Live conversations with people who make book content you love. No scripts. No polish. Each episode fits the guest.
Someone commented recently about our first guest: "I love whatever is wrong with you."
That's exactly the energy.
Jeanette Rose & Alexis Rune Get Real About Grief, Villains, and More | Avalon University
I sat down with Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune, the duo behind the Avalon University series, at Barnes & Noble Colonial in Orlando, days after Sorrow & Strangers hit shelves.We start with rapid fire (Frolic, Marry, Kill with no easy answers allowed) and then get into the heavy stuff. Alexis opens up about writing Summer's grief and why their editor told her not to cut the repetitive parts. We talk about Connor versus the Stranger and the difference between loving what someone shows you and loving who they are. They explain why Rafe's story was planned from his very first scene and how Max beating the crap out of him says more about how men actually communicate than any heart to heart could.We also cover how two people write one book, how Rose & Star Publishing started as a tax shelter, and what nobody tells you about going from indie to trad. They also give a book 3 update.⚠️ SPOILERS: Full spoilers for Blood & Betrayals and some for Sorrow & Strangers. There's a quick Burn (Penn Cole) spoiler at 30:31.Huge thanks to Barnes & Noble Colonial for hosting us.*Disclaimer: Affiliate links, small commission to the channel at no extra cost to you📚 Grab Sorrow & Strangers: https://amzn.to/4yEYrff📚 Start with Blood & Betrayals: https://amzn.to/4xXZeXjJeanette Rose: https://www.instagram.com/fatedlovesAlexis Rune: https://www.instagram.com/authalexisrune/TIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro00:50 Frolic, Marry, Kill (Zach, Zane, Luke)01:55 Which Disney character Summer and Alice would go feral for02:52 Top book boyfriend03:59 Top book girlfriend05:29 Hardback or paperback05:55 How two authors write one book08:31 The editing process (and getting locked out of their own drafts)11:26 The Morningstar family and found family13:37 That "your mom's waiting to hug you" moment14:41 The Nexus: social media in an Arthurian world16:47 Aqua, envy, and body horror19:41 Writing grief in Sorrow & Strangers23:08 Connor vs. the Stranger26:00 Going from that cliffhanger straight into grief28:08 Rafe and "hurt kids become angry adults"30:10 Male characters need more than an obsession30:31 Burn tangent (spoiler for Penn Cole's Burn)31:54 Why Rafe, Alice, and the Stranger got POVs35:01 Rafe's demon and mental health35:26 Max, the gym scene, and how men actually talk38:29 A very important shifter question40:22 Book 3 update41:54 Dungeon Crawler Carl and men writing women45:35 How Rose & Star Publishing started47:03 The future of Rose & Star50:22 Indie to trad: what nobody tells you52:41 Why preorders matter so much53:05 What readers latched onto that surprised them54:39 Outro#SorrowAndStrangers #AvalonUniversity #Romantasy #BookTube #DarkAcademia #UnBound
30 May 2026
Building a bookish brand and the SJM universe deep dive | UnBound Episode 8
Sierra runs @unhingedbooktalk and built Wonderwick, her officially licensed story-inspired candle and fragrance company, after a candle business and a viral SJM string wall collided into something neither of us could have planned if we tried. We chat about the eleven months it took to land her SJM licensing deal, building a rep team so the brand markets itself, why word-of-mouth from real fans beats any ad, and how authenticity is the actual algorithm. Plus a lot of random things 🤣 the brick, dark romance as an empathy machine, why Tamlin gets a bad rap, and whether you can make a man smell like fresh mowed grass.
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Follow Sierra: https://www.instagram.com/unhingedbooktalk/
Check out Wonderwick: https://thewonderwick.com/
Subscribe for more conversations in the book space.
Co-hosting Realm Runners @realm_runners
Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction to Unbound and creator conversations.
0:42 - Sierra introduces herself and her journey.
1:39 - Discussion on Instagram and viral content.
3:02 - Creating content and community engagement.
5:23 - Transition from candle company to book content.
8:27 - Balancing content creation with personal life.
12:02 - Marketing strategies and the power of word-of-mouth.
16:06 - Changes in social media platforms and content strategies.
24:33 - Intentional content creation and time management.
35:08 - Discussion on book adaptations and community engagement.
43:15 - Exploring themes in romance and fantasy genres.
54:25 - Insights into dark romance and character development.
1:06:30 - Upcoming events and collaborations.
