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Bookwild

387 episodes — Page 5 of 8

Ep 160Yapping About How Much We Love Books with MacKenzie Green

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This week, MacKenzie Green joins the show, and we talk about our shared love for reading, how reading expands empathy, and five books that define her reading style!Books We Talked AboutCreativity, Inc.My Government Means to Kill MeThe ImmortalistsWordslutThe Swimmers 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 30, 20241h 20m

Ep 159How Reading Increases Empathy with Halley Sutton

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This week, Halley Sutton and I dive into an NYU study that showed how reading raises empathy, and share books that have expanded our empathy as well.Books We Talked AboutDear America SeriesHurt for MeDear DickheadDaisy Jones and the SixThe Force of Such BeautyThe PushLittle DeathsMissing White WomanThe ReformatoryDid You Hear About Kitty Karr?Say Hello to My Little FriendThe Lion Women of TehranStar GirlSince She’s Been Gone 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 27, 20241h 9m

Ep 1582024 Fall Thrillers We Can't Wait to Read with Gare Billings

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This week, Gare and I dive into our very long lists of fall books we can't wait to read!Books We Talked AboutWhere They Last Saw HerThe Bachelorette PartyMadwomanSociety of LiesBetween Lies and RevengeThis Girl’s a KillerOnce More from the TopLeave the Girls BehindAn Academy for LiarsThe Blue HourRunning ColdThe Boyfriend It Will Only Hurt For A MomentFair Catch 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 23, 20241h 3m

Ep 157Eye of the Beholder by Emma Bamford: A Vertigo Retelling from the Female Gaze

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This week, I talk with Emma Bamford about her thriller Eye of the Beholder, a feminist retelling of Hitchcock's Vertigo. We dive into what inspired her to write a Vertigo-inspired thriller, and how well the story of controlling image still fits modern times.Eye of the Beholder SynopsisWhen Maddy Wight is hired to ghostwrite the memoir of world-renowned cosmetic surgeon Dr. Angela Reynolds, she thinks it might just be her chance to get her career back on track. She travels to Angela’s remote estate in the Scottish Highlands to hunker down and learn everything she can. But the deeper she digs, the more elusive the doctor becomes. Is there more hidden beneath the surface of the kaleidoscopic beauty industry than Angela wants to reveal?Sharing the estate is Angela’s enigmatic business partner, Scott, whose mercurial moods change as quickly as the conditions on the darkening moors outside. Confined to the glass-walled house, Maddy can’t shake the feeling of being watched. As objects go missing, handprints appear on the windows, and a stranger lurks in the grounds, she finds herself drawn ever closer to Scott. Returning to London once the book is finished, Maddy is excited for their future together. But her dreams are shattered at the book launch when Angela learns that Scott has leapt to his death from the Scottish cliffs.Which is why, months later and lost in a fog of grief, Maddy is completely blindsided when she sees Scott entering the Tube station just in front of her. It can’t be him, can it? After all, Scott is dead...or is he?In exploring the differences between looking and seeing, surface and depth, and the power of the female gaze, this tribute to Hitchcock’s 1958 film masterpiece asks: If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, how much can you trust what you see?Follow Emma on InstagramFollow Kate on Instagram 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 20, 202423 min

Ep 156All the Missing Girls By Linda Hurtado Bond: A Missing Sister, Brujerias and Revenge

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This week, I talk with Linda Hurtado Bond about her new action thriller All the Missing Girls. We dive into how her husband helps her write, and how her job as an television news anchor influences her writing.All the Missing Girls SynopsisAs a crime reporter for a Tampa TV news station, Mari Alvarez knows when an investigation enters dangerous territory. But with her estranged sister missing and almost no information to go on, Mari can’t trust anyone but herself to find the truth. Now she has just 48 hours to sneak into Cuba undetected, track down her sister…and pray to her orisha that she’s not too late.This is nothing like reporting in her neighborhood, though--a place she knows like the back of her hand. In Havana she has no contacts and only an ice-cold trail of cryptic clues. When Detective Tony Garcia offers to help, Mari puts aside her instincts and tries to let someone in. But soon they’re caught in a maze of lies, deception, and an undercurrent of the island’s own witchcraft, a sinister Brujería.Every lead draws Mari further into this world of shadows, especially when her sister isn’t the only young woman who’s gone missing. Each step pushes Mari and Tony toward a revelation they never saw coming. And as they close in on the horrifying truth, one thing becomes clear…no one will let them leave Cuba alive. Follow Kate on InstagramFollow Linda on Instagram 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 19, 202434 min

Ep 155Books That Got Us Into Reading, Changed Our Life and Changed Our Brain Chemistry with Gare Billings and Steph Lauer

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This week, Gare and Steph and I talk about books that got us into reading, changed our lives, and changed our brain chemistry!Books That Got Us Into ReadingHeartsickThe Good GirlThe Fact of a Body Books That Changed Our LifeA Density of SoulsThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn HugoAnd Then She Was Gone Books That Changed Our Brain ChemistryThe ShardsThe Good DaughterThe Chain Gang All Stars Books We’re ReadingThe Lion Women of TehranThe Lies We ToldTalking to Strangers Follow us on Instagram:KateGareSteph 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 16, 20241h 5m

Ep 154What Makes Stories Scary with Halley Sutton

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This week, I'm back with Halley Sutton and we dive into what makes something scary. We discuss different movie and book concepts and the way different scary sub-genres scare different people. My audio also recorded through my camera instead of my microphone, so sorry for the audio quality in advance.Books We Talked AboutThis Family LiesStalkerThe Chestnut ManMaeve FlyThe Return Movies We Talked AboutLonglegsOddityLate Night with the DevilA Quiet Place: Day OneMaxxxine Follow Kate on InstagramFollow Halley on Instagram 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 9, 20241h 13m

