Be Selfish, Bi*ch | An Interview with Romance Author, Ambar Cordova

This week on What the Smut Are You Talking About Podcast, we're joined by romance author Ambar Cordova for a conversation filled with books, chaos, cowboy romance, writing confessions, and some of the most unhinged research we've heard all season.

Ambar writes real, raw, and romantic multicultural love stories that tackle life's messier moments while still delivering the happily ever after romance readers crave. We chat about her journey from reader to author, how a Notes App idea turned into a publishing career, and why she believes writing chose her.

We also dive into her upcoming release, Leave Me Again (releases 6/26/26), the first book in the brand-new Riverbank Ranch shared world series, co-created with romance authors Holly Luckie and Lo Everett.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:31

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_04 0:43

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_02 0:52

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. Hello, hello. Welcome back. Welcome back. How are you doing, Courtney? Doing great. I'm sitting here. I don't know why I'm so hyper. Could be all the Diet Cokes I've consumed, but I'm just sitting here like dancing, like, woo, let's go.

SPEAKER_04 1:21

Oh my gosh. I need some of that energy because I'm sitting here like, what the hell day of the week am I on?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

I honestly don't know where it's came from because I haven't slept much this week and I'm in the middle of payroll hell. So I need it to get through.

SPEAKER_04 1:36

Yes, definitely. Definitely. Well, listeners, we have a fabulous author joining us today.

SPEAKER_02 1:44

Yes, this author writes real raw and romantic stories. She writes multicultural stories that are not only relatable but are heartwarming. When she's not writing, you can find her chasing chickens and or her kiddos in her small town in Florida. Let's give a big warm welcome to Amber Cordova. I'm so happy to be here. Yay! We're happy to have you. It's been a long time coming, Amber. I know. I feel like we we first connected, I think it was like two, two and a half years ago now. And life has just been a life end.

SPEAKER_05 2:18

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's been, yeah, I think from the very beginning, like before I released my debut, which came out two years ago, I was like, I want to be on this podcast. And then, you know, it's been, but we're here, and that's what matters. And then, you know, the past couple months it's been like, oh, we can do it this day. No, no, I can't do it that day. Let me do it this day. No, we can't. You know, live when you have children.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

When you have children, it is ugh, like hot mess express. And when they're home for the summer, it's even worse. So that's where I'm at right now.

SPEAKER_05 2:50

Same, same. I maybe bribed them to leave me in the office for a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 2:57

My mother just took mine out to go shopping because he's like, Mom, I need new swim trunks. Mine don't fit. And I'm like, Yeah, that's a problem there, kid. So he is out of the house for right now. So I'm excited.

SPEAKER_05 3:09

I love that for you.

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Yes. I saw all the cute, like summer fun things you made for your kids to do, like a to-do list kind of fucking.

SPEAKER_05 3:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

Yes. That looks like so much fun.

SPEAKER_05 3:20

It's so much fun. Somebody commented and they said, Oh my gosh, I'm already tired for you. And I'm like, You're gonna be tired regardless. So let's try to, you know. I I just need some structure. I don't need it to be super booked out, you know, but I need to be like, okay, what from this list can we do today? type thing. And I may and I have them fill out a lot of it too. So it's just it's a lot of fun. We did it a few years ago for the first time. I was a teacher for a long time. So summers was like when I was trying to like, okay, I've been a crappy mom for nine months. So let me do all things in two months. So now I'm just like, you know, for the school year, I'm on always on deadline. So I'm trying not to be on a deadline in the summer, but it's not working, let me tell you. I'm still on a deadline.

SPEAKER_04 4:06

Best laid plans, you know.

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Let me release a shared world this summer when I'm not trying to make deadlines.

SPEAKER_05 4:14

Yes, yes. And try to, I'm trying to write right now. So that you know, Leave Me Again is is done. And then my fall release is also done and written. So I'm trying to like work ahead and write like my first couple of releases of next year so I can breathe. So that's that's my hope for the summer. We'll see.

SPEAKER_02 4:32

Awesome. Good for you. That because writing is just so hard in general. So for you to get ahead, like that's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 4:40

Yeah, and I loved meeting you last year at a meet and greet cute.

SPEAKER_05 4:45

Yes, such a good signing.

SPEAKER_04 4:47

Yes, it was a lot of fun, and I was the one going around and having everybody sign my point shoe.

SPEAKER_05 4:54

So that I remember this, Mary. My gosh, I was obsessed with the point shoe.

SPEAKER_04 5:00

Yes, yes, and I will be there this year, so I will I will be back with a new point shoe.

SPEAKER_05 5:06

I love that. I love that. Yes. I, you know, some in some interviews they ask stuff like, what has been the weirdest thing you've ever signed, or the coolest thing you've ever signed? And the point shoe makes it almost every time. Yes! Love that legendary, I love it. Legendary, absolutely, yes, yes. I mean, I remember what your face looks like, but I remember the point shoe.

SPEAKER_04 5:27

That's exactly it. Nobody remembers, and some signings I'll go with a tutu on and actual point shoes at the same time. So I definitely am remembered. Uh, people are like, I don't know your name, I don't know like your face, but I remember you were the tutu girl. I remember you had the point shoes. Like we love it.

SPEAKER_05 5:47

We love it. Yes, absolutely. We love, love, love. And Courtney, I met you at some signing as well. I mean yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:54

I was it was the same one. Yeah, I was there. I feel like we've been to several signings together. But yeah, last year when I was like just walking up to you before it was right before the attendees got let in, and you just like downed a shot of whiskey. I was like, well in the morning. Breakfast for champions, five o'clock somewhere. Oh my gosh. That was such a fun signing.

SPEAKER_04 6:19

That was I'm excited for it this year again. Same, same. I only have a general admin ticket, so I I don't know that I'll get to meet everybody, but I'm like, I just want to go and have a good time.

