Tag

Writing

Animals, Conservation, Memoir, Non Fiction, Wildlife, Writers on Writing

Jul 07: Award-winning Nature Writer Takes Us Inside A Season of Flight & Wonder

July 8, 2026

David Gessner celebrates 25th anniversary edition of Return of the Osprey.

Return of the Osprey with David Gessner

David Gessner spent his career chasing wild things with a pen – from ospreys, grizzlies, and hurricanes, to a red-tailed hawk named Flaco who captivated the hearts of New York. But it’s the osprey that changed him.

For six months, Gessner traded his desk for a bike, a kayak, and binoculars, fully immersing himself in one nesting season on his home turf of Cape Cod. The result is Return of the Osprey: A Season of Flight and Wonder, part memoir, part natural history, part love letter to a bird once called the very symbol of the New England coast.

We discuss the near-extinction of the osprey, what saved them, and why – even after their remarkable recovery – their fight for survival isn’t over. We also unpack the writer’s side of the story: How you take six months of notebooks, obsession, and raw wonder and shape it into a book so beloved it’s been reissued in a 25th-anniversary edition, with a new foreword from Helen MacDonald.

Meet David Gessner

David Gessner is the author of 14 books that blend a love of nature, humor, memoir, and environmentalism, including the New York Times bestselling, All the Wild That Remains, Return of the Osprey, Sick of Nature and Leave It As It Is. A professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and the founder and Editor-in-Chief of the literary magazine, Ecotone, his writing has been featured in the New York Times Magazine, Outside, Sierra, Audubon, Orion, and more. Awards include a Pushcart Prize and the John Burroughs Award for Best Nature Essay for his essay Learning to Surf. In 2017 he hosted the National Geographic Explorer show, The Call of the Wild.

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Fiction, Magical Realism, Mystery, Writers on Writing

Jul 01: Joanne Harris Returns to the World of Chocolat with Vianne

July 1, 2026

Secrets, love, betrayal, magic, & storytelling

Vianne – A Novel with author Joanne Harris

Few writers have woven magic into everyday stories quite like Joanne Harris. The multiple award-winning, internationally bestselling author, enchanted millions with her signature blend of magical realism – including the revered Chocolat, the novel that introduced the world to Vianne Rocher.

In Vianne, Harris returns to France where it all began. Her long-awaited prequel leads us on a journey into the untold origins of one of contemporary fiction’s most unforgettable characters.

On this episode, Joanne talks craft: How she builds characters that linger long after the final page, what it takes to move fluidly across genres without losing her voice, and the storytelling instincts that have defined a career spanning decades. Plus, we learn a few surprising, fun facts about the woman behind the magic.

Meet Joanne Harris

With a French mother and English father, maybe it was a given that Joanne Harris (OBE, FRSL) would blend both worlds to create magic. While teaching fulltime Joanne published three novels, including Chocolat (1999), which was made into an Oscar-nominated film starring Juliette Binoche.

Since then, she has written more than 20 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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Adventure, Biography, History, Journalism, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

May 27: Triumph, Tragedy, and History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue with Buddy Levy

May 27, 2026

“Gripping account of a fatal polar adventure.” ~ Kirkus Reviews

Realm of Ice and Sky with author Buddy Levy

National Outdoor Book Award winner Buddy Levy returns to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair, and takes us somewhere few people have survived to describe.

Realm of Ice and Sky: Triumph, Tragedy, History’s Greatest Arctic Rescue isn’t just a polar adventure. As Buddy explains, this is the history of an idea. The audacious, dangerous dream of reaching the North Pole by airship. If it worked, it would mark a seismic shift in exploration – out with dog sleds and frostbitten toes, and in with airborne travel.

Spoiler alert: The Arctic had other plans.

We explore a nearly forgotten chapter of history: A dramatic 19th-century rescue mission that pushed three extraordinary explorers to the edge of human endurance. We follow their journeys, hubris, heartbreak, and barely-believable heroism. And Buddy shares how he stitched these lost stories together into narrative that reads like a thriller.