Ep 153The Outlier by Elisabeth Eaves: A Female Corrective to the Psychopath Thriller

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This week, I talk with Elisabeth Eaves about her thriller The Outlier. We dive into what attracted her to writing an "unlikeable" female psychopath for the main character, and the quandary of hurting few to help the many.The Outlier SynopsisCate Winter, at 34, is a wildly successful neuroscientist and entrepreneur who has invented a cure for Alzheimer's that will improve the lives of millions. On the verge of selling her biotech company for an obscene sum, she is also about to become very rich.But Cate has a secret that keeps her deeply uneasy about everything she is and does: she grew up at the Cleckley Institute, a treatment facility for the rehabilitation of psychopathic children. And, as far as she knows, she is the institute's only success: all of her peers have become thwarted, maladjusted or even criminal adults.Then Cate discovers the existence of another ex-patient and outlier who might prove that her success isn't a fluke. He has not only stayed out of jail, but he's made a mark in business and science. Though his identity is confidential, she breaks the rules and drops everything to track him down. And when she finds him, living under an assumed name in Baja California, she is immediately obsessed. Like her, he is driven and brilliant, an innovator willing to do what it takes to perfect a new energy technology that will stop global warming. Here, at last, is her mirror, her ultimate collaborator, the possible answer to the enigma of her nature.But in the wake of a mysterious death, Cate can't avoid suspecting him. If he is involved, do his ends justify his means? Ruthless herself, she's about to find out whether there are any moral lines she won't cross. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 6, 202433 min

Ep 152Serial Killer Thrillers, Action Thrillers and Psychological Thrillers with Gare and Steph

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This week, Gare and Steph are both on the podcast and we all talk about books from our favorite thriller sub-genres! Gare shares serial killer thrillers, I share action thrillers, and Steph shares "am I going crazy" psychological thrillers.Books We Talked AboutGare - Serial Killer ThrillersJar of HeartsPlease See UsBright Young Women Kate - Action ThrillersAlias EmmaAssassins AnonymousThe Recruiter Steph - Psychological ThrillersBloodlineWhen She Was MeLike It Never Was 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 2, 20241h 6m

Ep 151Not What She Seems by Yasmin Angoe: Small Town Theatrics, The "Prodigal" Brodie Girl, and Complex Family Relationships

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Today, I talk with Yasmin Angoe about her new domestic thriller Not What She Seems! We talk about the end of the Nena Knight series, how we both miss Nena, and how appearances not always being what they seem inspired her new novel.Not What She Seems SynopsisAfter years of self-exile, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. But the small cliffside town no longer feels like home. Jac hasn’t been there since the beloved chief of police fell to his death—and all the whispers said she was to blame.That chief was Jac’s father.Racked with guilt, Jac left town with no plans to return. But when her granddad lands in the hospital, she rushes back to her family, bracing herself to confront the past.Brook Haven feels different now. Wealthy newcomer Faye Arden has transformed the notorious Moor Manor into a quaint country inn. Jac’s convinced something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s perfect exterior, yet the whole town fawns over their charismatic new benefactor. And when Jac discovers one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, she knows she has to be right.But as Jac continues to dig, she stumbles upon dangerous truths that hit too close to home. With not only her life but also her family’s safety on the line, Jac discovers that maybe some secrets are better left buried. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Aug 1, 202429 min

Ep 150People Will Talk by Kieran Scott: A Surprise Wedding, a Dead Bride, and Three Women with Motives

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This week, I talk with Kieran Scott about her dishy new thriller People Will Talk. We dive into her inspiration for the book, how she crafted three POVs, and what made her choose a chandelier as a murder weapon.People Will Talk SynopsisWhen the Frank family throws their annual clambake at their gorgeous beachside home on Cape May, the seafood is always delivered to white-clothed tables on fine bone china. And Peter Frank, the beloved son and perennial heartbreaker, will make the rounds, charming every woman on the guest list.Top of that list this year are Maya, his tennis star girlfriend just coming off the high of winning Wimbledon; Catherine, his high school sweetheart turned wildly successful wedding planner and influencer; and Leanne, the fiercely protective aunt and legal guardian of his only son. When Maya, Catherine, and Leanne arrive expecting an extravagant feast, they’re instead lured into a room together by a mysterious text to find Peter and…Tilly.Tilly, all golden blonde hair and perfectly tan skin, explains to the three women that she and Peter plan to get married that night, that Maya and Peter are through, that Peter will no longer be investing in Catherine’s company, and that Leanne must give up guardianship of her nephew. The enraged women attend the impromptu wedding, but when a chandelier falls and crushes the bride, suddenly they’re three likely suspects with three perfect motives. Now they’ll have to work together to figure out who really did kill Tilly, and fast—because maintaining a good reputation in this crowd can be murder. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 30, 202427 min

Ep 131Bingeworthy Summer Thrillers with Audrey

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This week, Audrey Egner ( @chapterandconverse ) and I share some of our favorite bingey summer thrillers!Books We Talked AboutDon’t Believe ItThe Weekend AwayYou Can Trust MeMy Summer DarlingsLie By the PoolIt Could Be AnyoneThe Au PairA Flicker in the DarkAn Anonymous GirlHe Started ItAll the Colors of the DarkThe God of the Woods 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 26, 202446 min

Ep 129The Recruiter by Gregg Podolski: An Action Hero Who's Bad at Action with a Comedic Voice

