New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, Gregg Hurwitz, spoke with me about why all writing is a process of self-discovery, how to humanize a trained assassin, and the latest Orphan X thriller, THE LAST ORPHAN. Gregg Hurwitz is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers including the ORPHAN X series. He has been published in 33 languages, and the Los Angeles Times called him “... a thriller giant." He is also a NY Times bestselling comic book writer,...
Apr 07, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Critically acclaimed debut crime novelist and poet, Margot Douaihy, spoke with me about what she learned from Gillian Flynn, subverting the hard-boiled mystery, and writing a queer, iconoclastic, chain-smoking, punk rock nun, for her latest SCORCHED GRACE. Margot Douaihy is an award-winning educator, editor, and poet whose first novel is Scorched Grace, the inaugural title published by Gillian Flynn Books, an imprint with Zando. It was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Amazon E...
Mar 31, 2023•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast Yale educator and TV writer/producer, Aaron Tracy, spoke with me about what it takes to make it as a TV writer, breaking into the audio drama space, producing Audible’s most successful original fiction series, and working on the upcoming “Supreme” with Eva Longoria. Aaron Tracy teaches “The Art and Craft of Television Drama” at Yale University, and his TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Fairly Legal, The Tap, and Sequestered, a serialized thriller that ran two seasons, for which he was Creator...
Mar 24, 2023•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning author, visual artist, and filmmaker, Leopoldo Gout, spoke with me about making music videos for David Byrne, going from homeless auteur to working for James Patterson, his unique creative process, and his latest horror novel PIÑATA. Leopoldo Gout is the author of the books Ghost Radio, the award-winning Genius YA trilogy, and the recently published fable for all ages, Monarca. He has also packaged, published, and developed books with other writers under his imprint at Simon & Sch...
Mar 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times and internationally bestselling author, Jill Santopolo, spoke with me about finding balance as a writer/publisher, writing as therapy, the universal power of myths, and her latest novel STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY. Jill Santopolo’s debut adult novel, The Light We Lost, was a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick, landed on the New York Times bestsellers list, and has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into more than 35 languages and she is also the associate publisher...
Mar 10, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer finalist, Rebecca Makkai, spoke with me about her love of the short story, the true crime industrial complex, and her latest “literary feminist boarding school murder mystery,” I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU. Rebecca Makkai’s last novel, The Great Believers, was a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award finalist, won a slew of awards, and was one of The New York Times' Ten Best Books of 2018. Her latest novel is I Have Some Questions for You, name...
Mar 03, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning and New York Times bestselling novelist, William Landay, spoke with me about how former lawyers get pigeonholed in publishing, why we can’t get enough true crime, and his latest ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME. William Landay is a former assistant district attorney, and the bestselling author of Defending Jacob, recently adapted into the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series starring Chris Evans. His eagerly anticipated follow-up is All That Is Mine I Carry With Me (on sale 3/7; Bantam)...
Feb 24, 2023•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former Shakespeare professor and author, Stephen Marche, spoke with me about how to roll with the punches, finding comfort in the history of writerly failure, and his candid guide on handling a lifetime of rejection, “On Writing and Failure.” Stephen Marche is a novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator, and he was a contributing editor at Esquire, for which he wrote a monthly column entitled "A Thousand Words about Our Culture." His latest is the book-length essay titled “On Writing and Fail...
Feb 17, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling novelist, Deepti Kapoor, spoke with me about plumbing her subconscious for stories, a changing India and the trifecta of big business, crime, and corruption, and her sprawling saga AGE OF VICE. Deepti Kapoor is the bestselling author of Age of Vice, a novel described as, “Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by… seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence…” The bo...
Feb 10, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling debut author, Ana Reyes, spoke with me about the importance of the writing community, the evolution of a haunting tale from graduate thesis to instant bestseller, and her first thriller “The House in the Pines.” Ana Reyes is the bestselling author of Reese's Book Club pick The House in the Pines, her debut psychological thriller. Described by New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager as, "Powerfully eerie and atmospheric, The House in the Pines is a compelling mix ...
