Feral for a Second Round with Romance Author, Victoria Wilder

This week on What the Smut Are You Talking About, we're welcoming back romance author Victoria Wilder for a chaotic, bookish catch-up that is packed with romance books, writing talk, unhinged thoughts, and all things romantic suspense.

Victoria joins us to chat about her writing journey, her fan-favorite Bourbon Boys series, and her upcoming release, Rumors & Whiskey, the first book in her brand-new Whiskey Women series. We dive into everything from feral gremlin writing habits and deadline panic to hidden identities, found family, witness protection, true crime podcasts, and the art of writing grumpy-not-cowboy book boyfriends that readers can't stop obsessing over.

Whether you're a longtime Victoria Wilder fan, a lover of romantic suspense, or you're looking for your next romance book obsession, this episode is for you.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:01

What's up, Book Nerds? Welcome to What the Smut Are You Talking About podcast. We are a weekly romance book podcast where we talk about books and chaos. So yeah, pretty much anything goes.

SPEAKER_03 0:13

Join us as we talk about the books we are reading, what crazy shenanigans are happening in our lives, and who knows, we may have some fun guests drop by.

SPEAKER_04 0:21

So grab your favorite snacky snack and your beverage of choice and come hang out and see what the smut we are talking about this week. I'm good, Courtney. How are you doing? I am wonderful. It's a pretty day outside.

SPEAKER_03 0:44

Yes, finally. I made two sourdough loaves this morning. So I was very productive today.

SPEAKER_04 0:51

Yum. I am not a baker. I tried to bake these brownies this weekend. It had like these like cookie things on top, and it I'm pretty sure it was still like doughy, but I still ate it. It was really good with ice cream on top.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Boy, bet. Not that she should be having ice cream. Right, right. Gosh, mom. I know. But we have a fabulous author with us.

SPEAKER_04 1:18

Yes. She writes suspenseful romance that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

SPEAKER_03 1:24

She writes not a cowboy characters that fall in love with all the messy, flirty, sexy things that follow. And we're so excited to welcome her back. Hey Victoria.

SPEAKER_04 1:36

Hi.

SPEAKER_02 1:36

Hi. Uh that was a great intro. I we like to hype you up. Yes. Well, I'll take all the hype you want to give for sure. But that was fabulous. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 1:48

You're so welcome. And I left off your last name. So for anyone listening, it is Victoria Wilder. She has been on our podcast before a couple of years ago. And Victoria, I don't know if I've told you this, but when we switched like platform hosting sites and my old host deleted all of my old episodes. So we are, yeah, I was super bummed because, you know, I lost all my downloads, I lost all my listens. But we're just getting to start from scratch. And you know, I brought Mary on this year, so we're slowly re-releasing all of our older episodes. And yours is actually re-releasing this week on Thursday. So you'll probably get a tag or two from me this week. Oh, that's great. So we're super excited. I was like, we have to get Victoria's episode back out.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Well then congrats on the release of the entire podcast. I think that's a very big deal. Wonderful.

SPEAKER_03 2:46

Thank you. It's been fun. We've had unhinged chaos galore this season. We can't believe we're almost at the end of season one. The time has flown by. It's been crazy. I love it. I know Fourtney and I both got to meet you and chat with you last year at a meet and greet queue. And then I also met you up in Connecticut at Kiss and Tail. Kiss and Tail. They're fictionally yours events now. But yes, Kiss and Tail. Because I was like, Will you sign my point shoe?

SPEAKER_02 3:18

So I love I love signing that point shoe. I did point ballet for a handful of years when, you know, when I could.

SPEAKER_01 3:34

I love that.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

I will be having classes on Monday nights for for the summer. So I'm I'm really excited. Uh it's been a while. I do a lot at home, but it's been a while since I've been back in the classroom.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

So the best the best thing I ever did was dance. It was like, I mean, aside from it just being so much fun when I was younger, um, I think it just also, as you're growing, it just sculpts your legs in a totally different way. Like I I think my calf muscles daily dance class, like insane dance class. I mean, they don't look as great as they did when I then, but um, and and the posture.

SPEAKER_03 4:11

And your posture, like I remember when my mother-in-law met me for the first time, she's like, You sit so straight. She's like, Your posture is incredible. And I'm like, Yeah, well, 20 some odd years of dance will do that to you when you have dance teachers who are like for sure. Yeah, no, I lost that in the years, but I love it anyway.

SPEAKER_04 4:30

I got lucky enough last year, um, the Knoxville event. They put me like right across from you and I you stayed so busy, but I like occasionally like make faces just in on the off chance you would look up.

SPEAKER_02 4:44

I I don't know that I looked up much that event. It was such a good show. I'm going back again this year. Um YouTube. Yay! They put on an event and like every single person was just. I mean, I don't I have not had any negative experiences, so there's really nothing awful to compare it to. But um, everybody's just charming and in a you know, they want to talk books and take pictures, and it's like gravy the whole day.

SPEAKER_03 5:11

It was a fabulous event. And I remember when I was helping Kristen clean up and you finally were done. I was like, Will you sign my point you for this one? And I'm like running because I think you and one other author were were there even after like Kristen and her wife and I went and ate dinner and then came and back.

SPEAKER_02 5:32

Yeah, we were there a while, but yeah, we were there to get signatures and to say hi. And I don't know. I if people don't mind waiting around, neither do I. I want to sign and meet everybody who wants to meet me. I mean, how cool of a situation is that, you know?