SPEAKER_05 6:33

So yeah, absolutely. If you're in line for anyone near me, just throw the shoe and I'll sign it again. You don't even say, hey, it's Mary, I'll run to you.

SPEAKER_04 6:42

I'll be like, I'll be like, here's my shoe. Awesome. Well, what are you currently drinking? And is it going to be strong enough for this conversation today?

SPEAKER_05 6:53

Listen, in a perfect world, I would have had some like really strong afternoon coffee. However, it did not happen. So I just have water. But it is so hot in Florida right now that the water is exactly what I need for this conversation and any conversation, really.

SPEAKER_04 7:08

I can't, I can't imagine. It's hot. It's hot up here. And of course, we have the humidity too, but I know Florida is like a whole nother it's a whole nother ball game too.

SPEAKER_05 7:19

It's pretty miserable.

SPEAKER_04 7:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 7:21

I love dry heat too, so it's like worse. We get like, so I live near a coastal town, and I'm I'm in between like the beach and the highway, but there is an like intercoastal in between, so like a river as well. And it is so humid and so hot. And that there is a breeze for the most part because there's still a lot of like trees around, which you know beats living in like, you know, if I lived in like Miami, for example, but um it's so different than the Dominican heat, and I it's it's terrible. But this summer has not been well, it's not summer yet, so maybe I shouldn't even say that. I'm actually not even gonna say that. I'm not gonna jinx it. I'm not gonna jinx it. I know.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

I know don't do it. I know.

SPEAKER_02 8:05

I was in Orlando. I was in Orlando in March, and it was like already 80 degrees, and I'm like, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_05 8:13

We had, I mean, we had a weekend in March or April that was like 90 something, and then two days later it dropped to like the 50s. And I was like, what is this? I'm like, I already put my jackets away. I know 50s is not much for anyone else that doesn't live in Florida, but it's a lot for you know, it's really cold for us. Yeah, yeah, that gets cold for you all. We had two snow days this year, too, and we had um we had like a a freeze day where like our water froze in our house. Oh my gosh. Like, you know, like you don't how how do you do that? So it's it's been not prepared for that. No. And people were like, Do you drip your water? I'm like, I did actually, but it also didn't help really. It still got frozen. It was so cold. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 9:37

Yeah Yeah, you almost need to open what they tell you to do is open up all the cabinet doors underneath your sink and stuff. Thanks, Mary. Where were you all supposed to go? I was I was in Virginia, probably dealing with snow.

SPEAKER_05 9:51

Breathing as well. Yes, yeah. No, it was really cold here, but long story short, I'm drinking water for our conversation.

SPEAKER_04 9:57

And we already obviously Courtney's had umpteen diet cokes today.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Yeah. Too many, too many. I probably need water.

SPEAKER_04 10:05

I am drinking, I am drinking. I just restocked my tea. So I have an Earl Grey creme brulee tea, herbal tea.

SPEAKER_02 10:15

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:15

It is like, it smells like heaven, and with a splash of sweet cream, it tastes like heaven.

SPEAKER_02 10:21

So you're making me want a London fog really bad. I know.

SPEAKER_04 10:28

They're lovely. They're my favorite drink. I'll live vicariously through you, Mary. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_02 10:35

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

SPEAKER_05 10:41

Listen, I want to be a plotter so bad. And I plot every time. And somewhere, so here's the problem. I love starting books and I love finishing books. But in the middle, I I don't love it. So what usually I just I don't know. Usually I start the book with an idea where it's going, right? And then I make it to like 40%. And then I'm like, now what? Like, what where do we go from here? That's usually where I start getting other ideas, where I start getting like, but what if I write this next? And my my alpha reader who reads as I write, she's always like, but you need to finish this book. I'm like, okay. And that is why I set up release dates, because if not, I would never finish anything. I would just write different beginnings. Usually at like the 30, 40% mark is when I decide that I'm gonna plot because then I'm like, I don't know where I'm going from here. So I plot the the like the mid the middle and then the end. And usually I can stick to it for the most part, not necessarily like perfect scenes, but more like themes or like I need something to happen to get them to do this, for example. Except one of my books, I had a plot, I had a plan, but they didn't have a plot or a plan. And they just yeah, I don't think anything that I wrote on that plot actually stayed on that plot. But for the most part, I'm somewhere in between, I would say. Um, I do a little bit of both. I just I let the characters talk to me, but I do I do spend a lot of time building my characters. It I spent a couple weeks just creating my characters, everything from like colors to zodiac signs, birth order to wound and goals and motivation and fears and all of that good stuff.

