Charlie talks with historical novelist and longtime friend Erika Robuck about her new novel The Invisible Woman, which follows the exploits of Virginia Hall, an Allied operative who, despite having lost a leg, worked behind enemy lines during World War II. They discuss research, bravery, and the fine line between fiction and non-fiction along with many other topics.
John talks with thriller writer and fellow Davidson College graduate John Hart about his new novel The Unwilling. They discuss the craft of the crime thriller, building characters, recreating a recent historical time period, what makes a memorable villain, family dynamics and more.
Back from the holidays, Charlie talks with historical novelist and NYT bestseller Melanie Benjamin about her new book The Children's Blizzard. They discuss historical research, cultural portrayal, connecting historical characters to contemporary issues, and just how cold it can get on the Great Plains.
Charlie talks with international best selling author Alexander McCall Smith about Africa, Scotland, The Number 1 Ladies Detective Angency, the latest book in that series How to Raise an Elephant, and the perennial popular heroine Precious Ramotswe and her philosophy of life.
Charlie chats with audiobook reader Mike Lenz about how Mike made the move from running a pharmacy and being a mayor to having a career as a voice over artist. Mike recorded Charlie's novel Escaping Dreamland, and they discuss the process of recording an audiobook, the relationship between author and reader, and all the elements of writing—from punctuation to pacing—that a good audiobook narrator is tuned into.
Debut novelist Bryan Washington stops by (via Zoom) to chat with Charlie about Bryan's new novel Memorial. They discuss racism, cultural diversity, the city of Houston, queer literature, and more.
Charlie talks with internationally bestselling author Dean Koontz about his new thriller, Elsewhere. They discuss science, parallel universes, imagination, the discipline of the writer. character development, and more.
Charlie talks with debut author Rudy Ruiz about his novel The Resurrection of Fulgencio Ramirez. They discuss the bi-cultural nature of the US/Mexico border, magical realism, the Spanish language, Fulgencio as tragic hero, and much more.
Anne Bogel (a.k.a. The Modern Mrs. Darcy) guest hosts to interview Charlie about his new novel Escaping Dreamland. They discuss the power of stories, the truth behind The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, researching historical New York City and much more. And, for the first time, Charlie himself is subjected to the "ten questions"!
Charlie talks with film and television actor Henry Winkler about his enormously successful books for children, including the Hank Zipzer series. Winkler, though his books and personal appearances, is an advocate for children with dyslexia and learning differences and he and Charlie discuss the challenges of living with dyslexia, the importance of education and parent support, and Charlie's alma mater Summit School, which has had special programs for students with learning differences since the 1...
Charlie talks with the Crazy Rich Asians author about his new book, Sex and Vanity. They discuss the influences of islands like Capri, Manhattan, and Long Island; the world of the super-rich; the relationship between wealth, art, and beauty; the novels of E. M. Forster as a precursor to Kwan's work, and the joy of Italian food.
Charlie talks with Steven Wright about his book The Coyotes of Carthage, a novel of American political scheming. They discuss not just politics and voting rights and collateral damage wrought by the criminal justice system but also race and writing. How does a novel written more than a year ago take on new relevance in the current political climate, the pandemic, and the wake of the BLM movement? Tune in to find out.
Charlie talks with Steven Rowley, author of The Editor, a novel in which a young man sells his first novel and discovers that his editor of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. They discuss writing historical figures as characters, researching an intensely private person, autobiographical fiction, the challenges of recent historical fiction, and of course much about the former first lady herself.
Charlie talks with Ben Taylor, author of the deeply personal and meditative Here We Are: My Friendship with Philip Roth. Taylor talks of his relationship with one of the great American novelist of the past half century and the conversation covers the nature of memoirs and novels, the place of humor in Roth's life and works, the heyday of the celebrity author, the manipulation of "reality" to create art, and more. IWS also launches its new affiliation with audiobook platform Libro.fm. For a speci...
Charlie talks with Sue about her new book The Book of Longings in which the main character, Ana, is married to Jesus. They discuss religion, Galilean art and architecture, writing technology of the first century, and the place of women in the time of Christ—and how that position echoes across the centuries to today.
Charlie visits with Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven and the recently published The Glass Hotel about looking back on a book about a global flu pandemic, how novels get started, the art of coincidence, international shipping, Ponzi schemes, and much more.