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On this episode, I talk with Gregg Podolski about his debut action thriller The Recruiter. We discuss how his job as a recruiter inspired the story, why we both love comedy with our action thrillers, and the fun of writing an action hero who isn't good at action.The Recruiter SynopsisWhen bad guys need good help, they call Rick Carter.He's a criminal recruiter, searching for contract killers, cyber hackers, gun smugglers, and any other assorted villains-for-hire a European crime boss might need. But, when the family he left behind in New Jersey is caught up in a client's plot to monopolize the black market, Rick has to save them from two of his own top candidates: deadly assassins known only as Ghost and The Persian.Fixing his own mess will require a set of skills he doesn't have--not a problem, as finding qualified help is where he excels. But stepping into action, becoming the hero his family needs, that's new territory. For a man who's spent the last ten years being the best at helping the worst, this may be his last chance to do something right. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 23, 202439 min

Ep 128No Road Home by John Fram: Gothic Thrills, A Toxic Televangelist Family, and a Devoted Father

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On this episode, I talk with John Fram about his genre-bending gothic thriller No Road Home. We dive into how he found inspiration for the story in his dad, his use of Biblical imagery, and the touches of horror throughout. No Road Home SynopsisFor years, single father Toby Tucker has done his best to keep his sensitive young son, Luca, safe from the bigotry of the world. But when Toby marries Alyssa Wright—the granddaughter of a famed televangelist known for his grandiose Old Testament preaching—he can’t imagine the world of religion, wealth, and hate that he and Luca are about to enter.A trip to the Wright family’s compound in sun-scorched Texas soon turns hellish when Toby realizes that Alyssa and the rest of her brood have dangerous plans for him and his son. The situation only grows worse when a freak storm cuts off the roads and the family patriarch is found murdered, stabbed in the chest on the roof of their sprawling mansion.Suspicion immediately turns to Toby, but when his son starts describing a spectral figure in a black suit lurking around the house with unfinished business in mind, Toby realizes this family has more than murderer to conceal—and to fear.As the Wrights close in on Luca, no one is prepared for the lengths Toby will go in the fight to clear his name and protect his son in this “grand gothic story as enthralling as it is terrifying." 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 23, 202437 min

Ep 130What We'll Burn Last by Heather Chavez: Missing Teenagers, Feuding Families, Star Crossed Lovers and a Wildfire

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On this episode, I talk with Heather Chavez about her newest thriller What We'll Burn Last. We dive into her desire to write a thriller with a wildfire, the complexities of three POVs at war with each other, and how much fun she had writing the wildfire as a POV. What We'll Burn Last SynopsisThree women.When she was twelve, Leyna Clarke watched her older sister, Grace, walk away from their Sierra Nevada foothills home with her boyfriend, Adam Duran. Neither was ever seen again. Sixteen years later, a stranger who looks like Grace shows up at the restaurant where Leyna works—and vanishes soon after. When it comes out that Leyna was one of the last people to have talked with the young woman, Leyna’s childhood crush Dominic, who is also Adam’s brother, pleads with her to do the last thing she wants to do: come home.Three secrets.But Leyna isn’t the only one who hasn’t been able to leave that fateful night behind. Her mother, Meredith, still lives in the family’s old home—even if she claims to believe the police’s theory that Grace and Adam were willing runaways. Down the street, Adam and Dominic’s mother Olivia has also stayed, determined to be there when her son finally returns. . . and to prove that Meredith and Leyna have been hiding something all these years. But the past isn’t the only threat to the two families, or the missing girl. As a wildfire sparks, tempers flare and intentions turn deadly. Because someone in the neighborhood knows what really happened that night—and just how good the forest is at keeping its secrets.Who will you trust? 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 23, 202437 min

Ep 1272024 Mid-Year Favorites with Gare

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This week, Gare is back! And we share some of our favorite reads of the first half of 2024.Books We Talk AboutListen for the LieKill for Me, Kill for YouAn Inconvenient WomanThe Man on the TrainThis Family LiesThe Hollywood AssistantThe Hunter’s DaughterLove Letters to a Serial KillerBodies to Die ForHow We Name the StarsRabbit HoleMissing White WomanThings Don’t Break on Their OwnNo Road Home 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 19, 20241h 1m

Ep 126Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins: A Missing Sister, A Dysfunctional Family, and the Power of Found Family

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This week, I got to chat with Sarah Easter Collins about her exceptionally emotional debut novel Things Don't Break on Their Own. She shares how the shifting nature of memory, sibling differences and the first dog in space inspired her book.Things Don't Break on Their Own SynopsisA heart-wrenching mystery about sisters, lovers, and a dinner party gone wrong.Twenty-five years ago, a young girl left home to walk to school. Her younger sister soon followed. But one of them arrived, and one of them didn’t. Her sister’s disappearance has defined Willa’s life. Everyone thinks her sister is dead, but Willa knows she isn’t. Because there are some things that only sisters know about each other—and some bonds only sisters can break.Willa sees fragments of her sister everywhere — the way that woman on the train turns her head, the gait of that woman in Paris. If there’s the slightest resemblance, Willa drops everything, and everyone, and tries to see if it is her.When Willa is invited to a dinner party thrown by her first love, she has no reason to expect it will be anything other than an ordinary evening. Both of them have moved on, ancient history. But nothing about Willa’s life has been ordinary since the day her sister disappeared, and that’s not about to change tonight.Sarah Easter Collins has written an extraordinary novel about memory, lost love, and long-buried secrets that sometimes see the light of day. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 16, 202431 min

Ep 125It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier: An Erotic Assassin Thriller

