Episodes
-
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
-
On this episode of Debut Discussions we’re chatting with Fiona McPhillips about her debut novel, When We Were Silent, an unputdownable, thrilling story of exploitation, privilege, and retribution about an outsider who threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school.
Fiona shares with us the moment she knew it was time to follow her long-held dream of writing a novel; how she wove together elements of literary fiction and thrillers to create a compelling and unflinching story that explores the silence and denial surrounding abuse; the inspiration she drew from personal stories, those of others, and the realities of the world; why she wanted to explore the complicated dynamics of mother-daughter relationships; and her journey to finding an agent and securing a book deal.
Listen now to Fiona’s story wherever you get your podcasts. When We Were Silent is out now – buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Missing episodes?
-
On this episode of Debut Discussions we’re chatting with Sarah Crouch about her debut novel, Middletide, a gripping and intensely atmospheric literary thriller about the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor in a small town and the prime suspect, a reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind.
Sarah shares the challenges of her path to publication and how she and Carinn have personally bonded over it; writing flawed and complex characters; the importance of accurate representation of indigenous culture in fiction; the meta book within a book concept of her novel; how she trusted herself to fight for this title; and how she’s juggling the launch of her debut novel while on submission for her second.
Listen now to Sarah’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Middletide is out now and it’s a Book of the Month and Indie Next Pick -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On today’s Complicated Conversations we welcome back Becky Chalsen to discuss her new novel, Serendipity, a big-hearted, page-turner that delves deep into a complicated friend group as they navigate one messy yet magical midtwenties summer in a Fire Island share house.
We had so much fun chatting with Becky about how she turned her lifelong love of reading into the unimaginable dream of published author; the personal (sisterly) inspiration for her two main characters; the dynamics of friendship; the importance of living life to gather material for future books; the unpredictability of the future, and the value of observation and openness. Such incredible wisdom!
Serendipity is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Becky wherever you get your podcasts.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In today’s Complicated Conversations we welcome back Annabel Monaghan to discuss her new novel, Summer Romance, a story about a professional organizer, Ali Morris, who finds herself living with the literal and physical weight of things left not tended to. As a recently separated mother of three, Ali embarks on a summer romance to get unstuck in her life.
We chat with Annabel about the relatability of Ali’s journey to return to herself and find her voice; how Annabel had to convince people that a skateboarder could be a hot romantic lead; our mutual obsession with (human) mirrors and the ways we all exist in relation to each other; how complicated it is to be a daughter and a person; grief and the ways we stay connected with those who have passed; tricking herself into maintaining joy while writing and what candles and angel cards have to do with it!
Summer Romance is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to spoiler-free chat with Annabel wherever you get your podcasts. Like a real life summer romance, you will read this book and it will end, but it will be so fun and totally worth it!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Debut Discussions we’re chatting with Jaclyn Westlake about her debut novel, Dear Dotty, which follows the chaotic year in the life of Rosie Benson, a 24-year-old whose life unravels after the sudden passing of her free-spirited great aunt, Dotty. In a bid to feel close to Dotty again, Rosie reaches out to all of Dotty’s contacts via email and starts learning about her life through the eyes of her many friends, while also finding out who she really wants to be herself.
Jaclyn chats with us about Rosie’s journey of self-discovery, sibling dynamics, the writing process, finding an agent, the career advice she gave to herself, and a preview of book two!
Listen now to Jaclyn’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Dear Dotty is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In today’s recap we discuss Episodes 4-8 of Under The Bridge on Hulu. This true crime limited series is excellent from beginning to end. The series is based on a book by Rebecca Godfrey about a real life murder, but it infuses this factual underpinning with such humanity, complexity and nuance that in the end we are left with the best kind of questions about justice, nature vs nurture, forgiveness, and the shades of darkness inside so many of us.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Debut Discussions we’re chatting with Paula Gleeson about her debut thriller, Original Twin, a story about how one young woman must follow the invisible thread that connects her to her missing twin before someone else can sever it for good.
Paula tells us about her long road from reader to published author, how her characters' voices live in her head and direct the narrative, her fascination with twins, and how she learned to pivot without ever losing sight of her end goals (there may have been some tears, wine and pizza involved along the way)!
Listen now to Paula’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Original Twin is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Debut Discussions, we’re chatting with Nishita Parekh about her debut novel, Night of the Storm, a locked room thriller about a multigenerational Indian American family marooned in a house with a murderer during Hurricane Harvey.
Nishita shares how her love for reading mysteries as a child led her to follow her writing dreams; how the idea for this novel first came to her while being stuck in an apartment during a hurricane; and why she wanted to write about motherhood (specifically the challenges of being a single mother), the influence of patriarchy in Indian culture, the clash of values faced by immigrants, and the complexities of family dynamics all within the structure of a locked room thriller!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In today’s episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Joy Sullivan to discuss her bestselling, transformative debut collection of poetry, Instructions For Traveling West, which explores what’s possible when we heed our instincts and honor our intuition.
