This week, Halley Sutton joins me to talk about hyped books we have on our TBRs but haven't gotten to reading yet. We also, somehow, accidentally, platform men?? Books We Talked About Kate’s Picks The Plot The God of the Woods Hidden Pictures Wrong Place Wrong Time Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow Halley’s Picks The Moonflower Murders Lessons in Chemistry The Maidens Untamed Anita de Monte Laughs Last The Searcher Other Books The Graveyard Shift Night Side of the River This Girl’s a Killer Mov...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr•Ep. 205
This week, I talk with Carinn Jade about her deliciously twisty thriller The Astrology House. We dive into her lifelong interest in astrology, the inspiration for the book, and exploring fate vs free will. Check out the Pop Fiction Women podcast too! The Astrology House Synopsis Margot needs a minute. She’s been working eighty-hour weeks as a newly minted partner at her law firm. She’s disconnected from her brother, the only family she has left. And she’s still not pregnant after years of trying...
Oct 15, 2024•44 min•Ep. 204
This week, Gare, Steph and I share thrillers on Kindle Unlimited that you just have to read! KU Books We Talked About Fatal Intrusion The Inmate Real Easy The Prediction The Thicket His & Hers A Flicker in the Dark The Murder Between Us Jane Doe This Family Lies The Drowned Girls The Heiress Other Books We Talked About Gaslight Sugar White Girl Problems Pyschos American Babe Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the ...
Oct 11, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 203
This week, I talk with Rob Hart and Alex Segura about their new space thriller Dark Space. We dive into their world building, their joint writing process, and how speculative fiction helps us examine present truths. Dark Space Synopsis If life were fair, ace pilot Jose Carriles should have ended up a desk jockey like his former friend Corin Timony, back on the lunar colony of New Destiny. Instead, he’s the pilot of the Mosaic—a massive ship taking the Interstellar Union’s first-ever mission to o...
Oct 08, 2024•27 min•Ep. 174
This week, I talk with Susan Walter about her new skiing related thriller Running Cold. We dive into how the Banff Springs Hotel felt like it deserved a murder mystery, Susan's own love for skiing, and how she manages so many POVs. Running Cold Synopsis Julie Adler’s perfect facade is shattered by grief when her husband commits suicide. His death reveals that their luxurious California life was a house of cards, and his secret business dealings have left Julie penniless. As she strikes out on he...
Oct 08, 2024•43 min•Ep. 173
This week, I catch up with Halley Sutton who just got back from her trip to Egypt. She shares highlights from the trip, and books she read while there, including one with Egypt as a setting. We talk about bookish news and some 2025 books we are excited for, and dive into the movie Strange Darling, the movie Oddity and the TV show Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. We basically cover it all! Books We Talked About The God of the Woods What the River Knows The Favorites Say Nothing : Memory and Murder T...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 172
This week, I talk with Lauren Ling Brown about her debut dark academia thriller Society of Lies! We dive into the inspiration for the idea, the moral dilemma at its core, and how her personal experiences influenced the novel. Society of Lies Synopsis Maya has returned to Princeton for her college reunion—it’s been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her time there. This visit is special because Maya will also be attending the graduat...
Oct 01, 2024•28 min•Ep. 171
In "honor" of National Podcast Day on September 30, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite thrillers with podcasts in the plots! Books We Talked About The Night Swim Don’t Forget the Girl Things We Do in the Dark Listen for the Lie Penance Girl, 11 Truth Be Told Margo’s Got Money Trouble Sadie All the Dangerous Things The Last Housewife Almost Surely Dead None of This is True The Weight of Blood Six Stories Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author S...
Sep 27, 2024•55 min•Ep. 170
This week, I talk with Damian McCarthy about his genre-mashup, paranormal horror thriller Oddity. We dive into how he crafted plot around visuals, and how he brought together multiple ideas into Oddity's fabric. Oddity Synopsis A psychic medium attempts to uncover the truth behind her sister's murder at the site of the crime. 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 H...
Sep 24, 2024•57 min•Ep. 169
This week, I talk with Audra McElyea about her newest thriller Hush Dear Sister. We dive into the inspiration behind the story, the Gothic mansion as its own character, complex sister dynamics and the freedom of self-publishing. Hush Dear Sister Synopsis After a tragic accident she can’t quite remember, forty-something-year-old beloved Hollywood actress Annette Taylor finds herself bound to a wheelchair with several injuries. Living in Crawford Manor, the Gothic Hollywood mansion from the film t...
