This week, I chat with Leigh Dunlap about her darkly comical debut thriller Bless Your Heart. We dive into her inspiration for the story, how her screenwriting background influenced her novel writing process, and how her relationship with her son formed the story. Bless Your Heart Synopsis Anderson Tupper, a member of one of Atlanta’s richest families, has been murdered in the dugout of the Little League field where he was a volunteer coach, and it’s up to Detective Shay Claypool, a single mothe...
Aug 13, 2025•33 min•Ep. 295
This week, I talk with Samantha Downing about her snarky new thriller Too Old for This. We dive into her inspiration for the story, her favorite parts about writing Lottie, and how she chooses memorable names for her characters. Too Old for This Synopsis Lottie Jones thought her crimes were behind her. Decades earlier, she changed her identity and tucked herself away in a small town. Her most exciting nights are the weekly bingo games at the local church and gossiping with her friends. When inve...
Aug 12, 2025•27 min•Ep. 294
This week, Steph and I talk about books with memorable characters who we will never forget! Books We've Been Reading You Belong Here Don’t Forget the Girl Recursion Doll Parts Honey and Spice Do What Godmother Says Books with Memorable Characters Junie Remarkably Bright Creatures Dissolution The Paper Palace An Inconvenient Woman None of This is True Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon...
Aug 08, 2025•41 min•Ep. 293
This week, I talk with Cobie LaJeanne about her pitch-black thriller Blood in the Cradle. We dive into her inspiration for the story, how the book developed over time, and what it was like creating a detective with synesthesia! Blood in the Cradle Synopsis When decorated detective Chloe Van Belle receives a call about a severed limb in a fountain, she dreads returning to Encounters, a renowned angel-worshipping church tied to her dark childhood wounds. She’s further shocked to learn six-year-old...
Aug 05, 2025•33 min•Ep. 292
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about new-to-us authors we discovered and love! Books We Talked About The Book of Accidents The Babysitter Lives The Killer on the Road Unlikely Animals History Lessons What Lies Between Us Behind Every Good Man Love You to Death Deeper Than the Dead This Violent Heart Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and...
Aug 02, 2025•58 min•Ep. 291
This week, Gare and I talk with Clèmence Michallon about her new thriller Our Last Resort. We dive into her inspiration for the book, her fresh take on a locked room thriller, and how she crafted a believable cult. Our Last Resort Synopsis Innocence doesn't bail you out; it just makes you easier to trap. Frida and Gabriel arrive seeking a fresh start at the stunning Ara Hotel in the secluded desert of Escalante, Utah. Once so close they were able to finish each other’s sentences, they’ve grown a...
Jul 29, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 290
This week, Halley Sutton and I chat with Melanie Anagnos about her new noir Nightswimming. We dive into her love for 70s culture, how reading noir shaped Nightswimming, and the future for the trilogy. Nightswimming Synopsis Paterson, New Jersey, 1979: Jamie Palmieri is an up-and-coming patrol officer, three years out of the academy and frustrated with his slow rise to detective. That all changes one frigid night in January, when a double homicide at a local bar leaves the owner and a young woman...
Jul 25, 2025•46 min•Ep. 289
This week, I talk with Christina Dotson about her voice-y thriller loosely inspired by Thelma & Louise. She shares how she created Kayla and Zorie's friendship, why she set the story in the south, and what she loves about writing "unlikeable" characters. Love You to Death Synopsis When two best friends' hobby of crashing weddings takes a deadly turn, they’re forced to embark on a road trip of survival in this addictive thriller. How well do we really know our friends? As the only Black women...
Jul 22, 2025•42 min•Ep. 288
This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up about where we are with our writing processes (spoiler: I am focusing more on building Bookwild than writing). Halley shares a new approach to writing that has worked for her that she found on TikTok . Halley also shares some insights into the traditional publishing industry and we discuss the appeal of self publishing. Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community o...
Jul 18, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 287
This week, I got to talk with Cebo Campbell and MacKenzie Green about Cebo's speculative novel Sky Full of Elephants. We dive into his inspiration for the story, how he chose Charlie and Sidney as the characters to lead the story, and get a few details into the production of the Sky Full of Elephants movie! Sky Full of Elephants Synopsis n this exquisite speculative novel set in a world where white people no longer exist, college professor Charlie Brunton receives a call from his estranged daugh...
