Bookstagram Burnout: When Reading Starts Feeling Like a Job (with Amy King & Maggie Blankenship)

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Hi, I'm Sarah.
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And I'm Tiffany.
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And this is the Clean Romance Podcast.
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We're going to break down five-star reads, hot button topics, and what makes clean romance shine.
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So excited because today we are talking about Bookstagram burnout.
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And we have some of our new favorite people in the world with us.
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We have Maggie and Amy.
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And what is so cool about Maggie and Amy is that we are going on a cruise together.
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Yes.
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I'm so excited.
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I was when you said, and what is so cool about?
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I was like, what are you going to say?
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There's so many things that are cool about these ladies.
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But I like that one because we're all cruising together soon.
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Yes.
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So June 2027, we're going on the clean romance getaways cruise to Mexico.
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I'm like, I don't even care where we're going.
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I don't care where we're going.
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We're going to be on a boat and it's going to be warm and there's going to be like all you can eat buffets.
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Amen.
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Yep.
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Yes.
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Oh, yeah.
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And you can go with us, and we will have the link to that in our show notes.
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But we're super excited.
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Uh, I'm going to tell you guys a little tiny bit about Amy and Maggie, and then we're going to jump in to our topic.
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But Amy King is originally a bookstagrammer, but now you're an author.
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You have legitimately written at least one book, right?
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You have two books that you're shopping around.
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Yeah, I'm giving it my best shot.
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We'll see what happens.
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You know, Amy, we're all just giving it our best shot here.
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But Amy's being modest because she has not one but two Genesis awards on those books that are not yet published, but they will be published and we will read them.
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And we cannot wait for that to happen when whenever that happens.
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Let's make it into existence.
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Yes.
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And then we have go ahead.
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No, sorry, my cat's making an appearance, and I'm just I've been I've been noticing, and it's so cute.
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I love when animals make appearances.
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Yes, me too.
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Cute.
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Especially when they do it quietly.
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Yes.
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We let the loud part out noises.
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Barking dogs and everything else.
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Exactly, exactly.
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Uh and then we have Maggie Blinkenship, who is also a bookstagrammer and recent college grad, and we are just so excited to have Maggie and your dancing self here with us today.
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Thank you.
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I love it.
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I was gonna say Maggie is like the dancing queen, and then Amy is like the truth bringer.
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Like I love when Amy just lets loose on Instagram and just tells us like it is in the romance world.
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Yeah.
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So we've got like it's like two sides to a coin going on.
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Yeah.
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So can I, Tiffany, can I introduce our icebreaker?
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Yes, please do.
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Okay.
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So for our icebreaker today, we always like to start our interview with just a little something fun to get us warmed up.
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So our question is what's the most bookstagram made me do it thing you have ever done?
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Oh my gosh.
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Not everyone all at once.
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Okay.
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It is so generic and boring.
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I feel like you're gonna have a good one.
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I don't know.
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Mine might not be like what you think of when you think of Booksstagram made me do it, but honestly, I've made reels in my bathroom because nowhere else is clean.
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Yeah.
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And so I'm like, where is the cleanest place?
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Let's go in my bathroom.
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Never in the world would I have ever thought to do that until I started on Bookstagram.
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And I was like, let's make a reel in the bathroom.
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Literally, one time I used my shower curtains as a prop, flew out of them and everything.
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Yeah.
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Never would have done that.
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I've also made, um, I've also made reels with my retainer in.
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Because I got the idea and I was like, let's make the reel.
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And then I realized afterwards that I'm like, have a lisp and there's a metal all over my teeth.
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I'm like, oh my gosh.
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Yeah, would have never done that without bookstore.
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Yeah.
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That's great.
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I you make me feel better by saying there's nowhere else clean in your house.
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Because I feel like people always make these beautiful videos, and their space is always just so perfect.
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And I don't know, that's not my life.
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Like, that's I'm also like, where do I have good lighting and a clean space?
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No, it doesn't exist in the same place.
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Yeah, that's true.
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Oh my gosh.
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That's what I bought bookshelves for.
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I would say that's my bookstagram made me do it thing, is I had very few paperbacks before I started my bookstagram.
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I'm a big e-reader, and so almost everything I did was on Kindle.
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And I had a handful of paperbacks, but not like a whole bookshelf worth.
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Um, and over the last year I have collected I don't know how many shelf trophies of books that I have read.
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And it it has actually made me start reading some paperbacks again because I feel like you get a different perspective of the book when it's in actual paperback form.
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But Kindle is just so convenient.
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Yeah, I don't know if I'll ever tear myself away from that.
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My bookstagram made me do it.
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Like honestly, at the beginning of you know, being an author, everything felt cringy to me.
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Like every reel that I made felt like bookstagram made me do it, you know, cringy.
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But now it's getting my husband to make reels with me, is the like bookstagram made me do it.
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Because he's super as as I wouldn't say shy, but like shy adjacent as I am.
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He's way worse.
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But I have convinced him to do some reels with me, and those are always my best performing reels.
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My god, they are so good, they're so cute.
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I'm I'm with the world.
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Those are the best reels.
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I love them.
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I love that.
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Like, I will have to say, of everyone on this show, I am the least uh social media whatever.
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And it's because I think part of it is I still feel cringy.
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And then like I'd find, I'm like, you know what?
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It's cringy, but I'm gonna post it.
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And then it gets like four views, and then I'm like, look at that.
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I was right.
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It was cringy and no one likes it.
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So I've been affirmed by social media algorithms that no one wants to see that.
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So it's actually probably a good sign it wasn't cringy enough because if it was, then you would have gone viral.
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Good point.
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Good point.
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All right.
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Well, let me see.
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My Bookstagram made me do it.
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It's right here.
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It's actually Book Talk made me do it, and it was purchasing this thing that had ring lights attached on the side, and this was supposed to change my life.
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It has not changed my life now.
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It says so for people who aren't on YouTube, it's a little tripod and it had ring lights on the side that never stay charged for more than five minutes and a little phone holder in the middle.
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We did use it when Tiffany and I went live in um in Texas, but anyway, it hasn't changed my life.
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But Book Talk did make me do it.
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Someone convinced me this was what I needed.
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That's amazing.
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I love it.
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Okay, we want to hear about just a little bit about how you started your account, why you started it.
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Like, what did you what drew you to Bookstagram and specifically like clean, closed door, Christian romance?
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Nagy, you want to start for us?
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Like just tell us a little bit about how you, your genesis, your origins story.
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Yeah.
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I will do my best.
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So I think it's about two and a half years ago now.
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I was reading this series, and it just kept getting spicier as the series went, and I was like, but I want to know what happened, and I just kept going and I started to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, but you kept fighting back.
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And I was like, no, I want to keep reading the series, I want to know what happens.
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Finally, I was like, I'll finish the series and I'll give up these types of books forever.
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Well, I did.
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I I gave up all books like that, and I was like, okay, forever now I'm going to be reading like Christian historical romances or anything you can find in the little um like religion section at Barnes and Noble.
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And I was like, that's gonna be me for the rest of my life, but it's better to read that and um obey the Lord than to be reading what I was reading before.
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Well, I had just gotten Instagram like a few months prior, never had it until I went to college.
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And so all of a sudden I stumbled across this reel.
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It said something about like clean or closed door, and I was like, what is this?
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And I was like, that's a book.
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And then since I was interested, of course, the algorithm kept pushing more into my feed, and I was like, wait a second, you mean like no explicit scenes?
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Like, what?
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I'm sorry.
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This is so cool.
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So then I saw um this author, she was like calling out like I need art readers, and I was like, eh, what's that?
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So I looked it up and I was like, oh my gosh, you mean I can read a book before it comes out?
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Because everything in my life is a competition.
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So for me in that moment, I was like, yes, I get to read it first.
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I love it.
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And then I saw another author, and this author was Carrie Cotton, and she was um calling out for art readers for the Viking.
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I was like, sign me up.
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And I was like, oh my gosh, this is amazing.
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And I that's when I started to see more of these people who had the public accounts and were sharing.
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I was like, maybe I could do that too.
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So one random day in my truck on the way to college, I was like, I'm gonna do it.
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Had no idea what I was doing.
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All I knew is that I wanted to help people who were like me who thought that only closed door books could be like Christian historical fiction or Amish fiction.
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I was like, there I have found, like, I found a Western, I found medieval.
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And so I just, I just started making content.
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I started signing up for arcs and I just I just started connecting with authors that way.
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And I was like, I want to help other Christian readers find books like these and know that you can have basically any genre that you love to read.
