Lisa Williamson Rosenberg is an author and psychotherapist specializing in depression, complex trauma and racial identity. She is also a former ballet dancer, with essays published in Longreads, Mamalode, The Common, and more, and fiction in Literary Mama and The Piltdown Review, where she was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She graduated from Princeton University, got her Masters from Hunter College School of Social Work, and her post-masters certification in family therapy from the Ackerman Institute. 

Among other things, Lisa and Carter discuss writing what you know, addressing racial themes in fiction, and unreliable narrators in Lisa’s second novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a short story using a line from Jennifer Chase’s Count Their Graves.

Douglas Brunt attended The Haverford School and graduated from Duke University. He was formerly a management consultant for the information tech company, Booz Allen & Hamilton, and served as a director with Idealab. Until 2011, Brunt was CEO and president of the Florida-based security software company Authentium, Inc. His first novel, Ghosts of Manhattan, was a New York Times bestseller. 

Among other things, Douglas and Carter discuss Douglas’s inspiration for his own podcast, the research that goes into writing a non-fiction book, and the reality of getting a movie/TV option for your novel. At the end of their conversation they make up an unpredictable story using a line from David Baldacci’s Simple Genius.

James L’Etoile uses his 29 years behind bars as an influence in his novels, short stories, and screenplays. He is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, a hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California’s state parole system. He is a nationally recognized expert witness on prison and jail operations. He is a two-time Silver Falchion Award nominee and shortlisted for the Bill Crider Award for short fiction. 

Among other things, James and Carter discuss writing being a form of therapy, how writing presentence reports evolved into writing crime fiction, and working with two different publishers. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Kwei Quartey’s The Whitewashed Tombs.

Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen’s books have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 40 million copies have been sold around the world. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for VANISH) and the Rita Award (for THE SURGEON). Time Magazine named THE SURGEON one of the best mystery/thrillers ever written. Tess’s first medical thriller, Harvest, marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her novels have hit bestseller lists ever since.

Among other things, Tess and Carter discuss how thrillers really aren’t about the violence, how to differentiate your characters when writing from multiple POVs, and retiring from being an author. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful story using a line from Araminta Hall’s One of the Good Guys.

Andrew DeYoung is the author of The Temps, a speculative novel about the end of the world. He works as an editor at a children’s book publishing company, and he lives with his wife and two children in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. The Day He Never Came Home is his first domestic thriller. Stay Away From Him is coming out in July 2025. 

Among other things, Andrew and Carter discuss initial fears of not being a good writer, balancing writing when you have children, and embracing variety in your writing style. At the end of their conversation, they make up a random story using a line from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.

Sydney Leigh spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes modern cozy mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021.

Among other things, Sydney and Carter discuss how receiving feedback motivated Sydney to continue her writing journey, struggling to find an agent after having “failed” books, and the genre of cozies versus thrillers. At the end of their conversation, they make up a fascinating story using a line from Matt Goldman’s The Murder Show.

Meredith Lyons collected two degrees from Louisiana State University before running away to Chicago to be an actor. In between plays, she got her black belt and made martial arts and yoga her full-time day job. She fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed for team USA in the Savate World Championships in Paris. She’s a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. A Dagger of Lightning is her second novel. Her debut, Ghost Tamer, a paranormal suspense, was published in 2023.

Among other things, Carter and Meredith discuss Meredith’s experience at her first writing conference, trusting your instincts when writing, and an author’s role in the marketing of their book. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gruesome story using a line from Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Today we feature the brilliant voice artists Allyson Ryan and Patrick Zeller, who are the voices behind the audio version of Carter’s latest release TELL ME WHAT YOU DID. This audiobook is the very first release of Sourcebooks’ new division Sourcebooks Audio. Both Allyson and Patrick are award-winning narrators who have voiced a range of popular books, so you might recognize their voices in the episode.

Among other things, they discuss how both Allyson and Patrick got into voice acting, how they prepare themselves for each work they narrate, and their processes for bringing books to life in a whole new way. At the end of the conversation, Carter asks them questions that they have to answer in voices of the characters from TELL ME WHAT YOU DID.

Charlotte Vassell’s debut novel The Other Half was longlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in 2024. The In Crowd, the second in the DI Caius Beauchamp series was shortlisted for Best Novel in the 2025 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe Awards. Charlotte studied History at the University of Liverpool and completed a Master’s in Art History at SOAS before training as an actor at Drama Studio London. 

Among other things, Charlotte and Carter discuss Charlotte’s background in acting, learning from your unpublished manuscripts, and having confidence in yourself to write a compelling story. At the end of their conversation, they make up an entertaining story using a line from Richard Adams’ Watership Down.

Kyle Prue is an award winning author, actor and comedian. He published his first novel The Sparks at just 18, which earned accolades from USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, and book festivals. Kyle later completed his trilogy with The Flames and The Ashes. Kyle received his BFA in Performance with a concentration in acting from the University of Michigan. He also has experience in many different aspects of creating films such as acting, writing, producing, and stunt-work.

Among other things, Carter and Kyle discuss what a potential Tik Tok ban would mean for large creators, the methodology and reasoning behind Kyle’s How to Piss Off Men content series and book, and maintaining a fan base across platforms and media. At the end of their conversation, they make up a hilarious story using a line from Matt Goldman’s The Murder Show.

Chad Boudreaux has a broad range of government, legal and corporate experience. Prior to serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Boudreaux also served in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Justice Department, where he focused most of his time on matters relating to terrorism and homeland security. His career in the government led him to write his debut novel, Scavenger Hunt.

