Episode 95's guest is author Jenni L. Walsh.

Jenni L. Walsh is a USA Today bestselling author of over a dozen books. Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. She is a proud member of the Tall Poppy writers, a graduate of Villanova University, and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs with her husband, daughter, son, and various pets.

For adults, Jenni has written historical novels Becoming Bonnie, Side by Side, A Betting Woman, The Call of the Wrens, Unsinkable, and Ace, Marvel, Spy. She also writes books for children, including the nonfiction She Dared series and novels Hettie and the London Blitz, I Am Defiance, By the Light of Fireflies, Over and Out, Operation: Happy, and The Bug Bandits. To learn more about Jenni and her books, please visit jennilwalsh.com or @jennilwalsh on social media.

It this episode we discussed her historical fiction novel, Ace, Marvel, Spy and the reason why she wanted to write about Alice Marble. We talked about her research for this novel, what she loved most about her protagonist. Finally she shared her journey to writing in different age categories.

I want to thank all of who have subscribed to this podcast! If you haven’t, I’d love it if you’d click to follow so you can get notifications of every new episode. And, if have found this podcast helpful and fun, please leave a rating and review—it really helps to boost discoverability. You can even share this episode with a friend.

Links discussed:

A Girl and Her Five Brave Horses

Joy Callaway

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Episode 94's guest is author Stefany Valentine.

Stefany Valentine is an emerging young adult author. Her first publication is featured in the adoptee anthology, When We Became Ours, and her sophomore title, Love Makes Mochi, is expected to release with Joy Revolution in 2026. Follow her for updates on TikTok, Instagram, and X @BooksByStefany and on her website, stefanyvalentine.wordpress.com.

In this episode we discussed her debut novel First Love Language, the significance of its title and its connection to The Five Love Languages. We talked about the nuance of language and how it relates to identity. And finally, how life imitated art and vice versa.

This was such a lovely episode, where Stefany was vulnerable in sharing her adoptee experience, and which I feel shines in her novel. I know you’re going to enjoy it.

I want to thank all of who have subscribed to this podcast! If you haven’t, I’d love it if you’d click to follow so you can get notifications of every new episode. And, if have found this podcast helpful and fun, please leave a rating and review—it really helps to boost discoverability. You can even share this episode with a friend.

For more information about me, Tif, and submitting to the podcast, please head on to my website, at TifMarcelo.com

Other links discussed:

There Goes the Neighborhood - Jade Aria

The Broposal by Sonora Reyes

Marsha Mickelson - Where I Belong

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Episode 93's guest is author Thien-Kim Lam.

Thien-Kim Lam writes stories about Vietnamese characters who smash stereotypes and find their happy endings. A recovering Type-Asian, she guzzles cà phê sữa đá, makes art, and bakes her feelings to stay sane. Her debut book Happy Endings was a Washington Post Romance Novel of the Year. Her Mardi Gras romance Full Exposure is a love letter to her Vietnamese community in Louisiana.

Thien-Kim also coaches writers of color and is an EDSE certified sex educator and the founder of Bawdy Bookworms, a subscription box that pairs sexy romances with erotic toys. She’s been featured on Jezebel, Bustle, Entertainment Weekly, and Oprah Daily.

In this episode we chatted about her most recent novel, Something Cheeky. I gushed that she was able to pack both love and social issues in her book. She talked about her varied creative background and how it contributes to the writing And, we had a frank conversation about the pressure of marginalized groups in non-representative careers.

Links discussed:

Taj McCoy : Zora Books her Happily Ever After

Piper J Drake: Wings Once Cursed and Bound

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Episode 92 is author J’Nell Ciesielski.

Bestselling author J’nell Ciesielski has a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories while weaving fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. She is a member of the Tall Poppy Writers and lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle. Learn more at www.jnellciesielski.com.

In this episode we discussed how THE WINGED TIARA was a pivot to a fun project. We talked about the ways she delved into the emotional baggage and backstory of her characters and how old movies help with crafting dialogue. Finally, we touched on how she decided to write in certain time periods.

Links discussed:

Yellowface RF Kuang

Foxglove by Adeline Grace

The Starlets by Jennifer Thorne and Lee Kelly

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Episode 91: Today’s guest is my dearest friend April Asher, but the topic of conversation will be me! Today, February 25 is the release for LOVE LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, the second book in the Spirit of the Shenandoah series, and April is here to help me celebrate.

