The Writing Table is a podcast for writers and book lovers. Whether you're a seasoned writer or curious about the writing life, pull up a chair. Hear from authors from every stage-from New York Times list-makers to debuts. You'll get a behind-the-scenes view of your favorite books-from writing the ugly first drafts to the final editorial processes. Check out interviews with Phillipa Gregory, Jennifer Weiner, Lemony Snicket, Laurie Frankel, and so many others. Come on in-there's always room a ...
…
continue reading
Jaclyn Goldis is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and NYU Law. She practiced trust and estate law at a large Chicago firm for seven years before leaving her job to travel the world and write novels. She is the author of When We Were Young, The Chateau, and her latest, The Main Character. For more information visit jaclyngoldis.c…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Moon Unit Zappa: The Real Story Behind the Iconic Valley Girl
28:29
28:29
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:29
Moon Unit Zappa was born in 1967 to legendary musician Frank Vincent Zappa and his second wife, Gail Zappa. At the age of fourteen, Moon Zappa appeared in Frank Zappa’s career defining music video, “Valley Girl,” which later helped jump-start Moon’s own career. Since then, Moon has worked as an actress, writer, comedian, artist, businesswoman, and …
…
continue reading
Melissa Payne is the bestselling author of four novels, including A Light in the Forest and The Night of Many Endings. After an early career raising money for nonprofit organizations, Melissa began dreaming about becoming a published author and wrote her first novel. Her stories feature small mountain towns with characters searching for redemption,…
…
continue reading
A native of Long Island, New York, Guggenheim is an Emmy Award-winning writer and producer of television shows (ARROW, DC'S LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, TROLLHUNTERS, CARNIVAL ROW), movies (GREEN LANTERN, PERCY JACKSON - SEA OF MONSTERS), comic books (X-MEN GOLD, BLADE), video games (CALL OF DUTY 3, SINGULARITY), and novels (OVERWATCH).In addition, his wor…
…
continue reading
Tara Sim offers a glimpse into writing YA fantasy novels steeped in established mythologies and the "Write to Your Heart Trash" theory she sticks by. Tara is the author of The Dark Gods trilogy, the Scavenge the Stars duology, and the Timekeeper trilogy who can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasi…
…
continue reading
Born and raised in North London, Caves is the internationally bestselling author of A Killer Came Knocking and I Know Where She Is, which The Sun described as 'sinister, unsettling and gripping'. SB now lives in South London with his wife and two sons. His latest novel is the high concept locked-room thriller, Honeycomb. Learn more at sbcaves.com I…
…
continue reading
Yasmin Angoe is the Anthony-nominated author of the critically acclaimed thriller Her Name Is Knight of the Nena Knight series. She is a first-generation Ghanaian American and, in 2020, received the Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime. Yasmin’s books were an Amazon Best Book of the Month for Mystery, Thril…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Eloisa James' Newest Series: Viscount in Love
29:22
29:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:22
A New York Times bestselling author, professor and Shakespeare scholar (with degrees from Harvard University, Oxford University and Yale University), Eloisa has published more than 30 historical romances, as well as a bestselling memoir, Paris in Love, and a contemporary novel, Lizzie and Dante. Her books are published in 28 languages and 30 countr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Michael Callahan: The Allure of the Beach Read
24:06
24:06
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:06
Michael Callahan shares a few of his lucky breaks: the magazine article that brought him to the threshold of writing his first novel, Searching for Grace Kelly, and the invitation to Anna Wintour's house where he met the editor of Vanity Fair. Michael is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and the author of the critically acclaimed novels SEARCHIN…
…
continue reading
Lori Brand is a lifting enthusiast, group fitness instructor, yoga teacher, and software quality engineer. In past lives, she’s been a gymnast, dancer, Playboy model, and bodybuilder. Her time in the body wars trenches led to her realization that getting strong, rather than shrinking, is the way out. In an effort to spread the word, she’s had artic…
…
continue reading
New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake lives in North Texas with her husband and three kids. Since starting her publishing journey in 2010, she’s sold over three million copies of her books. She began writing at a young age, concentrating on plays and journalism. It wasn’t until she started writing romance that she found success. She likes to…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Namrata Patel: Getting in Touch with Your Characters
25:36
25:36
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
25:36
Namrata Patel is an Indian-American author who lives in Boston. Her writing examines diaspora, dual-cultural identity among Indian-Americans and explores this dynamic while also touching on both—the family’s we’re born with and those we choose. Namrata has lived in India, Spokane, London, and New York City. Namrata has been writing for most of her …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Lauren Thoman's Latest: You Don't Belong Here