Jul 15, 2025•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 286
This week, Steph and I talk about some our favorite books outside the thriller genre, since we've both been expanding our genres a little. Books We Talked About Project Hail Mary The Road to Tender Hearts Sky Full of Elephants PS You’re the Worst The Three Lives of Cate Kay The Seven O’Clock Club An Academy for Liars Shy Girl Things Don’t Break On Their Own The Book Club for Troublesome Women Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages ...
Jul 11, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 285
This week, I talk with M.M. Deluca about her new thriller The Divorce Party! We dive into why she wanted to write a thriller with some humor, how her trip to Vegas inspired the story, and the way well developed characters with complete character arcs improve thrillers. The Divorce Party Synopsis Savannah, Daisy, and Zoe haven’t spoken in almost twenty years, since the night that changed everything. But when an unexpected invitation arrives from Evie, the ruthless queen bee of their college cliqu...
Jul 08, 2025•36 min•Ep. 284
Last year, Sabrina Thatcher (aka Olivia Day Wallce) and Lori Brand shared their experiences at ThrillerFest, and this year, since I got to go for the first time, we all get back together to discuss Thrillerfest 2025! Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check out the Imposter Hour Podcast with Liz and Greg Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @garei...
Jul 04, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 283
This week, I talked with Kaira Rouda about her new thriller Jill Is Not Happy. We dive into how her own road trip inspired the story, what Kaira loves about writing domestic thrillers, and the likeable unlikeability of Jill. Jill is Not Happy Synopsis Some secrets keep a couple together. If you ask Jill Tingley, she’ll tell you she and her husband Jack are college sweethearts living the dream in Southern California. Wealthy, popular and genetically blessed, theirs is an enviable life, though the...
Jul 01, 2025•33 min•Ep. 282
This week, I shared a quick ThrillerFest Recap (more to come on that front), and then Gare and Steph and I shared some of our favorite iconically blue and yellow covered thrillers! Books We Talked About No Road Home Keep it in the Family Believe Me Now When No One is Watching The Pact Daughter of Mine Not a Happy Family What Have You Done Darling Girls Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patre...
Jun 28, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 281
This week, I got to talk with Rob Hart about the second book in his Assassins Anonymous Series The Medusa Protocol. We dive into the inspiration for the title, how he crafts action without letting his main characters kill anyone, and plans for the third book in the series. The Medusa Protocol Synopsis When Astrid, known in her assassin days as Azrael, stopped showing up to Assassins Anonymous, the group assumed her past had caught up with her. Only her sponsor Mark, formerly the deadliest killer...
Jun 24, 2025•34 min•Ep. 280
This week, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago with Steph to see Julie Clark in conversation with Mary Kubica about her new thriller The Ghostwriter!! If you haven't seen the sprayed edges already, you need to. We had so much fun at the event, but also had the best time recording our first IRL episode! The reading gods smiled down on me and now specific fiction books work for me in audio form, so we decided to share some of our favorite audiobooks! Books We Talked About Finding Me by Viola Davis...
Jun 20, 2025•46 min•Ep. 279
This week, I got to talk with Kimberly G. Giarratano about her newest installation in the noir Billie Levine series, Make a Killing! We dive into what was different about writing this one, how she landed on a luxury luggage company for the story, and how capitalism has seeped into college. Make a Killing Synopsis Private Investigator Billie Levine should be ecstatic. She’s finally getting the cheating spouse cases she’s always wanted. Nothing to do but sit back, snap incriminating photos, and ge...
Jun 17, 2025•48 min•Ep. 278
This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite LGBTQIA+ books for Pride Month! Also, don't forget you can #ReadQueerAllYear! Books We Talked About Harriet Tubman Live in Concert Winging it With You We Are Never Meeting in Real Life Glitter in the Dark Game Changer One Killer Problem This Violent Heart Just By Looking At Him House of Hunger The Snow Garden The Honeys Extras These Violent Delights Hidden Scars Providence The Shards Young Mungo The Three Lives of Cate Kay Chain Gang All St...
Jun 15, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 277
This week, I got to talk with Jennifer Oko about her uniquely crafted novel Just Emilia. We dive into how she created the three women in the elevator as their own characters, but also all the same woman, and the inspiration for the story. Just Emilia Synopsis The past, present, and future collide in a DC Metro elevator as three women get caught up in a gripping time-traveling tale of memory, emotion, and unspoken truths about their shared history. When Emilia Fletcher finds herself trapped insid...
