Episode Details

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What happens when the first openly gay man competes in a Grand Slam — and falls for his opponent across the net? Debut author Eddie Schmit joins the show to talk about The Open Era, his queer tennis romance that's equal parts heart-racing competition and sweet slow-burn love story.

Eddie shares how a mental health journey led him to tennis, how tennis led him to a book deal with Penguin Random House, and why the US Open — right in his Queens backyard — became the perfect backdrop for a story about identity, anxiety, and falling in love at exactly the wrong time. We also dig into his reading list: the Andre Agassi memoir that gripped him from page one, a practical mental health survival guide, a quirky queer literary novel about a mountain lion in the LA hills, and a cozy paranormal romance that reads like a warm hug.

📚 Books Mentioned

The Open Era by Edward Schmit — Buy on Amazon | Queer Romance / Sports Romance | Audio ✅

Open by Andre Agassi — Buy on Amazon | Memoir / Sports Nonfiction | Audio ✅

Where to Start by Mental Health America, illus. Gemma Carrell — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Mental Health | Young Adult crossover; also available in Spanish

The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey — Buy on Amazon | Nonfiction / Sports Psychology | 50th Anniversary Edition | Audio ✅

Dearly Departed by Chip Pons — Buy on Amazon | Queer Paranormal Romance / Mythology Romance

Open Throat by Henry Hoke — Buy on Amazon | Queer Literary Fiction | Short / great for gifting | Audio ✅

⏱️ Timestamps

[00:00] Welcome & introducing Eddie Schmit

[00:30] Eddie's background: acting, PR, and New York City life

[02:00] Finding tennis as a mental health tool

[04:30] How tennis became a full personality — and a book

[06:00] The Open Era: plot, characters & what makes it special

[08:00] Anxiety, masking, and representing mental health realistically in fiction

[10:00] The messy, non-linear journey of managing anxiety

[12:00] How Eddie ended up writing romance

[14:30] Why romance is the perfect genre for character arcs and high stakes

[16:00] Nonfiction rec: Open by Andre Agassi

[18:30] Nonfiction rec: Where to Start by Mental Health America

[20:30] Nonfiction rec: The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey

[23:30] Fiction rec: Dearly Departed by Chip Pons

[24:30] Fiction rec: Open Throat by Henry Hoke

[25:30] Where to find Eddie + The Open Era release date

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