21:39
21:39
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:39
Lauren Thoman writes speculative fiction for teens and adults. Her debut novel, I'll Stop the World, was selected for publication in 2023 by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling through her eponymous imprint, Mindy's Book Studio. Lauren's pop culture writing has also appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. Lauren lives outsi…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
JJ McAvoy on Writing, Weddings, and the DuBells
24:04
24:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:04
JJ McAvoy has written numerous independently published novels that have been translated into six languages and are bestsellers in Turkey, Israel, and France. Her historical romance series featuring the Du Bells includes Aphrodite and the Duke, Verity and the Forbidden Suitor, and Hathor and the Prince. Learn more about JJ at: jjmcavoy.com Intro ree…
…
continue reading
Gina DeMillo Wagner is an award-winning journalist and author. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Memoir Magazine, Modern Loss, Self, Outside, CRAFT Literary, and other publications. She is a winner of the CRAFT Creative Nonfiction Award, and her memoir was longlisted for the 2022 SFWP Literary prize. Gina has…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Victoria Helen Stone: Secrets and Suspense
24:48
24:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:48
Victoria Helen Stone, author of the runaway best seller Jane Doe, writes critically acclaimed novels of dark intrigue and emotional suspense. Aside from At The Quiet Edge, The Last One Home, Problem Child, Half Past, and the chart-topping False Step and Evelyn, After, she also published twenty-nine books as USA Today bestselling author Victoria Dah…
…
continue reading
Jenna Bush Hager has included Kirsten Miller's latest novel, Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, in her list of 5 Books to Read this Summer. Kirsten stops by the Writing Table for a fun chat about small towns, book bans, and what has inspired her favorite characters. Kirsten Miller grew up in a small town in the mountains of North Carolina.…
…
continue reading
Elle Marr is the author of thrillers THE MISSING SISTER (2020), LIES WE BURY (2021), STRANGERS WE KNOW (2022), THE FAMILY BONES (2023), and THE ALONE TIME (2024). She is (evidently) a fan of coffee. Her work has been featured in PopSugar, Woman’s World Magazine, CBS affiliate KOIN-TV, ABC affiliate KATU-TV, and Audible. THE MISSING SISTER was a #1 …
…
continue reading
In this episode, Jaclyn and Kris introduce their rescue pups, Bogey and Indy, discuss Jaclyn's journey into writing, and the story behind her debut, Dear Dotty. Jaclyn Westlake is an alumna of the Stanford Continuing Studies Novel Writing Program. A former recruiter turned career advice columnist, her work has appeared in Forbes, Business Insider, …
…
continue reading
Acclaimed author Suzanne Park returns with a charming and compelling novel about an aspiring tech entrepreneur who goes on a rollercoaster journey of self-discovery after her app, which sends messages to loved ones after you pass, accidentally sends her final words to all the important people in her life—including the venture capital mentor she’s c…
…
continue reading
Elka Ray is the Canadian author of Divorce is Murder and Killer Coin. Born in the UK and raised in Canada, Elka has two previous novels, Saigon Dark and Hanoi Jane; a short-story collection, What You Don't Know; and a series of children's picture books about Vietnam, where she currently lives with her family. Elka grew up in Victoria, B.C. Canada, …
…
continue reading
Jenny Colgan gives us a look behind the castle walls, sharing stories of her game show experiences, her adoration for Terminator movies, her work on Dr. Who, and how she finds inspiration to keep creating humorous, heartfelt novels like her latest, The Summer Skies. Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including…
…
continue reading
Kathleen M. Basi is the quintessential jack-of-all trades writer: musical composer and songwriter, feature writer, essayist, nonfiction author, and of course, storyteller. Basi spent her childhood drawing inspiration for stories from the fields and trees on her family's farm...when she wasn't climbing on tractors and jumping off hay bales. Now, as …
…
continue reading
Stacy Stokes is a lifelong lover of stories, a former improv comedy geek, and a marketing professional by trade. She graduated with a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Wharton School of Business. Her debut novel, Remember Me Gone, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, an ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Reade…
…
continue reading
Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books and history and brings that love to her stories. Katherine has also written one full-length nonfiction work. She holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and has lived across the country…
…
continue reading