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This week, I got to chat with Eliza Jane Brazier about her new erotic assassin thriller It Had to Be You. We dive into her inspiration for the book, and how she never intended for it to be taken as anything other than fantasy.It Had to Be You SynopsisTwo contract killers, each with a hit out on the other, must fight their growing attraction as they face off in an epic game of lust and murder across Western Europe.When Eva and Jonathan hook up on the sleeper train from Florence to Paris, they think they’ll never see each other again. Which is too bad, because neither has ever felt a spark like this for another person. But love isn’t on the agenda in their line of work.Six months later, they run into each other in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles. This encounter is not by chance, because Eva has been hired to kill Jonathan. She’s a contract killer, but what she doesn’t know is that he is too.Their meeting kicks off a high-stakes adventure across Western Europe. There will be tourism. There will be bodies. Eva and Jonathan might even fall for each other.As the two get closer to completing their assignments, it becomes clear that they are also being hunted—by something even more dangerous than love. . . . 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 16, 202427 min

Ep 124Exploring Imposter Syndrome with Liz Keenan and Greg Wands

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This week, I talk with Liz Keenan and Greg Wands about the inception of their new podcast Imposter Hour, a show that delves into the syndrome haunting creatives, impacting their lives and work. We dive into the origin story of the show and their plans for it in the future.Subscribe to Imposter Hour on Apple or SpotifyFollow Imposter Hour on InstagramOr check out their website ImposterHour.com for more info! 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 12, 20241h 9m

Ep 123On the Surface by Rachel McGuire: Boating YouTubers, A Missing Woman and Internet Sleuths

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This week I talk with Rachel Graham and Lee-Ann McGuire Whitlock, who as a writing duo make up pen name Rachel McGuire, about their super-bingeable destination thriller On the Surface.On the Surface SynopsisSawyer Stone III and Dani Fox, a young couple who spend their time circumnavigating the globe aboard their 42-foot sailboat and documenting it for their fledgling YouTube channel Sailing with the Foxes, have anchored in Exuma, in the Bahamas. As they wait for the price of crypto to rebound so they can provision and continue their journey, they’re partying and exploring with their fellow cruisers offshore. On the surface, everything looks perfect. But one night, Dani vanishes after a boat party, and Sawyer has no memory of her disappearance.The search for Dani is initially fueled by concerns that she drowned during one of her daily ocean swims, but Dani's prescheduled video posts, recorded before she went missing, soon reveal a darker side to her relationship with Sawyer. Meanwhile, Royal Bahamas Police Force Inspector Veronique Knowles has her hands full trying to keep the investigation on course as the story of the American woman missing in the Bahamas goes viral and the internet sleuths unearth secrets from Sawyer’s past. Sawyer Stone is far from perfect, but is he a murderer? 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 9, 202434 min

Ep 122The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb: Hollywood Glamour, A Toxic Marriage and All the Sexual Tension

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This week, I talk with May Cobb about her twisty erotic thriller The Hollywood Assistant.The Hollywood Assistant SynopsisCassidy Foster is heartbroken, stuck in life, and getting a little too obsessed with plants. Then when a well-connected friend becomes sick of Cassidy’s moping and gets her a gig with famous Hollywood couple, Marisol and Nate Sterling, Cassidy jumps at the chance to move to sunny LA.The Sterlings are warm and welcoming. A perfect couple. All Cassidy has to do is be available a few hours a week for errands. In return, she has access to luxury: Designer clothes. A sparkling pool. Great pay.When Nate takes interest in her, asking her to read scripts he’s written, Cassidy thinks this could be the key to kickstarting her writing dreams. As their business relationship grows, so does their attraction. Nate is sexy and talented, and Cassidy can’t believe her luck. Clearly, Marisol doesn’t know what she has. Maybe that’s why the two are always fighting when they think Cassidy isn’t around.But Cassidy learns she was hired for a different purpose. The Sterlings aren’t the perfect couple. Marisol isn’t the perfect wife. And when one of them is found dead, Cassidy becomes the perfect suspect. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 9, 202424 min

Ep 121Echo Road by Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh: Blending Two Series to Catch a Serial Killer

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This week, I talk with Kendra Elliot and Melinda Leigh about their new thriller Echo Road, where they combine their Mercy Kilpatrick and Bree Taggert series into one mystery.Echo Road SynopsisDuring a vicious heat wave, a county maintenance worker stumbles upon two suspicious suitcases abandoned by the side of the road. Sheriff Bree Taggert responds to find two bodies stuffed inside the luggage. The press demands action. The community is on edge. Suddenly, Bree is at the center of a media firestorm.In Oregon, a senator’s daughter goes missing. FBI Special Agent Mercy Kilpatrick agrees to keep the politically sensitive case on the down-low. When she finds a link between the disappearance and a double homicide three thousand miles away, Mercy takes the next plane out—and lands right in the middle of Bree’s double homicide investigation.To save the missing girl, Bree and Mercy must work together to stop a killer who’s playing deadly games with the press and stirring up public rage. Hungry for notoriety, he dares Bree and Mercy to catch him before he kills again. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jul 2, 202410 min

Ep 120Our Favorite Bookish Characters with Halley Sutton

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This week, Halley Sutton is back and we talk about some of our favorite bookish characters!Books We Talked AboutWhere Are You Echo Blue?It Will Only Hurt for a MomentNo Road HomeLay Your Body DownHow Can I Help YouWe Have Always Lived in the CastleThe Man on the TrainFollow Her HomeMidnight is the Darkest HourThursday Next SeriesOver Her Dead BodyMust Love BooksI Didn’t Do ItVladimirThe OutlierKill for LoveEight Perfect Murders 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 28, 20241h 11m

Ep 119Thriller Book Pairings | If You Liked That, You'll Also Like This with Steph Lauer