SPEAKER_02 12:20

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 12:21

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

SPEAKER_05 12:32

So, and every time I talk about this, I feel like such a like an imposter author because I feel like most authors are like, I've always written or I always love writing. And my whole life, this was my dream. And I'm like, I didn't start writing until 2023. So, and it was one of those things that like I wanted to read a book that had like very specific things, and I read a lot, and that's something that I've always done. I still do. One of my author friends says always, she's like, You're always trying to sell other people's books at your signings too. And I'm like, it's because I am always a fangirl, is what happens. But I'm like, you know, people like walk around with a book that I read, how can I not tell them how much I loved it? So, or when somebody holds it at a at a book signing and they're like thinking about it, and I'm like, that is so good. You should definitely take it home with you. So, anyway, so I wanted to like read something really specific. And my best friend was like, You should just write a book. I'm like, people don't just write books. Like, that's not how it goes. And she was like, Okay, sure. So I started just writing like the ideas of what I had on like my notes app when I was like waiting for my kids somewhere, or when I was at I was at a signing in line and I was like jotting things down and stuff like that. And then a few months later, we had coffee with Veronica Eden, and my friend was like, you know, Amory's writing a book. And I was like, I am not writing a book. I'm like, I have like a few notes on my phone. And Veronica was like, Oh, well, why don't you write the book? And I was like, Well, I don't like there was a lot of things, but most, most of them being pretty much like, who's gonna read it? And she was like, I would. And I was like, Okay. So, you know, months went by, I continue writing my little notes app. And in November, um, I got a computer. So this was like March of that year. And then in November, I got a computer to supposedly write this book. But I was like, let's see if I actually have something to work with. And when I put that notes app on my computer, I had 70% of that book done. And I was like, I'm actually like, I'm actually writing a book. And you know, I started writing like more seriously in the computer, more like, okay, let me actually pay attention to what I'm writing, what I'm doing, genre conventions too. So I used to read, I I I used to read romance since 2020, but I also did a lot of like thrillers and women's fiction. So I wanted to make sure that I actually was writing a romance and not a women's fiction with romantic themes. Even if you've been in threads, you've seen all the talk about happily ever after and whatnot. But I wanted to portray this story with hardships and it ending in a happily ever after. So I knew it was going to be a romance, and then I decided I was gonna publish it. And I think that moment when I finished that book and I was like, okay, I'm I'm actually gonna go through and publish this, was that the rest of the stories just kind of took over my brain. And I remember vividly, it was ju it was January 19th, and I was on a plane and I like finished the book and I closed my computer and I was like, I can't wait to do this again. Like it was in that second that I was like, okay, this is what I'm doing, you know? And then I wrote my second book, and after that, that's when I was like, okay, I want to make a career out of this.

SPEAKER_04 15:33

I love that. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_05 15:35

Yeah, it's been great, you know. But yeah, I I say all the time that I didn't choose choose writing, writing chose me, and I've healed so much through writing and through listening to other people, reading my stories and then sharing with me how much it has impacted them. And now I'm like addicted to it.

SPEAKER_02 15:53

It's a good thing to be addicted to.

SPEAKER_05 15:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:56

When it comes to your writing, like who has been the easiest character to write?

SPEAKER_05 16:01

So, my re my full release, Until We Break, which I wrote last year, Ellie and Kyle were my easiest characters to write. I wrote that book in 33 days. I gosh. Yeah. I was I I didn't plot that book. I didn't plan that book. I woke up one day and they were like, What if you write this? And I had no time to write this. I, but I couldn't not. So I their story had very minimal like dev edits. It was mostly like what I wrote stayed because it was so needed. It's my favorite thing I've ever written to. And they were so easy. They were so loud in my head, they were so easy to write. That is cool.

SPEAKER_02 16:37

I am low-key jealous on how fast you can write. That is insane.

SPEAKER_05 16:41

Yeah, I'm a fast drafter. I I am trying to do better. I'm a fast drafter because I don't edit as I write. So after I finish drafting, then I edit. So a lot of the times I can keep what I wrote. Some of the times I have to like do a lot of editing. But yeah, if the story is speaking to me, I'll I can write fast.

SPEAKER_02 17:02

I love that. I love that so much. Do you have a story that was just like the hardest to write?

SPEAKER_05 17:08

Yeah. So um The Hope Once Lost, which was my last release, was the hardest thing for me to write. I uh there was a lot of like me personally in the story, a lot of like it was really emotional. Both of my characters were going through like really complex grief, and they were going through them in very different ways. It was just really difficult. She also was Natalie is a widow single mom, and I didn't realize this until after I finished the book, but her daughter was the same age I was when I lost my dad. And after, yeah, so after I finished the book, I was like, Well, this is why. So I put some specific things about me and like my story in that book on purpose, and then some just kind of also happened without realizing it. I had to push the release back for that book three times, and I had never done that before. I actually had to cry to KDP too and be like, Can I please have one more extension? Usually they give you one 30-day extension and I had to ask for two. The last time I asked for one, I sent them a picture of me crying, and I was like, please, please just let me have 30 more days. And they were like, Yes. So if you're an author listening to this, crying on their email works. I am so proud of that book, but that book put me through it. And then it's so emotional and sad that every time I sat down to write and I had to like read what I had written before, then I was like an emotion, I was an emotional disaster by the time I had to write more emotional devastation. And it was really, really rough. And afterwards, I was in a very big writing slump because nothing was them. So, yes. So I really love them. I am very proud of that story. My writing in that story, I feel like it's like it's very strong. I felt really proud of my storytelling in that book, too. I can see the growth from like my debut to that one. It's my ode to single moms, especially widow single moms. So it really means a lot to me. And it was beautiful to write. It's also my longest book. So I feel like I was writing the book for forever. It's not my saddest book, I don't think, but it's definitely, it's definitely really emotional. It's very hopeful too. I don't want listeners to be like, well, I'm never reading that. I'm like, no, listen. It's very hopeful too. It's, I mean, it's called the hope once off. But it's just, I had so many readers in my DM telling me I was crying with this, and it's not even sad. Just the way their like inner monologue worked was very emotional. So that book put me through it.

SPEAKER_04 19:39

Well.

SPEAKER_05 19:50

So, and I actually had one reader who noticed and she she emailed me about it, and it was like the coolest thing. But in The Truth Never Spoken in my debut, they are going to, they're flying into Jacksonville airport. The area code of Jacksonville is 904, and that is the the the flight number for the flight that they're taking. So it gets cold on like the you know, intercom or whatever. And I had a reader notice and email me. She emailed me and she said, Did you do this on purpose? I'm like, Yes, I did this on purpose. So that's really cool.

SPEAKER_02 20:22

Well, what is the craziest thing you've had to Google, you know, for research?

SPEAKER_05 20:28

So I have to research a lot of things, mostly because English is my second language, and I have like phrases or sayings I have to Google. But I have a book where in The Lights Always Told, the female main character squirts, and it's that just feels like it was a part of her. And I had to do I had to do extensive research on squirting. And I I have a lot of information about it now. I like I can talk probably for like a good 30 minutes to an hour. I love it.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

I love it.

