New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS.

Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West.

Her most recent historical fiction entry is The Cuban Heiress, described as a novel inspired by true events that “ … follows two women whose lives become intertwined during a fateful journey upon the S.S. Morro Castle—a luxury cruise liner that caught fire and sank on its way from Havana to New York in September 1934”

Booklist wrote of the book, “Nothing is what it seems in Cleeton's latest gripping historical novel.... Handsome con men, clever thieves, desperate rebels, and our valiant heroines all convene on this elegant but doomed ocean liner. Cleeton includes vivid details about the mysterious final voyage of the Morro Castle and provides further reading about this historic disaster.”

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In this file Chanel Cleeton and I discussed: 

• How she turned a law degree into a writing career
• Why every writer needs to write a terrible first book
• The research process of a book-a-year writer
• Exploring lesser known events shaping Cuban-American culture
• How her characters speak to her in her daily life
• Why writers need to dig deep to overcome rejection
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• ChanelCleeton.com
• The Cuban Heiress By Chanel Cleeton (Amazon)
• Chanel Cleeton Amazon Author Page
• Chanel Cleeton on Instagram
• Chanel Cleeton on Facebook
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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#1 New York Times bestselling author, Bonnie Garmus, spoke to me about the evolution of her craft, how her protagonist changed her life, getting blurbed by Stephen King, and the never-ending book tour for her lauded debut LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY.

Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter, creative director, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Lessons in Chemistry, named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, and Newsweek.

The book introduced the main character, “Elizabeth Zott, a headstrong, gifted chemist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show.”

BuzzFeed wrote of the book, “A kicky debut, this book tackles feminism, resilience, and rationalism in a fun and refreshing way.” And Stephen King called it, “witty, sometimes hilarious…the Catch-22 of early feminism.”

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In this file Bonnie Garmus and I discussed: 

• How her copywriting career supported her fiction writing
• Why courses will never make you a writer
• Plotters vs Pantsers and why she can't write from an outline
• Overcoming a fear of the blank page
• Why writing a synopsis is one of The Circles of Hell
• Getting a phone call from Academy Award Winner Brie Larson
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• BonnieGarmus.com
• Lessons in Chemistry By Bonnie Garmus (Amazon)
• Bonnie Garmus on Instagram
• Bonnie Garmus on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author, Gregg Hurwitz, spoke with me about why all writing is a process of self-discovery, how to humanize a trained assassin, and the latest Orphan X thriller, THE LAST ORPHAN.

Gregg Hurwitz is an award-winning and internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers including the ORPHAN X series. He has been published in 33 languages, and the Los Angeles Times called him “... a thriller giant." 

He is also a NY Times bestselling comic book writer, having penned stories for AWA (Knighted and the critically acclaimed anthology NewThink), Marvel (Wolverine, Punisher) and DC (Batman, Penguin).

His eighth Orphan X novel is The Last Orphan, the ongoing series featuring The Nowhere Man, “Evan Smoak, a man with skills, resources, and a personal mission to help those with nowhere else to turn. He’s also a man with a dangerous past.”

#1 NY Times bestselling author Meg Gardiner said of the book, "Just when I thought the Orphan X novels couldn’t get any better, Gregg Hurwitz takes the series to an even higher level. The Last Orphan is pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, and thought-provoking.”

Gregg Hurwitz has written screenplays and TV scripts for many of the major studios and networks, has published poetry, numerous academic articles on Shakespeare, and has taught fiction writing at USC.

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In this file Gregg Hurwitz and I discussed: 

• The reason he never took a creative writing class
• Why Orphan X is the culmination of his career
• Plot as character in motion
• How every writer’s voice is as distinctive as a fingerprint
• Writing Batman vs Bruce Wayne and villains vs antagonists
• Grabbing a bourbon with William Faulkner
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• GreggHurwitz.net
• The Last Orphan By Gregg Hurwitz (Amazon)
• Gregg Hurwitz Amazon Author Page
• Gregg Hurwitz on Facebook
• Gregg Hurwitz on Instagram
• Gregg Hurwitz on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Critically acclaimed debut crime novelist and poet, Margot Douaihy, spoke with me about what she learned from Gillian Flynn, subverting the hard-boiled mystery, and writing a queer, iconoclastic, chain-smoking, punk rock nun, for her latest SCORCHED GRACE.