Lynne Golodner writes emotional novels with compelling Jewish characters who are determined to fill their lives with passion, purpose and love. Her first novel, Woman of Valor, joins a body of work that includes two poetry collections and six nonfiction books, including Hide and Seek: Jewish Women and Hair Covering and The Flavors of Faith: Holy Br…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Nick Petrie's Latest Peter Ash Adventure: The Price You Pay
28:31
28:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:31
Nick Petrie received his MFA in fiction from the University of Washington and won a Hopwood Award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. His story “At the Laundromat” won the 2006 Short Story Contest in The Seattle Review, a national literary journal. His first novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awar…
…
continue reading
A.H. Kim (Ann) was born in Seoul, South Korea and immigrated to the U.S. as a young child. Ann was educated at Harvard College and Berkeley Law School, where she was an editor of the California Law Review. Ann practiced corporate law for many years and served as chief of staff to the CEO and as head of investor relations at a Fortune 200 company. A…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Heather Frese & The Saddest Girl on the Beach
20:40
20:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:40
Heather Frese is the author of the novel The Baddest Girl on the Planet, winner of the Lee Smith Novel Prize. She has published numerous short stories, essays, and the occasional poem. Her work has appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, the Los Angeles Review, Front Porch, the Barely South Review, Switchback, and elsewhere, earning notable mention …
…
continue reading
L. R. Jones is a pseudonym for New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lisa Renee Jones, whose dark, edgy fiction includes the highly acclaimed novels The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal. Lisa was listed as #7 in Entreprene…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Parisa Akhbari & Just Another Epic Love Poem
26:23
26:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:23
Parisa Akhbari (@authorparisa) is a mental health therapist and writer from Seattle, Washington. Her debut YA novel, Just Another Epic Love Poem, follows two queer best friends in Catholic school as they fall in love through the pages of a never-ending poem they’ve been writing back and forth for five years. When not writing or therapizing, Parisa …
…
continue reading
Jeff quit a perfectly good job at the age of 47 to return to college for his MFA, and his first novel, Other People’s Children (Simon and Schuster, 2021), emerged from that silly decision. His second Novel, Like It Never Happened, will be released by Crooked Lane Books on March 5, 2024. In addition to his two novels, Jeff’s writing has been publish…
…
continue reading
Andie Burke began college as an English major before jumping into a pediatric nursing career. Her writing is inspired by over a decade spent working in hospitals with patients of all ages. After the last couple years spent in the pandemic ER, she escaped to an outpatient pediatric sedation unit. Andie lives in a blue house in Maryland with an alarm…
…
continue reading
Rebecca Hanover is the New York Times bestselling author of THE SIMILARS duology. After graduating from Stanford University with a BA in English and drama, Rebecca joined the writing team of the CBS daytime drama GUIDING LIGHT, where she earned an Emmy Award. Still, she never lost her love of books—particularly YA. She now writes Young Adult as wel…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Sheila Athens: Neena Lee is Seeing Things
29:07
29:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:07
Sheila Athens writes smart fiction set where the South meets the Sunshine state. Her stories are about women seeking to find the peace we all deserve—whether they’re battling an external foe or an internal one (or both). Readers are drawn to her work because they believe that everyday heroes can make a difference in our world. After growing up in t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Vanderbilts, Astors, & Pirates: Katherine Howe's Just Getting Started
36:38
36:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:38
Katherine Howe is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning historian and novelist. She is the author of several novels for adults and young adults, has edited two volumes of primary sources for Penguin Classics, and is the co-author with Anderson Cooper of the #1 New York Times bestselling books VANDERBILT and ASTOR. Her newest novel, a myste…
…
continue reading
Laurie Frankel is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of four (going on five) novels. Her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Publisher’s Weekly, People Magazine, Lit Hub, The Sydney Morning Herald, and other publications. She is the recipient of the Washington State Book Award and the Endeavor Award. Her…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Sarahlyn Bruck's Trifecta: Soccer, Friendships, and Writing
31:57
31:57
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
31:57
Sarahlyn Bruck writes contemporary, book club fiction and is the award-winning author of three novels: Light of the Fire (coming January 2024), Daytime Drama (2021), and Designer You (2018). When she’s not writing, Sarahlyn moonlights as a full-time writing and literature professor at a local community college. She’s also a co-host of the pop cultu…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Katrina Kittle: Morning in This Broken World
