Best Milkin Podcasts (2026)

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S08.15: Jen & Sarah's New Year's Milkin' Eve! 1:39:07

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5d ago1:39:07

1:39:07

Another year, another chaotic New Year's episode, with one of our favorites, the Lauren half of Christina Lauren! Y'all. When we say headphones in, we mean HEADPHONES IN. This is not for your kids, or your mechanic, or Kate. Today, we're getting into the kink Sarah has been dancing around at Fated Mates Lives for years...the one Sandra Brown and Be…

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S08.16: Winter 2026 Preview 2:00:36

43m ago2:00:36

2:00:36

Your discoverabilibuddies are back! It's a new year which means we're dropping our Winter 2026 reads episode, in which we talk about the million trillion 2026 romance books coming out in January, February and March (ok, not a million trillion, but enough that Eric came out of his studio this morning with a thousand-yard stare!). As a reminder, we h…

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RERUN: Here Comes Santa Claus 1:00:49

13d ago1:00:49

1:00:49

As per tradition, Eric's here to introduce a holiday episode rerun. Cheers! 🎅 The Rest For even more info about this episode, and to explore everything Fated Mates has to offer, visit: https://fatedmates.net/episodes/2022/12/12/s0513-here-comes-santa-claus If you wish you had six more days in a week of people talking about romance, may we suggest j…

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S08.14: Terrific 2025 Romance Debuts 1:53:14

21d ago1:53:14

1:53:14

It's that time of year, when we highlight some of our favorite new voices in romance! This week, we're talking about eight new writers who are making us excited about what's to come in historical, contemporary, cozy fantasy and more. Here's to reading them all for years to come! From horse girls to divorcees, hair stylists to magical tea shop owner…

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S08:13 KJ Charles’s The Magpie Lord: We’re Gonna Get to the Tattoos 1:44:04

28d ago1:44:04

1:44:04

We’re so excited for our deep dive of KJ Charles’s The Magpie Lord, first in her magical, gothic series, A Charm of Magpies. We talk about the clear chops displayed in this romance --strong plotting, complex characterization, and a beautiful understanding of what happily ever after looks like. And yes, we get to the tattoos. Obviously. Don't forget…

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2025 Wrapped 58:07

29d ago58:07

58:07

In the final episode of the year, hosts Jason and Joelle reflect on the highlights and challenges of 2025, and discuss what's coming in 2026. They share some behind-the-scenes experiences from the Psych Health and Safety Conference 2025, along with a sneak peek of the line-up and venue for 2026. Other highlights from 2025 include the launch of the …

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S08.12: Fantastic Romance Series 1:30:25

1M ago1:30:25

1:30:25

It's winter, which means that it's time to get cozy, build a blanket nest on the couch, and read a million books one right after the other in the great tradition of our ancient forbears. Today, we're talking about series that deliver one banger after another and, yes, that also bang. We'll talk historicals, contemporaries, and of course, the parano…

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S08.11: Holiday Romance 2025 1:41:07

1M ago1:41:07

1:41:07

The end of the year is nigh, and it's our holiday romance novel episode! We're talking about a collection of romances that are entirely new to us (except for the one moment where Sarah talks about that old McNaught short story that installed all her cold-weather romance buttons). We've got Austen retellings, Regency cats, characters playing with ho…

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Should your critical risks include psychosocial? with Naomi Kemp 50:10

1M ago50:10

50:10

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Naomi Kemp, CEO and co-founder of Fr@nk Capability Leaders. Naomi explains what a critical business risk is, how that is different to a critical safety risk, and whether psychosocial risk belongs in either category. Naomi shares her views on how organisations can best manage psychosocial risk within…

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Blues For Allah 50: Blues For Allah 3:01:05

2M ago3:01:05

3:01:05

The Deadcast’s overstuffed season finale unpacks Blues For Allah’s oft-misunderstood title track, the unlikely story of its album art, & the remarkable coalition that manifested the Dead’s September 1975 Golden Gate Park show, officially the New Age Bio-Centennial Unity Fair. Guests: David Lemieux, Ron Rakow, Al Teller, Ned Lagin, Steve Brown, Bill…

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S08.10: The Best Romance Novels of 2025 1:51:30