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This week, Steph Lauer and I share books that pair well with each other. If you liked the first one, you'll probably love the second one.Books Kate Talked AboutThe Hollywood AssistantThe Force of Such BeautyThe Hunter’s Daughter : Blood SistersPretty Things : On the SurfaceAlmost Surely Dead : Missing White WomanBig Little Lies : The Other MothersThe Lady Upstairs : Twisted Books Steph Talked AboutDo What Godmother SaysLike it Never WasAsk for Andrea : Before You Knew My NameA Good Girl's Guide to Murder : That’s Not My NameButcher and the Blackbird : The Girl in 6EIn My Dreams I Hold a Knife : The Girls Are All So Nice HereNotes on an Execution : Don't Forget the Girl 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 21, 20241h 13m

Ep 118The Man on the Train by Debbie Babitt: Dual Timelines, A Messy Marriage and Secrets from the Past

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This week, I talk with Debbie Babitt about her new Hitchcockian thriller The Man on the Train. We dive into how she gets to know her characters, how she figures out plot and what she's working on next.The Man on the Train SynopsisManhattan Assistant District Attorney Linda Haley is awakened early one morning by two police officers at the door. She has no idea that her husband has been living a secret life during his daily commute from Scarsdale into the city. Now Guy is the prime suspect in a brutal murder that could derail Linda’s high-powered career and may be connected to a cold case.And Guy has disappeared.With a warrant out for her husband’s arrest, Linda sets out to prove his innocence accompanied by an ex-cop who harbors a secret affection for her. Together, they travel to the scene of a forty-year-old unsolved murder and a night of violence that shattered the serenity of a small fishing hamlet just past the Hamptons.But as the manhunt intensifies and she begins to uncover the shocking truth—and the past Guy has buried deep—Linda must decide if the stranger she married is innocent or guilty. And if he truly deserves to be saved.Featuring tense, atmospheric suspense that moves at breakneck speed, this Hitchcockian thriller careens from a bedroom community just north of New York City to the picturesque beaches of eastern Long Island to a suburban train station, where a killer hiding in plain sight waits to exact a final revenge. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 18, 202433 min

Ep 1171,000 Words of Summer Update and Book Covers We Love with Halley Sutton

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This week, Halley and I share updates on our 1,000 Words of Summer challenge and dive into what we love about our favorite book covers. We also share what we've been reading, watching and listening to.Books We Talked AboutAlmost Surely DeadStone Cold FoxThe Last HousewifeThe FavoritesThe Lies I TellThe Force of Such Beauty 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 14, 20241h 29m

Ep 116Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart: What if an Assassin Swore Off Killing But People From His Past Are Coming For Him?

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This week, I talk with Rob Hart about his new action packed thriller Assassins Anonymous. We dive into how he came up with the idea for an assassin who swears off killing for moral reasons, why musicals and action movies are similar, and how he created an empathetically accessible assassin as a main character.Assassins Anonymous SynopsisIn this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What’s a reformed hit man to do?Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers.When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 11, 202432 min

Ep 115Bodies to Die For by Lori Brand: A Thriller in the Fitness World with an Empowering Message

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This week, Steph Lauer and I talk with Lori Brand about her insanely fun thriller Bodies to Die For. She shares her inspiration for the book, and her personal journey writing it. To check out her article about why she wrote Bodies to Die For, click hereBodies to Die For SynopsisPopular fitness influencer Gemma has transformed herself from a Before into an After, complete with washboard abs, thriving business, and gorgeous husband. But social media can be deceiving. Offline, the cutthroat world of bikini bodybuilding may just eat her alive. That's if she's not first devoured by the secret nemesis that lurks beneath her polished surface, waiting to destroy her.Software engineer Ashley is fat and frustrated. Frustrated with failed diets. With a world that wants her to shrink. With biased doctors, online trolls, and even her own mother. Until Ashley falls in with a mysterious and radical sect of Fat Activists who are fighting back ... by any means necessary. She's never felt so alive, so full of purpose. She'll do whatever it takes to ride this high, destroy Diet Culture, and win the approval of her charismatic leader.But when Gemma's toughest rival turns up dead, and more fitness girls fall like dominoes, it's beginning to look like the body image war has gone too far.With breakneck pace and keen insights, Bodies to Die For takes a hard look at social media, the $70 billion diet industry, and the war on women's bodies--the wars we wage with each other, and with ourselves. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 11, 20241h 14m

Ep 1142024 ThrillerFest Recap with Olivia Day Wallace and Lori Brand

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This week, Olivia Day Wallace and Lori Brand join the podcast and tell me all about their experiences at ThrillerFest! They share their most memorable moments, their favorite panels and new books that grabbed their attention.Books We Talked AboutThe DenSuch a Bad InfluenceA Friend in the DarkThe Drowning WomanSyndicate SpyFor WorseSing Her Down 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 7, 202459 min

Ep 113While We Were Burning by Sara Koffi: Parasite Meets Such a Fun Age

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This week, I talk with Sara Koffi about her addictive domestic suspense While We Were Burning. We dive into her inspiration for the book, how she ended up writing thrillers, and her favorite part of writing the book.While We Were Burning SynopsisAfter her best friend's mysterious death, Elizabeth Smith’s picture-perfect life in the Memphis suburbs has spiraled out of control—so much so that she hires a personal assistant to keep her on track. Composed and elegant, Brianna is exactly who she needs—she slides so neatly into Elizabeth’s life it's almost like she belonged there from the start, and proves herself indispensable. Soon, the assistant Elizabeth hired to distract her from her obsession with her friend's death is the same person working with her to uncover the truth behind it.Because Brianna has questions, too.She wants to know why the police killed her young Black son. Why someone in Elizabeth’s neighborhood called the cops on him that day. Who took that first step that stole her child away from her. And the only way she’s ever going to be able to find out is to entwine herself deep into Elizabeth’s life, where the answers to her questions lie. As the two women hurtle towards an electrifying final showdown, and the lines between employer and friend blur, it becomes clear that neither of them is what they first appear. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Jun 4, 202417 min