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You don't have to have the spice in it, and so that's what I've been doing now for the past two and a half years, and it's been so much fun.
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That's awesome.
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Yeah, that's so good.
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I love it.
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Even, yeah, even when you're sharing, you're just so genuine and authentic.
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And I think that genuine joy and excitement is why your account has been successful, right?
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Like you're just genuinely out there to help others and support others, and your account has just like exploded.
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Thank you so much.
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That means so much.
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Thank you.
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Yeah, I think that you know, that's one thing that we were drawn to with both of you, is that it feels like you are yourself.
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And it feels like we know you, even though we we don't actually know you.
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Exactly.
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Exactly.
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And we're we're hoping to get to actually know you guys.
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That's why we're cruising together.
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Exactly.
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We want to hang out with you in real life.
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Yeah, but I do think that people are drawn to that genuineness that uh it at least it seems like you exhibit just being yourself, and and that looks so different for both of you, you know, like you guys are both genuinely yourself and expressing that in different ways, and it's so cool and beautiful.
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Yeah, I love it.
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Okay, what's Amy's origin story?
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I want to hear it.
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Um, I got introduced to uh what we call these days spicy books.
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Nobody called it that back when I was a girl, like 10, at a neighbor's house.
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Um and I say that I was raised on the J's.
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So, like Julie Garwood, Judith McNott, Jude Devereaux, I don't know if you know any of those people, but they were like the 80s ladies.
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You know, they were like the OGs of the spicy romance world back in the day.
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And so I started with that, and then things just got worse over the years, and I was miserable and had other issues besides um reading erotica, but that was sort of a sim a major symptom in my life.
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And I got pretty sick of that and had a big burnout situation, which is interesting that we're talking about burnout, Instagram burnout, but I had kind of a whole life burnout.
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Um, and I come to Jesus meeting and I quit reading for at least a year, just cold turkey and worked through a lot of things.
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And then when I came back around to reading, um, I knew I didn't want to touch what we call spicy books.
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It's so weird.
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I'm like, what did I call that before we called them?
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I don't know what I called it, but nobody in my normal life reads, which is part of why I ended up starting an Instagram.
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Um, but I felt like my reading life for most of my life was very like dark and secret and weird.
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And so when I didn't want to do that anymore, I almost didn't even know what reading looked like.
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Yeah.
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Um, and so I started reading Closed Door and read that for a while and then found that I actually really missed the faith aspect of books.
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And I would get frustrated with characters and be like, the Lord could help you with that.
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Like you you should pray about that.
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Like, girl, let me help you.
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So I love that.
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Then I started finding Christian fiction and Christian romance, which I didn't really outside of Amish fiction, I just was not exposed to that world at all.
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Um, and so I found all of my wrecks through like Kindle and Goodreads and was talking my husband's ear off about everything that I was reading and what characters did and all this sort of thing.
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And he was the one that was like, you should start a book talk, which is where I started on TikTok.
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And I was like, no, that's dumb.
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I don't want to do that.
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I didn't even know book talk was a thing.
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Like it was just not part of my world.
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And uh he was like, no, I think you should.
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You gotta know my husband.
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He is like, he has the best ideas.
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I don't know why I don't ever just like on the first time be like, I'll do that, you know, because it always works out.
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Well I'm just shocked that he knows what book talk is.
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Like when I tell people outside of the reading world what bookstagram or book talk is, they're like, What?
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What is that?
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But dude, my husband knows what's going on in the world.
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Like, okay, I he is he is the man.
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He likes to travel, he likes to be out there.
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I could just like sit in my bed all day for the rest of my life, you know, which is another reason Instagram appeals to me, because I just film in my bedroom and it's great.
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Like I don't have to go anywhere and I talk to all the people.
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It's like an introvert's dream.
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Really.
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So anyway, I started on book talk and that took off within like three weeks.
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That was crazy.
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And I was shocked that that many people were looking for Christian romance, and that's all I was sharing.
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And it was not, I mean, it was like Francine Rivers and Halle Bridgman and whoever Kendall had recommended to me.
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And I was shocked by how many people on TikTok were looking for Christian romance.
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Um, so I did that for a few months.
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I started it May of last year, I guess, 2025.
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And then took up Instagram July of that same year.
00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:19.519
And then I was like, oh, everybody's on Instagram.
00:15:19.679 --> 00:15:21.840
Like nobody was a Christian on TikTok.
00:15:21.919 --> 00:15:22.559
You know what I mean?
00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:26.320
And then I got to Instagram and I was like, oh, here's where everybody's at.
00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:29.840
Like every author, every publisher, every bookstagrammer.
00:15:30.080 --> 00:15:39.360
So like I think that is a fun difference between my two accounts, is Instagram very much feels like the industry, I guess, for lack of a better term.
00:15:39.519 --> 00:15:42.159
Everybody, all the players are on Instagram.
00:15:42.320 --> 00:15:42.480
Yeah.
00:15:42.720 --> 00:15:50.240
TikTok still really feels like just my fellow reading gals that were all just shooting the breeze about books.
00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:54.000
And so I like different aspects of both platforms.
00:15:54.240 --> 00:15:54.720
I love that.
00:15:54.960 --> 00:15:59.519
Amy, so I will the first time I remember seeing you on Bookstagram.
00:15:59.679 --> 00:16:05.360
I don't remember what you're talking about, but you were like bringing the truth and you were calling people out.
00:16:05.600 --> 00:16:10.399
And I like sent it to Tiffany, and I was like, Tiffany, you gotta see this girl.
00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:18.159
But I just remember you just like truth bringing, and then you had like a part two and a part three, and I was like, Yes, this girl, she's speaking my language.
00:16:18.320 --> 00:16:22.960
So anyway, I have loved that and I don't like what have you talked about that has gone viral.
00:16:23.120 --> 00:16:23.440
I don't know.
00:16:23.519 --> 00:16:25.360
I've had a lot of spicy topics.
00:16:25.519 --> 00:16:28.480
Um no pun intended, I guess.
00:16:32.159 --> 00:16:42.000
I think my perspective on things is just different because I've read so much filth, like, and I don't wear that as a badge of honor.
00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:46.960
I just mean I I'm past missing out on things, I think.
00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:52.559
And and I don't read, you know, all I all I read and share is Christian romance, and I don't feel legalistic about that.
00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:58.879
I don't have some theological stance that all Christians should only read faith content or in books or something like that.
00:16:59.039 --> 00:16:59.840
That's just what I prefer.
00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:01.360
So that's what I share.
00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:08.640
Um, but I do have strong feelings about Christians promoting smut or promoting erotica.
00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:16.400
And so, and I I try to do it in a loving way and not in a big way that comes off as judgmental or harsh or whatever.
00:17:16.559 --> 00:17:25.200
I just feel like I've lived that whole life and I've told myself all of the things, and I've come full circle and I've had years and years doing it.
00:17:25.440 --> 00:17:37.599
And so I feel I don't know, I guess I feel confident in my perspective, and it doesn't mean people have to agree with me, but yeah, that that got me in some trouble on TikTok, which I was like, woohoo, more views.
00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.160
Right.
00:17:38.720 --> 00:17:39.440
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:17:39.599 --> 00:17:40.880
It's so funny.
00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:51.440
What I love about both of your origin stories is that you both had some sort of conviction from the Holy Spirit about what you were reading.
00:17:51.680 --> 00:17:58.720
And also you thought that what was out there was much more limited than it actually was.
00:17:58.960 --> 00:17:59.119
Right.
00:17:59.279 --> 00:18:01.119
And I and I felt that way too.
00:18:01.279 --> 00:18:06.400
I had no idea the scope of what was out there, what is out there.
00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:16.720
And I just have to think that there's so many people like all of us that are searching and don't even know that like what's available.
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:22.240
And, you know, I I'd like to think that we're we're doing people a service.
00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:23.680
We're doing our part, you know?
00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:24.799
Right, exactly.
00:18:25.039 --> 00:18:27.759
Trying to raise awareness and stuff like that.
00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:33.599
So I really appreciate what you guys are doing for the clean and Christian romance community.
00:18:33.839 --> 00:18:48.240
And I do, I have been seeing so many people lately who are expressing, especially readers expressing burnout over Books to Gram, which you see authors talk about that a lot too.
00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:56.960
But I think it's been surprising to me seeing readers saying, Man, like I can't keep up with the algorithm, I can't keep up with the arcs.
00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:01.440
I feel like the enjoyment of reading isn't there anymore.
00:19:01.599 --> 00:19:04.640
And so we just wanted to get your perspective.
