Chronic Illness in Media & Entertainment with Author, Sheila Masterson (The Poison Daughter)

This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with Sheila Masterson — #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Poison Daughter, a fantasy-romance novel that has taken the chronic illness and romantasy communities completely by storm. And this is the conversation nobody has had with her yet. This week, we're diving into: 😤 Subverting the "sick girl" trope — why Sheila built Harlow as angry, spicy, violent, and unapologetically flawed — and why chronically ill people deserve to see themselves as hot, disabled, and complex in fiction 🔥 Feminine rage & romantasy — how The Poison Daughter captures collective frustration around expectations placed on women to absorb toxic behavior, mask their pain, and smooth over discomfort 🧠 The reality of masking — why Sheila chose first-person present tense to capture the claustrophobic mental load of a pain flare, and how she dictated scenes via voice notes during active migraine attacks to get the language exactly right 💔 Reader response — the overwhelming reaction from the chronic illness and complex trauma communities who finally felt seen in fiction 🎬 The TV adaptation — Sheila's role as executive producer on the upcoming Hulu series, and her commitment to protecting the show's authentic chronic illness representation And come back on Wednesday to hear about how Sheila has navigated balancing a creative career with chronic illness. xx, Alex 💬 Comment: Has a book, show, or character ever made you feel truly seen in your chronic illness experience — and which one? TIMESTAMPS: Intro: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick! Chronic Illness Representation in Media (The Poison Daughter): 00:00:38 Subverting the "Sick Girl" Trope in Media 00:02:44 Feminine Rage, Accountability & Romantasy 00:08:49 Pain Flares, Masking & Writing in First-Person 00:15:06 Reader Reactions & The Complex Trauma Connection 00:23:28 Self-Identity, Personal Growth & Living with Chronic Illness 00:34:52 Safe Spaces for Anger & the Romantasy Dynamic 00:41:58 Navigating Chronic Illness in Relationships & Intimacy 00:51:31 Media Impact & Executive Producing the TV Series Conclusion: 01:01:06 One Brain Cell Show: Ride or Die, Furious (Hulu) & Chad Powers (Hulu) 01:07:38 Where to Find Sheila's Books & Newsletter 01:08:48 Thank you for listening! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Stay connected and follow us on socials for more! • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/ • TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod • Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568 Connect with our guest, Sheila Masterson: • Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sheilareadsandwrites/?hl=en • Newsletter & Bonus Chapter - https://sheilamasterson.com/ • Buy The Poison Daughter - https://link.amazon/B02AN6S1O ---------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/ #ChronicIllness #ChronicMigraine #SheilaMasterson #ThePoisonDaughter #Romantasy #BookTok #ChronicIllnessRepresentation #FeminineRage #SickGirlInFiction #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #ChronicPain #FantasyRomance #BookTokChronicIllness #Masking #ChronicIllnessCommunity #TVAdaptation #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices