Brad Parks is an international bestselling author, and the only writer to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American crime fiction’s most prestigious prizes. His novels have been translated into 16 languages and have won critical acclaim across the globe, including stars from every major pre-publication review outlet. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Parks is a former journalist with The Washington Post and The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger. 

Among other things, Brad and Carter discuss writing from the perspective of a teenager, Brad’s experience with Amazon publishing, and exploring themes of false accusations and innocence in a novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful story using a line from Larry McMurtry’s Sin Killer.

Edward Hamlin is a fiction writer and composer of music for acoustic guitar. Edward’s NIGHT IN ERG CHEBBI was selected by Karen Russell as winner of the 2015 Iowa Short Fiction Award and went on to win the Colorado Book Award. Other honors have included a Nelson Algren Award, a Nelligan Prize, an NCW Short Story Prize, a Top of the Mountain Novel Prize and a Hawthornden Fellowship. His compositions for solo acoustic guitar have appeared on three CDs and on film.

Among other things, Edward and Carter discuss being reviewed by professional book review magazines, the importance of getting readers vs sales, and distancing your writing from your own personal experiences. At the end of their conversation, they make up a clever science-fiction story using a line from Edward’s own novel, Sonata in Wax.

Libby Cudmore is the author of Negative Girl and The Big Rewind, as well as the Wade & Jacks P.I. series in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Tough. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous places including The Dark, Smokelong Quarterly, Shotgun Honey, and more. She is the 2018 recipient of the Oregon Writer’s Colony prize, the 2023 Shamus award for best P.I short story, and the 2023 Black Orchid Novella award. She is the current co-host of the OST Party and Misbehavin’ podcasts, and teaches short fiction through The Writer’s Circle. 

Among other things, Libby and Carter discuss Libby’s ongoing book tour, treating writing as if it is your day-job, and the benefits of engaging socially in the writing community. At the end of their conversation, they make up a chilling story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s A Game of Lies.

Jen Ruiz is a lawyer turned full-time travel blogger. A multiple bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and national award-winning travel journalist, she has been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, and ABC News. Jen has been named a Latina Travel Expert by Mitu and Top 40 Under 40 by the Naples Herald. She is the solo female traveler behind Jen on a Jet Plane.

Among other things, Jen and Carter discuss Jen’s personal travel challenge she set for herself, how she utilizes “sensitivity readers” in her books, and the dark side of having a career in social media. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from J.N. Stroyar’s The Children’s War.

Gina DeMillo Wagner is an award-winning journalist and author. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Memoir Magazine, Modern Loss, Self, Outside, Writer’s Digest, and other publications. She is a Yaddo Fellow, a winner of the CRAFT Creative Nonfiction Award, and her memoir was longlisted for the 2022 SFWP Literary prize. Gina has a master’s degree in journalism and is an instructor at Lighthouse Writers Workshop. 

Among other things, Gina and Carter discuss how writing scientific biology papers led Gina to pursue journalism, the guilt associated with writing about struggles with family members with disabilities, and navigating the publishing process during the pandemic. At the end of their conversation, they make up a humorous story using a line from R.G. Belsky’s Broadcast Blues.

Barbara Feigin is an advertising executive and World War II refugee, having fled with her parents from Nazi Germany as a young child in 1940. She attended Whitman College, then completed a graduate program in business run jointly by Harvard Business School and Radcliffe Graduate School. She had a 30-year career in advertising, mostly with Grey Advertising, and in 2017 she was named one of the century’s Legendary Pioneers by Grey. Her memoir was released January 2024.

Among other things, Barbara and Carter discuss Barbara’s family’s experiences escaping Nazi Germany, working in advertising as a woman in the 1960s, and how Barbara utilized writing coaching to start her memoir. At the end of their conversation, they make up an imaginative story using a line from Alex Kenna’s Burn This Night.

​​Karen Dionne is the USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of the award-winning psychological suspense novels The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister, both published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in the U.S. and in dozens of other countries. The Marsh King’s Daughter was named one of the best books of 2017 by iBooks and many other booksellers and reviewers, and released in 2023 by Lionsgate as a major motion picture. 

