Big J's World Podcast

Big J

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Welcome to Big J’s World. Hosted by Big J, we dive deep into BookTok energy, dark romance, the Star Trek Alien-verse, and indie author spotlights and everything in between. Join us for weekly deep dives, high-energy vibes, and unfiltered conversations.

Sep 21

Big Js World Presents: Shakespeare, Sprayed Edges & Dark Romance| Jehn's Reading Journey

How do you go from reading Shakespeare in sixth grade to collecting sprayed-edge books and diving headfirst into pitch-black dark romance? In this episode of **Big J’s World**, I sit down with **Jehn, also known as Wandering Star**, to talk about her reading journey, the books that shaped her, and how her taste has completely evolved over the years. We get into everything from her love of physical books and that unbeatable new-book smell to her obsession with beautiful sprayed edges and building a bookshelf that actually feels personal. Of course, we also had to talk fantasy. Jehn shares her thoughts on *Throne of Glass*, *ACOTAR*, and *Fourth Wing*, including why she connects more with some fantasy series than others and why the graphic audio version of *Fourth Wing* was a little too much for her with all the extra sound effects going on. Then things get darker. Jehn talks about how she ended up getting into dark romance, why the most unhinged stories can sometimes be the funniest, and how shorter, spicier reads can be the perfect reset after finishing a huge fantasy series. **In this episode, we talk about:** - Jehn’s journey from Shakespeare to fantasy and dark romance - Her love of sprayed edges and physical book collecting - *Throne of Glass* vs. *ACOTAR* - Her thoughts on the *Fourth Wing* graphic audio - Pitch-black dark romance and unhinged tropes - Reading slumps and palate-cleanser books - BookTok, BookTube, and finding your reading community If you’re into fantasy, dark romance, beautiful books, or just love hearing how someone’s reading taste changes over time, this one is for you. Drop your favorite fantasy or dark romance recommendation in the comments, and make sure to subscribe for more conversations with readers, authors, and creators.
Sep 18

Big J's World Presents: The Story Behind PENANCE| Rachel Evans Unfiltered

What happens when therapy, trauma, and a love of storytelling collide? In this episode of Big J’s World, I sit down with indie author Rachel Evans to talk about the story behind her dark romance novel, Penance, the realities of self-publishing, and how pieces of her own life found their way into her characters. Rachel gets candid about the highs and lows of becoming an indie author—from writing and editing her first novel to dealing with reviews, learning from feedback, and making the decision to go back and strengthen the story after publication. 🖤 Turning Real Experiences Into Fiction Rachel’s writing journey started in an unexpected place: therapy. She originally felt drawn to telling her own story, but instead found a way to take pieces of her experiences, emotions, and personal truths and weave them into fictional characters. Those experiences became part of the emotional foundation of Penance. 📖 The Story Behind Penance At the center of Penance are Quinn, a woman struggling with problems in her marriage and infertility, and Jonathan, a priest hiding dark secrets of his own. As their lives collide, Rachel explores complicated themes including trauma bonding, loss, betrayal, relationships, and learning to let go. ✍️ The Reality of Writing & Editing Your Own Book Rachel spent roughly a year and a half writing and publishing Penance, but hitting publish wasn’t the end of the journey. She talks openly about how difficult self-editing can be, what she learned from reader feedback, and why she eventually returned to the book to re-edit it and add two new chapters. For Rachel, being an author also means being willing to learn, grow, and make the story better. 📚 The Indie Author Struggle We also get into one of the hardest parts of indie publishing: getting people to discover your book. Without the marketing budget or resources of a major publisher, indie authors often have to become the writer, editor, promoter, content creator, and salesperson all at once. Rachel shares what that experience has been like and why she continues pushing forward despite the challenges. 🎶 Bringing Music Into the Reading Experience Rachel also shares plans to take her future stories beyond the page with music and character-inspired soundtracks designed to pull readers even deeper into the world she creates. In this episode, we talk about: 🖤 The inspiration behind Penance✍️ Turning personal experiences into fiction📖 Creating Quinn and Jonathan🔥 Trauma bonding and complicated relationships📝 Editing and republishing her first novel⭐ Learning from reviews and reader feedback📚 The realities of being an indie author📱 Marketing without a major publisher🎶 Character playlists and immersive reading experiences🔮 What Rachel is working on next If you love dark romance, indie authors, behind-the-scenes writing conversations, and discovering the stories behind the books, this episode is for you. 🎙️ Watch the full conversation with Rachel Evans on Big J’s World. Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more author interviews, BookTok conversations, and behind-the-scenes looks at the books and creators you should know. #BigJsWorld #RachelEvans #Penance #DarkRomance #IndieAuthor #AuthorInterview #BookTok #BookTube #WritingCommunity #SelfPublishing
Sep 16

