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 ethical concerns with AI, libraries, and an AI prompt left in a fantasy novel. Then, stick around for a chat with Hazel McBride!My name is Hazel McBride and I grew up in a very small village in Scotland. Being surrounded by forests, mountains, ocean, and incredible wildlife - is it any surprise that I grew up to want to write about magical and mythical creatures? I signed with Ciara Finan at the Curtis Brown agency in London in October 2023 and my debut Fantasy Romance; 'A Fate Forged in Fire' was bought by Renegade Books UK and Dell US and will be published May 27th 2025!​A Fate Forged in Fire is heavily inspired by Scottish mythology and features a sizzling enemies-to-lovers romance that burns hot as dragon fire! Make sure to subscribe to my newsletter for all the latest information below.​I now live in the Netherlands with my Dutch husband and our border collie Whiskey, but the dream is to one day live on a farm in the Scottish Highlands (yes even in winter!).

Heather Graham, a New York Times bestselling author with over 200 novels to her name, shares her fascinating journey from theater arts to a prolific writing career. She dives into her diverse genres, highlighting how personal experiences shape her storytelling. The discussion touches on the intricacies of modern publishing, the impact of technology on writing, and the evolving challenges faced by authors today. With humor, she navigates the complexities of smart homes and shares her thoughts on the industry’s future as well as the joys of community in writing.

Anthony Horowitz, a prolific NYT best-selling author known for the Alex Rider series and Sherlock Holmes novels, shares his insights on trusting one's own voice in writing. He discusses the evolution of national storytelling, touching on challenges faced by authors in a digital age and the phenomenon of scams in the publishing world. Horowitz reflects on his dynamic journey across various media, emphasizing creativity's personal nature, the role of beta readers, and the emotional struggles writers encounter while maintaining authenticity and confidence.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about A Million Lives Book Festival, Findaway's INaudio, and Agatha Christie. Then, stick around for a chat with Joe Abercrombie!Joe Abercrombie was born in Lancaster, England, on the last day of 1974. He was educated at the stiflingly all-boy Lancaster Royal Grammar School, where he spent much of his time playing video games, rolling dice, and drawing maps of places that don’t exist. He went on to Manchester University to study Psychology. The dice and the maps stopped, but the video games continued. Having long dreamed of single-handedly redefining the fantasy genre, he started to write an epic trilogy based around the misadventures of thinking man’s barbarian Logen Ninefingers. The result was pompous toss, and swiftly abandoned.Joe then moved to London, lived in a slum with two men on the borders of madness, and found work making tea for minimum wage at a TV Post-Production company. Two years later he left to become a freelance film editor, and has worked since on a range of documentaries, awards shows, music videos, and concerts for artists ranging from Barry White to Coldplay.This job gave him lots of time off, and realising that he needed something more useful to do than playing video games, in 2001 he sat down once again to write an epic fantasy trilogy based around the misadventures of thinking man’s barbarian Logen Ninefingers. This time, having learned not to take himself too seriously in the six years since the first effort, the results were a great deal more interesting.With heroic help and support from his family the first volume, The Blade Itself, was completed in 2004. Following a heart-breaking trail of rejection at the hands of several of Britain’s foremost literary agencies, The First Law trilogy was snatched up by Gillian Redfearn of Gollancz in 2005 in a seven-figure deal (if you count the pence columns). A year later The Blade Itself was unleashed on an unsuspecting public. It now has publishers in thirty countries.  The sequels, Before They are Hanged and Last Argument of Kings were published in 2007 and 2008, when Joe was a finalist for the John W. Campbell award for best new writer.  Best Served Cold, a standalone book set in the same world, was published in June 2009, and a second standalone, The Heroes, came in January 2011 and made no. 3 on the Sunday Times Hardcover Bestseller List.  A third standalone, Red Country, was both a Sunday Times and New York Times Hardcover Bestseller in October 2012.The first part of his viking-inspired Shattered Sea series for young and old adults, Half a King, came out in July 2014, when it won the Locus award for best young adult novel.  The other two books, Half the World, and Half a War, followed in January and July 2015.His collection of short fiction, Sharp Ends was published in 2016.  A new trilogy set in the world of the First Law, The Age of Madness, began in September 2019 with A Little Hatred. The Trouble with Peace followed in September 2020, and the final part, The Wisdom of Crowds in September 2021. The first book in a new series, The Devils, will publish in May 2025.Joe now lives in Bath with his wife, Lou, his daughters Grace and Eve, and his son Teddy.  He spends most of his time writing edgy yet humorous fantasy novels…

