The Story Bites Podcast

The best kind of story is one that takes an old trope and makes it so fresh that you need to read it immediately. And that’s the kind of book The Bride Test is! We are sold on this unique pairing between a Vietnamese heroine and a neurodiverse hero. Listen in while we discover what’s new from mega bestselling author Helen Hoang! The Bride Test is artfully narrated by Emily Woo Zeller, and provided to the Story Bites Podcast by Dreamscape Media LLC.

In this episode we explore the fine line between hate and love, and why hate-to-love-you books are so popular in romance! Elle Kennedy shows a masterful understanding of this concept as we are introduced to the indomitable Brenna, lovingly rendered by narrator Virginia Rose!

Brides, grooms and beavers. Not necessarily in that order. Tessa Bailey is a veteran romance author with skills for days! Watch how she jumps into a love story for two strangers with a runaway groom and a heroine made for drama with a chip on her shoulder. Also, Sarina follows up on a previous book we loved. And Tanya bakes a... beaver cake.

Today's audio book treat is Meet Cute by Helena Hunting! It delivers everything the title promises, and then some. We discuss how the narrator, Holly Warren, has a special challenge in this chapter. And she delivers! Thank you for listening to the Story Bites Podcast with Sarina Bowen & Tanya Eby!

Before we left Washington DC, we wanted to interview our friend and narrator Emma Wilder. And a good time was had by all! Join us for an introduction to Sarina’s snowboard romance audio book and a chat with someone who's living the dream: people pay her to read!

Podcasting together from Apollycon in D.C. was so much fun! In this episode you’ll get the tense opening chapter of Amanda Bouchet’s scifi romance, Starchaser. And then you’ll get an interview with the author. We had such a great time.

It's not just the terrific hook that drew us in. It's the terrific narration by Tim Paige! Join us to hear all the awesome.

Today’s excerpt, Narrated by Aubrey Vincent & Lee Samuels, is courtesy of Audible Studios! Sarina picked this one for the raising-your-younger-sibling trope. And a hotshot doc is a character archetype with tons of potential! We also dish about Tanya’s Trip to New York, where she took in a classy awards ceremony for audio books, and had a very Instagrammable meal.

This time we bring you a strong heroine who loves basketball almost as much as author Kennedy Ryan. Terrific narration by Sean Crisden and Jo Raylan. Tune in to hear about unapologetic love triangles and fierce heroines. Plus Tanya tells us how she preps each new book for narration!

What happens when a bestselling author of vampire tales turns her attention to firefighters? The story smolders! We couldn't resist this series-starter by JR Ward.

We chose Matchmaking for Beginners by Maddie Dawson, narrated by Joyce Bean and Amy McFadden, for it’s incredible, impeccable voice. So funny! So different in a romance. So…everything. We also explore the question of What is a Romance? (And why is this so complicated, really?) Also notable: the proper definition of Welsh Rarebit. It was such a fun question that Tanya had to make a video to explain it. Visit storybitespodcast.com to see the video!

Listeners, there’s a reason Sarina has grabby hands for this new book. Lisa Kleypas is a genius at delayed gratification. This hero is a case study in how to build a series. (Or how to torture your readers for three years in the best possible way.) Devil's Daughter is masterful. Join us!

Today, for the first time on the Story Bites Podcast you’re getting a whole story. No excerpt! No cliffies! No backsies! We discuss Tanya’s love of short stories and Sarina’s fear. Also, there is some crow-eating to do over today’s writers’ rule…

Today we analyze why we like British accents so much, and we reassure ourselves that it doesn’t mean we’re shallow. Not very shallow, anyway. Also we learn that Tanya dislikes hotdogs, and that Sarina is having a hard week. Bottom Line: The Keeper of Lost Things is a deeply romantic book with surprises to keep you on your toes. And there may or may not be something magical going on. This is a spoiler free episode, though, so don’t be afraid!

CD Reiss is a writer like no other. In this episode we dig into why, and hear a terrific duet narration. We also talk about genre expectations, and how they affect both writer and reader. Is Girl on the Edge tense, romantic suspense, as Audiofile Magazine puts it? Or romance? Listen and decide!