16 May 2026
Batching Content and leveraging marketing to strategize | UnBound Episode 7
Ben works in advertising and has found a way to talk about the books he loves while implementing strategy to continue growth. We chat about how evergreen content works, why repeatable content and television series style releases help growth while allowing you to talk about the books you love.Follow Houston: https://www.instagram.com/bentalksbooks/Subscribe for more conversations in the book space. Co-hosting Realm Runners @realm_runners Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/
27 Apr 2026
Star Wars books, thrifting, and finding a community through social media | UnBound Episode 6
Houston is an avid Star Wars fan who let his love for the series reignite his love for reading. He started making content to try and find others who shared his passion and it shifted into recommendations of Star Wars books and getting to have a bookclub where he re-reads the books he enjoyed with those who've never read them.Follow Houston: https://www.instagram.com/houston_skywalker/Subscribe for more conversations in the book space. Co-hosting Realm Runners @realm_runners (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCcXLfIbwfxZ2fIwAktbaMow) Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/
12 Apr 2026
Balancing life, school, family, and content | UnBound Episode 5
Alysha is a teacher, getting her masters, a mom, and an avid reader who balances all of that with content. We dive into how she isn't your "typical" influencer, but instead has focused so much on building community around reading that she has amassed a huge following across instagram and tiktok. Follow Alysha: https://instagram.com/alyshafortunereads/Subscribe for more conversations in the book space. Co-hosting Realm Runners with Pete (https://www.instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good/) @realm_runners Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/
4 Apr 2026
From Beauty Influencer to BookTok | UnBound Episode 4
Sam is a content machine who has seen success she regrets walking away from in the beauty influencer space and has solidified her standing in the book community with her love and passion for Dungeon Crawler Carl. She has a keen eye for making a trend fit her niche and ideas on how to branch out of litRPG into the broader reading community. She also touches on Snapchat's new spotlight feature and a bit about being a first mover in the space.Follow Sam: @SamBoydReads (https://instagram.com/samboydreads/)Subscribe for more conversations in the book space. Co-hosting Realm Runners (https://www.youtube.com/@realm_runners) with Pete (https://www.instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good/) Follow me on Instagram @BroMantasy (https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/)
20 Mar 2026
The Book Creator Who Fights, Reads Everything, and Got to interview Jay Kristoff | UnBound Ep. 3
Myles reads everything. Trains MMA. Got author interviews with John Gwynne and Jay Kristoff. Honestly I just wanted to know how he thinks.https://instagram.com/bookswithmyles/ joins me to talk building in the book space, reading across genres, and what it takes to get access to the authors you actually care about.Subscribe for more conversations in the book space. Co-hosting Realm Runners with Pete (https://www.instagram.com/pete_reviews_books_good/) @realm_runners (https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCcXLfIbwfxZ2fIwAktbaMow) Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/
28 Feb 2026
How Authors Balance Content Creation
Learn how two authors use their content platforms to promote their booksOn this episode I'm joined by @Chance.Dillon (https://www.youtube.com/@Chance.Dillon) author of Mercy: Tears of the Fallen and T.D. Orel @t.d.orel (https://www.instagram.com/t.d.orel/) author of Titan's Nest.
We discuss content creation, the algorithm, how to incorporate promotion of your book in a natural way, and creation diaries. Be sure to subscribe to find more insights around content creation in the book space. @bromantasy (https://www.instagram.com/bromantasy/)
1 Feb 2026
How Book Creators Actually Think About Content (Unbound Ep. 1)
Thank you to Josh ( @butternut_jawsh (https://www.instagram.com/butternut_jawsh) on IG) for joining me for the first episode!Unbound is a live, unscripted conversation with creators in the book space.We peel back the curtain and dive into how we all create content, the algorithms, and the personas to talk about
How book creators actually think about content
What works, what doesn’t, and what people don’t see
The tradeoffs between growth, honesty, and burnout
How creators decide what to post and what they refuse to
This episode was recorded live on Instagram and uploaded with slight edits for time.No performative advice.No “growth hacks.”No pretending there is one right path.If you’re a reader who’s curious how bookish content gets made, or a creator trying to find your footing without losing your personal voice... this series is for you.Disagree. Take notes. Steal what helps.SOCIALS: https://bromantasy.com/links/ (https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa1BNcW5xdV9hVE1lSGVTUWdoaWtzcC0yZnMyQXxBQ3Jtc0ttcFk0OFRlV1hmRXhpZkhPYmFhTTktNlFMUHRaelpUSmJFLUNrXzM0RjBtQ0J1ajZIbWhadjVXV2xDY1pYTzE5c0NTNUdOVVZEODVmVW9JODNTc2ljdGdNa05GNkRpRE5TcW9PU1JKVGI1eGRNQ1RLbw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fbromantasy.com%2Flinks%2F&v=yznG3AJDo6E)
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