SPEAKER_02 21:01

Which, you know, it's yeah. Yeah. Chamber, I think that's the best answer we've gotten so far on for the season, definitely.

SPEAKER_05 21:09

Yes, yes. I, you know, there's other stuff like, you know, m I have a motocross book, so I had to um I didn't have to research so much because my family races, but I do a lot of research with ever with each one of them, but definitely the the squirting took me down. Once I started researching it, I couldn't stop reading about it. It was just fascinating. And now I I don't know. I have like a minor in the art of squirting. So I hope my mom is not listening to this.

SPEAKER_02 21:35

She is her.

SPEAKER_05 21:36

Yeah, just the cheek squirting man.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

That's that's so great.

SPEAKER_04 21:42

That is, that is absolutely awesome. And that actually brings us to our last question is do you have a snack of choice when you write?

SPEAKER_02 21:53

I'm not a snacker, so no. You have a new release coming out in June. Yeah. Uh called Leave Me Again. And it's book one of the Riverbank Ranch series, who you are co-writing with, basically, like you have a shared world with. Yes. Holly Lucky and Lo Everett. How how did this come to be? Like, did y'all just come together one day and said, Oh, let's let's write a series together?

SPEAKER_05 22:23

No, so Lo Everett bought a pre-made cover for her book. So the the pink cover, if listen, if you don't know what I'm talking about, the Riverbank Ranch series, discrete covers are three different covers, but all three have a boot boot in the middle, and they're three different colors. Mine is orange, Holly's is like teal, and then Lo's is pink. So Lo, but the pre-made cover, she reached out to Holly, and what's like, hey, I don't have time to write a whole series of cowboy romances, but I would love to write like a share world and whatnot. I just finished writing a share world with uh three other author friends last year. So Holly and Holly and I are close. Holly knows that I've been trying to write a cowboy romance since I started writing because I love reading cowboy romance, but I've been terrified. Of them. It's almost like I was terrified of writing hockey too, and the whole one's lost. And she was like, This is a great way for you to try it and see if you like it, because you only have to commit to one book. And I'm like, Yeah, you're right. So I said yes. And it just kind of started from there. It's been a lot of fun. We did a lot of planning together at the beginning before we started writing, especially because this is not only a shared world, but we share external conflict. So the Riverbank Ranch is a family-owned ranch, and we each have a sister. And the ranch is on the like is almost going out of business. So this was their family business, and they are trying to keep it alive. And then they each have to play a role into maintaining the ranch being what it is. So we have that external conflict together. So a lot of our like our books mingle intertwine a lot. They are complete standalones, but because we have that external same conflict, we had to make sure that we had all of our ducks in a row.

SPEAKER_02 24:08

Right.

SPEAKER_05 24:09

And we have three sisters. So we also needed to make sure that their backstory was similar, that um, or the same, you know, that we had their their parents have passed a few years before. We needed to make sure we had all that information correct and stuff like that. So it was really cool. It was like creating a whole world with them. And I can't wait to get everyone to read them. That is so amazing.

SPEAKER_04 24:30

Awesome.

SPEAKER_05 24:31

Yeah, it was a lot of fun for sure.

SPEAKER_02 24:34

Once it's like all said and done, are you gonna like break away and do something with like your character and like spin off of that? Or is it just a true like one and done?

SPEAKER_05 24:45

Yeah, so I have a few side characters that I could explore in the future because I did I did really love writing it. And I love writing Small Town already, but Riley writing the ranch and so for now it's a standalone because my you know, future plans I have until we break in the fold, that has nothing to do with it. And then Magnolia Springs next year, which we do see. So Dom, the male main character in Leave Me Again, has two younger brothers and they are getting their own books. So you get to see a little bit of that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:15

So much fun. Okay. Yeah. You have my attention.

SPEAKER_05 25:19

Yes. Yes. He has two younger brothers, and in Leave Me Again, you actually get to find out what not necessarily what the story is about, but you get to find out like, I'm trying like not to spoil this. Um, you get to find out. No, no, I'm not gonna spoil it because it's like I want the same reaction that everyone got when they read it, like my beta team. They were like, Did you just I said, Yep, I I did say that. I want that same reaction for everyone to get, but you get to find out like what pushes his story forward. And his book is Magnolia Springs 1. So I'm excited. Yeah, I'm really excited.

SPEAKER_02 25:51

That is amazing. I can't wait. You know, I'm still in the middle of reading Leave Me Again, because I am a slow eyeball reader. It takes me forever to get through a book because I can only read at night, and by the time my head hits the pillow, like yeah, I'm exhausted. You read half a chapter and then you fall asleep. Yeah, yeah. Yes, and then that's it. But uh, I'm loving this story. Like, I can't wait to see how this world evolves. And when he calls her Firefly, I can't.

SPEAKER_05 26:19

Like, oh, I can't. I didn't plan for a nickname for that seat for that book, and it just kind of came out when he like in that scene that he first called calls her that, and I was like, This is perfect, like this is the perfect nickname. So I'm obsessed. I'm obsessed. I am really picky with nicknames, so um, yes, I'm obsessed with that one is Chef's.

SPEAKER_04 26:42

I fell in love. I read your once upon a December short novellas. Yeah, and I have to say the gift really given was so fun. It's so fun. Thoroughly enjoyed it, and then dove into the season long awaited, and I can't tell you, like, listeners, it has a happy ever after. They get there, I promise. You gotta hang on for the ride. It just takes seven years to get there. What a ride you took us on in a novella. I was like, I can't decide if I want to throw my Kindle at her or if I want to hug her because I was like, Yes, that is the reaction I yearn for.

SPEAKER_05 27:25

People are like, oh, readers don't like messy romance. I'm like, I don't really care because the people who do love messy romance are gonna love my, you know what I mean? I'm like, they're like, oh, we hate through our breakup. I'm like, then my books are not for you, friend. I can point you in the direction of some people. But well, the gifts are.

