Cathy Yardley on Midlife Romance, Neurodiversity, and 25+ Years in Publishing

Why are we still measuring the value and desirability of women against the benchmark of youth? Today, I am joined by celebrated author and writing coach Cathy Yardley to pull back the curtain on more than twenty-five years of navigating the publishing landscape. We trace her career from selling category romance to Harlequin in 1999 to publishing award-winning standalones with Montlake, including her hit midlife romance Role Playing. Cathy opens up about her late-in-life ADHD and bipolar II diagnoses, the drop in estrogen that strips away masking in perimenopause, and how neurodiversity shapes both her daily creative guardrails and her complex, relatable characters. Plus, we dig into the beauty of he-fell-first handymen, the deep grounding power of female friendships, and her upcoming romance centered around midlife K-pop fandom. Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin's, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right. She likes writing about quirky, crazy adventures, because she's had plenty of her own: she had her own army in the Society of Creative Anachronism; she spent a New Year's on a three-day solitary vision quest in the Mojave Desert; she had VIP access to the Viper Room in Los Angeles. Now, she spends her time writing in the wilds of Eastern Washington, trying to prevent her son from learning the truth of any of said adventures, and riding herd on her two dogs (and one husband.) In this episode, we're discussing: Signing with Harlequin in 1999 and the grind of pre-digital category publishing. Pushing past industry limitations to write authentic Asian leads and characters over forty. Navigating late-stage ADHD and bipolar II diagnoses and ending the cycle of creative burnout. Setting intentional boundaries around writing income to preserve joy and creative freedom. Rejecting the makeover trope: black cat heroines and golden retriever heroes in Role Playing. Exploring grief, type 1 diabetes, and modern caregiving dynamics in Do Me a Favor. Community, finding purpose, and the K-pop divorce trend inspiring You Can't Be Serious. Looking back at fan-favorite backlist titles across the Ponto Beach series. CONNECT WITH CATHY YARDLEY: Website Instagram BOOKS/AUTHORS MENTIONED: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley Do Me a Favor by Cathy Yardley You Can’t Be Serious by Cathy Yardley Love, Comment, Subscribe by Cathy Yardley Gouda Friends by Cathy Yardley Ex Appeal by Cathy Yardley How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark Join the We Read Smut Lounge. Want early access to next week's episode, entry into our private Discord server, two monthly virtual silent book clubs, and a free monthly e-book? Head over to our Substack and join the paid community to access goodies and get early access to episodes.  Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in these show notes are affiliate links. If you make a purchase or borrow a book through these links, I may earn a small commission at zero extra cost to you. Connect with Alesia: Storygraph Instagram Running list of books mentioned (Doc) This podcast was produced by Galati Media. Proud member of the Feminist Podcasters Collective.