00:19:04.799 --> 00:19:14.000
Like, what do you think are some of the biggest sources of pressure for people, for readers in particular, on Bookstagram right now?
00:19:14.319 --> 00:19:21.359
Well, I'll just start with kind of what I think an overview of the problem is, and this is likely an oversimplification.
00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:31.680
But I think part of the trouble is authors are trying to make money by selling books, and influencers don't make any money by promoting your book for the most part.
00:19:32.000 --> 00:19:32.480
For the most part.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:36.319
And those two marry each other.
00:19:36.960 --> 00:19:45.519
And so you have bookstagrammers or book talkers kind of feeling the pressure to help this author make money.
00:19:45.680 --> 00:19:50.480
Um, but it's really just out of the goodness of their of their hearts for the most part.
00:19:50.640 --> 00:19:54.400
And turns out people have a limited number of goodness in their hearts.
00:19:57.119 --> 00:19:57.680
I love it.
00:19:57.839 --> 00:19:58.799
It's a finite resource.
00:19:58.880 --> 00:20:04.000
There's only so much but also like there's only so much reading time.
00:20:04.319 --> 00:20:17.440
And like when you are, you want to like support all these people, like even Tiffany and I with the podcast, like we want to support like everyone who sponsors an episode and everyone who like reaches out, and everyone who applies for to be a guest.
00:20:17.519 --> 00:20:20.960
We want to support everybody, but we only have so much reading time.
00:20:21.119 --> 00:20:22.799
Like we can't keep up with it all.
00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.440
And I think that's probably part of it too.
00:20:25.599 --> 00:20:33.759
Like, you you want to like share the love, but that the love doesn't just include a post, it includes five to eight hours of reading as well.
00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:34.720
So true.
00:20:35.519 --> 00:20:35.839
Yeah.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:51.599
And honestly, like you know, I've been on Bookstagram as an author making posts and reels about my own books, but it's only been in the last year since we started the podcast that I've been spending time making posts about other people's books.
00:20:51.839 --> 00:20:54.720
And it is so time consuming.
00:20:54.880 --> 00:20:55.119
Yeah.
00:20:55.440 --> 00:21:00.480
It's like when it's not, especially when it's not your own book that you know inside out.
00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:03.279
It's it's hard.
00:21:03.440 --> 00:21:08.240
Like Sarah, Sierra sends me these reels, like, oh, we should do this on Instagram.
00:21:08.559 --> 00:21:13.200
Like, and I'm like, that is gonna take me entirely too long to do that.
00:21:13.519 --> 00:21:15.920
Tiffany's like, you can do that one.
00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:17.119
Send it to me.
00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:18.160
All you go.
00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:20.240
We'll see.
00:21:20.400 --> 00:21:20.799
We'll see.
00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:22.079
I have done a couple.
00:21:22.319 --> 00:21:23.839
I did one and it went viral.
00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:26.079
It really ticked up on TikTok.
00:21:26.720 --> 00:21:29.039
I hadn't opened TikTok for like a month.
00:21:29.200 --> 00:21:34.319
Like, because I did it on summer vacation at the beginning of vacation, and I didn't open TikTok for a month.
00:21:34.480 --> 00:21:38.400
And when I opened it up, there was like thousands of notifications.
00:21:38.559 --> 00:21:45.039
And I so wish I had screenshot it because in my life I never thought that I would do anything that actually went viral.
00:21:45.279 --> 00:21:47.519
Was it anything productive toward our count?
00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:48.240
Not at all.
00:21:48.400 --> 00:21:48.880
You know?
00:21:49.119 --> 00:21:51.119
Like, did it scream clean romance?
00:21:51.279 --> 00:21:52.480
No, of course not.
00:21:52.720 --> 00:21:55.200
Um, but it went viral and that was fun.
00:21:55.440 --> 00:21:56.640
Yeah, that was fun.
00:21:57.359 --> 00:22:14.000
Meanwhile, I made a reel that had like a Hundred million book covers that I was like adjusting, like adjusting the book covers with your fingers and like trying to get them all even with each other and all in a line, and it gets like two views, and you're just like, I can't do this again.
00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:18.079
Oh man is so real.
00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:24.400
It's always the most random stuff that takes off, and then things that you put a lot of like thought and time into nobody cares.
00:22:24.559 --> 00:22:25.200
You're like, great.
00:22:25.440 --> 00:22:29.200
Yeah, I mean, honestly, I I agree.
00:22:29.440 --> 00:22:35.359
It you only have so much time, especially when Bookstagram is a hobby.
00:22:35.680 --> 00:22:40.240
And I mean, even though reading has just always been a part of me.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.240
Now that I've added Bookstagram, like I didn't come on, I didn't come into it being like, oh, it's a hobby.
00:22:46.480 --> 00:22:50.000
Or at least recently that's been my train of thought, is like it's not a hobby anymore.
00:22:50.240 --> 00:22:51.440
It's it's a business.
00:22:51.599 --> 00:22:55.519
I know that's one of my pressures, is I'm like, this has got to be good, this has got to be perfect.
00:22:55.680 --> 00:23:03.359
And then all of a sudden I'm just like, I'm not it's it's hard when you're not like seeing benefits.
00:23:03.519 --> 00:23:07.839
So then because you also I also have to um like live life.
00:23:08.319 --> 00:23:09.519
So really, yeah.
00:23:09.599 --> 00:23:09.839
That's it.
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:20.240
I mean some sometimes I think like that's just the thing where like, oh my gosh, I've got to do this, I've got to do that, and then I've got to post this, and I've got to post that, and I've got to read this, and I've got to read that.
00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:23.359
And then you're like, Well, you know, it's a job.
00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:42.480
Some booksogrammers are moms, and then moms and jobs, you know, there's just so many, and then like volunteering it at church for the Christian bookstogrammers, and just time after time after time, and you want to spend time with your family, and you want to spend time with friends, and then you're just like, Well, now I'm gonna read a book, and then you're like, wait a second, I'm gonna read that book.
00:23:42.559 --> 00:23:49.039
Oh, then I gotta write the review for the book, which don't get me wrong, I love writing reviews, but sometimes I'm like, oh man.
00:23:49.200 --> 00:24:05.680
And so and then you gotta post that review in eight places, and three of them you can't post until the book comes out, but they want you to post for the pre-orders before the book comes out on the platforms that you can, and then you have to put on your calendar that you're gonna come back on the release day and post it on the ones that only take it on release day.
00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:07.359
And right, yeah, and it's all for free.
00:24:07.599 --> 00:24:09.839
It does, yep, and it just keeps going on and on and on.
00:24:09.920 --> 00:24:20.079
And I mean, don't get me wrong, I love telling people about books, and I'm like, yes, you know, learn about this author and read their books, but then sometimes I'm also like, yeah, I've only got so much time.
00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.279
Now I don't remember the last time I posted a review on time.
00:24:23.680 --> 00:24:25.279
Yeah, I'm like two months behind.
00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:26.960
So yeah.
00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:28.640
I feel that that makes sense.
00:24:28.880 --> 00:24:29.440
It is, yeah.
00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:30.000
Oh yeah.
00:24:30.319 --> 00:24:36.640
So how do reading goals and seeing other people's numbers affect your enjoyment of reading?
00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.359
Like, do y'all feel pressure by this whole good reads thing?
00:24:39.440 --> 00:24:47.519
And when people post how many books they've read, are you like, Yeah, I'm a loser or I'm a slow reader, or what like sometimes I see that and I'm like, I'm a loser.
00:24:47.599 --> 00:24:51.200
I can't honestly, I'm I'm right there with you.
00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:57.599
Like recently I saw someone post that was like 75 books out of 75 books for the year, and I was like beating my head against the wall.
00:24:57.680 --> 00:25:02.000
I'm like, how because I've like struggled to read 36.
00:25:02.319 --> 00:25:14.640
But this is also because I used to read, when I say used to read, I mean like I was a kid in school, and you know, reading was all I did during the summer, you know?
00:25:14.720 --> 00:25:30.640
And so I was like, I used to read a hundred books a month, and so seeing like other people read a hundred books a month, and then I'm like, I think I read 50, maybe like that gets me because as I stated earlier, I am an extremely competitive person, and so anything can be a competition for me.
00:25:31.119 --> 00:25:35.599
And so so I'll like see posts or like I'll go on good reads and I'll and I'll see.
00:25:35.680 --> 00:25:43.200
And I try not to let it get to me because I'm like, we all have different reading speeds, but again, all I can think of is the fact that I used to be such a fast reader.