Feb 03, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author and screenwriter, Grady Hendrix, spoke with me about getting serious about horror, turning genre tropes on their head, and his latest “How to Sell a Haunted House.” Grady Hendrix is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, and journalist best known for My Best Friend’s Exorcism (adapted into a feature film by Amazon Studios), and the New York Times bestsellers The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, and The Final Girl Support Group. Hi...
Jan 27, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Academy Award-nominated screenwriter and debut novelist, Iris Yamashita, spoke to me about working with Clint Eastwood, her journey from Hollywood to publishing, and falling down the rabbit hole with her first mystery “City Under One Roof.” Iris Yamashita has been working in Hollywood for over 15 years and was nominated for a “Best Original Screenplay” Oscar for the movie Letters from Iwo Jima (directed by Clint Eastwood). Her debut novel is City Under One Roof, described as “Alice in Wonderland...
Jan 20, 2023•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Acclaimed debut novelist, Kai Thomas, spoke to me about writing historical fiction that interweaves Black and Indigenous cultures, the power of storytelling, keeping grounded in his work, and his novel “In the Upper Country.” Kai Thomas is a writer, carpenter, and land steward of Soul Fire Farm a community-centered “… farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system.” His debut novel is In the Upper Country and described as “... an unforgettable story that unearths t...
Jan 13, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning and NY Times bestselling author, Jayne Ann Krentz, spoke to me about how persistence has defined her career, why you need to describe your core story in three words, and her latest thriller, “Sleep No More.” Jayne Ann Krentz is the author of over 50 consecutive New York Times bestsellers with over 40 million copies of her books in print. She currently writes under three pseudonyms and her award-winning books have earned her the title of “Queen of Romantic Suspense.” Her latest is S...
Jan 06, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning indie journalist and author, Adam Skolnick, returns to discuss the “virus of dissatisfaction,” writing for modern-day samurai David Goggins, and their latest journey to bestseller with “Never Finished,” the sequel to a bestselling memoir. Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within is the follow-up to Can’t Hurt Me, David Goggins’ smash hit memoir. It’s been described as a tour of David’s “... Mental Lab, where he developed the philosophy, psychology, and strategies ...
Dec 23, 2022•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Part Two of this file, we return with an exclusive look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that has sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story, but it’s no secret that the book was co-written by my good friend Adam Skolnick. Adam is an award-winning independent ...
Dec 16, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are rebroadcasting this incredible look into the process behind not only how a writer gets paid to ghostwrite a title for a celebrity, but also the writing, research, and indie publishing of a book that sat on top of the Amazon charts for over a year! Did it finally beat Michelle Obama’s competing bestseller? Stay tuned to find out. We had to get special permission from the incredible human and author, David Goggins, to share this story, but it’s no secret that the book was co-written by my g...
Dec 09, 2022•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Violinist and lauded debut novelist, Brendan Slocumb, spoke to me about how both music and writing saved his life, the darker side of the classical music world, and his debut "The Violin Conspiracy." Brendan Slocumb is an accomplished violinist and concertmaster who has performed with major symphonies, has a degree in music education, and has over twenty-five years of teaching in the classroom and in his private studio. His critically acclaimed debut novel, The Violin Consp...
Dec 02, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice #1 international bestselling author of over 40 novels, Jeffery Deaver, returns to rap about his prolific output, an award-winning handbook for mystery writers, and the latest Colter Shaw novel, "Hunting Time." Jeffery Deaver is a former journalist, musician, and attorney best known for his Lincoln Rhyme series – now a hit NBC TV show – and the novel, The Bone Collector, adapted for the big screen starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. The "master of suspense" has be...
Nov 25, 2022•44 min•Transcript available on Metacast A quick note that this week we're resurfacing Part One of an enlightening chat I had with #1 internationally bestselling author Jeffery Deaver about his process for writing “ticking-time bomb suspense,” near the start of the Pandemic. Next week we are going to catch up with the author for the second part of that interview series with Jeff to talk about his latest novel and a lot more about the writing life. Until then … The #1 internationally bestselling author of over 40 novels, Jeffery Deaver,...
