Latest / Cait & Court's Cozy Corner: Romance Readers / Let's Talk About: Dolly All the Time with author Annabel Monaghan
Transcript
- Caitlin Stryker: Hi everyone. Welcome back to Cait and Court's Cozy Corner. ⁓ We have a very special guest with us today. We are so excited. have Annabel Did I say that correctly Annabel? Courtney: Okay. Yes. Annabel Monaghan: You did. The G is silent. So thank you. Yes. You nailed it. Yes. I'm so happy to be here in your Cozy Corner. This feels cozy already. I love it. Caitlin Stryker: Yes! Got it! Amazing! Courtney: Woo-hoo! We got in there. Caitlin Stryker: Okay, good. Courtney: Thank you. We're so happy to have you. And we have your new book we're going to talk about Dolly All The Time, which comes out for us next week. So I'm going to show the picture here. Which is so good. Oh my gosh. Annabel, I - If I could like say what a quintessential cozy summer romance book is it is this book like you just I just loved it every second of it. I was just like, Oh, thank you. Yes, this book exists. This book needs to exist. And it's just that escape. every woman needs and Dolly is just such a fun female main character that you just get to go on this beautiful ride with and I loved it so much. So let me say it to you. First of all, it's so good. So good. And like, you're, I love how you always get to women of our age and motherhood and what they're going through, but then there's still a life and still love and it's in this way that you're never taken out of it because of the real life stuff. Like you're still Annabel Monaghan: Thank you. ⁓ Courtney: in the joy and the coziness of the romance. And I think that's a really hard thing to do and something you do so well. And that is like a signature in your book. So thank you for representing women of all ages in such a poetic way. It's amazing. Annabel Monaghan: I think maybe I don't remember being in love without having children and a mortgage and a dishwasher. And it's just been so long for me that I think it's probably just easier for me to write about like the big feelings and also have like the pain of having other people to deal with because I've just had that for so long. Caitlin Stryker: you can really feel it. And I was texting Court as we reading it. And I was like, I don't know why this book has me really emotional. I was crying, but not in a way where I was like, bothered. I just think it felt so nice to feel seen. I'm 41. I have a 10-year-old. So even Dolly's relationship, we'll talk about, we'll get the synopsis of the book in a minute, but her relationship with her son, who is 13, and kind of that like, Courtney: Yes. Yeah. Mm. you Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: change over from when they are like, you know, like a baby to then when their needs are different. And there was something about that that like was really like hitting me. And then hurt the demands on her life, you know, the pull between like aging parents and children and family members and all of that. And it just felt so there was something that was really refreshing. There's a lot of the books we've read lately, it's been like 20 year olds. Courtney: Mm-hmm Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Well, and you know, I was also in love when I was a 20 year old, of course. And so I remember that too. ⁓ But I do think there's something so rich about ⁓ falling in love and being in love when you have so many other things to deal with. It's like, you almost have to prioritize things. I feel like in the story, it increases the tension a little bit. I don't know, it's really, it's fun to write. I just. Caitlin Stryker: Please! Courtney: Yep. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: I love you. Annabel Monaghan: I love the complexity of it. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ Oh my gosh. Okay, well. Courtney: You can feel that I'll let you give the synopsis about what this book is Caitlin Stryker: And then we can go further. Annabel Monaghan: So Dolly All The Time ⁓ is story of Dolly Brick, who is ⁓ a mom ⁓ with full-time job and three side hustles, who is basically the emergency contact for everyone in her family. ⁓ She does a lot of things. ⁓ And finds herself back at home ⁓ in her hometown of Whitfield, Rhode Island. I made it up. Courtney: . Annabel Monaghan: To help out her dad and her disabled brother because there was a small fire. ⁓ when she gets there, she finds herself in a fake dating situation with the heir to the Whitefield fortune, ⁓ who happens to be just as hardworking as she is. ⁓ basically the same person in his family, except that they have a kajillion dollars that she is ⁓ madness ensues. ⁓ that? Courtney: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. That fantastic. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: That's so good. Annabel Monaghan: It's easier to write a book than it is to write a synopsis, I'll tell you that. It's so hard. Courtney: It's so hard. We have saying when I write my book reviews and blurbs like ⁓ it's so hard to encapsulate in like a little blurb what it was or what the experience was or the vibe other than like it's amazing. You have to read it. It's really hard to like bring it down to bite size. Yeah. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: We were just talking about that. like we read Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, it's a skill. don't have it, but there you go. That's basically what it's about. It's like pretty woman, but like she doesn't have to give them a bath or anything. Caitlin Stryker: And then it goes further than that. ⁓ is like Pretty Woman, which I love Pretty Woman so much. ⁓ But I love where it extends beyond, you know, ⁓ we get further into the book and then Dolly's whole ⁓ that she has going on in the way that she kind of like, you know, holds her own. Yeah, the way the book ended, I was like, this is a romance, right? Like we're gonna get there. ⁓ Courtney: It's ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: so much. Courtney: Well, that's something Annabelle does. The one thing about reading Annabelle is you're going to get a big time lapse where the characters are not going to talk to each other. Right, which I just recently reread again. So that's why I'm in the... ⁓ right. He's gone. Annabel Monaghan: I think only, only in Nora goes off script, right? Well, I saw somebody on Threads the other day, just made me laugh out loud. She said, I am three quarters of the way through Nora Goes Off Script and I'm about to throw this book against the wall. What is happening here? I was like, hang in there, just five more pages. Courtney: Mm. But it's true. You read that it's similar to this one Cait and where like he goes away. So it is spoilers, but we are reading a romance. So if you haven't read it, go read it, come back, join us. ⁓ But he goes away and is like working on himself and comes back almost a year later. Nora Goes Off Script, the same thing happens with an actor you're supposed to go and come back a couple days later, then he just never returns. ⁓ And then have like these side conversations that you both know they both think something else happened, but you don't know what happened. You're like What is happening? Why are they not talking? And then they finally do and it's beautiful. And it's a great story. But it's similar vibes to this one I and Annabel because I knew you're coming on I reread all of your back books that I've read over the years. I could be like fresh in it again. Because I love it. Why wouldn't I it's like the best way to two weeks back in your world with all these amazing female characters and lovable side characters. So I've been on this like Annabel joyride for the last week and a half going back through all the books. It's been so fun. And I've loved every second of it. And the one thing I came back to is again, like you're talking about that richness of in Nora Goes Off Script and this one of that woman, especially for me being 40, you know, 41, ⁓ don't remember anymore. ⁓ But that experience and you've taken like, yes, this is Little Women, it's, it's not Little Women Pretty ⁓ but it's Pretty Woman who has boundaries and who knows her worth and isn't hiding. Annabel Monaghan: is so nice. Caitlin Stryker: Love. Courtney: She's the pretty one that's like, yes, but also my dad runs this shop that is, like, she's not pretending she's something she's not, other than pretending to be his girlfriend, obviously, the fake dating. But she's who she is. And that's what I think is so rich and so refreshing when reading these stories. You're not like figuring who she is out at the same time. You just figure out the relationship and what that looks like for her. And I love that so much. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, she doesn't a lot of time. She doesn't have a lot of time. But I was also like, but she's also finding her, her backbone at a certain point. She goes, okay, I've been taking care of everybody, you know? And then she goes like, wait a minute at a certain point. And she's like, what about me? And it's kind of when it all falls apart with Whitfield at that point. And then, and then I love when she goes back to him and she's like, Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, and she doesn't have a lot of... See you again. Caitlin Stryker: Here's my piece that I have to say and she has her girlfriend with her. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, that was my favorite part. I loved writing that. I found it was so satisfying. I was like, ⁓ yes, let's let him have it. ⁓ There's something about being a ⁓ ⁓ giving of yourself ⁓ the elderly or to your children or to whoever ⁓ taking care of in the world. And it kind of becomes a habit for certain personalities to be like, I've got ⁓ Courtney: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: You know what, I've got it, you guys. I'm the one, sure, I'll host, sure, I'll bake, I'll cook, I'll everything. And you stop asking for help. And in doing that, you kind of do a disservice to everybody else who doesn't have a chance to step up. And that's kind of something that she goes through in the story. It is so heroic how much she does for everyone. And yet, would it kill her to let her sister bring a pie to Thanksgiving, for God sakes? Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. ⁓ And with water. Annabel Monaghan: Come on. And that's kind of what she thinks. Courtney: that's also Cait. Like, Cait, like a week after having a baby in a c-section hosted her whole family and was like cooking for everyone while she's like just had a kid. Caitlin Stryker: It was totally a mistake. I was like, I looked back on that time and I was like, why, why did I do that? Like, what was I, I was out of my mind with like postpartum things and just trying to prove I could do it all, you know? Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. course it will. Well, you want to prove you can do it all. You know you can do it all. You've done it all a million times. And so it's just like, sure. Yeah, no, I'll, yeah, why don't you all come here? Sure. I'll just, I got it. I mean, it's just, it can take over your life. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, I think is probably why I was so emotional in the book. really got it with Dolly. It's too much. But then I also really loved her life hack which was like, so proud of myself. They totally saved like where she's like, I basically made money because I saved money. Her little things that she does. I was like, I'm not the only. Courtney: Yes. And that... Yeah. you Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. Courtney: you Annabel Monaghan: Okay, you know, I do that. Like, I do. I do it only with money. I don't do it with, like sometimes I do it with time. I think of time and money as actually the same thing. ⁓ But I will like go on a walk and think, wow, I could have done a yoga class for 30 bucks. I just made 30 bucks on my walk. I do stuff like that in my head. Caitlin Stryker: You do too? Yeah. Courtney: Deal? Mm-hmm Caitlin Stryker: Totally. Yes. Yes. All the time. Because, and then you're like, ⁓ my God, look at how I'm up today. I'm in the black. ⁓ Courtney: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Or I pay myself in my mind for stuff I didn't buy. Like, ⁓ I'd met. Caitlin Stryker: Cheers. Yeah, ooh. Courtney: Oh, I do that. Like, oh, I saved us $20, and I didn't buy that today, the thing I didn't need. And I work in retail in a bookstore, so that is quite often my daily. Like, I didn't buy that. I left it on hold. That's why. The rewards. Caitlin Stryker: us. Annabel Monaghan: Yes, I bet. Caitlin Stryker: which is huge, you know, or like going and like candles, like expensive candles. like, just smelled it in the store and put it down and walked away, save $50, just made $50 right there. Annabel Monaghan: If you ⁓ walk away from the candles, you can give yourself a $50 a day raise for the entire year. And that is a meaningful amount that you can spend on something else. Yes. Yes. I don't know what we're going to call this economics, but it's, ⁓ I, it's in my head. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Right? Exactly. Exactly. Courtney: It's true. I love it. That's Caitlin Stryker: It's a blue. Courtney: I mean, there's the girl math, but maybe this will be the like, ⁓ I don't know, peri-change or something. ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: math, there's something about it. It's like rewarding yourself. ⁓ Dolly an optimizer ⁓ of all the things. ⁓ Like, I could do this and, you know, she puts the butter out the night before so that it's soft so that she can bake the thing in the morning. You know, she works, she her life ⁓ pretty hard. ⁓ It's a personality fight. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: See it. Courtney: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: does. And then ⁓ I do think it's cool how Whitfield, Stuart compliments in a different way, you know, like he also is carrying so much pressure from his- because he does have, he does have so much money. And I did think it was interesting. was reading and I, I, Court have you been to Rhode Island? Like, you been to the state of Rhode Island before? Okay. ⁓ It is that like, Courtney: Yes, she does. Mm-hmm. No. Caitlin Stryker: old money that is so much money and those mansions on the I mean, it's like, absurd. And then this is wild because the like, Court and I are both from Vancouver and well, of Court's from Toronto, but like the beaches are privatized. Like they actually like privatize their public. I'm like, you can't do that. You can't say that you own the beach in my Courtney: Yeah, which is insane. Annabel Monaghan: No one owns the sand. Caitlin Stryker: No, that's for everybody, you know? And then these homes, they look like castles from England. Like this is like really old, big money. And so when I was reading the book and then I'm thinking of like Dolly's world and his, and I'm like, okay, and he's got problems, you know? But then you realize all the pressure he's under and how he kind of tries to take it all on. And it was a nice balance that happened there. ⁓ It felt very adult and like... Courtney: Yeah, but I liked the twist you gave it to I like that in the end, he wasn't right for the promotion that it was his cousin, even though he's a jerk is good at CEO and he like realize his own boundaries for himself and what he couldn't can do because you don't read that very often in these books. It's like the man manages to accomplish everything and the woman like settles somewhere and is still happy. So I really actually really liked that part that you worked that in. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: I didn't want the prize. Courtney: And the conversation of the other baby like her being forty and him wanting kids and like, even at the end when they're in their happy, ebb and flow moment of like, we've talked about this in bed out of bed, like, I'm not having another baby. And then he does the beautiful scene of adopting her son. But I thought that was so amazing to like, have there and the importance of that, because it is something that we see all the time. Yeah. And it is a huge boundary. It's a huge thing to take that on as an older woman and be like to start again or to not and it's hard. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, I mean that's country, right? Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: There's a lot of pressure around that sometimes. And I really liked the honestness of that conversation too. Annabel Monaghan: Because some rich guy can't tell you to have a baby. Should we just end the whole thing right here? Just right here. That was absolutely... Caitlin Stryker: No. Courtney: Yeah, and it doesn't mean. Yeah, that's it. Close that mic drop. Some rich guy can't tell you to have a baby. What we got? Yes. Annabel Monaghan: I'll use my light that I've got going here just to convey the importance of what I'm saying. Courtney: Because you see it a lot, right? You see a lot of like the celebrity breakups and the guy ends up dating someone in their 20s. And then so more babies can come and we're like, they still want to more kids in their life or they waited too long. And that's often what you see happen. And it makes it feel like there's nothing there if you are someone in your later 30s or 40s, because you're not in that place anymore. And I really appreciate the light that the shine like no, they're still valuable relationship to be had, even if that's not part of your life, like Caitlin Stryker: Yeah Annabel Monaghan: Yes, Mothering Caitlin Stryker: No! Courtney: Exactly. Caitlin Stryker: It's not. you know, yes. And it's, you know, for years, it was so interesting for years, it was really hard for me to like, accept and claim that like, I am a mom and I'm a great mom, you know, as like part of my thing, because I was always like, but that's not all that I am, you know, like as a woman, I have more. Yeah. Courtney: Yeah, right. Mm-hmm. Yes. Annabel Monaghan: And your identity gets really tied up in it and ⁓ the expectations from other people as to how you're gonna behave and how you're gonna spend your time. I mean, there's just such a ⁓ power struggle that is in motherhood. ⁓ And I don't know what the answer is. mean, I, yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. I have question. Courtney: Mm-hmm Caitlin Stryker: No. How do you find being a writer balancing writing with motherhood? Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: Well, my kids are grown. So the trajectory of my life was ⁓ I worked in finance job, I quit that job. I was at home with my children, I have three sons, for a really long time trying to be a writer. And I would sneak time away, like, ⁓ I to school, I'm gonna write a book, I'm gonna write an article. And I wrote a column for a long time, I wrote a couple of YA books that nobody read. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Mm. and Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: And it wasn't really until my children were almost completely grown that I wrote Nora Goes Off script, which is kind of started what I'm doing now. So I was 50. So, yeah. So I, yeah, I had two kids in college. I mean, that was, it was like a, I had two kids in college and one in middle school. Courtney: Wow. Caitlin Stryker: Okay. Courtney: love that so much. Sorry, but it's very inspiring to hear. No, for real. Like that's it's amazing. Annabel Monaghan: So you have one kid in middle school, like you don't really see that person very much. So it wasn't like that was all taking away from anything. And then when things sort of took off for me and I was writing in earnest full-time and touring and traveling a lot, it happened to correspond with when my husband retired, like practically at the same minute. He was like, I'm done. And I said, I'll take it from here. And so then he was home. Courtney: Wow. Annabel Monaghan: with our kid and our dog, and I was out doing my thing. It just, it worked out for me in a really, really nice way. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, that's amazing. Courtney: that balance because it's so hard to find. And it I mean, in those ways, when I hear like your story, I'm like, Oh, that worked out exactly as it was meant to be like the timing, the balance of being gone and trying to do it because kids even though the motherhood thing can get, you know, it gets mixed up in your identity, it is when they are young, like both of our kids are 10. And then I also have a seven year old and going, they do need you so much even when you're the one gone that Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, I mean, I got so lucky. Courtney: There's still a part of my brain, no matter what I'm doing, that has some kind of ticker tape going about something they need in my 50 jobs. Annabel Monaghan: And mine do too. My oldest is about to turn 28 and I still, I mean, I think it's just the rest of my life. I still, like he's moving into a new place and that's what is he, what's he thinking about this? And did he file a tax return? I don't know. Maybe should I ask? Should I not ask? You know, like all that, like I don't really think the mental thing ends. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Bye! Courtney: Well, and the friend thing, right? So my daughter's in grade four, so she's starting to have like these things with crushes and boys and questions. And I have this thing, I'm like, okay, I have to answer this right. I have to get this right. Like I need to be the cool mom or the mom that she'll talk to about this stuff. So I can't be like, I feel like I'm all of a sudden under all this pressure again. I'm like, okay, we're in this world now. How do I do this? Caitlin Stryker: and Annabel Monaghan: are at the starting gate for something. ⁓ It'll fine. It's going to be fine. But it's not nothing. ⁓ What ahead of you. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney: Yeah. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: I know. like, I love this saying, ⁓ my thing is like, six to 12 is like the precious window, you know, and in between diapers and drugs is what someone said to me and I was like, Oh God. ⁓ Like have okay, I've got like a couple more years of like we're enjoying ourselves before before we get some. There's just this ⁓ it a little more real and then you have adult children now but then like Courtney: Yeah, it's, Caitlin Stryker: the bigger the kids, the bigger the problems. And so there's something like scary about that. Like now when I call my mom with something like it's doozy usually, you know, if I'm in tears, we've got some. Courtney: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. But you know what I just want to say, totally off topic, I feel like when you have younger kids, older women want to say to you, just wait till they're teenagers. What a nightmare. And they just, it's like, it's something people say. And you know what? All teenagers are not nightmares. And they don't wake up one day completely off the rails. It's like, you're... Courtney: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: There's gonna be like, there's a time when they're like weird about their bodies and maybe they're secretive, whatever it is, but they're really not the monsters that people want you to believe they are. I don't know why everybody wants to scare each other about what's coming. It's not that. Yeah, it's fine. It's fine. And they're kind of interesting. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, well, and there's that too. mean, feel like teenagers en masse like as a pack are kind of terrifying, but like one on one. And if you think like your kid is like at home with you, like that's different. And again, like I said it earlier in the book, but it was one of my favorite parts about this book and reading it and the fact that like Dolly's son is is 13 and the whole thing and, and she has those moments Court like you were saying, or she's like, I'm just not saying Courtney: to hearing that. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, they're Caitlin Stryker: anything to stay cool, like to not blow this. Courtney: true. I think and that's what I meant to say with that little rant I had is like Dolly going through that their kid and him making his friends and finding that balance and wanting to give those moments like sure he'll take you on his boat and like I just loved it because it's all exactly what we're all going through all the time and trying to find that balance and Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, just trying to do it right. And you know, none of us are ever gonna do it right. So it's kind of relaxing to let that go. Like how cringy you're gonna be is just beyond your own imagination. Like, will be so cringy. That's fine. Courtney: Yeah. Yeah, I already embarrass them all the time just by saying hi to people and they're like, mom, I'm like, I'm saying hi, like. Caitlin Stryker: So creepy. Yes. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, don't do that. Courtney, don't do that. Stop it. Come on. Courtney: How dare I? Yeah, we're like not allowed to make eye contact now at pickup until she comes over to us. If she's with a friend like do not acknowledge or wave. Other friends can, their parents, but not me. I have to like wait to the side until I'm like acknowledged. And then I can hug her when we're off the schoolyard. It's so very like, okay, this is what we're doing. It's fine. It's fine. We've all, we're all getting through it. Annabel Monaghan: terrible. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ my god. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: No, you will. You'll get through it. It'll be fine. Courtney: I have to one my favorite lines of yours recently when I was rereading Cait you haven't got to read it but you'll appreciate it as I loved in Nora Goes Off Script ⁓ the price of bananas because it's something I think about all the time. Like I can't believe how cheap are and I always think it ⁓ like when I get grapes I'm like can we just eat more bananas? They're the thing that have stayed cheap, like efficient ⁓ and that we could keep eating ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: It's all I think about. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, are so And don't get me started on strawberries. I call them bougie berries now. Annabel Monaghan: It's absolutely insane. Courtney: Yes. Not, and they're, they're not even crushed. It's like $20 for bag of grapes and they're not even crushed yet. You're what are we doing here? There's like, there's other ways. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. know Instagram is always trying to tell me blueberries to like anti-oxidize myself or something. I'm like, it would be cheaper to get a facelift than to buy enough blueberries to do that. But bananas, Courtney, I mean, like 39 cents a pound. I don't even understand it. Courtney: Right? I'm here with you. It's amazing. They're the one thing that is saying, I think I've read them. Yes. I think this all the time. Let's keep getting bananas and keep it where it is. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, I'd like to get to the bottom of Caitlin Stryker: Okay, you have, okay, so you definitely, Annabelle, you have lines that you write clearly that are worth sharing, because I shared a line from this book to two people. I shared it to Court, and then I shared it to my mom, and it was the moment where she goes, the compliment was so big, she couldn't take it in, so she just let it fall to the ground between the two of them, and I was like, and I remember reading that line, I totally got teary reading that line, and I was like, ⁓ God, I love how that's written. Like she couldn't take it. She just let it drop between them and like carried on. And I was like, that's so good. Yeah. So. Annabel Monaghan: Wow, thank you. Thank you. I forgot about that. I do know that feeling though. You know, where something is like, it's too much kindness and you don't, you are like, you're not equipped to hold it. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, I know the feeling. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney: Yes, it's, ⁓ I love how aware of it she is what it's happening too. Cause we all feel it, but you can't do anything about it. You're like, okay. And I'm going to keep moving on because I can't actually handle this right now. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. Also, you know, in fairness, in a book, you can stop and record the feeling that you're having. In real life, you just keep moving. So, you you may have that internal dialogue just this much, but I'm typing. I can type as slow as I want. So I'm going to write out the entirety of what you're feeling. So you do get there a little bit faster in a book. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: Yes, it's Caitlin Stryker: You Yes, yes, we do, which I think is one of the things that we all have. Courtney: That's fair. Yes. And have you because Caitlin Stryker: You know, that's the nice thing about reading a book is it helps articulate your thoughts and feelings. What were you going to say? Yeah. Courtney: Yeah, when Yes. Well, I was gonna ask because of this one and where it's taking place and the writing and the motions, but a lot of them, because I did your deep dive reread, a lot of them are couple have to do with like a famous singer or acting and slamming off the script and the one from last summer romance. Like, did you have a lot of experience with writing any film or TV as well? Was that any part of your background? Or is that just something you liked writing about? Okay. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, that's true. No, No, but I will, I'm from Los Courtney: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Thank Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: I just think it's an interesting thing to see somebody that we all collectively idolize and a situation and a job and whatever that is like, ⁓ you made it because you're in the movies and to learn that it's not all you thought it was and to learn that like it might be as hollow as, you know, any other job that you might have and to that, you know, that people aren't feeling fulfilled as fulfilled as the people who are making, you know, millionth of what they're making. I think it's just an interesting thing to explore. So I do love, I love, I love just like getting into the head of a celebrity and seeing what that's like. Like Leo, for example, I remember, I remember thinking like, he says something about, and honestly, I have not read that book in seven years, but something about he looked around his table at Thanksgiving and everybody was on his payroll. And he was like, that's gotta be weird. Courtney: Yes. Okay. Yes! That was a pun. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Ooh, that's gotta be weird. You're not getting a real... Yeah. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Like how do you know who your friends are? Courtney: Yeah. Well, I mean, you must even feel it sometimes when you go to your book signings or the conventions and you can have all the publishing people all around you. It's all very like in that moment, people handling you in the team for you. Like, I don't know. Have you had that much? Are you kind of doing you're keeping at the group? Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: I think that's Ellen Hildebrandt. That doesn't really happen. I go by myself. I walk in. I have to introduce myself. I'm like, no, I'm, cause I'm the one with the, and then I pull out the picture in the back of the book. I'm like, see? Caitlin Stryker: amazing. Courtney: See, it's me. Caitlin Stryker: Amazing. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, no, I actually, don't feel famous like that. ⁓ But I do get entirely blown away on book tour by the people who show up and their enthusiasm and their like general love of a story with a happy ending. Like they're the most positive people. They're like optimists that show up for these things. And I just get, I get such a bang out of that. It's such a good time. Courtney: you Yes. Caitlin Stryker: It is my- Courtney: Well, that's where Dolly came from, right? It's from one of... Annabel Monaghan: Dallas, Texas, I haven't found her. I've posted it so many times on Instagram. like, you came to my book signing. Do you not follow me on Instagram? She was just this cute young lady and she said, oh, you write your name on a sticker, like on a post it for signing. And I looked at it I said, you're Dolly? And she gave me this smile. She said, yeah, I'm Dolly. I was like, yes. Courtney: ⁓ she hasn't she hasn't seen the quote yet. Hahaha Annabel Monaghan: I don't know what book is about but I'm going to write a book about Dolly. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ Oh my god. Dolly, where are ⁓ Courtney: I love that so much. It's such a great hood to them. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Dolly, do you listen to this? I mean, come on. ⁓ Courtney: I literally was something last night that was like a 200 person romance book signing event that I was running for someone. And I have to say that- Oh, we lost Caitlin. ⁓ no, hopefully she'll come back. ⁓ Come back, Cait. ⁓ fans that were ⁓ they're just the best and they just love it and they love reading and they love talking to each other and getting excited about romance and going. And I think romance books part of what inspires this podcast. I think they just, romance readers are just the best people. They're just so happy and willing to celebrate all these like happy endings and looking for that escape into these worlds that are comfy and cozy and that you can go for the ride. And I think that's what your books always are and always give to your readers. So I work for Indigo in Canada and so many friends at the different stores when I said we were going to be talking to you, they were like, ⁓ I love her. I love her. I love her like Annabel Monaghan: Okay. Courtney: All of us, everyone was like, ⁓ my gosh, Annabelle, everyone loves your books. There's such a staple summer read. So. Annabel Monaghan: I got to go to Canada last August ⁓ for a library festival and I had never been to Toronto before. It was such a blast. Caitlin Stryker: Woo. Yeah. Courtney: Was that the one with Elsie Silver? And then I went at the Toronto? I'm trying to remember what I saw you there. Annabel Monaghan: I didn't meet Elsa Silver. I was on a panel with ⁓ Ashley Poston. That was really fun. The whole thing was fun. I had too much to drink. It was hard. I had a... Courtney: Yes, okay. I remember this one. Yeah. As good happened in Toronto. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: I get all excited and then I have too much drink and then I'm like somebody get me out of here. I blew it. I forgot that I'm not with my friends like my like intimate friends and now I'm gonna embarrass myself. Courtney: You Annabel Monaghan: Well, I ended up going out afterwards with Ashley Poston and Carly Fortune, and we had had dinner and then we were walking. Carly wanted to show us Toronto and we walked around and then we were in the hotel bar. I don't know what happened, but I forgot that I wasn't 22. That's what happened. I woke up in the morning, I was like, what just happened to me in Toronto with those ladies? It was so fun. I loved it. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Right. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: All romance writers look at ⁓ yes that's amazing Annabel Monaghan: Totally worth it. That was fun. Caitlin Stryker: That is so fun. Courtney: ⁓ Oh my gosh. Well, you'll have to come to Vancouver, sometime too. That was very cute. Yes. Caitlin Stryker: I love what you were saying. Annabel Monaghan: And ⁓ speaking of Carly, her new book, have read her new book? Our Perfect Storm. So where is that? That's off the coast of Vancouver, where that takes place? Okay, I want to go there. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Courtney: Yes, so good Yes. Tofino she's doing like she's doing a thing there. Tofino is gorgeous. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: I mean, if it's half as gorgeous as the way she describes it. Yeah. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Vancouver Island in the summertime is, is heaven. It's really amazing. I mean, the East coast, like Connecticut, you know, area where you're New England, all that is really beautiful in the summer too. But yeah, Vancouver Island in the summer is, is unparalleled and it's wild cause nobody really knows about it. Like, you know, when you realize like around the world, like it's a little secret. My parents live on Vancouver Island and they're, they're actually on the East coast. Courtney: Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: side of the island, not on the open side of Tofino. it just doesn't matter where you go. Everywhere you go, there's like a perfect beach, or then there's a river, or there's cliff jumping, or there's, and there's, and no one's there. It's so amazing. Yeah. Yeah. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: I would really like to see that. Do you know that my husband's Canadian? Caitlin Stryker: What? Courtney: Izzy, where's he from? Annabel Monaghan: He's from Ontario, from a little town called Iroquois. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: Okay. Courtney: Iroquois, Ontario. Okay. Annabel Monaghan: It's the smallest town I've ever been to in my whole life. Like, I've never been to such a small town. ⁓ he's Canadian. I'm gonna make him speak Canadian. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Courtney: yeah, get him to come there. I'm from Ontario originally. I've been in Vancouver for 10 years. So I know like, ⁓ like Cait saying, like I up with like the Muskoka's Ontario very much like that picturesque cottage country and I love it. But there's something very special about Vancouver Island and like the parks area that's just like, like- unparalleled. It's gorgeous. So definitely, definitely worth the Yeah. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Yes, you might! Annabel Monaghan: Good night. Caitlin Stryker: it really is. Yeah, yeah, no, Canada is like a little hidden gem. And also, think Canada is so wild too, because it really is just a bunch of small towns. Like we are all just like small town people. Like there's three big cities, you know? And you'll be driving. Annabel Monaghan: Okay, I'm in. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, yeah, and you'll be driving somewhere and like there will be no, there's no one around until you hit the next town like for a long time. Unlike, you know, states like California where you're driving and it's just like all populated. That's not the case in Canada. Yeah. Courtney: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah. There's no breaks in the US it's like, we're just all, ⁓ yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Nope. Courtney: It's that weird it's a huge country, but it's very small. I probably somehow have some connection that I know your husband like that happens to it's like that funny joke here from Canada, you know, John from here, but like it actually does happen like all the time. ⁓ I won't but Caitlin Stryker: Thank Annabel Monaghan: He moved to the US when he was 14. No one knows. Courtney: No, I'm sure I don't know your husband, but I'm just saying it's really funny that it is like this huge country that really is that small that people know, like someone knows someone are going even though it's vast in size. It's really funny. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: I love that so much. God. And great romance writers, great comedians, great romance writers. You guys, you have a lot to offer. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, it's really nice. We have lot of great romance writers and great comedians. And this is, you mentioned this earlier about like the romance community. And so one of the things with Court and I is I'm, I'm new to reading romance books and Court has been, she's like, you know, read them all and has been into it for years. And I finally was like, okay, I'm gonna like, come and like read some of these. And then I was like, ⁓ Oh my God, these are amazing! She was like, I told ⁓ And now I'm deeply ⁓ and like learning all the tropes and terms and all of the things. But one of my favorite parts is the earnestness, the authenticity I find and the optimism of the fans and the writers and the thing. There's just something so wonderful about this genre all around, which I just have fallen so deeply in love with, because it's missing out there in so much of the world. And it just makes life so much more fun. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: You can feel it. you know, it's it's I don't know what the statistic is anymore, but romance makes up a big portion of the book buying world. And, you know, they say that romance readers buy three books a week. I don't know if that's true, ⁓ but it's. ⁓ It might be. Yeah, and, know, it's in response to a world where we really do not are not relying on a happy ending that we were promised as children. Caitlin Stryker: Mm. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yes, it does. Something probably close to that honestly like the real ones that are in there. Yeah Annabel Monaghan: ⁓ There is just, there's so much shakiness out there and so much uncertainty. And you go to romance and you see people having a better life, changing in some positive way because they've opened up to another person. And I think it just feels really, really good. Having said that, it's not as good as going to the events and seeing the people because the romance people are just like, they're like pure love. They're like. Courtney: Yes. Yes. Annabel Monaghan: It's amazing. It's amazing. When I go on book tour, I never get tired. I'm like, can we do this again? It's amazing. Courtney: ⁓ I love that so much. Caitlin Stryker: Wait. Yeah, ⁓ that's so huge. Courtney: And I saw for this book, too, two things with that. You've written your books. You always keep them like closed door on your own, which I still love. ⁓ We talk a lot about like the spice meters and ⁓ obviously for these books, I would say we do like a pumpkin spice meter. ⁓ But I would put these books at like a one and a half. to two on the spice meter. I say, cause one is like a kiss, like a why, where yours like we acknowledge they are having sex and they're doing it, we're just not in the room with them while it's happening. We leave it. So I do one and a half to two. But is that something that you've always just preferred or is it just kind of how your writing style has come about? Annabel Monaghan: I think it's my writing style. ⁓ I like to read all the books. Like I have no problem with the open door books and all, I like them all. For me, ⁓ a writer, it just would feel very like off of like my nature to start naming body parts and telling you where they go. I don't know why that is. It's just like, I don't know. But having said that. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: I think when I wrote Nora Goes Off script, I still had like teenage sons. So I was just like, I don't have to say like, it was hard for me. It's getting so much easier for me where I think Dolly All The Time, my sister said, she's like, it's a little spicier than usual. And the only comment that I've gotten back on the book that I'm writing right now ⁓ is from my editor who said, you know, I think you're getting better at sex. Courtney: Mm-hmm. there. Yeah. That's amazing. Annabel Monaghan: And I thought, you know, that's a comment I've never gotten my whole life. So I'm finally good at it. Thank you. ⁓ But it's usually, it's just a stylistic choice. Like it's just not like, ⁓ no, I don't want to show that. It's just like, I just don't really know how to do it. So I'm doing what I Courtney: You just had to write enough books to finally be good. I the sex. No, that's fair. But I love that you are getting spicier as your books are coming along now because yeah, you're owning it. I love it. And I think it's part of our trip as women too. Like I think of that often when I think of young girls reading kind of the spicier romance and how it's all out there now. But I'm like, what is maybe they're all just gonna know what to ask for so much younger than we did and not have to go through Annabel Monaghan: I'm like, look at me, I'm 56, like I'm coming into my own. Courtney: the awkward phase in their 20s. Like, because it wasn't there and they didn't know and it was just like rumors or what you heard, it wasn't talked about. So maybe having it more open and out there will just help the next generation. Annabel Monaghan: It's true. Caitlin Stryker: And it was very much so shamed. And now it's like, no, let's celebrate it. That changes a lot. Annabel Monaghan: Well, that's the other thing about the romance community, know, very sex positive, very body positive, very like, it's just all, it's very woman positive, which is just a really nice space to be in. Courtney: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: Yeah, that's kind of what with this podcast that we wanted to do to with the like, Spicier romance books and get into it in a way that we can talk about it and own it and in sex positive ⁓ versions where we're owning these moments and like why are we attracted to these books and what is it when it's written well when it's not like. Diving into that because this platform wasn't really there a lot growing up for women to feel like we can talk about this and enjoy that we like spicy books or these romance books and not to feel silly for it it's just like a really fun part of life and it doesn't mean that you're not a serious or not as successful person just because you also love these books it just means you like things ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: Right. If you haven't, do you remember being Danielle Steel? This I know this was a long time ago. Have you read her? Courtney: My mom read a lot of Danielle Steele. I have not gotten into Danielle Steele. I keep meaning to you because she read that forever. Annabel Monaghan: of it when I was ⁓ way young to read any of it. ⁓ But I was like, what? He's putting what where like I had, I really didn't understand what I was reading. But and people talk about those books like they're like their throwaways, ⁓ you like, was, you know, another Danielle Steel, like it's nothing. Those were great stories. I mean, ⁓ The ⁓ I I can still ⁓ see people in that book. ⁓ And was my ⁓ Courtney: Okay. You Caitlin Stryker: Mm. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: top Daniel steel? What's your top Daniel steel book? The Promise. Okay. We'll have to read that one. The Promise. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: the promise. It all gets a little preposterous where she gets in an accident and she gets a new face so he doesn't recognize her. There's like a little bit of a leap of there, but it's a great book. Courtney: Okay, this one we'll have to go to for sure. Get back into the OGs of it. Caitlin Stryker: Mine. Yeah. Courtney: I want to say for this book, I forgot when we were talking to Dolly All The Time one of my favorite things of it is her relationship with Christopher, which I saw as you and ⁓ to relationship that you had with your brother, Jason. And I just ⁓ loved so much. it made when I read your notes on it and the I'm like, ⁓ that makes so much sense because there's so much heart to it. And it felt like such a tangible relationship between the two of them. And it was just like one of my favorite parts of the book was her and her brother. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Annabel Monaghan: I wanted to do that because ⁓ I, you know, you don't want to about disabled people in a way that is not respectful. ⁓ So I gave them the exact disability that my brother had ⁓ so that I felt like I could write about it and I knew it. ⁓ And I just thought about like, I mean, my brother was a ⁓ really, really happy guy. Like he ⁓ like, Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: all day, he was just like, well, look at what, could you believe that? Like he just didn't, he was just a very, very positive person and kind of hilarious in a lot of ways. So I just tried to stay with, those parts of it. You know, it was, you know, I never took care of him like hands on like Dolly did, but just, you know, knowing that you're responsible for the wellbeing of another person is, is a lot, but yeah, that was fun. I I was glad in the end that Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: that had become part of the story. So I think Dolly needed that too, like to come to terms with how much she'd done for him ⁓ without really asking anything of him. And maybe he like towards the end of story, he starts doing more and he's happier. Courtney: Yes. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, I loved that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Courtney: Yes. Yeah. His growth through it too. Yeah. Yeah. I loved it. Like his even like, Oh, you're back. Like, where'd you go? Like, I just love. Annabel Monaghan: Like we can't protect everybody from life. Yeah. Courtney: The even this bluntness with Stuart and his reactions to him and like did you love it like it just so joyful and even when Stuart notices, I love that you always close your eyes every time you hug your brother and you have like the ⁓ nuances to relationship that other people could enjoy too. It such a sweet part in such a part of Dolly's personality. So I really loved that go Super fun ⁓ ⁓ the ⁓ server the Gladys Gladys Annabel Monaghan: Thank you. Thank you. Caitlin Stryker: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: Gladys? Courtney: Gladys the house maid and her like little smiles and watching on like getting her little point of view throughout it as like the outside person watching what's happening between these families I loved that little insight too because it can be hard like where to weave the extra characters in this like very different dynamic of families and I just I love that again Dolly just got to always be her authentic self with her She was never pretending it was something it wasn't and I think that is what was different about this book to the other ones in the fake dating Annabel Monaghan: there was always accidentally walking through the service entrance. Caitlin Stryker: Yes! Courtney: Yes! ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: Really? Yeah, that always surprised me when she did that. But when I would be in her head, riding my bike up to that house, like it did not make sense for me to go through that front door. I would go outside. Yeah, yeah. You always go around to what you know. Courtney: you Right, go around to what you know. Caitlin Stryker: You do. Courtney: Yeah, I love that that's how even how you're writing it though. You're like, I'm just this is where I go. I love that that's like Annabel Monaghan: Some of it. I mean, some of it, and I think that often with side characters, they kind of just walk into the room while I'm writing and they appear fully formed. ⁓ Sometimes I am just wandering around in my book like, wow, I don't know how I'm to get out of here. I don't know what's happening next. know, it's not always this fun experience of discovery. Sometimes I'm like, Courtney: Hahaha Annabel Monaghan: I have no idea what I'm talking about right now. Nobody's gonna wanna read this book. Courtney: Of course. We all get the ⁓ I love that though. Do you have a routine similar to in Nora Goes Off script like she has her 10 to 2 that she writes in the D Room? Do you have a writing routine that you've kind of stuck to? Annabel Monaghan: You know what's actually kind of funny? ⁓ Before I wrote Nora Goes Off script, that was my routine. So I gave her my routine. I would get rid of my kids in the morning, dog, whatever, and then I would write from 10 to 2 and I would take a nap from 2 to 2.30, and then I would get my children, and then all hell would break loose the rest of the day. That was my routine. And I never wrote anything worth reading. So, but during COVID, Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: While I was writing Norah Goes Off script, I was getting up at five o'clock in the morning, mainly because it was the only time I was gonna be alone the entire day. And I knew, I would open my eyes and I'd be like, they're all asleep, I'm going downstairs. So I would write from like five to eight and then walk my dog and walk myself and whatever, and then come back to it. And I found that that was like a better piece of writing. Courtney: Mm-hmm Caitlin Stryker: Mm. Courtney: you Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: that early morning where you're not like so much in your head, you're more in your heart. ⁓ That was a better time to write. So I've stuck with that. So that's what I do now. I get up early. Yeah. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yeah. As much I hate waking up I am noticing that too with anything like if I just get to it right away in the morning, it's so much more productive than when the day starts to take over your brain. You start to think about all the other things you have to do that day. Annabel Monaghan: Well, and it's getting worse all the time. I mean, during COVID actually, like the day didn't really take over my brain because there was nothing happening. But now it's like, as soon as you pick up your phone and you open ⁓ ⁓ what goes on on Threads? It's like, that's total madness. And then your day's over. you're ⁓ Wow, it's time for ⁓ I ⁓ Courtney: Mm-hmm. you Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: It's insane. It's like there's so many things pulling your mind. It's like you just gotta like, you gotta pay yourself first, right? Like just sit down and do something for yourself before the day explodes. Caitlin Stryker: It's so true! Courtney: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Courtney: Yeah, I love that. ⁓ Oh no, we lost her again. We're wrapping up. ⁓ it's yes, I'm sorry. Thank you, though. Patience of her coming in and out. Okay. Annabel Monaghan: That is so terrible for Cait. What is going on? That doesn't bother me a bit. She's in New York. She's probably like hopped off to a nightclub or something. Courtney: She's gone partying. ⁓ just coming in and out ⁓ studio. ⁓ I got this partner. She's there. Her husband's actually doing a Broadway play right now. And so they're there. Yeah, he's an actor. And they both are. Yeah. And he's doing a play right now in New York. So they're in like a temporary studio. This is the first recording we've done for her being there. ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: He's an actor? ⁓ I didn't know that. And are the children there too or everybody? Cait, where? So you have your whole family in New York, like just being New Yorkers while this is going on. That's so cool. Courtney: Yes, her son's there as well. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's amazing. It's so cool. We're having so much fun. Yeah. It's such a wonderful adventure. I mean, my internet today is not a wonderful adventure, but... Annabel Monaghan: Bye. Courtney: I'm so sorry. Annabel Monaghan: It doesn't always work out. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Gosh. But like otherwise, yeah, no, it's been like really, really amazing. ⁓ So we're very, very grateful for this experience and opportunity. Courtney: That's okay. I'll make the best. Annabel Monaghan: But you don't go see the show every day? Caitlin Stryker: Not every day, no. I've seen it twice now. So I saw the original, like the dress rehearsal before they even opened for previews with and our 10 year old came and he loved it. It's Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson and directed by Debbie Allen. Yeah. With Cedric the Entertainer and Taraji P. Henson starring in it. Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, it's really fun. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: And what's the joke? Courtney: Mm-hmm. Annabel Monaghan: Okay. So cool. So what do think the right number of times to go see it is? Like you've seen it twice. Courtney: Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: I've seen it twice, I could easily see it again. And then I don't know. I mean, it's wild, because with live theater, it's different every time. I saw the dress rehearsal and then I got to go to the big opening night gala event, which was pretty extraordinary. Yes, I was ⁓ starstruck. ⁓ The ⁓ was... Yeah. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, that's true. Courtney: Mm-hmm Michelle Obama was there. We'll get yeah Annabel Monaghan: Stop it. What was she wearing? Caitlin Stryker: She wore like a beautiful black suit with like a sort of a tuxedo style suit thing. And she had her hair in like some really amazing fresh braids. was, yeah. Everybody was dressed so well. Courtney: Of course she did. ⁓ no, she cut out on us. ⁓ no. Annabel Monaghan: You can't freeze when you're telling me what Michelle Obama's wearing. That is... Are you kidding me? Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, she's unbelievable. Yeah. Yeah, it was so. Annabel Monaghan: this. Courtney: Yeah, you froze on us. We only heard black suit. You have to tell us again. Caitlin Stryker: Like a black tuxedo style suit with like a, you know, like with the tuxedo striping down the side of the pants. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like so boss. Annabel Monaghan: like a shiny string. was six inches ⁓ taller, I wear that. ⁓ You can't my size and wear a tuxedo. ⁓ If I a tuxedo or like a pantsuit like that, I look like you should put me on top of the cake, like the wedding cake. Like, ⁓ the tuxedo. That's so cute. I can't do that. Five three. Caitlin Stryker: Bye. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ okay. Yeah. Courtney: you Yeah, 'cause Cait and I we're both 5'8", around that, or 5'9", she is so, it's so different. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Well, but so I feel like I can't run away with like anything poofy, because then it's like, where she comes, you know? It's like, yeah. And I love like a crinoline, like a big like floofy girly thing, but I just, I'll put it on and I'm like, it's so much. Annabel Monaghan: That's my. Courtney: Mm-hmm. Yeah, it makes you feel huge. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: It's too much fabric to get from your waist to your feet. Yeah. Well, I can admit, the distance between my waist and my feet is like this. It's like no big deal. My clothes should be cheaper because they're so short. So little fabric. Yeah. I've always thought that. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Yes. Courtney: Yeah, 100%. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Courtney: Yeah. The less fabric. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, I'm always, I'm just grateful now that like cropped pants are in forever because that was always the battle. Courtney: Yes, it's pretty much jeans after they've been washed once. We're like, they're back into style. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, that's a good look. Nice ankles. Courtney: Yeah, I'm very happy they're back. Capris are back. Yes. Yeah, it's a good summer for fashion. It's everything that we've already worn. Like, we already know what works. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah! I know, oooh! ⁓ Yeah. is so difficult. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: It's so true. Yeah, that's another thing about not being 20. It's like, know what's coming. You know what's coming. You know what is going to be a disaster. Courtney: Right? Yeah, it's true. And it's the first time I've really gotten to feel that. Yeah, I'm like, ⁓ I already know this. I know how to do this. This looks like on my body. Yes. I just can't wait for long shirts to come back again. I'm really over the crop tops. I really like the full fabric shirts to be back in style. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, there is. Yes. No. Same. Crop tops were not good the first time, they're not good the second time, they're not ever gonna be good. Unless you are like 15 and kind of weird, but it's great. So I'm like, go for it. Annabel Monaghan: never. Courtney: They're good for like 5 % of the population and everyone else just like, ⁓ can we please just... Okay, I'll shut up. Yeah. Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, and then we pretend like we can wear them. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. No. Courtney: as we are, you so much Annabelle for joining us today and talking to us about Dolly All The Time. It is such a fantastic book. Everyone should read it. It is a perfect quintessential cozy summer read that it just brings you joy and light and everyone needs it for the summer this year. It's so good. Caitlin Stryker: ⁓ yes. Annabel Monaghan: Thank you so much for having me and thank you for reading and thank you for rereading all my books. mean, I think that might be a first for me. That is just, ⁓ that is just amazing. Courtney: Yes! ⁓ my gosh, thank you for writing them! It was such a joy. Like I kept, I was kept being excited. I'm like, ⁓ I still, there's another one. There's another, it's so fun because you don't want to get out of your world and each of them have your still tone, but you're on a different route. It's really fun way to do it. Actually. I just loved it. I enjoyed it. And I really want to have a little tea writing room now. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: I know. And then we're told, like... And Court... ⁓ Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, so do I. So do I. I'm in the process of just building myself an office. All I want is just an office. It doesn't need to be freestanding. It doesn't need to have a fireplace. I just, I want a door to close. Courtney: ⁓ yes. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah. Yeah. Your own place. Yeah. Amazing. ⁓ Oh my gosh. Well, and also I'm excited to go and read your other books because when Court told me she was like, no, all her heroines are like our age. And I was like, done, sold. in. ⁓ I really can't wait to read more of your books. Yeah. Courtney: Yes. Yeah. Next step. ⁓ good. The next one. Annabel Monaghan: That would be good. It's in the works. Thank you. Courtney: Yes, you're going to love it. Annabel Monaghan: This one, Dolly turns 40 in the book. So I think she's the oldest character I've written. Courtney: 30 Nora's 38. Yeah. Caitlin Stryker: Ooh. Okay. Annabel Monaghan: Same Time Next Summer, Sam is 30. That's the youngest. ⁓ Courtney: they all have that feel and they have a family. It's just a different it's written with a maturity that you don't always find in romances, even though most of the authors can be older, but you give them I feel like you give them the you know, gravitas that they deserve based on where they are in their age and it comes across really well on the page. And it's Yeah, yeah, it's so fun to read. Thank you. Annabel Monaghan: Both. It's good to be talking Caitlin Stryker: Thank you. ⁓ amazing. Courtney: Yes, absolutely. Anytime. Yes, and come to Vancouver. ⁓ we'll do in person. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: with pleasure. Annabel Monaghan: Yes, we'll do this on Vancouver Island at your parents' house. Caitlin Stryker: Yeah, that would be awesome. Annabel Monaghan: Okay, I'm in. Okay. Courtney: Yes. Yeah. ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Amazing. Alright, well, that is it. for today's episode of Cait and Court's Cozy Corner. Thank you Annabel Monaghan for joining us and we'll see you again soon. Courtney: I'll say it again cuz Cait I think it cut out so just for our editing purpose I'm just gonna say again. Thank That's another episode of Cait and Court's Cozy Corner with Annabel Monaghan. Thank you so much for coming it was a pleasure to speak with you, and we'll see you guys all again soon ⁓ Caitlin Stryker: Hello? Bye! Courtney: ⁓ my gosh. Annabel Monaghan: Cait, are you sweating? Caitlin Stryker: Yes. So much. Annabel Monaghan: I would be so, like, for the whole, it was totally fine. Like, as a viewer, I would have thought this was like totally fine. But if I were you, I would have been like out of my mind. Courtney: Yeah. going in and out. The only part you'll have to cut out is the last time you came out. We then we just talked about and we talked about Broadway and everything so we can edit that part out because we're just like, ⁓ no, we lost her again. So then I was saying you were in New York and then for Bradley for his Broadway stuff and doing it. Yeah. But. Caitlin Stryker: Yes. Yeah. Okay. Amazing. mean, thankfully I like, you know, trigger my nervous system left, right and center all the time. So I'm sweating, but I also am like, it'll be okay. Annabel Monaghan: It all worked out. I've got the light of the Lord on me. It's all fine. Courtney: Yeah Yes, she's going ⁓ we lost her. Annabel Monaghan: Hang on, is it all uploaded? Courtney: She's got her making sure it's uploaded, but I can stay on if you need to go up. That's totally fine Annabel Monaghan: No, because I've been... Courtney: on these when they don't upload I know Annabel Monaghan: Yeah, or I've hung up too soon. I'm like wary of this. Courtney: Okay. I'll wait till she comes back on and tells us if we made it or not. If she gets it. No, it's been super fun with your Nora goes off script. actress Cait and I met, we're both actors and podcasters as well. That's why her husband and I'm doing it. So we met on set of like a movie of the week ⁓ we were both acting in. And that's kind of like we bonded over being moms and actors and enjoying like everyone's like, ⁓ don't you miss your two year olds? And we're like, no, no, we're good. ⁓