From the Writer's Mouth: Angelina on Podcasts, Radio, and YouTube

I can talk. A lot. I was fortunate to be invited to talk — a lot — on two podcasts, a radio show, and YouTube publishing show in the last year. If you’re interested in learning more about my 20-year journey to becoming a published author, the inspiration behind my gender-bending, trope-spinning debut novel, Lush Money, how I got connected to a California vineyard or who’s the biggest supporter in my personal life, check out the interviews below. Click any of the images to listen or view.

Angelina on the Wicked Wallflowers podcast

“We could not be more excited to be joined by Angelina M. Lopez to talk about her outstanding debut, Lush Money! Angelina was one of our earliest listeners when she was still prepublished and now her first book is out in the world! We also chat about Fated Mates, her twenty year path to publication, the upcoming books in her series, and the state of publishing. This is one of Jenny’s favorite books of the year–go read it immediately!”

Angelina on WERA’s Story Hour Radio with Wendy Mann

“A lush conversation with debut author Angelina M. Lopez. Her new novel, Lush Money, features a woman billionaire who wants the perfect baby and a prince who needs money to save his small Spanish country. This romance novel has a unique story and a powerful female protagonist. The story arc conveys both big feelings and big ideas. Our lively conversation veers from wine to characters to upbringing to love. A layered story that resonates.”

Angelina on the KT Literary Podcast

"Today we welcome Angelina M. Lopez the author of LUSH MONEY. I could have talked publishing with her all day! We discuss the importance of writer's groups like RWA, the delicate balance of leaning into vs. subverting tropes, and what it takes to write a Latinx billionare woman.

We also talk about her long, but incredibly fascinating journey to being a published arthur (such a cute origin for that word!) and we fangirl over her agent, Sara Megibow, a little bit."

Lush Money discussed on Not Your Mom’s Romance Book Club

“Ellen and Mom discuss the babies, billionaires, and bonkers-ness of Lush Money by Angelina M. Lopez. Plus, the rules of Love Club and taking back the b-word. Come hang out with us!”

Angelina on PubTalk Live with host Sarah Nicolas, agent Sara Megibow, and fantasy writer L. Penelope.

PubTalk Live is a publishing talk show, broadcasting live to YouTube every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 9pm Eastern. Host Sarah Nicolas is joined in each episode by a Guest Co-Host and at least one Special Guest. They talk about all aspects of the book publishing industry, including its intersections with other media and libraries. This episode of PubTalk Live features Guest Co-Host L. Penelope and Special Guests Sara Megibow and Angelina M. Lopez

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Angelina in the Media in October

It’s been a month!

With the release of Lush Money, I’ve been fortunate to show up in several podcasts and publications. Getting a positive review from Maya Rodale of NPR Books was definitely a highlight, as well as chatting with friend and Wicked Wallflowers Podcast host, Jenny Nordbak. Below is a round up of where I’ve been in October; click the images and it will take you to the full stories.

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Reviewed in NPR Books

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On Wicked Wallflowers Podcast

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Subverting the Billionaire's Trope in Smexy Books

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Spotlight in Harlequin Junkie

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Author-Reader Match in Fresh Fiction Blog

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Where to find Angelina in October and November

I will be haunting bookstores, libraries, podcasts, radio shows, blogs, and Instagram accounts for the next two months. Here’s where you can find me throughout October and November.

Bookstores and Libraries

Nov. 8 - LUSH MONEY Book Launch Party!! - Join me at One More Page Books Friday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 p.m. for Spanish wine, tapas, fun and the launch of Lush Money.

Nov. 14 - An Evening of Romance with Angelina M. Lopez and Andie J. Christopher - Come join me and USA Today bestselling romance author Andie J. Christopher at Loyalty Bookstores Petworth on Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. as we drink wine and discuss the release of our new books, Lush Money and Not the Girl You Marry.

Nov. 20 - Romance 101 with Angelina M. Lopez at Aurora Hills Branch Library - Join me Wednesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. for this author chat as I share with Aurora Hills Branch Library guests everything you didn’t know that you needed to know about romance.

