Category

Fiction

Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Nov 19: Kiss Her Goodbye, A Novel with Lisa Gardner

November 19, 2025

Can Frankie Elkin Find a Young Afghan Refugee in Time?

Kiss Her Goodbye with author Lisa Gardner

It’s always a great conversation with Lisa Gardner. As one of America’s leading thriller writers, Lisa loves to discuss the craft of writing. She also shares unique and interesting stories gathered from the extensive research she does to make her stories authentic.

When Frankie Elkin sets out to save an entire family from its haunting past in Kiss Her Goodbye, every decision could lead to disaster, as love and loss collide.

We discuss the emotional and moral undercurrents of Lisa Gardner’s Kiss Her Goodbye and hear some of the stories behind the story. We also learn how the concept for Kiss Her Goodbye was sparked by a conversation with strangers, while she was on sabbatical. And, Lisa shares some of the research that left her astonished.

Meet Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist, has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries. She’s also had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide). Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. 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.

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Adventure, Animals, Children's Fiction, Fiction, Writers on Writing

Nov 12: The Runaway Who Won the Hearts of New Orleans with Kaye Courington

November 13, 2025

SCRIM: A New Orleans Story of Resilience & Rescue – A True Story

Author Kaye Courington with SCRIM: A New Orleans Story of Resilience & Rescue

Moving like a ghost on the streets of New Orleans a skinny, scruffy, 17lb terrier captivated a city and made headlines around the world from the Washington Post and New Yorker, to the Daily News in London.

For months, SCRIM eluded capture. He survived gun shots, freezing weather, jumping from a second storey window, and much more.

Author and animal advocate, Kaye Courington, shares Scrim’s incredible journey, from living rough on Louisiana’s busy streets to finally settling in a loving forever home. A truly heartwarming story of courage and resilience, and how a community rallied together on a rescue mission that became a national sensation.

Meet Kaye Courington

Kaye Courington is a highly recognized, award-winning New Orleans attorney and the debut author of SCRIM: The Dog Who Captured New Orleans’ Heart. A lifelong advocate for animal welfare, she’s worked tirelessly to promote rescue, rehabilitation, and responsible adoption. Kaye is donating all author royalties of SCRIM to local animal rescues.

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Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Nov 05: The Girl From Devil’s Lake with NYT Bestselling Author J. A. Jance

November 6, 2025

Joanna Brady Hunts a Serial Killer Hiding in Plain Sight

J. A. Jance Author of The Girl From Devil’s Lake, A Brady Novel of Suspense

THE GIRL FROM DEVIL’S LAKE is J. A. Jance’s 21st Joanna Brady novel. And it’s Brady’s biggest, most challenging case yet. As she digs into the investigation of a body discovered in the Arizona desert, Joanna Brady realizes this murder is just one piece of a much bigger puzzle, involving crimes that span decades, and even countries.

We discuss the story, characters, and how J. A. Jance captures the mind of a serial killer. J. A. also shares some of the challenges of writing while dealing with real life. Just turned 81 years old, J. A. cares for her husband, walks 10,000 steps per day — and is writing a new novel while promoting THE GIRL FROM DEVIL’S LAKE, and waiting on Ali Reynolds’ edits to come back from her publisher in New York. All without an assistant. Whew!

Meet Bestselling Suspense Author J.A. Jance

J. A. JANCE is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. In total, she’s written 70 books. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband around Seattle, Washington. THE GIRL FROM DEVIL’S LAKE.

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Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Oct 22: Joe Hart’s Novel Will Make You Question How Well You Know Your Lover

October 22, 2025

I Become Her — A Thriller

I Become Her with author Joe Hart

When Imogen Carmichael’s honeymoon shifts from bliss to a nightmare in the blink of an eye, paranoia builds and trust unravels. Is Imogen going crazy, or is something more sinister going on?

Master of psychological suspense, Joe Hart, joins us to discuss I Become Her.