27:56
27:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:56
Katrina Kittle remembers thinking of herself as a writer way back in grade school, although she never thought about writing for publication until she graduated from college. Former classmates to this day tease her about the interminable stories she was always writing about horses or bands of stray animals. She inherited this love of books and story…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Peg Tyre: Crime Writing, Pulitzer Prizes, and Strangers in the Night
24:15
24:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
24:15
PEG TYRE, the bestselling author of The Trouble with Boys, was, until recently, a senior writer at Newsweek specializing in social trends and education. She has won numerous awards, including a Pulitzer Prize, a Clarion Award, and a National Education Writers Association Award. She lives in New York City with her husband, novelist Peter Blauner, an…
…
continue reading
Erin Hoover was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She is the author of two poetry collections: Barnburner (Elixir, 2018), which won the Antivenom Poetry Award and a Florida Book Award, and No Spare People (Black Lawrence, 2023). Her poems have appeared in The Best American Poetry and in journals such as Cincinnati Review, Poetry Northwest, Shenando…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Gareth Russell's The Palace: 500 Years of British Monarchy
30:14
30:14
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:14
Gareth Russell is a historian and broadcaster, educated at Oxford University and Queen’s University, Belfast. He is the author of nine books. He is host of the podcast Single Malt History with Gareth Russell. Russell divides his time between London and Belfast, Northern Ireland. In THE PALACE, Russell presents 500 years of the British monarchy, fro…
…
continue reading
Molly Harper is the author of more than thirty paranormal and contemporary romance titles, including the Half-Moon Hollow series, the Southern Eclectic series, and the Audible exclusive Mystic Bayou series. Molly lives in Michigan with her family. Molly's latest novel is Witches Get Stuff Done, an Audible Original. Learn more at mollyharper.com Int…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Jacqueline Mitchard: An Inconvenient Scandal
33:37
33:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:37
Jacquelyn Mitchard is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers, and the recipient of Great Britain’s Talkabout prize, The Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson awards, and named to the short list for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfr…
…
continue reading
Rochelle B. Weinstein is the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of When We Let Go, This Is Not How It Ends, Somebody’s Daughter, Where We Fall, The Mourning After, and What We Leave Behind. Rochelle spent her early years, always with a book in hand, raised by the likes of Sidney Sheldon and Judy Blume. A former entertainment industry executive…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Vanessa Riley's Lady Worthing Mystery Series
26:21
26:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
26:21
Vanessa Riley is the award-winning author of Island Queen, a Good Morning America Buzz Pick. Riley's historical novels showcase the hidden histories of Black women and women of color, emphasizing strong sisterhoods and dazzling multicultural communities. Her works encompass historical fiction, historical romance, and historical mystery and have bee…
…
continue reading
Emily Bleeker is the best-selling author of six novels. Combined, her books have reached over 1.5 million readers. She is a two-time Whitney Award finalist, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Amazon charts bestseller and was recently listed as one of the top 100 Kindle authors “of all time.” Emily lives in the northern suburbs of Chicago with her fo…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Carolyn Hays & Girlhood: Letter to My Transgender Daughter
29:25
29:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:25
Carolyn Hays is an award-winning, critically acclaimed, bestselling author who has chosen to publish Letter to My Transgender Daughter under a pen name to protect the privacy of her family. Her novels have been published by Hachette, Simon and Schuster, and HarperCollins; her books are also widely translated. Letter to My Transgender Daughter has f…
…
continue reading
Yasmin Angoe is the author of Her Name Is Knight and a first-generation Ghanaian American currently residing in South Carolina with her family. She’s served in education for nearly twenty years and works as a developmental editor. Yasmin received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award from Sisters in Crime and is a membe…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Alison Rose Greenberg: Maybe Once, Maybe Twice
20:47
20:47
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:47
Alison Greenberg is an author and screenwriter who lives in Atlanta, but is quick to say she was born in New York City. While attending The University of Southern California, Alison took her first screenwriting class and fell head over heels. A journey from screenwriting led to marketing jobs, before coming full-circle back to her first love. Aliso…
…
continue reading