Podcasts and Radio Shows

Oct. 16 - Wicked Wallflowers Podcast - Listen as I join hostess-with-the-mostest Jenny Nordback to discuss my journey to publishing on this phenomenal romance podcast that Entertainment Weekly described as “taking "the guilt out of 'guilty pleasure' with author interviews and deep dives into new releases."

Oct. 16 - KT Literary Podcast - I was honored to be invited to be on my literary agency’s podcast. Host Renee Nyen and I chat about the book, alpha heroines, playing with tropes, and the awesomeness of my agent, Sara Megibow.

Oct. 31 and Nov. 6 - Story Hour with Wendy Mann - I’ll be chatting with WERA radio host Wendy Mann. The show will air live on WERA 96.7 Radio Arlington at 11 a.m. EST on Oct. 31 and Nov. 6, but then will be available on Mixcloud at the above link.

Articles

Oct. 14 - Harlequin Junkie - I’ll be featured in an author Q&A.

Oct. 15 - Fresh Fiction - Looking for that perfect author to read? Check out my author-reader match, where I woo readers dating app style.

Oct. 16 - Smexy Books - Read all about “Subverting the Billionaire Trope” in this Smexy Books article.

Early November - Frolic - I will be discussing “Embracing Your Bonkers Ideas” in this exclusive Frolic piece.

Online Parties and Takeovers

Oct. 14 - Facebook Live Happy Hour to Celebrate LUSH MONEY release - Join me and my hot, funny, and banter-y husband, Peter, as we celebrate the release of Lush Money. Learn about what it's like for a couple when one of them has been pursuing a creative dream for 20 years! We'll be enjoying cocktails, talking about the journey, and probably cooing at the dog.

Oct. 15 - LUSH MONEY Book Release Party on Facebook - On Tuesday, October 15, from 6-9 pm EST, I will be joined by a group of incredible romance authors on the Facebook page, the Racy Reads Party Room, to celebrate the release of Lush Money.

Oct. 18 - KT Literary Instagram Takeover - I will be taking over the Instagram account of my literary agency, KT Literary.

Oct. 23 - Wine Down Wednesday with Eva - I’ll be visiting romance author Eva Moore’s private Facebook group, Friends for Eva, to celebrate Wine Down Wednesday.

Nov. 6 - Romanced by the Book Instagram Takeover - I’ll be taking over the Instagram account of virtual romance club Romanced by the Book.

Don’t want to miss a post, podcast, or event? search for the hashtag #WhereIsAngelinaToday on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Angelina and "Lush Money" in the Media

Folks, there’s buzz. The cover release for my debut book, Lush Money, has created the faintest hint of buzz. It’s surreal and awesome to see my name mentioned in publications and beside authors I deeply admire. It’s surreally awesome. Here’s a roundup…

Lush Money in Publishers Weekly

I was thrilled to discover that Lush Money was featured in Publishers Weekly at the end of May in an article about upcoming “royalty” stories with a modern tone. To see my cover next to Alyssa Cole’s fabulous A Prince on Paper was really awesome. Also discussed in this article is Casey McQuiston’s massively popular, Red, White & Royal Blue, as well as Jasmine Guillory’s Royal Holiday. You can click the image below to read the full article.

Lush Money in Frolic

I’m hiding deep in my writing cave this week to finish the first draft of the second book in the Filthy Rich series, so I planned to stay offline. Thank goodness I broke my own rule: When I poked my head up on Twitter on Tuesday, I discovered I’d been featured in a Frolic story, “4 Upcoming Romance Novels By Latinx Authors I’m Most Excited About.” Featured along with Lush Money in the article are books by Adriana Herrera, Andie J. Christopher, and Zoey Castile.

Angelina Talking Craft on DIYMFA Interview Series

I gave my first craft talk with Gabriela Pereira for the DIYMFA Writer Igniter Romance Summit. I truly loved the topic: I talked about how to write alpha heroines, how to make them distinctive from alpha heroes, and how their femininity is an aspect of alpha heroines’ strength. My billionaire businesswoman Roxanne Medina taught me a lot about strong women! It will air next Wednesday, June 19, but if you sign up now, you can get two weeks of romance craft from phenomenal authors like Roni Loren, Tiffany Reisz, Jodi Thomas and Heather Graham.