Booktok told us to read it.... We Have Thoughts with Kev

What happens when a lifelong reader finds BookTok, indie authors, and an entire community ready to talk about the books they love?In this episode of **Big J’s World**, I sit down with **Kev, also known as Neurospices**, for a fun and thoughtful conversation about **The Hunger Games, BookTok, fantasy, adaptations, reading order, indie books, and the stories that make us look at the world a little differently**.📚 **Finding BookTok & a Reading Community**Kev shares how a lifelong love of reading eventually led them into the world of BookTok and online book communities.With hundreds of books on their Kindle, reading had always been a major part of their life—but connecting with indie authors, creators, and other readers added something completely different.Instead of reading alone, books became something to discuss, debate, recommend, and experience with a community.🏹 **Why The Hunger Games Still Hits So Hard**One of Kev’s standout favorites is **Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series**.We talk about the world-building, complicated characters, unreliable perspectives, and deeper themes that make the series worth revisiting long after the first read.Kev also shares their thoughts on the movie adaptations, including what the films do incredibly well and what inevitably gets lost when a detailed novel is brought to the screen.📖 **Does Reading Order Really Matter?**When it comes to **The Hunger Games**, Kev has a strong opinion: read the original trilogy before jumping into the prequels.Certain moments, character connections, and reveals simply carry more weight when the books are experienced in their intended order.It leads us into a bigger conversation about series reading orders, prequels, and whether chronological order is always the best way to experience a story.🌎 **Books That Say Something About the Real World**The conversation goes beyond Panem as Kev talks about books including **Babel by R. F. Kuang, World War Z, and Dungeon Crawler Carl**.We discuss how fiction can explore everything from power and inequality to social media, influencer culture, entertainment, and how easily society can become desensitized to what is happening around us.Sometimes the best books entertain you while quietly making you question the world outside the pages.😂 **BookTok, Massive Fantasy Series & Reading Preferences**Of course, we also get into the realities of being a reader with an ever-growing TBR.From massive fantasy series and reading commitments to discovering new authors and deciding which hyped books are actually worth the time, Kev shares their own reading habits and preferences along the way.If you love **BookTok, The Hunger Games, fantasy, indie books, literary discussions, or just hearing readers passionately talk about stories**, this episode is for you.🎙️ **Watch the full conversation with Kev / Neurospices on Big J’s World.**And let us know in the comments:**What book or series completely changed the way you looked at the world?**👍 Like the episode💬 Drop your thoughts in the comments📲 Share it with another book lover🔔 Subscribe to **Big J’s World** for more conversations with readers, authors, creators, and storytellers.#BigJsWorld #BookTok #TheHungerGames #Neurospices #SuzanneCollins #BookTube #FantasyBooks #IndieBooks #ReadingCommunity #BookPodcast #Babel #DungeonCrawlerCarl #WorldWarZ
Sep 14