We explore the story behind a honeymoon gone disastrously wrong. Joe shares how he developed the voice of a strong female protagonist, and some of the most challenging aspects of writing a thriller.

We also look at how memories — factual or dramatized — often shape how we see the truth. And, Joe shares insight into how he’s successfully crossed genres, something many authors struggle to do.

Meet Joe Hart

Joe Hart is an Edgar Award–winning and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 17 novels, including Or Else, The River Is Dark, Obscura, and The Last Girl. He’s also written several novella’s and dozens of short stories. Known for his taut pacing and psychological depth, Hart crafts stories that keep readers on edge until the final page. He lives in Minnesota with his family and continues to explore the darker side of human nature through fiction.

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Fiction, Nature, Suspense, Wildlife, Writers on Writing

Oct 08: Suspense Novel Inspired by Author’s Love of Wildlife

October 8, 2025

Alice Henderson’s A Ghost of Caribou

Alice Henderson’s Alex Carter series has a strong, smart female protagonist, whose career as a wildlife biologist gets her into the kind of trouble leading to suspense and murder.

We last talked to Alice about A Ghost of Caribou, the third in her series. Set in the in the Selkirk mountains of Washington State, what begins as a search for evasive caribou leads Alex Carter down a slippery dark road.

We discuss the story of A Ghost of Caribou, and how Alice developed her strong female protagonist. We also explore the increasing plight of wild caribou in our vanishing wilderness. And why reframing how we view climate change could help create the shift we need to see.

Meet Alice Henderson

A Ghost of Caribou is the third book in the Alex Carter series. The Vanishing Kind is the fourth in the series, and book five, Storm Warning, is expected in Spring 2026. A prolific writer with 26 books behind her, Alice Henderson is also a sanctuary monitor for the Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust, where she checks remote cameras, documents mapping, and delivers wildlife surveys to determine what species are present and that there’s no evidence of poaching. She’s surveyed for the presence of grizzlies, wolves, wolverines, jaguars, endangered bats, and more. Alice has also written media tie-in novels, including official novels for the TV shows Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While working at LucasArts, Alice wrote content for Star Wars video games.

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Fiction, Relationships, Writers on Writing

Sep 17: Samsun Knight with Likeness

September 17, 2025

A different kind of love – A People Magazine “Best New Book”

Likeness with author Samsun Knight

A sweet summer evening turns sour when Anne’s husband casually tells her his lover is pregnant … this is just weeks after Anne discovers she too is expecting. Did she throw her dinner plate at him? Well, you’ll have to listen in to find out.

Told from the two women’s different perspectives, author Samsun Knight navigates the ups, downs, twists, and turns of plural love in his short novel, Likeness.

We discuss how Samsun captured the two women’s distinct voices, and how each of them deals with jealousy, anger, loneliness, joy, and self-doubt. He also shares insights into the challenges he faced in writing about unconventional love and identity, and how relationships can shape who we become.

Meet Samsun Knight

Samsun Knight is a writer and graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where he was a Truman Capote Fellow. His second novel, Likeness, was recently published and named a People Magazine “Best New Book” of July 2025. Knight is also an assistant professor at University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and a faculty affiliate at the University of Toronto School of Cities, where he studies quantitative marketing, optimal targeting and machine learning.

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Fiction, Mystery, Writers on Writing

Sep 10: Vianne with Award-Winning Author Joanne Harris

September 10, 2025

Spellbinding prequel reveals secrets, magic, & the making of a heroine

Vianne with author Joanne Harris

Joining us today, a multiple award-winning writer who is often called one of contemporary literature’s most beloved voices, Joanne Harris — an internationally bestselling author whose magical realism enchanted millions of readers worldwide.

You may know Joanne best for her novel, Chocolat, which introduced us to Vianne Rocher and later became an Academy Award–nominated film.

In Joanne’s latest work, Vianne, she takes us back in time to explore the origins of her unforgettable character in a much-anticipated prequel.

