new, different
version of it.
So in my case, because it wasan AU and took place in the real
current world and didn't reallyhave any particular starwarsy
components, it wasn't like I hadto really do away with IP

(14:13):
whereas, like you know, likeFaya had to, like D, starwarsify
an entire magic unit system.
So not having to do thatactually really helps, obviously
, but there were some thingsthat I definitely had to change
and I think they're very commonin fanfic.
One is too many characters,like.

(14:36):
I think when you write fanfic,you tend to try and have
everyone make a cameo.
And you're like, oh, how can Ifit in like this person?
And then you're just sort oflike oh, it was a friend.
Everyone has like sevendifferent named friends and
that's fine, because people whoread it don't need to learn who
everyone is.
When you read an original novel, it's like people cannot keep

(14:57):
track of more than like four orfive.
Yeah, it's like cool, what,what's their characteristic?
But obviously in fanfic you canjust throw everyone in there
and it's fine.
So I had to, unfortunately,reconstruct a lot of the
landscape of who was in it.
I also in the original thickthe Ben character was a lot more

(15:21):
this is going to sound weirdbecause a lot of people were
like these are bad people aboutthe book.
But he was worse.
He was like a libertariantalking head kind of person
Because I was always like Ireally want him to be like a
villain.
You know like, yeah, which youcan do in fanfic and still have
people be fine with it becauseof that fandom connection.

Speaker 2 (15:46):
Yeah, we love it.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
So when I turned in the first version of the
manuscript to my agent and shehad obviously read the thick she
was sort of like you know, Idon't think we're going to get
away with this.
He's going to come off as veryunlikable and anything with
politics she's like no one wantsto read that in a rom-com,

(16:09):
which I was like fair,especially around the time I was
revising it, which was like2020 and there was just like hey
the situation had gotten somuch worse than when I wrote the
fanfic that I was like you'reright.
So he turned into a chefinstead of a political
commentator and the Raycharacter had originally been

(16:35):
like a very left wing kind ofpolitical consultant and I had
to change her career and sheturned into a comedian because
one of the early pieces offeedback I got from an editor
who rejected the book was thatshe was like too funny, which I
was like what?

(16:55):
Like she's just like.
She just comes off as like toofunny.
I was like OK.
Then I was like well, how couldI get away with the character
being too funny?
Maybe they're a comedian?
And then it kind of all like fittogether and they're more like
rom-com careers which areusually like not your typical
office job, Like you have tohave them doing something, like

(17:19):
I run a bakery.
Yeah, it's like they alwayshave to be doing something
heightened.
And so I was like, OK, thoseare two careers that I feel like
I can get some drama out of.
That sound kind of interesting.
So once I changed that, it waslike, OK, now I have to change
the backstories, what therelationships are.
So, ultimately there's probablymaybe 20% of what was in the

(17:43):
thick ended up in the book insome form, like some of the
tentpole scenes I would say aresomewhat the same, but
everything else had to changeand essentially be rewritten
because it just wouldn't havehung together as a story.
Once I had it's like once youmove one puzzle piece it's like
you've got to figure outeverything else again and I'm

(18:06):
sure it would have taken me lesstime to just write a fresh book
A scratch.

Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yeah, that's what I was just thinking.
You're right Having to reworkeverything versus just coming up
with something fresh.
Yeah, I'm sure it was a lotmore tedious.
It's like double the work.

Speaker 3 (18:18):
I know it's going to take that far.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
It's like writing two books.

Speaker 3 (18:21):
Yeah, and I truly think they are two separate
works.
At this point, I think thepeople who really enjoyed the
fanfic and have read the bookhave been like yeah, I could
totally see why you made thechanges and I think this is
different and it works well andI still love the fanfic for what

(18:42):
it is, even though it probablyhas a lot of stuff I wouldn't do
today, and it has so much moresex in it.

Speaker 1 (18:50):
Which I'm always here for.
That's the main thing I had togo out.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
My imprint was sort of like we need to trim some of
that.
I kept trying to sneak it in.
So yeah, obviously that'sanother downside.
Like fanfic, you can just gowild, there's no boundaries and
as long as you tag it it is fine.
And in traditional publishingthey just have a different set

(19:19):
of expectations than standard,even though I have to say I
think it's actually changed alot since I signed my contract.
I think the things I can getaway with now with my editor and
subsequent books probably moresex scenes than she was probably
comfortable with on this one,even the books that she has
edited from other authors in thepast year.

(19:41):
I'm like you would like them todo that and you made me cut
this little scene.
So I think that has actuallychanged a little bit and I think
it might have something to dowith the merging of indie
romance, trad pub and fanfiction Writers all converging

(20:05):
or something.

Speaker 2 (20:06):
No, I think you're completely right.
I think the smut is way more inthe last year.
So OK, and more published booksnow, especially with
independent authors and stuff.
It's cool, yeah, how much morewelcoming it is.
I'm here for it.

Speaker 1 (20:25):
OK, I think I know this because again I've stalked
you, but the inspiration for Ariand Josh.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
Well Besides I guess yeah, I mean obviously the sort
of I don't want to say likeopposite to track.
But you know, sort of like thatdynamic I think of like people
who are very different but sortof like that makes it work, is
obviously like kind of atouchstone of like the yin yang

(20:56):
thing of the real fandom.
But if you read a lot of realfanfic you'll kind of find that
it is all over the map.
There's so many fics where,like the Ben character is like a
cinnamon roll.
It's like you know, it's likeit almost like doesn't even mean
what I think originally itpeople were into it for.

(21:17):
So it's like in my own mindit's almost like such a
secondary thing for me nowbecause like I had to kind of
figure out like how to createcharacters that wouldn't rely on
that pre existing sort of likefandom conception of who the
characters were.
So, honestly, they're both sidesof me in a sense.

