<![CDATA[First Encounter—A Historical Romance Podcast]]>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance author and enthusiast.

There will be two episodes per month:

Second Wednesday of each month: These episodes are an interview with an Indie Historical Romance author discussing topics related to the genre, and hopefully helping you discover a new author to love!

Fourth Wednesday of each month: These episodes are a deep dive in to a Historical Romance 'classic' Andie has never read. Andie will discuss the book with a fellow Historical Romance enthusiast who knows and loves the book.

]]>https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpodRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Mon, 02 Nov 2026 18:18:32 GMTMon, 08 Dec 2025 16:19:42 GMT60Andie James<p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance author and enthusiast.</p><p></p><p>There will be two episodes per month:</p><p></p><p><b>Second Wednesday of each month: </b>These episodes are an interview with an Indie Historical Romance author discussing topics related to the genre, and hopefully helping you discover a new author to love!</p><p></p><p><b>Fourth Wednesday of each month: </b>These episodes are a deep dive in to a Historical Romance 'classic' Andie has never read. Andie will discuss the book with a fellow Historical Romance enthusiast who knows and loves the book.</p>episodicAndie Jamesdandg.books.publishing@gmail.comyes<![CDATA[S1 E20—Ruthless by Anne Stuart with Alice Murphy]]>I had a delightful time this episode chatting with romance author Alice Murphy about one of her favorite historical romances, RUTHLESS by Anne Stuart (first book in the House of Rohan series). Alice and I discuss writing craft, dastardly heroes, and why old school romances just feel different and could not be written in today’s current political and cultural climate.

You can find out more about Alice and her novel ,A SHOWGIRLS RULES FOR FALLING IN LOVE, as well as her 2027 release, A MODERN GIRLS GUIDE TO LOVE AND DIVORCE, on her website (https://www.alicemurphybooks.com/) and on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/alicemurphybooks/?hl=en)

Learn more about Anne Stuart and The House of Rohan series on her website (https://anne-stuart.com/)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon: https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink

 Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/

 Follow Andie James:Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/

Logo designed by Books and Moods (https://www.booksandmoods.com/)

Theme Music by TheJayMan (https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html)

]]>fad3da38-0e7b-4f16-9e56-b7c68842d0a0Wed, 28 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had a delightful time this episode chatting with romance author Alice Murphy about one of her favorite historical romances, RUTHLESS by Anne Stuart (first book in the House of Rohan series). Alice and I discuss writing craft, dastardly heroes, and why old school romances just feel different and could not be written in today’s current political and cultural climate.</p><p>You can find out more about Alice and her novel ,A SHOWGIRLS RULES FOR FALLING IN LOVE, as well as her 2027 release, A MODERN GIRLS GUIDE TO LOVE AND DIVORCE, on her <a href="https://www.alicemurphybooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">website</a> (<a href="https://www.alicemurphybooks.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.alicemurphybooks.com/</a>) and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/alicemurphybooks/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a> (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/alicemurphybooks/?hl=en" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/alicemurphybooks/?hl=en</a>)</p><p>Learn more about Anne Stuart and The House of Rohan series on her <a href="https://anne-stuart.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">website</a> (https://anne-stuart.com/)</p><p>-------------------------------------------------------------------------First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p>Patreon: <a href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink</a></p><p> Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/</a></p><p> Follow Andie James:Website: <a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a><a href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a>: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Books and Moods</a> (<a href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.booksandmoods.com/</a>)</p><p>Theme Music by <a href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">TheJayMan</a> (<a href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html</a>)</p>yes01:04:33120S1 E20—Ruthless by Anne Stuart with Alice Murphyfull<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—Why Taylor Swift Should Be A Historical Romance Reader with Angela McDow ]]>This bonus episode was so much fun for me, as it brought together two of my favorite things to discuss, historical romance and Taylor Swift! It was such a joy to chat with Angela McDow from The Swiftie and The Scholar podcast.

Angela and I discussed my theory that Taylor Swift either is, or would be, a huge historical romance fan! Throughout the episode we point to what we know about Taylor as a reader and romantic based on interviews, her visual aesthetic in her music videos, and most importantly, her lyrics in her songs!

This was an absolute delight for me as two of my favorite Taylor Swift songs inspired my latest novella, STAY HERE FOREVER (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX33R79V)

Lyric videos for these songs:

Right Where You left Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_wAcYDnuA&list=RDUr_wAcYDnuA&start_radio=1)

Peter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxxswu7V1Us&list=RDMxxswu7V1Us&start_radio=1

The Swiftie and Scholar episode on one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs (and inspo for STAY HERE FOREVER), Peter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caI_NIkCqcg)

Taylor Swift’s interview with Colbert where she describes her favorite books https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZt_-GU_SA

The book Taylor describes during that interview may as well be my friend Lauren Hayworth’s book THE LOVER’S EYE (https://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Eye-Lauren-M-Hayworth-ebook/dp/B0F8H2G9V2/)

The Swiftie and The Scholar Podcast on Instagram @swiftieandscholarpod (https://www.instagram.com/swiftieandscholarpod/)

The Swiftie and The Scholar Podcast on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@swiftieandscholarpod)

Angela on Instagram @angelawyattmcdow (https://www.instagram.com/angelawyattmcdow/)

Angela's YouTube channel, All Too Unwell (https://www.youtube.com/@angelawyattmcdow)

First Encounter: http://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

]]>a65c13a5-5187-4648-ad9b-8e9157531e50Wed, 21 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>This bonus episode was so much fun for me, as it brought together two of my favorite things to discuss, historical romance and Taylor Swift! It was such a joy to chat with Angela McDow from The Swiftie and The Scholar podcast.</p><p>Angela and I discussed my theory that Taylor Swift either is, or would be, a huge historical romance fan! Throughout the episode we point to what we know about Taylor as a reader and romantic based on interviews, her visual aesthetic in her music videos, and most importantly, her lyrics in her songs!</p><p>This was an absolute delight for me as two of my favorite Taylor Swift songs inspired my latest novella, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX33R79V" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">STAY HERE FOREVER</a> (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX33R79V" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX33R79V</a>)</p><p>Lyric videos for these songs:</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_wAcYDnuA&amp;list=RDUr_wAcYDnuA&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Right Where You left Me</a> (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur_wAcYDnuA&amp;list=RDUr_wAcYDnuA&amp;start_radio=1)</p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxxswu7V1Us&amp;list=RDMxxswu7V1Us&amp;start_radio=1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Peter</a> (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mxxswu7V1Us&amp;list=RDMxxswu7V1Us&amp;start_radio=1</p><p>The Swiftie and Scholar episode on one of my favorite Taylor Swift songs (and inspo for STAY HERE FOREVER), <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caI_NIkCqcg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Peter</a> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caI_NIkCqcg" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caI_NIkCqcg</a>)</p><p>Taylor Swift’s interview with Colbert where she describes her favorite books <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZt_-GU_SA" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZt_-GU_SA</a></p><p>The book Taylor describes during that interview may as well be my friend Lauren Hayworth’s book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Eye-Lauren-M-Hayworth-ebook/dp/B0F8H2G9V2/ref=sr_1_2?crid=UYVOAO8HLV5V&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.UTWXF7h-yLmNGVte6q_0OOFWfW47LlwakI9TkBfhSGvfFhzhKCKKZR7Eq7CGPyZ3xAiMxg-uAmLsJEudHgku1g.fc1deacgMkzPOFC1AdbnZk2zfFwQzsMbbkzQM97Lix0&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=lauren+hayworth&amp;qid=1792536716&amp;sprefix=lauren+hayworth%2Caps%2C189&amp;sr=8-2" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">THE LOVER’S EYE</a> (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Eye-Lauren-M-Hayworth-ebook/dp/B0F8H2G9V2/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.amazon.com/Lovers-Eye-Lauren-M-Hayworth-ebook/dp/B0F8H2G9V2/</a>)</p><p>The Swiftie and The Scholar Podcast on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/swiftieandscholarpod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@swiftieandscholarpod</a> (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/swiftieandscholarpod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/swiftieandscholarpod/</a>)</p><p>The Swiftie and The Scholar Podcast on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@swiftieandscholarpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">YouTube</a> (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/@swiftieandscholarpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/@swiftieandscholarpod</a>)</p><p>Angela on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/angelawyattmcdow/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">@angelawyattmcdow</a> (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/angelawyattmcdow/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">https://www.instagram.com/angelawyattmcdow/</a>)</p><p>Angela's YouTube channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@angelawyattmcdow" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">All Too Unwell</a> (https://www.youtube.com/@angelawyattmcdow)</p><p>First Encounter: <a href="http://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">http://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p>yes01:01:191Bonus Episode—Why Taylor Swift Should Be A Historical Romance Reader with Angela McDow bonus<![CDATA[S1 E19—Reimagining the Regency Romance with Ava Bond]]>This month I’m joined by Indie historical romance author, Ava Bond. Ava has self published two series and currently has a series she’s releasing with DragonBlade publishing, Lyme Ladies!