2M ago1:51:30

1:51:30

It's that time of year! We're talking about the Best Romance Novels of 2025. We've chosen ten books that we love and that cover a range of historical, contemporary and paranormal, featuring romance with werewolves and cowboys, vaudeville actresses and vikings, Dukes and the actual Devil. This year, you can buy the Fated Mates Best of 2025 Book Pack…

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S08.09: Our Favorite Romance Microtropes 1:27:03

2M ago1:27:03

1:27:03

We had a great week, and so we decided we all need nice things, which means it's time to just talk about the stuff we love in romance. We're talking about our favorite microtropes in romance novels--the things that give us pure shots of joy. There's all sorts of stuff in here: contemporaries, historicals, paranormals, mafia, hockey, tattoos, pierci…

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Implementing the ISO45003 Standard - with Adam Nebbs 53:42

2M ago53:42

53:42

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Adam Nebbs, Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Menzies Institute for Medical Research. Adam discusses the recently published research that formed part of his PhD, working with six organisations in a regional part of Australia as they translated ISO 45003 recommendations into tangible actions for im…

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Blues For Allah 50: Sage and Spirit 2:19:04

2M ago2:19:04

2:19:04

The Deadcast explores Bobby Weir’s guitar étude, “Sage and Spirit,” speaking with one of the song’s namesakes, Sage Scully, before taking an extended trip to legendary Dead show at the Great American Music Hall in August 1975, where the song received its only full live performance. Guests: David Lemieux, Donna Jean Godchaux MacKay, Sage Scully, Ron…

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S08.08: Romance Short Stories and the Ladies in Waiting Anthology 2:10:01

2M ago2:10:01

2:10:01

We definitely have a hope became reality hangover this morning, but we also have a very fun episode for you today! We're talking romance shorts -- not novellas, not short novels, but actual short stories under 15,000 words (or about 50 pages). We talk about why this is such a difficult goal to hit, about why romance lends itself to longer formats, …

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S08.07: Romance Demons: Problématique (Italics) 1:23:13

2M ago1:23:13

1:23:13

It's Halloween which means we're talking about monsters (complimentary)! We've done devils and witches and an entire season on monsters of all ilk, but we haven't done demons yet, and so here we are! Come one come all as Sarah confesses one of her weirdest (charming) kinks and we discuss the age-old adage: "If a demon's horns aren't sexual organs, …

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Managing Psychosocial Safety across Multiple Entities - with Gareth Beck & Anton Hutton 1:20:36

2M ago1:20:36

1:20:36

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Gareth Beck, Safety Wellbeing and Risk Business Partner at Z Energy, and Anton Hutton, retailer at Hattrick Services. They share their experiences in collaborating to implement a psychosocial safety management program of works within a unique working environment, with Gareth offering the perspective…

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Blues For Allah 50: Crazy Fingers 1:50:51

3M ago1:50:51

1:50:51

We explore how the dreamy delicacy of Crazy Fingers came about at a time of great tumult in Grateful Dead history, with visits from new record company boss Al Teller of United Artists and Seastones composer Ned Lagin, plus a stop at Winterland for the Bob Fried Memorial Boogie. Guests: David Lemieux, Al Teller, Ron Rakow, Ned Lagin, Gary Lambert, M…

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S08.06: Gorilla Twins! The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath 1:22:44

3M ago1:22:44

1:22:44

It's Gorilla Twins Week! We couldn't be happier to be talking about The Earl Takes All, a book we love so much we gave it a nickname that all of Romancelandia uses now. Whether you're reading it for the first time or the fiftieth, we're so happy to have you. We talk about Jane Goodall, Romance Gorillas, Lorraine Heath's brilliant mind, how she's ea…

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S08.05: Governesses with Louisa Darling 1:43:36

3M ago1:43:36

1:43:36

How is it possible we've never done a governess episode? And how is it possible Louisa Darling hasn't been a guest on the pod yet? We're rectifying both of these injustices this week. We talk about Jane Eyre, The Sound of Music and other primordial governesses, and discuss exactly what kind of buttons these books installed--almost entirely thanks t…

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Perception Matters for Work Wellbeing Success with Dr Michelle Smidt 44:55