SPEAKER_04 27:39

I wanted to come into yell. I wanted to yell at the characters so much.

SPEAKER_05 27:45

I was I love writing my idiots to lovers. Like, I like I just I just love it. And that book, The Season Long Awaited. I had no business writing that book. I was already behind on my deadline for The Hope Once Lost. And I like what I was watching The Guardian and I paused it and I was like, but what if? And I wrote it in like 10 days. I kid you not. It was my editor sent me the one final rule, and I the next day I sent her the season and she said, What is this? I'm like, surprise! I'm like, I hope you have space on your editing schedule.

SPEAKER_04 28:17

That is that is too funny. That is funny.

SPEAKER_05 28:20

And I love that book so much. And when people are like, Oh, I want I want like a snack sized bite of your writing, and I'm like, Okay, do you want to cry or you want to laugh? If you want to do both, read them both. If not, you know what I mean? I'm like, the gift, it's a good time. And the season is also a good time, however.

SPEAKER_04 28:36

I didn't cry, but I have to say it was they both I love holiday novellas and I love reading holiday romances no matter what time of the year I'm in. And really, really, really enjoyed both of those. So I definitely recommend our listeners, if they are new to you, thank you, that those those are the ones to check out. And the covers are so stinking cute on them.

SPEAKER_05 29:00

Thank you. Love I am a cover slut. So same girl. I am a cover slut. So I fear I the cover needs to hit as well. No, but I do appreciate that so much. I love my novellas, and you know, they get docked on stars all the time because they were too short. And I'm like, they are meant to be short.

SPEAKER_04 29:17

There are no people who do that, people who do that, and here's an unhinged thought outside of unhinged thoughts. People who dock novellas do not know what a novella is, in my opinion. Like, do your research on what the word count is for books because novella has a specific word count, and the second you go over it, it's a novel. And then, and then if you go over, if you go higher beyond a basic novel, you're into like, I don't even know what it's called, an odyssey. Like that's your face, and it's it's massive at that point. But I I hate when readers doc novellas.

SPEAKER_05 29:59

Yeah. I'll usually just take it as a compliment. I'm like, you just wanted more of them. Like you just love them so much that you want to do. I would take it that way too. But no, but because you know, because readers do doc stars for stuff, their reviews don't look, you know, that great. So people are like, oh, I was I get messages that are like, I was a little concerned because he has a 3.5. I'm like, first of all, don't tell me how many reviews he has, number one. And number two, don't tell me you were concerned about reading it, but they you know, but then they're like, but I loved it so much. I'm like, dang. I'm so glad you loved it. I loved writing them too. I love writing novellas, they're so fun, and it's like, you know, I don't know. I really love writing them. I wrote them in between not the season, but the gift and the one final rule. I wrote them in between my heaviest, like really heavy books.

SPEAKER_00 30:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 30:40

So yeah. So it was needed too. You know, I'm like, okay, I have a couple weeks to write something fun. Let's see what I can do.

SPEAKER_02 30:47

They were your palette cleanser. Yes. Actually, listen to the audiobook of the gift rarely given yesterday because I was I was cleaning and I was like, I have one more credit on hoopla. I was like, what can I get? And I was going through, I was like, I want something short. And so I was like going through, and then I saw randomly I came across that it was on there, and I was like, Oh my gosh, I'm talking to Amber Torah. I want to read this. Yeah, they did such a good job on the audio, too. Yeah, it was such a cute book. Like, I was obsessed.

SPEAKER_05 31:23

Yeah, I tell a lot of people have found me because of the gift, mostly because the audio is the only one that is on audio right now. Although I do have four audiobooks coming out this fall. Yay! Yes. So, yeah, so get ready. But and then they come to me, you know, and then they read something else, and they're like, uh, I'm like, yeah, no. I'm like, I'm like, that is a rom com. That's about it. Until we break actually is releasing. I'm like, I haven't said this, but it's not a secret, I don't think. Until we break is going to release simultaneously. So I'm releasing the podium is releasing the audio the same day I'm releasing the ebook.

SPEAKER_04 31:57

So cool. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_05 31:59

I'm really excited. Yeah.

unknown 32:01

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 32:01

It's not a secret.

SPEAKER_02 32:02

I just When is that supposed to come out?

SPEAKER_05 32:04

November 3rd. Yeah. It's not a secret. It's just, I haven't like posted it on my socials yet because I've been so focused on Leave Me Again.

SPEAKER_02 32:12

Yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_05 32:13

But it's not a secret, and we have like the narrators too, and I am I am so excited. I'm so excited for you. It's gonna be so fun. I'm excited. I'm excited for all my audiobooks.

SPEAKER_04 32:21

So, Courtney, drop us what you are listening to or reading today.

SPEAKER_02 32:27

Well, Chaos Courtney is back bitches because I uh overwhelmed myself with some ALCs this month. I don't know why. But it's like I get one and I'm like, ooh, I want to start this. And then another one will pop up and I'm like, ooh, I want to start this. I haven't finished a book in like two weeks, other than like Ammer's Novella. But my most current is Kiss Me First by Riley Page. It's narrated in duet with Lee Samuels and June de Borge, which I adore her. Hopefully I pronounced her name right. But uh, it's so good. It's hockey. I'm only I'm only on chapter 13, but you can tell there's some sort there's some sort of trauma that's happened. Or it's either that or she is neurodivergent. Like, because you could just tell like her thought process is in it. So I'm really, and maybe a little bit of both, but I'm excited to see like where this book goes. And it's my brother's best friend too, so you know I'm really slut for that. I'm also re listening to Pretty Little Scars by Kristen Proby. That's a another cowboy like on a farm kind of book. And then Billionaire Bachelor in Vegas. Awesome. Yeah, so those are my three that I'm currently listening to right now. What about you, Mary?