We discuss the first book in the Lyme Ladies series, THE SCHOLAR’S SPY, and how it’s setting in Lyme Regis affects the storyline, as well as her upcoming novella, FALLING FOR THE DOWAGER, which is part of the A Match Made in Autumn series. Other topics we chat about include using unique settings and creating original characters in order to set your historicals apart, and our love of period drama, which may have informed why we and so many others have a fondness for the Regency Era.

You can learn more about Ava and her books on her website, and you can follow her on Instagram

Check out THE SCHOLAR’S SPY

And you can hear more from Ava and learn about the A Match Made in Autumn series in a previous episode of First Encounter here

___________________________________________________________________________

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>de849c12-7004-4194-bde7-0786ec3478a1Wed, 14 Oct 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>This month I’m joined by Indie historical romance author, Ava Bond. Ava has self published two series and currently has a series she’s releasing with DragonBlade publishing, Lyme Ladies!</p><p>We discuss the first book in the Lyme Ladies series, THE SCHOLAR’S SPY, and how it’s setting in Lyme Regis affects the storyline, as well as her upcoming novella, FALLING FOR THE DOWAGER, which is part of the A Match Made in Autumn series. Other topics we chat about include using unique settings and creating original characters in order to set your historicals apart, and our love of period drama, which may have informed why we and so many others have a fondness for the Regency Era.</p><p>You can learn more about Ava and her books on her <a href="https://avabond.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">website</a>, and you can follow her on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ava_bondauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a> </p><p>Check out <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Scholars-Spy-Lyme-Ladies-Book-ebook/dp/B0HCT39TLQ" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">THE SCHOLAR’S SPY</a> </p><p>And you can hear more from Ava and learn about the A Match Made in Autumn series in a previous episode of First Encounter <a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod/show-notes/bonus-ammia" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">here</a> </p><p>___________________________________________________________________________</p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">TheJayMan</a></p>yes00:53:26119S1 E19—Reimagining the Regency Romance with Ava Bondfull<![CDATA[S1 E18—The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran with Melissa (@aduchessinside)]]>I had such a great time chatting with Melissa this week about my first Meredith Duran, THE DUKE OF SHADOWS!

In this book deep dive for September, we are talking about the bold choice to not only set this book in India, but also in the midst of the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. We appreciated the way Duran condemns colonialism while still presenting the violence on both sides of the conflict, and the brilliant way she set up both of our characters to be able to deal with this traumatic event.

And as always, we talk about what makes historical romance so great and why we love this genre so much!

Follow Melissa on Instagram (@aduchessinside)

Learn more about Meredith Duran and her books

And support the podcast on Patreon (link below) to get my upcoming novella, STAY HERE FOREVER —out 10/2/2026

———————————————————————————————————

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>2e28ba34-68cc-469b-a2ea-ac09e4ed17dbWed, 23 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had such a great time chatting with Melissa this week about my first Meredith Duran, THE DUKE OF SHADOWS!</p><p>In this book deep dive for September, we are talking about the bold choice to not only set this book in India, but also in the midst of the Sepoy Rebellion in 1857. We appreciated the way Duran condemns colonialism while still presenting the violence on both sides of the conflict, and the brilliant way she set up both of our characters to be able to deal with this traumatic event.</p><p>And as always, we talk about what makes historical romance so great and why we love this genre so much!</p><p>Follow Melissa on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aduchessinside/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a> (@aduchessinside) </p><p>Learn more about <a href="https://www.meredithduran.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Meredith Duran</a> and her books </p><p>And support the podcast on Patreon (link below) to get my upcoming novella, <a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/all-books#stay-here-forever" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">STAY HERE FOREVER</a> —out 10/2/2026 </p><p>———————————————————————————————————</p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Website</a></p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:01:24118S1 E18—The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran with Melissa (@aduchessinside)full<![CDATA[S1 E17—Interracial Historical Romance with Addy Du Lac]]>I had a fantastic time this week chatting with historical romance author Addy Du Lac about the books in her Troublemakers Trilogy. I absolutely loved these books—they are incredibly romantic with bold heroines and swoony heros and are a great blend of more modern approaches to representation in histrom along with an old school feel of dramatic plot points, and proper villains!

We discuss the need for more inclusive representation within the genre and Addy’s particular focus on Interracial Romance, and why we need to support BIPOC and authors from minoritized communities with our actions, not just our words.

Learn more about Addy and her fabulous romances on her website

Join Addy as she talks with Authors of Color in the Tea Salon

Learn more about Swoons Fest—the historical romance focused event of your dreams!

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>bc566743-7264-4d6e-a5ba-233e4ae4542bWed, 09 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had a fantastic time this week chatting with historical romance author Addy Du Lac about the books in her Troublemakers Trilogy. I absolutely loved these books—they are incredibly romantic with bold heroines and swoony heros and are a great blend of more modern approaches to representation in histrom along with an old school feel of dramatic plot points, and proper villains!</p><p></p><p>We discuss the need for more inclusive representation within the genre and Addy’s particular focus on Interracial Romance, and why we need to support BIPOC and authors from minoritized communities with our actions, not just our words.</p><p></p><p>Learn more about Addy and her fabulous romances on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.addydulacauthor.net/" target="_blank">website</a> </p><p>Join Addy as she talks with Authors of Color in the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/@TheTeaSalon" target="_blank">Tea Salon</a> </p><p>Learn more about <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.swoonsfest.com/" target="_blank">Swoons Fest</a>—the historical romance focused event of your dreams!</p><hr /><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:28:13117S1 E17—Interracial Historical Romance with Addy Du Lacfull<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—A Match Made in Autumn]]>Today’s show brings together all of the authors participating in the A Match Made in Autumn collaborative series, being released in Fall 2026. A series of eight novellas by Indie historical romance authors, all the stories center characters finding themselves with a second chance at finding love, and all are set in Autumn!

I’ve loved collaborating with these ladies and I can’t wait for all of you to read their stories! You can find more information about the series here (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H72JXDV1), and the first novella releases September 11, 2026!

