Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Kindle Translate and Spotify's audiobook recaps. Then, stick around for a chat with James Patterson!James Patterson is the most popular storyteller of our time and the creator of such unforgettable characters and series as Alex Cross, the Women’s Murder Club, Jane Smith, and Maximum Ride. He has coauthored #1 bestselling novels withBill Clinton, Dolly Parton, and Michael Crichton, as well as collaborated on #1 bestselling nonfiction, including The Idaho Four, Walk in My Combat Boots, and Filthy Rich. Patterson has told the story of his own life in the #1 bestselling autobiography James Patterson by James Patterson. He is the recipient ofan Edgar Award, ten Emmy Awards, the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation, and the National Humanities Medal. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

J. Luke Bennecke, a veteran civil engineer and bestselling thriller author, shares his journey from infrastructure expert to thriller writer. He discusses the origins of his debut novel, Civil Terror: Gridlock, emphasizing real-world infrastructure vulnerabilities. Luke reveals the challenges he faced in publishing, including agent setbacks and self-publishing. He highlights the importance of persistence and community in a writer's career and offers practical advice for new authors, such as writing daily and enjoying the craft. His stories connect thrilling fiction with timely real-life threats.

 Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about a new fund for literary arts organizations, James Patterson's podcast, and how to read a book and feed a neighbor. Then, stick around for a chat with Orson Scott Card!Orson Scott Card is the author of the novels Ender's Game, Ender's Shadow, and Speaker for the Dead, which are widely read by adults and younger readers. His most recent series, the young adult Pathfinder series (Pathfinder, Ruins, Visitors), the fantasy Mithermages series (Lost Gate, Gate Thief, Gatefather) and the Side Step series (Wakers, Reawakening) are taking readers in new directions.Besides these and other science fiction novels, Card writes contemporary fantasy (Magic Street, Enchantment, Lost Boys), biblical novels (Stone Tables, Sarah), the American frontier fantasy series The Tales of Alvin Maker (beginning with Seventh Son), poetry (An Open Book), and many plays and scripts, including his "freshened" Shakespeare scripts for Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, and The Merchant of Venice.Card was born in Washington and grew up in California, Arizona, and Utah. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Brazil in the early 1970s. Card currently lives in Greensboro, North Carolina, with his wife, Kristine Allen Card. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about a new report for publishers, Amazon's algorithm change, and Gen Z's screens survey. Then, stick around for a chat with Edoardo Ballerini! Edoardo Ballerini: Called "a master in his field" (The New York Times) and "in a class by himself" (Oprah Daily), Edoardo Ballerini is an award winning narrator of audiobooks, a familiar face on screens (from "The Sopranos" to the recent "A Murder at the End of the World"), and a few other things, too. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about the Frankfurt Book Fair, New York Comic Con, and the Pushkin job. Then, stick around for a chat with Thomas Olde Heuvelt! Thomas Olde Heuvelt is an international bestselling author from The Netherlands. His breakthrough novel HEX was published in over twenty-five countries and hailed as 'totally, brilliantly original' by Stephen King and as 'phenomenal, phenomenal' by film director Mike Flanagan. His follow-up novels Echo and Oracle have since seen global publication, the former boasts, according to the Guardian, 'possibly the most frightening prologue ever written', while the latter was judged by The New York Times to be his 'sharpest, most compelling work to date'. His newest novel, Darker Days, is a devastating modern take on the Faustian bargain. It will be published in the US with Harper Books and in the UK with Bantam in October 2025. Olde Heuvelt, whose last name in Dutch dialect means 'Old Hill', was the first translated author to win a Hugo Award, in 2015. He lives in the south of France with his partner and pet lizard. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and Jena Brown as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about B&T, Ingram Spark, confusing books, and TikTok. Then, stick around for a chat with A.G. Riddle! A.G. Riddle spent ten years starting internet companies before retiring to pursue his true passion: writing fiction. His novels have sold over six million copies worldwide and been translated in twenty-four languages. Several of his works are in development for feature films. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina with his wife, daughter, and an eccentric dog. No matter where he is, or what's going on, he tries his best to set aside time every day to answer emails and messages from readers. You can reach him at: ag@agriddle.com. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and Jena Brown as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about anxiety, Reading Rainbow, and the publishing industry's gambling problem. Then, stick around for a chat with Ariel Sullivan!Ariel Sullivan is the author of Conform. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, two sons, and their two French bulldogs. Growing up a military brat, Ariel moved every two years. As a perpetual new kid, Ariel often observed from the outskirts, where a deep love of reading was born. When she isn’t writing, Ariel loves to read everything from poetry to psychology, bake with her sons, listen to live music, and travel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and Jena Brown as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about PoP, ReaderLink, B&T, and reader community networks. Then, stick around for a chat with Kelsea Yu!Kelsea Yu is a Taiwanese Chinese American writer who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and children. Whether through a speculative or real-world lens, her writing explores diaspora identity, twists on folklore, complicated interpersonal relationships, and characters who make unconventional choices.Kelsea’s novella, Bound Feet (Cemetery Gates Media), was nominated for a 2022 Shirley Jackson Award. Her debut novel, It’s Only a Game, is published by Bloomsbury Children’s, and her next novella, Demon Song, is forthcoming from Titan Books in 2025. Her debut adult novel, Stormraven, is forthcoming from Gallery Books and Titan Books in 2026. She has stories published in magazines such as Clarkesworld, Apex, PseudoPod, and Fantasy, and in various anthologies. Her nonfiction has been published in Nightmare, Apparition Lit, Sarah Gailey’s Personal Canons Cookbook, and elsewhere.During Kelsea’s time as a first reader khōréō, the magazine received an Ignyte Award, two Hugo nominations, and a Locus nomination. She is also an active member of SFWA, HWA, and ITW. Find her on Instagram as @anovelescape or Bluesky as @anovelescape.bsky.social. She is represented by Jennifer Azantian of Azantian Literary Agency. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Join bestselling indie author Johnny B. Truant, known for over 100 books including 'Fat Vampire'. He deep dives into the 'artisan author' approach, emphasizing quality over quantity in a world obsessed with rapid releases. Johnny shares his journey from self-publishing to a successful TV adaptation, revealing insights on pricing strategies and the importance of connecting with authentic fans. He also reflects on the challenges of indie publishing, making the case for a more thoughtful, artistic path in writing.

Alma Katsu, a former CIA and NSA intelligence agent turned bestselling author, dives into her fascinating transition from the spy world to storytelling. She shares insights about crafting complex female characters and the balance of reading fiction versus non-fiction for writers. Katsu discusses the nuances of blending genres, particularly her unique mix of spy thrillers and horror. Additionally, she provides a glimpse into her creative process, revealing how her real-life experiences shape her narrative techniques.