Sign up now to hear episode on Wednesday, June 19

How to Fill the Well as a Writer

New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston talks about the need for writers to "give yourself the opportunity to fill the well so you have something to write about," in the latest issue of Romance Writers Report. I found this so inspiring. Writers cave up, have endless deadlines, and tell victory stories about how many days in a row it's been since they've showered. Many of us, no matter our endeavors, stick our noses to the grindstones and then proudly compare how little nose we have left.

Stop it. Fill the well. Writers, if the only world you have to write about is the Bermuda Triangle of your desk-couch-fridge, I'm sorry but that book is not going to sell. Everyone else, you know you need to go have a good time.

Here are ways I like to #fillthewell. I've included A TON of links. I hope they help you discover your own inspiration!

Museums

I'm a huge fan of museum gazing in the winter time because you get shelter, exercise, and inspiration for a modest price. Here in the D.C.-area, where we have an embarrassment of museum riches, many of our museums are free. A friend and I recently went to the Smithsonian's Freer|Sackler, which has an incredible collection of Asian art. There we saw Buddhas and Chinese wine cups and dazzling Indian jewelry and the beautifully carved heads of pharaohs. Did you know that some Buddhists venerated a Lord of Burning Desire? I didn't either. But that's the kind of useful inspiration you can get when you go to your local museum.

Aizen Myoo, the Lord of Burning Desire, “avatar of sacred lust...recognizes and emphasizes the disruptive power of sexual passion” against evil.

Volunteering

My responsibilities as a volunteer force me to step away from my writer's desk and provide that glow that comes with giving time instead of getting paid for it. I've served as a docent at the Hillwood Museum in northwest D.C. for a year and that beautiful house and gardens have provided so much inspiration. I've learned a ton about strong women who can buy their own fancy houses, about the joy of sharing what you know with others, and about the pleasure of strolling through a greenhouse dripping with orchids and pretending -- just for a second -- that it belongs to you. 

Tomorrow come celebrate the oncoming spring with La Chandeleur or Crepe Day at Hillwood. Enjoy crepes, decorate your own version of priceless porcelain, and let me show you some of our incredible French treasures when I give a family-focused gallery talk at 10:30 and tours at 11:30 and 1:30. Come join me!

Booze

I want to insert this in here before I give the impression that I only enjoy heady pursuits. I like booze. I like to learn about the origin and creation of various alcohols, I like to read about burgeoning alcohol trends, I like to experiment with my own concoctions, and I like to have long-winded conversations about how cocktails are made. And I like to drink them. One of my favorite places to do all of the above is the Dogwood Tavern. Dogwood is the kind of place where the bartenders remember you, remember your drink of choice, make it spectacularly, and whip up a concoction with you if you catch them when it's slow. They'll also give you a pleasing nickname if you're a regular. Ours is "Angeleter."

Drew's Bulleit Rye Old-Fashioned

Wine

I also enjoy wine. This is my stepfather's fault. In 2009, my parents bought a 6.5-acre property in Sonoma County's Russian River Valley and started Gantz Family Vineyards. Suddenly I, who'd had a passing interest in wine, was part of a family that grew Pinot Noir grapes in one of the premiere Pinot Noir regions in the country. Things got much, much worse when they asked me to help them market the vineyard, and suddenly I had to learn about wine and winegrape growing in order to be able to communicate vaguely intelligently about it for their website and social media. This window into this incredible world helped inspire my latest book, The Billionaire's Prince, and the follow-up book that I'll begin in February. Here in D.C., my go-to spot for getting educated (and inspired) about wine is the the Capital Wine School. I rave more about it here.

Gantz Family Vineyards

Friends

I love my husband and my kids and my family. But I would be nothing without my friends. My friends are a wonderful pressure valve from the rest of my life, and whether they provide me tips on the writing industry or help me understand my kids better or share in a laugh and a glass of wine, they inspire me and help calm me so I can be open to inspiration. Some of my dearest friends can inspire you, too!

• Parenting coach Paige Trevor - Paige and I bonded over a shared love of this Jonathan Rhys Meyers lip bite 15 years ago and we've never looked back. Through classes, seminars, and one-on-one sessions, she helps parents understand the connection between an organized house and a calm and content family. As a Certified Parent Educator with PEP, Paige has trained over 1500 parents in the Washington, D.C.- area. Her weekly blog, Nifty Tips, is a funny, heartfelt, tough-love dose of realistic parenting advice.