Learn more about the authors participating in the series and find their other novels:

Sylvie Sinclair

Bianca White

Ally Hudson

Andie James

Misty Urban

Kelsey Swanson

Laura Linn

Ava Bond

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

 

]]>83d94131-d5ec-42f8-90c8-9e3aa4e06236Wed, 02 Sep 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Today’s show brings together all of the authors participating in the A Match Made in Autumn collaborative series, being released in Fall 2026. A series of eight novellas by Indie historical romance authors, all the stories center characters finding themselves with a second chance at finding love, and all are set in Autumn!</p><p></p><p>I’ve loved collaborating with these ladies and I can’t wait for all of you to read their stories! You can find more information about the series <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H72JXDV1" target="_blank">here</a> (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H72JXDV1" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H72JXDV1</a>), and the first novella releases September 11, 2026!</p><p></p><p>Learn more about the authors participating in the series and find their other novels:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sylviesinclair.com/" target="_blank">Sylvie Sinclair</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://biancawhitewrites.com/" target="_blank">Bianca White</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.allyhudson.com/" target="_blank">Ally Hudson</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Andie James</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mistyurban.com/" target="_blank">Misty Urban</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://authorkelseyswanson.my.canva.site/#page-2" target="_blank">Kelsey Swanson</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lauralinn.com/" target="_blank">Laura Linn</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://avabond.co.uk/" target="_blank">Ava Bond</a> </p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p><p> </p>yes01:07:051Bonus Episode—A Match Made in Autumnbonus<![CDATA[S1 E16—Devilish by Jo Beverley with Sri Savita]]>This month we are discussing DEVILISH, by a new to me author, Jo Beverley! I am joined in discussion of this book by my friend and fellow historical romance author, Sri Savita. Sri loves this book and I had heard her talk about it (and re-reading it) several times, so I asked her to come on the podcast and talk about it, and to lend us her expertise in psychology as we examine core themes in the story!

This book is an incredible example of power and control in both society and relationships and takes a deep look at gender dynamics. Written in 2000, it’s also ahead of its time in regard to issues of consent (thought here is a pretty dramatic assault scene, so be warned!)

Sri and I also discuss her own work, centering Indian characters within the peerage in Regency England, and an upcoming Anthology she is participating in—HOLIDAYS AT NORTHFIELD HALL!

Learn more about Jo Beverley and the Malloren books here

Find out more about Sri and her novella, THE DEED WITH THE DUKE here

Learn more about HOLIDAYS AT NORTHFIELD HALL here

Listen to my episode with Katherine Grant and learn more about Northfield Hall here

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>77b6b212-f058-4e0c-8abc-799cf10f433aWed, 26 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>This month we are discussing DEVILISH, by a new to me author, Jo Beverley! I am joined in discussion of this book by my friend and fellow historical romance author, Sri Savita. Sri loves this book and I had heard her talk about it (and re-reading it) several times, so I asked her to come on the podcast and talk about it, and to lend us her expertise in psychology as we examine core themes in the story!</p><p></p><p>This book is an incredible example of power and control in both society and relationships and takes a deep look at gender dynamics. Written in 2000, it’s also ahead of its time in regard to issues of consent (thought here is a pretty dramatic assault scene, so be warned!)</p><p></p><p>Sri and I also discuss her own work, centering Indian characters within the peerage in Regency England, and an upcoming Anthology she is participating in—HOLIDAYS AT NORTHFIELD HALL!</p><p></p><p>Learn more about Jo Beverley and the Malloren books <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.jobev.com/MalWorld/MalWorldHome.html" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p></p><p>Find out more about Sri and her novella, THE DEED WITH THE DUKE <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.sri-savita.com/" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p></p><p>Learn more about HOLIDAYS AT NORTHFIELD HALL <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katherinegrantromance.com/holidays-at-northfield-hall/" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p></p><p>Listen to my episode with Katherine Grant and learn more about Northfield Hall <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod/show-notes/s1e5" target="_blank">here</a> </p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:22:09116S1 E16—Devilish by Jo Beverley with Sri Savitafull<![CDATA[S1 E15—Closed Door and Low Spice Historical Romance with Nichole Van]]>I was so grateful that Nichole Van was willing to sit down with me again for this episode after our bonus episode last week where we discussed AI in publishing.

Nichole is one of my favorite historical romance authors. I think she writes some of the most romantic, swoon-worthy, intimate stories with all the yearning you could ever want, and she manages to get all that deeply sexy emotion across while keeping the door closed.

We discuss several of her books, including her brand new release, A LASS BELOVED, the second book in the Earls of Cairnfell series. We also look at what makes for an enjoyable read at any spice level based on intimate scenes that feel true to the characters, and acknowledging real adult thoughts and emotions around sex even in closed door romances.

Other topics we hit on include writing older characters, and why the social restraints within a historical setting can lead to some really great stories!

You can find out more about Nichole and her books on her website, and you can follow her on Instagram

A LASS BELOVED is now available to purchase or read in Kindle Unlimited

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>41848e38-82b1-464e-831a-f91280ea8b39Wed, 12 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I was so grateful that Nichole Van was willing to sit down with me again for this episode after our bonus episode last week where we discussed AI in publishing.</p><p></p><p>Nichole is one of my favorite historical romance authors. I think she writes some of the most romantic, swoon-worthy, intimate stories with all the yearning you could ever want, and she manages to get all that deeply sexy emotion across while keeping the door closed.</p><p></p><p>We discuss several of her books, including her brand new release, A LASS BELOVED, the second book in the Earls of Cairnfell series. We also look at what makes for an enjoyable read at any spice level based on intimate scenes that feel true to the characters, and acknowledging real adult thoughts and emotions around sex even in closed door romances.</p><p>Other topics we hit on include writing older characters, and why the social restraints within a historical setting can lead to some really great stories!</p><p></p><p>You can find out more about Nichole and her books on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.nicholevan.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, and you can follow her on<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/nicholevan/" target="_blank"> Instagram</a> </p><p></p><p>A LASS BELOVED is now available to purchase or read in Kindle Unlimited</p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes00:51:38115S1 E15—Closed Door and Low Spice Historical Romance with Nichole Vanfull<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—AI in Historical Romance Publishing with Nichole Van]]>After I announced that I’d invited fellow historical romance author Nichole Van onto the podcast, I had a listener reach out to me asking if hosting Nichole came into conflict with my no Gen AI stance as they believed she had used Gen AI images in promoting her books previously.

So, I reached out to Nichole and said, “hey—my bad for not looking into this. I’m leaving it up to you if you still want to do the episode or not, but just be prepared for some comments or questions about AI.”

And Nichole responded that she had stopped using AI and would love to chat about it. As we prepared, we realized we had so much to say about AI that we decided to make this discussion an entirely separate bonus episode.

We talk about A LOT related to AI in this episode and it was fascinating to hear Nichole’s thoughts as someone who’s had not just her writing scrapped by AI, but also her images as a photographer, shaping her understanding and relationship to it. There’s how we define AI tools vs. Gen AI, a lot about all the gray areas in-between that are hard to navigate, and really that we are both against Gen AI, but there are no easy answers. Especially as some of the historical romance space around us has begun to embrace AI. And we wrap up with the thought that at the end of the day, we all just need to think through where we stand and be clear about it ,while lending one another some grace as we all figure this out in a rapidly changing system.

All my thanks to Nichole for a truly great conversation, and I hope you’ll all tune in next week as well to hear about her amazing books!

