Bookwild

00:56:27

Your New Favorite Bisexual Stoner P.I. | Jack...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/14

In this episode, I talk with Jack Friday (a.k.a John Fram) about his new P.I. series Killer Vibes! Listen to hear all about: Building a detective unlike the classic hard-boiled heroes: How Peter Key became a lazy, bisexual, stoner private investigator whose sincerity, humor, and curiosity make him feel fresh while still honoring classic noir traditions. The art of writing humor that actually lands: Why he never writes "jokes" on purpose, how Peter's personality naturally creates comedy, and why

en

01:15:04

What If Your Parent was a Serial Killer? V.A....

Bookwild ·

2026/07/14

In this episode, Gare and I talk with V.A. Vazquez about her dark, twisty thriller The Death Row Club! Listen to hear all about: The deeply personal experience that inspired The Death Row Club. V.A. Vazquez shares how discovering that a beloved high school teacher was secretly a predator sparked the question: What would it be like to be the child of someone capable of horrific crimes? Why writing this novel became an exploration of shame, identity, and inherited judgment. V.A. Vazquez discusses

en

00:49:15

Good for Her, Female Rage, and Sisterhood: Molly...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/14

In this episode, I talk with Molly Fader about her ragey, dual-timeline thriller Lady X! Listen to hear all about: How her teenage daughter and Taylor Swift inspired the story. Molly shares how frustration with real-world misogyny, a personal experience involving her daughter, and one song combined to spark the idea for Lady X. A thoughtful conversation about women's anger—and why we're often taught to suppress it. We discuss how patriarchy, complicity, female rage, and why stories about women

en

01:07:07

Serial Killers, Sherlock, and the Truth About Empire:...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/14

In this episode, I talk with Arvind Ethan David about his historical mystery thriller The Great Game! Listen to hear all about: How Arvind Ethan David reimagined classic literary icons by pairing Sherlock Holmes with gentleman thief A.J. Raffles and Balvinder Singh, an Indian veteran whose perspective reshapes Edwardian-era mysteries. The real history that shaped the thriller, including the Boer War, the British Empire, and the often-overlooked presence of Indian soldiers and immigrants in early

en

01:01:01

Pop Culture, Gossip and Revenge: Ashley Winstead's...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/10

Ashley Winstead IS BACK! Gare and I ask all our burning questions about Hot Girl Murder Club. Listen to hear about: How Ashley Winstead wrote Hot Girl Murder Club as an act of creative defiance. Ashley shares the publishing and Hollywood conversations that told her feminist revenge stories were "over"—and why that made her determined to write one anyway. The surprising inspiration behind the novel's unique structure. Ashley discusses how Dune, historical dissertations, Patty Hearst, and mythic

en

00:40:03

Double Agents, Journalism and Espionage: Connor...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/07

**If you're listening when this airs, note that this episode was recorded at the beginning of May and should've come out in May. Due to an injury (and painkillers) it's been sitting in my drafts, and I forgot to publish it.** In this episode, I chat with Connor Martin about his new espionage thriller The Silver Fish. Listen to hear about:How a 20-year journey and a career in national security led Connor Martin to write his debut espionage thriller—including why switching from literary fiction to

en

00:46:14

Power, Greed, and the Dark Side of Utopia: Zac...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/07

In this episode, I chat with Zac Cannon about his new speculative thriller Stillwater Trace! Listen to hear about: How a "dad action movie" premise transformed into a layered thriller exploring faith, power, surveillance, and belonging—and why Zac let the story evolve far beyond his original concept. The real-world inspirations behind Stillwater Trace, from corporate master-planned communities and culture wars to religious deconstruction, and how current events shaped the novel without making it

en

01:20:43

Trauma, Twins and Twists: The Girls in the Dark by...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/03

In this episode, Gare and I chat with Avery Bishop about his new thriller The Girls in the Dark! Listen to hear about: An unfiltered look at editorial disagreements, publishing contracts, audiobook production, and why getting a book into readers' hands is often far more complicated than fans realize. The inspiration behind The Girls in the Dark, balancing suspense with emotional realism, portraying trauma responsibly, and why some stories need to embrace their darkness. Crafting page-turning

en

00:51:47

Chronic Illness, Spy Thrills & Fake Dating: Kate...

Bookwild ·

2026/07/01

This week, I talk with Kate Williams about her new romance spy thriller Fake Out Make Out! Kate's journey from self-publishing and writing across genres to landing a traditional publishing deal with Fake Out, Make Out. How Kate built a spy romance, balanced action with emotional beats, and embraced genre mashups. How she drew from her own autoimmune journey and the importance of seeing disabled and chronically ill characters on the page. How she approaches outlining action scenes, creating

en

01:34:17

A Trip to Greece, Widow's Bay, Summer House and More...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/26

Halley Sutton is back from a trip through Greece and Turkey, and she shares some of the highlights of her trip! We also discuss books, tv shows and movies we've been watching and reading recently, and dive into THAT Summer House Reunion a la Scamanda. Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer

en

01:03:46

Improv, Love and Grief: Emma Brodie's Into the Blue

Bookwild ·

2026/06/23

This week, Emma West, Kara Confer and I talk with Emma Brodie about her love story Into the Blue! Listen to hear about: How a single character—Noah—kept appearing across multiple abandoned projects until he became the foundation of Into the Blue A behind-the-scenes look at how Emma's theater classes, improv training, and fascination with performance shaped the book's unique portrayal of acting and creative connection. The emotional reality of publishing while working in the publishing

en

00:48:52

When Rom-Coms Become Nightmares: Olivia Worley's Man...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/23