(21:41):
It's like I I'm kind of like aSally, like a Josh kind of
person in a lot of ways, likekind of like type A and can be
very like rigid and sort of likejudgmental sometimes, and
there's also a side of me that'smore like Ari, that's like very
, can be very like impulsive andalso like very avoidant and

(22:03):
like kind of like badcommunicator and like hides
behind, like sarcastic jokes, alot, doesn't want to spend the
night with you, like wants toleave right away, like that is,
that is me.
So I just was basically kind ofwriting characters out of both
sides of my personality and alot of it, a lot of the banter,

(22:25):
honestly, is kind of inspired by, unfortunately, like my, my ex,
who I went through a divorcethis last year which I've been
trying to be pretty open about.
But awkward because, like a lotof the book is like reflections
of our relationship to anextent.
So it's sort of like weird tobe like, oh my God, it's like

(22:47):
I'm reliving this thing that Iended.
But I think you know, when youare have a dynamic with someone,
it kind of flows into you knowyour, your writing and how you
have characters interact, and sowe were like big banter people
and a lot of that made its wayinto the book to so like he's

(23:10):
definitely in there.
He's more the Ari I would.
I always identified more as theJosh when I was like so that
that's kind of funny.
It's kind of funny to me whenpeople say they don't like Ari
and they're like oh, she's suchan unlikable character and part
of me is a little offended, butpart of me is like, yeah, she's
like yes, it's funny you saythat because I was actually

(23:36):
talking to show.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
When I first started this book, I didn't dislike Ari,
but I didn't know how I feltabout her at first and now that
I'm halfway through the book Ijust understand her better.
But honestly, I love that it'ssuch a different female, male or
female main character than whatyou're typically seeing.
It's such a refresh on that andso, like I'm so into it now,

(23:57):
like and I got into it prettyquickly just like getting to
know her.
But yeah, it's just sodifferent.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
I told her I was like it takes a minute for you to
like Ari, like you don't likeher at first.
It just takes you like you haveto warm up to her.
Versus, even though Josh islike quote unquote, prickly at
the beginning, you love himinstantly Because obviously
you're like in his mind orwhatever.
But but yeah, and that'sexactly what happens, because

(24:23):
you know your text didn't meanshe's like I love Ari because
you're halfway through the booknow.

Speaker 2 (24:28):
Because you're like rooting for, you wanted to like
figure it out.
You're like figure it out andget it together.

Speaker 1 (24:33):
And obviously, like Josh, is a part of her figuring
out her life like she helps, andI mean not that he doesn't have
his own problems to.

Speaker 3 (24:43):
Yeah, and I did have to like soften him a bit.
Like that's what feedback thatI got kind of repeatedly when we
took the manuscript for thebook on submission to publishers
.
Is that a lot of people?
Actually, it wasn't Ari thatwas their issue, it was the Josh
character and.
I had to do a lot of work inthe rewriting to make him more I

(25:05):
don't even want to say likable,but maybe like more relatable
or like to kind of like not makehim so like instantly, like
cool, and so that that was kindof interesting.
also interesting cut from thefanfic connection, because
people in the relo fandom alsotend to always have a very, very
like forgiving attitude towardsthe Ben characters like yeah,

(25:30):
which always kind of likeannoyed me because you're always
very hard on the Ray character.
If like she would do somethingwrong and you'd see it in real
time in the comments.
So it's something that I'm likekind of sensitive to, but I
also think it has a lot to dowith just like fandoms with
actors versus like actresses andstuff like that.
I had already been through somekind of like complaints about

(25:53):
that with the thick, and so Iwas.
I'm always like very likedefensive about Ari and like
she's trying okay, like doingher best.
It is hard to be a woman.

Speaker 2 (26:08):
Yes, I love so much that you're saying that, because
that was the same conversationwe had.
Yeah, I mean it's like lastweek yeah why are we being so
hard on this female character?
But we're never that hard onthe male character, like we had
a whole conversation about thisand it's so valid, which I think
is what made me just love Arieven more.
It's like it is unfair, and Iwas even doing and I didn't

(26:29):
realize that so was.

Speaker 3 (26:30):
I so was I.

Speaker 2 (26:31):
I told you that, well , we talked about this last week
.
Me and Ashley are like, oh, youknow, at first when we read it
we were like very hard on hercharacter, kind of in the
beginning.
And then we're like you knowwhy?
Because the society like whyare we being that hard on Josh,
like he's not being that niceright now either, but it's like
it's fine.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
It's fine, yeah, yeah , yeah, it's also because I
think, like I am, my favoritegenre to read is like unhinged
woman.

Speaker 2 (27:00):
That's.

Speaker 3 (27:01):
Ashley's favorite to gone girl changed my life, so
yeah, I mean, I love any bookthat has a very complicated like
woman at the center of it and Ithink like and I have read so
many romance, like I am aromance reader and obviously a
fanfic reader, so like I am usedto reading sort of those

(27:22):
characters like I do, but like Ijust I always just want to
bring in some of that likeunhinged woman energy into like
anything I write, which which Ithink sometimes like people just
honestly don't necessarily likethat.
And yeah, I think also whenpeople especially read a rom-com
or they just look at the cover,I think they're maybe expecting
something that is a little bitlike the characters are a little

(27:45):
bit like softer, nicer to eachother or you know, like maybe
not expecting it quite so much.
It can be sometimes like anexpectations game with romance
because they can.
They're all over the map, right.
It's like some of them are havethe cartoon covers but are so
angsty You're just likedevastated and like what the now

(28:09):
?
Sometimes they're Omegaverseand their cartoon cover, which I
think is cool as well.
I love writing Omegaverse, butno one would ever let me do that
.
So it's like romance has becomethis thing where it's like
you're rolling the dice.
Yeah, every time you're likewhat is this going to be?
Like you know, is this a closeddoor suite, whatever, or is

(28:33):
this going to be some likeOmegaverse, like crazy thing
with shifters, like I don't know.

Speaker 1 (28:40):
That's so true.
It's so true.
Okay, so for the, for New YorkCity as your like location in
the backdrop.
What was the like significanceof that like?
Why did you end up choosing NewYork as the location for this
novel?

Speaker 3 (28:58):
I mean, obviously part of it was the one Harry Met
Sally is a pretty famous NewYork story, so kind of you know
I had to pay homage to that.
But I lived in New York, youknow, for most of my like adult
life.
I now mostly live in Atlanta.
I'm kind of a digital nomad,but that was kind of just like

(29:21):
where I had all my adultexperiences and like dating and
all that kind of stuff.
So honestly, it's almost likemy inability to just make up
interesting things kind ofplayed to my favorite.

Speaker 1 (29:34):
I remember this market.

Speaker 3 (29:36):
Literally like every location is based on, either
like a place that used to bethere, that I used to go to or,
you know, it's like it all hassome kind of connection to like
me, or like bad dates.
I went on like almost all ofthe like little, like date
anecdotes that happened in thebook are just like dates I was
on, so it's just all kind oflike my memories and even like

(29:59):
one of my best friends actually,who I lived with for a while in
New York, when she read thebook she was like she was like,
oh my God, like what are allthese locations Like?
You're all of them like this iscrazy to read.
Like this is like our 20s, youknow, like on the page, and I
was like I know.

(30:19):
So, yeah, it's just all from my, my own experiences and you
know, kind of mashing up all ofthat together.

Speaker 1 (30:29):
Yeah, it's cool in the back.
I because I read an arc, so Ididn't get to see it the first
time I read it.
But then I bought the book,obviously, and I just loved how
you you literally wrote downlike this place isn't here
anymore, but I love thepastrami's there or they have
great locations that.
Yeah, that was like publishersidea.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
Actually we were originally going to do some kind
of map, but it kind of with theprint format, like they were
like the map would be too small.
So like what, if we just kindof like did it like a guide or
whatever?
Yeah, I was happy to do that.
But actually, and so I now havethis like winter themed dust
jacket, which I don't have thoseare gorgeous On the back side

(31:11):
of it is the map and, oh yeah,one of my, one of my best
friends.
Sorry, I am no no she so she, wewere like fandom wives in the
real of fandom.
Her name is Selena and she dida lot of art for my thick we co
wrote fixed together and shedoes a lot of commissions and

(31:32):
just like any time I need art,I'm like I'm going to commission
you to do this.
And so she did the dust jacket.
And then she it was her ideashe was like what if we put the
map on the other side?
So we finally got to like putthe little map together.
So that was kind of a funlittle like full circle moment.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Yeah, that's really cool, really cool.
Yeah, they're gorgeous.
Yeah, it's cool that you likewe're sending them out.
I saw you sending them out.

Speaker 3 (31:58):
I feel like literally like trimming them, scoring
them, like I'm trying to do asmany as I can, but it I'm like
making them myself, basically.
So it's like it's only as muchtime as I have to do it that I
can actually like get them topeople.
So it's like little likeassembly line operation yourself
I literally just looked it up.

Speaker 2 (32:22):
It is so like as I'm talking about.
I know I told you I've seenit's beautiful, it's so pretty.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
Okay, again, I already know the answer to this
question, but, stacy, this was agreat question you wrote.
Do you listen to music when youwrite and then like how are
certain songs like influenced orlike obviously like significant
to you again, which you do talkabout throughout the book?

Speaker 3 (32:48):
Yeah, I absolutely have to have some musical
inspiration when I'm writingsomething If I don't.
Actually this just happened tome.
I was working on a subsequentbook and I didn't have any
musical inspiration, like Ididn't have a playlist, and I
was trying to like force it.
I was like, what about this,what about that?
And like I had to stop writingit because I was like this isn't

(33:10):
going to work if I don't have,if I don't have like the right
vibes.
Yeah, if I don't feel like justlike blasting something and
going for like a run and likereally thinking about like an
emotional scene, like it's justnever going to work.
So I always do.
And I had a playlist during thethick and it's pretty common

(33:31):
for like long fanfics to kind oflike put out song, you know,
like Spotify plays and stuff.
So I had done that.
So that was already kind ofbaked into it a bit.
And there are a lot of songsthat are like mentioned in the
book, which is kind of somethingthat you're probably not
supposed to do that too muchbecause it can like date books
sometimes, but most of them areolder songs.

(33:51):
So I thought it was okay.
But yeah, I have and I've madea couple like ticktocks and like
reels about some of the songsthat are featured in the book.
Unfortunately, while I wasdoing that, I realized that most
of them were associated with myex, who is he was like in the
music industry.
So like he that to me, like Ialways associate that with him,

(34:14):
which, by the way, it's likeit's fine, we're not like
acrimonious or anything, butit's like it's a little
bittersweet because, like, oneof the songs that is mentioned
is Don't Dream it's Over, whichis a crowded house song, which
is where they're dancing to it,the kind of pivotal scene anyway
, and a lot of people, like youknow, tell me, oh, like, every
time I hear that song, I thinkabout them or whatever.

(34:35):
And unfortunately it's like Ipicked that song because crowded
house was one of his favorite,my ex's favorite, like groups,
and so every time I hear it Ithink about him and I'm like, oh
, it's fine, but you know, it'slike it's kind of funny how much
, like all that stuff, kind oflike you're like, oh, like, yes,

(34:58):
like this, all kind of driftedtogether.
But yeah, I have to have thosekey songs that like, just like,
make me, make me feel like theangst and the emotions for sure,
and like a new project that Istarted pretty recently.
I knew it felt right because Iwas like I know exactly which

(35:19):
song is going to make me crywhile I'm writing that.
You know like, once you havethat and you can like trigger
those emotions with music, Ifeel like it just like flows so
much easier.

Speaker 1 (35:31):
Yeah, yeah, that makes sense.

Speaker 2 (35:34):
I, yeah, I love reading fan fanfics or even
books where, like, theymentioned songs or playlists
they listened to, because I likethe idea of like, even after
you're done reading it, you'relike thinking about a book and
like listening to it.
I love that whole vibe.
Also, I'm sad you went throughthat breakup.
I don't write things so I can'timagine, but as a writer, I
imagine that that happens a lotwith people, that they write

(35:56):
certain like friendships andrelationships, like inspiration
and books, and it's probablyhard to look back.
But at the same time, it'sprobably you can see this like I
don't know like season in yourlife, I guess reflected in your
work so well, and it's abeautiful book.
So, yeah, it's beautiful, yeah,and like.

Speaker 3 (36:14):
I said it's fine, I wouldn't talk about it if it, if
it were still like very likefresh or whatever.
And I do have.
I have a boyfriend now and it'sI'm doing fine.
But it is kind of funny how,like even in the because
publishing takes so long it'slike, yeah, acknowledgement.
Like the last one, which is likethe longest one, is about him

(36:37):
and I actually was like, is thisweird?
And then I was honestly it's,it's like a time capsule and
that's fine.
It's like, yeah, it's like hewas a big part of my life for
like 13 years, which is likeforever, and yeah, he should
still be like honored orwhatever in in this book.
So it's actually beeninteresting too, because, like

(36:59):
Ari is going through a divorceand I totally had that same
experience that I wrote about,except I lived it like a few
months ago.
You know, it's like this yeah,I live alone in an empty
apartment and I don't have anydishes.
Like this is kind of weird.
So it's funny how like I it'salmost like I predicted it for

(37:20):
myself.

