Jeff & Will's Big Gay Fiction Podcast

Jeff & Will have books to recommend for your TBR! In keeping with the Christmas in July theme, the guys recommend "Lights, Camera, Christmas" by J.D. Light, "Merry Measure" by Lily Morton, and "Stanley's Christmas Redemption" by Gabbi Grey. For some summertime YA reads they talk about "A Little Bit Country" by Brian D. Kennedy, and "Out of the Blue" by Jason June. Jeff's also got some can't miss romance with "Playing for Keeps" by Beth Bolden, and Kate Hawthorne's complete "Not Ready for Love" trilogy. Complete shownotes for episode 390 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will celebrate Christmas in July with a special recap discussion of one of their favorite holiday films, "The Christmas Setup." This Lifetime Original from December 2020 was the first holiday movie on an American cable network to feature a gay romance as the main storyline. As with all recaps, there are spoilers along the way so keep that in mind if you haven't seen this movie. Complete shownotes for episode 389 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will discuss LaQuette's "Under His Protection,'' the super sexy, second chance, romantic suspense story that also features some bodyguard and fake relationship tropes. As always, in our book club chat there are spoilers ahead so keep that in mind if you haven't read the book yet. Complete shownotes for episode 388 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

We're talking about cozy mysteries in this final Big Gay Fiction Fest panel discussion. Authors Michael Craft, Frank Anthony Polito, and S.C. Wynne join us to discuss the genre, what got them started writing in it, and we learn about their latest releases. Each author also shares what aspects of cozies they enjoy most, the most interesting thing they've learned in their research, and what Pride means to them in 2022. Complete shownotes for episode 387 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

For this final Author Spotlight of Big Gay Fiction Fest: Pride 2022 we welcome Beth Bolden. Beth gives us the scoop on her new "Miami Piranhas" series, and why she loves sports romances so much. Beth also shares how her love of analysis helps her fiction writing, the pros and cons of setting her books in one big universe, and how her writing has evolved over the years. Of course, since this is a Pride month episode, we also hear what Pride means to her and how that comes through in her stories. Complete shownotes for episode 386 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

For our second Big Gay Fiction Fest panel discussion we take on paranormal romance with Jenn Burke, Kiki Burrelli and Mia Monroe. We talk about the differences and crossovers between urban fantasy, magical realism and other genres, as well as the work that goes into creating a world where you decide all the rules. Of course we also discuss what drew each of them to write paranormal, their latest books, and how they make paranormal creatures uniquely their own. Complete shownotes for episode 385 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

J.R. Gray joins us for this Big Gay Fiction Fest: Pride 2022 Author Spotlight. We talk with Gray about how making up sci-fi stories when he was young led to the queer romance author he is today. He also shares how a pre-pandemic discovery about himself helped him stay focused and writing through it all, and how he likes to learn at least one new skill per year. We also discuss his new "Love Equations" series, how his stories have evolved over the years, and what Pride means to him. Complete shownotes for episode 384 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