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>7f94c84d-c7e8-4d99-842c-6ae420bc208bWed, 05 Aug 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>After I announced that I’d invited fellow historical romance author Nichole Van onto the podcast, I had a listener reach out to me asking if hosting Nichole came into conflict with my no Gen AI stance as they believed she had used Gen AI images in promoting her books previously.</p><p>So, I reached out to Nichole and said, “hey—my bad for not looking into this. I’m leaving it up to you if you still want to do the episode or not, but just be prepared for some comments or questions about AI.”</p><p>And Nichole responded that she had stopped using AI and would love to chat about it. As we prepared, we realized we had so much to say about AI that we decided to make this discussion an entirely separate bonus episode.</p><p>We talk about A LOT related to AI in this episode and it was fascinating to hear Nichole’s thoughts as someone who’s had not just her writing scrapped by AI, but also her images as a photographer, shaping her understanding and relationship to it. There’s how we define AI tools vs. Gen AI, a lot about all the gray areas in-between that are hard to navigate, and really that we are both against Gen AI, but there are no easy answers. Especially as some of the historical romance space around us has begun to embrace AI. And we wrap up with the thought that at the end of the day, we all just need to think through where we stand and be clear about it ,while lending one another some grace as we all figure this out in a rapidly changing system.</p><p>All my thanks to Nichole for a truly great conversation, and I hope you’ll all tune in next week as well to hear about her amazing books!</p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes00:55:111Bonus Episode—AI in Historical Romance Publishing with Nichole Vanbonus<![CDATA[S1 E14—Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins with Krista and Eleanor]]>This week was an important episode as I sat down with two lovely guests, Krista and Eleanor to discuss none other than one of the greats in historical romance, Ms. Beverly Jenkins herself! I’m absolutely ashamed to admit this is only the second Jenkins of read, but I loved it and it certainly won’t be the last!

While we do talk about the book we read for the episode, Night Hawk with its famous cover, we honestly spent most of the time talking about the importance of using romance stories to share the untold stories of Black people in America as the history books have tried to erase their history, both the horrific and the exemplary.

The impact of Jenkins is explored along with a discussion of her most famous work, Indigo which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.

Below are links to more information on Beverly Jenkins, Including the recorded discussion Krist organized with Ms. Bev that we refer to in this episode, as well as where you can find more on Krista and Eleanor.

Beverly Jenkins website

Indigo, Night Hawk

Beverly Jenkins Discussion with Black BookTok

Fated Mates Historical Trailblazers Episode

You can find Krista on all social media platforms, Including Instagram and TikTok at @actingbrandnew_writing . There she discusses her experiences with writing historical romances herself, and her love of Beverly Jenkins

Eleanor can be found reflecting on historical romance through her Instagram @eleanorreadseverything, and you can look into her editing service on her website

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website

Instagram

Follow Andie James:

Website

Instagram

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>becf38d1-ecc8-4d14-854a-1a4a89ed68fbWed, 22 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>This week was an important episode as I sat down with two lovely guests, Krista and Eleanor to discuss none other than one of the greats in historical romance, Ms. Beverly Jenkins herself! I’m absolutely ashamed to admit this is only the second Jenkins of read, but I loved it and it certainly won’t be the last!</p><p></p><p>While we do talk about the book we read for the episode, Night Hawk with its famous cover, we honestly spent most of the time talking about the importance of using romance stories to share the untold stories of Black people in America as the history books have tried to erase their history, both the horrific and the exemplary.</p><p></p><p>The impact of Jenkins is explored along with a discussion of her most famous work, Indigo which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year.</p><p>Below are links to more information on Beverly Jenkins, Including the recorded discussion Krist organized with Ms. Bev that we refer to in this episode, as well as where you can find more on Krista and Eleanor.</p><p></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.beverlyjenkins.net/" target="_blank">Beverly Jenkins website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.beverlyjenkins.net/books/historical-romance-books/indigo-anniversary/" target="_blank">Indigo</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.beverlyjenkins.net/books/historical-romance-books/night-hawk/" target="_blank">Night Hawk</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJELpFrnwck" target="_blank">Beverly Jenkins Discussion with Black BookTok</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2021/11/13/s0410-beverly-jenkins-a-trailblazer-episode" target="_blank">Fated Mates Historical Trailblazers Episode</a></p><p></p><p>You can find Krista on all social media platforms, Including <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/actingbrandnew_writing/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and TikTok at @actingbrandnew_writing . There she discusses her experiences with writing historical romances herself, and her love of Beverly Jenkins</p><p></p><p>Eleanor can be found reflecting on historical romance through her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/eleanorreadseverything/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> @eleanorreadseverything, and you can look into her editing service on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://eleanorsenglish.com/editing-services" target="_blank">website</a></p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/first-encounter-pod/" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com" target="_blank">Website</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>no01:19:04114S1 E14—Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins with Krista and Eleanorfull<![CDATA[S1 E13—Life During the Medieval Period in Historical Romance with Alison McKenzie]]>*My apologies to my fantastic guest this week, Alison, and listeners—somehow the last six minutes of our conversation was lost (Alison’s feed kicked out). Our conversation was basically done by then; we were discussing future projects from Alison and where to find her books.

This week for the July Indie Author chat I talk with the wonderful Alison McKenzie about her upcoming release, THE TAILOR’S TREASURE. This is the second book in her Lovers of Linden series, and will be released August 12, 2026.

We had a great time discussing writing in a different time period from the current norm in historical romance (Medieval), writing about everyday people vs. the Aristocracy and looking at the constraints imposed by positions within society, attitudes towards sexuality while writing a sapphic romance, and the impacts of motherhood. Alison also teaches us all about mindset and cultural understanding in the Middle Ages.

You can learn more about Alison and her books, including where they can be purchased on her website, and you can follow Alison on Instagram

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>b71dcc6c-f9d9-4ddd-99ee-47355bddfc0dWed, 08 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>*My apologies to my fantastic guest this week, Alison, and listeners—somehow the last six minutes of our conversation was lost (Alison’s feed kicked out). Our conversation was basically done by then; we were discussing future projects from Alison and where to find her books.</p><p></p><p>This week for the July Indie Author chat I talk with the wonderful Alison McKenzie about her upcoming release, THE TAILOR’S TREASURE. This is the second book in her Lovers of Linden series, and will be released August 12, 2026.</p><p></p><p>We had a great time discussing writing in a different time period from the current norm in historical romance (Medieval), writing about everyday people vs. the Aristocracy and looking at the constraints imposed by positions within society, attitudes towards sexuality while writing a sapphic romance, and the impacts of motherhood. Alison also teaches us all about mindset and cultural understanding in the Middle Ages.</p><p></p><p>You can learn more about Alison and her books, including where they can be purchased on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://alisonmckenziewrites.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, and you can follow Alison on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/amckenziewrites/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>no00:50:15113S1 E13—Life During the Medieval Period in Historical Romance with Alison McKenziefull<![CDATA[S1 E12—The Bride by Julie Garwood with Jen Prokop]]>Join us this week as I discuss a HistRom classic with our guest, Jen Prokop of Fated Mates fame, The Bride, by Julie Garwood!

Jen and I talk about how tense and POV has shifted over the years, how the pacing of love scenes has shifted as well as whether the focus is on the falling in love or the steam, the comfort of a great Scottish Highland romance, and Garwood’s skill at writing humor, allowing her to lean into archetypes.

Listen to the Fated Mates episode all about The Bride here

And visit Jen’s website to learn more about her superior editing services

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>39beaf2e-d066-4db6-9596-a3ef86b82b9cWed, 24 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Join us this week as I discuss a HistRom classic with our guest, Jen Prokop of Fated Mates fame, The Bride, by Julie Garwood!</p><p></p><p>Jen and I talk about how tense and POV has shifted over the years, how the pacing of love scenes has shifted as well as whether the focus is on the falling in love or the steam, the comfort of a great Scottish Highland romance, and Garwood’s skill at writing humor, allowing her to lean into archetypes.</p><p></p><p>Listen to the Fated Mates episode all about The Bride <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2023/7/4/s0542-remembering-julie-garwood" target="_blank">here</a></p><p></p><p>And visit <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.jenreadsromance.com/" target="_blank">Jen’s website</a> to learn more about her superior editing services</p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:01:45112S1 E12—The Bride by Julie Garwood with Jen Prokopfull<![CDATA[S1 E11—The Gilded Age in Historical Romance with Harper St. George]]>This week’s episode features hybrid historical romance author, Harper St. George! Harper just released the final book in her Doves of New York series (which I LOVED!), The Dove and the Rogue, and we talk all things Gilded Age, Western romances, and the state of publishing in historical romance (what’s next?)

