It’s the 200th episode of Making It Up! 

“Every huge risk I’ve ever taken has led to another step toward what I always wanted to do with my life.” 

Michelle Jabès Corpora received her Bachelor’s Degree in English and Theatre from UMBC, then went on to earn a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. She moved to New York and worked as an assistant editor at Greenwillow Books, and then a concept creator for a book packaging company. She was a ghostwriter for a world-famous middle-grade mystery series, writing her first five novels in that series. 

Among other things, Michelle and Carter discuss moving from ghost writing to writing your own novels, the benefits of taking time to earn your success, and balancing staying true to yourself while accepting criticism. At the end of their conversation, they make up a descriptive story using a line from Michelle’s newest novel His Face is the Sun.

“The best form of marketing is just producing more work—because you never know when the next idea will catch fire.” 

Joe Hart is the Edgar Award-winning and Wall Street Journal-bestselling author of seventeen novels, dozens of short stories, and several novellas. His work has been translated into eight languages and optioned for film. His latest novel, WYNDCLYFFE, was just released earlier this month. 

Among other things, Joe and Carter discuss the importance of word-of-mouth for book sales, why dark thrillers have been so successful lately, and writing strong protagonists who aren’t boring. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Karen Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied.

“The desire was always there, but the drive wasn’t. I allowed other things to interfere instead of saying, ‘This is something you really want to do.’”

Dwayne Goetzel is a lawyer who specializes in trademarks, domain names, copyrights, licensing, and litigation relating to those fields. He is an attorney, father, writer, and someone who’s navigated several career choices. He has written nine novels. 

Among other things, Dwayne and Carter discuss continuing writing during publishing struggles, the value of being a part of the writing community before being published, and copyright as it relates to authors. At the end of their conversation, they make up an unpredictable story using a line from Mark Bowden’s Black Hawk Down.

“It was the craziest overnight five-year success story ever.” 

Leigh Dunlap went to film school at the University of Southern California to study screenwriting, which led her to a job selling socks at Fred Segal and eventually to an assistant’s desk at a Hollywood talent agency. That’s where she really learned how to write—while reading hundreds of scripts sent in for actors. Her first screenplay, A Cinderella Story, with Hilary Duff, was made by Warner Brothers. Since then, Leigh has written two other movies (The Standoff and 16-Love) that were produced. Bless Your Heart is her debut novel.

Among other things, Leigh and Carter discuss gaining experience by working at a talent agency, changes in writing during the pandemic, and writing scripts versus novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a brief story using a line from Michelle Jabes Corpora’s His Face is the Sun.

“I don’t know what it’s about until it’s done—and sometimes it’s on a shelf before I realize what certain things mean.” 

Lori Roy’s debut novel, Bent Road, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. Her work has been twice named a New York Times Notable Crime Book. Until She Comes Home was a New York Times Editors’ Choice. Let Me Die in His Footsteps 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 the third person to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, and Lori was featured as an Inspired Woman by J Jill and Oprah Magazine. 

Among other things, Carter and Lori discuss doing research to capture the accuracy of your setting, the benefits of maintaining social media presence, and interacting with readers in person. At the end of their conversation, they make up a great story using a line from Jess Lourey’s The Reaping.

Robert Bailey is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of THE BOOMERANG, the Jason Rich series, the McMurtrie and Drake legal thrillers, the Bocephus Haynes series, and the inspirational novel, THE GOLFER’S CAROL. Robert’s novels draw inspiration from his decades as a civil defense trial lawyer in his hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. Robert obtained a Bachelor of Arts in History from Davidson College in North Carolina, and went to law school at the University of Alabama. 

Among other things, Robert and Carter discuss learning to trust your editor, working as a lawyer while writing full time, and publishing struggles even after having published several novels, . At the end of their conversation, they make up a creative story using a line from Karen Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied.

“There are no shortcuts, right? It doesn’t matter what you’re writing—you just have to do it.”  