P.S. Hear our previous conversation on Buddy’s earlier book, Empire of Ice and Stone here.

Meet Buddy Levy

Buddy Levy is the author of nine books. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR, and USA Today. TV audiences may know him from 25 episodes of HISTORY Channel’s Brad Meltzer’s DECODED, or as an on-camera expert in The Frontiersmen: The Men Who Built America, the four-part HISTORY series executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio.

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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

May 06: Brad Taylor on Shadow Strike: Assassins, Geopolitics, & Writing the World He Knows

May 6, 2026

Celebrating the 20th exciting Pike Logan mission

Shadow Strike – A Pike Logan Thriller with Brad Taylor

Brad Taylor has spent two decades writing thrillers that blend fiction with overseas intrigue, and real-life, boots on the ground action.

Shadow Strike – the 20th installment in Taylor’s Pike Logan series – begins when a rogue cell within Iran’s Revolutionary Guard orchestrates the escape of the world’s most dangerous assassin, a man known only as the Ghost. His mission, to kill the Israeli prime minister.

Brad shares how Shadow Strike came together, from the geopolitical fault lines that inspired it, to the research trips that took Brad from South America to the edge of the Antarctic. We talk about writing credible characters; what it’s like to watch real-world events catch up to a plot you finished months earlier. Hamas, Hezbollah, Patagonia, and Argentina. And, why Brad says we are sleepwalking our way to Armageddon.

Meet Brad Taylor

After more than 21 years, Brad Taylor retired from the army as a Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel. He held numerous Infantry and Special Forces positions, including eight years in 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta, where he commanded multiple troops and a squadron. He’s conducted operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other classified locations. Brad’s final assignment was the Assistant Professor of Military Science at The Citadel in Charleston, SC. When not writing, he serves as a security consultant on asymmetric threats for various agencies. 

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Coming of Age, Fiction, Writers on Writing

Apr 22: How Paula Saunders Dance Experiences Inspired A Successful Sequel

April 22, 2026

Starting From Here – A Novel

Starting from Here with author Paula Saunders

Write what you know, they say, and sometimes that’s good advice. In this case, award-winning author Paula Saunders leveraged her own experiences in the predatory world of dance to write Starting From Here.

A sequel to The Distance Home, the Starting From Here is set in the 1970s competitive world of ballet, where protagonist René faces everything from cults to sexual exploitation, industry predators, and the worst kind of betrayal. As much as she wants success, at heart she longs for someone to love and accept her just the way she is – dancer or not, successful or not, perfect or imperfect.

Paula shares her own experiences as an aspiring ballet dancer, and what led her to become a writer and author. We look at how writing Starting From Here helped Paula see her own mother differently. And grab a sneak peek at what it’s like writing a book when you’re married to another author.

Paula reveals how she developed her unique characters, how she defines creativity. And with 50+ years of progress since the ’70s, how times have changed for today’s young women. Or have they?

Meet Paula Saunders

Paula Saunders 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. Her novel Starting From Here begins in Rapid City, South Dakota, which is also where Paula Saunders grew up.

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Business, Career, Non Fiction, Professional Development, Writers on Writing

Apr 15: What Stands Between You & Your Desires with Gavin McMahon

April 15, 2026

Why Stories Rule the World

Story Business – Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business with Gavin McMahon

“The single biggest thing standing between you and what you want is the story you are telling…” ~ Gavin McMahon.

Despite his impressive military background, and degrees in engineering, somewhere along the way today’s guest became consumed with the power of story.

We discuss Gavin McMahon‘s new book, Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business – principles that also apply to your personal brand, regardless of your job title.

Gavin shares thoughts on what makes a good story, why packaging is often more important than the idea, and why emotion matters. We also explore a couple of Gavin’s favorite stories, including how CEO Satya Nadella quickly transformed the culture of Microsoft.

Meet Gavin McMahon

Gavin Mcmahon began his career as a mechanical engineer building submarines, sports cars, and steel plants. He trained as a British Army officer at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, worked across defense, automotive, and technology industries. And eventually became a Sainsbury Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering before earning an MBA in Innovation, Strategy and Information Technology in France. McMahon has spent the last 30 years helping some of the world’s biggest companies from Microsoft to SpaceX get desired results by unlocking the power of stories.