Big J World Presents: Dominion, A conversation with Jean Kwok

What happens when an award-winning contemporary fiction author steps into the world of fantasy, romance, deadly trials, and Asian mythology? In this episode of Big J’s World, I sit down with bestselling author Jean Kwok to talk about her writing journey, the inspiration behind her newest novel, *Dominion*, and what it was like stepping into an entirely new genre. Jean opens up about growing up in a working-class immigrant family, discovering her love of storytelling, navigating the publishing world, and bringing deeply personal themes of identity, belonging, memory, and survival into an epic fantasy setting. From Hardship to Becoming an Author Jean’s path to becoming a writer was anything but conventional. Growing up with limited resources, pursuing an artistic career never seemed like a realistic possibility. Despite that, her love for books and storytelling remained with her and eventually led her toward becoming the author she is today. Jean shares how those early experiences helped shape not only her career, but the emotional foundation of the stories she writes. From Contemporary Fiction to Fantasy Before *Dominion*, Jean wrote acclaimed novels including *Girl in Translation* and *Searching for Sylvie Lee*. With *Dominion*, she enters the fantasy world for the first time, drawing inspiration from Asian mythology, childhood stories, and her lifelong love of fantasy. At the center of the story is Ruby, a ribbon dancer who has lost her memory and is suddenly thrown into a dangerous tiger-bonding trial. What follows is a journey filled with political conflict, danger, romance, hidden truths, and Ruby’s struggle to understand who she really is. Inside the World of *Dominion* Jean describes *Dominion* as an Asian mythology-inspired story blending the high-stakes intensity of *The Hunger Games* with the fantasy and romantic elements readers love in books like *Fourth Wing*. But underneath the action and fantasy is a much deeper story. *Dominion* explores identity, displacement, belonging, memory, and the experience of trying to find your place in a world that may not fully accept you. Jean discusses how some of those themes connect with her own experiences and how fantasy allowed her to explore them in an entirely new way. Romance, Action & Opening the Bedroom Door *Dominion* also pushed Jean into unfamiliar territory as a writer. She talks openly about writing romance and intimate scenes, including the challenge of learning how to “open the bedroom door” after spending much of her career writing very different
Sep 13

Confessions of a Comma Queen with Kristina

Confessions of a Comma Queen with Kristina | From Editor to AuthorWhat happens when the person behind the red pen decides to step to the other side of the page?In this episode of Big J’s World, I sit down with Kristina, an editor and soon to be author, to talk about her journey into the publishing world, what really happens behind the scenes during the editing process, and what she has learned from working closely with indie authors.From her beginnings in paralegal studies to earning the nickname “Comma Queen,” Kristina shares how her eye for detail eventually turned into a passion for helping authors strengthen their stories while still protecting their individual voices.✍️ From Paralegal to “Comma Queen”Before becoming an editor, Kristina studied to become a paralegal, where attention to detail was already a huge part of her work.That skill translated perfectly into editing, especially when it came to one thing:Commas.As she jokes with the authors she works with:“I’m like the comma queen. Don’t worry about your commas. I will tell you where they belong.”Through TikTok, Instagram, and the indie book community, Kristina began connecting with authors and turning her passion for editing into something much bigger.📚 Her First Official Editing ProjectKristina also takes us back to the first book she officially worked on as an editor.That project came from author Ariel Jury, whose military romance immediately caught Kristina’s attention.Being able to eventually hold that book in her hands will mean even more because it represents an important milestone in her career, the first book she worked on after officially stepping into the role of editor.🖊️ Editors vs. Authors: Finding the BalanceEditing someone else’s story isn’t always simple.Authors spend months or even years creating their characters and worlds, so receiving criticism or suggestions can sometimes be difficult.Kristina talks about navigating those conversations and finding the balance between recommending changes and respecting the author’s vision.Sometimes an editor may believe a scene, sentence, or section needs to change, but ultimately the story still belongs to the author.That collaboration is one of the most important parts of the editing process.❤️ When Editing Gets PersonalSome books leave a much deeper impression than expected.Kristina discusses working on What Remains of Grace, a story centered around grief that connected with her on a personal level.She explains that she didn’t realize how much she needed that particular story until she experienced it.The conversation becomes a reminder that books can be more than entertainment. Sometimes a story arrives at exactly the right moment and helps someone process something they may not have even realized they were carrying.📖 The Healing Power of StoriesWe also talk about the connection that can form between an author, an editor, and eventually the reader.A writer may create a story because they need to tell it, but once that story reaches the world, it can mean something completely different to the person reading it.Whether someone picks up a book to escape reality, experience another person's perspective, or simply enjoy a good story, the written word has the ability to connect people in unexpected ways.🎙️ From Editing Books to Writing OneKristina is now preparing to experience publishing from another perspective as an author herself.After spending so much time helping other writers develop their stories, she is beginning her own journey on the other side of the editing desk.We talk about what she has learned from authors, how editing has influenced the way she approaches her own writing, and what happens when the editor finally becomes the writer.If you love BookTok, indie authors, writing, editing, publishing, romance books, or behind the scenes conversations about how books are made, this episode is for you.
Sep 9