Ep 112Our Favorite Book Buzzwords and Outlier Books We've Read with Halley

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This week, Halley Sutton is back and we talk about buzzwords that grab our attention in synopses and some of our favorite books that are outliers compared to what we normally read.Books Kate Talked AboutMade For LoveAce of SpadesLast Night at the Hollywood CanteenDid You Hear About Kitty Karr?Carrie Soto is Back Books Halley Talked AboutHeating and CoolingMr. FoxThursday Next SeriesGet in TroubleHow to Be EatenFrankissstein 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 31, 20241h 13m

Ep 111A Lovely Lie by Jaime Lynn Hendricks: Secrets From High School Reemerge

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Jaime Lynn Hendricks is back to talk about her newest twisty thriller A Lovely Lie! Steph joins our conversation about the inspiration for the book, how Jaime builds her large casts, and her favorite part of writing 90s teenagers.A Lovely Lie SynopsisIs it better to believe a lovely lie or to know the horrible truth?1999: The night of their senior picnic, Scarlett Russo and her best friend Pepper were involved in a car accident that left two of their classmates dead. Afterward, they lied to the police, protecting each other from the consequences. Then Pepper left town and Scarlett never heard from her again…Now: Twenty-two years later, Scarlett has buried that deadly incident deep in her mind and built a comfortable life for herself, working in a hotel on the west coast of Florida and raising her teenage son with her husband Vince. Her peace is disrupted, however, when Pepper’s daughter shows up with news of Pepper’s death. Zoey is twenty-one and studying to be an investigative journalist. She has a cryptic letter from Pepper addressed to Scarlett that alludes to the events of that fateful night and Pepper’s initial intentions to get an abortion. Now Zoey wants answers about her mother’s past. Who is Zoey’s father? And what really happened after the senior picnic? As Zoey continues to dig into the past, all of Scarlett’s buried secrets threaten to rise to the surface. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 28, 202443 min

Ep 110First and Favorites of Some of Our Favorite Authors with Steph

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This week, Steph and I talk about the first book we read from authors we've read multiple books from, and which of theirs is our favorite.Books Kate Talked AboutBodies to Die ForLying in WaitStrange Sally DiamondI Found YouThe Night She DisappearedBlood OrangesThis Family LiesEvery Last FearThe Night ShiftA Flicker in the Dark Books Steph Talked AboutThe Helper The Other MothersDarling GirlsThe Good SisterThe InvitedChildren on the HillThen She Was GoneWatching YouBook of Cold CasesThe Haunting of Maddy ClaireIt Could Be AnyoneA Lovely Lie 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 24, 202449 min

Ep 108The Man Who Saw Seconds by Alexander Boldizar: Seeing the Future and Challenging Morality

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This week, I talk with Alexander Boldizar about his new thriller The Man Who Saw Seconds. We dive into the gray areas of morality, the vulnerabilities of government structures and the willingness to do anything for the people you love. The Man Who Saw Seconds SynopsisPreble Jefferson can see five seconds into the future.Otherwise, he lives an ordinary life. But when a confrontation with a cop on a New York City subway goes tragically wrong, those seconds give Preble the chance to dodge a bullet—causing another man to die in his place. Government agencies become aware of Preble’s gift, a manhunt ensues, and their ambitions shift from law enforcement to military R&D. Preble will do whatever it takes to protect his family, but as events spiral out of control, he must weigh the cost of his gift against the loss of his humanity. A breathless thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page, The Man Who Saw Seconds explores the nature of time, the brain as a prediction machine, and the tension between the individual and the systems we create. Alexander Boldizar provides an adrenaline-pumping read that will leave you contemplating love, fear and the abyss. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 21, 202431 min

Ep 109One Perfect Couple By Ruth Ware: A Reality Game Show Turned Deadly

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This week, I talk with Ruth Ware about her newest thriller One Perfect Couple. We dive into the inspiration for the book, and what stereotype Ruth would be on a reality show.One Perfect Couple SynopsisLyla is in a bit of a rut. Her post-doctoral research has fizzled out, she’s pretty sure they won’t extend her contract, and things with her boyfriend, Nico, an aspiring actor, aren’t going great. When the opportunity arises for Nico to join the cast of a new reality TV show, The Perfect Couple, she decides to try out with him. A whirlwind audition process later, Lyla find herself whisked off to a tropical paradise with Nico, boating through the Indian Ocean towards Ever After Island, where the two of them will compete against four other couples—Bayer and Angel, Dan and Santana, Joel and Romi, and Conor and Zana—in order to win a cash prize.But not long after they arrive on the deserted island, things start to go wrong. After the first challenge leaves everyone rattled and angry, an overnight storm takes matters from bad to worse. Cut off from the mainland by miles of ocean, deprived of their phones, and unable to contact the crew that brought them there, the group must band together for survival. As tensions run high and fresh water runs low, Lyla finds that this game show is all too real—and the stakes are life or death. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 21, 202433 min

Ep 107Gateway/Starter Thrillers with Halley Sutton

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This week, Halley Sutton is back to talk about good gateway or starter thrillers - like when your non-thriller reader friend asks you what they should read and you don't want to scare them away from the genre immediately. Books We Talked AboutKate's PicksAll the Missing GirlsDeath of a Dancing QueenAll Good People HereThe Lies I TellNever Have I Ever Halley's PicksStephanie Plum SeriesGold CoastCarl Hiassen BooksI Have Some Questions For YouFake Like MeHollywood Homicide SeriesPatricia Wants to Cuddle 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 17, 20241h 12m