Among other things, Karen and Carter discuss why Karen returned to writing after 30 years, the process behind writing The Marsh King’s Daughter, and the struggle of self-identifying as an author. At the end of their conversation, they make up a multiple-POV story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s The Last Party.

Lisa Gardner is a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist. Her internationally acclaimed novels have been published across 30 countries. She’s had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide). Her novel, The Neighbor, won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers, and the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France. She was also recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for The Other Daughter. Finally, Lisa received the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017.

Among other things, Lisa and Carter discuss the dangers of “writing by committee”, avoiding repetition after having published several books, and changing up your style and genre of writing in commercial fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy story using a line from Darcy Coates’ From Below.

​​Erin E. Adams is a first-generation Haitian American writer and theater artist. She received her BA with honors in literary arts from Brown University, her MFA in acting from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, and her MFA in dramatic writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is an award-winning playwright and actor, and also the author of One of You and Jackal.

Among other things, Erin and Carter discuss the complications of accurately portraying a town, Erin’s training as a dramatic actor and how it translates to writing prose, and printing out and reading your whole manuscript. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from Kristen Perrin’s How To Solve Your Own Murder.

J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural. He has collaborated several times with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and optioned for both film and television.

Among other things, J.D. and Carter discuss J.D.’s experience starting out as a ghost writer, having a working relationship with a major best-selling author, and J.D.’s newsletter controversy. At the end of their conversation, they make up an eerie story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s A Game of Lies.

Lauren Thoman writes speculative fiction for teens and adults. Her debut novel, I’ll Stop the World, was selected for publication in 2023 by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling through her eponymous imprint, Mindy’s Book Studio. Lauren’s pop culture writing has also appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. Her second novel, You Shouldn’t Be Here, was released in July 2024. 

Among other things, Lauren and Carter discuss the pros and cons of attending writing conferences, marketing a book as young adult vs. adult fiction, and how writing on a deadline can impact how you perceive your work. At the end of their conversation, they make up an odd story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s The Last Party. 

Elka Ray is a Canadian/UK author, and a former journalist and travel writer, who writes fiction for adults and children. She is the author of the romantic mysteries Divorce is Murder, Killer Coin, and Hanoi Jane, and is also the author of her newest Women’s Noir, A Friend Indeed. She has also written a collection of short crime and ghost stories set in Southeast Asia, What You Don’t Know.

Among other things, Elka and Carter discuss moving to unfamiliar places when young, balancing resolutions at the end of suspense novels, and the implications of jumping between genres. At the end of their conversation, they make up a journalistic-style story using a line from James Proud’s Unusual Ways to Die: History’s Weirdest Deaths.

John DeDakis is an award-winning novelist, writing coach, manuscript editor, and a former editor on CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.” DeDakis is the author of six mystery-suspense-thriller novels. John is a former White House correspondent and regularly leads writing workshops at literary centers and writers’ conferences. He is also the host of the video podcast “One-to-One with John DeDakis”. 

Among other things, John and Carter discuss John’s career in politics and journalism, how former journalists struggle with letting themselves “make things up” when writing fiction, and knowing when to get feedback from others. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy story using a line from Harlan Coben’s No Second Chance.

Lori Roy is an award-winning novelist. Her debut novel, Bent Road, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. Until She Comes Home was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Let Me Die in His Footsteps was named one of the best fifteen mystery novels of 2015 by Oline Cogdill and received the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, making Roy the first woman to receive an Edgar Award for both Best First Novel and Best Novel—and only the third person ever to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2019, and was excerpted by Oprah magazine. 

Among other things, Lori and Carter discuss seeing writing as building a career instead of just a hobby, becoming more comfortable with the writing process over time, and how Lori studies screenwriting to improve her structure and dialogue. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Greg Iles’s Cemetery Road.