Charlie talks with NYT bestselling nonfiction author Tom Clavin about his new book Tombstone: The Earp Brothers, Doc Holliday, and the Vendetta Ride from Hell. They discuss the enduring mythos (and reality) of the American western frontier as well as how to create nonfiction characters, the influence of Hollywood, and even a little bit about another pillar of American mythology—baseball.
Charlie and Chris discuss The Red Lotus, a thriller that has taken on unexpected relevance because it deals with a potential pandemic in New York City. They discuss Chris's research (from emergency rooms to Vietnam), how to choose a great title, what sort of books make good films, the role of the publicist in the life of a writer, and much more.
Charlie talks with science writer Neil Shubin about the history of genetic science as revealed in Neil's new book Some Assembly Required. From Darwin to DNA with lots of fascinating stories in between Neil helps us not understand not only where we came from as a species but the stories of the men and women who discovered, and continue to discover, the secrets of our evolutionary journey.
Charlie talks with the author of The Devil and the White City and Dead Wake about his brilliant new non-fiction book The Splendid and the Vile, which details the first year of Winston Churchill's prime ministry. They discuss not just Churchill, leadership, and the blitz but the similarities between fiction and non-fiction, how Erik picks a topic, how he found new materials on such a frequently researched topic, and how to bring history alive through the eyes of the real people who experienced it...
Charlie talks with novelist and screenwriter Timothy Reinhardt, author of the novel Jesus's Brother James, about writing for the page and for the screen. They discuss putting yourself in a character's shoes, writing humor, the influence of Tim's growing up near a monastery, and Tim's unique way of drafting a novel.
Charlie talks with New York Times bestselling author Jason Mott author of The Returned, which was adapted as the television series Resurrection. They discuss Jason's latest book The Crossing and topics range from the appeal of dystopian literature to drawing inspiration from classical mythology to writing about twins.
Charlie talks with debut novelist Amy K. Green about her murder thriller The Prized Girl. They discuss pacing, dysfunctional families, secrets, multiple points of view and more as they talk about this novel of two half-sisters—one murdered before the first page and one determined to find the killer of the sister she never really knew.
Charlie talks with his old friend Michael Huie about Michael's debut spy thriller Spitfire. They discuss the French Resistance, the genre of the espionage novel, and the creative life that actor, playwright, journalist, teacher, and father Huie has pursued. Michael will appear at the Bookmarks Moveable Feast in Winston-Salem on February 8 & 9, 2020.
Charlie talks with the creator of Dexter, the basis for the hit TV series, about his newest novel, Just Watch Me, which launches a new series and a new hero, master thief Riley Wolfe. They discuss anti-heroes, planning a heist, how current events can shape readers' view of a novel, and much more.
For a special 50th episode, Charlie talks with internationally bestselling author Robin Cook, who created the genre of the medical thriller with his 1977 novel Coma. Thirty-six novels later, Robin has written Genesis, a novel that uses the thriller format to explore the use of DNA in crime fighting. The discussion covers medicine, character development, plotting, why the thriller is a great medium to discuss public policy, and much more.
Charlie chats with Chandler Baker, New York Times bestselling author of The Whisper Network—a work place thriller set against the background of #MeToo—about making the transition from YA to adult novels, the hidden (and no so hidden) secrets of women in the corporate world, and the challenges of balancing a age turning thriller with a true life behind the curtain look at workplace politics.
Anne Bogel, aka The Modern Mrs. Darcy, chose Charlie's novel The Bookman's Tale for her October Book Club read. Anne came to Winston-Salem to interview Charlie live at Bookmarks in front of an audience of about 150 and her interview makes up this special episode of the podcast.
Charlie talks with recent Bookmarks Festival presenter and Hugo Award winning science fiction author Becky Chambers about (you guessed it) both science and fiction. They look at how sci-fi can explore the human condition and how humans might explore the universe, all through a discussion of Becky's lovely novella To Be Taught if Fortunate. Trust us, you don't have to like science fiction to love Becky, this book, and this episode!
At the Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors in Winston-Salem, Charlie talks with Orange Prize winner Téa Obreht, author of The Tiger's Wife, about her acclaimed new novel, Inland. Charlie and Téa talk about the immigrant experience (both in real life and in fiction), the Arizona Territory, magical realism, and Téa's beautiful style of writing.