This week, Gare and I talk with Olivia Worley about her new horror-thriller Man of My Dreams! Listen to hear about: How Olivia's real-life dating experiences—and meeting a man eerily similar to a character she had already written—inspired the premise of Man of My Dreams A deep dive into blending rom-coms with psychological thrillers, why modern dating is the perfect backdrop for suspense, and how Olivia carefully balances romance with increasingly dark twists Writing morally complicated

en

01:04:00

The History of Misogyny in Pop Culture: Our Thoughts...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/19

This week, Elizabeth Rose Quinn and I discuss revelations we had while reading Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Each Other by Sophie Gilbert.Listen to hear about: How Sophie Gilbert's Girl on Girl traces a throughline from the 1990s to today, revealing how pop culture, celebrity media, and entertainment industries shaped modern misogyny and women's relationships with each other. A discussion of the "post-privacy era," from Pamela Anderson's stolen sex tape to

en

00:48:33

Three Hitmen, a Baby, and the Art of Writing Great...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/16

This week, I talk with Rob Hart about his third Assassins Anonymous book Three Hitmen and a Baby!Listen to hear about: Why the series resonates beyond action: Hart uses professional killers in recovery to examine guilt, redemption, personal growth, and whether people can truly change. Rob's writing philosophy, and why he believes even pantsers need to know where their story is headed emotionally. Why humor is essential in thrillers, arguing that comedy acts as a pressure-release valve

en

01:17:53

Comfort Reads and Watches with Gare and Steph

Bookwild ·

2026/06/12

This week, Gare catches Steph and I up on his trip to the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share what we gravitate toward in books, movies and TV shows when we need a comfort story! Books We Talked About Verity Hot Girl Murder Club We Used to Live Here Sublimation The Midnight Knock Jar of Hearts The Truth About Melody Browne The Spin TV Shows We Talked About Orphan Black Severance The Vampire Diaries New Girl The Office Parks and Recreation Schitt's Creek Movies We Talked

en

00:55:00

Cosmic Horror and a Crime Procedural: CJ Leede's...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/09

This week, I talk with CJ Leede about her new horror novel Headlights!Listen to hear about: How CJ originally planned to become a medieval historian, but after a professor helped her discover storytelling was what she wanted to pursue. How Headlights began with the idea of people waking up on the side of a highway wearing the skin of strangers, and evolved into a story about grief, mortality, family legacy, and the search for meaning. Why Leede treats setting as a character, using Colorado's

en

01:21:03

Emma West's Reading Journey, TBR Habit, and Approach...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/05

This week, Emma West joins and shares her reading journey, her favorite genres, and how she ended up the Inventory Manager at Wild Geese Books.Listen to hear about: Emma's reading journey beginning as a substitute for formal education, and how she approached books as a way to keep learning and expanding her worldview. How both of us gravitate toward layered, "mind-bending" stories that require active engagement rather than straightforward "popcorn thrillers." How romance works best for uswhen

en

00:47:36

Identity, Immigration and Intent: Isabel J. Kim's...

Bookwild ·

2026/06/02

In this episode, I talk with Isabel J. Kim about her debut speculative fiction, Sublimation! Listen to hear about: How Isabel J. Kim's inspiration for Sublimation came from her own experience growing up between Korea and the United States and wondering how different her life might have been if she had stayed in Korea permanently. Why "instancing" (where you split into two people when you cross a border) worked so well as a speculative framework to explore identity, immigration, belonging, and

en

00:55:26

MacKenzie Green is the Global Head of Social for...

Bookwild ·

2026/05/29

MacKenzie Green is back, and she's now the Global Head of Social for Audible!Listen to hear about: How MacKenzie grew up dyslexic, relied heavily on audiobooks to keep up in school, and never imagined she would one day become Head of Global Social at Audible. Why people should read what they actually enjoy, DNF books that aren't working, and use whatever format—audio, ebook, or print—helps them engage with stories. How asking people what they were reading helped her build relationships, conduct

en

01:22:14

From Indoctrination to Curiosity: Promise Backlund's...

Bookwild ·

2026/05/26

In this episode, I talk with Promise Backlund about her book Gospel of Lies! She shares her experience growing up in evangelical Christianity, examining how fear, purity culture, certainty, and religious identity shaped her childhood and adult life. We dive into deconstruction, religious trauma, politics, sexuality, pleasure, and the complicated process of rebuilding meaning, identity, and awe outside of rigid belief systems.Listen to hear about: How faith was woven into every part of both our

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Dark Mysteries — Unsolved Mysteries. Forgotten Secrets. Unanswered Questions.

Darkest Mysteries Online

The SCP Experience

Dr. NoSleep Studios

Cuentos y Leyendas de Honduras

Cuentos y Leyendas de Honduras

EXTRA ANORMAL

iEX Studios

Science Fiction Book Collection

The Podcast Network