Margot Douaihy is an award-winning educator, editor, and poet whose first novel is Scorched Grace, the inaugural title published by Gillian Flynn Books, an imprint with Zando. It was named a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice, Amazon Editors’ Choice
, Apple Books Best Book of the Month, and one of the “most anticipated crime books” of the year by Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads, Electric Lit, LGBTQ Reads and many others.

The book has been described as a lyrical mystery that kicks off a series featuring protagonist “Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, [who] puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test…”

Don Winslow, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Power of the Dog and City on Fire, said of the book, “Margot Douaihy’s bold entry into the hard-boiled genre revitalizes it for our times. Skillfully plotted, propulsive, and deeply engaged with the communities it represents, Scorched Grace is one of the best crime fiction debuts I’ve come across in a long while.”

Margot has a Ph.D. in Creative Writing from Lancaster University, is the co-editor of Cambridge’s Elements in Crime Narratives series, teaches Creative Writing and Editing/Publishing at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, NH, and is the author of four poetry collections.

Her writing has been featured in Colorado Review; The Florida Review; North American Review; PBS NewsHour; Portland Review, and many others.

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In this file Margot Douaihy and I discussed:

• The winding path to celebrated debut novel
• Why we uphold a tragic misconception about writers
• How to honor, and repudiate, masters of the noir genre
• The ecosystem of her deep immersion and channeling of the muse
• How to find the broad brush strokes of causality in crime
• Why writers need to double down and follow their curiosity
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• margotdouaihy.com
• Scorched Grace By Margot Douaihy (Amazon)
• Margot Douaihy on Instagram
• Margot Douaihy on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Yale educator and TV writer/producer, Aaron Tracy, spoke with me about what it takes to make it as a TV writer, breaking into the audio drama space, producing Audible’s most successful original fiction series, and working on the upcoming “Supreme” with Eva Longoria.

Aaron Tracy teaches “The Art and Craft of Television Drama” at Yale University, and his TV credits include Law & Order: SVU, Fairly Legal, The Tap, and Sequestered, a serialized thriller that ran two seasons, for which he was Creator and Executive Producer. 

He is also the Creator, Head Writer, and Exec. Producer of scripted audio dramas for iHeartRadio, Audible, and Spotify, with various production partners. These include an underdog NBA story with Steve Nash, a legal thriller with James Patterson, a historical romance with Shonda Rhimes, and a courtroom drama with Eva Longoria.

His first show to be released, The Coldest Case, a detective thriller starring Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter, and Alexis Bledel, premiered as the #1 download on Audible in 2021, and has since become the most downloaded show in Audible Plus history.

His audio entertainment company, Parallax, is the home for “prestige scripted audio thrillers and thought-provoking unscripted fare.”

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In this file Aaron Tracy and I discussed:

• The two paths available to aspiring TV writers 
• Why you need to always be pitching ideas
• How audio dramas harken back to the golden days of radio
• Landing big stars for "TV shows without the visuals"
• Working with Rob Reiner
• How to write for the ear
• Why the journey is the destination for writers
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• Yale University – Aaron Tracy
• Aaron Tracy Audible Page
• Aaron Tracy on IMdB
• Aaron Tracy on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning author, visual artist, and filmmaker, Leopoldo Gout, spoke with me about making music videos for David Byrne, going from homeless auteur to working for James Patterson, his unique creative process, and his latest horror novel PIÑATA.

Leopoldo Gout is the author of the books Ghost Radio, the award-winning Genius YA trilogy, and the recently published fable for all ages, Monarca. He has also packaged, published, and developed books with other writers under his imprint at Simon & Schuster: Leopoldo & Co., and was co-president of the James Patterson Entertainment company for many years.