Nov 18, 2022•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Award-winning author and filmmaker, Priyanka Kumar, spoke to me about the language of cinema, her Zen leanings, returning to the solace of nature, and her latest, "Conversations with Birds." Priyanka Kumar is a graduate of the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts and an alumna of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference. She is also the award-winning writer, director, and producer of the feature documentary The Song of the Little Road, starring Martin Scor...
Nov 11, 2022•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice "Writing, at its best, is a lonely life." – Ernest Hemingway Ernest Hemingway scholar and author, Professor Mark Cirino, spoke to me about the ethos of the late literary lion, how Hemingway outlived his myth, and his mission to uncover Hem's truest sentence. Dr. Cirino hosts the popular Hemingway Society-sponsored podcast, One True Podcast. He is also the author of eight books about American literature as a writer or editor. His most recent is One True Sentence: Writers & R...
Nov 04, 2022•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Award-winning and #1 NY Times bestselling author, Robert Crais, spoke to me about breathing life into the ur detective novel, the legacy of Raymond Chandler, his love of LA, and his latest, "Racing the Light." Robert Crais is the author of 23 novels, 19 of which feature private investigator Elvis Cole and his laconic ex-cop partner, Joe Pike. The first in the series, The Monkey’s Raincoat, won the Anthony and Macavity Awards and was nominated for the Edgar Award. The latest...
Oct 28, 2022•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Note: Hey, just a quick note that the podcast is on hiatus this week but we’re bringing back a fan favorite. Here is my interview with the amazing Tana French from late 2020, at the height of the pandemic. Catch you soon and thanks for your support! The New York Times bestselling crime novelist, Tana French, took a break to talk with me about her early training as an actress, her definition of creativity, and how to write through the tough times. "I didn't know if I could w...
Oct 21, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Award-winning, queer, Jamaican-American writer, videographer, activist, and debut memoirist, Prince Shakur, spoke to me about James Baldwin's legacy, writing towards his father's murder, and his latest, "When They Tell You To Be Good." Prince Shakur is a freelance journalist, videomaker, and New York Times recognized organizer whose debut memoir, When They Tell You To Be Good, is about his "political coming of age in Obama and Trump’s America." It is a Powell's Holiday Pick...
Oct 14, 2022•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Deanna Raybourn, spoke to me about how she still feels like a debut author, why she doesn't read reviews, and her new contemporary thriller "Killers of a Certain Age." Deanna Raybourn is the author of 19 books including the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Lady Julia Grey series, as well as the USA Today bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, and several stand-alone works. Her latest is Killers of a Certai...
Oct 07, 2022•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, "The Old Place." Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t." His debut novel is The Old Place, described as "A bighearted and moving debut about a wry retired schoolteacher whose decade-old se...
Sep 30, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bestselling, award-winning author A.M. Homes, spoke to me about getting sued by J.D. Salinger, the irony of winning the Women's Prize for Fiction, and her latest "The Unfolding." A.M. Homes is a TV producer, art critic, and the author of 13 books, including the bestselling memoir The Mistress’s Daughter. Her last novel, May We Be Forgiven, was the winner of the 2013 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her latest novel is The Unfolding, described as a "... darkly comedic alternative history that takes us ...
Sep 23, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Bestselling, award-winning author Candice Carty-Williams, spoke to me about the tragicomic nature of being, winning "Book of the Year" at the British Book Awards, and her latest "People Person." Candice Carty-Williams is a TV producer, culture writer, and author of the international bestseller Queenie, a book that was named a best book of the year by NPR, TIME, PARADE, The Guardian, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, and many others. She also became the first black woman to w...
Sep 16, 2022•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast #PodcastersForJustice Award-winning journalist and debut memoirist, Casey Parks, spoke to me about her lifelong reverence for journalism, the emotional cost of writing a memoir, and her debut "Diary of a Misfit." Casey Parks is a reporter for The Washington Post who covers gender and family issues. She spent a decade at The Oregonian writing about race and LGBTQ+ issues and was a finalist for the Livingston Award. A former Spencer Fellow at Columbia University, Parks was awarded the 2021 J. Anth...
Sep 09, 2022•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast