665. RT Rewind - February 2015 Reviews

665. RT Rewind - February 2015 Reviews

Author: Sarah Wendell May 2, 2025 Duration: 1:57:04

We are traveling back to February 2015 to take a look at the new releases in RT magazine, and my guest is the cover author, HelenKay Dimon, who also writes thrillers as Darby Kane.


This was VERY fun because HelenKay is an author, so she has a different perspective on the magazine, the convention, the reviews, and the way different genres have changed. We cover how HelenKay discovered romance, and how her career has evolved over the years – and of course we talk about all the books.


This is a long one because I couldn’t cut anything! I hope you enjoy it – please let me know what you think. And if you like the show, please tell a friend or Reddit or a random stranger about it.


You can find HelenKay Dimon at her website, and you can find Darby Kane at her website, too!

HelenKay is on Instagram sharing book release news, too.


We also mentioned:


And don’t forget! If you join the Patreon, you get the full PDF scan of every issue – and very few of these are available online.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


If you’ve ever felt a little defensive about loving romance novels, or just want to dive deeper into the books you can’t put down, Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast is your perfect companion. Host Sarah Wendell approaches the genre with a critic’s sharp mind and a fan’s enthusiastic heart, creating conversations that are as thoughtful as they are joyful. This isn’t just author interviews, though you’ll hear brilliant voices like Ilona Andrews, Sarah J. Maas, and the wonderfully unique Chuck Tingle. The scope of the podcast is deliberately wide, bringing in reviewers, librarians, editors, and publishing professionals to examine every facet of the romance world. You’ll get honest talk about tropes and trends, the business behind the books, and why these stories resonate so powerfully with millions of readers. Regular appearances from Amanda Diehl add another layer of camaraderie and insight. Listening feels like being part of a smart, welcoming book club where no opinion is dismissed and passion is a given. It’s a celebration of a genre that dominates fiction, explored with humor, intelligence, and genuine curiosity. Whether you’re a longtime devotee or a curious newcomer, this podcast offers a rich, engaging, and deeply human look at the stories we love.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books: A Romance Novel Podcast
Podcast Episodes
715. Books, Wine & Nachos at Joie de Livres, with Claire Trottier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:40
Thanks for Geoffroy in the podcast Patreon (merci, Geoffrey!) my guest this week is Claire Trottier, owner of Joie de Livres, a romance and speculative fiction bookshop in Montreal, Canada. Hi Neighbors!We’re going to ta…
714. The Edge of Space-Time with Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:01
When you subscribed to this podcast, I bet you thought, “When is Sarah going to interview an expert on theoretical physics ?” Today is your day!My guest is Dr. Chanda Prescod-Weinstein author of the book The Edge of Spac…
713. Enemies to Lovers with Alisha Rai [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:20
My guest this week is podcast community favorite Alisha Rai! We start off catching up on our history of podcasting together, our life changes, and the challenges of making children wear coats.Then it’s enemies to lovers…
711. RT Rewind: July 2000 Ads & Features [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:23:03
We are back in the time machine, heading to July 2000 to check out the Ads & Features from Romantic Times Magazine!We’re going to talk about Geocities websites, author research, and Hands.Lots of Hands.This one is a litt…
709. RT Rewind: July 2000 Reviews [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:58
We're back in the time machine, heading to July 2000 - for real this time - to check out the reviews in this issue of Romantic Times magazine!We’ve got anthologies, Carpathians, and several books where we’re pretty sure…
707. RT Rewind: June 1997 Ads & Features [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:38
Amanda and I are traveling back to June 1997 to discuss:Touring inside author’s homes and whether we think it’s kinda intrusive and uncomfortableNeverending reader hate for “the F word”The fans used to blow back cover mo…
706. The Astral Library with Kate Quinn [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:52
Kate Quinn’s new book, The Astral Library, is out this week and I was so excited to not only get an advanced copy but an opportunity to interview Kate Quinn.We talk about the inspiration for this very magical book, and a…