Among other things, Carter and Chad discuss how Chad uses his justice, government, and personal experiences as inspiration for his novels, writing main characters of a different gender, and the benefits of hiring PR teams. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from Chad’s own novel Homecoming Queen.

Midge Raymond is the author of Floreana and My Last Continent, and the award-winning short-story collection Forgetting English. Her writing has appeared in TriQuarterly, American Literary Review, the Los Angeles Times, and others. She has taught writing at Boston University and at writing conferences around the world. She earned a certificate in private investigation from the University of Washington. 

John Yunker is the author of the novel The Tourist Trail; editor of the Among Animals fiction series and a nonfiction anthology, Writing for Animals. His plays have been produced at venues like the Oregon Contemporary Theatre. His teleplay Sanctuary was performed at the 2017 Compassion Arts Festival and his short stories have been published in Phoebe, Flyway, Antennae, and other journals. 

Among other things, Carter, Midge, and John discuss accepting each other’s ideas when cowriting, the trip to Tasmania that inspired Devils Island, and staying in the industry despite a lack of financial success. At the end of their conversation, they make up a comedic story using a line from Harlan Coben’s The Innocent.

Barbara Nickless is the #1 Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Sydney Parnell crime novels. The series has been optioned for television and has won two Colorado Book Awards and twice won the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence. Her standalone spy thriller was released January 2025. Barbara’s essays and short stories have appeared in Writer’s Digest, Penguin Random House, and other markets. She also teaches creative writing to veterans at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Among other things, Barbara and Carter discuss navigating PR as an author, Barbara’s research in Singapore for her espionage thriller, and transitioning from writing series to standalones. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Cara Black’s Murder at la Villette.

Sandra Block graduated from Harvard and is a practicing neurologist. Her work has been published in the Washington Post. Little Black Lies is her debut, a finalist in the International Thriller Awards, and The Girl Without a Name and The Secret Room are the other books in the Zoe Goldman series. What Happened That Night is her stand-a-lone novel, and Girl Overboard is a Young Adult thriller. The Bachelorette Party is her newest novel.

Among other things, Sandra and Carter discuss defining success as an author, competing with the emergence of AI, and writing gore in their novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Emily Jon Tobias is an award-winning writer whose work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and has been featured in literary journals such as Santa Clara Review, Flying South Literary Journal, Typehouse Literary Magazine, and more. Her debut collection MONARCH: STORIES won the American Book Fest International Book Award and an International Impact Book Award. Emily is a mentor in the PEN Prison Writing Mentorship Program and holds a MFA in Writing from Pacific University Oregon. 

Among other things, Emily and Carter discuss publishing a book without an agent, how rejection helps to build community, and how writing a book helped Emily through early sobriety. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian.

Pamela Statz grew up in Wisconsin and attended UW Madison, earning degrees in Journalism and History. She’s worked in media and advertising in San Francisco and Portland for Lucasfilm, WIRED, Nike, and Wieden+Kennedy. Thorn City is her first novel.

Among other things, Pam and Carter discuss Pam’s experiences with writing classes, considering self publishing, and writing a book with multiple POVs. At the end of their conversation, they make up a funny short story using a line from Matthew McConaughey’s Greenlights.

Alex Kenna is a prosecutor, writer, and amateur painter. Before law school, Alex studied painting and art history at Penn.  She also worked as a freelance art critic and culture writer. Alex’s debut novel, What Meets the Eye, was nominated for a Shamus Award for best first PI novel. Kirkus Reviews called it a “righteous, painful debut,” and Bookpage called her “a master in the making.” 

Among other things, Alex and Carter discuss finding creative outlets after professional schooling, navigating doubts throughout the first-draft process, and mixing genres to create a compelling story. At the end of their  conversation, they make up a comedic story using a line from David Guterson’s The Country Ahead of Us, The Country Behind.

Georgia Jeffries is a writer of Emmy Award-winning drama and acclaimed noir fiction, and has been honored with multiple Writers Guild Awards, Golden Globes, and the Humanitas Prize. She worked as a journalist for American Film before writing and producing Cagney & Lacey, China Beach, and Sisters. Her short stories have appeared in national suspense anthologies, and she has also written biographical and historical profiles for HuffPost, Los Angeles Review of Books, and University of California Press. She is a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she created the BFA Television Thesis program.

Among other things, Georgia and Carter discuss optimism in the entertainment industry, teaching craft and business to MFA students, and how experience in screenwriting translates to writing novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from William Kent Krueger’s Fox Creek.

Rebecca McKanna is an associate professor of English at the University of Indianapolis. Her debut novel, Don’t Forget the Girl, was nominated for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ+ Mystery and the 2023 Strand Magazine’s Critics Award for Best Debut Mystery, and awarded the 2024 Indiana Authors Award for Genre Fiction. Her short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Mystery Stories 2019 and recognized as distinguished in The Best American Short Stories 2019. She has been published in Colorado Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and The Rumpus, among others.

Among other things, Rebecca and Carter discuss the process of launching a debut novel, the struggle of self-promotion and going public with your book, and the differences between genre fiction and literary fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a chilling story using a line from Samantha Jayne Allen’s Next of Kin.

Elise Hart Kipness is a television sports reporter turned crime fiction writer. In addition to reporting for Fox Sports Network, Elise was a reporter at New York’s WNBC-TV, News 12 Long Island, and the Associated Press, covering events including the Olympics, NBA and NCAA Championships, and the US Open. She is the President of Sisters in Crime Connecticut, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Key West Library. The third book in her Kate Green thrilled series, Close Call, will be released in October 2025.

Among other things, Elise and Carter discuss pitching books in person to agents, Elise’s 12-hour writing days, and listening to your own book on audio. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy story using a line from Elise’s own novel, Dangerous Play.