Anchors were introduced in book 1 (the main baddie there was an Anchor). It will be interesting to see which books you both consider favorites once you are all caught up. My instant-favorites haven't changed, but when I reread the series some of the books went up for me and a few went down as well.

Spoilers but I always tell people I want anyone in the world to kill the certain someone except Hawke. Sophia, Ethan, any of the other Arrows. Ideally everyone who has actually been harmed can get their licks in as you suggested. But only folks directly affected. Even Sienna I would be fine with. Literally anyone except Mr. I-am-a-predatory-changeling-male so must do this to protect my mate (as if she isn’t capable of doing so herself). His attitude vexes me. I really hope someday you have Nalini on to talk about her writing process. I think that would be a fun and fascinating conversation. I will save other spoilery thoughts for once you are completely caught up (hopefully I will remember). Somehow taking a week off led to me taking a whole month off so I have had fun today catching up on the last several episodes. One more to go. So thanks!

HOW do you create a mastermind?

this was different, but it was really good.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the Bears. I laughed, got misty and thoroughly enjoyed this book! ❤

You aren’t quite out of new-to-you books, but welcome to the land of when-will-so-and-so-get-a-book. I am happy she’s writing New Zealand set thrillers now, but in the past that “extra” time during the year was when she wrote the various novellas. So there are no novellas (at least so far) in season 2. This is another one of my favorite books in the series. But the first time I read it I remember being disappointed we didn’t get to spend more time with the HA in Venice as I’d been looking forward to that. But I loved getting to know the members of BlackSea.

I like using the Cynefin framework to describe escalating conflict in a story, and I think it works with the try-fail cycle. The conlict goes from clear, to complicated, to complex, and then chaotic. - Clear conlicts have known solutions - Complicated conflicts have options that can be analyzed - Complex conflicts require the character to feel their way forward (try-fail cycle) - Chaotic conflicts need to be stabilized with immediate action

I know a lot of readers successfully started the series with Silver Silence and season 2. Some of them have gone back to read the earlier books (either all or only select ones for their most liked characters). For some newer romance readers the trinity books don't have as many early 00s issues particularly with the male characters and the whole "I am a dominant changeling male" attitudes that old skool romance readers find easier to overlook. Sadly we are still waiting for more Galina. A scene with her and one (or all) of her adult children is at the top of my personal wishlist. Looking forward to your reactions to the remaining season 2 books.

I think it would be fun for you to interview Nalini and talk writing process. She's talked about how she writes more succinctly but of course I cannot find any of those videos at the moment. But here are two short clips that may be of interest. (hope the links work) kzbin.infoKrrXAK55zPI?si=5xHnOqPgiYGqV7lJ&t=423 (answer from 7 04 through 8 34) kzbin.info/www/bejne/hX3Rl313ncqbgrMsi=M4kr1iU61DsDJB6w&t=155 (answer from 2 35 through 5 57) No character spoilers (just know Nikita & Anthony are fan faves). Enjoy your break and the writing retreat. Looking forward to your thoughts on season 2 books when you come back,

i’m reading Psy and Angels in tandem. When I am reading one series, I’m thinking about the other. OAN…Silver’s book is sooo much fun!

The first time I read SoH I squealed when Finn appeared since I never thought we'd see him again. He was in Tammy & Nate's novella way back. I also loved that we were finally introduced to both Remi and Selenka who had both been mentioned multiple times in previous books. Lucas is Remi's alpha mentor, but Remi and Aden refer o themselves as remedial alphas, lol. As said they are more equals and friends. Blake enjoyed killing people before Silence fell too. Aden taking control of the squad meant he'd been cut off from doing so. I wish we'd gotten a scene of Aden's parents after the fact. When Aden said he liked to imagine the look on their faces when they found out I'd hoped we would. I know you are taking a break before season 2. At some point you may want to read her collections of newsletter short stories. They are all out of order within the collection (not in published or chronological order). But there are some really fun ones. And there's notes before each that tell you where they fall on the timeline.

Can we talk about the Arrow Manual? LMAO The Arrow Era is great!