00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:50.160
I used to have all this time, and I used to read so many books, and now I don't read that much, and so I'm like, I'm a failure.
00:25:50.480 --> 00:25:51.039
Which I know.
00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:55.279
But when you're a kid, you also may have been reading shorter books, right?
00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:57.200
Like when you weren't okay.
00:25:57.359 --> 00:25:57.839
I wasn't.
00:25:57.920 --> 00:25:58.240
I don't know.
00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:59.039
I know, I know.
00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:01.119
It was it's a it's it's a good, it's a good try.
00:26:01.200 --> 00:26:03.920
Um yeah, I was I was reading Harry Potter when I was seven.
00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:09.680
Um I will say, like, honestly, I I like to say that it doesn't affect me.
00:26:09.839 --> 00:26:12.960
Like, no, who cares about Goodreads goals, blah, blah, blah.
00:26:13.039 --> 00:26:19.440
But when it comes down to it, like, I'm not reading the next Brandon Sanderson book because the audio hours is like 50.
00:26:19.599 --> 00:26:25.440
And I'm like, I don't have enough time in my reading life to read a 50-hour book.
00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:27.680
Yeah, that's that's yeah.
00:26:27.759 --> 00:26:34.000
So that's where I think it affects me is I like tend to shy away from long books because I'm like, I don't have time for that.
00:26:34.160 --> 00:26:36.319
I got a billion books on my TBR.
00:26:36.400 --> 00:26:39.200
I have all these books I want to read, so I don't have time for a super long one.
00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:39.599
Yeah.
00:26:39.680 --> 00:26:39.920
Yeah.
00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:46.240
And and I think to the point of like, I there are lots of books to review.
00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:54.559
Like if you read a 50-hour book, that's you know how many other books you're not able to read and review.
00:26:55.119 --> 00:27:02.960
And so I do think I will say Sarah is much more generous with her her reading time than I am.
00:27:03.119 --> 00:27:10.079
I'm like pretty ruthless these days about like I'm only gonna read a book if I am actually excited to read it.
00:27:10.160 --> 00:27:24.000
But like Sarah will be like, you know, reading, you know, like I want to try to discover new authors and I want to try to like, you know, read all of our sponsors' books and read every person who's coming on the podcast their books.
00:27:24.160 --> 00:27:26.960
And I'm just like, I'm gonna read it if I feel like it.
00:27:30.400 --> 00:27:31.279
Dude, that's healthy.
00:27:31.440 --> 00:27:32.799
I need to be like you, yeah.
00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:43.119
Cause I'm trying to support people and I'm trying to find new authors because I feel like in this all for uh, like for me, I'm not posting about it on Instagram, but I'm talking every week.
00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:45.839
We have an episode, and every week I'm sharing a five-star read.
00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:52.000
And if I am spending my entire month on one book, then I'm not gonna have enough five-star reads.
00:27:52.079 --> 00:28:03.359
Um, but I'm also like I'm trying to share the love here and not just we tend to recommend the same authors over and over again because we love them and they have a deep backlist and we know that they're gonna be good.
00:28:03.440 --> 00:28:07.200
And so, you know, when when you're in a slump, you go back to that author that you love.
00:28:07.279 --> 00:28:11.599
But I'm trying really hard to not share the same names over and over.
00:28:11.759 --> 00:28:18.799
Like there's a billion clean romance authors out there, and and I know what it's like to be like, I wish someone would talk about my book.
00:28:18.960 --> 00:28:19.039
Right.
00:28:19.359 --> 00:28:22.799
So I am reading other people's books so that I can try to talk about them.
00:28:22.960 --> 00:28:28.000
But then I'm also a super picky reader, and so I struggle.
00:28:28.319 --> 00:28:29.039
I struggle.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:29.759
Yeah.
00:28:30.079 --> 00:28:31.119
That is a struggle.
00:28:31.359 --> 00:28:32.960
So what about you, Amy?
00:28:33.119 --> 00:28:36.400
Do you do reading goals and other people's numbers affect you?
00:28:36.640 --> 00:28:37.039
I don't.
00:28:37.200 --> 00:28:40.720
I've just accepted that I'm niche down pretty hard.
00:28:40.880 --> 00:28:41.119
Yeah.
00:28:41.279 --> 00:28:46.880
And even within my little sub-niche, I I am also very picky about what I want to read.
00:28:46.960 --> 00:28:50.720
I probably finish five books a month on average, I would say.
00:28:50.880 --> 00:28:52.240
And that's pretty good for me.
00:28:52.400 --> 00:28:58.000
Um, I probably pick up more than that, that I just know within the first few chapters that this is not my speed.
00:28:58.079 --> 00:28:59.039
I'm not gonna get into this.
00:28:59.279 --> 00:29:09.359
And especially with writing, I feel like I have to be a lot pickier even than usual about what I'm reading because it it it's kind of the same time for me.
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:14.640
So am I going to spend this time working on my book or am I gonna spend my time reading this book?
00:29:14.720 --> 00:29:17.119
And if I'm gonna spend it reading, it's really gotta hit.
00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:17.440
Yeah.
00:29:17.680 --> 00:29:17.839
For sure.
00:29:18.960 --> 00:29:20.240
I feel that so much.
00:29:20.480 --> 00:29:44.319
I think too, having the podcast has made me a little bit more ruthless with my DNFs because if I am in the first several chapters and I'm already feeling like I would not recommend this on the podcast, then I don't want to waste my time reading it because I want to find something else that I can be effusive about on the podcast.
00:29:44.400 --> 00:29:44.559
Yeah.
00:29:44.799 --> 00:29:49.440
And then when you're writing a book, it's just it's a game changer too.
00:29:49.680 --> 00:29:50.079
Yeah.
00:29:50.319 --> 00:29:53.119
I think writing made me so much more picky as a reader.
00:29:54.000 --> 00:29:54.559
Definitely.
00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:55.839
So much more picky.
00:29:56.240 --> 00:29:59.440
I was not when I started Bookstagram, or I guess book talk, really.
00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:02.240
I I kind of had it sorted out by the time I got over to Instagram.
00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:05.680
But on Book Talk in the beginning, people were like, here's what I write.
00:30:05.759 --> 00:30:07.119
Like, it's Christian romance.
00:30:07.200 --> 00:30:07.920
Here's the premise.
00:30:08.000 --> 00:30:08.880
Would you be interested?
00:30:09.119 --> 00:30:11.680
I was like, Yes, I would be so interested.
00:30:11.920 --> 00:30:15.359
And then I got a copy of their book and I was like, oh no.
00:30:15.680 --> 00:30:16.480
Like, yeah.
00:30:16.720 --> 00:30:18.240
I mean, there were some rough ones.
00:30:18.319 --> 00:30:24.960
I mean, where I almost couldn't even read it because it was formatted and the formatted so poorly.
00:30:25.200 --> 00:30:26.799
Spelling and grammar was awful.
00:30:26.880 --> 00:30:28.799
I mean, within the first 10 or 15 pages.
00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:34.160
And then you're like, now this indie author is waiting on me to tell them what I think of their book.
00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:34.559
Right.
00:30:34.799 --> 00:30:38.000
And I'm thinking, why am I not beta reading this?
00:30:38.160 --> 00:30:39.839
Why, why is this an arc?
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:40.400
You know?
00:30:40.640 --> 00:30:54.400
And so after I had a handful of awkward encounters like that, I just thought, you know, I'm gonna stop doing this unless I already know the author and I already know their books, and I already know I would buy this anyway and read it because I'm gonna enjoy it.
00:30:54.559 --> 00:31:02.240
And I think that has helped me with as far as arcs and launch teams and things like that, avoid burnout in that area.
00:31:02.480 --> 00:31:07.680
Is these days I pretty much only read what I know is gonna be a four or five star going into it.
00:31:08.079 --> 00:31:14.720
And on the one hand, I hate that because there's so many great authors out there, but I'm like, I have to discover those organically.
00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:19.519
I cannot discover that reading your arc that I'm then supposed to recommend.
00:31:19.759 --> 00:31:21.920
Or now we're in an awkward position because I won't.
00:31:22.319 --> 00:31:23.039
Right, right.
00:31:23.200 --> 00:31:23.519
Yeah.
00:31:24.160 --> 00:31:32.799
Have you had conversations with authors who send you arcs and you're like, this needs some editing, or uh like I don't even know how you go about that.
00:31:33.039 --> 00:31:35.119
I tried not to for the most part.
00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:40.160
Um, and there there are all kinds of kinds when it comes to authors.