You can find information on Harper and all of her books on her website

And the Kickstarter for Besotted Books is now Live! Please consider backing this project so the genre we love can continue to thrive!

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>4c52d38a-4114-4ad9-b3af-d120b07dd733Wed, 10 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>This week’s episode features hybrid historical romance author, Harper St. George! Harper just released the final book in her Doves of New York series (which I LOVED!), <i>The Dove and the Rogue</i>, and we talk all things Gilded Age, Western romances, and the state of publishing in historical romance (what’s next?)</p><p></p><p>You can find information on Harper and all of her books on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.harperstgeorge.com/" target="_blank">website</a></p><p></p><p>And the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/andiejamesauthor/besotted-books" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a> for Besotted Books is now Live! Please consider backing this project so the genre we love can continue to thrive!</p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes00:52:16111S1 E11—The Gilded Age in Historical Romance with Harper St. Georgefull<![CDATA[S1 E10—Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas with Seth (@dramakingbooks)]]>I had an amazing time talking Sherry Thomas with my guest, Seth, this week as we broke down what makes Private Arrangements such a standout in the Historical Romance genre. Listen in as we discuss his own first encounter with HistRom (and how Sherry set him up to love the genre!), emotional stakes, insights gained through a dual timeline, and how Sherry Thomas is like Taylor Swift!

You can find more from Seth, including his thoughts on romance books and encounters with authors we love, on Instagram, TikTok, and Threads where he is @dramakingbooks

And check out when Seth met Sherry Thomas at the Libby Awards and she signed his copy of Private Arrangements! https://www.instagram.com/p/DVuHtpYjhvt/?img_index=5

Read Private Arrangements yourself, and check out what we’re trying to do with Besotted Books !

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>7104dc10-4581-4a5a-a928-6cb714c56a53Wed, 27 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had an amazing time talking Sherry Thomas with my guest, Seth, this week as we broke down what makes <i>Private Arrangements </i>such a standout in the Historical Romance genre. Listen in as we discuss his own first encounter with HistRom (and how Sherry set him up to love the genre!), emotional stakes, insights gained through a dual timeline, and how Sherry Thomas is like Taylor Swift!</p><p></p><p>You can find more from Seth, including his thoughts on romance books and encounters with authors we love, on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/dramakingbooks/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@dramakingbooks" target="_blank">TikTok</a>, and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.threads.com/@dramakingbooks" target="_blank">Threads</a> where he is @dramakingbooks</p><p></p><p>And check out when Seth met Sherry Thomas at the Libby Awards and she signed his copy of Private Arrangements! <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVuHtpYjhvt/?img_index=5" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/DVuHtpYjhvt/?img_index=5</a></p><p></p><p>Read <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://bookshop.org/p/books/private-arrangements-sherry-thomas/d75d3d10fb127813?ean=9780440244318&amp;next=t" target="_blank">Private Arrangements</a> yourself, and check out what we’re trying to do with <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/besotted-books" target="_blank">Besotted Books</a> !</p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:05:53110S1 E10—Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas with Seth (@dramakingbooks)full<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—All About Besotted Books! with Misty Urban]]>Guess what? I'm trying to start a publishing company for historical romance—Besotted Books!

I’m so grateful to my friend and fellow historical romance author, Misty Urban, for agreeing to chat with me about Besotted Books today! You can learn more about Misty and her series, The Ladies Least Likely, here

To read more about Besotted Books, please visit the website

And follow us on Instagram @besotted.books

We’ll have a link to the Kickstarter and the media kit SOON!

—————————————————————————

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>abefb10a-fcb9-413b-ad5a-7a4f9992aa6dWed, 20 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Guess what? I'm trying to start a publishing company for historical romance—Besotted Books!</p><p></p><p>I’m so grateful to my friend and fellow historical romance author, Misty Urban, for agreeing to chat with me about Besotted Books today! You can learn more about Misty and her series, The Ladies Least Likely, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://mistyurban.com/historical-romance/" target="_blank">here</a></p><p></p><p>To read more about Besotted Books, please visit the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/besotted-books" target="_blank">website</a></p><p></p><p>And follow us on Instagram <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/besotted.books/" target="_blank">@besotted.books</a></p><p></p><p>We’ll have a link to the Kickstarter and the media kit SOON!</p><p>—————————————————————————</p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:04:441Bonus Episode—All About Besotted Books! with Misty Urbanbonus<![CDATA[S1 E9—Exploring Joy in Historical Romance with Jane Hadley]]>I had such an amazing time this week discussing what historical romance can be and the fun of learning about history, queer joy, and gender fuckery!

Jane’s latest release is Mr. Milner Gets Divorced, and you can find out more about it, as well as Jane’s other books and where to find/purchase them on her website

AND if you sign up for her newsletter, you can get the companion story to Mr. Milner, Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen, for FREE! (and Marion Milner is a delight, y’all!)

Much of Jane’s inspiration for Mr. Milner and Stephen and his crew came from reading this Memoir: The Evening Crowd at Kirmser’s

And you can catch Jane’s lecture with Romancelandia University for their Spring 2026 session here. They discuss JOY in HR and revolutionary happy endings!

_________________________________

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

 

]]>9dc5dd21-6199-4538-86a1-06f719ab2d09Wed, 13 May 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had such an amazing time this week discussing what historical romance can be and the fun of learning about history, queer joy, and gender fuckery!</p><p></p><p>Jane’s latest release is Mr. Milner Gets Divorced, and you can find out more about it, as well as Jane’s other books and where to find/purchase them on her <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://janehadleywrites.com/" target="_blank">website</a></p><p></p><p>AND if you sign up for her newsletter, you can get the companion story to Mr. Milner, Mrs. Milner Gets a Kitchen, for FREE! (and Marion Milner is a delight, y’all!)</p><p></p><p>Much of Jane’s inspiration for Mr. Milner and Stephen and his crew came from reading this Memoir: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="The%20Evening%20Crowd%20at%20Kirmser’s" target="_blank">The Evening Crowd at Kirmser’s</a></p><p></p><p>And you can catch Jane’s lecture with Romancelandia University for their Spring 2026 session <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM7UsaLjprY" target="_blank">here</a>. They discuss JOY in HR and revolutionary happy endings!</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p><p> </p>yes01:03:0419S1 E9—Exploring Joy in Historical Romance with Jane Hadleyfull<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—What makes Historical Romance, Historical Romance? with Olivia (@nottheolivia)]]>Today is a fun bonus episode where I chat with Olivia (@nottheolivia on Instagram) about some of her thoughts on Historical Romance. I follow her on Instagram and think she is able to articulate what makes Historical Romance a unique genre within Romance beautifully, so I was excited to get some of her takes on where historical romance is headed (and if it should be).

You can follow Olivia on Instagram, and the post I referenced frequently, The Historical Romance Starter Kit, can be found here

To learn more about my new publishing venture, Besotted Books, please visit the website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/besotted-books, or follow us on Instagram

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>d286cd55-0a74-4700-b2cb-55be288dfc18Wed, 06 May 2026 22:51:52 GMT<p>Today is a fun bonus episode where I chat with Olivia (@nottheolivia on Instagram) about some of her thoughts on Historical Romance. I follow her on Instagram and think she is able to articulate what makes Historical Romance a unique genre within Romance beautifully, so I was excited to get some of her takes on where historical romance is headed (and if it should be).</p><p></p><p>You can follow Olivia on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/nottheolivia/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, and the post I referenced frequently, The Historical Romance Starter Kit, can be found <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DVV5UAuDACF/?img_index=1" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p></p><p>To learn more about my new publishing venture, Besotted Books, please visit the website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/besotted-books" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/besotted-books</a>, or follow us on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/besotted.books/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:00:321Bonus Episode—What makes Historical Romance, Historical Romance? with Olivia (@nottheolivia)bonus<![CDATA[S1 E8—An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole with Angelique Prince]]>I really enjoyed this month’s book—An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. It’s American Civil War setting makes it stand out, and it unfortunately felt sadly too relevant to current attitudes today as we see our heroine, Elle, a Union spy who is posing as a slave in the home of a Southern Senator, confronting all the ugliest sides of discrimination and being othered and disregarded. BUT, while it was a difficult read (Alyssa Cole does not shy away from the harsh realities she’s writing), it was a also a gorgeous romance and had STAKES!