Sep 20, 2024•32 min•Ep. 168
This week, I talk with Marjan Kamali about her beautiful novel about friendship, The Lion Women of Tehran. We dive into how the book covers the nature of childhood friendships, the vast spectrum of being a Lion Woman, and the jarring aftermath of women losing their rights almost overnight to religious fundamentalists in Iran. The Lion Women of Tehran Synopsis In 1950s Tehran, seven-year-old Ellie lives in grand comfort until the untimely death of her father, forcing Ellie and her mother to move ...
Sep 17, 2024•51 min•Ep. 167
This week, Gare, Steph and I share books to read if the sleazy, sexy, toxic, dark academia of Tell Me Lies has you in a chokehold! Books We Talked About Ladykiller We Love the Night Life Only If You’re Lucky An Academy for Liars A Lovely Lie The Favorite Sister None of This Is True Like You Hate Me 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 Gre...
Sep 13, 2024•55 min•Ep. 166
Emily Layden joins me to talk about her new contemporary fiction novel Once More From The Top! We dive into her inspiration for the book, and our shared obsession with the many facets of fame. Once More From The Top Synopsis Everyone in America knows Dylan Read, or at least has heard her music. Since releasing her debut album her senior year of high school, Dylan’s spent fifteen years growing up in the public eye. She’s not only perfected her skills when it comes to lyrics and melody; she’s also...
Sep 10, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 165
This week, Caileigh Hynes @thebookpear joins me and shares 5 of her favorite reads in 2024 so far! We dive into what we love about thrillers, how she started her account, and our matching pet names! Books We Talked About Kill for Me Kill for You The Return of Ellie Black Look Closer She’s Not Sorry Murder Road 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...
Sep 06, 2024•41 min•Ep. 164
This week, I talk with Hannah D Sharpe about her new domestic suspense Between Lies and Revenge. We dive into how she learned about gemology, her experiences with MLMs, and found family. Between Lies and Revenge Synopsis Years after the death of her brother and the theft of her heirloom jewelry, ex-con Elle is on the run ... until she spots a stranger wearing a signature piece. Determined to take back what is hers, Elle stalks and befriends the woman, using her gemology skills as a ruse. Elle of...
Sep 03, 2024•30 min•Ep. 163
This week, I got to talk with Chelsea Bieker about her powerful emotional suspense novel Madwoman. We dive into the story's exploration of motherhood, traumatic childhoods, coping mechanisms, anxiety and integration. Madwoman Synopsis The world is not made for mothers. Yet mothers made the world… Clove has gone to extremes to keep her past a secret. Thanks to her lies, she’s landed the life of her dreams, complete with a safe husband and two adoring children who will never know the terror that w...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 162
This week, I got to talk with Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado about their new action thriller Fatal Intrusion. We dive into their joint writing process, the inception of the story, and creating a killer obsessed with spiders. Fatal Intrusion Synopsis Carmen Sanchez is a tough Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules. But when her sister is attacked, revealing a connection to a series of murders across Southern California, she realizes a conventional investigation will not be enough t...
Sep 01, 2024•46 min•Ep. 161
This week, MacKenzie Green joins the show, and we talk about our shared love for reading, how reading expands empathy, and five books that define her reading style! Books We Talked About Creativity, Inc. My Government Means to Kill Me The Immortalists Wordslut The Swimmers 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 In...
Aug 30, 2024•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 160
This week, Halley Sutton and I dive into an NYU study that showed how reading raises empathy, and share books that have expanded our empathy as well. Books We Talked About Dear America Series Hurt for Me Dear Dickhead Daisy Jones and the Six The Force of Such Beauty The Push Little Deaths Missing White Woman The Reformatory Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? Say Hello to My Little Friend The Lion Women of Tehran Star Girl Since She’s Been Gone Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion ...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 159
This week, Gare and I dive into our very long lists of fall books we can't wait to read! Books We Talked About Where They Last Saw Her The Bachelorette Party Madwoman Society of Lies Between Lies and Revenge This Girl’s a Killer Once More from the Top Leave the Girls Behind An Academy for Liars The Blue Hour Running Cold The Boyfriend It Will Only Hurt For A Moment Fair Catch Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Boo...
