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PODCAST

Hearts & Daggers

Holly Fairall and Devin MacDonald

Welcome to Hearts & Daggers, a podcast where we chat about the books that make our hearts race—whether that means we"re swooning onto the bed or hiding under the covers. Our hosts are Devin, a New Englander living in Colorado who loves romances that amp her up and make her giggle; and Holly, a New Yorker who loves nothing more than reading something dark, creepy, and mysterious. Each week we will discuss two books—one lighter, one darker—that are united by a common theme. We will also each share

arts books

All Episodes

51:35

Ep. 42: Politics (Red, White and Royal Blue + State...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/08/15

Summary: Join Holly and Devin as they explore the world of US and international politics on today’s episode! While neither of them have read many political books in the past, they appreciated these books specifically for their accuracy, the tension built, and the clear demonstration of the impact politics can have on the lives of those working in those spaces. Topics Discussed: The Heart (3:23): Devin discussed Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston, a novel that follows Alex (first son of

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48:13

Ep. 41: Argentina (Death Going Down + Hades, Argentina)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/08/01

Summary: ¡Bienvenido a Argentina! In our fifth and final stop of the Summer Jetset Series, Holly and Devin spend some time in South America enjoying books set in Argentina. They both agree that South America is underrepresented in books for both their wheelhouses and advocate for readers to seek out books from the continent purposefully, especially in translation. The use of magical elements across genres and the horrors of Argentine history are key for novels from the country and they both agree if

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46:49

Ep. 40: South Korea (XOXO + The Plotters)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/07/18

Summary: Add some Seoul to your day and join Holly and Devin in South Korea for today’s Summer Jetset Series episode! While neither of them have made it to Korea yet, they have both fallen in love with the country, the culture, the vibrancy and K-Pop. They appreciate the country for its massive pop-cultural influence in both music with KPop, KDramas and K-beauty trends and fashion - it’s exciting to see South Korea stepping more and more onto the global stage. Until you can book your tickets, come

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46:08

Ep. 39: France (Bruno, Chief of Police + The Paris...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/07/04

Summary: Bienvenue à Coeurs et Poignards, where today we’ll be armchair traveling to France for the next episode in our Summer Jetset Series! Both Holly and Devin have spent quality time in the country already; Devin is francophone and has lived in both Paris and Bordeaux, and Holly visited the south of France on her honeymoon (on top of other visits!). They agree that French culture resonates with their lifestyles, values, and dreams - passion, great food, relaxed lifestyle, art and millions of

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46:45

Ep. 38: India (Holly Jolly Diwali + Djinn Patrol on...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/06/20

Summary: Welcome to the second stop of our Summer Jetset Episode Series! Today, Holly and Devin are lucky enough to armchair visit a country neither of them have been able to see in person yet - India! A country much larger than it is often portrayed on maps, they are both drawn to the geographic, cultural, and culinary variety of the country. While neither have read a ton of books set in India, they are both avid readers of Indian (and Indian Immigrant) authors. They’ve also committed to set a

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52:58

Ep. 37: Italy (Death at La Fenice + One Italian Summer)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/06/06

Summary: Ciao, bella! Welcome to the first stop on our Summer Jetset Series - Italy! Today Devin and Holly visit Venice and Positano together to understand the close relationship between love and death in Italy. Since the time of Shakespeare, the country has been a place of passion in literature (second only, perhaps, to France). They agree that regardless of your prior experience visiting the country, novels set in the country are always vivid, intriguing, and colorful. Topics Discussed: The

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01:41

Minisode: Summer Hiatus Update

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/05/30

We’re coming to you today with a quick announcement - our minisodes will be going on hiatus for the summer! We’ll be giving ourselves a little extra free time this season and plan to bring our minisodes back bigger and better than ever soon. In the meantime, our main episodes will continue on their usual bi-weekly cadence to make sure that you all have what you need about genre fiction books and are sufficiently inspired for your summer beach reads. As always, if you have ideas for themes or other

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48:50

Ep. 36: Hollywood (The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/05/23

Summary: Welcome to Tinseltown, folks! This week, Holly(wood) and Devin dive into the glitz, the glam, the seedy underbelly of the symbol of the entertainment business. Holly recently moved closer to the epicenter of celebrity, while Devin has always been terrified to visit - intimidated by all of the people who figured out how to get famous. They find that across genres Hollywood has always held a wide appeal, and in almost no other theme is the difference between romance and murder so thin.

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24:42

Minisode: We Ask ChatGPT to Write Romance & Mystery...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/05/16

Summary: “In this episode, we explore the capabilities of ChatGPT, a large language model trained by OpenAI, to come up with romance and mystery synopses. Our hosts, Holly and Devin, will be using ChatGPT to generate plots and storylines for their very own romance and mystery novels.” And that was ChatGPT, too! Continuing these show notes using our boring human brains… Holly is fascinated and intrigued by ChatGPT and AI in general; Devin has been scarred since Smart House, the 1999 Disney Channel

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47:30

Ep. 35: Weekend Getaway (Rock Paper Scissors + Just...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/05/09