I had a great time with fellow histrom writer, Angelique Prince, discussing the book as well as the need to write more diversely and celebrate Black women authors in Historical Romance.

You can find out more about Angelique and her own writing projects on her website, angeliqueprince.com and sign up for her newsletter there to get more information on the project she just did, Bev’s Baddies, reading chronologically through all the works of Beverly Jenkins.

Angelique is also active on TikTok and Instagram

Other Authors of color mentioned in the podcast that you should absolutely be reading:

Beverly Jenkins

Addy DuLac

Erica Ridley

Vanessa Riley

Adriana Herrera

Liana De la Rosa

___________________________________

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>8e865abc-e1e5-44c1-9e1b-e0ff8b2853bcWed, 22 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I really enjoyed this month’s book—An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole. It’s American Civil War setting makes it stand out, and it unfortunately felt sadly too relevant to current attitudes today as we see our heroine, Elle, a Union spy who is posing as a slave in the home of a Southern Senator, confronting all the ugliest sides of discrimination and being othered and disregarded. BUT, while it was a difficult read (Alyssa Cole does not shy away from the harsh realities she’s writing), it was a also a gorgeous romance and had STAKES!</p><p></p><p>I had a great time with fellow histrom writer, Angelique Prince, discussing the book as well as the need to write more diversely and celebrate Black women authors in Historical Romance.</p><p></p><p>You can find out more about Angelique and her own writing projects on her website, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://angeliqueprince.com" target="_blank">angeliqueprince.com</a> and sign up for her newsletter there to get more information on the project she just did, Bev’s Baddies, reading chronologically through all the works of Beverly Jenkins.</p><p>Angelique is also active on<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@angelique.prince" target="_blank"> TikTok</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/angeliqueprincewrites" target="_blank">Instagram</a> </p><p></p><p>Other Authors of color mentioned in the podcast that you should absolutely be reading:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.beverlyjenkins.net/" target="_blank">Beverly Jenkins</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.addydulacauthor.net/" target="_blank">Addy DuLac</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://ericaridley.com/" target="_blank">Erica Ridley</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://vanessariley.com/" target="_blank">Vanessa Riley</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://adrianaherreraromance.com/" target="_blank">Adriana Herrera</a> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://lianadelarosa.com/" target="_blank">Liana De la Rosa</a> </p><p>___________________________________</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p></p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:03:0718S1 E8—An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole with Angelique Princefull<![CDATA[S1 E7—Expanding the World of Historical Romance with Jenna Bigelow]]>I had such a wonderful time discussing Jenna Bigelow’s Ancient Rome set historical romances with her this week and looking at ways we can expand the genre while still keeping the core elements of what makes HR unique (which Jenna does exceptionally well in her novels) and the genre we know and love!

You can find Jenna and information about her books in both the Roman Heirs and Imperial Games series on her website: jennabigelow.com

Go there to sign up for Jenna’s newsletter and receive a FREE novella, The Merchant Match, a prequel to the Roman Heirs series!

You can also find Jenna on Instagram @jennabigelowwrites

Be sure and check out her new release (featuring a female gladiator!), dropping on April 10th, 2026— Gladiator’s Beloved

——————————————

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>2be37b02-29e7-493c-9cc7-0d9bfc0b8abdWed, 08 Apr 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had such a wonderful time discussing Jenna Bigelow’s Ancient Rome set historical romances with her this week and looking at ways we can expand the genre while still keeping the core elements of what makes HR unique (which Jenna does exceptionally well in her novels) and the genre we know and love!</p><p></p><p>You can find Jenna and information about her books in both the Roman Heirs and Imperial Games series on her website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="http://jennabigelow.com" target="_blank">jennabigelow.com</a></p><p>Go there to sign up for Jenna’s newsletter and receive a FREE novella, The Merchant Match, a prequel to the Roman Heirs series!</p><p></p><p>You can also find Jenna on Instagram <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/jennabigelowwrites/" target="_blank">@jennabigelowwrites</a></p><p></p><p>Be sure and check out her new release (featuring a female gladiator!), dropping on April 10th, 2026— <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GRWCH8HJ?&amp;linkCode=sl2&amp;tag=jennabigelow-20&amp;linkId=d70a6207c9af964c937a81a5ca2f5599&amp;language=en_US&amp;ref_=as_li_ss_tl" target="_blank">Gladiator’s Beloved</a></p><p>——————————————</p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes00:46:4717S1 E7—Expanding the World of Historical Romance with Jenna Bigelowfull<![CDATA[S1 E6—Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas with Devan (@diagnosedromantic)]]>I had so much fun this week finally figuring out what Derek Craven lore is all about! For our third deep dive into a historical romance classic, we are reading and discussing Dreaming of You, the 1994 release from HR queen Lisa Kleypas that changed the rules of who could be a romance hero!

This book absolutely had to be discussed with none other than Devan (@diagnosed romantic on Instagram) as she is the author of the Mathildaverse which maps out all the connections in Lisa Kleypas’ books, all linking back to Dreaming of You, and the heroine, Sara Fielding’s blockbuster book, Mathilda!

We discuss why Derek Craven is such an important hero archetype and why we love Lisa Kleypas Heros, why Sara also needs to be celebrated as an amazing woman, cringy book villains and how Lisa makes them relatable, 1994 as context, and of course, Derek Craven Day and our love for the ladies of the Fated Mates Podcast

 

Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas

The Mathildaverse

Fated Mates Trailblazers episode with Lisa Kleypas

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

 

]]>5145e320-1abd-4c03-89d3-1e90c0af435dWed, 25 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had so much fun this week finally figuring out what Derek Craven lore is all about! For our third deep dive into a historical romance classic, we are reading and discussing Dreaming of You, the 1994 release from HR queen Lisa Kleypas that changed the rules of who could be a romance hero!</p><p></p><p>This book absolutely had to be discussed with none other than Devan (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/diagnosedromantic/" target="_blank">@diagnosed romantic on Instagram</a>) as she is the author of the Mathildaverse which maps out all the connections in Lisa Kleypas’ books, all linking back to Dreaming of You, and the heroine, Sara Fielding’s blockbuster book, Mathilda!</p><p></p><p>We discuss why Derek Craven is such an important hero archetype and why we love Lisa Kleypas Heros, why Sara also needs to be celebrated as an amazing woman, cringy book villains and how Lisa makes them relatable, 1994 as context, and of course, Derek Craven Day and our love for the ladies of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fatedmates.net/" target="_blank">Fated Mates Podcast</a> </p><p> </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/Dreaming-You-Gamblers-Book-2-ebook/dp/B000FC11I8/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LX69PH093XB2&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MjsYXLNtGX0tqBsqLtUJFPq8qq06Dig1sFkv-_LZWZ4t5wAkuvHVoK4wsc88MhM3z029GU9YFyGTWRO-Xlx7Wax3hcDxZXhOx-Xx59EDpgIDlnsQPY8m5slQT8WILZEeCX9WYAOZTA-8xQ9nA4m9sAd9ksTb7dF6mH6cyMpIe8FSNCltvhPWwm-q7rHk-IvtMdZnXgvaW-ql7zj_ftE-tvzV8QNDCH6TPkQ_EkF3h08.d_ztp3Ui7t666LB6acZ4F-go93J1J9kV_bcU5QGWzEA&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=lisa+kleypas+dreaming+of+you+book&amp;qid=1774397970&amp;sprefix=lisa+Kleypas+Dreaming+%2Caps%2C191&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">Dreaming of You</a> by Lisa Kleypas </p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C-vD2UCv5k6/?img_index=1" target="_blank">The Mathildaverse</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2026/2/2/0820-trailblazer-lisa-kleypas" target="_blank">Fated Mates Trailblazers episode with Lisa Kleypas</a> </p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p><p> </p>yes01:00:2416S1 E6—Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas with Devan (@diagnosedromantic)full<![CDATA[Bonus Episode—Romancelandia University with Emily (@veryromance) and Kelsey (@yourbookishbff)]]>Today is a special episode to celebrate the Spring session of Romancelandia University (RU), which opened this week!