Ep 106Devil in Profile by Kimberly G. Giarratano: Gritty Noir with a Sense of Humor

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This week, I talk with Kimberley G. Giarratano about her second book in The Billie Levine Series Devil in Profile. We dive into her favorite parts about writing the series and where she got her inspiration for the art theft plot.Devil in Profile SynopsisUnlicensed P.I. Billie Levine is trying to bank some extra cash, so she picks up hours working as a process server for another investigative firm. Mindless and mostly 9 to 5, Billie is content to simply hand over court documents until during a routine stakeout, she stumbles upon the corpse of an elderly man, an art collector with ties to Nazi Germany.Compared to Billie, the dead man has it easy. Billie is feeling on edge lately. Maybe it’s because her father is insisting his estranged kids come to his wedding in Sedona, or that David is making plans to move out, or that a smug teaching assistant is getting underfoot on her latest case.Although, it’s possible she could use the help when the cops zero in on Billie’s boyfriend, Aaron, and his connections to an international art ring. Turns out, Aaron’s stint in Israel has left him with more than just a thick scar across his neck. The woman he screwed over wants revenge, and she’s determined to leverage Billie’s murder case to get it.With the detectives focused on Aaron, Billie sets her sights on stopping a killer who is tying up loose ends — Billie being one of them. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 15, 202432 min

Ep 105Summer Thrillers We Can't Wait to Read with Gare

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Gare is back! And we are talking about all the summer 2024 thrillers we are excited to read!Books We Talked AboutBodies to Die ForA Talent for MurderOn the SurfaceThe SororityLadykillerThe Hollywood AssistantLetters to a Serial KillerAssassins AnonymousShadowheartIt Had to Be YouThe Last PartyThe HatersThe Best LiesBehind YouSociety of LiesTalking to StrangersYou Will Never Be MeThe Last Girl Left 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 10, 20241h 11m

Ep 104Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang: International Jewel Heists and a Lovable Anti-Hero

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This week, I talk with Mailan Doquang about her action packed jewel heist thriller Blood Rubies. She shares how her work as an architectural historian influenced the way she approached writing fiction, and we discuss our mutual love for anti-heroes.Follow Mailan on InstagramCheck out Blood RubiesBlood Rubies SynopsisSeven days are all it takes for Rune Sarasin’s life to completely derail. It starts with a routine heist: lifting a pouch of rubies from the Bangkok hotel room of wealthy smuggler Charles Lemaire. Rune nearly gets caught when Lemaire’s goons give chase, but she manages to escape with her boyfriend Kit. Then Kit delivers some terrifying news: his teenage sister Madee has gone missing. They track her cell phone to the dangerous Khlong Toei slum, but the trail ends there. The night gets even worse when Rune realizes she lost the pouch of gems somewhere in the slum while searching for Madee.Charles Lemaire is the wrong man to mess with. He is a perfectionist when it comes to both his attire and his crimes, and he isn’t afraid to kill to get what he wants. When he catches up to Rune and Kit, he gives Rune an ultimatum: return his rubies or she will never see her boyfriend again. Now Rune must race against time to either recover the lost gems or find something even more valuable with which to ransom Kit back from Lemaire. But she also still needs to find out what happened to Madee. As Rune investigates deeper into the shadows of the Khlong Toei slum, she uncovers a web of crime with consequences far more insidious than just one missing girl and a handful of stolen rubies. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 7, 202427 min

Ep 103Our Favorite Tropes with Olivia Day Wallace

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This week, I talk with the co-host of Thrillers By the Book Club Podcast Olivia Day Wallace about our favorite tropes in thrillers!Books We Talked AboutMurder RoadNightwatchingAlias EmmaMy Darling HusbandThe MentorI’m Not Done With You YetTh1rt3enFourth MonkeyOriginal TwinWhere You End Blood RubiesCounterfeitNena Knight SeriesThe Inheritance GamesVery Bad ThingsHouse on the Cerulean SeaOn the SurfaceChloe Kates is MissingDark CornersEveryone is WatchingHow to Kill Men and Get Away with ItThey Never LearnIf Something Happens to MeFirst Lie WinsBluffThe Night SidePretty ThingsLook CloserSometimes I LieNone of This is TrueSmall SecretsThe InmateThis Girl’s a KillerLook in the MirrorWhat We'll Burn LastThe Midnight FeastYou Will Never Be MeLadykillerEverybody KnowsIt Had to Be YouThe Peacock and the SparrowLong Time Gone 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

May 3, 20241h 20m

Ep 102Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett: Missing White Woman Syndrome and True Crime Fanaticism

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This week, I talk with Kellye Garrett about her writing journey and her new thriller Missing White Woman. We discuss Kellye's early interest in writing, her inspiration for her Hollywood Homicide Series, and her writing process. Kellye also shares how her experience in TV writing influenced her novel writing, particularly in creating suspenseful chapters and realistic dialogue. We dive into the themes of Missing White Woman, including true crime Internet culture and the racial dynamics explored in the story. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 30, 202429 min

Ep 101Non-Thriller Books Thriller Readers Will Love with Amy Allen Clark

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This week, Amy Allen Clark, host of the Book Gang Podcast and the Book Gang Book Club, joins me and shares 5 non-thriller books she thinks thriller lovers would love!Books Amy RecommendsWe Are Watching Eliza BrightRust StardustThe WarehouseAll's WellOne's Company 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 26, 20241h 2m