Summary: Pack your carry-on and get the heck outta town - this week, Holly and Devin break down books centered around a weekend getaway. They agree that putting protagonists in a brand new environment acts as a fantastic plot and character development catalyst - but of course the outcome of lighting that fuse could be murder or makin’ out, depending on genre. Get ready for some armchair travel on today’s episode. Topics Discussed: The Dagger (3:39): Holly discussed Rock Paper Scissors by Alice

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18:41

Minisode: How We Prioritize Reading

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/05/02

Summary: Do you wish you could read more, or start building a new habit of reading? Today, Devin and Holly discuss how they prioritize reading amidst their crazy schedules and lives. Their top tips are: Audiobooks! While you’re on a walk, at the gym, cooking, running errands, or cleaning - pop on an audiobook. Both Devin and Holly are not sensory snobs and absolutely count listening to an audiobook as reading. Don’t hesitate to speed the audio up, as well. Devin enjoys 1.2x but there are people

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42:09

Ep. 34: Neurodivergence (The Kiss Quotient + The Good...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/04/25

Summary: Happy National Autism Awareness Month! Today, Holly and Devin discuss books with neurodivergent protagonists. They agree that all kinds of diversity in books are not only important but provide a helpful and enjoyable window into the lives of folkx with whom you haven’t interacted (yet). Holly shared some key things to look out for in neurodivergent writing - avoiding stereotypes, ensuring there’s diversity of gender, sexuality and race, avoiding infantilizing neurodivergent characters, and

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22:12

Minisode: Debriefing A Court of Silver Flames by...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/04/18

Summary: SPOILER ALERT! This minisode is a deep-dive with Holly and Devin after they finished reading A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas and they do *not* hold back. If you haven’t read the series or this book yet, we highly recommend that you go back and get caught up before listening! Holly and Devin’s key points were: Silver Flames was clearly a transitional book in the series: there was more telling than showing for most of the novel, the enemies and villains felt far away and temporary,

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48:22

Ep. 33: On Set (Plain Bad Heroines + You Had Me at Hola)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/04/11

Summary: Lights, Camera, Action! In our case, sometimes the action is steamy and other times involves more knives and screaming. Devin and Holly discuss books that take place on set today, and agree that the pizzazz and magic of making films or TV shows add a fun dimension to books across genres. Devin highlighted the focus for romance authors on the “everyman” character getting their spotlight - readers won’t relate as well to famous people being famously in love. Holly appreciated how sets can

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16:04

Minisode: Holly's Mystery Origin Story

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/04/04

Summary: Holly spent much of her childhood dressing and acting like Wednesday Addams - so her passion for mysteries and thrillers should be no surprise. But how did she get into the genre she’s now so passionate about? Read below to learn more and understand how to follow in her footsteps: Holly fell in love with mysteries early in life, keeping a notebook à la Harriet the Spy and binge watching Are You Afraid of the Dark? In her youth. She then pivoted to Sherlock Holmes and Nancy Drew stories,

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43:50

Ep: 32: Moving In Together (Count Your Lucky Stars +...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/03/28

Summary: Today, Holly and Devin explore the rest of what happens after “and they were roommates!” by discussing books featuring people who move in together. While this theme might feel squarely in Devin’s wheelhouse, but not to worry - murder can happen when you move in together, too. They agree that similar to any forced proximity narrative, a roommate situation really amps up the pressure and forces both the reader and the protagonists to ask “how well do you really know someone?” Of course, for

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14:06

Minisode: Devin's Romance Origin Story

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/03/21

Summary: By now you all know that Devin loves a good romance - but how did she get into the genre she’s now so passionate about? Read below to learn more and understand how to follow in her footsteps: Devin read her first romance in 2019, at the age of 29. Late in life? Maybe, but better late than never. She found a grocery store paperback romance in a time when a distraction and escapism were more welcome than ever and she’s never looked back. Intimacy and romantic relationships are, for most

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51:28

Ep. 31: In Transit (Bullet Train + The Unhoneymooners)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/03/14

Summary: Hop on board, buckle up, and stow your luggage, folks - we’re in transit today! Whether by plane, train or automobile, travel can open up a lot of possibilities for characters across genres. Holly and Devin talk through the “closed door” atmosphere transit can bring to a story, and how physical travel can augment the metaphorical evolution of character arcs with a more unique twist. Topics Discussed: The Dagger (9:10): Holly discussed Bullet Train by Kotaro Isaka, a novel that follows

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20:23

Minisode: Author Interview, Jessa Maxwell (The Golden...

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/03/07

Summary: We were honored to have our first author guest on the podcast, Jessa Maxwell! The Golden Spoon, which we discussed in episode 23, is available wherever you get your books today (March 7, 2023). Holly and Jessa discuss the book, key points of which were: Maxwell had always wanted to write a book (inspired by Lucy Foley) and was passionate about a locked room mystery. During the pandemic, she finally decided to go for it and after hours of drawing while The Great British Baking Show played

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58:16

Ep. 30: LoveFest (Louise Penny)

Hearts & Daggers ·

2023/02/28

Summary: Louise Penny is one of Canada’s most prolific and successful authors - she writes dark, heart wrenching murders that somehow pair well with a quiet town with quaint bed and breakfasts and bistros with some of the best food ever described. Holly and Devin fell in love with the Armand Gamache detective series years ago, and today they finally get to gush about Louise and her writing for the podcast! Check out a spoiler-free LoveFest to learn why both Holly and Devin cannot get enough of these

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