Season 1

Hala and I discuss The Arsonists’ City, the character she enjoyed writing the most, wanting to provide a deeper understanding of Lebanon to her readers, how and why intergenerational conflict and secrets provide great fodder for writers, and more.

Patti and I discuss her latest book Surviving Savannah, how she found a door into this story, the way the Pulaski and its passengers spoke to her, how Friends and Fiction came about and what the group is doing now, the fascinating research she conducted, and much more.

J.T. and I discuss her latest mystery Her Dark Lies, closed circle versus locked room mysteries, the trip that lead to her creating Her Dark Lies, the character that she really struggled to write, writing books in a series compared to standalone books, and much more.

Jennifer and I discuss her debut The Little French Bridal Shop, the inspiration for both her story and the bridal shop in the book, how small falsehoods can easily turn into a web of lies, how she balances her day job and writing, reading recommendations, and more.

Kate and I discuss her latest book The Rose Code, writing about the unsung women code breakers at Bletchley Park who helped shorten the war by at least two years, the amount of secrecy required of those who worked at Bletchley Park and the mental and emotional toll on them, and much more.

Mark and I discuss his new Gray Man novel Relentless, the inspiration for Court Gentry, the character he enjoys writing the most, what it was like working with Tom Clancy and continuing his series, writing two books a year, the fantastic mystery/thriller community and more.

Te-Ping and I discuss her short story collection Land of Big Numbers, how the people she met as a journalist in Beijing inspired some of these stories, what it is like for people who live in a society where many circumstances are outside their control, the universality of intergenerational family stories, and more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Alice discusses her new mystery A Solitude of Wolverines, combining her passion for wildlife and writing, how she settled on wolverines for the first book in this new series, the research she conducted for the book, and her current wildlife research studies.

Fiona and M.J. discuss Stories from Suffragette City, the inspiration for this compilation, the speed with which the project came together, honoring the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote, and how each author is reflected in their individual stories.

Rhys discusses her latest novel The Last Mrs. Summers, creating an homage to Rebecca, writing two books a year, reading historical fiction during these stressful times, advice for aspiring authors, and much more.The Last Mrs. Summers can be purchased at...

Lauren discusses her debut novel Last Tang Standing, the importance of humor in books, the way reading promotes empathy and understanding, choosing to write the book in diary format, and coming up with the idea for the novel while she was a stand-up comedian.

Lynne discusses her latest thriller The Silent Conspiracy, the various ways information is used to influence people today, the importance of vetting the news, writing thrillers with her sister, and much more.The Silent Conspiracy can be purchased at Mur...

Nancy discusses her latest novel Girls of Summer, writing about the intricacies and mysteries of family, her love of crafting beach reads with happy endings, the way technology has impacted her job, and the importance of independent book stores.

Chris discusses his latest mystery Never Turn Back, the personal family story that served as his inspiration, the challenges of writing a thriller, the incredible author community, the importance of independent book stores, and much more.

Natalie discusses her debut novel The Jane Austen Society, the long-lasting impact and continued relevance of Jane Austen’s books, the importance of independent book stores, launching a debut novel during the pandemic, and more.The Jane Austen Society c...

Hazel discusses When We Were Young & Brave, her inspiration for the story, writing about World War 2 in the Pacific, her extensive research for the book, exploring the human condition, her reading recommendations, and much more. When We Were Young & Bra...

Joe discusses his new book American Cheese: An Indulgent Odyssey Through the Artisan Cheese World, how he became interested in artisanal cheese, the role of Whole Foods in the American cheese renaissance, the role of cheese influencers, and much more.

Tori discusses her debut novel Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish, her inspiration for the story, creating a love letter to Cincinnati, the generational theme in the book, her advice for aspiring authors, and much more.Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish can be purcha...

Jane discusses her debut novel Ties That Tether, writing about Nigerian culture and being an immigrant, exploring the themes of culture and identity, her vision for the cover of this book, participating in Pitch Wars, advice for aspiring authors, and mor...

Pamela discusses her latest novel Older, writing a book that provides some humor during these troubling times, enjoying her novel Younger as a television show and having Sutton Foster cast in the show, writing about aging, and much more. Older can be pu...

John talks about his latest novel Old Abe, writing a fictional account of Lincoln’s life, conducting research on one of the most famous men in history, how he decided to tackle this subject, and much more.Old Abe can be purchased at Murder by the Book. ...

Kristin talks about her latest novel the New York Times bestseller The Book of Lost Names, the research she did regarding the forgery of documents during World War 2, writing about ordinary people who rise up to do extraordinary things, the large number ...

Signe and I discuss her latest novel The Forgotten Kingdom, researching people and events from the sixth century, telling stories previously lost to time and history, working as an acquisitions editor, and much more. The Forgotten Kingdom can be purchas...

Asha discusses her debut novel Fifty Words for Rain, setting her novel in post-World War 2 Japan, her lifelong love of the country and its language, having her novel chosen as a Good Morning America book club selection, and much more. Fifty Words for Ra...

Jason discusses his book My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me, his wife Amy’s viral essay and his response, processing grief, advice for writing a memoir, attending Burning Man, and much more. My Wife Said You May Want to Marry Me can be purchased at M...

Gill discusses her latest novel Jackie and Maria, the reader who gave her the inspiration for this story, Jackie and her sister Lee’s complex relationship, the rivalry between Jackie and Maria, her year-round love of swimming, and more.

David discusses his debut mystery Winter Counts, the inspiration for his story, Lakota traditions, maintaining racial identity and culture, life on the Rosebud Reservation, the Indigenous food revolution, and much more.Winter Counts can be purchased at ...

Stephanie discusses her new novel Lineage Most Lethal, her lifelong interest in genealogy, writing about World War 2 and spy craft, her favorite places to conduct research, and much more.Lineage Most Lethal can be purchased at Murder by the Book. Steph...

Kathleen discusses how she became a literary publicist and eventually started her own firm, a typical day as a publicist, her favorite part of the job, trends in the book industry, the effects of the pandemic on the book world, celebrity book clubs and m...

Sarah discusses her new novel The Quiet Girl, writing under the name S.F. Kosa, her background as a psychologist, switching genres, constructing a thriller plot, trying to understand the human psyche, and much more.The Quiet Girl can be purchased at Mur...

Megan talks about her new novel Behind the Red Door, her fascination with memory repression, the importance of normalizing anxiety, creating terrible parents in her novels, and much more.Behind the Red Door can be purchased at Murder by the Book. Megan...

Alka speaks about her debut novel The Henna Artist, having Reese Witherspoon select her book for her May book club, honoring her mother, the importance of women telling their stories, and much more.The Henna Artist can be purchased at Murder by the Book...