Ep 100The Childhood Books that Shaped Our Reading Tastes with Halley Sutton

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This week, I talk with Halley Sutton about the books we loved reading in our childhood, and how they shaped our reading preferences as adults!Books We Talked AboutElla EnchantedThe Uglies SeriesThe Hunger GamesSally Lockhart SeriesSammy Keyes Series Mara, Daughter of the NileInside the Walls of TroyWalk Two MoonsSong of the Lioness SeriesInto the Land of the Unicorns A Wrinkle in TimeA Ring of Endless LightFrom the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 19, 20241h 15m

Ep 99Thriller Authors Who Deserve More Love with Steph Lauer

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This week, Steph and Kate discuss different ways you can support authors that don't cost a thing! Then, they dive into thriller authors they feel deserve more attention on Bookstagram and BookTok.Authors We Talked AboutJM CannonVera KurianYasmin AngoeHannah MorrisseySusan WalterJulia HeaberlinAudra McElyeaJaime Lynn HendricksSagit SchwartzJess LoureyFaith Gardner 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 12, 202458 min

Ep 98Books as Messy as Reality TV with Audrey Egner

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This week, Audrey Egner and I share some of our thoughts on this season of Vanderpump Rules and share recommendations for books that are as messy as reality TV!We talk about Vanderpump Rules for the first 20ish minutes, so if you want to get straight to the book recommendations, skip ahead to 23:10.Books We Talked AboutShiverThe Hunting WivesTell Me EverythingThe Hunting PartyUnmissingThe RomanticsThe Real DealThe DaydreamsThe ClubEveryone Who Can Forgive Me Is DeadKill ShowWe Are the Brennans 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 9, 20241h 14m

Ep 97Unreliable Narrators and Cons with Elizabeth Keenan and Greg Wands a.k.a E.G. Scott

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This week, I'm back with writing duo Elizabeth Keenan and Greg Wands, a.k.a E.G. Scott! They share a little about the book they are currently working together, which includes a con plot. We dive into how cons are orchestrated, why it's hard to stop them, and how our own unreliable narration of ourselves can keep us from catching certain details. We also share books we've been reading lately that we've enjoyed.Books We Talked AboutSplintersThe Book of LoveThe SplitListen for the LieAnita de Monte Laughs LastThe Coldest CaseYou Know What You DidMissing White WomanWhile We Were Burning 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 5, 20241h 9m

Ep 96Young Rich Widows by Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo, Cate Holahan and Vanessa Lillie

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This week, I talk to the thriller writing power group behind Young Rich Widows, Kimberly Belle, Layne Fargo,, Cate Holahan and Vanessa Lillie!Young Rich Widows came out first on Audible last year, and as of today, it's available in print! We dive into what it was like writing in a group, who write which characters, and plans for the rest of the series!The next book in the series, Desperate Deadly Widows is available on Audible now and will be available in print next year.Young Rich Widows SynopsisWhen the four partners of a prominent law firm are killed in a mysterious plane crash, their widows must come together to uncover the truth in this explosive, edge-of-your-seat novel.It’s 1985 in Providence, Rhode Island, and the four partners of a prominent, mafia-affiliated law firm have been killed in a private jet that went down outside New York City. Four very different women have just lost the loves of their lives: Justine, a former fashion model adjusting to suburban life; Camille, a beautiful, young second wife some suspect is a gold digger; Krystle, committed to leaving the firm to her sons after her husband worked his whole life to support them all; and Meredith, a stripper at the local club who was in a secret relationship with the firm’s sole female partner. While the crash is initially ruled a tragic accident, something’s not adding up: The team wasn’t supposed to be in New York that day, and it’s soon revealed that there was a very large sum of cash that burned up with the plane. The women find themselves thrown together in search of the truth, with new danger and threats unfolding at every turn.Could a dissatisfied client be seeking revenge? Or were the partners involved in something bigger—something dangerous and deadly? What other secrets were the partners keeping, and how far might people go to ensure they stay hidden? The widows must find the answers in order to protect their inheritance, their families, and their lives. 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Apr 2, 202437 min

Ep 95Art Theft Thrillers with Halley Sutton

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This week, Halley Sutton is back with a super fun topic: art theft! She's been taking a class that dives into art theft, and it inspires conversations about forgeries, the non-violent nature of the crime, and how status symbols gain their worth. We also shares some of our favorite books that include art-related theft or crimes!Books We Talked AboutWhere Are You Echo BlueEverybody KnowsSociety of LiesWhen I’m HerWhat Meets the EyeThe Art ThiefFake Like MeMy DeathBlood RubiesYellowfaceThe PlotThe Lock Box Documentary We Talked AboutMade You Look Podcast We Talked AboutDeath of an Artist Acting but people believe it’s youCould past and present be ai vs real build a model of you as an actor in case you die during filming https://sayhi.chat/4a0gx 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Mar 29, 202458 min

Ep 94The Vineyard Remains by Addison McKnight: A Moody Martha's Vineyard and Two Women at Odds with Each Other

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This week, I talk with writing duo Addison McKnight, Nicole Moleti and Krista Wells about their new thriller The Vineyard Remains! We dive into the process they used to write with each other, their initial idea for the book, and the book's similarities to The Affair and Bloodline.Addison McKnight's InstagramAddison McKnight's Website 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Mar 26, 202425 min

Ep 93The Best Revenge Thrillers with Steph Lauer

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This week, Stpeh Lauer @books.in.badgerland and I talk about our favorite revenge thrillers!Books We Talked AboutThe Last HousewifeThe Weight of BloodKill for Me, Kill for YouThe Golden CageLook CloserMindfuck SeriesAn Inconvenient WomanYou Know HerNever Saw Me ComingThey Never LearnLay Your Body DownThe ChangeAsk for Andrea 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 @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba 

Mar 22, 202452 min