Tag

Journalism

Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Mar 04: NYT Bestselling Author Caitlin Rother’s New Thriller – Hooked

March 5, 2026

His Case. Her Story. Their hearts on the line.

Hooked – A Thriller with Caitlin Rother

In Caitlin Rother‘s new thriller, Hooked, two biotech execs from a company developing a new drug turn up dead in the ritzy enclave of La Jolla, San Diego. Things don’t add up. But when journalist Kate Chopin and surfing homicide detective Ken Goode show up to investigate … well, sparks fly for more than one reason.

Caitlin Rother shares insights into: How she developed her storyline. How and why she wanted both lead characters to be “good” ethical people; how she kept them interesting and slightly flawed. Challenges of writing fiction.

We also discuss shared connections between protagonists Kate and Ken, and author Caitlin, of losing someone close to suicide. And Caitlin shares her nostalgia for the days of good old-fashioned newsrooms, when the truth came out, no matter what the cost.

Meet Caitlin Rother

Caitlin Rother is a New York Times bestselling author, Pulitzer-nominated investigative reporter, and the woman behind 16 true crime books — including Death on Ocean Boulevard, the haunting investigation into the mysterious death of Rebecca Zahau that’s now being developed as a TV series. She’s appeared on 20/20, Investigation Discovery, and Netflix. Caitlin Rother has a degree in psychology and a masters in journalism. Her first novel Naked Addiction introduced homicide detective, Ken Goode. Today he returns in Hooked.

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Memoir, Non Fiction

Oct 05: White Flag – A Memoir with NYT Bestselling Author Judy L Mandel

October 5, 2022

70% of kids who try drugs before 13 develop a substance abuse disorder within 7 years

When Judy Mandel made a deathbed promise to her sister, she had no idea how that promise would end. From an early age, Judy’s niece Cheryl struggled with addiction and the horrors that came with it – from imprisonment to living in shelters, and ultimately, a fatal overdose.

Trying to understand Cheryl’s life and where things went wrong, Judy Mandel drew on her investigative journalism skills and set out on a painful but revealing journey. The result is her latest memoir, White Flag.

About Judy Mandel

Judy Mandel is a former reporter and marketing executive. She has an MFA in create writing from Stony Brook University, and her essays have appeared in numerous publications including American Writers Review and Complete Wellbeing Magazine. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of Replacement Child. Her second memoir is White Flag.

*According to NCDAS: National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics

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Biography, History, Non Fiction

FEB 03: Icebound with Andrea Pitzer

February 3, 2021

Shipwrecked At The Edge Of The World

“‘Icebound’ takes us back to the Arctic, in all its terror and splendor” — says The New York Times. And today Andrea Pitzer has two true stories to tell. The first about Dutch polar explorer, William Barents, who set sail in the 1500s to find a northern route to China.  The second, her own life-changing journey to sail in Barents’ wake.

We discuss the ancient explorer’s trials and successes during his three Arctic expeditions.  How Andrea sailed a tall ship and spent time high up the mast. How her expedition to the Russian Arctic changed her. And what surprised her the most.

About Andrea Pitzer

Critically acclaimed author Andrea Pitzer is a journalist whose writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, Vox, and Slate. Her two previous books are One Long Night and The Secret History of Vladimir Nabokov. Her latest is Icebound: Shipwrecked At The Edge Of The World.

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Journalism, Non Fiction

Apr 22: Death in Mud Lick with Eric Eyre

April 22, 2020

Death In Mud Lick BookWhy would a  small town called Kermit, with a population of just 382 people, need 12 million pills in 3 years? In his new book, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Eric Eyre investigates the mysteries, tragedies, and government corruption behind the opioid crisis in West Virginia.

The counties where the story unfolds have the highest overdose rates in our country and Eric joins us to share some of his investigative journey to Death in Mud Lick. We discuss the importance of strong independent journalism, and community journalism in particular. The concept of sustained outrage. And how small actions can make a big difference.

Eric Eyre was a reporter for the Charleston Gazette-Mail more than 20 years. In 2017, his  series of investigations into massive shipments of opioids to West Virginia’s southern coalfields was awarded a Pulitzer Prize. His new book, Death in Mud Lick: A Coal Country Fight against the Drug Companies That Delivered the Opioid Epidemic.

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