Ep #222 – LUST & FOUND

“COMMON GROUND”

This week Melinda hosts the podcast with special guest author E.E. Ottoman as we continue our February theme: Grumpy/Sunshine

EP 222 HOST

> MELINDA UTENDORF (she/her) was that child reading Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High books with a flashlight until 2 a.m. and checking out stacks of books from the library every week. After getting sick of ‘important’ books in her English degree classes, she turned to romance and HEAs and hasn’t looked back since. Melinda spends her time doing puzzles, listening to podcasts, and helping as admin for @RomanceSparksJoy. When she’s not busy with all of that, she’s a freelance editor or talking about books as @MelindaEdits

EP 222 GUEST

> E.E. OTTOMAN (he/him) is a romance author specializing is trans and queer historical romance. He is one of the earliest known out trans authors of trans romance. He has been honored by Romance Writers of America as a genre trailblazer both in trans romance and in diverse historical romance. You can visit E.E.’s website at https://acosmistmachine.com/ and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @acosmistmachine

EP 222 DISCUSSION

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

NOTE: These notes include affiliate links to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com to support the RBP transcript project

NOTE: This episode was recorded in mid-January during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020-21

> Melinda mentions E.E.’s next book The Companion, due out April 16th, and here’s the link to the cover reveal

Link: https://twitter.com/acosmistmachine/status/1350080294989172742

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3lihSpi

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56688439-the-companion

> Title: The Doctor’s Discretion

Author: E.E. Ottoman

Relation to theme: Introverted MC, opposites attract

Representation: Trans author, trans MC, disabled MC, Black MC, queer MCs

Content Warnings: racism, transphobia, homophobia, gaslighting, treatment of the mentally ill pre-1900

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3qNolcA

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35673510-the-doctor-s-discretion

> Yay! E.E. has plans to write a sequel that includes Moss!

> Title: A Matter of Disagreement

Author: E.E. Ottoman

Relation to theme: Prickly MC, rivals to lovers

Representation: Trans author, trans MC, queer MCs

Content Warnings: family politics

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3eJIYo1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41138069-a-matter-of-disagreement

> Title: The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh (The Society of Gentlemen prequel)

Author: K.J Charles

Relation to theme: Grumpy MC, sunshine MC

Representation: Queer MCs

Content Warnings: gambling, debt, toxic family

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3rQTf5e

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26110910-the-ruin-of-gabriel-ashleigh

> Title: Written in the Stars

Author: Alexandria Bellefleur

Relation to theme: Grumpy MC, sunshine MC

Representation: Queer MCs

Content Warnings (from reader Leigh Kramer): toxic family, past death of grandmother, heroine’s ex cheated on her, heroine’s mother dealt with depression after divorcing, heroine’s father cheated on her mother

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/lists/hosts-meka-melinda-s-recs

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3bMmOPP

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52335188-written-in-the-stars

> Title: How to Be Good

Author: Chase Verity

Relation to theme: Grumpy MC, sunshine MC

Representation: Queer author, queer MCs

Content Warnings: none identified

Bookshop: unavailable

Kindle: https://amzn.to/3qOHv1X

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56575030-how-to-be-good

> Title: Scoring the Player’s Baby (WAGS #3)