Jun 10, 2025•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 276
This week, Steph and I ask all about Gare's experience as a moderator at the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share some of our favorite reads halfway through 2025! Don’t Tell Me How to Die This Book Will Bury Me The Paper Palace Julie Chan is Dead Keep it in the Family The Devil and Mrs. Davenport The Manor of Dreams Night Watcher The Secret Lives of Church Ladies Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild ...
Jun 06, 2025•1 hr 31 min•Ep. 275
This week, I got to talk with Allison Bucola about her new thriller The Ascent. We dive into her cult research, the long term damage of growing up in a cult, and how Ophelia's postpartum mental health contributed to the story. The Ascent Synopsis Twenty years ago, the members of a reclusive commune outside Philadelphia vanished without a trace. The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved. No sightings of the members were ever verified, and no bodies ever found. But the group did lea...
Jun 03, 2025•38 min•Ep. 274
This week, I got to talk with Kristen L. Berry about her debut mystery thriller We Don't Talk About Carol! We dive into Kristen's writing process, the inspiration for the story, and how one person can still make little differences against systemic oppressors. We Don't Talk About Carol Synopsis A dedicated journalist unearths a generations-old family secret—and a connection to a string of missing girls that hits way too close to home—in this gripping debut novel. In the wake of her grandmother's ...
Jun 03, 2025•48 min•Ep. 273
This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up on everything we've been reading and watching, including The Studio and how it examines the intersection of creativity and commerce. We also get into the messy subject of what to do with the art of problematic artists, and the pernicious linguistics and attitudes about women's body image. It's a little bit of everything this week! Halley's Substack The White Lotus Podcast Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Soc...
May 30, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 272
This week, I got to talk with Tori Eldridge about her newest novel Kaua'i Storm. Tori shares the inspiration for the book, how her settings matter so much to her, and how this book had her personally invested in nailing the culture. Kaua'i Storm Synopsis Returning to Kaua‘i, park ranger Makalani finds her family divided and their way of life at risk in this rich and emotional adventure by the bestselling author of the Lily Wong series. After ten years as a national park ranger in Oregon, Makalan...
May 27, 2025•41 min•Ep. 271
This week, I chat with Brian Watson @readingwithbrian about how long we've both been reading, thrillers that stood out as ones that created our love for thrillers, and some of our favorite domestic suspense thrillers! Books/Authors We Talked About Regrets Only by Kieran Scott The Push by Ashley Audrain You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott A.R. Torre Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker I'll Be You by Janelle Brown Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica Get Bookwild Merch C...
May 23, 2025•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 270
This week, the iconic Jaime Lynn Hendricks is back for the fifth time to chat about her newest page turner Their Double Lives! Gare and I ask all our burning questions, and we discuss Gare's dog Murphy's debut in a book! Their Double Lives Synopsis A down-on-her-luck waitress at a posh New Jersey country club, Kim Valva couldn’t be living a more different life from the carefree socialites she serves. Her live-in boyfriend recently cheated on her, her social life is in shambles, and her dog needs...
May 20, 2025•51 min•Ep. 269
This week, Gare, Steph and I are talking about the 2025 Summer thriller releases we are excited to read! Bookwild Merch ThrillerFest GoFundMe Books We Talked About Love You to Death by Christina Dotson Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft The Laughing Dead by Jess Lourey Just Emilia by Jennifer Oko One Dark Night by Hannah Richell The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark Doll Parts by Penny Zang Forget Me Not by Stacy Willingham Our Secrets Were Safe by Virginia Trench Ecstacy by Ivy Pochoda We Are All Gu...
May 16, 2025•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 268
This week, I talk with Judy Hutson about her new spy thriller Spy Notes! We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her job as a publicist in the music industry informed the book, and how she chose the places for Johnny to travel to! Spy Notes Synopsis Music, Mayhem, and Missions... When music publicist Johnny Harrington isn't managing her superstar client Naive, she's enjoying Christmas on her family's idyllic island home in Barbados. But this year's holiday harmony is shattered when an un...
May 13, 2025•20 min•Ep. 267
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about five of our favorite authors and our favorite book of theirs! Books We Talked About The Last Housewife Bright Young Women Play Nice The Woman Inside Jar of Hearts The Family Next Door The Night She Disappeared Dark Highway The Quarry Girls They Never Learn The Trap The Children on the Hill Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check out the Imposte...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 266