We explore the rich storytelling that makes Joanne’s work so compelling. We discuss character development, the craft of writing, and how Joanne has managed to successfully navigate across so many genres. We also learn a couple of fun facts about the author herself.

Meet Joanne Harris

Joanne Harris (OBE, FRSL) was born in Barnsley, of a French mother and an English father. She studied Modern and Mediaeval Languages at Cambridge and was a teacher for 15 years, during which time she published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche .

Since then, she has written over 20 more novels, plus novellas, short stories, game scripts, the libretti for two short operas, several screenplays, a stage musical (with Howard Goodall) and three cookbooks. Her books are published in over 50 countries and have won a number of British and international awards.

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Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Sep 03: #1 NYT Author Lisa Gardner with Kiss Her Goodbye

September 3, 2025

Missing persons’ locator Frankie Elkin in latest domestic thriller

Kiss Her Goodbye with author Lisa Gardner

Kiss Her Goodbye: When love and loss collide, every character becomes a mystery, and every decision could be one that leads to disaster. When a young Afghan refugee goes missing, and her four-year-old daughter’s life is on the line, can Frankie Elkin save an entire family from its haunting past?

Today we venture beyond the plot and characters of Kiss Her Goodbye, and explore the emotional and moral undercurrents running through Lisa’s new story.

We also learn how the idea for this story came to Lisa while on sabbatical, and some of the research that left her astounded.

Meet Lisa Gardner

Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist, has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries. She’s also had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide). Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. 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.

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Fiction, Thriller, Uncategorized

Aug 27: I Become Her with Edgar Award-winning Author Joe Hart

August 27, 2025

Ever wonder if you really know the person you love? Joe Hart’s new thriller dares you to find out.

I Become Her with author Joe Hart

Joe Hart, master of psychological suspense joins us to discuss his chilling new novel I Become Her.

The story follows Imogen Carmichael, a newlywed whose honeymoon turns into a nightmare when her husband Lev falls overboard during a heated argument—he survives, but with no memory of what happened. As paranoia builds and trust unravels, the question becomes: Is Lev hiding something sinister—or is Imogen losing her grip on reality?

In our conversation we explore what inspired the central premise of a honeymoon gone disastrously wrong. How Joe developed the voice of a strong female lead. The most challenging aspects of writing a thriller. And, how memory—real or imagined—can shape the truth we cling to.

Meet Joe Hart

Joe Hart is an Edgar Award–winning and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 17 novels, including Or Else, The River Is Dark, Obscura, and The Last Girl. He’s also written several novella’s and dozens of short stories. Known for his taut pacing and psychological depth, Hart crafts stories that keep readers on edge until the final page. He lives in Minnesota with his family and continues to explore the darker side of human nature through fiction.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 20: Paula Saunders – Starting From Here

August 20, 2025

Award-winning Author of The Distance Home

Starting from Here with author Paula Saunders

Often called a writer’s writer, Paula Saunders joins us today with her second novel, Starting From Here. The sequel to The Distance Home, this coming-of-age story is semi-autobiographical, sparked by Paula’s own life experiences.

Like the author, protagonist Rene left home at a young age to pursue dreams of becoming a ballet dancer. Set in the 1970s, Rene finds herself vulnerable in a predatory world, facing situations she’s ill-equipped to deal with – from cult like mentors and sexual exploitation, to industry predators and heartbreaking betrayal.

We discuss the writing of Starting From Here, including character development, challenges, favorites, and how the author defines creativity. Paula shares how writing this novel helped her view her own mother differently. And, we question, with 50+ years of assumed progress since the seventies, have times really changed for young women of today?  

Meet Paula Saunders

Paula Saunders grew up in Rapid City, South Dakota, where her new novel Starting From Here begins. She is a graduate of the Syracuse University creative writing program, and was awarded a postgraduate Albert Schweitzer Fellowship at the State University of New York at Albany, under Schweitzer chair Toni Morrison. Her first book, The Distance Home, was longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize and named one of the best books of the year by Real Simple. 

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