I’m joined by the headmistresses of RU, Emily (@veryromance) and Kelsey (@yourbookishbff) to talk about why they started RU, what they love about historical romance, why this community is so special, and how this session of RU is going to be different.

I absolutely love this project (and anything that celebrates and uplifts Historical romance, especially now), so please listen and join this great community of HR readers!

Check out all the information on what RU is all about and how to join the session on their Instagram (@romancelandiauni) and their website https://www.romancelandiauni.com/  

Support and participate in the Trans Rights read-a-thon—March 17-31, 2026 (@transrightsreadathon)

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

 

]]>f4f62cf9-2d17-43af-a787-ef881d669d27Wed, 18 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>Today is a special episode to celebrate the Spring session of Romancelandia University (RU), which opened this week!</p><p>I’m joined by the headmistresses of RU, Emily (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/veryromance/" target="_blank">@veryromance</a>) and Kelsey (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/yourbookishbff/" target="_blank">@yourbookishbff</a>) to talk about why they started RU, what they love about historical romance, why this community is so special, and how this session of RU is going to be different.</p><p></p><p>I absolutely love this project (and anything that celebrates and uplifts Historical romance, especially now), so please listen and join this great community of HR readers!</p><p></p><p>Check out all the information on what RU is all about and how to join the session on their Instagram (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/romancelandiauni/" target="_blank">@romancelandiauni</a>) and their website <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.romancelandiauni.com/" target="_blank">https://www.romancelandiauni.com/</a>  </p><p></p><p>Support and participate in the Trans Rights read-a-thon—March 17-31, 2026 (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/transrightsreadathon/" target="_blank">@transrightsreadathon</a>)</p><p></p><hr /><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p><p> </p>yes00:58:171Bonus Episode—Romancelandia University with Emily (@veryromance) and Kelsey (@yourbookishbff)bonus<![CDATA[S1 E5—Reform and Representation in Historical Romance with Katherine Grant]]>I had an amazing conversation this week with Indie Historical Romance author Katherine Grant. Katherine recently finished her long running series, The Prestons, about the Preston family and their unconventional (an inspirational!) estate, Northfield Hall. We discuss writing about social issues and working for change in Historical Romance, her use of the Peterloo Massacre for her novella, In The Wide Open Light (part of the Suffragette Uprising multi-author series), how authors can write modern (or are they really all that modern?) sensibilities into their novels, and why intersectional representation is so important in the worlds we create.

You can find out more about Katherine and all her books on Katherine’s website

Learn more about, and listen to, Katherine’s podcast, The Historical Romance Sampler, here

You can find all the books in the Suffragette Uprising series here

Katherine uses a model for writing diverse characters from the Writing the Other website

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>8104c90a-2234-464d-b774-7ae05c910369Wed, 11 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMT<p>I had an amazing conversation this week with Indie Historical Romance author Katherine Grant. Katherine recently finished her long running series, The Prestons, about the Preston family and their unconventional (an inspirational!) estate, Northfield Hall. We discuss writing about social issues and working for change in Historical Romance, her use of the Peterloo Massacre for her novella, In The Wide Open Light (part of the Suffragette Uprising multi-author series), how authors can write modern (or are they really all that modern?) sensibilities into their novels, and why intersectional representation is so important in the worlds we create.</p><p></p><p>You can find out more about Katherine and all her books on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="Katherine’s%20website" target="_blank">Katherine’s website</a> </p><p>Learn more about, and listen to, Katherine’s podcast, The Historical Romance Sampler, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://katherinegrantromance.com/historical-romance-sampler-podcast" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p>You can find all the books in the Suffragette Uprising series <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DSWGQMW8?binding=kindle_edition&amp;qid=1773183125&amp;sr=8-1&amp;ref=dbs_dp_rwt_sb_pc_tkin" target="_blank">here</a></p><p>Katherine uses a model for writing diverse characters from the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://writingtheother.com/" target="_blank">Writing the Other website</a> </p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:06:5115S1 E5—Reform and Representation in Historical Romance with Katherine Grantfull<![CDATA[S1 E4—In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath with Pam]]>I had so much fun this week discussing In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath with our resident expert and Harlequin Historical (RIP) hype woman, the ever lovely Pam (@pammie823_reads)!

We chat about what makes Lorraine able to pull off a bonkers plot like no one else, her writing historicals to fit and subtly comment on current cultural and political circumstances, making love triangles acceptable, exploring hard topics like domestic violence without flinching, and making us feral for all the little romance moments readers of the genre love!

Pam has a great reading guide for all of Lorraine Heath’s historical romances that you can find here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DMAylBLxvhn/ it details some of her favorites like Passions of a Wicked Earl, and tells you the order in which you should read her books.

Find (and follow!) Pam on Instagram and TikTok

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>9537431f-8281-4f0c-866a-76abc7bf5a37Wed, 25 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>I had so much fun this week discussing In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath with our resident expert and Harlequin Historical (RIP) hype woman, the ever lovely Pam (@pammie823_reads)!</p><p></p><p>We chat about what makes Lorraine able to pull off a bonkers plot like no one else, her writing historicals to fit and subtly comment on current cultural and political circumstances, making love triangles acceptable, exploring hard topics like domestic violence without flinching, and making us feral for all the little romance moments readers of the genre love!</p><p></p><p>Pam has a great reading guide for all of Lorraine Heath’s historical romances that you can find here: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DMAylBLxvhn/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/DMAylBLxvhn/</a> it details some of her favorites like Passions of a Wicked Earl, and tells you the order in which you should read her books.</p><p></p><p>Find (and follow!) Pam on <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/pammie823_reads/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@pammie823_reads" target="_blank">TikTok</a> </p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:07:5214S1 E4—In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath with Pamfull<![CDATA[S1 E3—What we love about Historical Romance with Colleen Kelly]]>This week I am joined by historical romance author Colleen Kelly! We discuss Colleen’s novella, A Midsummer Night’s Duke, as well as what we love about Historical Romance, including—high vs. low stakes, the virgin hero trope, and of course, Bridgerton!