Big J's World Presents A Manor, A Melody & a Whole Lot of Romance with Lindz Deaver

In this week’s edition, we delve into the world of indie author Lindz Deaver, who takes us through her inspiring journey of creativity and resilience in writing. Lindz brings a unique blend of personal experiences and imaginative storytelling that captivates her readers. The Journey BeginsLindz’s path to becoming an author was fueled by her vivid dreams and a love for writing. "I’ve always been a writer... I always wrote down my dreams and little stories," she shares. It was only after years of dreaming and jotting down ideas that she decided to write her first book.Her debut novel, *The Equation of Us*, is a rocker romance inspired by the band Sleep Token. It tells the story of Emery, a math professor who unexpectedly connects with a quirky guy at a coffee shop, only to discover he leads a secret life as a rock star. Lindz describes this book as "Hannah Montana for adults" — a fun and lighthearted read that blends humor and romance. Writing with PassionLindz’s writing process is deeply personal. Inspired by her favorite Sleep Token song, *Rain*, she wrote thirty thousand words in just five days, driven by both passion and a bit of spite after a naysayer challenged her. "You never say you can't do something to me, because that’s when I’ll do it," she laughs.With her first draft completed, she went through **seven drafts** before it was ready for publishing. "My first draft is nothing like the final product. It went through several different phases before it became an actual book," Lindz explains, highlighting the evolution of her work. Embracing the Editing ProcessEditing is often a love-hate relationship for writers, and Lindz is no exception. "I’m a creative person, but the technical side of editing isn’t my strong suit," she admits. Hiring an editor was essential for her, allowing her to focus on what she loves — storytelling.Despite the challenges, Lindz’s determination shines through. Her second book, *As a Matter of Fact*, is currently in the works, showcasing her growth as a writer. This slow-burn romance combines elements of *Gilmore Girls* and HGTV, focusing on character development and relationship dynamics. Reflections on Writing and LifeLindz's journey is a testament to the power of persistence and creativity. As she continues to write, she encourages aspiring authors to embrace their unique voices and stories, no matter the obstacles.Lindz’s books are not just tales of romance; they reflect her life experiences, aspirations, and the magic of imagination. As she puts it, "To anyone who has ever doubted me, including myself, thank you for giving me the fire to prove us all wrong."Join us in celebrating Lindz Deaver’s journey and her commitment to storytelling. If you’re intrigued by her work, check out her books to explore the worlds she creates!
Sep 7

