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What if a rom-com could feel like a movie in your ears? That's exactly what debut novelist and TV screenwriter Ash Perez set out to create with Speak Now, and you are going to want to listen to this one.

In this episode, Laura chats with Ash Perez about Speak Now, an audio-first queer rom-com published by Simon & Schuster featuring a full cast of actors, sound effects, and production that rivals a Hollywood film. Born out of the 2023 writer's strike, Speak Now blends Ash's screenwriting background with a lifelong love of 90s/early 2000s rom-coms. Think second-chance romance, Nancy Meyers vibes, a luxury hotel kitchen, and a HEA you absolutely deserve. This episode is perfect for audiobook lovers, rom-com fans, and anyone who's been sleeping on audio-first fiction.

📚 Books Mentioned

Speak Now by Ash Perez — Buy on Amazon | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅ (Audio-first/only; also available via Spotify Premium and library request)

Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket — Buy on Amazon | Literary Fiction/Novella | Audio ✅

Murder Bot Diaries series by Martha Wells — Buy on Amazon | Science Fiction | Audio ✅

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston — Buy on Amazon | Queer Rom-Com | Audio ✅

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster — Buy on Amazon | Classic Fiction | Audio ✅

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & introduction to Ash Perez
[00:45] What is Speak Now? Audio-first rom-com explained
[01:30] How the 2023 writer's strike led to this book
[03:15] Why rom-coms & audio are a perfect pairing
[05:00] Co-directing the production & what it felt like
[05:45] The plot of Speak Now: queer second-chance romance, chef, boutique hotel
[07:00] Casting a queer audio romance — voice tonality challenges
[09:00] Why romance deserves the full audio-movie treatment
[10:00] Rom-com influences: My Best Friend's Wedding & The Wedding Planner
[12:00] Ash's reading life: from Harry Potter to self-help burnout
[13:00] Poison for Breakfast & the novella that brought Ash back to fiction
[13:45] Murder Bot series, Kevin R. Free & audiobook narrator fandom
[14:30] Red, White & Royal Blue & reading outside your genre
[15:30] Reading as a millennial: productivity guilt & reclaiming fiction as a hobby
[16:30] Library love — how to request Speak Now at your local library
[17:30] Spotify Premium audiobooks & accessibility
[18:30] Reading before bed vs. doomscrolling — why books win
[20:00] Where to find Ash Perez online & wrap-up

Connect with Ash Perez

Instagram: @itsashlyperez
TikTok: @notashperez

Connect with Simon Audio

Instagram: @Simon.Audio
TikTok: @Simon.Audio

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