SPEAKER_04 33:42

I uh I just finished what day are we on? Tuesday? Sunday. I just finished the Ark of Rumors and Whiskey by Victoria Wilder. Oh my god. Oh my gosh, it was amazing. I will say I figured out I I nailed all the who done it stuff. So I called it very early on. So I don't want to spoil because that releases next and on the 16th. Uh so now I am going back and I'm reading Bourbon and Secrets, which is book two in her Bourbon Boys series. So and that's single dad, single dad, all the fun jazz that comes along with that. Slotty glasses, the way to love the way to be.

SPEAKER_03 34:24

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 34:25

Yeah. What about you, Amber? Are you reading anything or are you just I'm always reading something?

SPEAKER_05 34:31

I actually read before I write every day. It's like foreplay. Like I can't write without reading.

SPEAKER_02 34:35

I love that.

SPEAKER_05 34:36

Yeah. So I just finished Not a Strong Enough Word by Alice Hambert. I it just came out last Tuesday. I read the Indiversion last year when it came out, and then I listened to the audio this year, and it's incredible. The audio is so good. She's an author going through burnout, and it's so relatable. It's it's so good. Yes, yes. So it's amazing. And then um, I just finished that two days ago. And then I started Dearly Departed by Chipons, which comes out next Tuesday, June 16th. So it will, it will be out when this airs. And it's so good. I am obsessed. Yeah, his writing is very like I can shut off my brain and just like enjoy the story. Uh and it's been it's been really good. So I'm really excited to finish that as well.

SPEAKER_02 35:20

Fun. I'll check it out.

SPEAKER_05 35:21

Yes. I say all the time that like my biggest flex now that I'm an author is that I get early copies of like my favorite author's books. Like I can just ask them. So uh, and then I have Aura Hayes' their second book in their trilogy, Not the Vampire, The Witch. They just send me an ALC for it. So that I will be listening to that as soon as I finish The Early Departed.

SPEAKER_04 35:42

Fun. Awesome. Sounds great.

SPEAKER_05 35:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:44

So now, Courtney, we get to move on to our what are we watching this week? Are you back to watching anything?

SPEAKER_02 35:53

Yeah, I uh me and my husband have been binge watching Perfect Match on Netflix when we can, but we're we're almost done. I think I have like 20 minutes left of it. It's it's been very entertaining, but the people on this season have just annoyed me so much. So I'm ready for it to end. And then Love Island just started, so we gotta play catch up on that once we finish Perfect Match.

SPEAKER_04 36:16

Awesome. What about you? So I was working from home listen in the background sometimes. So I did three different movies and very wildly on different spectrums. Uh, the first one I did, I watched was To Wong Fu, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, which is probably an 80s movie, but it's got Stalker Channing in it, Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and just a whole bunch of other people. Totally heartwarming, funny. Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes are our drag. And so it just Oh my gosh, sign me up. It it just it's 95, 1995, but absolutely hilarious movie that's that's in you can watch it for free on Tubi. So I did that one, and then I watched Gracie's Choice, which she fights to adopt her three younger brothers, and it's based on a true story. Her mother was very unfit to be a parent, and she had been taking care of her siblings for a long time. If you are a crier, that one will have you sobbing. And then I also watched Instant Family, which is a couple who adopts three siblings. Don't ask me why I got on that train, but all of them were fabulous, and I love them. Obviously, very different reasons, but they were phenomenal.

SPEAKER_02 37:43

Well, what about you, Amber? Are you watching anything? Do you watch TV?

SPEAKER_05 37:47

Hey, I don't watch a lot of TV, but every summer I re-watch the Hunger Games, and I just finished my rewatch this weekend, and I I'm already missing movie one again. So I might start it over. I don't know what to tell you. I don't I don't watch I don't watch a lot of TV. So, you know, I say I'm gonna re-watch it, but it might take me, you know, five weeks to finish it because I don't I don't watch like if I'm sitting down and my eyes are being occupied, I'm gonna be writing usually. But I usually play it in the background or if I'm like folding laundry or or something like that. We do family movie night every Friday, so we do watch movies then. We watch Maya the Bee on Friday. It's a little kid's movie. We watch one of the Star Wars movies, but I fell asleep because I don't love them. So it's fine. I'm not a Star Wars girly. I don't nothing against them. I'm just not I'm not I don't love sci-fi, I don't think. So I fell asleep. Yeah, I fell asleep halfway through. But my kid finished it, and then he he, you know, turned off the TV and was like, Are you sleeping in the living room? or I'm like, we should all sleep in the living room. Yeah, we all slept in the living room, actually.

SPEAKER_02 38:54

How old are your kids?

SPEAKER_05 38:56

Seven and ten. Well, my seven-year-old turns eight Monday.

SPEAKER_02 39:00

So happy birthday to her. Yeah. Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 39:03

I'm so and then my 10-year-old turns 11 next month. So I'm soon to have an eight and eleven-year-old. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_02 39:11

Oh my goodness. I have a six-year-old and an almost four-year-old. Well, no, Sawyer's five. He'll be six in October. And then Kaylee turns four on the 27th. I love that. We are sick of it right now.

SPEAKER_05 39:26

Yeah, you are. You know, hang in there, mama.

SPEAKER_02 39:29

I know. We just hey parenting when we got Sawyer to sleep in his room by himself, like going to sleep and everything on his own. That's awesome. That's awesome. Yes. Only thing it took was a homemade chore chart. Who cares? Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 39:45

Well, listen.

SPEAKER_04 39:46

Who cares?

SPEAKER_05 39:47

Yeah. My son, my 10-year-old, when he was four, no, he was he was a little younger than four because my daughter was no, maybe he was four, some somewhere in between three to four. But he said that I just don't understand how the people that are not afraid of anything get to sleep together, and the people that are afraid of everything have to sleep on their own in their quiet, cold room. And I was like, I'm like, you're not wrong, so just cook it your blanket.