SPEAKER_03 5:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 5:49

They did a fabulous job at that event. I've been to a lot of signings, and that one and the kiss and tail are definitely in my top, my top list of signings that I would attend hands down, sight unseen of who the authors are. I would just go to their events strictly because they do a fabulous job.

SPEAKER_02 6:11

Totally. I think there's also like a benefit to um, I think there's benefits to the larger events too, right? It's more access to more authors, but there's just something different about events where you're not so overwhelmed by so many authors. And that also means probably your the tickets aren't insane either. So you're not like wading through crowds of like 500 plus people, you know, you're talking about 300 plus.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

Polycon was culture shock last year. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:36

I mean, but at least you know going to a polycon, you're going to a polycon, you know, you're in.

SPEAKER_03 6:42

You know, you know it's going to be insane.

SPEAKER_04 6:44

But I would pay to spend time with JR Ward, like in her panels. I mean, like I live for those videos.

SPEAKER_02 6:55

Yes, yes. They go for, you know, and oh she she looks like the best time.

SPEAKER_04 7:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:02

She really does.

SPEAKER_04 7:03

And what's funny is I never knew who she was until someone posted last year's Apolycon like video of her like running out into the crowd. Yeah. I was like, I don't know who she is, but I love her.

SPEAKER_02 7:15

She's a great writer. And you know, she's got a whole um one of her series is on I think Passion Flicks. And yes.

SPEAKER_04 7:22

I've slowly started my way because there's like so many books in that series. So I just finished, it's been about a month or two now ago, the the first book in that series. And yeah, I'm trying to, I want to try to get through as many as possible before I actually go to Passion Flicks and watch it.

SPEAKER_03 7:40

So, Victoria, what are you currently drinking? And is it strong enough for this conversation at 1249?

SPEAKER_02 7:48

If it was the evening, I would have totally poured something old-fashioned-y. No, it's midday. So right now I'm drinking a coconut seltzer and a giant jug of water because I already had my iced coffee.

SPEAKER_03 8:02

All right, Courtney, what's in your cup?

SPEAKER_04 8:04

Actually, just finished a Diet Coke, so I'm I'm not drinking anything right now.

SPEAKER_03 8:10

Same, I didn't even grab water before this thing. I'm like, I have nothing sitting on this desk. So let's hope let's hope I don't choke on air during that.

SPEAKER_04 8:19

Well, on a scale of plotter to feral gremlin, what is your writing process like?

SPEAKER_02 8:26

I'm a pretty feral gremlin, honestly. I wish I really okay. So in a perfect world, I would, I would have a more detailed plot. Um, unfortunately, I have a loose outline at best. I, the whole writing process for me is really is fun. It's really a fun time. And the hard part is it's also a career. So it can, it has to happen, right? Like I the beauty, the beauty in that though is I'm really good on deadlines. I'm a get it done, whatever it takes, kind of person. And I think most authors and writers are, even if that means you are like an intense plotter. You know that if you have a deadline to hit, you're gonna do whatever it takes to hit it. Um, and I'm in, I'm in that situation right now. I'm like halfway done with a book that's due in two weeks. So uh I got a lot of words to have to have happen, but I am a bit of a feral gremlin when it comes to it. I've like learned over 10 books now, things that will help move a story forward so that I don't, I mean, I still get stuck and like the beauty of having people to support me, like my editor and beta readers, is that I've got a community to support when I do, but it's a challenge. So, like being being a bit of a gremlin in the plotting world, I don't know if this applies to every author, but I think it probably applies to a lot where if you plot heavily or if you fly by the seat of your pants, it doesn't ever get easier. Writing is really hard. And if you want your stories to do the thing you want it to do, right? Deliver the message, get people feeling it's fucking hard. So, you know, I I think I have to always remind myself that, especially when I'm in a situation where, dear lord, why am I like, why can I not sleep over this? Why am I like stressed out as soon as I wake up in the morning? It's because I, you know, care deeply about whatever project I'm working on. And I think it's just the constant that if it's a really great story, it doesn't get easier to tell. It's just, you know, part of the part of the game.

SPEAKER_03 10:38

Makes sense. Well, we're all song-mitted qu answer to your question, but no, no, and we are all for the feral chaos gremlin over here. That is yeah, that is our whole season one vibe.

SPEAKER_02 10:50

So I mean I feel like if you can learn to still be proactive and productive and it's not, you know, clean cut, this is the amount of words I'm hitting a day, this is the section of the story I have to execute, you know. I think that's still okay. I think I have to keep telling myself that it's okay and that my process is okay. That's like the the kicker, you know, just being okay with the fact that mine is not uh always neat and tidy.

SPEAKER_03 11:13

Makes sense. When did you make the jump from this writing thing is fun to do to, oh no, this is now my new personality?

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:24

Oh, so I mean, I kind of have that personality where if I'm like really loving something, I two feet in buy the t-shirt, talk about it till I'm, you know, lose friends kind of thing. Or gain new ones. Or gain new ones. Yeah. So I mean, that's how reading romance worked for me. I did not grow up loving reading. I was not that that girl. And I hate that I wasn't because I feel like well, I'm never gonna read all the books that I want to read in my lifetime before I die. And that's like very depressing because reading is so much fun.