Speaker 1 (37:21):
Oh, that is.
Yeah, that is weird.
Okay, not about your book.
What was your favorite bookfrom last year that you read?

Speaker 3 (37:32):
From last year, I would have to say, and I just
kind of like rediscovered itwhen I was like looking through
some old Instagram posts.
Not a romance, it's an unhingedwoman book, but it's so funny.
It's a book called Exalted byAnna Dorn and it's I feel like

(37:55):
it maybe was like acontroversial, but like people
either love it or hate it, butit the audiobook is one of the
weirdest audio books I've everlistened to.
The narrator has such a flatdeadpan like affected.
She voices two differentcharacters but kind of with the
similar, it's just like I.
I was so like fascinated by thisbook.

(38:17):
It's basically a woman who islike a tick tock like astrologer
and kind of becomes obsessedwith a man who she thinks has
like an amazing like chart andthen it kind of like takes all
these twists and turns and it'snot like a like a thriller or
anything.
It's kind of like a lit thickthing but it's really funny, if

(38:39):
you like sort of dark humor andI just like remembered it the
other day and I'm always liketagging the author to probably
like weird.
I'm always like I love thisbook.
Everyone like you know likecheck it out.
She's probably like what, butyeah, that was definitely one of

(39:01):
my favorites of of last yearand another, I'll say a romance
to.
There's a book that actuallycame out the same day my book
came out.
So I met the author likevirtually just by you know,
because we're like, oh, we havebooks coming out the same day.
I'm like way more like I watchit like very regularly, even

(42:42):
though I'm sort of likesometimes like annoyed by
certain things in it.
But anyway, Well, okay.

Speaker 1 (42:49):
So then where do you because me and Ashley watched
you've got when Harry Met Sallyfor New Year's and we were
ranking out of the three of them.
What do you rank them at?
Obviously you've got males.
Last Do you?
Is Harry Met Sally first.

Speaker 3 (43:07):
I guess it would be.
I feel like it's very hard tocompare sleep is in Seattle to
when Harry Met Sally, becausethey're just very different.
Yeah, they're very differenttypes of movies and I almost
have seen one, harry Met Sallyto like.
I've literally read the scriptmany times, I watched it all the
time in order to kind of liketry to get it so, and I have not

(43:30):
seen sleep is in Seattle quiteas much so.
But I do think that there'ssomething special about when
Harry Met Sally.
Just because of the, the teambehind it, it like it launched a
lot of career.
It actually launched, like MegRyan into the rom-com like go to
person.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
That was the first one, yeah.

Speaker 3 (43:50):
So I feel like that really helped establish Nora
Efron.
Even like Billy Chris, likewhat the hell was that Exactly
In a rom-com.

Speaker 2 (43:58):
That is true.
What was that?

Speaker 3 (44:03):
Whereas Tom Hanks I feel like yeah, of course he's
like, of course he should be inthat.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
So right, right.

Speaker 3 (44:10):
It's just so hard to compare them, that's.

Speaker 1 (44:12):
I'll take that.
Okay, how about the Drew Adammovies?
Which is better?
The wedding singer or 51stdates?
And there is a clear winner forthis one.

Speaker 3 (44:27):
It's the wedding singer hands down for me.

Speaker 1 (44:29):
Oh, I was going to say 51st dates, but Nothing
compares to the wedding singer.

Speaker 2 (44:34):
I do think, I do think Okay all of it.

Speaker 1 (44:37):
My, my reasoning is because, okay, maybe because I'm
getting older, but, like you,just want someone to love you so
unconditionally that if you hadan accident like that, that
they would be there for you nomatter what.
Like they would push that tapein every single day and they

(44:58):
would be by your side when youcan't even remember your own
name.
Well, she remembers her name,but you know what I mean.
Like that's why it's like that.

Speaker 3 (45:07):
I get that.
I don't mind 51st dates, I justthink the wedding singer is
it's, it's really good.
It's it's a long time, but likeit is, I think it's.
It's actually like.
I think it did a lot also tolike make Adam Sandler more
believable in in non, like hisearly movie yeah, push him out

(45:31):
of that.
But didn't they also make likea third one with with like all
their a bunch of they had allbunch of kids of family, or yeah
, that was blended.
I didn't know that made the cut.
I thought you were gonna saythat when I was like oh, I did
not catch that one.
I don't think I've seen thatone either.

Speaker 2 (45:48):
I don't see it I didn't see it.

Speaker 1 (45:50):
That didn't make the cut.
Okay, okay, how about have youseen Kumail Nanjiani, lovebirds
or the big sick?

Speaker 3 (46:02):
which is I love the big sick.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Oh, the big sick is so good, big sick I was also a
big fan.

Speaker 3 (46:09):
He and he and his wife real life wife Emily used
to have a podcast where I don'tremember what the I don't know I
was.
I was really into this wholepodcast world like a few years
ago and so I knew of that storyfrom hearing them tell it.
You know, on these various likepodcasts and comedy podcasts,
and then when I found out theywere like writing this, I was

(46:30):
like, oh, that's, that's kind ofinteresting.
And then like the movie itself,I I really like, I think it's
like one of the best, likemodern you know, 2010s and up
yeah, whatever year come out.
romcoms yeah, it's great.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
It is, it's really good.

Speaker 2 (46:48):
I haven't seen it.
I need a walk, I guess.
Yeah, it's really good.

Speaker 1 (46:53):
Lovebirds is also really good.
It's like different take isit's like kind of murder mystery
but also a romcom kind of but.
But you're right, the big sickis so good.
Okay, what was the bettermulticast movie?
He's just not that into you.
Or love actually, it's likehard to compare.

(47:13):
There's so many.

Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah, I have to say I've only seen he's.
He's just not that into you, Ithink, maybe like once Me too,
Like on TV, like I, just I, Idon't have the history with it.
Yeah, love, actually I go backand forth on.
I feel like the hate for it isoverdone.
It's like okay, we know.
It's like there's bad thingsabout this movie and there's

(47:37):
like weird, really weird stuff,but then there's also like
charming stuff.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
So I guess, okay, so is the hate for it, because I've
only, I've only seen each ofthem once.
Is the hate for it?
Like Love actually once.

Speaker 2 (47:49):
That's crazy, chanel.
I've seen it so many times.
Is it every Christmas?

Speaker 1 (47:54):
The whole like cheating thing and like I don't
even know like what.
What's the whole stuff?
Is it because there's only oneblack guy in it?
What do we hate about it?