SPEAKER_04 40:12

That's hilarious.

SPEAKER_05 40:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 40:14

What it was the first night he goes, but mama, when daddy grew up, he got to sleep in the bed with you. Why do I have to sleep by myself?

SPEAKER_04 40:22

And I'm like, well, you're not.

SPEAKER_05 40:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 40:25

Oh my gosh, that's too funny.

SPEAKER_05 40:27

Yeah. So, you know, every now and then I'm like, sleep over with mommy because, you know, they're only little ones. So we did that one. But good job on getting him to sleep. Yeah, we did that on Friday. But good job, Courtney. It's, you know, parenting is so hard. And somebody said all the time, like, maybe if parents wouldn't stop talking about how hard it is, people would have more kids. And I'm like, no, actually, we need to talk about the responsibility that it is to raise human beings. So you know, you know, like it's not that we're all miserable, it's that it is hard work and it is it is something that you have to want, even on the worst days. You have to want to raise humans, not just be a parent. You have to want to raise human beings. And when I tell people that they're like, oh, when you put it that way, I'm like, yeah, it is that big of a deal.

SPEAKER_02 41:15

So I always say I don't want to raise assholes. So yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 41:19

But you know, and I feel the time I'm like, I would love another kid. I just want to raise another kid, you know, like, no, I know I am responsible for the two I'm raising right now. And now I'm in the hunt of people who have babies, and I will hold your baby for two hours. You can take a shower, take a nap, and then I will give you your baby back.

SPEAKER_02 41:35

Yes. I yeah, you could not pay me to be pregnant again. Like, no, it was like the worst thing ever.

SPEAKER_04 41:42

My pregnancy was great, but I still have no desire to have another kid. So we're like, I'm I'm looking at the we're approaching adulthood adulthood stage. There is no way I want to go back to diaper stage at all. At all. But I think that leads us into our unhinged thoughts of the week, where we take our thoughts, no context, no logic, just vibes, and we unpack it like it's completely normal around here. So Courtney. Courtney, do you want to go first or do you want me to go first?

SPEAKER_02 42:17

Yeah, I'm just I'm really been really big on these like unhinged rants the last few weeks. So um keeping with that, your girl forgot to take her anxiety medicine like all last week. Like, I don't know what the fuck was wrong with me. I just I forgot. Like my brain just I don't know. And by the time the weekend came, I was a monster. Like, I'm surprised I didn't get sick. Like, but I was so mean to everyone, to my kids, to my husband, to myself. It was it was a bad weekend, but I I've got my medicine back on track.

SPEAKER_04 42:55

And it takes a lot out of you. Like, if you miss dose, like you almost feel like it takes you a whole nother week to catch up because your body has to get back into that rhythm of where you are with anxiety meds. And listeners, Courtney and I both will step on our soapbox and say there is absolutely nothing wrong if you need to take anxiety meds, depression meds, or any meds to help you live a happy, full, loving life. Yes. And I will beat up anybody else who says otherwise.

SPEAKER_02 43:30

But at one point, my husband, like, because me and my son kept on going at it, and my husband was like, Y'all just need to separate. He's like, I'm taking Sawyer fishing. You take Hayley and go do something fun. Like, we're dying. And I was like, Okay, dad. Oh my gosh. So yeah, it was it was crazy in my house this weekend. So but I'm I'm doing better. I'm back on my medication. And yeah, so that's that's my unhinged rant.

SPEAKER_04 43:56

Take your medicine, people.

SPEAKER_02 43:57

What about you, Mary? What you got?

SPEAKER_04 43:59

I I am right there with you on the unhinged rant for today. So yesterday, well, let me back up. I made an appointment last week to do TSA pre-check because I'm going to be flying and I wanted to have TSA pre-check. Well, I filled out what I needed to online, looked up for a center near me, and there's one that was like about like 25-30 minutes away. So schedule my appointment for 9 30 Monday morning. I'm like, this will be great. I'll be in and out. I'll be home in like an hour. My mom rode with me just so we could chit-chat. And I was like, I'll stop by Chick-fil-A on the way home, get my kids some breakfast. While we get there, nobody's there. It's in an office depot. So let's preface with that. So I walk in, head over there, nobody is there. So the guy is trying to track down who's supposed to be there because she was supposed to be there at 9 15 and I showed up at 9 20. Well, somebody else comes out and is like, Yeah, uh, the worker who does this overslept, and she's going to be about 30 to 40 minutes late. And I'm like, Are you serious? Like, like, I was. lose my job i would lose a job i what happened even when i was working at toys rus in high school you show up late you might as well like pack your stuff and get lost like when is this acceptable to oversleep and not be you know and i understand emergencies happen like i'm not discounting emergencies but to actually just oversleep or not care and so there were five people behind me waiting for this tsa pre-check too she finally rolls in and takes five minutes like I don't understand why nobody else in the store had access to do this they literally scanned my passport scanned my fingerprints took my picture I paid my money and that was it it took five minutes but I had to wait an hour because somebody can't be responsible and show up to the job on time. And so that is my unhinged rant for the week because it totally threw off my entire Monday and put me behind on a lot of stuff. I ended up working last night until like 10 o'clock at my big girl job and I was just like I'm like the audacity of this and and she's younger than me and just I know that it's not the first time and I know keeping employees in this day and age is hard. But it's like where where does the line happen where you give you give leniency but at the same time you also like where's the respect that you have for your job and yourself. I mean it may not be it may not be like I'm you know working some glitz and glamour but I mean show up and do the best at the job that you're at like don't don't if you treat it like it's a trash job then that's just going to be your perspective in life the whole way like have respect for yourself and respect for your job and treat it as such. And maybe that makes me like an old fuddy daddy but I'm totally in my fucking 40s and I they had somebody standing outside the door they had somebody standing outside the door while she was with me because I think the lady was afraid I was going to go off on her and I'm like no I at least have enough tact that I'm not going to go off on some girl who who was expecting she, you know, and I'm like I I I have more tact than that, but I'm definitely not happy with how you run things. Oh my god's my unhinged rant so Amber do you have anything unhinged that you would like to get off of your chest?

