Critically acclaimed debut novelist, Molly McGhee, spoke with me about the best day of her life, her part in The Great Publishing Resignation, losing a parent, and her first book JONATHAN ABERNATHY YOU ARE KIND. Molly McGhee writes fiction and essays and taught in the undergraduate creative writing department at Columbia University where she also graduated with an MFA in fiction. Her debut novel is Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind, described by The New York Times as a story about, “... debt-laden...
Oct 20, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bonus Episode – Climate Edition: Award-winning investigative journalist and Executive Podcast Producer, Amy Westervelt, spoke to me about her accidental career in climate accountability, the greatest threat to free speech, and her deep dive into the origins of climate denial. Amy Westervelt is an independent investigative climate journalist who has been on the climate beat for more than 20 years, reporting for a wide range of outlets over the years, including Inside Climate News, The Guardian, T...
Oct 18, 2023•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast Critically acclaimed debut novelist, Isa Arsén, spoke with me about humanizing machines and the creative process, how to write soft sci-fi, and her genre-bending, “timey-wimey” literary debut SHOOT THE MOON. Isa Arsén is an author and audio engineer based in South Texas and has published several short stories and pieces of experimental interactive media. Shoot the Moon is Arsén’s debut novel, inspired by her own childhood in New Mexico. Named a BookBub Best Book of Fall and Shondaland Best Book ...
Oct 13, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Laurell K. Hamilton, returns to talk about how her writing process has evolved over the last 30 years, how to find words, wisdom, and mental wellness, and celebrating the 30th in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series with SLAY. Laurell K. Hamilton is the trailblazing, genre-bending author of the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, and the Merry Gentry, Fey Detective series, and is considered an influential pioneer in the urban-fantasy genre. In the 30th nov...
Oct 06, 2023•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bestselling, Booker Prize-winning author, Anne Enright, spoke to me about eagles and moles, the interior engineering of a novel, her love of Irish poetry, and her latest THE WREN, THE WREN. Anne Enright won the Man Booker Prize and the Irish Fiction Award for her novel The Gathering. She has also been awarded the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence, a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Irish Book Awards, and was the first Laureate for Irish Fiction (2015-2018). Her latest novel The Wren, the W...
Sep 29, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bestselling author and award-winning screenwriter, Dwain Worrell, spoke to me about making the move from the writers' room to the cafe, the art and science of suspense, and his debut novel ANDRONE. Dwain Worrell is an award-winning Marvel and Disney+ TV producer, filmmaker, and novelist whose writing credits include Marvel’s Iron Fist, CBS’s Fire Country, Amazon Studios’ The Wall, and the Disney+ series National Treasure, among others. Dwain also worked as a translator of Mandarin Chinese in Bei...
Sep 22, 2023•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, spoke to me about how to write seven novels in 18 months, the psychology of fiction and fandom, and her latest YA mystery, THE BROTHERS HAWTHORNE. Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games trilogy, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series. Her latest is The Brothers Hawthorne, described ...
Sep 15, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, James Rollins, spoke to me about his alter ego, veterinarian Dr. Jim, how to write two staccato-paced novels a year, and his latest Sigma Force installment, TIDES OF FIRE. James Rollins is the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Sigma Force series, six standalone adventure thrillers, a novelization of the Indiana Jones franchise, and many others totaling over 44 novels (even he can’t remember the exact number). His latest in his most popular series i...
Sep 08, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Internationally bestselling author, Lucy Clarke, spoke to me about how her love of travel morphed into a destination thriller, building your readership organically, and the chewy female dynamics in her latest novel THE HIKE. Lucy Clarke is a Sunday Times bestseller and the author of eight destination thrillers including Waterstones Thriller of the Month, The Castaways, Richard and Judy Book Club pick, One of the Girls, and most recently, The Hike. Told in alternating perspectives her latest thri...
