{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":300,"width":600,"title":"Romance, Murder &amp; Plot Twists: Writing Romantic Suspense w\/ Catherine Cowles | Talk Spicy To Me","description":"In Season 3, Episode 6 of Talk Spicy to Me, bestselling authors Giana Darling and Kandi Steiner are joined by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Cowles to talk all things romantic suspense - from crafting believable villains and planting red herrings to using suspense to push the romance forward. Catherine also gets candid about career milestones, setting boundaries as a woman in publishing, and the reality of going from indie to traditional publishing. Plus: true crime research, romance adaptations, murderous book boyfriends, and whether a cold-blooded killer is actually a red flag. &amp;nbsp;\ud83d\udcac Got a question you\u2019d like us to answer on the podcast? Send us a voice message on SpeakPipe \u2192 https:\/\/www.speakpipe.com\/TalkSpicytoMe TIMESTAMPS &amp;nbsp;00:00 - Welcome to Talk Spicy to Me 00:58 - Life updates &amp;amp; author signings 07:49 - Meet Catherine Cowles 10:45 - The Spice Report 19:07 - Romance adaptations &amp;amp; dream casting 23:16 - Why Catherine writes romantic suspense 24:29 - Balancing romance &amp;amp; suspense 25:40 - Catherine's plotting process 26:27 - Red herrings &amp;amp; tricking readers 28:51 - Finding inspiration for suspense plots 30:37 - Planting clues &amp;amp; creating believable villains 36:22 - Career goals &amp;amp; author milestones 38:44 - Learning to celebrate success 44:54 - Writing from the villain's POV 51:05 - When true crime research gets TOO real 53:19 - Balancing darkness, emotion &amp;amp; hope 57:03 - Using setting to build suspense 1:03:00 - People pleasing, boundaries &amp;amp; business 1:05:03 - Catherine's advice for romantic suspense writers 1:08:24 - Red Flag or Green Flag 1:13:46 - Indie vs. traditional publishing 1:21:27 - What's coming on After Dark FOLLOW CATHERINE COWLES: Website: https:\/\/catherinecowles.com\/ Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/catherinecowlesauthor\/?hl=en SPONSORS: This season of Talk Spicy to Me is brought to you by Lauren Blakely and Kat Singleton! Lauren Blakely is the bestselling author of sexy, funny, feel-good romance, including Just Playing for Keeps, a grumpy-sunshine hockey romance with fake dating, viral heartbreak, and a broody tattooed hockey hero. Follow Lauren Blakely: Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/laurenblakelybooks\/ Website: https:\/\/laurenblakely.com\/ Kat Singleton is the author of In Good Company, a forbidden billionaire romance featuring an ex\u2019s brother, private chef, age gap tension, and a dreamy Hamptons setting. Follow Kat Singleton: Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/authorkatsingleton\/?hl=en Website: https:\/\/authorkatsingleton.com BOOK CLUB: We're reading The Hot Shot by Piper Rayne! Join us for the September 9th episode when Giana and Kandi break it all down. AFTER DARK (Patreon Exclusive) Want the extended, unfiltered conversation? Each week\u2019s After Dark mini-episode dives deeper into topics we don\u2019t cover on the main feed. Join the Patreon for early access and bonus content: https:\/\/www.patreon.com\/c\/TalkSpicytoMePodcast ","author_name":"Talk Spicy To Me","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/593995","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/42383700\/height\/300\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/88AA3C\/\" height=\"300\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/content\/204971570"}