In this Big Gay Fiction Fest panel discussion we talk about historical romances with Annabelle Greene, Merry Farmer and Cat Sebastian. In addition to talking about the latest books from Annabelle, Merry and Cat, we find what brought them to historicals and why they write in the periods they do, the importance of showing queer love and happiness in their stories, why historicals are so popular now, and what Pride means to each of them. Complete shownotes for episode 383 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Big Gay Fiction Fest: Pride 2022 begins! The guys announce the the Big Gay Fiction Book Club selection for Pride is the super sexy second chance, bodyguard romance "Under His Protection" by LaQuette. For the first Fest Author Spotlight, Kate Hawthorne talks about her latest series, "Not Ready for Love," including how the inspiration for the books came from cover photos that she saw. Kate also discusses how standalones books often turn into series, the types of kink and angst she likes to include in her stories, and the importance of keeping the writing process fun. Complete shownotes for episode 382 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Happy Pride Month! To kick off Pride, Jeff reviews Phil Stamper's middle grade book "Small Town Pride." Jeff also talks about the dangers of book bannings and anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and that everyone should be actively supporting causes that fight for diversity and inclusion. Children's book authors Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, authors of the classic "And Tango Makes Three," join Jeff to talk about their book, which has been repeatedly banned and challenged since its publication more than 15 years ago. Peter and Justin discuss what's different about the current rash of book bannings, their response to Florida's "Don't Say Gay" bill, and have tips on how everyone can take action. Complete shownotes for episode 381 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will welcome contemporary romance author Emma Alcott, who also writes paranormal romance as Piper Scott. We start off talking about her writing history, including when Piper Scott was a trio of authors working together and what led her to taking that name over. She also discusses why she created Emma Alcott and the kinds of contemporary stories she writes for that pen name, including the "Masters of Romance" series, which features "Bad Boy," a previous Big Gay Fiction Book Club selection. Of course, we find out what's coming up for both Emma and Piper, and we get a book recommendation too. Complete shownotes for episode 380 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff and Will's deep dive discussions on the sexy supernatural series "Dante's Cove" continue as they talk about season 2, episodes 3 and 4, "Come Together" and "Spring Forward." Complete shownotes for episode 379 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will welcome author Lily Morton to talk about her new book "The Sceptic," which begins the "Arcana Books" series. The new series is a spin-off from the "Black and Blue" series, which Lily explains is a series that almost never got published as she was hesitant to move into paranormal after writing several popular contemporaries. We also hear from Lily about the research trips she takes with her husband, where her character's snarky banter comes from, and she's got a book recommendation too. Complete shownotes for episode 378 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will welcome Rob Kearney, the world's strongest gay, and Eric Rosswood, an LGBTQ+ parenting expert, to talk about their new children's book "Strong." The book, based on Rob's story of embracing his true self and the success he found as a result, shows the many ways to be strong. Rob and Eric discuss their collaboration on the book, the amazing illustrations from Nidhi Chanani. The duo also talk about what they hope readers of any age can take from the book, and the support that young people need today. Complete shownotes for episode 377 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will kick off this YA-focused episode talking about "Heartstopper," the new series on Netflix that's based on the graphic novel of the same name by Alice Oseman. Some incredible middle grade and young adult books coming in May are previewed, including titles by Robby Weber, Tucker Shaw, Maya MacGregor, Emery Lee, Kevin Van Whye, Dean Atta, Kevin Christopher Snipes, Jason June, Phil Stamper, Brian D. Kennedy, and R. Eric Thomas. The guys also review the recent YA they've read, including "Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor" by Xiran Jay Zaho, "Golden Boys" by Phil Stamper, "And They Lived..." by Steven Salvatore, and "Chef's Kiss" by Jarrett Melendez, Danica Brine and Hank Jones. Complete shownotes for episode 376 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will kick off the show with an announcement: The Big Gay Fiction Fest is back for Pride Month. They've got all the details on the Fest's line up and where to purchase tickets. The guys discuss what they've been watching recently, including the movies "Spider-Man: No Way Home" and "The Lost City," as well as the historical drama series "The Gilded Age" on HBO Max. A dozen books coming in May are previewed, including titles by Michael Craft, H.L. Day, Timothy Janovsky, Charlie Novak, Beth Bolden, Kate Hawthorne, Annabelle Greene, J.R. Gray, S.C. Wynne, S.R. Lane, Matt Cain, and Frank Anthony Polito. Jeff also reviews "The Long Game" by Rachel Reid. Complete shownotes for episode 375 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will discuss Kosoko Jackson's "I'm So (Not) Over You," the rom-com that features second chances and fake dating set over a wild wedding weekend. As always, in our book club chat there are spoilers ahead so keep that in mind if you haven't read the book yet. Make sure you keep listening after our discussion for the first chapter from the audiobook, narrated by Timothy Bell Reese. Complete shownotes for episode 374 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts! NOTE: Audiobook excerpt courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from "I'm So (Not) Over You" by Kosoko Jackson, read by Timothy Bell Reese.

Jeff and Will talk to Jackie North about her six book historical series "Oliver & Jack," which she has begun to re-release. The guys continue their deep dive on "Dante's Cove" as they discuss Season 2, Episode 2, "Playing With Fire." Complete shownotes for episode 373 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff reviews the young adult thriller "Survive the Dome" by Kosoko Jackson. Jeff then interviews Kosoko about both Survive the Dome, and his rom-com "I'm So (Not) Over You," which is also the Spring Big Gay Fiction Book Club selection. Kosoko talks about his favorite rom-coms, why he decided to write one, and the ways the characters and story changed in the early drafts. He also shares the real life events that inspired "Survive the Dome," and what it was like to work on two very different books at the same time. In addition, he discusses the representation of black and brown queer characters that he brings to his stories. Plus, Kosoko offers book recommendations and a glimpse of what he's working on next. Complete shownotes for episode 372 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!

Jeff & Will continue to shine the spotlight on the "All American Boy" series by talking briefly about the books in the series before they are also joined by series authors Shane K. Morton, Miski Harris, and Elle Keaton. Not only do they discuss their "All American Boy" books, they also talk to us about their other recent releases, along with what they're working on next. Complete shownotes for episode 371 along with a transcript of the show are at BigGayFictionPodcast.com. Big Gay Fiction Podcast is part of the Frolic Podcast Network. Find many more outstanding podcasts at frolic.media/podcasts!