S.2 Ep. 78: A Fae King, A Deadly Labyrinth, and A Hunting Shadow: Shaylin Gandhi on Hunted by the Fae King's Shadow

S.2 Ep. 78: A Fae King, A Deadly Labyrinth, and A Hunting Shadow: Shaylin Gandhi on Hunted by the Fae King's Shadow

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where fairy tales get twisted, labyrinths hide more than just monsters, and sometimes the most dangerous thing you can do is discover what you actually want. This week, Co-Host Sara Santillan sits down with author Shaylin Gandhi to talk about her upcoming romantasy Hunted by the Fae King’s Shadow. This is a lush, seductive, and subversive story inspired by Labyrinth, where a proper princess is forced into a world that challenges everything she thought she knew about herself. From the very beginning, this conversation blends honesty, humor, and the reality of building a writing career—from dreaming of being an author at five years old to navigating rejection, losing an agent, and ultimately landing a traditional publishing deal. Shaylin shares what it actually takes to survive the industry and why stubbornness might be one of the most important traits a writer can have.  We dive into the heart of Hunted by the Fae King’s Shadow, where a princess is given an impossible choice: marry the fae king or survive his labyrinth. But this isn’t just a story about survival—it’s about transformation. As she navigates the labyrinth, hunted and tested at every turn, she begins to question the life she’s been told to want and whether the version of herself she’s been performing is who she truly is. We also explore Shaylin’s broader work, from emotionally intense romantasy like Once Charmed, Twice Cursed and The Nightmare Bride to her perspective on writing flawed, complex heroines who challenge expectations instead of fitting neatly inside them. 🌹 What happens when the life you’ve been taught to want isn’t actually yours? 🗝️ What do you do when desire and duty collide? 🖤 And who are you when no one is there to tell you who to be? This is a must-listen for romantasy readers, lovers of dark fairytale retellings, and anyone who wants stories that feel as emotionally real as they are magical. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT:  ✨ Shaylin’s journey from medicine to full-time author. ✨ Getting dropped by an agent and coming back stronger. ✨ Why rejection eventually stops hurting (and starts helping). ✨ Hunted by the Fae King’s Shadow and its Labyrinth-inspired premise.  ✨ The emotional core: identity, desire, and self-permission.  ✨ Writing flawed heroines with deeply rooted misbeliefs.  ✨ The Immortal Hunters collection and “hunt or be hunted” theme.  ✨ Why romantasy is such a powerful space for women’s stories.  ✨ Sexy goblins, fan art (!!), and the moment you know a character works.  CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic [https://www.instagram.com/mythicmic/] 👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland [https://www.instagram.com/bethanyinfantasyland/] 👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill [https://www.instagram.com/the_magical_quill/] 📚 Shaylin Ghandi – @AuthorShaylinGandhi [https://www.instagram.com/authorshaylingandhi/] ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.

S.2 Ep. 77: ACOTAR Meets The Bachelorette With Sentient Shadows: Anna Applegate and Helen Domico on Blooms of Darkness

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where marriage trials are never simple, shadow daddies come with complications, and sometimes the shadows have a mind of their own. This week, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with writing duo Anna Applegate and Helen Domico to discuss their romantasy series, Blooms of Darkness, a darkly addictive story filled with marriage trials, fae politics, enemies to lovers to enemies, found family, mental health representation, and sentient shadows that may just steal the entire show. Anna and Helen share how they went from college friends to co-authors, reconnecting through the bookish world and eventually deciding to write a series together. They open up about their chaotic co-writing process, how they blend their voices into one seamless story, and why writing with your best friend can bring back the joy, excitement, and creative spark of storytelling. The conversation also dives into Blooms of Darkness, which the authors pitch as ACOTAR meets The Bachelorette, with marriage trials told from the perspective of the woman whose hand is being fought for. Anna and Helen discuss the high-stakes world, the heroine's lack of magic, the darkness spreading through the world, the suitors competing for power, and the found family that becomes just as important as the romance. 🌑 What happens when a princess without magic must marry someone powerful enough to protect the throne? 🔥 Can a marriage competition survive fae politics, dangerous suitors, and enemies-to-lovers tension? 🖤 And what if the shadow daddy’s shadows are just as obsessed as he is? Whether you love romantasy, forced proximity, morally gray love interests, fantasy politics, found family, or shadows that deserve their own point of view, this episode is chaotic, hilarious, and absolutely made for your TBR. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: ✨ How Anna and Helen met, reconnected, and became co-authors. ✨ Writing a book with your best friend and embracing creative chaos. ✨ Their color-coded co-writing process and how they blend two voices into one. ✨ The “why not?” mindset that shaped their publishing journey. ✨ Building a street team, connecting with Bookstagrammers, and finding community. ✨ The business side of indie publishing, contracts, taxes, LLCs, and all the unexpected details. ✨ The Everheart Book Box special edition of Blooms of Darkness. ✨ How Blooms of Darkness became ACOTAR meets The Bachelorette. ✨ Enemies to lovers to enemies, platonic friendships, found family, mental health rep, and morally gray shadow daddies. ✨ The sentient shadows in book two and why they became characters of their own. ✨ Writing bonus scenes, shadow point of view, and deliciously unhinged romantasy moments. ✨ What readers can expect from the full trilogy and the authors’ upcoming work. 🌑 Plus: bar brainstorming sessions, criminal justice chaos, special edition book love, shadow play art, magical weapons, rapid-fire madness, and why every author duo needs one cautious planner and one “why not?” friend. CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic [https://www.instagram.com/mythicmic/] 👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland [https://www.instagram.com/bethanyinfantasyland/] 👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill [https://www.instagram.com/the_magical_quill/] 📚 Anna Applegate & Helen Domico – @AuthorAnnaApplegate [https://www.instagram.com/authorannaapplegate/] and @AuthorHelenDomico [https://www.instagram.com/authorhelendomico/] ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.