SPEAKER_05 47:38

Well considering therapy this morning I I don't think so but I think what if I read you a quote we will take it from from my motivation app. Hold on no did I lose it no so I think so I've been getting these like everyday quotes from this like motivation app and then they disappear after you read them so I can find it. But the gist of the one I read this morning was pretty much that he said you have to be selfish. Like in order to be able to lead a happy life you have to be selfish with your time with your peace with your mental health with your heart with your emotions and that doesn't mean that you have to be an asshole. That just means that you need to it is okay to prioritize you so you can give to others. If you're not willing to give yourself what you're giving to others then you're doing yourself a disservice and that's how we burn out. So my gosh I love so I guess you get a lesson from me nothing with Amber Absolutely what what app is this?

SPEAKER_02 48:38

It's called download it.

SPEAKER_05 48:39

I think it's called Motivation. And then he there's a question at I've only had it for a week so I don't know if he's gonna ask me to pay at some point okay so I'm gonna say that it's called motivation but he has like an assessment at the beginning that you do and he targets the the quotes to whatever you put in that assessment. So like if you're struggling with other stuff your quotes might not be like this for mine. Yeah you are that you're like working on or whatever. But um so I've been using this for about a week but every for the past like two months I've been having like a word for the week that I'm lead I'm leading my week with and this week was selfish was be selfish.

SPEAKER_02 49:22

I love this. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_05 49:24

And I just don't like I'm not yeah so like I'm not gonna feel bad for spending an hour recording this and leaving my kids watching TV because I deserve to do things for me as well and they are not going like they're gonna be okay. You know when we're done with this I'm gonna take them out for a car ride. Maybe get them ice cream. So um but yeah so that so that's kind of kind of what I'm you know going with yeah thank you for sharing that.

SPEAKER_04 49:47

Well listeners be sure to drop what you're reading what you're watching and lay on us some in unhinged thoughts or motivational thoughts and drop them in the comments and who knows we may read them on air or or hear me out.

SPEAKER_05 50:03

I'll give you the same quote unhinged unhinge wise are you ready? I can be unhinged with it you said we can cuss yeah yeah okay be selfish bitch you need to fucking go and be selfish put yourself first wake up look at yourself in the mirror and say I go before everyone else and then leave by that okay there you go love you amber that is going to be the teaser for this one let me let me tell you I'm going to grab that to be the teaser. You get teacher amber and then you get bestie amber okay I love bestie amber yes oh my goodness well before you leave us tell us what is up next for you. So I have leave me again releasing June 26th is going to be available in ebook and paperback. It is a Grumpy Sunshine H Gop Neighbors to Lovers Cowboy romance. It was so much fun to write it's very like banter filled really fast paced uh very spicy and for for my stuff okay it is not spice driven but there is definitely more spice than my regular Ambercoba books. Like we said earlier it is book one in the Riverbank Ranch series with Holly Lucky's releasing second and then Low Everett releasing third. And then in the fall I have four audiobooks coming out stay tuned for announcement on those with some of my favorite narrators so I'm so excited and then I have Until We Break releasing in November which I'm really excited about too.

SPEAKER_02 51:25

Yay and what about events? I know you're gonna be in Knoxville next month yes I'm doing any other fun signings?

SPEAKER_05 51:33

Only have one more I cancel most of my events for this year because my kids are starting middle school and elementary for the first time um and we don't have a lot of family nearby or anything like that. So we I was like I don't know what fall away so I did pull out of a few events. I'm also having some health issues so I can't fly right now which sucks but but um yeah it's I know it's really sad but it is what it is. So I'm doing Meet and Greek cute in July in Knoxville. You can find me there or you can find me at Tupilla Honey having chicken nuggets and fries chicken tenders and fries. This is not sponsored by the way so that means that if you are near at Tupilahani you have to try the chicken tenders now see why I love them so much. And then I'm going to be at Tennessee LipCon in September.

SPEAKER_02 52:17

And I keep on going back and forth if I want to get a day ticket or not.

SPEAKER_05 52:21

Listen I was full for events this year and I re like I told them I couldn't make it and then I like send them an email like late and I was like can I still apply to this because it was so good last year. It was so well done I was my like I was so impressed that I was like I have to do it again. Before you leave tell us where or tell the listeners where they can find you at yeah so I actually live on threads that is where my house is Instagram is my preferred social media platform but I do have a newsletter a Facebook group and a Patreon. My Patreon has a lot of fun perks including exclusive editions and you get early chapters of things. You get all of my unhinged thoughts there as well and I post what I'm wearing which is really cool because I get a lot of people that say they get inspired by my outfit choices which is cool because I thrift most of my clothes so makes me feel like I know what I'm doing. But if you yes but if you go to acerdovabooks.com slash links you can find like the links for everything. So I am not picky which way you decide to stay tuned. All of them are really important to me and you know let's be besties.

SPEAKER_02 53:31

Yes and we will link everything in our episode show notes for you. Awesome thank you. Thank you so much Amber for taking the time out of your busy day to come yap with us. It's been so great to finally do this. Of course oh my God yes it was awesome.

SPEAKER_04 53:46

And as always you can catch us causing chaos over on Instagram at what the smut podcast and me personally at onpoint digital services.

SPEAKER_02 53:56

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

SPEAKER_04 54:07

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_02 54:18

And if you really love this podcast and want to show support we've got a listener support link in our show notes. Supporters get shout outs special giveaways and maybe even exclusive chaos that you can't find anywhere else. We also have sponsorship opportunities as well thanks for tuning in and we'll catch you guys next time