00:31:40.480 --> 00:31:52.240
And some authors were polite enough not to follow up and just knew when they didn't see a review, you know, that and I said, you know, I had a whole template that explained I only leave four or five star reviews.
00:31:52.319 --> 00:31:55.920
If it wasn't a four or five star for me, I won't be leaving a review, da da da da.
00:31:56.480 --> 00:32:02.160
You know, but I still had several that dogged me in the DMs about why I hadn't recommended their book.
00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:08.480
And there were a couple that I did finally, as gently as I could, just say, you know, one, it was a content thing.
00:32:08.640 --> 00:32:14.799
I was like, this is you're calling this Christian, but we we just have two church scenes wedged in here, and the rest of it is just general fiction.
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:20.160
Like this is you know, and and and almost questionably spicy general fiction.
00:32:20.480 --> 00:32:28.000
Um so that one was more of a content question, but then the other one, I said, Yeah, you need to get an editor to look at this and help you format.
00:32:28.319 --> 00:32:28.640
Wow.
00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:29.920
That's so tough.
00:32:31.200 --> 00:32:46.079
I had uh during COVID, I had a podcast called Author Shenanigans, and the whole point of the podcast was if there was a book that I absolutely could not put down, then I would invite the author onto the show and we would have a fun conversation about it.
00:32:46.240 --> 00:32:58.480
And so that put a lot of pressure on me just to like I was constantly reading, trying to find books that I couldn't put down, but also people would like DM me asking to be on the show, and then I would be like, Okay, well, send me your book.
00:32:58.640 --> 00:33:01.519
And I got some terrible books.
00:33:01.759 --> 00:33:06.799
I mean, it was like I got so many published first drafts.
00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:14.720
And like in that time, I was writing my like really digging in deep and getting a writing coach and stuff with my first book.
00:33:14.960 --> 00:33:20.480
And so I did have the con I remember having a conversation with at least one of the people and being like, look, you need more edits.
00:33:20.559 --> 00:33:21.839
Like, this is a first draft.
00:33:22.000 --> 00:33:24.640
It's not like the bones are good, you know.
00:33:24.799 --> 00:33:26.000
I'm trying to like be nice.
00:33:26.160 --> 00:33:29.839
Like, I this is a really interesting story, but it needs some work.
00:33:30.079 --> 00:33:30.720
Yeah.
00:33:30.960 --> 00:33:31.279
Yeah.
00:33:31.440 --> 00:33:35.599
I feel like too, I have a little bit of a chip on my shoulder when it comes to Christian fiction.
00:33:35.680 --> 00:33:39.359
And I'm like, if you're writing Christian fiction, it needs to be good.
00:33:39.519 --> 00:33:45.599
Like if you are presenting this as a faith package, this should be an excellent offering.
00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:47.680
And that doesn't necessarily mean that I'm gonna love it.
00:33:47.839 --> 00:33:51.440
Like we all have different tastes and different things that appeal to us.
00:33:51.680 --> 00:34:01.359
But as far as craft and what you're like, if if you are putting this at the feet of Jesus, it should look like you brought your best to Jesus.
00:34:01.519 --> 00:34:01.759
You know?
00:34:01.920 --> 00:34:02.160
Wow.
00:34:02.319 --> 00:34:02.720
I love that.
00:34:03.119 --> 00:34:03.599
That's awesome.
00:34:03.759 --> 00:34:04.160
I agree.
00:34:04.319 --> 00:34:05.119
That's really good.
00:34:05.359 --> 00:34:05.839
Yes.
00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:12.000
I'm in the trenches with this manuscript right now because I'm like, it's gotta be good.
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:13.199
It's gotta be good.
00:34:13.599 --> 00:34:16.960
I'll tell you, writing and reading is all those are two different ball games.
00:34:17.119 --> 00:34:22.880
But as a reader, that's how I feel is that this should be the best it could be, the best you can.
00:34:23.599 --> 00:34:24.800
Yeah, I love that.
00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:27.199
Okay, back to the to the arc thing.
00:34:27.360 --> 00:34:32.960
Because I I feel like I hear so many people talk about how they sign up for too many arcs.
00:34:33.119 --> 00:34:42.639
And I'm curious, like, have you ever gotten to the point where you had so many arcs or obligations that you weren't able to read the books that you actually want to read?
00:34:42.960 --> 00:34:54.239
Or even that you didn't, you didn't feel like you could enjoy the arc because of the pressure of it, you know, need you were obligated in a way to read it.
00:34:54.480 --> 00:34:56.400
Yeah, that's really, that's really good.
00:34:57.039 --> 00:34:58.400
Making making a face.
00:34:58.719 --> 00:35:06.159
Well then let me do y'all feel like because you have a bookstagram account that every time you sign up for an ARC, you have to talk about it on your Bookstagram?
00:35:06.559 --> 00:35:15.760
Or are you just like, because for me, when I signed up for ARCs, I no longer do ARCs, but when I was signing up for them, I just, you know, would leave a Goodreads review and an Amazon review.
00:35:15.840 --> 00:35:17.840
And that to me is what I was signing up for.
00:35:18.000 --> 00:35:21.119
But I didn't have a Bookstagram account with tons of followers, right?
00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:22.079
Like y'all do.
00:35:22.239 --> 00:35:24.880
So when you sign up for an ARC, do you feel that pressure?
00:35:25.119 --> 00:35:26.000
I would say yes.
00:35:26.159 --> 00:35:30.880
I I think at least for me, Maggie, you can say if you feel like this is different at all.
00:35:31.119 --> 00:35:40.480
But I definitely feel like I have been picked because of my social media numbers, which I probably put on the application to get an ARC because of this.
00:35:41.760 --> 00:35:42.000
Yeah.
00:35:42.320 --> 00:35:44.320
And they expect me to post.
00:35:44.400 --> 00:35:49.039
Although I'm still doing whatever I want to do over on TikTok because nobody has that on forms.
00:35:49.119 --> 00:35:50.880
It's like, will you post this on Facebook?
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:51.840
I'm like, no.
00:35:52.239 --> 00:35:55.920
But I have this thing called TikTok that you should look into.
00:35:57.519 --> 00:35:59.519
So I think that gives me an outlet.
00:35:59.679 --> 00:36:03.199
Like Instagram is where I feel like people are looking for reviews.
00:36:03.360 --> 00:36:05.280
I need to post a review on Instagram.
00:36:05.440 --> 00:36:10.079
It needs to look a certain way, or like, you know, uh put some just in general.
00:36:10.159 --> 00:36:13.440
I feel like Instagram needs to look like you put a little more effort into it.
00:36:13.679 --> 00:36:20.960
TikTok feels like, you know, kind of like you're saying, Maggie, I feel like I can just blast a TikTok from my bathroom shower gears, you know.
00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:33.360
Okay, my dream is to have one of these successful TikTok accounts where it just seriously looks like they just prop their phone right in front of their face and they tell it like it is and they share God's truth and they move on and they get millions of views.
00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:34.719
And I'm like, what?
00:36:34.880 --> 00:36:35.760
It's amazing.
00:36:36.079 --> 00:36:36.400
I know.
00:36:36.480 --> 00:36:37.760
Um that's really cool.
00:36:38.079 --> 00:36:44.079
Yeah, I I keep having this thought like, I'm producing all this content for books degree.
00:36:44.239 --> 00:36:47.920
I'm like, I should at least repurpose some of it for TikTok.
00:36:48.159 --> 00:36:52.800
But I honestly, I just feel like I'm at the end of my bandwidth, you know?
00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:59.280
Like, I'm just I mean, that's very you have a bunch of just going like you gotta pick and choose.
00:36:59.519 --> 00:37:00.639
Yeah, it's true.
00:37:00.719 --> 00:37:01.760
It's true.
00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:03.679
Definitely true.
00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:05.199
What was the question again?
00:37:05.519 --> 00:37:06.000
I don't know.
00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:10.880
What I was doing, and I was like, uh I was just looking at TikTok.
00:37:11.760 --> 00:37:12.800
Yeah, yeah, right.
00:37:12.960 --> 00:37:15.199
I was basically stressed.
00:37:15.519 --> 00:37:17.119
Are you stressed by arcs?
00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:18.239
Is it too much?
00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:19.840
Sometimes it can be, I think.
00:37:20.159 --> 00:37:25.039
I have found after now doing this for a year, it does feel like there's busier times of the year.
00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:36.400
Like to me, early spring and fall, like before the holidays, feels like every book in the world comes out in like January, February, and September, October.
00:37:36.559 --> 00:37:39.360
So I feel like I'm planning a little bit better for that this year.