3M ago44:55

44:55

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Michelle Smidt, Senior Research Assistant at ANU College of Business and Economics, and Queensland University of Technology. Michelle shares insights from her PhD research, where she explored whether employee perceptions about organisational wellbeing initiatives influenced whether those initiati…

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Blues For Allah 50: The Music Never Stopped 1:45:21

3M ago1:45:21

1:45:21

Bobby Weir & John Perry Barlow’s classic “The Music Never Stopped” came into being when the music was briefly in danger of stopping, the song transforming from live jam to final form as the Dead struggled to solve the financial difficulties that came with a retirement from the road. Guests: David Lemieux, Ron Rakow, Steven Schuster, Steve Silberman…

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S08.04 We love you Chicago, DC and LA 2:00:28

3M ago2:00:28

2:00:28

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08.03: Fall 2025 Preview 1:51:54

3M ago1:51:54

1:51:54

It's October, which means we're thinking about fall, which comes with spice, heat and hanging out under the blankets! Today, our Fall 2025 romance novel preview, guaranteed to fill your TBR pile. There’s something here for everyone — historicals, contemporaries, a splash of magic, princesses, superheroes, time-travel, widows, F1 drivers...a real id…

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When a burnout researcher develops burnout... with Dr Ben Searle 1:06:55

3M ago1:06:55

1:06:55

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Ben Searle, an Organisational Psychologist with particular expertise in burnout and stress. Ben shares his own experience of burnout while working in academia, reflecting on the way symptoms presented that were not "textbook", and how that influenced his ability to understand what was happening. …

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Blues For Allah 50: King Solomon’s Marbles/Stronger Than Dirt or Milkin’ The Turkey 1:37:08

4M ago1:37:08

1:37:08

The Deadcast unpacks the two-part extra-heady “King Solomon’s Marbles”/’Stronger Than Dirt or Milkin’ the Turkey,” using the instrumental to get into the Dead’s 1975 dalliances with holography, as well as Phil Lesh’s other unfinished pieces from Blues For Allah. Guests: David Lemieux, Ned Lagin, Ron Rakow, Eugene Dolgoff, Michael Parrish, Ed Perlst…

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S08.02: Feminism in Romance with Adriana Herrera 1:53:18

4M ago1:53:18

1:53:18

Our fave, Adriana Herrera, is with us this week to talk about feminism, romance, and how the two intersect. We talk about the history of the genre, about the evolution of feminism within it, and about what we want from the texts we're reading now, as the world does whatever it is it's doing. Oh, and we recommend some feminist romance, because of co…

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S08.01: Cold Open: Craft, Criticism, and Summer Vacation 1:40:17

4M ago1:40:17

1:40:17

Season Eight! How is it possible you're all still here?! We're so incredibly thrilled to have you all with us for another season. We've got big plans for talking to your favorite people, getting under the hood of your favorite tropes, and filling your TBR pile with your new favorite books. We quickly find ourselves in the deep end, talking about cr…

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Wellbeing and the 4-day Work Week - with Dr Wen Fan 52:16

4M ago52:16

52:16

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Wen Fan, Associate Professor of Sociology at Boston College. We explore her recently published research into whether a 4-day work week impacts worker wellbeing. She gives us some answers to the big questions: How should organisations approach preparing to transition to a 4-day work week? Does a 4…

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Blues For Allah 50: Franklin’s Tower 1:20:33

4M ago1:20:33

1:20:33

The Deadcast examines how Franklin’s Tower bucked every trend on Blues For Allah to become one of the Dead’s all-time classics, including a tape of its studio creation, a look into the multi-tracks, & a rare line-by-line breakdown by lyricist Robert Hunter himself. Guests: David Lemieux, Geoff Gould, Jürgen Fauth, Shaugn O’Donnell, Chadwick Jenkins…

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Between Seasons Palate Cleanser: Fated Mates Live St. Louis! 1:16:57

4M ago1:16:57

1:16:57

This year's Fated Mates Live was a little different than those we've hosted before, as it was also launch day for Sarah's These Summer Storms! We celebrated in style in the Midwest, hosted by the fabulous team at indie bookstore (and romance lovers), Novel Neighbor and joined by our absolute favorite, Kate Clayborn. So many Firebirds turned out to …

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Job design for Navy mental health - with Dr Monique Crane 1:01:42