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about novelists becoming video game writers, NetGalley, and Amazon. Then, stick around for a chat with Sarina Bowen!Sarina Bowen is a #1 Amazon bestselling author, a 24-time USA Today bestseller, and a Wall Street Journal bestselling author of contemporary novels. Formerly a derivatives trader on Wall Street, Sarina graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a BA in economics.A New Englander whose Vermont ancestors cut timber and farmed the north country in the 1760s, Sarina is grateful for the invention of indoor plumbing and wi-fi during the intervening 250 years. She lives with her family on a few wooded acres in New Hampshire.Sarina's books are published in more than 15 languages with twenty or so international publishers.She is a sitting council member on the Authors Guild, with committee work in finance and advocacy.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Pizza Hut, folding e-readers, and The Great Gatsby. Then, stick around for a chat with Joanna Penn!I'm Jo Frances (J.F.) Penn, Award-nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers, dark fantasy, and crime. My stories blend my love of travel with adventure at the edge of the supernatural. They all deal with the theme of good vs evil.I live in Bath, England with my husband and two British shorthair cats, Cashew and Noisette.When I'm not traveling for book research, I enjoy walking by the canal, and a nice gin and tonic.You can find me on Instagram @jfpennauthor and Facebook @jfpennauthor.I share my travels and interview other authors about the places that inspire them on my Books And Travel Podcast.I love reading, and my favorite authors include John Connolly, Jonathan Maberry, and Stephen King. I also read a lot of non-fiction for book research, which I share in the Author's Note at the back of my books/stories.If you want to hear about my latest book launches, or learn about special deals on my stories, or get behind the scenes research and photos — or if you'd like to be part of my Reader's Group, the Pennfriends, then click here to sign up for my email list.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about TV writing jobs, book subscription services, and Meta. Then, stick around for a chat with Nat Cassidy!Nat Cassidy writes horror for the page, stage, and screen.His acclaimed novels, including Mary: An Awakening of Terror,Nestlings, and Rest Stop (Bram Stoker Award nominee), have been featured in best-of lists from Esquire, Harper's Bazaar, NPR, the Chicago Review of Books, the NY Public Library, Amazon, and more, and he was named one of the "writers shaping horror’s next golden age" by Esquire.His award-winning horror plays have been produced throughout New York City and across the United States. He won the NY Innovative Theatre Award for his one-man show about H. P. Lovecraft, another for his play about Caligula, and was commissioned by the Kennedy Center to write the libretto for a short opera (about the end of the world, of course). From 2020 - 2023, Nat was the scriptwriter for Shakespeare Theatre of DC's annual WILL ON THE HILL event, a comedy fundraiser about Shakespeare and politics featuring a star-studded cast of journalists, members of Congress, ambassadors, and veteran actors. With WILL ON THE HILL, Nat's scripts helped raise over a million dollars for arts education. You've also maybe seen Nat on your TV, playing various Bad Guys of the Week on shows such as Law & Order: SVU, Blue Bloods, Bull, Quantico, FBI, and many others. Additionally, Nat is commercial voiceover actor and a member of the audiodrama production company, Gideon Media, which produced hit sci-fi podcasts such as Steal the Stars and Give Me Away, as well as the authorized audiodrama adaptations of the Paramount Pictures classic, Witness, and Wallace Shawn's The Designated Mourner. Nat authored the novelization of Steal the Stars, published by Tor Books and named one of the best books of 2017 by NPR. He lives in New York City with his wife.

Alan Lastufka, a Hoffer Award-winning author and owner of Shortwave, dives into the entrepreneurial mindset essential for success in today's publishing landscape. He discusses the evolution of publishing, highlighting innovative marketing strategies like subscription services. Lastufka shares insights on the challenges independent authors face, including navigating reviewer fees and the impact of AI on creativity. He emphasizes the importance of adaptability and resourcefulness in engaging readers, making a case for a balance between creative ambition and business savvy.

DP Lyle, an award-winning author and founder of Outliers Writing University, shares insights on finding a unique writer voice. He discusses the transformative role of mentoring within the writing community and the importance of crafting compelling beginnings. Lyle also highlights the challenges and opportunities in writing education, including innovative programs that foster practical skills. Additionally, he explores the significance of authenticity in non-fiction and upcoming writing initiatives designed to connect and empower aspiring authors.

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Simon & Schuster, Bill Bryson, and The Hunger Games. Then, stick around for a chat with Adam Nevill!ADAM L. G. NEVILL was born in Birmingham, England, in 1969 and grew up in England and New Zealand. He is an author of horror fiction. Of his novels, The Ritual, Last Days, No One Gets Out Alive and The Reddening were all winners of The August Derleth Award for Best Horror Novel. He has also published three collections of short stories, with Some Will Not Sleep winning the British Fantasy Award for Best Collection, 2017. Imaginarium adapted The Ritual and No One Gets Out Alive into feature films and more of his work is currently in development for the screen. The author lives in Devon, England.