• Author Sharon Wray - Sharon is the most generous soul I know, and a large portion of the romance writing world would agree with me. Sharon is a fount of selfless information and good cheer and believed in me as a writer when I didn't believe in myself. Her book, Every Deep Desire, a genre-bending romantic suspense reunion story set in Georgia swamps that hide a deeper, darker world, will come out on March 6.

• Life coach Wendy Reed - Wendy is the dear friend who introduced me to the concept of "living with intention." Living with intention means you live life proactively -- you choose to pursue a career as a creative professional or flirt more with your husband or be patient with your children -- rather than living life reactively, getting batted along the path that life chooses. Wendy is now taking this philosophy into her work as a professional life coach, helping people discover their own intentional life and then helping them figure out how to make it a reality.

Podcasts

Not all of my filling of the well is done out and about. I spend an impressive amount of time luxuriating in my pajamas and yoga pants. Podcasts give me inspiration when I'm emptying the dishwasher or walking the dog. My three recent favorites are:

• The Thirst Aid Kit - "Thirsting," as used by these brilliant hosts, is the act of desiring, crushing, lusting from afar that women do so well. This podcast honors that thirst -- an act that has sustained the movie industry and keeps the publishing industry afloat -- with intelligent, diversity-aware, and screamingly funny conversations about the people we thirst for and why.

• Girl in Space - Girl in Space is an audio drama about a girl in space, written and performed by a girl. This act should not seem so revolutionary. And yet this podcast has such a unique, interesting, wise, and funny point of view of sci-fi and space travel and story telling that it does seem revolutionary.

• The Wicked Wallflowers Club - I have been endlessly tweeting about this new podcast devoted to taking the shame out of romance reading. As I've said endlessly on Twitter, this podcast is like grabbing a coffee with your favorite author and smartest friends and talking about what makes romance novels great.

Please share your favorite ways to #FillTheWell in the comment box below. Fill free to include links, too, if you've got them. I love sharing the inspiration!

8 Podcasts to Distract You From the End of the World

Looking at the Apple Podcasts top chart is like taking a glance at our national anxieties. On Monday of this week, the number one most popular podcast was "Cults." "Stay Tuned with Preet" with his premiere podcast "The Time President Trump Fired Me" is number 2. Among the Top 20 list are "The Fall Line," a true-crime serial about marginalized communities in Georgia, "The American War," "Pod Save America," and "Zealot." Which is ANOTHER podcast about cults.

I'm all about staying up-to-date on current events. My Twitter feed is full of outraged observations about the latest atrocity committed by our administration -- interspersed with tweets about fun outings, cocktails, and Project Runway.

But the times when I listen to podcasts -- on the road in traffic, at the gym first thing in the god-dang morning, making dinner at the end of a long-long day -- are not the ideal times for me to get fired up about our administration or terrified for the future of my two kids. So below are a list of my favorite podcasts that work as a distraction from the woes, generally thanks to great storytelling, fascinating topics, astonishing research and -- sometimes -- smooth-jazz, tickle-your-ear voices.

C'mon, get happy! Let these podcasts chase all your cares away.

We're Alive (audio drama)

What better to distract you from the actual end of the world than a podcast about the pretend end of the world? A search for entertaining, sweep-me-away audio (when times weren't quite so dank) is what led me to podcasts, and thank God I was searching when this audio drama about a zombie apocalypse was still top of the charts. "We're Alive," created by KC Wayland who recently produced "Bronzeville" with Laurence Fishburne, is a three-season, 48-chapter series that follows a band of survivors in LA after it's hit with zombies. Great writing, sound effects, and acting have you enmeshed in the story from go, and I became as tied to these characters as I am tied to my Games of Thrones loves. My loyalty was rewarded -- "We're Alive" has perhaps the best and most satisfying series finale of any story I've ever engaged in, regardless of the medium ("Dexter" and "True Blood" should have taken notes).