SPEAKER_03 12:00

Just make me a ghost in a library where I can read all the books after I die.

SPEAKER_02 12:06

Yeah, I mean, I used to think like people that were like, oh, I just want to like, you know, lock me in a library and and leave me be and be like, oh, it's so depressing. Like, no, it's actually beautiful. What if I do for your birthday? That's what I want to do for mine. But yeah, that's peak adulthood right now. Yeah, yes, exactly. That's how I felt about reading romance. And then I just I've always written in some capacity, but I just thought, let's try this. Like, what is the absolute worst? And the beauty of the independent author journey is that you can publish books without getting people's approval to do it, right? The barrier to entry doesn't exist anymore. Like it once had, right? Where you have to have a publisher in order to publish, or you have to have an agent to get to a publisher to publish. I feel super lucky that I have those things now, but that's not where I started. And when I when I started writing, I was like, okay, well, let's hope some people like it. And then, you know, I had I like, you know, fell in love with the bookstagram world and other authors were just really forthcoming on their two cents on what really helped them kind of jump a hurdle. And I got some really incredible advice. And like some of the biggest was just keep writing, set deadlines, make it executionable, right? If you really want to do the thing, don't just say you're gonna do the thing. Do the thing novel concept, but you know, do the thing. And it was it was a snowball effect. It wasn't just all of a sudden one day. I it I was at a really good point in my personal life. I had my son was about a year old. I had taken a year off from work, and it was like my partner and I just had the discussion like, let's try this. If I hate it, I still have a career I could fall back on. I was in marketing at VR. If it's nothing, if it's just like a really intense hobby for a while, then great, we'll reassess in like a little bit more time. Cause I'd been really burnt out. So I was lucky in a lot of ways that my person was supportive of something that, you know, in the grand scheme of things sounds nuts. So yeah, I think it was um, I jumped two feet in very early on because I had the luxury to be able to do it. And, you know, to really for it to really be considered a career, it took about two and a half years before I was really making money back so that I it could pay for itself, right? And um, you know, things like my editor and my cover designer and and the things that, you know, the the have to haves, not just the nice to have things. Um and then I, you know, and then I just kept going.

SPEAKER_03 14:46

And we're so thankful that you keep going.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

I'm so thankful that people want to read so I can keep going. Who has been your easiest character to write? My easiest character uh had to be probably it's actually two characters, and it's I think it's because they have very similar personalities. Um, the first one is uh her name is G. She is from Hide and Peak, which is the second book of my first series, and then Hadley Finch, who is the last FMC most people have met um in Bourbon and Proof. Um both characters just have this way about them where they care deeply about the people in their small circle, but they just don't have a filter. And poke and prod the people that they want without consequence. I like to consider them as pretty, like fierce female leads who I would absolutely want on my zombie apocalypse team, but also for drinks on a Thursday night, you know?

SPEAKER_04 15:48

Yeah, we me and Mary were actually just talking about your first series. I like want to go back and bencher like all of them.

SPEAKER_02 15:57

I haven't been in that world in so long. And like I dabbled a little bit back there in this in the Bourbon Boys series where like some people like you know pop up randomly here and there. But I was I had a I don't know, that first series just I think I think because it was the first just has like a special place in my heart. But yeah, finding I found my footing in Strutz Peak in Colorado with that family. So have you had a character completely hijack your story? I mean, I feel like it's a I feel like it's a similar answer. So there is one character that I knew was going to have a pretty consistent role in the entire series, but I just didn't realize how much when I first started writing him. And that was Grizz Fox from Urban Boys.

SPEAKER_01 16:41

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 16:41

I had to really dial back how much Grizz was in each book because he just kind of like kept popping in.

SPEAKER_04 16:47

Love him. I know he's an older male character.

SPEAKER_02 16:53

I think he's like, I think he basically was like right around late 70s, early 80s, the whole series. And I just picture, you know, Sam Elliott as him, as I was like. Yes. I can see, I can see that. And every time I would have a scene where like someone needed to be interrupted or I needed a good, like, I needed to like put the boys in their place, Grizz was there. Um, and so yeah, like I don't have characters that talk to me, but I definitely have characters whose personalities I really know. And I don't know if it's like it's not like I I did extensive research on some of them. And Grizz is one of them. You know, I didn't give him like an anagram or don't know his horoscope or all of those things, but he just, you know, I knew him in a way would he would just work out. And, you know, he ended up getting his version of a happily ever after by the end of the series. And yeah, he was definitely the character that kind of snuck up on me and was more in the foreground than I had ever anticipated him being.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

On the flip side of all of that, like, do you have a story that's been the hardest to write?

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Gosh, I think it's always the next one. I mean, I j I just real talk, genuinely struggle every time I'm writing to figure out what my story is. I I always know what the tone of it is going to be, but it's usually whatever book I'm writing now is the one that's the hardest. And I always feel so good by the end of my editing process, and not like line and copy edits where, you know, you like perfect and pretty the sentence structure, but really like the developmental edits where you're working down to like the very nitty-gritty of who the character is, what is that like small, you know, type of like detail that might just like push the reader a little bit extra to relate to them. Like those are the things that I genuinely enjoy so much. So once I can get to that place, I feel great. But getting there is really hard.

SPEAKER_04 18:55

So the first draft is a bitch.