Speaker 2 (48:04):
It's like multiple things that people like the age
gap.

Speaker 1 (48:09):
Age gap yeah, that was People hate the best friend.

Speaker 2 (48:12):
That's like hitting on the bride, the wife of his
like best friend stuff, peoplethink it's really cringy Okay.

Speaker 1 (48:21):
Gotcha, all I've heard is harassment.

Speaker 3 (48:23):
In the human story line there's the woman, emma
Thompson, who gets Thompson.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (48:29):
Yeah, she got cheated on.

Speaker 3 (48:31):
Yeah.
Then there's like the littlekid with the song.
It's like every storyline hassome like thing that I think a
lot of people are like hey, waita minute about.
So it's sort of like, and thenit's just ubiquitous, you know,
it's just like oh, like myfavorite Christmas, and then
people are like, no, that can'tbe your favorite Christmas movie
.

Speaker 1 (48:50):
Well, yeah, but that's the other thing.
I'm like I thought it wassynonymous with Christmas, you
know.
So I was like oh okay, Ithought we loved this.

Speaker 3 (48:58):
I always thought the storyline with the stand in horn
actor.
Yes, it's pretty funny.
But like now it's like I guesslike Martin Freeman is
problematic, and so people arelike cancel that one too.
I was like, yeah, I don't know,I guess maybe you shouldn't
enjoy this movie, but it's likeI think I've come around on it
again where I'm like I can justenjoy this on its own.

(49:19):
You know, like I could justthrow it on and be like fine,
it's just not that maybe Ishould watch.
He's just not that into youagain.

Speaker 2 (49:29):
It's good too.

Speaker 3 (49:29):
I mean, I like it.

Speaker 2 (49:30):
I've seen it a couple times.

Speaker 1 (49:31):
There's so many actors in that there's like
famous people in that there iscrazy amount, yes, but I mean I
guess that could be problematictoo, because it's just like
you're always, like there's likeno expectations, like you
should never expect to be likethe chosen one you should be.

Speaker 3 (49:50):
You're always like that whole book, that whole
movement yeah, written by a man.
Yes, I think it's just suspect.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
Maybe the question is which one is least problematic.

Speaker 3 (50:05):
That's, change it, that's a good question, I mean.
But you know, at the same timeit's part of me maybe it's
because, like when I was a kid Iwould watch Sex in the City and
I internalized like that'swhere that came from and it's.
But there is something to thefact that, like you, shouldn't
get jerked around by people whoaren't you know, like upfront

(50:26):
and honest about what they wantfrom you, and I think that's
kind of the seed of he's justnot that into you.
So maybe that is a good thing toyou know, like a good message,
but I don't know if the moviereally like the movie, even do
that.
There is like a cheatingstoryline again in that one
there is.
I just get really like.
I get like a stomach ache whenI see like Jennifer.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Yeah, and she's just like.
She's just.
She just got like jerked aroundthat whole movie yeah.

Speaker 3 (50:55):
It feels so like bad and uncomfortable to me to like
watch like beautiful actresseshave to like play.
These parts were like I don'tknow.
I just yeah, okay.

Speaker 1 (51:05):
We can.
We can move on for those.
We just like analyze both ofthose, so so much.
Okay, which Leo and Kate movieis better?
The Titanic or RevolutionaryRoad, which I feel like is I've
actually never, not all, ofRevolutionary Road.

Speaker 3 (51:25):
I love Titanic.
I think it holds up a hundredpercent.
Actually just watched it.
So my boyfriend has an eightyear old daughter and we watched
it with her like a few yearsago and she did not want to
watch it, but of course she gottotally sucked in upset.

Speaker 2 (51:41):
I bet.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
I'm.
She was asking like she's veryperceptive, and she was like is
Jack gonna die?
I'm gonna die, and she was likeno, just tell me, because I'm
good.
She's like she was gettingagitated and he was telling you
the waters rushing in.
Yeah, and she was so worriedthe whole time and then at the
end of the movie she was likethat was the saddest that has

(52:02):
ever been made.
She like so upset that we likesubjected her to like and we
wouldn't tell her Afterward.
We were like, yeah, maybe weshould have.
We should have like not done itthat way.
But it was really funnywatching it through the eyes of
like a child who had never seenthis before.
I unabashedly love it.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
Yeah, I'm still heartbroken over it.

Speaker 2 (52:29):
Ashley can attest to this.
I don't remember how I rememberwhen I got all the Titanic
stuff for Christmas when we werelittle, like the poster, the CD
she got like a box collectorset of like both VHS.

Speaker 3 (52:40):
The VHS is Are you the two?

Speaker 2 (52:43):
Yes, because it had two tapes, two and like a blue
box with like came with a bookwith like inlays in it.
Would you do with that Stacy?
I still have it and remember atthe book fair they had the
heart of the fake part of thenecklace and I got so upset when
mom wouldn't let me buy it.
She was like absolutely not,we're not spending $30 on that.

Speaker 3 (53:03):
It wasn't a real jewel.
I'm wearing my own version ofthe heart of the ocean.
I love it.
It's gorgeous, it's gorgeous.

Speaker 2 (53:15):
I'm telling mom, you're still upset about it.
I still, yeah, but my grudge isthat when I was 10 years old,
she wouldn't buy me the heart ofthe ocean.
It was from this plastic bookfair.

Speaker 1 (53:26):
Oh, my God.

Speaker 2 (53:27):
Okay, titanic, obviously is the winner.
Revolutionary wrote is terriblysad.
It is like it is.

Speaker 1 (53:33):
It's you having a break?
I haven't seen it.

Speaker 2 (53:35):
I haven't seen it I mean it's a good movie, but it
is not a rom-com.

Speaker 1 (53:38):
It's not a rom-com.

Speaker 2 (53:40):
You can't watch it more than once.
I swear it's like a one time,one time.

Speaker 1 (53:44):
Wow, okay, I just was thinking of Paris acting Paris,
because it was like Meg and Tomand Drew and Adam, and then Leo
and Kate.

Speaker 3 (53:52):
But I do love Leo and Kate, but yeah, In real life
they're still like friends, andI think that's kind of cute.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
Yeah, good acting pair.
Okay, we got a couple more.
What's the best MatthewMcConaughey movie?
The wedding planner, or how toLose a Guy in 10 Days.