Joy reads from her collection and chats with us about so many themes we love that her poems speak to: choosing change, celebrating the messy parts of transition, embracing desire and appetite in a world where women are expecting to suppress those wants, writing from the body, and becoming more curious about astrology.
Instructions For Traveling West is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our conversation so you too can be transformed by @joysullivanpoet’s beautiful perspective!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On today’s episode we’re chatting about The Idea Of You, Amazon Prime’s hit romcom directed by Michael Showalter from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jennifer Westfeldt, based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee. Starring Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, it chronicles the love affair between a single mother and the lead singer of a popular boy band. Based on the number of viewers in its first two weeks on Prime Video it has become Amazon MGM’s No. 1 romantic-comedy debut of all time! So the hype is certainly there, but we have some real questions, especially as readers of the book…a book that explored ageism, sexism and female agency. As always, we have a lot of feelings on this adaptation!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Debut Discussions, we’re chatting with Jessie Rosen about her debut novel, The Heirloom, a story about a woman who lives by the rule that you should never ever accept a marriage proposal that comes with an heirloom ring. When her boyfriend proposes with one she sets out on a globe-trotting mission to ensure the ring contains forever energy.
Jessie shares her the personal inspiration behind the main character Shay's superstition about vintage engagement rings; the significance of the locations featured in the book, including Italy, Portugal, Boston, New York, and LA; and why she wanted to explore the themes of grief, personal growth, superstition, and the limitations of control. The conversation also includes a sneak peak of Jessie’s next novel, which deals with astrology and we obviously cannot wait for that one!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Debut Discussions we're chatting with Charlee Dyroff about her debut, Loneliness & Company, a story set in a near future New York that follows a quirky young woman who gets involved in a secret government project to build an AI to befriend lonely people.
Charlee shares her journey from being an avid reader to pursuing writing as a passion and then writing a novel “on the side”, which ultimately became her debut! We discuss her protagonist Lee and her need for external validation, the blurred lines between human connection and technology, how taking risks and embracing failure can lead to greater success, and the process she went through to find the agent and editor of her dreams.
Listen now to Charlee’s story wherever you get your podcasts. Loneliness & Company is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome New York Times bestselling author, Emiko Jean, to discuss her debut adult thriller, The Return of Ellie Black. The novel follows Chelsey Calhoun, a Japanese American police detective, as she investigates the mysterious reappearance of Ellie Black, a missing teenager.
We chat with Emiko about the ways this novel delves into the experiences of women in a world with violent men, the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, the impact of trauma on individuals and families, and the societal expectations placed on girls and women. She also shares insights into her writing process, why she moves between genres, and how her astrological sign clearly suits her!
The Return of Ellie Black is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler free chat wherever you get your podcasts!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On today’s Friday Preview (ok so it’s actually Wednesday, but we were too excited to wait!) we catch you up on recent and exciting experiences for us both! Kate shares the celebrity stalking deets from her exciting trip to Las Vegas, where she attended a golf tournament hosted by Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. Carinn talks about her experience recording part of the audiobook for her upcoming debut novel, The Astrology House. What a thrill! We then share book recommendations, discuss Taylor Swift's new album, and note TV shows we are currently watching.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Today we recap Episodes 1-3 of Under the Bridge on Hulu, a true crime limited series developed by Quinn Shephard, based upon the book of the same name by Rebecca Godfrey, and starring Riley Keough and Lily Gladstone. Based on the real life 1997 murder of 14-year-old Reena Virk in Victoria, British Columbia, the series explores the hidden world of the teenagers accused of the savage murder, the small town justice system, and the ways this tragedy acts as a looking glass for the members of this stellar ensemble cast. We are all in on this one!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
In today’s episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Hazel Hayes to discuss her new novel, Better By Far, a genre-bending story about love and loss, hope and heartbreak, and the healing to be found in life’s little limbos, those in-between spaces where you’re no longer who you were and not yet the person you will be.
We chat with Hazel about the concept of liminality and the importance of sitting with and processing grief; the connection between horror and love, and how both genres explore the human condition; the idea of soulmates and having an abundance mindset around love and connection; writing and the idea of leaving a piece of oneself on the page; and the role of astrology and spirituality as a way of finding meaning in cycles and community.
Better By Far is out now! Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Suzanne Scanlon to discuss her memoir, Committed, On Meaning and Madwomen, which reclaims the idea of the madwoman as a template for insight, discovery, and recovery.
We chat with Suzanne about the loss of her mother and her time in the New York State Psychiatric Institute in the 90s; the word “madness” and the limits of language; the moments of magic between book and reader; what it means to live in a body; and complicated it is to share one’s grief and trauma.
Committed is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat with Suzanne wherever you get your podcasts!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices - Show more