Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between.
In Season 2, Episode 5, hosts Kandi Steiner and Giana Darling are joined by special guest Ambar Cordova for a deeply honest conversation about messy characters, third-act breakups, reader reactions, and why raw, emotionally complicated romances hit harder
Please note: Due to technical difficulties, audio quality may not be up to par in the first half of the episode. We appreciate your patience.
Ambar Cordova
•NEWSLETTER: acordovabooks.com/newsletter
•FACEBOOK: facebook.com/acordovabooks
•FACEBOOK READER GROUP: facebook.com/groups/735186988190607
•INSTAGRAM: Instagram.com/acordovabooks
•TIKTOK: tiktok.com/@authorambarcordova
•WEBSITE: www.acordovabooks.com
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me
01:31 – Pregnancy updates & writing while sick
02:46 – Balancing indie and traditional publishing
05:17 – Patreon shoutouts: Ghost Pepper Goddesses
06:23 – Season sponsors: Willow Aster & Lena Hendrix
07:28 – Introducing Ambar Cordova
11:20 – The Spice Report
19:06 – Motherhood, high-risk pregnancies & body changes
21:31 – Discovering romance in 2020
22:16 – Writing the stories you wish existed
23:41 – Reader reactions to messy characters
31:38 – Writing as therapy & emotional processing
37:45 – Why women write men who show up
40:19 – Writing slow-burn spice & emotional tension
42:52 – The third-act breakup debate
46:17 – Why flawed heroines get more hate
50:00 – Sunshine heroines who are secretly struggling
52:15 – The miscommunication trope discussion
58:05 – S.J. Sylvis
59:19 – Red Flag / Green Flag: When he texts you constantly
01:05:11 – TSTM Book Club: Deep Pockets by Nana Malone
01:07:03 – Reader Question: Special Editions
BOOK CLUB PICK
Deep Pockets by Nana Malone
Tropes for that book: Mafia/Assassin romance, Best friend's sister, Age Gap, Forced Proximity, Enemies to Lovers
Link: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Pockets-Forced-Proximity-Romance-ebook/dp/B0DDGX814Q
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nanamalonewriter/
Website: https://nanamalone.com/
Join us for the Deep Pockets deep dive on March18th.
SEASON SPONSORS
S.J. Sylvis
Overtake: A Rivals to Lovers F1 Romance (Vanstone Racing)
Tropes: Rivals to Lovers/Enemies to Lovers, F1 Romance, Workplace Romance, Forced Proximity,
link: mybook.to/vanstoneracing1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsjsylvis/?hl=en
Website: https://www.sjsylvis.com/
Lena Hendrix
Chasing the Sun (Star Harbor, Book 1)
Link: https://geni.us/chasingthesun1
Website: https://www.lenahendrix.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlenahendrix
Willow Aster
What It Takes (Windy Harbor Series, Book 2)
Link: https://geni.us/WhatItTakes
Website: https://www.willowaster.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowaster/
WHERE TO FIND EVERYONE
Talk Spicy to Me
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkspicytomepodcast
Spotify/Apple: @talkspicytomepodcast
Youtube: @talkspicytomepodcast
HOSTS
Giana Darling
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor
Website: https://gianadarling.com/
Kandi Steiner
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandisteiner
Website: https://kandisteiner.com/
🔥 AFTER DARK (Patreon Exclusive)
Want the extended, unfiltered conversation?
Each week's After Dark mini-episode dives deeper into topics we don't cover on the main feed.
Join the Patreon for early access and bonus content:
https://www.patreon.com/c/TalkSpicytoMePodcast
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