Speaker 3 (54:10):
Okay, I'm the right person to ask about this because
I've pitched multiple MatthewMcConaughey rom-com era, sort of
like retellings or whateverfrom my subsequent books, and
Sen's kind of realized that it'slike there's not a whole lot of

(54:33):
character there.
Matthew, I do think that how toLose a Guy in 10 Days, I think
is almost a perfect rom-comsetup, like the fact that they
both have opposite goals.
You know, it's like forwhatever they did to come up
with that.

(54:53):
It's like I feel like that islike Chef's Kiss super-duper
rom-com setup.
Yeah, perfect, and I can respectthe movie for that.
I've seen it many, many timesin the past year because I've
been trying to kind of likecrack this, like retelling of it
, but I do think that it'sthere's some real problematic

(55:17):
stuff about it.
But that's fine, it is what itis and I think they're very
charming together.
The wedding planner I've alwaysbeen stuck on the fact that
this man was engaged.
Ok, give it.
You know it's like yessometimes.

Speaker 2 (55:36):
What is he doing?
What?

Speaker 3 (55:37):
is he doing?
Or he's engaged, why is he,even if he's not truly in love?
Why is he engaged?

Speaker 1 (55:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (55:44):
So I've never and there's a lot of movies that
have that same set up and, yeah,I just never rings true for me
that like Something blue, nowhat.
There's a movie also withJennifer.

Speaker 2 (55:59):
Oh, something borrowed, and it's only borrowed
.

Speaker 3 (56:01):
Yes, yes, Also engaged, I think right, so
that's a book series, yeah, theother engage and then she sleeps
, and then yeah, yeah, I watchedthat movie.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
I'm like I don't there's so many problems.
Like one, what kind offriendship is this?
First off, that's happening,and then two yeah, I was just
like it was two.
That's also.

Speaker 1 (56:20):
Kate Hudson.
Right, yeah, she's the portingcharacter.

Speaker 3 (56:23):
She's like the friend and she's the one engaged.

Speaker 1 (56:25):
I think yes, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (56:27):
Yeah, so I have a.
I have a problem with movieswhere the rom-com setup is that
somebody's already engaged butthen by the end of the movie
we're supposed to believe thatthey just do this like
switcheroo and we're allsupposed to be fine with it.
Yeah, like I would actuallylove to write and I feel like me
oh, I think this is EmilyHenry's next book maybe where
it's like the jilted, I thinkstory is like the jilted woman

(56:52):
has to kind of like move in withthe jilted man or something
which I was like yeah, I'd liketo see that because I would read
that yeah.
What happened to all these womenwho were engaged to Matthew
McConaughey's and then who leftthem for a wedding planner for
their wedding?

Speaker 2 (57:07):
Like you never recover from that.

Speaker 1 (57:09):
Yeah, what happens after the credits?
My fee, I'm verifying for awedding planner.

Speaker 3 (57:14):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, that's, that's awful.
So how to?
To me it's, it's how to lose aguy in in 10 days, but but yeah,
he really had a ton of rom-coms.
I'm actually working right nowon a kind of failure to launch
Failure to remember that one Ilove the launch like gender

(57:36):
swapped kind of thing as well.
So I've, but I haven't actuallywatched that whole movie.
I don't think I need to, but hedid so many rom-coms.

Speaker 1 (57:44):
He had that a little era right there where before the
McConaughey's, that's like allhe did.

Speaker 2 (57:49):
All he did was rom-coms.
So girlfriends.

Speaker 1 (57:51):
Pat is like you can't go to the Remember the past.
I didn't even see that one.
Ok, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Did you guys hear the interview real fast?
The interview that he didbecause he wanted to get out of
rom-coms and that's all anybodywould pitch him was rom-coms and
he didn't want to do themanymore.
So he didn't act for almost twoyears because he refused to do
any kind of.
Oh and then I remember, likethis interview that I read with
him like he got offered someobscene amount of money to do

(58:18):
this movie and he still said nobecause he wanted to do
something else.
And I think he said it took twoyears before they'd let him do
anything else but he finallylike broke out of that.

Speaker 1 (58:27):
What was it like then ?
He got Dallas Buyer's Club.
I think so.

Speaker 2 (58:31):
Like one and Oscar and it's not been an issue.
But he was like I didn't knowif I was going to really work
again.
I just he's like.
I almost gave in to whatever.

Speaker 3 (58:39):
I don't remember.

Speaker 2 (58:41):
I don't remember what the movie was to that they were
offering, because somebody elsedid the rom-com and it was
really popular.
But yeah, I wish I rememberwhat it was now too.
So I think he sent me that tolisten to.

Speaker 1 (58:50):
It's really honestly that makes me respect him a
little more, because he's not myfavorite actor by any means,
but I respect him.
You got to like change yourlane up sometimes.

Speaker 2 (59:00):
Yeah, he didn't work for like two years, I think
because of that Wow.

Speaker 3 (59:05):
And now look in her stellar.

Speaker 1 (59:07):
In her stellar, I know, dude, amazing, okay, okay.
Ashton and Mila, obviously, whoare married.
They star in different moviesbut that have essentially the
same plot.
Kate, can you name those moviesthat each of them did?

Speaker 2 (59:31):
Shoot.
I don't even know.
I was like can?

Speaker 1 (59:32):
you can call in for backup.
Oh no, you can't.
They don't know it.

Speaker 2 (59:36):
I think I know them?

Speaker 3 (59:37):
Is it the Friends with Benefits?
That's one.
Okay, that was her.

Speaker 1 (59:43):
That was yes.

Speaker 3 (59:44):
What was the about?
Them was with Natalie Portman.

Speaker 1 (59:47):
Oh, yes, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was going to say bonus
points.

Speaker 2 (59:50):
No strings attached.
No strings attached.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
Yeah, am I right?
Yeah, you're right.
No strings attached.

Speaker 3 (59:56):
I think one of them used to be called fuck buddies
or something and they had tochange it and I couldn't
remember the actual title.

Speaker 1 (01:00:02):
Wow, what was?
What was?
Because you had Natalie Portman, and then who was the guy that
she was with?

Speaker 3 (01:00:09):
Justin Timberlake.
Yeah, good job Remember lastera, you get all the points yeah
.

Speaker 2 (01:00:15):
Justin was acting Okay.

Speaker 1 (01:00:21):
How Stella got her groove back, or under the Tuscan
sun.

Speaker 2 (01:00:28):
I've seen neither of these movies.

