We Know How to Read

We Know How to Read : S16E2 : Trial of the Tomes : Romance

Let the trials begin! This week, we are putting Romance to the test in the following categories: first impressions, design, writing style, general plot, characters, and our critical and enjoyment scores. In one corner for men, we have Thunderstruck by Carter Blake, and in the other corner for the NOT-Men is Jackson by Nyssa Kathryn. Carter Blake writes novellas about steamy alpha romances. Nyssa Kathryn writes suspenseful romances of alpha men in small-town romances. Who will come out on top?! 

Trial of the Tomes : Extra EP

EXTRA EXTRA listen all about it!! We started recording this series almost two years ago, so we have a backlog of recordings talking about the discrimination based on gender and identity in publishing and reading. Here was our "First Draft" of the season from 2024. 
Our introductory episode to our new series, The Trial of the Tomes, where we look at the data of publishing, popularity, quality, and more, comparing gender, genre, and race. The General Hypothesis: "Men do it best," the idea that the public's opinion is that men write better than women or the lgbtqia. We are reviewing the factual data across multiple sources, introducing the genres we are reviewing, and the rubric we have constructed to be as non-biased as possible. 
 

We Know How to Read : S16E1 : Trial of the Tomes : Gender in Publishing

Welcome to the Trial of the Tomes! We're looking closely at the idea of author gender in genre, publication, and writing style. How that impacts the public eye, reader experience, and marketing. Most importantly who does it best?! We have read one male author and one not man in the following genres Romance, Romantic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Murder/Thriller! Pitting them against each other with trials to see who ranks supreme in the Trial of the Tomes!! Follow the competition to see who is victorious and who falls! This week is all about gender in publication and everything to go with it!

We Know How to Read: Valentine's Day Book Review : The Scattered Bones

A tortured fate, destined heartbreak, trials of life and death, forgotten gods, ruthless monsters, but a love that goes beyond death and dust. We read The Scattered Bones by Nicole Scarano, a dark fantasy romance that will have you sobbing over tragically beautiful romance. We hope your Valentine's Day was full of book boyfriends!

They Know How to Write: Interview with Nelle Nikole

Nelle Nikole came on the podcast for our They Know How to Write series. As a successful author of the Rising: A State of the Union series, a dystopian dark fantasy where "The Before doesn’t matter, only The After." As well as co-authoring the Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning series with author Mikayla Hornedo. A Mayan-inspired urban fantasy romance following siblings in an academic setting. We absolutely loved chatting with her about writing, inspiration, and the creative process. Check out her books now!  

We Know How to Read is BACK!

We are back!! It's been way too long, but we are back in 2026 and have a lot to share with you guys. We can't wait for all is to come this year and share every minute with you. Thanks for listening and following! Stay tuned for more episodes and big announcements! 

They Know How to Write Holiday Season: Author Interview Dai'ja S. Rose

It was amazing having a local author on the podcast! Dai'ja S. Rose is a Virginia author who wrote a completed YA fantasy series called Legendary Stars Saga. Book one, Golden Eyed Legend, starts the series off with quite a memorable beginning:
Gifted and Hunted… The Universe Chose Him
Now his choices will either save his people... or destroy them.
It was so much fun diving into the lore, creativity, writing, and a closer look at her work with Dai'ja. You can find all her books on Amazon, her website, and follow her for more updates on Tiktok or Facebook @DSRtheWriter

They Know How to Write Holiday Season: Author Interview B.L. Brown

We loved having B.L. Brown on the podcast! She publishes urban and paranormal fantasy. We talked most about her Ritual Income series, an urban fantasy, slow burn, enemies to lovers, and WITCHES! Literally everything you could possibly want in one book! From inspiration to writing process to series and more, B.L. Brown shares with us all the behind-the-scenes fun and more in this interview! You can find her books on Amazon, her website, and follow her on Instagram for more updates at @brittawritesthings

They Know How to Write Holiday Season: Author Interview Aparna Verma

We are so excited this week to share with you this wonderful interview with Aparna Verma. As two fans of hers before the interview, this was a dream come true! Aparna Verma is the author of The Phoenix King and recently the second book, The Burning Queen, in The Ravence Trilogy. Aparna writes epic fantasy with desi representation, elemental magic, enemies to lovers and more! We loved talking with her about her experience writing, finding inspiration, and querying her debut series. Go read The Phoenix King now to start your next favorite series! 

They Know How to Write Holiday Season: Author Interview Jill Tew

Well back to our favorite time of year, They Know How to Write Author Interviews! Starting our Author Holiday Season is Author Jill Tew. She wrote the Young Adult Science Fiction & Dystopian Romance novel, The Dividing Sky. Most recently, she published An Ocean Apart, an electrifying dystopian novel packed with a tantalizing love triangle, gripping political intrigue, and a Bachelor-style competition. We absolutely loved getting to sit down with Jill and talk about inspiration, process, and more. You can find more about Jill Tew on her website, Instagram @jtewwrites, and purchase her books through all retailers.