00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:56.000
But I there were a couple times I felt really swamped last year, realizing that every book I really did want to read was all being released within maybe three or four weeks of each other, which was kind of I I definitely get that because that's what I'm in the middle of right now, because I decided.
00:37:56.239 --> 00:38:10.559
I decided, I don't remember when the signups came out, but I remember seeing it, and I was like, Oh my gosh, there is a 13-book multi-author series coming out this summer, and I wanted to read it.
00:38:10.639 --> 00:38:15.280
And I still do, still, still do want to read it, and I'm very excited to continue reading it.
00:38:15.440 --> 00:38:30.559
It's just I may have um got a little too excited about what I could handle because there was this little thing called graduation and moving out of my apartment and moving back home, and that that really got me.
00:38:30.880 --> 00:38:38.559
So here I am with my overambitiousness, and now I'm currently reading books from July.
00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:39.280
Yeah.
00:38:39.519 --> 00:38:39.679
Yeah.
00:38:40.239 --> 00:38:52.320
But what also happened is just like just like we were talking about, all of the books that I'm on the permanent teams for, because those are like the authors, I'm like, I will not miss your book and I want the world to know about it.
00:38:52.480 --> 00:38:57.440
And so they s they're all releasing within the next month or two.
00:38:57.519 --> 00:39:06.800
So that's gotten really stressful to where I've had to I've just had to like take a breath and be like you're just gonna have to do the best you can.
00:39:06.960 --> 00:39:07.199
Right.
00:39:07.360 --> 00:39:14.880
But yeah, arcs they can get so much because well, it's mostly me and my mentality over here.
00:39:15.280 --> 00:39:17.199
Because I don't know when to say no.
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:25.519
I just sorry, I just want to say as an author, if you're doing this for free, I think it doesn't have to be on time.
00:39:26.000 --> 00:39:29.280
Like, yeah, I just want you to release some of that pressure.
00:39:29.440 --> 00:39:40.480
Now, as an author, if I was paying you, like, hey, will you talk about my book this week because this is the week that it comes out, then yeah, I would expect you to talk about it that week.
00:39:40.639 --> 00:39:46.239
But if this is like all volunteer, yeah, it is I think release some of that pressure on yourself.
00:39:46.400 --> 00:39:46.880
Yeah.
00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:47.760
Oh, yeah.
00:39:48.000 --> 00:39:49.599
Definitely definitely release that.
00:39:49.840 --> 00:39:52.480
Like, yeah, it's a good word.
00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:55.119
The competition is to the sane.
00:39:55.199 --> 00:39:58.880
Like the winner is the sane one who is enjoying life and enjoying reading.
00:39:59.039 --> 00:40:00.159
That's how we got to see it, Max.
00:40:00.400 --> 00:40:01.519
Because you're competitive.
00:40:01.760 --> 00:40:02.960
I get the competitiveness.
00:40:03.039 --> 00:40:04.000
I'm super competitive.
00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:13.039
My daughter was like, um, her best friend did better on a test today, and she was like so mad today, and I was laughing because I was like, We're just so competitive.
00:40:13.199 --> 00:40:17.760
Like it's she, I was like, if if her friend hadn't done better, she would have been happy with her grade.
00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:20.480
But because her friend did better than her, she's like, I hate my grade.
00:40:20.559 --> 00:40:23.360
I did terrible, but anyway, competitiveness, I get it.
00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:26.320
But the the winner is the one who can still enjoy reading in the end.
00:40:26.480 --> 00:40:26.800
Okay.
00:40:27.039 --> 00:40:29.519
So just like release that.
00:40:29.920 --> 00:40:30.239
Yeah.
00:40:30.800 --> 00:40:42.559
And to piggyback off of that, I want anyone who picks up my book, whether it's a beta reader, an art reader, you know, or just someone who finds my book on Amazon.
00:40:42.800 --> 00:40:46.639
I want them to read it because they want to read it.
00:40:47.280 --> 00:40:56.000
You know, like I have zero qualms with people DNFing my book, my books, because like I want you to want to read it.
00:40:56.239 --> 00:40:57.760
You know, art readers too.
00:40:57.920 --> 00:41:10.480
Like, I I get that you you did sign up for something, but still, like your your primary obligation is to yourself and your own enjoyment of reading.
00:41:10.639 --> 00:41:12.719
This is this is for fun.
00:41:13.199 --> 00:41:13.519
Right.
00:41:13.760 --> 00:41:15.519
You know, like yeah, it is.
00:41:15.920 --> 00:41:17.360
It's supposed to be anyway.
00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:24.960
I'm gonna wrap up this discussion with one final question before we get into our five-star reads.
00:41:25.119 --> 00:41:32.320
What is one thing that you wish readers and bookstagrammers would give themselves permission to stop doing?
00:41:32.559 --> 00:41:43.920
Honestly, I would give you full permission to just ignore spicy bookstagram, ignore all those books that have just blown up and become so popular.
00:41:44.079 --> 00:41:50.960
Just completely ignore them because if you try to focus on those two, you're gonna feel behind.
00:41:51.199 --> 00:42:07.199
You're gonna feel like you're not a good bookstrammer because you're not talking about those books and ignore them, read, read your clean books and just be just love those clean books and don't be ashamed to love those clean books.
00:42:07.440 --> 00:42:07.840
Love that.
00:42:08.079 --> 00:42:08.239
Yeah.
00:42:08.480 --> 00:42:08.960
That's awesome.
00:42:09.360 --> 00:42:21.840
Yeah, I would piggyback off of that and just say I wish bookstagrammers and book talkers would care less about what the outcome is, I think, on social media.
00:42:22.159 --> 00:42:26.960
I think a fast track to burnout is being very locked in on the outcome.
00:42:28.000 --> 00:42:36.719
And I think there has to be joy in the process and in creating what kind of like you were saying earlier with what you're reading, what you're talking about.
00:42:36.960 --> 00:42:39.599
And sure, some of it is, you know, work.
00:42:39.760 --> 00:42:43.280
I mean, you're trying to be consistent and upload and and all those sorts of things.
00:42:43.599 --> 00:43:05.679
But I think caring less about what's performing, whether or not everybody agrees with you, um, if your take might ruffle a few feathers or whatever it is, I think just being planted in your lane and enjoying what you're doing regardless of the result, is is the recipe for longevity on social media.
00:43:05.760 --> 00:43:05.920
Yeah.
00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:06.800
I love that.
00:43:07.519 --> 00:43:07.679
Yeah.
00:43:07.840 --> 00:43:08.800
That's great advice.
00:43:09.039 --> 00:43:27.679
One thing that I'm trying to implement in my own life is ordering my priorities and allowing the time that I have to be like how I gauge whether something's successful or not.
00:43:27.840 --> 00:43:35.599
So, like, for example, instead of saying, I'm gonna write 2,000 words a day, it's like, okay, I'm gonna, I have an hour.
00:43:35.760 --> 00:43:37.119
I'm gonna write for an hour.
00:43:37.280 --> 00:43:51.519
And whatever I get done in that time, I'm gonna be at peace with, you know, or like with producing content, it's like, okay, you know, I have this thing in my head of all of these things I want to do for the podcast or for my own social media or whatever.
00:43:51.599 --> 00:43:53.679
And like I want to post every day.
00:43:53.920 --> 00:43:58.639
And the reality is is that, you know, this is like my fourth job.
00:43:58.800 --> 00:43:59.760
It's not my first.
00:44:00.159 --> 00:44:04.000
You know, like I am primarily a wife and a mom.
00:44:04.159 --> 00:44:05.679
I'm I homeschool my kids.
00:44:05.840 --> 00:44:09.119
That is my primary job, you know, and then I'm a writer.
00:44:09.280 --> 00:44:14.400
And then I'm, you know, like it's like podcaster comes like, I don't even know where.
00:44:14.880 --> 00:44:18.719
But sometimes, you know, that's the exciting thing to do.
00:44:18.960 --> 00:44:22.960
And, you know, I want to do all of the things and I have all of the ideas.
00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:33.039
But the reality is that okay, I have these two hours, and whatever content I produce during these two hours is what is gonna get out in the world.
00:44:33.280 --> 00:44:44.480
And I gotta be at peace about that and and not compare myself to somebody who has 10 hours or 20 hours to produce their content.
00:44:44.639 --> 00:44:51.360
You know, I think I think that's tough, you know, when you compare yourself to people who definitely like, you know what?
00:44:51.599 --> 00:45:00.559
They're not homeschooling their kids, they don't have, you know, like they're empty nesters or they're you know, it's just kind of like different seasons.
00:45:00.880 --> 00:45:06.639
We're all in different stages of life and we can all handle different things, and that has to be okay.
00:45:06.880 --> 00:45:07.599
Be at peace.
00:45:07.760 --> 00:45:10.880
I think that's the problem is the peace, the peace problem.
00:45:11.280 --> 00:45:11.760
Right.
00:45:12.800 --> 00:45:15.599
All right, are we ready for our five-star reads?
00:45:15.840 --> 00:45:21.840
Yes, I did want to share about our sponsor, our book sponsor for the week.
00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:28.480
So this episode is brought to you by the class she skips by Ella Marie.
00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:30.880
And I love Ella Marie.
00:45:30.960 --> 00:45:34.559
She writes Christian romance and rom com.
00:45:35.119 --> 00:45:42.400
We became friends on Bookstagram, and I got to Beta read uh the first book in this series for her.
00:45:42.719 --> 00:45:55.039
But she she reached out to me and she said, the Bookstagram burnout episode seems really appropriate for me to sponsor because I've barely been online and I don't know how to properly get back in this space.
00:45:55.199 --> 00:45:59.920
So she's sponsoring this episode for us.
00:46:00.079 --> 00:46:13.119
So she's that book, the class she skips, it's a single dad, forbidden romance, found family, Christ-centered relationships, friendships.
00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:16.400
And I love this series.
00:46:16.480 --> 00:46:22.159
And I think Elle Marie does such a good job, like the whole like single dad or forbidden romance.
00:46:22.239 --> 00:46:27.119
Like sometimes I get a little bit nervous, like, uh oh, how are they gonna handle this?
00:46:27.280 --> 00:46:39.199
But she does it so well while maintaining um just like Christian boundaries, but dealing with kind of these tougher relationships.
00:46:39.440 --> 00:46:42.400
And I I highly recommend it.
00:46:42.480 --> 00:46:48.239
So it's a it's a Christian romance where a college professor falls for his student.
00:46:48.880 --> 00:46:49.519
Ooh.
00:46:49.840 --> 00:46:52.400
So yes, yeah.
00:46:54.159 --> 00:47:04.480
This reminds me of the episode that we just had, where it's tropes that uh what is it, tropes that you wouldn't expect to work in the clean romance space, but they do.
00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:14.400
Like a college professor and his student seems a little scandalous, but it says it's Christ centered, so I'm gonna trust Ella Marie.
00:47:14.719 --> 00:47:15.039
Yes.
00:47:15.440 --> 00:47:17.920
Definitely, definitely trust this one.
00:47:18.079 --> 00:47:18.960
It's so good.
00:47:19.119 --> 00:47:23.280
Like I remember reading it and I was like, I'm so excited to see how this is gonna go.
00:47:23.440 --> 00:47:25.360
And then I was like, no way.
00:47:25.760 --> 00:47:28.719
She just incorporated all of that and kept Jesus at the center.
00:47:28.800 --> 00:47:31.280
I was like, this book was amazing.
00:47:31.679 --> 00:47:32.320
Yes.
00:47:33.440 --> 00:47:35.119
Okay, it's gone on my TBR.
00:47:35.280 --> 00:47:35.679
Oh, yeah.
00:47:35.840 --> 00:47:36.239
So good.
00:47:36.480 --> 00:47:36.880
Make that look.
00:47:37.280 --> 00:47:40.159
And really, really truly faith-based.
00:47:40.320 --> 00:47:42.079
Like what Amy was saying.
00:47:42.159 --> 00:47:47.039
It's not like, oh, this is happening, and then there's a church scene like stuck in there.
00:47:49.360 --> 00:47:53.360
Yes, if there's one thing about Ella Marie, her characters are going to pray.
00:47:53.440 --> 00:47:55.119
Like I love that a lot.
00:47:56.000 --> 00:48:06.159
It's honestly, it's one of those times where I read, look, and I'm like, oh, maybe I should pray a little bit more, like go to Jesus first instead of what I'm over here freaking out about.
00:48:06.239 --> 00:48:07.760
Yeah, it's one of those types of books.
00:48:08.400 --> 00:48:14.320
It's like romance and also, hmm, maybe I need to, you know, go to Jesus first instead of freak out.
00:48:14.559 --> 00:48:14.719
Yes.
00:48:15.039 --> 00:48:15.920
That's my favorite kind.
00:48:16.159 --> 00:48:24.880
If you want to read The Clash She Skips, it's on Kindle, on Kindle Unlimited, and Paperback, and we're gonna put the link in the show notes.
00:48:24.960 --> 00:48:30.719
So go add the Clash She Skips to your TBR and check out that book by Ella Marie.
00:48:31.039 --> 00:48:32.960
All right, it's on my TBR.
00:48:35.199 --> 00:48:38.079
Um, okay, are we ready for our five-star reads?
00:48:38.320 --> 00:48:38.880
So ready.
00:48:39.119 --> 00:48:41.440
Okay, we normally let our guests go first.
00:48:41.679 --> 00:48:43.199
So um, who wants to go first?
00:48:43.360 --> 00:48:45.440
Maggie, Amy, rock, paper, scissors.
00:48:46.000 --> 00:48:46.800
Oh my gosh, no way.
00:48:48.079 --> 00:48:49.119
Oh my gosh.
00:48:50.239 --> 00:48:52.480
Maggie, we're gonna have so much fun on the cruise.
00:48:52.719 --> 00:48:54.000
It's gonna be so much fun.
00:48:54.239 --> 00:48:54.639
Oh my gosh.
00:48:55.039 --> 00:48:55.679
Great minds.
00:48:55.840 --> 00:48:56.719
I love it.
00:48:57.280 --> 00:48:58.320
Oh, it's so good.
00:48:58.480 --> 00:49:01.039
Okay, Maggie gets to go first because she loves paper scissors.
00:49:01.360 --> 00:49:06.159
Um, my most recent five-star read was Ashfall.
00:49:06.480 --> 00:49:09.519
And okay, please forgive me because wait, what what is it?
00:49:09.760 --> 00:49:11.519
Okay, Ashfall, but like one word.
00:49:11.840 --> 00:49:12.320
Ashfall.
00:49:12.480 --> 00:49:12.559
Okay.
00:49:12.719 --> 00:49:12.880
Yes.
00:49:13.039 --> 00:49:13.280
All right.
00:49:13.440 --> 00:49:13.760
Okay.
00:49:14.239 --> 00:49:15.840
So please forgive me.
00:49:15.920 --> 00:49:20.719
I might butcher the author's last name, but it is a husband and wife team, Dalton and Emily Beckett.
00:49:20.960 --> 00:49:25.280
It is a young adult fantasy, and it's the second in a series.
00:49:25.360 --> 00:49:32.079
So the first is Flame Heart, and the second is Ashfall, but it was so good.
00:49:32.400 --> 00:49:33.760
I cried a lot.
00:49:33.920 --> 00:49:34.960
Oh, wow.
00:49:35.199 --> 00:49:40.000
But if a but if a book makes me cry, then oh, it's gonna be good.
00:49:40.320 --> 00:49:40.719
Nice.
00:49:41.119 --> 00:49:46.800
Literally, I made like a reaction video like halfway through because I was like, what is going on in this book?
00:49:47.039 --> 00:49:54.400
There were like there, there were plot twists, and I was like, this isn't, no, this should be illegal.
00:49:54.559 --> 00:49:57.360
And then there were more plot twists, and I was like, this should also be legal.
00:49:57.519 --> 00:50:01.679
And then I was like bawling my eyes out, and I was like, I hate this book, but that means I love it.
00:50:01.840 --> 00:50:04.960
It was a perfect sequel to the first one.
00:50:05.039 --> 00:50:11.519
And there's also gonna be a third book, so now I'm like preparing for my heart to be ripped out, but yeah, Ashfall by Dalton and Emily Beckett.
00:50:11.679 --> 00:50:12.000
Nice.
00:50:12.159 --> 00:50:13.679
All right, interesting.
00:50:13.760 --> 00:50:16.880
You don't hear a husband and wife duo very often.
00:50:17.199 --> 00:50:18.400
Yeah, unique.
00:50:18.639 --> 00:50:19.280
Um Amy.
00:50:19.679 --> 00:50:25.840
I guess my latest five-star read is The Turning of the Tide by Ashley Warell.
00:50:26.159 --> 00:50:27.760
It's available on Kindle Unlimited.
00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:31.440
It's Scottish medieval romance.
00:50:31.760 --> 00:50:35.679
It has everything I love in a book.