Speaker 3 (01:00:32):
I saw how Stella got her groove back when I was a
child in the movie.
I think my mom wanted to see it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:38):
Oh yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:00:39):
And I went and I was like.
So I was like a kid, I was likewhat is this, oh my God.
But I think I liked it Underthe Tuscan sun.
I feel like it's kind of ridingon this cliche of like lady
goes to Europe and you know,it's like and it's probably
started it.

Speaker 1 (01:00:57):
So it's not fair to say yeah, I mean, I think it's
like eat Christina Barcelona,kind of thing.

Speaker 3 (01:01:03):
So it's like.
But I feel like I would be moreinterested now in watching how
Stella got her groove back, justbecause, like it's like Angela
Bassett right, and she's my fave, she's amazing, so I would.
I'll kind of probably watch herin anything, yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:01:21):
All right, last one how many times has JLo played a
bride in rom-com movies?
I guess, it's not necessarilyrom-com, but majority of them
are rom-coms.

Speaker 3 (01:01:34):
Listen, I have a bias towards JLo.
Right now I cannot say why.
I will defend her, so we're notgoing to talk any smack about
her.

Speaker 2 (01:01:44):
We're not talking any she's the queen we found out
Maybe everyone cross yourfingers that someday I can
explain why we are allsupporting her.
I want to know.
I do.

Speaker 3 (01:01:55):
I'll tell you off, I'll go for it Okay, I was like
I just watched a TikTok likeliterally yesterday about why
she is because she's a bride inher new music video.

Speaker 1 (01:02:06):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:02:08):
So it's like they were like what is she doing?
Why is she always trying to bea bride?

Speaker 1 (01:02:11):
Yeah, that's what I came up and I was like this fact
is interesting.

Speaker 3 (01:02:15):
It's like wedding planner shotgun wedding Marry me
Um.
Was she learning Monster andLaw Monster?

Speaker 2 (01:02:23):
and Law.
Monster and Law is so good.
I love that movie.

Speaker 1 (01:02:28):
I built that movie, you got to go way back as well,
like sometimes she didn't gothrough with the wedding, just
to say that you know.
So I'm like just throw it thatway.

Speaker 3 (01:02:44):
I'm trying to think of what her other rom-com made
in Manhattan.
She's not a bride, she's made.
She does dress up at one point.

Speaker 2 (01:02:53):
This isn't a rom-com, but I love her enough it's like
one of my favorite.
Oh yeah, absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:02:58):
She does it, she dresses up, she plays a bride in
that too.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
Oh, she does get married in that she gets married
.

Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
She is right, okay.

Speaker 2 (01:03:05):
That A-hole.

Speaker 3 (01:03:06):
Uh-huh.

Speaker 2 (01:03:08):
What a great movie.
What else has she?

Speaker 3 (01:03:09):
been a bride in.
Yeah, I can't think eitherthere's probably like seven.
Oh wait, to the plan B orsomething.
Is she a bride?
She's pregnant, she's beenpregnant.

Speaker 1 (01:03:18):
It's not called plan B, but it's oh backup plan.
Yep, okay, oh, that's what it?
Is oh they're.
What else is there?
Okay, selena.
Hold the breath they're.

Speaker 3 (01:03:31):
Selena oh, they do get married in that Uh-huh or
that in the theater too, Selena.

Speaker 1 (01:03:35):
So the answer is nine times.
Oh, wow, wow, selena, weddingplanner, enough El Contante,
backup plan, marry Me, my family, shotgun wedding and the cell.

Speaker 3 (01:03:53):
She's a bride in the cell.

Speaker 1 (01:03:55):
As it says.

Speaker 2 (01:03:56):
I can't remember.
I mean, the cell is really good.
I haven't watched it in a while, but I don't remember her being
a bride.

Speaker 1 (01:04:00):
Yeah, she's worn a white dress with the intention
of marrying.
She might not have it's afollowed through with it but
like she's worn a dress and likeyou know, interesting, I didn't
hear you say monster in law.

Speaker 2 (01:04:14):
Was that on there?

Speaker 3 (01:04:15):
That wasn't even.
Maybe she wasn't a bride inthat maybe.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
Yeah, maybe she wasn't, I can't remember.

Speaker 2 (01:04:21):
I can't remember.
I can't remember.
They got married because shewore white to their wedding.

Speaker 1 (01:04:25):
Oh, wait a minute, yeah, because remember to it's
10.
James Fonda wears white to thewedding Because she's like spill
marinara.

Speaker 2 (01:04:33):
it's all on James' something right I forgot.
Maybe it's 10, but it's 10.

Speaker 1 (01:04:38):
This one.
It says nine.

Speaker 3 (01:04:40):
You haven't even caught them all.

Speaker 1 (01:04:42):
Yeah, now it's 10.

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
No, I have to say, if you've seen the Netflix
documentary like it's called,the Halftime, I think, oh, yeah,
yeah, I, when I watched that,like I don't know last year or
two years ago, I felt deeplymoved and I might have even
cried.
I feel like she has beenthrough a lot and she does not

(01:05:05):
get like respect from you know,like her peers and, but like
she's, you know, she's like aforce.
So if she were to be a bride,10.
10 times she can do that andI'm fine with that.
By the way, mary Meade was likebased on a webcomic or something

(01:05:29):
.
Oh yeah, it's like it has areally interesting origin story
and yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:05:35):
Well, yeah, I mean she produces and like all of
Like.
I'm obviously like her latermovies and stuff.
So I'm like yeah like you said,good for her.
Not only is she starring inthese, you know what?

Speaker 2 (01:05:47):
was that one, that one movie she was in where she.
It was really good.
It was based on a true storyabout the strippers.
You know what I'm talking aboutHustlers.

Speaker 3 (01:05:55):
Oh my God, hustlers yeah.
She was amazing in that and sheproduced that too.

Speaker 2 (01:05:59):
Hustlers was great.
Hustlers was good.

Speaker 1 (01:06:02):
Yeah, so, like you said, she deserves all that, all
that kind of credit.
So, okay, let's do we do like alittle kudos corner, which is
basically us giving thanks andshouting out things that we're
thankful for, happy about thisweek, and yeah, so let's start
it off, we'll do go around thecircle and then we'll end with

(01:06:26):
you Kate.

Speaker 2 (01:06:27):
Yay, but no pressure.
If you don't want to do it,just we do it.
Yeah, so no pressure, we do itover time.

Speaker 1 (01:06:32):
If you don't have anything to be thankful for.
That's why, oh no, Go ahead.
Ashley Can start it off.