S.2 Ep. 76: Marching Band, Dungeons & Dragons, and a Rivalry Years in the Making: Kristy Boyce on Rolls and Rivalry

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where first loves deserve second chances, high school drama is never truly left behind, and sometimes the greatest adventure begins with a roll of the dice. This week, hosts Bethany Amanda and Sara Santillan sit down with bestselling YA romance author Kristy Boyce for a nostalgic, hilarious, and delightfully nerdy conversation about Rolls and Rivalry, the newest installment in her beloved Quest for Love series. If you love rivals-to-lovers romance, marching band chaos, Dungeons & Dragons, and stories filled with heart, humor, and geeky joy, this episode is for you. Kristy shares her journey from childhood Barbie fanfiction writer to traditionally published author, opening up about the long road to publication, finding the right agent, and building a career writing the kinds of stories she wished she'd had growing up. As a social psychology professor, she also discusses how her fascination with identity, relationships, and personal growth naturally finds its way into her books. We dive into Rolls and Rivalry, a YA rom-com centered on Hazel, a competitive color guard captain determined to make her senior year unforgettable. When her former childhood friend Max joins marching band and immediately turns everything into a competition, old feelings and unresolved tensions quickly resurface. What follows is a rivals-to-lovers story packed with marching band antics, D&D adventures, and plenty of emotional growth. ⚡ What happens when your biggest rival is also your first friend? 🩸 Can competition bring two people together instead of tearing them apart? 🔥 And what if the perfect campaign isn't the one happening at the game table? This is a must-listen for YA romance readers, D&D fans, marching band kids, and anyone who still believes first love stories never go out of style. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: ✨ Kristy's journey from aspiring writer to bestselling author. ✨ Balancing writing, teaching, and family life. ✨ The inspiration behind Rolls and Rivalry. ✨ Marching band, color guard, and bringing personal experiences into fiction. ✨ Why Dungeons & Dragons continues to connect readers and writers. ✨ Rivals-to-lovers romance and childhood friends reconnecting. ✨ Writing clean YA romance and slow-burn relationships. ✨ The growing popularity of gaming culture in books. ✨ Behind-the-scenes realities of traditional publishing. ✨ Barnes & Noble exclusives and seeing your books in stores. ✨ The Quest for Love series and its interconnected standalones. ✨ What's coming next from Kristy. CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic [https://www.instagram.com/mythicmic/] 👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland [https://www.instagram.com/bethanyinfantasyland/] 👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill [https://www.instagram.com/the_magical_quill/] 📚 Kristy Boyce – @Kristylboyce [https://www.instagram.com/kristylboyce/?hl=en] ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.

S.2 Ep. 75: Vikings, Pirates, Bone Magic, and Plot Twists No One Sees Coming: LJ Andrews on Broken Souls and Bones

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where Vikings meet pirates, found family can save you, and some magic systems are stitched together bone by bone. This week, host Bethany Amanda sits down with bestselling fantasy romance author LJ Andrews for a conversation about writing, resilience, mythology, special editions, and her dark romantasy duology, Broken Souls and Bones. LJ shares her long road to becoming a full-time author, from writing as a way to escape postpartum depression to publishing her first book in 2016, reaching her first 50 readers, taking a pandemic-era step back, and finally finding the series and strategy that helped her career take off. She opens up about learning reader expectations, studying the market, embracing romantasy, and building the kind of worlds readers now see everywhere from bookstores to BookTok. The conversation also dives into Broken Souls and Bones, LJ’s dark, Norse-inspired romantasy world filled with soul magic, blood magic, bone magic, a hidden Melder, a silent warrior who communicates through sign language, bodyguard tension, found family, and three major twists that readers still have not fully guessed. 🦴 What happens when the king wants to use your magic to build an unbeatable army? 🖤 Can forced proximity work when the person protecting you is also the one who stole you from your life? ⚔️ And what if the magic that makes you powerful also pulls you into the shadow world? Whether you love Norse mythology, morally gray characters, dark magic, bodyguard romance, found family, special editions, or complete duologies with high stakes and no cliffhanger, this episode is packed with inspiration, honesty, and so much bookish chaos. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: ✨ LJ’s journey from early writing dreams to becoming a full-time author. ✨ Writing through postpartum depression and using stories as an escape. ✨ Why LJ was not an overnight success and what changed in her career. ✨ Going from 50 readers to bookshelves, special editions, and a thriving reader community. ✨ How studying genre, covers, reader expectations, and the market helped shift her author path. ✨ Norse mythology, fairy tale inspiration, pirates, Vikings, and the worlds behind LJ’s books. ✨ The Broken Kingdoms, The Ever Seas, and the darker magic of Broken Souls and Bones. ✨ A mute bodyguard, sign language representation, and writing banter without spoken dialogue. ✨ Found family, forced proximity, bodyguard tension, and characters who refuse to stay side characters. ✨ The challenge of marketing book two when book one has major spoilers. ✨ The completed Broken Souls and Bones duology and the possibility of future spin-offs. ✨ Special editions, book boxes, direct stores, warehouses, and the behind-the-scenes side of being an author. ✨ LJ’s upcoming dystopian project and why dystopian romance may be making a major comeback. ✨ Imposter syndrome, comparison, and why the story inside you may be exactly what someone else needs. 🐔 Plus: chickens, warehouses, elder millennial marketing struggles, Holly Black love, spicy book two scenes, and why sometimes the characters start telling the author what the story really is. CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic [https://www.instagram.com/mythicmic/] 👤 Bethany Amanda – @BethanyinFantasyland [https://www.instagram.com/bethanyinfantasyland/] 📚 LJ Andrews – @AuthorLJAndrews [https://www.instagram.com/authorljandrews/] ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.

S.2 Ep. 74: A Gothic Fantasy for the Girls Who Always Save Everyone Else: Lindsey A. Hart on The Thorns We Inherit

🎙️ Welcome back to The Mythic Mic Podcast, where love can be dangerous, monsters are never simple, and some inheritances come with blood, thorns, and a legacy you never asked for. This week, host Sara Santillan sits down with author Lindsey A. Hart to discuss her gothic fantasy debut, The Thorns We Inherit, a dark, lyrical story filled with magic, monsters, trauma, devotion, and one girl’s desperate mission to save her brother. Lindsey shares the journey behind writing and self-publishing her debut, from choosing herself creatively after years of writing privately to building a readership, finding early readers, and learning the many moving pieces of indie publishing. She opens up about balancing motherhood, work, writing, and the realities of making time for a dream when life is already full. The conversation also dives into the lush, symbolic world of The Thorns We Inherit, including Lindsey’s love of gothic fantasy, lyrical prose, vampires, dangerous monsters, and stories where love is not limited to romance alone. Lindsey discusses Aurelia’s journey through a dark, magic-ridden city, the deadly legacy tied to her bloodline, and the emotional heart of a trilogy centered on inherited trauma, devotion, power, and survival. 🩸 What happens when saving the person you love means risking yourself? 🌹 Can a story be romantic even when romance is only one piece of the love story? 🖤 And what if the monster is just as beautiful as he is dangerous? Whether you love gothic fantasy, lyrical prose, vampires, dark magic, complicated characters, or heroines who have spent their lives saving everyone else, this episode is for you. 🔥 IN THIS EPISODE, WE TALK ABOUT: ✨ Lindsey’s journey from writing in her notes app to publishing her debut novel. ✨ Balancing motherhood, work, creativity, and the dream of becoming an author. ✨ The importance of finding early readers and building a supportive book community. ✨ Gothic fantasy, symbolism, and the beauty of writing in layers. ✨ Why The Thorns We Inherit is a love story in more ways than one. ✨ Aurelia’s quest to save her brother and survive the magic tied to her bloodline. ✨ Haunted warriors, beautiful monsters, and vampires inspired by mythology. ✨ The role of inherited trauma, legacy, devotion, and self-discovery in the series. ✨ Indie publishing, agents, creative control, and the possibility of a hybrid author path. ✨ Lindsey’s upcoming projects, including dark academia, gothic fantasy, and steampunk-inspired worlds. 🦇 Plus: hot vampires, gothic romance, Howl’s Moving Castle vibes, dark academia professors, rapid-fire chaos, and why sometimes a story can become a safe place for readers to process grief. CONNECT WITH US 🎙️ The Mythic Mic Podcast – @MythicMic [https://www.instagram.com/mythicmic/] 👤 Sara Santillan – @the_magical_quill [https://www.instagram.com/the_magical_quill/] 📚 Lindsay A. Hart – @AuthorLindseyAHart [https://www.instagram.com/authorlindseyahart/] ✨ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review. It helps more fantasy readers and aspiring authors find their way to The Mythic Mic.