Episodes

In this interview, I chat with Elizabeth Crook about The Madstone, Texas during Reconstruction, how she wanted to write another book with Benjamin Shreve as a central character, the definition of a madstone and how she chose that as her title, her personal connection to the cover, and much more.

In this episode, Kelly Hooker and I chat about our favorite books that published in July through September 2023.

In this Behind the Scenes interview, Victoria Wood and I chat about BiblioLifestyle, how and why she launched her website and her newsletter, creating her podcast and reading guides, how her Epigraph Festival works, why she DNFs, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Tess Gerritsen about The Spy Coast, how she came up with the idea for this one, making it into a series, writing as a pantser, her title and cover, including the foreign locales that she loves best, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Matt Singer about Opposable Thumbs, writing about Siskel & Ebert, how the two were trailblazers and the legacy they left, where the show can be watched today, whether it is best to read a book before or after watching the screen adaptation, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Laurence Leamer about Hitchcock's Blondes, why he decided to write this book, his research, interviewing Eva Marie Saint and Kim Novak, the upcoming screen adaptation of Capote's Women, what surprised him the most when writing this one, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Meg Kissinger about While You Were Out, why she decided to write this book, how the health care system often fails those with mental illness, what surprised her the most when writing this memoir, living with parents who have mental illnesses, her title and its significance, and much more.

In this interview, I chat with Greg Glasgow and Kathryn Mayer about Disneyland on the Mountain, how they learned about Mineral King and decided to write about it, Walt Disney's vision for a ski resort, putting the Mineral King project in context within the larger Disney arena and the environmental movement, their research, and much more. Greg's recommended reads are: A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker Cosmic Scholar: The Life and Times of Harry Smith by John Szwed Kathryn's r...

In this interview, Ritu Mukerji and I discuss Murder by Degrees, how this is a start to a new mystery series, the title and cover, incorporating the medical practices of the late 1800s, creating a strong sense of place and time as well as an unconventional investigator, why she set the story in Philadelphia, and much more. Ritu's recommended reads are: The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey The Dry by Jane Harper All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby Join my Patreon group to support th...

In this interview, Julia Kelly and I discuss A Traitor in Whitehall, writing an historical mystery, choosing the books her character loves to read, setting a story in the Churchill War Rooms, the inspiration for Evelyne's early years, and much more.

In this interview, Hugh Howey and I discuss Wool, the series' origin story, his unique publishing journey including self-publishing and then publishing deals with Simon and Schuster and subsequently Mariner, his involvement with Silo - the Apple+ TV adaptation of the Wool trilogy, the incredible success of Silo on Apple+, and much more.

In this Behind the Scenes interview, Laura Rossi and I chat about her roles in the literary world, how she got started in the book world, launching her own PR firm, her work as a podcast producer, her favorite and least favorite thing about her job, including the audiobook in a book's publishing day promotional events, celebrity book clubs, and much more.

In this interview, Daniel Sweren-Becker and I discuss Kill Show, examining the true crime industry and what goes into making that type of show, how real life tragedies are turned into entertainment, using a transcript format to tell this story, examining the unintended consequences of people's actions, and much more.

In this interview, Denene Millner and I discuss One Blood, her own adoption story and why she wanted to write about adoption, her children's book imprint and why she created it, the character she identifies with the most, her stunning cover, and much more.

In this interview, S.J. Bennett and I discuss Murder Most Royal, setting a book in Norfolk, her fabulous website, writing about the queen even though Sophia is not a royalist, how varied her book covers are in different countries, what surprised her the most when writing this one, rewilding, the royal family's holiday traditions, and much more.

In this interview, John Scalzi and I discuss Starter Villain, infusing humor into his stories, including talking animals in this book, building on the tropes already existing in certain genres, the importance of book titles, his research, how his role as a film critic influenced Starter Villain, and much more.

In this interview, Cara Hunter and I discuss Murder in the Family, writing in a multi-media format, the various issues true crime raises and how her book explores those issues, her writing process, how her book went viral on BookTok, and much more.

In this interview, Tracey Lange and I discuss The Connellys of County Down, her interest in reading and writing about family dynamics, the hardest character to write in this book, reader reactions, the title and cover, the fairy tale woven into the story, Geraldine's character, and much more.

In this interview, Elena and I discuss The Long Game, the joy of book events, the parallels of this book to Ted Lasso, publishing myths, how she started out self publishing, how she wrote what she wanted to read, and much more. Elena's recommended reads are: The Fake Mate by Lana Ferguson The Nanny by Lana Ferguson Join my Patreon group to support the podcast. Other ways to support the podcast can be found here. The Long Game can be purchased at my Bookshop storefront. If you enjoyed this ...

In this interview, Gill and I discuss A Beautiful Rival, her research for this book, what surprised her the most when writing this book, the connections between her books, the impact these two women had on the cosmetics industry, and much more.

In this interview, Kent and I discuss The River We Remember, creating a strong sense of place in his stories, how his father was changed by fighting in World War 2, the time period following this war in the U.S., the genre of domestica exotica, his title and cover, and much more.

In this interview, Peter and I discuss The Last Ranger, setting the story in Yellowstone National Park, how he became interested in the wolves in the park, his writing process and how his background influences that, the questions he gets from readers, his dearest hope for this book, and much more.

Mary and Pamela join me to discuss their recommended reads for Fall 2023.

In this interview, Irene and I discuss Lucky Girl, religion in the novel, mother-daughter relationships, what is resonating with readers the most, how much of her own experience she incorporated into Soila's story, the hardest part about writing this one, and much more.