Speaker 2 (01:06:39):
Oh, that means they get to copy me when I get to go
first.

Speaker 1 (01:06:42):
Yeah, we always tell ourselves who to go first.

Speaker 2 (01:06:44):
So obviously my kudos is for you.
I just can.
I still can't believe thatyou're on our podcast right now
and I swear it was like fate,because I was at Barnes Noble
and we had talked about doingyour book, so I went ahead and
bought it when I was there andthen, not even 20 minutes after
I purchased the book, chanellike group texted me and Stacy
was like, oh my God, she agreedto be on our podcast and I was

(01:07:05):
in Barnes Noble with our friendAshley and I was just like
freaking out in the middle ofthis store.
I was like you see this book?
Oh, there's going to be on ourpodcast, ashley's like I know
her.

Speaker 1 (01:07:17):
She hadn't even met her yet.
She's like she's my friend, heythat is true, though.

Speaker 3 (01:07:23):
I call everyone my friend, who I have never spoken
to, but I just am like you're myfriend.

Speaker 2 (01:07:28):
So that's right.
So I just feel like it's fateand just thank you for taking
the time to be here.
You're absolutely amazing.
I'm obsessed with this book.
I can't stop reading it.
I will be finished with it, I'msure today or tomorrow at this
point, and, yeah, I'm just soexcited for that and anything
else that you have coming out.
It's just going to be amazing,I know it.
Thank you, that's all mycuteness.

(01:07:50):
I guess I like you guys too, butit's just funny because
Ashley's barn's a noble story.
But, like before we had everdiscussed this, the copy I have
for your book is actually frommy Book of the Month app that I
do or whatever, and so I wastelling Ashley and Chanel when
she decided to do it I go, thisis like the universe is telling
us to have these like reallystrong female writers and like

(01:08:13):
talk about their books and stuff, because I ordered it and then
I had it and then she was likewe're going to do it and then
you're on and I'm just like it's, everything's just like lining
up.
It was just really cool.
So definitely thank you fortaking the time.
It's just been a greatexperience.
I've been excited about thisall week and kudos to, obviously

(01:08:35):
, chanel for being like I'm justgoing to do it, I'm going to
message and see what happens.

Speaker 1 (01:08:41):
Yeah, thank you Seriously.
I mean again just to piggybackoff of what they're saying.
I mean thank you so much.
I mean we have no idea the lifeof an author, but I'm sure you
have people sliding into yourDMs and emails and so just to
say yes to us.
This is a little podcast.

(01:09:01):
We're very appreciative.
And, yeah, again, I'm juststalking you after I read this
book last year and so I'mgeeking out.
It's just being such a fan.
So, thank you so much.
Kudos to you, because this bookis truly just, it's amazing.
You can tell, and just readingit, all the hard work that you

(01:09:26):
put into it, because thesecharacters are great, the
supporting cast is great and itwas definitely a top read for me
last year.
So, yeah, thank you so much.
I have one more kudos my bestfriend, Bob.
He retired this week.
And so we had a littleretirement party this weekend.

(01:09:46):
So I just want to say happyretirement Bob.
Aw yeah, so he's my secondkudos.

Speaker 3 (01:09:54):
Hey Bob, hey Bob, so yeah, well, let me give you all
kudos.
This was really fun.
It also worked out perfectlybecause I have the day off for
the holiday today, so it's sonice.
This was just like so nice.
Not only do I not have to bedoing my job, I can be like

(01:10:15):
talking to you all, so that'sreally fun.
So it was my privilege, andthank you for sliding into my
messages or emails.
I really appreciate it.
And I would like to say, give akudos to a book that I am
currently reading, that I'mprobably the last person to read

(01:10:36):
this book.
You probably already all readit, but I could not wait to read
it.
I actually suspense.
I'm not even going to say whatit is yet, but it was an add on
for Book of the Month this month.
So when I was getting my booksbecause I am also a member,
which they were impressed bywhen I went to Book of the Month
, I was like I'm a member, what?

(01:10:56):
Yes, I have the app and Iordered it.
And it was so popular that theywere like your box isn't going
to ship for like until midJanuary.
So I was like, oh, it camethrough on Libby like two days
ago.
Oh, I was like, yes, I acceptit, I'll take it.

(01:11:17):
So I've been reading it on myphone, but it is Butcher and
Blackbird.

Speaker 2 (01:11:22):
I knew you were going to say that Stacy was just
waiting.
That's so funny.
I'm waiting for it for Book ofthe Month too, right now.

Speaker 3 (01:11:29):
What happened?
I just didn't print enough.
I know I should have justbought it in a normal store, but
I was like oh, I'm waiting onLibby right now.
I actually heard, actually TaraDeWitt, I think, the another
famous author of Buddy Feelings,who I also slid into her DMs.
She was like the audio book isalso really good.

Speaker 1 (01:11:49):
Yeah, that's what I heard.

Speaker 3 (01:11:50):
So I wish I had the audio, but that's okay, I'll be
reading the book because I'vealready tried to pitch something
similar.
I was used it as a comp, if youlike, butcher and Blackbird.
What about this book idea Ihave, because I just knew I was
really going to be into it.
So I'm very excited that it'sso that took off and it's so

(01:12:14):
popular, because I think it's socool to do this kind of like
genre mashup and that peoplelike love it so much.
So, yeah, I'm just I'm reallyenjoying reading that.
Nice who does to Bryn Weaver.

Speaker 2 (01:12:28):
I love it.
I can't wait to read it, likeI've heard such great things.

Speaker 1 (01:12:31):
Yeah, Stacy, it seems like your kind of book.
Definitely I can see it.
Yeah, you gave us some goodrecs.

Speaker 2 (01:12:39):
Yes, check them out.
Yeah, definitely check them out.
I've been like putting them onmy Libby app, as you guys are
talking about.

Speaker 1 (01:12:46):
Save it, yes, and to all of our listeners, of course.
Obviously, read you again byKate Goldbeck, since we are
going to be talking about itnext episode.

Speaker 2 (01:12:58):
So, amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:12:59):
We love it.
That's the best rec.
That's the best rec for thisepisode.
Well, thank you again.
Thank you everyone forlistening and yeah, Stacy, you
gotta you gotta read what youlike.

Speaker 2 (01:13:11):
Close it out, stacy.
It's good, I'm going to go backto my room and talk about Sean.
Now I gotta figure out how toend the recording.