Mary Bly, writing under the pen name Eloisa James, is a tenured Shakespeare professor at Fordham University who also writes best-selling Regency and Georgian romance novels. Her novels are published in 30 countries and have sold approximately 7 million copies worldwide. She also wrote a bestselling memoir about the year her family spent in France, Paris in Love.

Among other things, Mary and Carter discuss how Mary’s work in academia influenced her to write under a different name, breaking into the romance genre after studying Shakespeare, and how reader expectations of romance characters have changed. At the end of their conversation, they make up a hilarious story using a line from Kristen Perrin’s How to Solve Your Own Murder.

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, the Mercy Kilpatrick novels, and the Columbia River novels. She’s a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers Award finalist, and an RT Award finalist. 

Melinda Leigh is a #1 Wall Street Journal and #1 Amazon Charts bestselling author. Her debut novel, SHE CAN RUN, was nominated for Best First Novel by the International Thriller Writers. She has garnered numerous publisher awards, including two Silver Falchions and three Golden Leaf Awards. She is a two-time RITA® Award Finalist and has earned three Daphne du Maurier Award nominations. Melinda’s books have sold over 15 million copies.

Among other things, Carter, Kendra, and Melinda discuss their process of taking turns writing novellas in the same series, how aspiring writers can become obsessed with having the ‘perfect’ plot, and how book-launch days feel after publishing several novels. 

Erica Wright is the author of eight novels, including her newest novel Hollow Bones, a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure. Her essay collection Snake was released as part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series. Her mystery Famous in Cedarville received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. She is the author of five other books, including a couple poetry collections. Her poems have appeared in Blackbird, Denver Quarterly, New Orleans Review, and elsewhere. She was the senior poetry editor at Guernica Magazine for more than a decade and currently teaches at Bellevue University. 

Among other things, Erica and Carter discuss the appeal of a small-town setting for thriller novels, the selflessness of the writing community, and Erica’s background in writing poetry. At the end of their conversation, they make up a twisted story using a line from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere.

Jeffery Deaver is an international number-one bestselling author. He has served two terms as president of Mystery Writers of America, and was recently named a Grand Master of MWA. He is the author of more than forty novels, three collections of short stories and a nonfiction law book, and a lyricist of a country album.

Isabella Maldonado is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, and a FBI National Academy graduate, retiring as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. Her writing includes the bestselling FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera series, the Detective Veranda Cruz series, and the FBI Agent Daniela Vega series. 

Among other things, Jeffery, Isabella, and Carter discuss co-authoring a novel for the first time, creating prose from an outline, and how ego plays a role in co-writing. At the end of their conversation, they make up a captivating story using a line from Liv Constantine’s The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Marc Guggenheim is an Emmy-award winning screenwriter, television producer, comic book writer, and novelist. He is best known as the creator of the television series Eli Stone (2008–2009), Arrow (2012–2020), and Legends of Tomorrow (2016–2022), executive producer of the animated series Tales of Arcadia (2016–2021), as well as the writer of the films Green Lantern and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. His recent novel, In Any Lifetime, was just released in July. 

Among other things, Marc and Carter discuss how Marc got into the comic industry, the freedom in writing characters completely different from yourself and your experiences, and the intimacy of writing a novel compared to screenplays and comics. At the end of their conversation, they make up a chilling story using a line from Denver Moon by Josh Viola and Warren Hammond. 

Mary Adkins is the author of the novels When You Read This (Indie Next Pick, “Best Book of 2019” by Good Housekeeping and Real Simple), Privilege (Today.com “Best Summer Read”), and Palm Beach (New York Post “Best Book of 2021”). Her books have been published in 13 countries, and her essays and reporting have appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, and more. A graduate of Yale Law School and Duke University, she teaches storytelling for The Moth worldwide and supports aspiring authors as an online writing coach through her program, The Book Incubator.

Among other things, Mary and Carter discuss Mary’s transition from corporate law to becoming an author, their experiences both being a student in and teaching writing classes, and about how time is not the problem when deciding to start writing. At the end of their conversation, they make up an engrossing story using a line from Emilly Littlejohn’s Lost Lake.