SPEAKER_02 18:59

It is, it is. And I think um, I think some people can draft really fast. I do not. It actually takes me some time, and I think probably it comes down to me just not plotting, right? Because I'm plotting as I go.

unknown 19:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

But um, it's figuring out a couple of things, right? What is my what is my internal conflict between my two main characters, and then what is my external plot conflict? Um, and I have the luxury of that because I do write romantic suspense, so I don't always have to pull from what is the internal couple conflict. I can pull from how to make the story move forward by the external conflict. So I think I have a little bit of a luxury in playing, you know, in the romantic suspense space um that maybe some other contemporary authors don't have where you where I have something else to pull from, but also making sure they like live cohesively so they don't feel so, you know, different and you don't feel jilted by the time you hit the end of the story. So yeah. So if you have so today I'm writing um book two in the Whiskey Women series, and currently it is the hardest book I have written.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

Love it. What is a tiny detail that a reader will never notice, but you completely obsessed over in one of your stories? Oh gosh.

SPEAKER_02 20:17

Um, so so the funny part is I I don't know that they don't notice, um, because I have gotten people that have noticed some things, but I love putting in little Easter eggs of things that I love in these stories um in a creative way. Um like I think some people might notice I really love a League of Their Own. It's one of my fave movies, and there are some things throughout the story that just are like a little like paid homage to you know, how great that that story.

SPEAKER_03 20:57

I noticed that in Bourbon and Lies. I saw that one. I was like, oh, I know where that's from.

SPEAKER_02 21:02

Yeah. Yeah. And it's just, you know, maybe a character name that just like reminds you of, you know, some pop culture thing when you were growing up. And I'm in my 40s. So like I'm like a I'm a project of, you know, late 80s, early 90s culture. And, you know, we didn't have like we like when I was like between 10 and 16, we didn't really have the internet. So I was just like binge watching like TBS on, you know, and whatever movies we're playing. And like that was the jam. E G I F.

SPEAKER_03 21:31

Yeah, TGI Friday lineup, yes. Yeah, dinner dinner in a movie, you know, that type of thing. Be kind, rewind.

SPEAKER_02 21:38

Yeah. So exactly. So I don't know. So there's there's little there are little trinkets of that throughout that I think people have noticed. Um, are there other things I've obsessed over? I mean, yeah, like I think a lot of authors think about what are you, what are you, what are you delivering as like a full D person, right? So not just what they look like, but what they sound like. Like or what they smell like, or a tiny nuance of their facial feature that they do or or you know, or or mess around with throughout the story. And I I'm sure readers appreciate those details, but I think as a writer, any writer like really spends time thinking about how do I not make this like the other eight male main characters I've made, right? And oftentimes it stems from like a picture or a mood board or something like that. But other times it's like, well, maybe this like soft-spoken MMC that was supposed to be a golden retriever really turns out to be like a growling son of a bitch. So I've gotta like, you know, he's not going to rub the back of his neck when he's uneasy. He's gonna like jam his fingers through his scalp instead because it's a little more aggressive, you know. So like those tiny things are definitely the ones I like obsess over.

SPEAKER_04 22:53

It's like you write these amazing, grumpy, not a cowboys, but but it's like how far can you take it without them coming off, oh, you're not grumpy, you're just an asshole kind of thing. Yeah, that has to be so hard.

SPEAKER_02 23:09

Yeah, I mean, the great part is I have like a network of amazing women who love to call out assholes. So they'll dial it back. Like, there's a fine line, right, between finding somebody sexy and charismatic to cocky and arrogant. And I think, you know, I've got like five beta readers. I have, you know, two editors and a master of a PA that will just be like, no, he sounds like a real piece of shit. I don't want to like, I don't like him. And like that's you know, you're like, you know what, you're right. I'm like trying to make this person something that, you know, maybe you're real like someone real would would respond to. I really want my characters to have conflict and to grow throughout the story, right? That's what makes them interesting. But I still want you to like them. Like I still want you to root for them, even if it's like a little hard at first, you know, and it's really hard to do if you write a real piece of shit. So definitely goodness.

SPEAKER_04 24:09

So, what has been the craziest thing you've had to Google, you know, for research?

SPEAKER_02 24:15

Oh, okay. Well, I mean, I've Googled a lot of interesting things where I'm like, I am on some lists. I mean, the the last one that I was like how to dispose of a body without leaving any bones or teeth behind.

SPEAKER_03 24:29

Pig farm.

SPEAKER_02 24:32

Yeah. So, so things of like, you know, questions related in or around that scheme. Fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:40

Acid, really good acid. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 24:43

Yes. Um says the cop's wife. Yeah. So I mean, like you, it's really hard to write morally gray characters without having to research the morally gray things you're able to do. Um, and you know, Googling is a good start. Um, I also have, you know, you chat with police detectives who are willing to answer. Um, you know, the nice the most amazing part about the um books to Grim universe is I found some incredible ARC team members who have really interesting jobs. You know, or you can like tap resources a little bit. But yeah, I've Googled some things. That's for sure. We love it.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

We love it. While you are writing, what is your favorite snack of choice if you have one?