Between the Pages and the Hype with EastMoon

Between the Pages and the Hype with Miss East MoonWhat happens when BookTok hype meets a reader who isn’t afraid to have her own opinion?In this episode of **Big J’s World**, I sit down with **Miss East Moon** for a fun, unfiltered conversation about fantasy, romance, dark romance, favorite reads, questionable fictional men, and the books that live rent-free in our heads.From *Fourth Wing* and *Crescent City* to dark romance favorites and the never-ending debate over Sarah J. Maas reading orders, this episode is all about the books we love, the books that disappointed us, and the characters we absolutely would not trust in real life.## 📚 Fantasy, Romance & Dark RomanceMiss East Moon shares the genres she reaches for most: **fantasy, romance, and dark romance**.She talks about some of her standout reads, including **Star Side**, one of her favorite books of the year, and **Crown Me Dead**, one of her dark romance picks.Of course, no book conversation is complete without talking about the stories that leave such a strong impression that you wish you could experience them for the first time all over again.## 🌙 The Series She Wishes She Could ForgetIf Miss East Moon could completely erase one series from her memory just so she could reread it again for the first time, her answer is **Crescent City**.The emotions, characters, and world-building created an experience she would love to relive without knowing what was coming next.## 👑 The Sarah J. Maas Reading Order DebateThen we get into one of the book community’s favorite arguments:**What is the right order to read Sarah J. Maas?**Miss East Moon shares her preferred approach and explains how divided readers can be about the subject. Some completely agree with her order, while others are ready to fight for a different one.Because apparently reading order is serious business.## 🐉 Fourth Wing, Iron Flame & Fantasy HypeMiss East Moon also talks about the book that helped pull her into fantasy: ***Fourth Wing***.After hearing all the hype, she jumped into the series and immediately followed it with *Iron Flame*.While *Fourth Wing* became a favorite, *Iron Flame* didn’t quite hit the same way.We talk about what happens when a massively hyped sequel doesn’t live up to the experience of the first book—and whether BookTok hype can sometimes work against a story.## 🚩 Fictional Characters We Would NEVER TrustAnd then there’s **Jack from *Fourth Wing***.Could you trust him in real life?Miss East Moon’s answer is simple:**Absolutely not.**We get into fictional red flags, characters who keep us suspicious, and why readers somehow continue loving stories filled with people we would run away from if we ever met them in real life.## 🎙️ Between the Pages and the HypeThis episode is a relaxed, funny conversation between two readers talking about the things that make the book community so much fun: favorite books, unpopular opinions, BookTok hype, fantasy worlds, dark romance, fictional crushes, disappointments, and those books we wish we could experience again for the very first time.If you love **BookTok, fantasy, romantasy, romance, dark romance, Fourth Wing, Crescent City, Sarah J. Maas**, or just talking about books, this episode is for you.**Welcome to Big J’s World.**🎧 Listen to the full episode and join the conversation.What book would **you** erase from your memory just so you could read it again for the first time?
Sep 7

Dragons, Unicorns & the Stories Between with Cori

What happens when a children’s book author decides the publishing world needs more dragons, more tomboys, and more books that actually meet young readers where they are? Cori, the illustrator and author behind Addie’s Fleet of Dragons, reveals how she’s building a career one story, one sketch, and one stubbornly original idea at a time.Big J sits down with Cori to unpack the messy, exciting reality of writing and illustrating for kids, from creating “early reader” chapter books to navigating a publishing market that still doesn’t quite know what to do with them. Cori shares how her daughter inspired her work, why she blends her own art with her child’s illustrations, and how that project unexpectedly motivated her daughter to make her own book too.You’ll discover:* Why Cori believes the space between picture books and middle grade is one of publishing’s biggest blind spots* How Harry Potter reshaped middle grade and why graphic novels exploded in response* What it takes to query as an author-illustrator, including storyboards, submission rounds, and agented publishing* Why Cori is building clean, kid-friendly stories with strong morals without compromising on fun* How she uses Procreate, cover art, and practice to grow as a working illustratorCori also opens up about her jump into adult fiction, her love of fantasy and mythology, and the books she actually reads when she’s off the clock, including her very candid takes on Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and other fan-favorite reads.If you’re a parent looking for thoughtful children’s books, an aspiring author wondering how to get started, or a creative trying to turn practice into a real body of work, this conversation is packed with encouragement, practical insight, and a reminder that you do not have to be great to begin.Perfect for readers, writers, illustrators, and anyone who loves hearing how a creative career really gets built.Cori is a children’s book author and illustrator known for Addie’s Fleet of Dragons and her “gaggle illustrations” brand across social platforms and her website.

Welcome to Big J’s World. Hosted by Big J, we dive deep into BookTok energy, dark romance, the Star Trek Alien-verse, and indie author spotlights and everything in between. Join us for weekly deep dives, high-energy vibes, and unfiltered conversations.

Creator

Big J
Years Active

2026
Episodes

14
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© Big J
Show Website

Big J's World Podcast