You can get your own FREE copy of A Midsummer Night’s Duke when you sign up for Colleen’s newsletter

The Duke’s Somerset Sins, and anthology with novellas by Colleen, Anne Knight, Kay K. Denner, and a preface by Ambriel Wrenn, will be released on February 13, 2026 and can be found here

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>ef78f09d-9ca7-4b7f-b70f-3044b5310a3dWed, 11 Feb 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>This week I am joined by historical romance author Colleen Kelly! We discuss Colleen’s novella, A Midsummer Night’s Duke, as well as what we love about Historical Romance, including—high vs. low stakes, the virgin hero trope, and of course, Bridgerton!</p><p>You can get your own FREE copy of A Midsummer Night’s Duke when you sign up for Colleen’s <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.colleenkellyauthor.com/" target="_blank">newsletter</a> </p><p></p><p>The Duke’s Somerset Sins, and anthology with novellas by Colleen, Anne Knight, Kay K. Denner, and a preface by Ambriel Wrenn, will be released on February 13, 2026 and can be found <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/Dukes-Somerset-Sins-regency-anthology-ebook/dp/B0GD8Y31Y5" target="_blank">here</a> </p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:04:1613S1 E3—What we love about Historical Romance with Colleen Kellyfull<![CDATA[S1 E2—Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase with Meg from Plot Trysts]]>In our first deep dive into a classic of historical romance, how could we read anything other than Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels? What's not to love about a heroine who literally shoots the hero? Jessica Trent is indeed the GOAT of heroines, and I had a fantastic time discussing her, as well as what makes this book a classic of the genre, with Meg—hostess extraordinaire of the Plot Trysts podcast

Read Lord of Scoundrels

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>35b3c7a2-cfbe-4826-afa6-2d3660b2044fWed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 GMT<p>In our first deep dive into a classic of historical romance, how could we read anything other than Loretta Chase's Lord of Scoundrels? What's not to love about a heroine who literally shoots the hero? Jessica Trent is indeed the GOAT of heroines, and I had a fantastic time discussing her, as well as what makes this book a classic of the genre, with Meg—hostess extraordinaire of the <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://plottrysts.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Plot Trysts</a> podcast </p><p></p><p>Read <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Scoundrels-Loretta-Chase-ebook/dp/B000FCKOEK/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ZGIXP3O8Z2B0&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FoEk94PB3kaxgoGg8wULy1Qv-Acn3GZs4uXVOakGSac8Q2iRc1KlINQfKAHb27ogoOMa-f2fCw8ly-VmVeaMsEU-pnceEILXopZoBbubNdoLx_K4YcuPr4BmUP10fBBjdrmZ0ee9g0pl8ljhdeTJ_E91Xt5s-jFuGd1HlHBfHyWls9dAmYCibK7edScONTkIDLZpsjaeAjgFmVK-vEOdJnPDX8Ktofjg59DnmCMV5Aw.5IWus5xdQpMFqneSpSYnpdKA6fDDNYQzMMtc1RRm0Ps&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=lord+of+scoundrels+loretta+chase&amp;qid=1769561546&amp;sprefix=lord+of+S%2Caps%2C191&amp;sr=8-1" target="_blank">Lord of Scoundrels</a></p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p>yes01:07:2512S1 E2—Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase with Meg from Plot Trystsfull<![CDATA[S1 E1—Future of Historical Romance with Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Niven]]>I absolutely LOVED this conversation with Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Niven, both incredible historical romance authors. In this episode we talk about what readers love in HR, what we may need to do in the genre to bring in new readers and keep it alive in Traditional publishing, and what makes both of their own books so readable and memorable!

You can find out more about Alex and her books, as well as sign up for her newsletter (and get a free novella!), on her website: https://www.alexandravasti.com/

The Halifax Hellions, a duo of novellas about the Halifax twins, Margo and Matilda, which we discuss in this episode, will be released in paperback on February 17th!

Felicity Niven has a free prequel novella to her Lovelocks of London series, When Ardor Blooms, that you can get when you sign up for her newsletter on her website: https://www.felicityniven.com/

We discussed her debut novel, Convergence of Desire, in this episode. It can be found on Amazon or read in Kindle Unlimited with a subscription

Alex and Felicity lead discussions on a variety of Historical Romances through their Facebook reading group, The Ungovernables: https://www.facebook.com/groups/458348103108031

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>37833ca3-278d-46c0-8e36-7874c8dad020Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:15:00 GMT<p>I absolutely LOVED this conversation with Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Niven, both incredible historical romance authors. In this episode we talk about what readers love in HR, what we may need to do in the genre to bring in new readers and keep it alive in Traditional publishing, and what makes both of their own books so readable and memorable!</p><p></p><p>You can find out more about Alex and her books, as well as sign up for her newsletter (and get a free novella!), on her website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.alexandravasti.com/" target="_blank">https://www.alexandravasti.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://read.macmillan.com/lp/the-halifax-hellions-9781250360151/" target="_blank">The Halifax Hellions</a>, a duo of novellas about the Halifax twins, Margo and Matilda, which we discuss in this episode, will be released in paperback on February 17th!</p><p></p><p>Felicity Niven has a free prequel novella to her Lovelocks of London series, When Ardor Blooms, that you can get when you sign up for her newsletter on her website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.felicityniven.com/" target="_blank">https://www.felicityniven.com/</a></p><p>We discussed her debut novel, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.amazon.com/Convergence-Desire-Lovelocks-London-Book-ebook/dp/B0B9QDFS7J/" target="_blank">Convergence of Desire</a>, in this episode. It can be found on Amazon or read in Kindle Unlimited with a subscription</p><p></p><p>Alex and Felicity lead discussions on a variety of Historical Romances through their Facebook reading group, The Ungovernables: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/458348103108031" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/458348103108031</a></p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@first_encounter_hr_pod" target="_blank">@first_encounter_hr_pod</a></p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">@andiejamesauthor</a></p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a> </p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a> </p>yes00:59:2411S1 E1—Future of Historical Romance with Alexandra Vasti and Felicity Nivenfull<![CDATA[Introduction to First Encounter]]>In this Introductory episode, host Andie James discusses why she is starting this podcast—focused on Historical Romance—and how it will be structured, with fellow Indie Historical Romance author Lindsay Barrett.

First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

Support First Encounter:

Patreon

 

Follow First Encounter:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod

Instagram: @first_encounter_hr_pod

Threads: @first_encounter_hr_pod

TikTok: @first_encounter_hr_pod

 

Follow Andie James:

Website: https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/

Instagram: @andiejamesauthor

Threads: @andiejamesauthor

 

Logo designed by Books and Moods

Theme Music by TheJayMan

]]>e5513c6a-24fb-48f9-a8e0-e5a5ac455695Wed, 17 Dec 2025 08:00:00 GMT<p>In this Introductory episode, host Andie James discusses why she is starting this podcast—focused on Historical Romance—and how it will be structured, with fellow Indie Historical Romance author Lindsay Barrett.</p><p></p><p>First Encounter is a podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p><p></p><p>Support First Encounter:</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://patreon.com/first_encounter_hr_pod?utm_medium=unknown&amp;utm_source=join_link&amp;utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&amp;utm_content=copyLink" target="_blank">Patreon</a></p><p> </p><p>Follow First Encounter:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/firstencounterpod</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/first_encounter_hr_pod/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: @first_encounter_hr_pod</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="Threads" target="_blank">Threads</a>: @first_encounter_hr_pod</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="TikTok" target="_blank">TikTok</a>: @first_encounter_hr_pod</p><p> </p><p>Follow Andie James:</p><p>Website: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/" target="_blank">https://www.andiejamesauthor.com/</a></p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/andiejamesauthor/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>: @andiejamesauthor</p><p><a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="Threads" target="_blank">Threads</a>: @andiejamesauthor</p><p> </p><p>Logo designed by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.booksandmoods.com/" target="_blank">Books and Moods</a></p><p>Theme Music by <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://depositphotos.com/music-track/positive-successful-cinematic-vibes-used-movie-soundtrack-764901870.html" target="_blank">TheJayMan</a></p><p></p>no00:49:04Introduction to First Encounterfull<![CDATA[Trailer: First Encounter—A Historical Romance Podcast]]>Welcome to First Encounter, a new podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.

]]>a98e93d4-3538-413d-a67e-93f1c0fa84bdMon, 08 Dec 2025 16:22:34 GMT<p>Welcome to First Encounter, a new podcast exploring both the foundations, and the future, of Historical Romance. Hosted by Andie James, Historical Romance enthusiast and author.</p>no00:03:26Trailer: First Encounter—A Historical Romance Podcasttrailer