All of the novellas have been actually published, some in other anthologies. The newsletter/website short stories are much shorter. Most were first in her newsletter, though earlier ones were posted on her blog or other blogs like the now defunct Happy Ever After blog. She also has deleted scenes most of which were published in the paperback versions of the books or in the newsletter. The novellas are: ⦁ Beat of Temptation (originally in An Enchanted Season, also in Wild Invitation) ⦁ Stroke of Enticement (originally in The Magical Christmas Cat, also in Wild Invitation) ⦁ Whisper of Sin (originally in Burning Up, also as digital single. Note the only novella with no audio edition) ⦁ Declaration of Courtship (originally in Wild Invitation, also as digital single) ⦁ Texture of Intimacy (originally in Wild Invitation, also as digital single) ⦁ Secrets at Midnight (originally in Night Shift, also as digital single) ⦁ Echo of Silence (Wild Embrace) ⦁ Dorian (Wild Embrace) ⦁ Partners in Persuasion (Wild Embrace) ⦁ Flirtation of Fate (Wild Embrace) A glimpse of Annie and Zach's mating ceremony was in book 4 (Mine to Possess) though they didn't actually appear. And they've been mentioned/appeared in other full-length books you've already read (Branded by Fire, Tangle of Need, Heart of Obsidian) Kimberly didn't care about Zach's PhD. He asks if that's why, but she tells him on the balcony that at some schools anyone can get a PhD. She likes the way he looks at Annie as if she is his sunshine as she wants that for her daughter. And she tells him to never stop looking at her that way. Heart of Obsidian is Psy/Psy. Hopefully you will enjoy the Arrows Era.

Deep in the Arrows era and it is soooo good!!

please stick with Supernatural! i loved it, and im #TeamDean

I also finished this book and immediately reread it when it released. It is so layered and Kaleb is such an unreliable narrator. He believes he doesn't have empathy, but he does hold Vasquez's hand as he dies and doesn't tell him his grand plans won't come to fruition. It's an empathetic act from someone who has no empathy. I am excited for you both to read the next four books you have scheduled.

THIS book! I'm on the last 10% and WHEW! So many 'oh snap!' moments. what a story! The romance was there...but this read more like a thriller., and I'm okay with that.

NEW COVERS on Amazon???? (paperback) Very NOT Romancey....but still whitewashed.

The short stories are great little day-in-the-life of the couples, that don’t take away from the main books. I forgot the term Ines used previously…but it’s more of that….the “Fun & Games” beat.

I'm reading this now, and I am not feeling Dev. Maybe he'll grow on me, but I'm at 48% and I want Katya to find another man!

The Arrow Squad was formed to protect Silence but they now know Silence was rotten at the core. So at this point they have a choice to make. I am so excited for you both to read the rest of "season one" as so many questions get answered which opens up new questions. I am sad that the Duke is leaving but still think Miss Scarlet and the Duke is worth watching as a detective show. Caveat I haven't watch season 4 yet so that may change my opinion. Sad they won't be end game though.

Just finished Book 5 and starting book 6. Slowly but surely catching up.

This one is my favorite so far. Definitely not daddy-kink. I got the teacher/mentor vibe from that scene. Also, with Amara being a sociopath...the Silence conditioning never worked. And her bond with Ashaya kept the conditioning from totally doing what it was supposed to do. And Dorian shifting was the cherry on top.

Sienna had just turned 19 in this book (we know her birthday is in summer. She turned 18 the summer of 2080, so 19 the summer of 2081). KoS is set during the summer of 2081 after her birthday. Maria is the character who appaeared in Play of Passion. Without giving spoilers I loved that the solution was mentioned way back in book 3. There are so many clues in the early books that payoff in these later books and continue to do so in the season 2 books. Since you mentioned you are rereading in audio, just know that Whisper of Sin is the only novella not available in an audio edition. Also the Wild Embrace anthology was released after Allegiance of Honor but the stories are all set before so they can be read whenever.

This is one of my favorite stories as well. Even though Iit is not her book, I consider it Nikita's. redemption book as well.