4M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Monique Crane, Founder of the Research Resilience and Training Systems team at Macquarie University. Monique joins us to talk about the research she has been conducting with the Australian Navy, exploring mental health trajectories across Navy deployments. We discuss the role of job design as a d…

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Blues For Allah 50: Slipknot! 1:49:55

4M ago1:49:55

1:49:55

The Deadcast uses Blues For Allah’s complicated instrumental Slipknot! to explore the musical and creative ambiguity the Grateful Dead pursued in early 1975, when there both was and wasn’t a Grateful Dead, & their public reemergence at Bill Graham’s S.N.A.C.K. benefit that March. Guests: David Lemieux, Ned Lagin, Ron Rakow, Steve Brown, Gary Lamber…

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07.49: Season Seven Ends Not With a Bang, but With a Kombucha Girl 1:14:51

4M ago1:14:51

1:14:51

We’re wrapping up season seven by asking ourselves a simple question. Do we like this stuff? Yes? No? Maybe so? We’ll be back in two weeks for the start of Season Eight of the podcast. Honestly, we remain amazed that y’all are with us on this journey. In a world full of madness, you bring us calm, joy and purpose, and we couldn’t be more grateful f…

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S07.48: Con Artists & Criminals With Joanna Shupe 1:28:54

5M ago1:28:54

1:28:54

Joanna Shupe joins us this week to celebrate her new book, The Gilded Heiress, and talk about one of our favorite things—baddies with a heart of gold! We talk about the book, about our mutual love of criminals, of noble scoundrels, of con artists and basically anyone willing to do crime in the name of love. We also talk about how everything Gilded …

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Clarity in Chaos - with Dr Megan Tranter 59:01

5M ago59:01

59:01

In this episode, hosts Jason and Joelle chat with Dr Megan Tranter, CEO and Founder of Purpose Pathfinders. We chat about her latest book, Clarity in Chaos - Lead with purpose in disruptive times. We explore the intersection between psychosocial safety and human sustainability, connection to purpose, and the role that leaders and employers can play…

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Blues For Allah 50: Help On the Way 1:30:49

5M ago1:30:49

1:30:49

The Grateful Deadcast points itself towards 1975 to begin a song-by-song celebration of Blues For Allah’s 50th anniversary, loaded with raw session tapes, early lyric drafts, & the story of how the Dead built a new studio, musical language, batch of songs, & LP from the ground up. Guests: David Lemieux, Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Ron Rakow, Stephe…

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S07.47: Bodyguards 1:30:23

5M ago1:30:23

1:30:23

It’s Bodyguard Romance week, which feels impossible, honestly, considering we’ve definitely done this before, haven’t we? According to Eric and also the internet, we haven’t, which means we get to talk for the first time in seven seasons about why Bodyguards work so well for so many romance readers, including us! We talk about the basics – the inna…

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Bonus Rerun: From the Mars Hotel 50: Ship of Fools 1:41:35

5M ago1:41:35

1:41:35

The Grateful Deadcast visits the set for the Grateful Dead Movie, aka the Dead’s five “retirement” shows at Winterland in 1974, with heads who attended. This bonus episode is a re-run of the 2nd half of Deadcast Season 9, episode 8. Guests: Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay, Ron Rakow, Ned Lagin, David Grisman, , Steve Brown, Richie Pechner, Jerry Pompili…

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07.46: Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 1:28:37

5M ago1:28:37

1:28:37

We're back with a deep dive episode on one of our favorite Susan Elizabeth Phillips books, Natural Born Charmer. Jen thinks this one marks SEP's Imperial Period, and Sarah looks askance at the term romcom to describe romance novels. We're back on our bullsh*t, is what we're saying. We're talking plot, character, risk-taking, and how romances can fe…

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Crossover Episode – Managing Psychosocial Hazards for Early Career Psychologists – with Bronwyn Milkins (Mental Work Podcast) 39:57

5M ago39:57

39:57

In this special crossover podcast episode, the tables are turned as Bronwyn Milkins of the Mental Work podcast interviews normal co-host Jason van Schie on the topic of psychosocial hazards.In this lively conversation aimed at early career psychologists, they discuss what psychosocial hazards are and why they are important to manage. Jason provides…