This week, I got to talk with Robert Bailey about his emotionally driven action thriller The Boomerang. We dive into the inspiration for the book, the research he did for certain parts, and his favorite parts of writing the relationships in the book. The Boomerang Synopsis The president of the United States has terminal cancer. Chief of Staff Eli James, his faithful consigliere and best friend, is one of the few who know. But just as the president’s condition mysteriously improves, Eli’s hit wit...
May 06, 2025•33 min•Ep. 265
This week, Halley Sutton is back and we delve into character development, the subconscious influences on storytelling, and the darker themes that often emerge in our work. 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 @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland H...
May 06, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 264
This week, MacKenzie Green and I dive into everything we loved about Sinners. We dive into Ryan Coogler's succinct visual storytelling, how he tackled the themes of religion, spirituality and race, and how social horror paired with humor comes together so well. Follow MacKenzie here Listen to Manifestation Monday here TikToks I mentioned Seven Deadly Sins from TheReel Voice Vampires Needing to Be Invited BrandonToksMovies Sammy's Ability to Connect With People is What the Devil Wanted from 5hahe...
May 02, 2025•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 263
This week, I got to talk with Liann Zhang about her incredibly voicey and suspenseful thriller Julie Chan is dead. We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her ability to write the environment of the Internet is linked to how she is chronically online (same), and her favorite backstories she created for some extra vapid influencers. Julie Chan is Dead Synopsis Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse. Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, fi...
Apr 29, 2025•35 min•Ep. 262
This week, Gare, Steph and i talk about books we took risks on that we ended up loving! Books We Talked About Lion Women of Tehran Marjan Kamali Hush Anne Frasier The Wedding People Alison Espach An Academy for Liars Alexis Henderson A Density of Souls Christopher Rice The Shards Bret Easton Ellis We Used to Live Here Marcus Kliewer The Paper Palace Miranda Cowley Heller IKEA Bookshelf Ring Page Turner Paperfeel/Matte iPad Screen Protector The Push Ashley Audrain The Manor of Dreams Christina Li...
Apr 25, 2025•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 261
THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONG A couple weeks ago, Halley told me she watched Agatha All Along and loved it, which lead to me binging it in one week. We reconvened and broke down all of our favorite parts of this (dare I say) perfectly written show! 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 Insta...
Apr 23, 2025•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 260
This week, Marisha Lunde , Gare and I set out to talk about psychological thrillers, but veered into all kinds of other topics, including reality TV. The episode may feel a little disjointed at times, because a tornado touched down near my home and I lost power in the middle of the episode as well as a few other times. Otherwise, enjoy meeting Marisha Lunde and hearing about her journey on Bookstagram! Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media...
Apr 18, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 259
This week, I got to talk with Saumya Dave about her new thriller The Guilt Pill! She shares how she found the inspiration for the book, how her work as a psychiatrist informed the book, and how she started the book while pregnant with her first child, and finished it while she was pregnant with her second! The Guilt Pill Synopsis What if women could get rid of their guilt? Maya Patel has it all—her own start-up, a sexy, doting husband, influencer status, and now, a new baby. Or does she? Because...
Apr 15, 2025•53 min•Ep. 258
This week, Halley and I do a DEEP dive into our thoughts after the season three finale of The White Lotus. Grab a piña colada and enjoy! 🙃 Links Mentioned: White Lotus Podcast No Nonsense Spirituality Take on Death in Season 3 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 Bill...
Apr 11, 2025•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 257
If you're listening to these episodes as their air, you're getting what was going to be April 8ths Tuesday episode today, because Halley Sutton and I HAD to talk White Lotus Spoilers and finale predictions! If you want to skip White Lotus spoilers (through Season 3 Episode 7) you can listen to the first few minutes, and when I say skip to this timestamp if you don't want spoilers, skip ahead to 31:02. *Yes, there were 25 mins worth of White Lotus to talk about, and really, we could've probably d...
Apr 06, 2025•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 256
This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite single POV thrillers! Books We Talked About And Now She’s Gone Chasing the Boogeyman The Devil and Mrs Davenport The Book of Essie The Family Tree Things We Do in the Dark An Anonymous Girl Providence Their Vicious Games Kismet Look What You Made Me Do Sugar A Criminal Defense The Inmate The Mirror House Girls Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Commu...
Apr 04, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 255
This week I got to talk with Olesya Lyuzna about her historical noir Glitter in the Dark! We dive into Olesya's lifelong obsession with the 1920s, some wild facts she learned while researching, and how humans have always been chasing really similar feelings, even 100 years ago. Glitter in the Dark Synopsis The search for a kidnapped singer in Prohibition-era New York leads an intrepid reporter from Harlem speakeasies to the dazzling world of the theater, all while grappling with her warring pass...
Apr 01, 2025•49 min•Ep. 254
This week, I got to talk with Elizabeth Rose Quinn about her new thriller Follow Me! We dive into the personal inspiration for this book, and how cathartic it was to write as a new mother. Follow Me Synopsis After her twin sister, Chiara, goes missing at a mom-fluencer weekend, Adrienne Shaw will find her no matter what it takes. They may have been on the outs, but no one comes for her sister and gets away with it. It’s been a year, the authorities have no answers, and her brother-in-law is usel...
Apr 01, 2025•45 min•Ep. 253
Gare, Steph and I share more Kindle Unlimited thrillers so you can basically read for free. Blacktop Wasteland Valentine The Devil and Mrs Davenport Fractured The Butcher Strange Sally Diamond Like a Sister The Good Lie Darling Girls The Memory Watcher Ricochet Such Quiet Girls A Killer’s Code The Secret Witness Slewfoot 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 P...
Mar 28, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 252
This week, I got to chat with Emily Carpenter about her new horror-thriller Gothictown. We dive into how a newspaper article she saw during the pandemic inspired the story, and how she crafted such a creepy vibe for Julianna, Georgia. Gothictown Synopsis Welcome to gentle Juliana, where you can have it all…if you pay the price. The email that lands in Billie Hope’s inbox seems like a gift from the universe. For $100, she can purchase a spacious Victorian home in Juliana, Georgia, a small town ea...
Mar 25, 2025•39 min•Ep. 251
This week, I got to chat with one of our podcast faves ASHLEY WINSTEAD! In her third appearance on the show, we talk about her new thriller, This Book Will Bury Me, and how she exorcized her own demons after she found herself obsessed with true crime forums in the wake of her father's unexpected death. She shares why she was drawn to writing a roman à clef about grief and true crime obsession, and her willingness to critique herself through that form. This Book Will Bury Me Synopsis It's the mos...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 250
Today, Gare and I talk with Marshall Karp about his book that we all loved (Gare, Steph and me) Don't Tell Me How To Die. He shares the inspiration for the book and how his determination to get the story right delivered us one of our new favorite books! Synopsis I have one thing to do before I die. And time is running out. I had it all: a fantastic husband, two great kids, an exciting career. And then, at the age of forty-three, I found out I would be dead before my next birthday. My mother also...
Mar 23, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 249
This week, Gare and I share books we think will cure your White Lotus hangover after the season finale! Books We Talked About Born for This It Could Be Anyone Running Cold We Were Never Here The Hollywood Assistant She Started It The Whispers The Vacationers 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 C...
Mar 21, 2025•51 min•Ep. 248
This week, I talk with Nick Kolakowski about his mystery-thriller Where the Bones Lie! We dive into the inspiration for the story, his closeness to one of the characters, and how he subverted the noir genre. Where the Bones Lie Synopsis For Dash Fuller, Hollywood’s underbelly is home. He’s spent years making the film industry’s worst secrets disappear, and it’s left him a cynical burnout with a taste for bourbon and self-loathing. But when a young woman comes to him with a peculiar quest, Dash s...
