Episodes

Jane and I discuss her latest book The Survivors, how setting and plot drive her stories, creating a strong sense of place, her thoughts on the motion picture adaptation of The Dry and Eric Bana as Aaron Falk, how her journalism training helps her write thrillers and more.

Nancy and I discuss her debut novel The Kindest Lie, the issue of identity in the United States today, her title’s dual meaning, how important it is for aspiring authors to write the story they want to write versus following publishing trends, her own publishing journey and more.

Ty and I discuss his new book Robert E. Lee and Me, the myth of the Lost Cause of the Confederacy and its creation and perpetuation, how telling his own personal story is more impactful than just sharing his views, reading recommendations and more.

Lisa and I discuss her new mystery Before She Disappeared, the complexity of plotting a person’s disappearance in 2021, walking the streets of Mattapan for research and the delicious food item that she discovered there, and the real-life inspiration for Frankie.

Liese discusses her new book What Could Be Saved, writing about Bangkok in both the 1970s and present day, pulling from her experiences as an expat, how her writing process has evolved over time, pandemic reading recommendations, and much more.

Mateo discusses Black Buck, using a creative format to tell the story, fiction’s incredible power to teach empathy and understanding, his unique (and very cool) cover and the story behind it, having his novel chosen for the Read with Jenna book club.

Julie discusses her debut Waiting for the Night Song, why she loosely based the plot line on a cherished children’s book, choosing New Hampshire for the book’s setting, the importance and urgency of climate fiction, and much more.

Nick discusses his latest mystery The Breaker, incorporating cutting edge technology into some of his stories, the long-range implications and societal changes resulting from new technology such as cell phones and social media, and writing about PTSD.

Julia discusses her latest book The Last Garden in England, the pros and cons of choosing a popular topic like gardening to write about, the importance of creating a strong sense of place, and recruiting her father to help her research English gardens.

Sadeqa discusses her latest novel Yellow Wife, how the story spoke to her, switching from contemporary fiction to historical fiction for this book, tackling a tough and timely topic, how she loves to hike when she has free time, and much more.

Melissa discusses her book Single and Forced to Mingle, how her story went viral, creating the fun format she used in the book, why millennials are choosing to not have children, debunking the myth that there is one path that a life should follow, and more.

Molly discusses her novel The Heiress, writing Austen-inspired fiction, creating a story around a fictional character from Pride & Prejudice, her favorite Jane Austen book, researching Regency-era England, and much more.

Judithe discusses her novel The Chanel Sisters, why she chose Antoinette to tell the sisters’ story, how Coco Chanel’s early years influenced her designs and fabrics, the unique research Judithe conducted, and much more.

Marie discusses her latest novel The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, writing about the venerated Agatha Christie, telling the stories of women that history forgot, the event that changed the trajectory of Agatha Christie’s career, and much more.

Sarah discusses her debut novel The Wrong Kind of Woman, writing about women’s issues in the 1970s, how her story resonates in today’s world, incorporating the music and television of the era into her research, and more.

Lainey discusses her debut novel The Exit Strategy, working in the tech industry as a one of the only women in the boardroom, her desire to inspire and empower women with this story, the importance of titles and covers, and publishing during the pandemic.

Sharon speaks about her debut novel Half, writing about twin sisters who speak in one voice, publishing during the pandemic, the inspiration for her story, and much more.

Denise discusses her debut novel How to Fail at Flirting, tackling a tough subject matter in her novel, how comparing oneself to others is a “thief of joy”, the struggle to find the perfect title for her book, serving as a mentor in Pitch Wars, and more.

Heather discusses how she started Book Club Chat, her favorite and least favorite aspects of what she does, how she decides which books to select, her favorite genres, recent changes and trends in the publishing industry, celebrity book clubs and more.

Julie discusses her instant New York Times bestseller The Last Flight, writing her first thriller, her advice for aspiring authors, the importance of the right book cover and how the cover sets up expectations for readers, and more.

Halley discusses her debut novel The Lady Upstairs, her love of murder bus tours, writing feminist noir, participating as a mentee and mentor in Pitch Wars, the importance of building a community in the book world, and more.

Katharine discusses her novel Majesty, the amount of world building she did for this series, writing a uchronic book, the difficulties in writing a sequel, her efforts to upend reader expectations, and much more.

Ehsaneh discusses her debut novel A Door Between Us, her desire to portray all sides of a conflict, writing about an event that is not frequently covered in literature, growing up in a Muslim/Mormon home, and what she hopes readers take away from her book.

Ann discusses her debut novel A Good Family, her very personal inspiration for the book, joining the amazing debut author community on Facebook, trying to settle on the perfect title for the book, publishing during the pandemic, and much more.