Mailan Doquang is an architectural historian turned thriller writer. Mailan received her Ph.D. from the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University. She has published extensively on the art and architecture of medieval France, in addition to teaching at some of the top universities in North America. Her debut novel is BLOOD RUBIES.

Among other things, Mailan and Carter discuss Mailan’s transition from academia to writing fiction, learning to cut unnecessary words, and the imposter syndrome that emerges at writing conferences. At the end of their conversation, they make up a descriptive story using a line from Stephen King’s Desperation.

“The only way your journey in publishing ends is if you stop trying.” 

Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY, Amazon #1 and international bestselling author. She has worked in marketing, real estate, and other career fields, including being the society columnist for the Columbus Dispatch for ten years. Kaira’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks, and her novels have won several awards, including Suspense Magazine’s Best Book of 2021 Award. 

Among other things, Kaira and Carter discuss setting your novels in the suburbs, writing accurate portrayals of teenagers, and learning how to be proud of yourself and celebrating your victories. At the end of their conversation, they make up a twisted story using a line from Martin Edwards’ The House on Graveyard Lane.

“I just don’t buy into the whole failure thing—you either succeed or you learn.” 

Laura Resau is the author of The Alchemy of Flowers, her debut novel for adults, and eleven acclaimed books for young people. Her books have won five Colorado Book Awards and spots on “best-of” booklists from Oprah, the American Library Association, and more. Trilingual, she’s lived in Provence and Oaxaca, and studied cultural anthropology and languages. She teaches graduate creative writing at Western Colorado University.

Among other things, Laura and Carter discuss how cultural curiosity sparks imagination, naiveté when finding an agent and editor, and navigating the realms of children’s/teen fiction and adult fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a tense story using a line from Ali Land’s Good Me Bad Me.

“I got 26 rejections, and I’d kind of given up. Then Simon & Schuster gave me a three-book deal. And I thought, oh, this is awesome—then, oh shit, I have to write the other two.” 

Bryan Gruley is the award-winning, critically acclaimed author of the forthcoming thriller BITTERFROST. Gruley is also the author of the Starvation Lake trilogy, the first book of which was nominated for an Edgar Award and won Anthony, Barry, and Strand awards. A journalist for over forty years, Gruley shared in The Wall Street Journal’s Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and has won numerous awards for his nonfiction. 

 Among other things, Bryan and Carter discuss designing merchandise for your novels, having “something to say” in your writing, and building suspense by creating questions and leaving them unanswered. At the end of their conversation, they make up an intense story using a line from Karin Slaughter’s This Is Why We Lied.

“Writing it was like chipping away at a mountain with a pair of nail scissors.”  

Ellen Birkett Morris is the author of Beware the Tall Grass, winner of the Donald L. Jordan Award for Literary Excellence. She is also the author of Lost Girls: Short Stories, winner of the Pencraft Award and finalist for the Clara Johnson, IAN and Best Book awards. Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Saturday Evening Post, among other journals. She is a winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for short fiction, and a recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship from the Kentucky Arts Council.

Among other things, Ellen and Carter discuss the transition from writing poetry to novels, supporting other writers within the writing community, and maximizing dramatic potential in individual scenes. At the end of their conversation, they make up a descriptive story using a line from Ayn Rand’s We the Living.

“Not that my work is superior to Rear Window, but I thought—what’s more interesting than a broken leg? A broken mind.” 

A. J. Finn is the author of The Woman in the Window, the #1 internationally-bestselling phenomenon published in more than forty languages and adapted for the screen as a film starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Julianne Moore. His second novel, End of Story, was released in February 2024.

Among other things, A. J. and Carter discuss how previously working in publishing influenced A. J.’s writing journey, reasons behind adopting a pseudonym, and A. J.’s experience being at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Jeffrey Konvitz’s The Circus of Satan.

“If I’m going out to sea, I’m doing it in a ship I built, not in the piece of crap they want me to build.”  – Matt Goldman quoting Jerry Seinfeld 

Matt Goldman is a New York Times Bestselling author and Emmy Award winning television writer.  He has been nominated for the Shamus Award and Nero Award. Matt’s television writing credits include Seinfeld, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.

Among other things, Matt and Carter discuss the writing behind stand-up comedy versus the performance of it, staying true to vision and voice while writing for Seinfeld, and learning brevity. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful and detailed story using a line from Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger.

“The best part of writing that first, terrible book was realizing I could write a book. That changed everything.”

Joshua Moehling is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ben Packard series. The first book, AND THERE HE KEPT HER, was a Barnes & Noble monthly Mystery/Thriller pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery. His second novel, WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP, was described as “a well-paced whodunit” and “devastating” by The New York Times. 

Among other things, Carter and Joshua discuss authors that grew up as army brats, the utility of critique groups, and the transition from a full-time job to writing full-time. At the end of their conversation, they make up a dark story using a line from Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.

“Two simple words—’what if’—can create thousands of novels.”

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, and after graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She recently retired after twenty-six years coaching her local high school swim team. She has written forty-five best-selling novels and is an eight-time Whitney Award winner, including 2017 and 2019 Best Novel of the Year.

Among other things, Traci and Carter discuss how Traci’s background in the CIA influenced her writing, treating writing as a job versus as a hobby, and Traci’s experiences with the CIA’s review board when writing her novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Lee Goldberg’s Dream Town.

Cynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award winning and International Latino Book Award winning author and poet. She is the first Latina in history to win a Bram Stoker Award. Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, and more.

Among other things, Cynthia and Carter discuss having a day job while writing, their approaches to social media, and writing fairy tales versus novels grounded in reality. At the end of their conversation, they make up a clever story using a line from Mindy Mejia’s A World of Hurt.

Bob Johnson is an award-winning short story writer and graduate of the lowa Writers’ Workshop. His work has been published by The Common, Philadelphia Stories, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, The Barcelona Review, and elsewhere. His story “The Continental Divide” was named Short Story of the Year in The Hudson Review. 

Among other things, Bob and Carter discuss growing up with undiagnosed ADD, writing without thinking of the odds of getting published, and getting reviewed by the New York Times. At the end of their conversation, they make up a fast-paced story using a line from Sean Eads’ Seventeen Stitches.

G.T. Karber is a mystery writer, computer programmer, and the creator of Murdle, the USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling murder-mystery puzzle book series. The first two paperback volumes of Murdle were published in 2023, with the third volume published in March 2024. In 2023, Murdle was the UK Christmas #1 bestseller, making Karber the third non-British author to achieve a Christmas number one. He earned his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. 

Among other things, G.T. and Carter discuss what the goal of writing is and how to determine success in writing, the art of creating puzzles for the general public, and keeping commercial writing simple. 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 Carpenter is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of suspense novels, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies, and Every Single Secret. After graduating from Auburn with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, she moved to New York City. She’s worked as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows, As the World Turns and Guiding Light.

Among other things, Emily and Carter discuss Emily’s move from the South to New York City, thinking of writing in terms of cinema, and religious representation in books and TV. At the end of their conversation, they make up a tense story using a line from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.

Lori Brand is a lifting enthusiast, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher, and software quality engineer. She’s been a gymnast, dancer, Playboy model, and bodybuilder. Her time in the body wars trenches led to her realization that getting strong, rather than shrinking, is the way out. She’s published articles in STRONG Fitness Magazine, T-Nation, Inside Fitness Magazine, D’FYNE Fitness Magazine, and more. Bodies to Die For is her first novel.

Among other things, Lori and Carter discuss how controversial discussion about body image on social media sparked the idea for Lori’s novel, analyzing editorial letters, and killing off dogs in books. At the end of their conversation, they make up an eventful story using a line from Beverley McLachlin’s Proof.