Mar 18, 2025•51 min•Ep. 247
This week, Gare and I share some of our favorite popcorn thrillers, AND discuss actors we want to see on future seasons of White Lotus. Books We Talked About If You See Me Return to Midnight On the Surface You Killed Me First This Girl’s A Killer The Teacher The Astrology House The Final Act The Lake of Lost Girls Count My Lies 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...
Mar 14, 2025•52 min•Ep. 246
This week, Halley Sutton and I introduce a new series about writing! I've said on this podcast a few times that I will finish my book this year, and this series is a way to make sure I do spend time on it, and stay in the writing state of mind. For our first topic of this series, we talk about things that keep us close to writing even when we aren't putting down tons of words. Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bo...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 245
This week, Gare and I talk about books we wish we could erase from our memories and re-read! Books We Discussed Local Woman Missing The Last Winter of Dani Lansing The Night Bird The Girl Who Was Taken 1984 The Shards All the Missing Girls What You Don’t Know 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 ...
Mar 08, 2025•39 min•Ep. 244
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about 2025 thrillers we are excited about! Glitter in the Dark Count My Lies This Book Will Bury Me Immaculate Conception The Death of Us Whispers of Dead Girls A Thousand Natural Shocks The Missing Half Don’t Tell Me How to Die The Memory Collectors One in Four Their Double Lives 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 ...
Feb 28, 2025•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 243
This week, Gare, Steph and I share books that you can easily escape into! Books We Talked About Watch Out for Her Don’t Tell Me How to Die Notes On Your Sudden Disappearance The Real Deal Cross My Heart Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder The Paradox Hotel A Killer’s Mind Cackle 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 o...
Feb 21, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 242
This week, Halley and I dive into recommendations for Dark Valentine coded thrillers! Books We Talked About Cross My Heart It Takes Monsters To Die For The Close Up More Than You’ll Ever Know Kill for Love The Last Party My Husband It Had To Be You Vladimir 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...
Feb 14, 2025•50 min•Ep. 241
This week, I go to talk with Heather Levy about her new mystery thriller This Violent Heart! We dive into her inspiration for the book, how her personal experience informed her writing, and exploring kink through a new character. This Violent Heart Summary Devon Mayes thought she was done with the small conservative town she once called home. She fled when she was eighteen after her best friend Summer took her own life, leaving Summer’s twin brother, Keaton, lost in his grief. But when tragedy s...
Feb 11, 2025•58 min•Ep. 240
This week, we answer a listener request for thrillers with romance. At least, we tried to answer it. Some felt questionable to call romance once we started talking, but that's thrillers for you! Books We Discussed The Woman Inside Bath Haus Hello, Transcriber My Lovely Wife Seeing Strangers The Girl in 6E This Violent Heart The Grave Between Us Killer Potential Cackle Get Bookwild Merch Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Co...
Feb 07, 2025•41 min•Ep. 239
This week, I talk with Carter Wilson about his new page turner Tell Me What You Did. We dive into the inspiration for Poe's name, what got him writing about a podcaster, and how he crafted a chilling nemesis. Tell Me What You Did Synopsis She gets people to confess their crimes for a living. He knows she's hiding a terrible secret. It's time for the truth to come out… Poe Webb, host of a popular true crime podcast, invites people to anonymously confess crimes they've committed to her audience. S...
Feb 04, 2025•45 min•Ep. 238
After three days of bookish tourism, my sister-in-law Jamie and I recapped our trip while we waited to board at LaGuardia. We dove into Liz and Greg's Trust Issues Book Launch, the bookstore crawl we completed, and how we slowly became subway girlies. Some parts may be choppy since we had to pause for airport announcements! 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 Hou...
Jan 31, 2025•35 min•Ep. 237
This week, I got to talk with Jakob Kerr about his new technothriller Dead Money! We dive into hos his experience in Silicon Valley informed the book, why the tech industry is a prime thriller setting, and how he came up with one of the best intro paragraphs. Dead Money Synopsis Don’t call me a fixer. This isn’t HBO. In her job as unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley’s most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde’s gotten used to playing for high stakes. Even if none of those tech...
Jan 28, 2025•43 min•Ep. 236
