Welcome back to Talk Spicy to Me: The podcast where two bestselling romance authors go rogue and talk all things romance: the good, the bad, the unbearably hot, and everything in between. In Season 2, Episode 5, hosts Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner catch up on life updates, celebrate major career milestones, and dive deep into one of the most important (and underrated) moments in romance writing: The Meet Cute! 💬 Got a question you'd like us to answer on the podcast? Submit it here → Send us a voice message on SpeakPipe: https://www.speakpipe.com/TalkSpicytoMe 00:00 – Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me 01:23 – Life updates & Kandi's 10-year publishing anniversary 03:03 – Why authors struggle to celebrate success 05:56 – Season sponsor spotlight: Willow Aster & Lena Hendrix 10:35 – Valentine Vaults: favorite Valentine's Day memories 15:12 – Why your partner should also be your best friend 17:47 – Generational shifts in parenting & partnership 19:06 – What is a "meet cute"? 23:29 – How meet cutes shape a story from page one 26:47 – Tips for writing a strong meet cute 35:54 – Favorite meet cute examples in romance 46:40 – Writing exercise: crafting your meet cute 49:32 – Sponsor spotlight: Jessica Prince 51:14 – Red Flag / Green Flag: Insta-love 59:03 - Reader Question: What's your favorite part about being an author? BOOK CLUB PICK A.L. Jackson From Here to Eternity (Moonlit Ridge, Book 1) Link: https://geni.us/FHTEAmznOP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aljacksonig Website: https://www.aljacksonauthor.com/ Join us for the From Here to Eternity discussion on February 18th. SEASON SPONSORS Jessica Prince Beautifully Broken Pieces Link: https://geni.us/BeautBrokenPieceebook Website: https://authorjessicaprince.com/ Lena Hendrix Chasing the Sun (Star Harbor, Book 1) Link: https://geni.us/chasingthesun1 Website: https://www.lenahendrix.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlenahendrix Willow Aster What It Takes (Windy Harbor Series, Book 2) Link: https://geni.us/WhatItTakes Website: https://www.willowaster.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willowaster/ WHERE TO FIND EVERYONE Talk Spicy to Me Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkspicytomepodcast Spotify/Apple: @talkspicytomepodcast Youtube: @talkspicytomepodcast Hosts Giana Darling Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gianadarlingauthor Website: https://gianadarling.com/ Kandi Steiner Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandisteiner Website: https://kandisteiner.com/ AFTER DARK (Patreon Exclusive) Want the uncensored conversation? This week: Reality TV Join the Patreon for bonus episodes, extended conversations, and exclusive content:https://www.patreon.com/c/TalkSpicytoMePodcast Listen, watch, and don't forget to subscribe for weekly episodes, author conversations, writing advice, and unapologetically honest romance talk.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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