A little about April:

USA Today Bestselling Author April Asher, aka April Hunt, was hooked on romantic stories from the time she first took a romance book out from her mom's bedside table. She now lives out her own happily-ever-after with her college-sweetheart husband, their two children, and a cat who thinks she's more dog—and human—than feline. By day, April dons dark blue nursing scrubs and drinks way too much caffeine. By night, she still consumes too much caffeine, but she does it with a laptop in hand, and from her favorite side of the couch.

From the far left cushion, April Asher pens laugh-out-loud romantic comedies with a paranormal twist, but when she’s not putting her characters into embarrassing situations with supernatural entities, she also writes high-octane romantic suspense as April Hunt, her thrill-seeking alter ego.

And a little about LOVE LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL:

Military widow Evangeline Espiritu’s world turns topsy-turvy the minute wealthy Cruz Forrester invades the peaceful hiking trail behind her bucolic Virginia bed-and-breakfast. With the privacy of her business at stake, at least she has her trail pen pal, Rolling Stone, to pour her heart out to!

After surviving cancer, Cruz is at a crossroads. And whatever he does seems to exasperate the attractive Filipina host, who’s alternately infuriating…and intriguing. His only outlet as the duo begins to spar? Writing to his captivating trail correspondent, Blue Moon—whose persona on the page starts to seem awfully familiar as Cruz’s battles with Eva soon blossom into something magical neither of them expected…

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Hi this is Tif of the Stories to Love Podcast and this is episode 90. Today’s guest is audiobook narrator Jennifer Aquino

Jennifer Aquino is an actor and award-winning narrator based in Los Angeles with 20+ years working in film, television, theatre, and voiceover. Fun Fact: she's one of the doctors who killed McDreamy on ABC’s Grey's Anatomy. In the last three years, Jennifer has narrated for 16 publishers, including Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Podium, among others. She also directs audiobooks, and has directed with Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, Brilliance Publishing, and Scholastic. Jennifer recently appeared on the cover of Center Stage Magazine, as well as the CBS reboot of MATLOCK with Kathy Bates, in the role of Miss Tori Park, the Head of HR!

In this episode, we talked about her varied background as an Econ major, how it merged with performing arts, and how that helps in her career today. We chatted about her path to becoming an audiobook narrator after starting off in film and TV. And finally we touched on how she auditions to narrate a book, how she evolved from mentee to mentor, and her love of reading.

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

Note: some links are affiliate links

Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Welcome to episode 89! I am back from my podcast hiatus! I didn’t mean to be away so long! And though I was absent from the podcast, if you follow me on socials and my newsletter, so many things have happened. It’s been over a year, friends, where there was quite a bit of change in our household. It was a year of deadlines, a move this summer, and getting set up—it was a whole big thing, having to get used to new schedules, while trying to have balance. We all know how that’s so hard.

But I’m happy to be back, and hopefully will now be in a groove in which I can get some fantastic authors and creators into this virtual studio. I’ve have missed this space, missed connecting with other folks in this avenue.

But to get down to business! I’m so excited to introduce Piper Huguley, where we discussed American Daughters.

Piper G. Huguley’s biographical historical fiction, By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register tells the inspiring story of the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. By Her Own Design was a Booklist top 100 Editor’s Choice selection for 2022, was named one of the top 100 books of 2022 in Canada by the Globe and Mail newspaper and was selected as the historical fiction winner for 2022 by the American Library Association’s Reading Council.

She is also the author of Sweet Tea, a contemporary romance about food and history (of course) and the author of two historical romance series: “Migrations of the Heart”, about the Great Migration and “Home to Milford College”. Her next historical fiction book, American Daughters (2024), is the story of the decades-long interracial friendship between Alice Roosevelt and Portia Washington, the rebel teenage daughters of President Theodore Roosevelt and Booker T. Washington, respectively. She is a literature professor at Clark-Atlanta University and blogs about the history behind her novels at http://piperhuguley.com . She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and son.

In this conversation, we discussed the idea of a “way” into a story and Piper’s research process. We talked about historical women and their passions and Piper’s thoughts about historical accuracy. Finally, she talked about who of the two characters she endeared to the most.

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

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Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions

Episode 88 is a minisode! Today is me and me alone. I’m going to talk about some exciting podcast updates as we head into the end of this year.

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New Release: LETTERS FROM THE TRAIL, February 25, 2025

Note: some links are affiliate links

Contact Tif at tif@tifmarcelo.com
Please check out her website for podcast submissions