Sep 01, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bonus Episode: ADHD Coach, researcher, and Doctoral Candidate, Skye Waterson, spoke to me about writing a dissertation with neurodiversity, conquering burnout, and her unconventional approach to writing routines for writers with time blindness and more. Skye Waterson is the Founder of Unconventional Organization, a worldwide, research-based ADHD support service that has helped academics, playwrights, and authors with ADHD “...build strength-focused writing routines so they can meet their goals w...
Aug 30, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Acclaimed TV and movie writer, Adam Lorenzo, spoke to me about owning a college bar … while still in college, his work ethic and what keeps him hustling pages, and his latest college survival guide ALL I NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED FROM MY COLLEGE BAR. Adam Lorenzo is a writer/producer who works in both live-action and animation who started as a joke writer, selling material to Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon on Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update''; Jimmy Kimmel; and David Letterman, which resulted in h...
Aug 25, 2023•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award winner, James McBride, spoke to me about eschewing literary fame, his friendship with Spike Lee, and his latest novel THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE. James McBride is a musician, screenwriter, and award-winning author of New York Times bestselling Oprah’s Book Club selection Deacon King Kong, the National Book Award–winner The Good Lord Bird (now a Showtime limited series starring Ethan Hawke), and the American classic The Color of Wate...
Aug 18, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast Critically acclaimed memoirist, Melissa Bond, spoke to me about her dark night of the soul, crowd-funding her lauded memoir, and the paperback release of BLOOD ORANGE NIGHT: A Memoir of Insomnia, Motherhood, and Benzos. Melissa Bond is a narrative journalist, editor, award-winning poet, and speaker/performer whose breakout debut memoir, Blood Orange Night, is a Barnes & Noble non-fiction book of the month, and was selected by both The New York Times as one of the Best Audiobooks of 2022. Publish...
Aug 11, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, Tracey Lange, spoke to me about finding literary success later in life, her past life working with inner-city gang kids, and exploring messy family dynamics in her latest THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN. Tracey Lange is the author of debut novel, We Are the Brennans, an instant New York Times bestseller and Goodreads Choice Finalist, praised by The New York Times, Good Morning America, PEOPLE and more. Her latest novel, The Connellys of County Down (Celadon, Augus...
Aug 04, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Critically acclaimed author, Hilary Leichter, spoke to me about why she thinks of herself as a realist, how her life imitates art, finding a novel hidden in her closet, and her latest, TERRACE STORY. Hilary Leichter is an award-winning short story writer, and author of the novel Temporary, which was a finalist for The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and an NYPL Young Lions Fiction Prize, that was also longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award, was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice as well...
Jul 28, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author and journalist, Andrea Bartz, spoke to me about her previous life as a magazine editor, how to write feminist psychological thrillers, and all the tension, twists, and toxic relationships in her latest novel THE SPARE ROOM. Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor whose last thriller, We Were Never Here, was a Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller that’s in development at Netflix. Her latest, The Spare Room, is described as a ...
Jul 21, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Critically acclaimed author, Andrew Lipstein, spoke to me about failure as an MFA, how he sold his first novel, why time spent not writing is also important, and his latest THE VEGAN. Andrew Lipstein is a Brooklyn-based writer who also works in finance and has a mathematics degree. His debut novel, Last Resort, was named a Top 10 Book of the Year by Slate, a 2022 Best Book by The New Yorker, a 2022 Best Book by Vulture, and a New York Times Editors’ Choice. His latest, The Vegan is described as ...
Jul 14, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Susan Wiggs, spoke to me about why writers need to follow their bliss, how her stories come together like patchwork quilts, and her most “summery” novel yet, WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN. Susan Wiggs is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 50 published novels, with a combined 25 million copies in print, published in 30 countries, and translated into over 20 languages. Her latest, Welcome to Beach Town: A Novel, is described as the “... ta...
Jul 07, 2023•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author and educator, Helen Schulman, spoke to me about her winding path to bestseller, why a writing career is 90% sweat and rejection, and how the #MeToo movement inspired her latest novel, LUCKY DOGS. Helen Schulman is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, including Come with Me and This Beautiful Life, and she is currently the Fiction Chair of the Creative Writing Program at The New School. Her latest, Lucky Dogs, is described as a novel that “... l...