His latest novel is Piñata (Tor Nightfire), described as “... a bone-chilling possession tale perfect for fans of Hereditary and A Head Full of Ghosts. Based on the true, horrific story of the Spanish conquistadors that used piñatas to force Aztec children to destroy their gods…”

Publishers Weekly wrote of the author, “Gout puts a unique twist on a classic possession story by incorporating Indigenous Mexican lore into the gory plot.”

Leopoldo Gout is an accomplished visual artist, filmmaker, and writer from Mexico City, and studied sculpture at Central St. Martins School of Art in London. He is currently producing award-winning author Marlon James’ original debut for television: GET MILLIE BLACK (Channel 4 & HBO) and was the Exec. Producer of the film Molly's Game starring Jessica Chastain and Idris Elba.

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In this file Leopoldo Gout and I discussed:

• How his early life in Mexico contributed to a life of curiosity
• Working with Pedro Pascal, star of The Mandalorian and The Last of Us
• Why the Horror genre was a great fit for his artistic sensibilities
• What it was like to work with Aaron Sorkin on Molly’s Game
• Using research and meditation to beat creative block
• Overcoming your fear of failure
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• LeopoldoGout.net
• Piñata A Novel By Leopoldo Gout (Amazon)
• Leopoldo Gout’s Amazon Author Page
• Leopoldo Gout on Facebook
• Leopoldo Gout on Instagram
• Leopoldo Gout on IMdB
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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New York Times and internationally bestselling author, Jill Santopolo, spoke with me about finding balance as a writer/publisher, writing as therapy, the universal power of myths, and her latest novel STARS IN AN ITALIAN SKY.

Jill Santopolo’s debut adult novel, The Light We Lost, was a Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club pick, landed on the New York Times bestsellers list, and has been optioned for film. Her books have been translated into more than 35 languages and she is also the associate publisher of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, where she has edited critically-acclaimed, award-winning, and best-selling books including She Persisted by Chelsea Clinton, and Superheroes Are Everywhere by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and Mechal Roe.

Her fourth novel is Stars in an Italian Sky, described as “… a sweeping story of two star-crossed lovers in post-World War II Italy, and a blossoming relationship generations later that will reveal a long-buried family secret.”

Publishers Weekly wrote of the author, “Santopolo skillfully weaves two love stories in which passionate and idealistic young couples contend with class differences, tension between their personal desires and familial obligations, and the ongoing ramifications of decisions made by earlier generations….”

Jill is also the author of three successful children's and young-adult series including the Alec Flint Mysteries, the Sparkle Spa series, and the Follow Your Heart books. She holds a BA in English Literature from Columbia University, and an MFA in Writing for Children from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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In this file Jill Santopolo and I discussed:

• The importance of liking all the things you do
• Why you can’t write unless you know what’s been written before
• How she got her start in publishing and writing children’s books
• Why love and loss are the touchstones of storytelling
• Whether Venus would be on Tinder
• Researching for two hours to write a single sentence
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• JillSantopolo.com
• Stars in an Italian Sky By Jill Santopolo (Amazon)
• Jill Santopolo’s Amazon Author Page
• Jill Santopolo on Facebook
• Jill Santopolo on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer finalist, Rebecca Makkai, spoke with me about her love of the short story, the true crime industrial complex, and her latest “literary feminist boarding school murder mystery,” I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

Rebecca Makkai’s last novel, The Great Believers, was a Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award finalist, won a slew of awards, and was one of The New York Times' Ten Best Books of 2018.

Her latest novel is I Have Some Questions for You, named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by TIME, The Seattle Times, Good Housekeeping, Today.com, CrimeReads, NPR, and many others.

Described by the San Francisco Chronicle as, "part true-crime page-turner, part campus coming-of-age," and The New York Times Book Review as, "A spellbinding work …" Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jennifer Egan called the book, “Part boarding school drama, part forensic whodunnit, I Have Some Questions for You is a true literary mystery—haunting and hard to put down.”

Rebecca is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow, on the MFA faculties of the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe and Northwestern University, and is Artistic Director of StoryStudio Chicago. Her work has been translated into 20 languages, and her short fiction has been anthologized in The Pushcart Prize XLI (2017), The Best American Short Stories 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008, and many others.