SPEAKER_02 25:31

I it really depends on the mood. I tend to like lean towards sweet things, but it's either gonna be like I don't know, it's gonna be like pop secret, um, home style popcorn, or my like latest obsession are those drizzelicious birthday cake chip things. Uh, I can eat a lot of those. I haven't heard of those. That sounds delicious. They're actually smart snackers. Like you get them in mini packs, and it's like, you know, it doesn't, it doesn't destroy your, you know, somewhat healthy food day. Unless you decide to eat more than one mini pack. Right. I mean it just depends on the mood, right?

SPEAKER_03 26:12

Yes. We love our listeners to learn more about your books. And we're gonna start. I know it's your second series that you wrote, but the Bourbon Boy series has three books in it.

SPEAKER_01 26:26

Yep.

SPEAKER_03 26:26

And readers can expect all the romantic suspense. Bourbon and Lies has a hidden identity, strangers to lovers, and a found family. And I finished that book in a day. I actually started it on Sunday and finished it maybe Monday morning, really early in the morning, because insomnia is another thing. Honestly, that you just powered. Like I think it was Monday morning that I finished it. I could not, I devoured it. I completely and totally consumed it, became my identity, just fell in love, in love with it. So, listeners, be sure to check out. And I haven't I have to read book two and three now, obviously. Because Atticus is uh the one that I'm I'm pining for. Daddy Ink delivers. Um, but yeah, I I has uh so bourbon so Bourbon and Secrets is book two, and that is a single dad, Lincoln. It's that brother, uh, hate to love and secrets and blackmail. Yeah, she's a burlesque dancer too. She is the most fun and investigator. And then Bourbon Improof has Best Friend's Brother, Slow Burn, and my favorite trope, which is why I'm pining over it and Courtney knows Marriage of Convenience. Yes. Let's go! Like, let's go. I I am here for those forced proximity, second chance, marriage of convenience. I will gobble them up.

SPEAKER_04 28:06

These Fox Men, like Mary, I'm so jealous that you're getting to read them for the first time. Because as you're going through the series, it's like each book becomes your new identity, right? Like the second book is just as good, if not more, than the first. And then by the time you get to the third, you're like, Well, I'm identifying as the whole series now because I know I'm so story now.

SPEAKER_03 28:30

I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna make bourbon. Yes, capable.

SPEAKER_04 28:35

Like my gosh, I know. So amazing. Come on. Thank you. Re-releasing, you know, our our old um interview with you. At one point, like I was literally in tears because like you were talking about how you were still riding bourbon and secrets by the time. That's probably great. I was tortured over bourbon and secrets. Just hearing your passion about riding this and how you were like wishing that it was gonna be like your breakout series. And I'm like, just look how far she's came.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

I know.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

And now you can buy it in like Target in Walmart. And I was uh uh yeah, this the Bourbon Boy series did a lot of good things for me. And it just, I don't know. I I love that series. It was so good to write, it felt really good to write. And I just I don't know, a lot of those stories, there's a lot of me in them. As I was writing them, I knew I just wanted to push myself, right? And I think that's just become the the standard. If I can write the next book just a little bit better than the last one, then I'm doing my job, right? I'm doing, I'm not just getting settled in in this this author universe. I'm I'm pushing myself and um and hopefully that comes through with with each book I put out, you know? I think it does.

SPEAKER_04 29:46

You're for sure killing it. I'm listening to rumors and whiskey right now, and again, it's become my personality and that color scheme. I love it. Oh my god, I'm obsessed, it is gorgeous.

SPEAKER_02 30:00

Thank you. Um, I can't wait.

SPEAKER_03 30:02

I can't wait for more people to read it. Courtney is telling our listeners is the Whiskey Women series, and book one is Rumors and Whiskey, and it releases June 16th, has all of the romantic suspense, small town, found family, hidden identity, witness protection, and Courtney's favorite that she found in there podcasting.

SPEAKER_04 30:26

Yes, I am a huge fan of any type of like true crime podcasting. And so when that came across my ears, I was like, oh yay!

SPEAKER_03 30:41

She texted me. Let me let me tell you, she texted me. She sent me a picture that she got the ALC for it, and then as she was listening, I get a text message. She has podcasting.

unknown 30:54

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 30:54

Yeah, one of the sisters has a uh true crime and whiskey tasting podcast. She like merges the two of them. Um, so yeah, that that sister story is is not the first one, but yeah, you get you get little snippets of that podcast throughout the first book.

SPEAKER_04 31:13

It's really fun. Oh, I'm I'm so excited to see what you do with this series because I'm I'm about 70% in, and it's like the complete vibe.

unknown 31:24

Okay. All right.

SPEAKER_02 31:25

I love it. Yeah, so if you've so Mary, you haven't read Bourbon Improof yet, but once you get there, you will meet the male main character that's whiskey, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 31:38

Awesome.

SPEAKER_02 31:39

So he is a very interesting guy, as a jeweler by day, and a crime scene cleaner.

SPEAKER_03 31:47

I love that. I love that. I am here for that, definitely. And I have I have to take a plane trip right around the time rumors and whiskey releases. So I will have that downloaded so I can read on the flight.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Yeah, perfection. That's like the best. I I actually get a ton of reading done when I'm doing any kind of traveling because what else are you gonna do? You know, right? Yeah. You don't have kids to to bother you.

SPEAKER_03 32:13

Your first series, which I know we've been gushing over and we've gone around about, but your very first series was the Riggs romance series. And so listeners can definitely find that series. It's a four-book series, and then you also have a novella.