00:50:36.239 --> 00:50:45.199
It's like super alpha, warrior hero, marriage of convenience where they hate each other, when they get married.
00:50:45.599 --> 00:50:53.119
Very slow burn, but in a great, like angsty sort of way, not just in a low romance content sort of way, like a true slow burn.
00:50:53.519 --> 00:50:55.599
And I stayed up until 2 a.m.
00:50:55.920 --> 00:51:02.400
at ACFW conference this past month reading it, which was a true testament to how badly I wanted to read because wow.
00:51:08.159 --> 00:51:12.639
And I got drug out for a long time waiting for that, but it was worth it.
00:51:12.800 --> 00:51:13.760
The payoff is worth it.
00:51:13.840 --> 00:51:14.559
It's iconic.
00:51:14.719 --> 00:51:15.519
Everybody should read it.
00:51:15.760 --> 00:51:19.599
Ashley World is a treasure and she doesn't get talked about enough on social media, in my opinion.
00:51:19.840 --> 00:51:20.079
Nice.
00:51:20.239 --> 00:51:20.880
All right, okay.
00:51:21.039 --> 00:51:23.599
I literally just added it to my library.
00:51:23.920 --> 00:51:24.400
No, you see.
00:51:24.559 --> 00:51:25.760
Um influencing.
00:51:26.079 --> 00:51:26.719
I'm doing it.
00:51:26.880 --> 00:51:27.199
Yeah.
00:51:27.360 --> 00:51:27.920
Yes.
00:51:28.320 --> 00:51:30.639
Okay, my five-star read.
00:51:30.880 --> 00:51:39.039
Um, I picked this book because I felt like it's a book I thought of for the topic of burnout.
00:51:39.199 --> 00:51:44.000
And it's also been at least a month since we have recommended a Courtney Walsh book.
00:51:44.159 --> 00:51:48.079
So I felt like we were overdue for a Courtney Washbook.
00:51:48.800 --> 00:51:52.079
This book is part of the Holidays with Heart series.
00:51:52.159 --> 00:51:54.719
It's the third and final book in the series.
00:51:54.880 --> 00:52:03.280
It's called My Mary Mistake, and it's a workaholic eldest daughter, which I resonates with me.
00:52:04.320 --> 00:52:12.079
And she lands in the ER just from stress, and she has to take a month off.
00:52:12.559 --> 00:52:18.639
And there's a flirty hockey player, and his name is Finn, which is my son's name.
00:52:18.880 --> 00:52:28.480
So, you know, there's like several things going on that resonate with me, but um I love that book, My Merry Mistake by Courtney Walsh.
00:52:28.639 --> 00:52:32.079
So if you're needing a burnout book, it's a good one.
00:52:33.760 --> 00:52:34.559
Sounds good.
00:52:34.880 --> 00:52:37.519
That's very, very apt for the episode.
00:52:37.599 --> 00:52:38.079
I love that.
00:52:38.320 --> 00:52:42.000
Okay, well, my five-star read is part of the multi-author.
00:52:42.559 --> 00:52:43.360
Falling for summer.
00:52:43.679 --> 00:52:44.559
Falling for summer.
00:52:44.719 --> 00:52:45.039
Okay.
00:52:45.199 --> 00:52:49.119
So it's Plotting Summer by Jess Hilleman.
00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:51.360
I don't know how to say Jess's last name.
00:52:51.599 --> 00:52:52.239
Hillman?
00:52:52.400 --> 00:52:52.960
Hilleman?
00:52:53.280 --> 00:52:54.320
Anyway, it was really cute.
00:52:54.719 --> 00:52:56.719
Based in a small town, they don't even have cars.
00:52:56.800 --> 00:52:58.800
They're like riding golf carts to get around.
00:52:59.039 --> 00:53:02.320
And um, so anyway, it was adorable and I liked it.
00:53:02.559 --> 00:53:06.000
And it was on Spotify like audio.
00:53:06.719 --> 00:53:12.639
I love listening to books on Spotify because when you have premium, you get like 12 hours a month or something.
00:53:12.800 --> 00:53:13.440
So yeah.
00:53:13.760 --> 00:53:14.559
That's awesome.
00:53:15.440 --> 00:53:16.159
Love it.
00:53:17.360 --> 00:53:17.760
All right.
00:53:18.000 --> 00:53:26.960
So Maggie and Amy, before we wrap up, like y'all are books to grammarm, and so our listeners need to know how they can find you.
00:53:27.440 --> 00:53:29.360
So Amy, how about you share first?
00:53:29.440 --> 00:53:31.599
Since Maggie shared her five-star review first.
00:53:31.840 --> 00:53:37.039
Yeah, I am author Amy King on Instagram and TikTok.
00:53:37.280 --> 00:53:37.679
All right.
00:53:37.920 --> 00:53:38.159
Thanks.
00:53:38.480 --> 00:53:38.719
Hey.
00:53:39.280 --> 00:53:50.800
And you can find me at mags dot closed underscore door dot books to four.
00:53:52.000 --> 00:53:53.280
It's so complicated.
00:53:53.360 --> 00:53:56.079
I need to change it, but at this point I've become so used to it.
00:53:56.239 --> 00:53:58.719
Yeah, and you have a ton of followers on that.
00:53:59.039 --> 00:54:06.320
We'll uh we'll have the link in the show notes for Maggie's and for Amy's, but Amy's is easy.
00:54:06.400 --> 00:54:07.519
We'll have the link for both.
00:54:07.599 --> 00:54:10.159
So you can just click and it'll take you to Instagram.
00:54:10.320 --> 00:54:10.559
Yeah.
00:54:10.880 --> 00:54:16.559
I'm sure if you just search in Instagram Mag's closed door, it'll it'll come up.
00:54:16.800 --> 00:54:18.000
Come up for sure.
00:54:18.239 --> 00:54:18.880
Yeah.
00:54:19.599 --> 00:54:26.719
Okay, and you can join us on our cruise clean romance getaways cruise.
00:54:26.880 --> 00:54:28.000
We're gonna link that.
00:54:28.239 --> 00:54:32.639
Go check that out because honestly, you guys, we're gonna have so much fun.
00:54:32.800 --> 00:54:36.079
Yeah, we are, and we want you to be a part of it.
00:54:36.320 --> 00:54:39.199
So come join us on the cruise.
00:54:39.519 --> 00:54:56.960
And what's even like we're just getting started with this cruise celebration thing because we are gonna be featuring each of our featured partners on the cruise, bookstrammers and authors on the podcast over the next few months.
00:54:57.039 --> 00:55:01.039
So Maggie and Amy got to go first, and this was so much fun.
00:55:02.880 --> 00:55:09.920
But in two weeks, we're sitting down with one of our featured authors, Mandy Blake.
00:55:10.079 --> 00:55:18.960
She is gonna be on the Clean Romance Getaways cruise with us, and we're doing a book club with her book, Love in the Storm.
00:55:19.119 --> 00:55:26.559
So you can read the book and join us in a couple of weeks on October 20th when we sit down with Mandy Blake.
00:55:26.719 --> 00:55:29.760
And this is a truly Christian romance.
00:55:29.920 --> 00:55:36.000
Speaking of characters praying together, they prayed so much in this book.
00:55:36.239 --> 00:55:38.559
Like it was definitely convict.
00:55:38.719 --> 00:55:41.679
Every time they ran into a problem, they're stopping and praying.
00:55:41.760 --> 00:55:44.320
And I'm like, dang it, I need to do this.
00:55:45.599 --> 00:55:46.960
So convicting.
00:55:47.199 --> 00:55:47.920
I love that.
00:55:48.079 --> 00:55:51.840
I love it when a book shows us what we can be doing better.
00:55:52.000 --> 00:55:52.239
Yes.
00:55:52.480 --> 00:55:54.800
And like draws us closer to the Lord.
00:55:54.880 --> 00:55:55.679
That's my favorite time.
00:55:56.079 --> 00:55:56.480
Absolutely.
00:55:56.639 --> 00:55:56.880
Yeah.
00:55:57.119 --> 00:55:57.840
Absolutely.
00:55:58.079 --> 00:55:59.920
All right, I'm gonna wrap us up.
00:56:00.159 --> 00:56:07.199
Thank you for joining us on the Clean Romance podcast, where Clean Romance lives happily ever after.
00:56:07.360 --> 00:56:13.039
Wherever you're listening, follow or subscribe so you don't miss a single episode.
00:56:13.280 --> 00:56:15.280
Until next time, happy reading.
00:56:15.519 --> 00:56:16.800
Happy reading.