Stay tuned until the end of the show for a preview of the Audiobook, excerpted courtesy Penguin Random House Audio from I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU by Rebecca Makkai, read by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson.

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In this file Rebecca Makkai and I discussed:

• Why she chose to become an educator early on in her career
• The importance of 15 years of writing and publishing short stories
• How luck and maturity played a role in her career as a novelist
• The most underutilized tool in fiction
• Her Zen koan for fellow writers
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• I Have Some Questions for You A NOVEL By Rebecca Makkai (Amazon)
• Rebecca Makkai’s Amazon Author Page
• makkai-by-the-book-interview.html?campaign_id=69&emc=edit_bk_20230217&instance_id=85706&nl=books®i_id=75180449&segment_id=125664&te=1&user_id=881adc26fa42cb1fe5763805a3a9ebca">By the Book Interview: Rebecca Makkai - The New York Times
• A Novel That Confronts Our True-Crime Obsession | The New Yorker
• Rebecca Makkai on Facebook
• Rebecca Makkai on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Award-winning and New York Times bestselling novelist, William Landay, spoke with me about how former lawyers get pigeonholed in publishing, why we can’t get enough true crime, and his latest ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME.

William Landay is a former assistant district attorney, and the bestselling author of Defending Jacob, recently adapted into the Emmy-nominated Apple TV+ series starring Chris Evans.

His eagerly anticipated follow-up is All That Is Mine I Carry With Me (on sale 3/7; Bantam), a March 2023 LibraryReads pick, described by NY Times bestselling author Scott Turow as, “... masterful, original and riveting ... With its subtle mystery and compelling portraits of how lives are transformed in the aftermath of violent crime ...” 

NY Times bestselling author Joseph Finder said of the author, “With All That Is Mine I Carry With Me, the masterful author of Defending Jacob has created something … unforgettable, and original—unlike any other crime novel I’ve read.”

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In this file William Landay and I discussed:

• The double-edged sword of a two-book deal
• Why service industry jobs are great for writers
• The strange surprise of writing a runaway bestseller
• The long tail of Defending Jacob and the power of book clubs 
• Why we will always need books
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• All That Is Mine I Carry With Me: A NOVEL By William Landay (Amazon)
• William Landay’s Amazon Author Page
• William Landay on Facebook
• William Landay on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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Former Shakespeare professor and author, Stephen Marche, spoke with me about how to roll with the punches, finding comfort in the history of writerly failure, and his candid guide on handling a lifetime of rejection, “On Writing and Failure.”

Stephen Marche is a novelist, essayist, and cultural commentator, and he was a contributing editor at Esquire, for which he wrote a monthly column entitled "A Thousand Words about Our Culture."

His latest is the book-length essay titled “On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer.” The Midwest Book Review called it “... essential reading for anyone seeking to write for a living, be it as a novelist, essayist, poet, columnist, or any other writing genre."

Stephen Marche received a doctorate in early modern English drama from the University of Toronto and taught Renaissance drama at CUNY. He is the author of half a dozen books, and has written opinion pieces and essays for The New Yorker, the New York Times, The Atlantic, Esquire, The Walrus, and many others.

He is also the host of the hit Audible series How Not to F*ck Up Your Kids Too Bad, and the sequel How Not to F*ck Up Your Marriage Too Bad.

Stay calm and write on ...

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In this file Stephen Marche and I discussed:

• Why his career has been more than a little weird
• How to get back up after you’ve been knocked down
• Why good writers offer advice and great writers offer condolences
• What the writing life offers the uninitiated
• Where to hang out with Shakespeare
• And a lot more!

Show Notes:

• stephenmarche.com
• On Writing and Failure: Or, On the Peculiar Perseverance Required to Endure the Life of a Writer by Stephen Marche (Amazon)
• Stephen Marche Amazon Author Page
• failure-joyce-melville-boethius.html">A Writer’s Lament: The Better You Write, the More You Will Fail - NY Times
• Stephen Marche on Facebook
• Stephen Marche on Twitter
• Kelton Reid on Twitter

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