This book is one of my absolute favorites of the series. There are things set in motion in this story that play out later and some that are still playing out. I can understand why the serial killer was disturbing. There are more coming up. Maybe because most of this guy's crimes had happened already off page it never bothered me as much as with some of the others. But the series started dark and continues on that path. FWIW some of the novellas are much more light-hearted. The multiple storylines within each book only gets more layered as the series continues. But I like that aspect. Even if the main romance in a particular book isn't a favorite there are always scenes/sub-plots to keep me (re)reading.

Thanks for this episode. I don't know if it was mentioned but almost all the single adult males have a book, later on. If not in series 1 then in series 2. I like this book because it did expanded the world and gave an overall threat to the world. I wish Nalini Singh wrote wrote another book with a shadow net character.

I completely disagree with the stance on "Big Misunderstandings" because to me that's what makes the story feel real. All the reasons she listed people fall out every single day behind Insecurites, fears, miscommunication, and more. All things that could've been easily fixed with a more in-depth conversation. But, people get in their feelings and don't say or worse do say certain things that lead to discord. I feel like from an above view or an outside looking in it can be easy to say "Well all they need to do is calm down and talk things out". But in reality people don't tend to do that or don't do it right away. So I feel like it works in story to ground the "Fairy Tale" of it all in the real world with how people really do act.

The Japanese plot structure mentioned in this podcast is probably kishotenketsu, a four-act structure.

Katya mentions "several of the characters" as being Psy. The password Henry is given in (F Galton 1822) is based a real person from our world too. FWIW (don't think this is too spoilery) there are other real people mentioned every so often as the series progresses, but it is not a focal point. Nalini does so much foreshadowing in these books not only within each book, but in the series overall. There are things mentioned in the first few books that take center stage in much later books (I don't want to get into spoilers but it is fascinating since she leaves herself these breadcrumbs but the series isn't plotted out only the destination.) I am curious if the podcast is still going to stick to every other week for the books once the series switches to hardcover (with book 10) as the word count goes up (not quite double, but the hardcover books are significantly longer). I hope once you are done with the full-length books you do go back and cover the novellas (there are 10) and the short stories (numerous), She also has deleted scenes from some of the books. Going in published order is easiest as some stories are set currently in the timeline of the books and some are set in the past (the oldest being Tammy & Nate's story). But if you go in published order you will have the information needed for them all to make sense, And she tells you at the beginning of each one where they fit in the overall timeline. FWIW she knows many readers won't read the novellas or shorts so nothing happens in them that greatly impacts the overarching story. But they are fun.

Hawke is 32 in Caressed by Ice and 33 in his book (his 34th birthday is upcoming in Tangle of Need). Riley is 30 in Slave to Sensation (based on fact he is 10 years older than Brenna). Mercy is 28 in Slave to Sensation. The series starts in 2079 and we are only up to August 2083 in the latest book so time passes more slowly in book world.

Team Leslye as she'd known Zie Zen since she was a child. It was a respect for elder vibe (trying not to be spoilery). Dorian was unfair to Vasic IMO.

Nalini talks briefly about the topic from your early discussion in this episode (and her time as a lawyer) in the Q&A she did for Read For Pixels kzbin.info_mNrr9gtKOE

Thanks for the video. There are so many things I want to write about this series. You guys are doing a great job! I can't remember when I got this book on audio, but the release date was 2011. In part, this book was one of the first stories where the story really expanded. There is always something more interesting happening in the second or third listen/read. The shaming element was for these two characters only. It was a way they hurt themselves and each other. These characters are not my favorite in the series but they are in the top 10, b/c the human aspect. In more than one book in the series, adult changeling females do what they want. The book cover issue was a little disappointing especially since the series had at least two book cover changes. Overall I wish Nalini Singh had written more stories featuring shine/shadow characters. I often wondered what a human/human couple would look like living in a psy/changeling world.

Thank you, guys for this video podcast, Ines I am here for the Alpha rules. I haven't checked the chapter yet but the psy council mentions the Laurens family, but Sasha doesn't take notice of it. I will be looking into the author you guys mentioned and I'm re-listening. I am waiting to hear what you guys have to say about the Arrows.

Very excited as well! Looking forward to this! Love y'all's origin story 😝

I am so excited for the next episodes. This is going to be so fun!