Jun 30, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, James Swallow, returns to chat with me about the solitary life of a writer, his undying love of ‘80s and ‘90s cinema, why you’re only as good as your last title, and his latest novel DARK HORIZON. James Swallow is the Award-winning New York Times, Sunday Times, and Amazon #1 bestselling author, former journalist, and British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) nominated scriptwriter who has written for video games, TV, and radio. His latest, Dark Horizo...
Jun 23, 2023•39 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, Ashley Audrain, spoke to me about giving herself permission to write sh*tty first drafts, writing in public, and her second novel THE WHISPERS. Ashley Audrain’s debut novel, The Push, was a New York Times, Sunday Times (London), #1 international bestseller, and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It has sold in more than 40 territories, and a limited TV series is currently in development. Her latest, The Whispers, is described as “ … a propulsive page-turner...
Jun 16, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Internationally bestselling authors, Lynne & Valerie Constantine – AKA Liv Constantine – spoke to me about the importance of writers’ conferences, how to write perfidy with your best friend, and their latest thriller THE SENATOR'S WIFE. Liv Constantine is the pen name of sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine who are the WSJ, USA Today, and Internationally bestselling authors of Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish, which has sold over 500,000 copies and is soon to be adapted for Netflix ...
Jun 09, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, Fiona Barton, spoke to me about why so many famous journalists have turned to crime fiction, the power of the deadline, and her latest hit novel LOCAL GONE MISSING. Fiona Barton is the award-winning journalist and New York Times bestselling author of novels The Widow, The Child, and The Suspect – all three featuring journalist Kate Waters. Her latest thriller, Local Gone Missing, follows a new protagonist in Detective Elise King and follows the brewing changes ...
Jun 02, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Carley Fortune, spoke to me about her storied career as a journalist, writing a breakout hit in just four months, and her latest novel, MEET ME AT THE LAKE. Carley Fortune is an award-winning Canadian journalist and the #1 New York Times and #1 Globe and Mail bestselling author of Meet Me at the Lake and Every Summer After. Her latest, Meet Me at the Lake, is described as a “...love story about two strangers who come together when they need each other most. ...
May 26, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry, returns to chat with me about depressing first drafts, what it's like to be a genre-bending, commercial fiction superstar, and her “glittering” new novel HAPPY PLACE. Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, and has sold over three million copies of her novels. Her latest is Happy Place, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and her first hardcover novel, described as...
May 19, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast NOTE: This is an updated replay of an amazing chat I had with Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, Hernan Diaz, who spoke to me exactly one year ago about rejection, his unusual path to literary stardom, subverting reader expectations, and his latest novel TRUST. A big congrats to Hernan who recently won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. His novel, Trust, shared the Pulitzer Books prize with Barbara Kingsolver’s novel, Demon Copperhead. Trust was named one of 2022’s Most Anticipated Books by The ...
May 12, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ruta Sepetys, spoke to me about what she learned in the music industry, the secrets to strong, vivid writing, and her non-fiction debut YOU: THE STORY: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory. Ruta Sepetys is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Her acclaimed “crossover” YA literature includes the Carnegie Medal-winning Salt to the Se...
May 05, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, J. Ryan Stradal, spoke to me about the unsurpassed passive aggressiveness of Midwesterners, writing about the restaurant industry during the pandemic, and his latest novel SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE LAKESIDE SUPPER CLUB. J. Ryan Stradal is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Kitchens of the Great Midwest and national bestseller The Lager Queen of Minnesota, named one of the year's best books by NPR, USA Today, Booklist, and many others. His la...
Apr 28, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS. Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West. Her most recent historical...
Apr 21, 2023•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast #1 New York Times bestselling author, Bonnie Garmus, spoke to me about the evolution of her craft, how her protagonist changed her life, getting blurbed by Stephen King, and the never-ending book tour for her lauded debut LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter, creative director, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Lessons in Chemistry, named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, and Newsweek. The b...
Apr 14, 2023•31 min•Transcript available on Metacast