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Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Apr 01: New York Times Bestselling Author Kate White with I Came Back For You

April 1, 2026

When her daughter’s murderer makes a deathbed confession, a mother risks everything in search of truth and justice.

I Came Back For You with Kate White

“Bree will do anything to find justice for her daughter and finish this nightmare forever. The real killer could still be out there, and as Bree begins digging through her daughter Melanie’s past, she questions everything she was led to believe — about the crime, the killer, and Melanie.“

Kate White joins us with her 19th novel, and new psychological thriller, I Came Back For You.

We discuss everything from the storyline and plot, and what it takes to keep a psychological thriller moving and suspenseful, to Kate White’s experience as editor-in-chief at Cosmopolitan, living in Uruguay, eco-tourism, and winning advice she received from other authors when she first began writing novels.

Meet Kate White

Kate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 19 novels of suspense: 11 standalone psychological thrillers, including the latest I Came Back for You and eight Bailey Weggins mysteries.

A former Glamour magazine Top Ten College Women Contest winner and cover girl, Kate had a long career in the media world, which included running five national magazines. For fourteen years she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, which under her became the most successful magazine in single copy sales in the U.S. Though she loved her magazine career, she decided to leave twelve years ago to concentrate full-time on another passion: Writing suspense fiction.

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Conservation, Environment, Nature, Non Fiction

Mar 11: Less Work, More Nature. Rewild Your Garden & Ditch Your Lawnmower for Good with Danae Wolfe

March 11, 2026

What if the most impactful conservation effort you can make begins with your own backyard?

Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard with author Danae Wolfe

In Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard, photographer and conservationist Danae Wolfe shares how you can make your garden less work and more enjoyable.

Among the things we discuss today: The real benefits of ditching your lawnmower, and how to simplify your outdoor space, while making it more beautiful by inviting butterflies, birds. bees, and wildlife to visit

Danae shares how to create a simple butterfly puddle-station. Why invasive plants are more problematic than you think. And, we discuss some of the small changes that can save you time and energy, while reaping big conservation rewards.

Meet Danae Wolfe

Danae Wolfe is a macro photographer and conservation educator. Wolfe’s new book – full of color photos and quick, easy ways to support nature and rewilding – is Grass Isn’t Greener: The Everyday Conservationist’s Guide to Bringing Nature to Your Yard. In 2015 she founded Chasing Bugs and teaches others about the beauty, diversity, and importance of insects and spiders through photography, public speaking, and writing. Danae’s work has been featured in various outlets including CNN, The American Gardener magazine, and Nature Conservancy magazine. In 2022 Danae received the Garden Communicators International Emergent Communicator award.

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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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Fiction, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Feb 26: #1 International Bestselling Author Steve Berry with The Devil’s Bible

February 25, 2026

Steve Berry celebrates the 20th book in Cotton Malone thriller series

The Devil’s Bible, A Cotton Malone Novel with Steve Berry

Today we celebrate a milestone with Steve Berry that very few thriller writers reach. The Devil’s Bible is Berry’s 20th novel featuring the same hero — Cotton Malone.

Blending real-life history with a flair for creative license is Berry’s trademark. The Devil’s Bible blends conspiracies, loyalties, betrayals, countries at odds, and our familiar favorite characters along with breakneck pacing.

In this latest adventure, Cotton and Cassiopeia are back, and working together. We dig a little into their relationship and how these characters have grown over two decades of missions, close calls, and complicated feelings.

Steve discusses his research trip to Stockholm. And shares insight into one of history’s most unsettling, yet fascinating, artifacts: The Devil’s Bible.

Meet Steve Berry

Steve Berry is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of 26 novels, including The Devil’s Bible. His books have been translated into 41 languages with over 26,000,000 copies in 52 countries. They consistently appear in the top echelon of The New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller lists. Somewhere in the world, every thirty seconds, one of his novels is sold.

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