Stuff You Missed in History Class (history)

Two hosts, Tracy V. Wilson and Holly Frey, provide entertaining and insightful summations of lesser known historical events. I was drawn to "Missed in History" by their more gruesome history lessons -- they've done episodes on "Lizzie Borden and Her Axe," the "New England Vampire Panic," and "The Case of the Colorado Cannibal" -- but more valuable are their dives into historical events by or affecting women, people of color, or others who didn't write the history books. I learned more about "The Tulsa Race Riot" in their 36-minute episode than I ever did in my six years sitting in Tulsa classrooms.

How to Be Amazing with Michael Ian Black (interview)

I'm not a fan of "cult-of-personality" interview podcasts -- so often the interviewer just wants to talk to the interviewee about all the times they've worked together. So why do I listen to comedian and actor Michael Ian Black? He makes his interviewees cry. He has this habit of asking these really balls-to-the-walls questions that you assume the subject would never answer -- and yet he asks them in a way that is very caring. Caring in a kind of New York, in-your-face way. And then the subject answers and cries. I was shocked by what Project Runway's Tim Gunn shared with him. I wanted to sit at the feet of Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten and soak up her wisdom after her interview. And I'm pretty sure he made ultimate smart ass Megan Mullally cry, too.

The Adventure Zone (story telling)

I downloaded "The Adventure Zone," a podcast of three adult brothers playing Dungeons & Dragons with their dad, as a gift to my son who was stuck in the car with me as we drove to visit colleges. The decision nearly proved lethal. As we whipped along the always-packed and suicidal I-70, I was laughing so hard I couldn't see. I literally considered pulling onto the shoulder. The McElroy Brothers -- Justin, Travis and Griffin -- gained podcasting fame with the advice show "My Brother, My Brother and Me." "The Adventure Zone" was a whim while they were taking paternity leave. It proved to be a three-year-long love affair with fanciful story telling, dice throwing, and the unique comedy that can come about when four people love each other and can annoy the holy living crap out of each other. Just trust me. Check it out.

Criminal

I don't know how to categorize this show, which is the highest compliment I can pay it. Calling it "true crime" lumps it in with all the other whodunits, and "Criminal" is soooooo much more than a voyeuristic poke into a family or community's pain. "Criminal" is a subtle-and-curious look into the community of crime -- the people who record it (a courtroom sketch artist), the people who are victimized by it (like this daughter), and the people who sink into tar pits to try to uncover it. My favorite episode, a truly courageous episode by host and co-creator Phoebe Judge, is this one about people who research decomposition. By the way, Phoebe earns my vote for best female podcasting voice. It's like butter.

Social Media Marketing Podcast (biz)

This new communication beast we call social media changes daily. Hourly. With twice weekly podcasts, the "Social Media Marketing Podcast" helps me keep up. Host and founder Michael Stelzner interviews guests with his listeners in mind -- whenever guests dive down the rabbit hole of their specialty, he pulls them back and asks them to explain it for the rest of us. This podcast serves the place of a university course in social media marketing -- clients, you now know my trick. Please don't fire me.

In the Dark (true crime)

This expertly researched and reported podcast does what so many other true crime podcasts fail to do: provide a larger picture of what it all means. "In the Dark" looks at the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, an 11-year Minnesota boy who disappeared in the midst of the stranger-danger frenzy of the '80s. But more than just poking at the crime, reporter Madeleine Baran puts together an alarming look at how little oversight there is over our nation's sheriff's departments and how little accountability they have. Jacob Wetterling's murderer came forward just one week before "In the Dark" began -- the true mystery was not how killer Danny Heinrich got away with it for so long, but how the Stearns County Sheriff's department did such a horrible job.

The Bright Sessions (audio drama)

"The Bright Sessions" has everything you could want out of an audio drama: adventure, romance, time travel, and telepathy. But creator Lauren Shippen has added a little something extra to this story line about a group of 20-somethings struggling to live with their special mental abilities, abilities that allow them to read minds or feel other's emotions or coerce people. There's a distinct "femaleness" to the whole presentation, which as an audio-drama lover accustomed to so many male-driven stories, I really appreciate. She nails the personal connections among all the characters.

Since I need A LOT of distraction these days, I'm always looking for new podcasts. What are your favorites podcasts? Please let me know in the comments below.