Aug 23, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 158
This week, I talk with Emma Bamford about her thriller Eye of the Beholder, a feminist retelling of Hitchcock's Vertigo. We dive into what inspired her to write a Vertigo-inspired thriller, and how well the story of controlling image still fits modern times. Eye of the Beholder Synopsis When Maddy Wight is hired to ghostwrite the memoir of world-renowned cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angela Reynolds, she thinks it might just be her chance to get her career back on track. She travels to Angela’s remote es...
Aug 20, 2024•23 min•Ep. 157
This week, I talk with Linda Hurtado Bond about her new action thriller All the Missing Girls. We dive into how her husband helps her write, and how her job as an television news anchor influences her writing. All the Missing Girls Synopsis As a crime reporter for a Tampa TV news station, Mari Alvarez knows when an investigation enters dangerous territory. But with her estranged sister missing and almost no information to go on, Mari can’t trust anyone but herself to find the truth. Now she has ...
Aug 19, 2024•35 min•Ep. 156
This week, Gare and Steph and I talk about books that got us into reading, changed our lives, and changed our brain chemistry! Books That Got Us Into Reading Heartsick The Good Girl The Fact of a Body Books That Changed Our Life A Density of Souls The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo And Then She Was Gone Books That Changed Our Brain Chemistry The Shards The Good Daughter The Chain Gang All Stars Books We’re Reading The Lion Women of Tehran The Lies We Told Talking to Strangers Follow us on Instagr...
Aug 16, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 155
This week, I'm back with Halley Sutton and we dive into what makes something scary. We discuss different movie and book concepts and the way different scary sub-genres scare different people. My audio also recorded through my camera instead of my microphone, so sorry for the audio quality in advance. Books We Talked About This Family Lies Stalker The Chestnut Man Maeve Fly The Return Movies We Talked About Longlegs Oddity Late Night with the Devil A Quiet Place: Day One Maxxxine Follow Kate on I...
Aug 09, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 154
This week, I talk with Elisabeth Eaves about her thriller The Outlier. We dive into what attracted her to writing an "unlikeable" female psychopath for the main character, and the quandary of hurting few to help the many. The Outlier Synopsis Cate Winter, at 34, is a wildly successful neuroscientist and entrepreneur who has invented a cure for Alzheimer's that will improve the lives of millions. On the verge of selling her biotech company for an obscene sum, she is also about to become very rich...
Aug 06, 2024•34 min•Ep. 153
This week, Gare and Steph are both on the podcast and we all talk about books from our favorite thriller sub-genres! Gare shares serial killer thrillers, I share action thrillers, and Steph shares "am I going crazy" psychological thrillers. Books We Talked About Gare - Serial Killer Thrillers Jar of Hearts Please See Us Bright Young Women Kate - Action Thrillers Alias Emma Assassins Anonymous The Recruiter Steph - Psychological Thrillers Bloodline When She Was Me Like It Never Was Get Bookwild M...
Aug 02, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 152
Today, I talk with Yasmin Angoe about her new domestic thriller Not What She Seems! We talk about the end of the Nena Knight series, how we both miss Nena, and how appearances not always being what they seem inspired her new novel. Not What She Seems Synopsis After years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers s...
Aug 01, 2024•29 min•Ep. 151
This week, I talk with Kieran Scott about her dishy new thriller People Will Talk. We dive into her inspiration for the book, how she crafted three POVs, and what made her choose a chandelier as a murder weapon. People Will Talk Synopsis When the Frank family throws their annual clambake at their gorgeous beachside home on Cape May, the seafood is always delivered to white-clothed tables on fine bone china. And Peter Frank, the beloved son and perennial heartbreaker, will make the rounds, charmi...
Jul 30, 2024•27 min•Ep. 150
This week, Audrey Egner ( @chapterandconverse ) and I share some of our favorite bingey summer thrillers! Books We Talked About Don’t Believe It The Weekend Away You Can Trust Me My Summer Darlings Lie By the Pool It Could Be Anyone The Au Pair A Flicker in the Dark An Anonymous Girl He Started It All the Colors of the Dark The God of the Woods 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...
Jul 26, 2024•46 min•Ep. 131
On this episode, I talk with Gregg Podolski about his debut action thriller The Recruiter. We discuss how his job as a recruiter inspired the story, why we both love comedy with our action thrillers, and the fun of writing an action hero who isn't good at action. The Recruiter Synopsis When bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter. He's a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might ne...
Jul 23, 2024•40 min•Ep. 129