SPEAKER_02 32:32

I do, yes. This like baby little novella. Practical magic piece for holidays kind of vibe. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 32:40

Which is awesome because I'm here for all the holiday novellas. During the holiday time, I'm like, how many novellas can I read that surround Halloween or Christmas? And it's always a fun, fun vibe.

SPEAKER_04 32:54

Good one because it's like a different spin on a holiday novella. Like it's more celestial.

SPEAKER_02 33:01

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_04 33:02

So I was a fan.

SPEAKER_02 33:04

Yeah, and you'll get some of those like solstice type vibes and rumors in whiskey too. So like a little pull from every book that I've already published to the new ones that come.

SPEAKER_04 33:17

I'm I've giggled, I've kicked my feet, I've had a what the fuck look on my face. Like my husband's like, what are you doing?

SPEAKER_02 33:26

I was like, shh, I'm listening. I love it. So it's really funny. So this is the first, so Rumors and Whiskey is the first book that I am releasing, and then have already started writing the next book. Like, I usually like my publishing schedule is different because I'm working with Bloom in North America and then Atria in Australia, New Zealand, and UK. So on the trad side, you have to deliver stories, you know, a solid amount of time before they release so that they can print and end up on shelf. And before that wasn't the case. So I would, you know, be done with the book. And within the next, you know, few months, it would be in arc readers' hands and then publish. And then once it published, I would, you know, give myself a, you know, little celebration party and uh yeah, and start the next one. But so to not have the feedback from even my ARC team yet on the first book, and I feel so good about it. Like I feel so good about this next book. Um, but to not have it yet, I'm like chomping at the bit.

SPEAKER_04 34:31

I'm like, well, I I am here for it. I don't want to start talking about it too early. I know, I know. But yeah, it's chef's kiss.

SPEAKER_03 34:40

So our whole conversation then obviously leads us into what are we currently reading or listening to? And this podcast is all Victoria Wilder. So our listeners have gotten the full dose of what's to come from Courtney and her ALC with rumors and whiskey. And can and we dropped the tropes and Bourbon and Lies is the one that I devoured. And I'm moving on to book two. So, listeners, if you have read Victoria, drop a comment below and let us know which book's your favorite or which character is your favorite. And if you're reading something else, let us know what you're reading in the comments. We love to find new books to read. I know. Are you guys reading other things right now? Normally I will only read one book at a time. I don't like to switch because I like to give my full attention to what I'm reading. So before I picked up Bourbon and Lies, I was actually just doing a reread of some comfort reads. So those I don't mind stopping because it's just a comfort read. So I also have an alpha read that I'm working my way through, but it's in Google Docs. And so that one, so I am reading two books right now, but I'm experienced though when you're on your computer versus it's it's totally different. And obviously, I'm in a way different headspace when I'm alpha beta reading than when I'm reading for pleasure because so, but that one, my alpha read is is a mafia romance. And oh my gosh, I'm like, I'm devouring it. Oh, I love that. Even though I'm alpha reading it, I'm like, it's still so good.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Yeah, that's like that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 36:30

I did just get a beta copy of Amber Cordova's new book. So we're gonna have her on. So I'm like, listen, it takes me forever to eyeball read. So I need something like now so I can get started.

SPEAKER_03 36:44

It does not. I am a speed reader as qu as I just devoured a book in a day. So for me, if it takes me longer than a day or two to read a book, the book probably is not free.

SPEAKER_02 36:59

Yes. No, I feel like I put one down for too long and I'm not eager to get back to it, oftentimes I probably won't finish it. Same. I I DNF pretty easily pretty quickly. We do too. But I just finished like I just finished The Poison Daughter um by Sheila Masterson. And it was so good. I was planning just to like dabble a little bit because I'm also on deadline, so I need to like spend my time there. But it's nice to just, I don't know, it's really nice to just unwind for uh even like an hour before bed if I can, if I can keep my eyes open, and I just ate it up. It was so good, so good. Um, but I love romanticy, so it's nice to get something a little bit different when you're writing contemporary.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

So, Courtney, what are you watching?

SPEAKER_04 37:51

So um, I'm pretty much like caught up with everything besides Rhode Island. I have not had time to like dedicate to like sit and watch it. Um, but I'm hoping I'll be starting processing my commission soon. So that's something I can like listen to as I'm processing. So I'm hoping to get caught up on that. Other than that, like I did stay up way too late last night watching season one of Chris Lee's Back to Reality. I'm almost finished with season one. Um, I don't know what it is about that family. Like, I just love to watch this.

SPEAKER_02 38:32

It's just really nice to turn off your brain though and watch reality and just like gawk at the madness, right? Yes.

unknown 38:40

Definitely.

SPEAKER_04 38:40

And you never know what's gonna come out of Todd's mouth. So yeah. It's it's a treat. What about you, Mary? What you watching?

SPEAKER_03 38:50

I am making my way through America's Next Top Model documentary on Netflix. Okay. And so I I feel like I'm dating myself again. America's Next Top Model aired when I guess I was maybe a freshman in college. It was it was a long time, it was it was a long time ago. A huge run. Crazy. And it had a huge run. And so the reason I think the documentary came about is because during COVID, people found America's next top model and started binging it. And then we're like, oh my God, this is toxic. This is the worst of the worst in the industry. I mean, you're calling these people during the skinny era where you could see their hip bones, you're calling them fat. And so it the documentary has been interesting because apparently, apparently Tyra Banks hasn't talked to some of the co-hosts since they were booted from the show. And so it's it's very, very interesting. And it's only a three-episode piece, but I've made it through the first episode, so now I could just gotta watch episode two. But I remember they're doing all these recaps, and you're seeing some of these models now, 20 years later. And I'll be honest, if they didn't show the picture with them of who they were on the show, like I remember them on the show, but I would have never been able to pick them out of a crowd now. Yeah. At all. I wouldn't, I would not recognize some of them at all. So that is what I'm watching. How about you, Victoria? Are you on your deadline or are you watching anything?

SPEAKER_02 40:32

I mean, I'm not, I mean, so I'm in the middle of season two of Friends and Neighbors on Apple TV with John Hamm. Okay. He he's like this, you know, finance bro who has like the worst year of his life. His wife leaves him for his best friend. He gets booted out of his house, and it's like rich people problems. So you like don't really feel bad for him, but you do, you can like somehow feel for him because also John Ham. So you're like, oh, are you so tracked? Um, he gets fired from his, you know, big finance guy job and then still has to pay alimony and child support and maintain the facade of this very expensive lifestyle in I think what is meant to be either um the suburbs of New York or Connecticut, right? And he ends up stealing, like a as a burglar, stealing inside of his neighbors' homes like things that they would never think that were stolen, right? Like beautiful Rolex watches or like some old first edition book, you know, things that um are worth a ton of money, but wow people get forget about. So it's it's fun. That's really creative the way they do the series too. Um, so I really like that one. And then I'm just basically waiting until May something, May 13th, I want to say until the deal comes out. Because I I mean L Kennedy's series, the starter of of hockey romance, I think. And um, an age before hockey romance blew up. And it's you know, I think aside from that, just the storyline is great, but the characters and the actors they got for them that I know.

SPEAKER_03 42:16

We court Courtney and I are planning a watch party. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

I'm like I can't wait for a heated rivalry level adaptation. Like that's what I you know, I can't wait to watch it. I'm so psyched. So, yeah, so I will take a minute to watch that when it comes out.

SPEAKER_03 42:36

Be sure to drop in the comments what you are watching. And if you are as feral and unhinged, excited for off campus as we are over here. Drop us a DM and let us know.

SPEAKER_04 42:49

Speaking of unhinged, it's time for our unhinged thoughts of the week, where we take our thoughts, no context, no logic, just the vibes, and unpack it like it's completely normal. What you got for me, Mary? What's your unhinged thought this week?

SPEAKER_03 43:06

My unhinged thought this week is why do we have so many cords for so many things? They don't all work. And I was trying to charge a battery pack that my son had been using to charge his phone when we travel because the teenager has his phone at like 5% perpetually. So I'm trying to sit here and charge this battery pack, and it's not the USB and it's not the USB-C. It's like the weird, like what the Amazon charger port is. So, you know, I'm looking around for cords, looking around for cords. I find one. I plug it in, it doesn't charge it. So then I'm looking around and looking around, and I find another one and it doesn't charge it. Like it is the right cord, and it wouldn't charge. I finally found the right one to charge it. But I'm like, why? Why do we have to have so many cords? Why can't things just be like, oh, this is your universal adapter? It works on everything. It charges all the time. And then I wouldn't have to have these little, like, it's unhinged. I have these little trash cans like that sit on my desktop that have all the random little cords stuffed inside the trash can. I have like three of them. And so that is my unhinged thought for the week is why do we have so many fucking cords?

SPEAKER_04 44:32

Well, mine is kind of tame this week. But just hear me out. Because the real like who did this to you energy is me staring at, you know, the toys that's currently on my living room floor when I just cleaned. And what I mean by me just cleaning is I paid someone to come clean my house for me. Because it's the week before is Mother's Day. I'm gonna treat myself.

SPEAKER_03 45:01

I would treat yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 45:04

Yeah, but two seconds, two seconds, and my house is a fucking disaster. Like I literally, there's so much shit on my floor. Like I was trying to get Sawyer out of the house this morning so we can do his play therapy. And I step on those like um flashcards, and like I just go sliding. I'm like, yep, this this is gonna be a hospital visit, but luckily I caught my balance before I fell.

SPEAKER_03 45:30

I I agree. It's nothing like cleaning your home or your bathroom and then it getting wrecked. Do you have an unhinged thought, Victoria, that you want to add to the mix? Anything, anything goes.

SPEAKER_02 45:45

Yeah, I don't know. I've like regular unhinged thoughts, although yesterday make playlists for whatever I'm writing or and usually like listen to them on repeat. And I absolutely don't know why, was feeling like I really wanted to listen to a John Mayer song and have one on the album that I'm building for the book that I'm writing now. And he hasn't put out anything new in so long that I was genuinely angry at a I'll never meet. Genuinely angry that that he has not dropped a new album. I am a very big John Mayer fan. And I don't know what that says about me, but I don't care. I find all of his lyrics like prolific and his guitar playing skills uh masterful. So um there's just like that. So I was genuinely angry yesterday and like shouted at my Spotify and was like, where, why? I was looking for like a good cover, maybe. So there will be no John Mayer on this playlist. Um, and I don't know why. There it there it makes no sense why I would even want him on there. I think it was just the vibe, and there's just certain certain songs of his that I felt like, oh, this would, I need something like this, but not this. Mm-hmm. That was not rational.

SPEAKER_03 47:08

Well, listeners, feel free to submit your unhinged thoughts to us, and who knows, we might read them on the air.

SPEAKER_04 47:15

Well, what is up next for you? Do you have any events? I know you're on deadline right now. Yeah, so all of the things.

SPEAKER_02 47:23

Yeah, I need to deliver book my editor loom soon. And then, yeah, and then I actually have a lot of travel planned. I've got Rumors and Whiskey releases on June 16th, but that weekend right before, um, I'll be in Austin for City Flank signing event down there. And then the week of release, I am doing a book tour. I will be in five cities across the U.S. I have some really fabulous conversation partners to, you know, build the hype and excitement for rumors and whiskey. So June is coming really soon, and it is packed with stuff for me. I was so hoping there would have been one close to the East Coast. Not drivable to where you are. Yeah, and then July. July, I will be in Tennessee for a a while. I'm gonna be in Nashville for Smutmus and the Smokies. We're there too. We're there! Oh amazing! All right, and then the following weekend I'll be at uh Meet and Greet Cube in Knoxville, so yeah, and then right in the middle of those that week, because it's like one weekend, and then the following weekend, right in the middle, is my birthday.

SPEAKER_04 48:36

So I won't be at Meet and Greet Keep this year. I'm definitely having serious FOMO because like my kids are so small, like I can't leave them that much. Um back to back weekends, yeah. Back to back. It's also my husband's birthday weekend. Yeah, and um, I already committed with Jess um to do Smutmus first. So I was like, ugh, but I already I've already filled out all the forms for 2027. I was like, Mary, I've got to be here in some sort of way.

SPEAKER_02 49:05

Totally, totally, yeah. Smutmus, I'm I'm excited for it. I'm excited. I know it's gonna be a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_04 49:11

Yes. Yeah, we'll have to come say hi. I definitely I need to buy a paperback of rumors and whiskey because I need it on my shelf.

SPEAKER_02 49:23

Yeah, I'm gonna my plan is to have, I mean, my plan is to whatever bookstore is on site is to sell through the bookstore and then obviously I'll sign, but I might also, I'm trying to have special event editions of rumors and whiskey for um for those two Tennessee events only. So hopefully all the stars will align between now and then so I can have them in my possession. But um, yeah, that's the that's the hope. Well, fingers crossed because that's I will be buying two.

SPEAKER_04 49:52

Well, you have a fun summer, it sounds like.

SPEAKER_02 49:56

So, busy and I'll take it, you know. Everything is nothing is set in stone. So I'll take the busy and the the good, and we'll just, you know, roll with it. Going.

SPEAKER_04 50:10

Yes. Well, before you leave us, please tell our listeners where they can find you at.

SPEAKER_02 50:16

You can find me just about anywhere. I am mostly on Instagram. It's author Victoria Wilder on pretty much all the social platforms. And then you can find my books, especially The Bourbon Boys, in a lot of new places like Amazon, Target, Walmart, um, uh lots of spots internationally too now. So yeah, just awesome.

SPEAKER_03 50:36

We are so excited and we can't wait for rumors and whiskey to come out. I know Courtney's teasing all of us, and I know it'll be worth the wait, though, I promise.

SPEAKER_02 50:48

Yes. It is my it might be my favorite book so far.

SPEAKER_04 50:55

Yeah, I just I have a special place in my heart for Ace. I don't know if anything can top Aces, but it's real close.

SPEAKER_03 51:04

I can't I can't wait to read Ace. I'm gonna blow up your phone at Courtney when I read Aces, but I just hope you know. I hope you love him. Oh, I'm sure I will. I loved him at book one, and I only got like, you know, how how many scenes with him, so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 51:21

He's yeah, he's my Roman Empire book boyfriend right there.

SPEAKER_01 51:26

Yeah, that's a He just dropped a compliment.

SPEAKER_04 51:30

That's amazing. Yes. Well, thank you. Love him. Love him, love him. And we'll have everything linked in our show notes um so people can find you easy.

SPEAKER_03 51:42

And we're so excited you joined us again now that we're the duet and rebranded and yeah, I love it.

SPEAKER_04 51:49

Thank you for for asking.

SPEAKER_02 51:51

As long as you ask, I will always say yes.

SPEAKER_04 51:53

We love to hear it. I'm sure we'll bring you back again and again. Yes. Well, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking time out of your busy like deadline schedule to come in. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 52:03

You are so welcome.

SPEAKER_03 52:04

In the meantime, you can catch us causing chaos over on Instagram at WhatThesmut Podcast, and me personally at On Point Digital Services.

SPEAKER_04 52:14

And I'm over on Instagram at Courtney Leanne. If you want to join us for a chat, there's a form linked in our notes. So be sure to fill that out because we would love to hear from you.

SPEAKER_03 52:23

If you enjoyed today's episode, please consider leaving us a review. Reviews help other smut readers find us, and honestly, they make our chaotic hearts very happy.

SPEAKER_04 52:33

And if you really love this podcast and want to show support, we've got a listener support link at our show notes. Supporters get shout outs, special giveaways, and maybe even some exclusive chaos you can't find anywhere else. We also have sponsorship opportunities as well.

SPEAKER_03 52:49

Thanks for tuning in, and we'll catch you guys next time.