

Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors
J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle
What does it take to succeed as a writer? Join host J.D. Barker and a panel of industry experts as they pull back the curtain and offer rare insights from the household names found on bookshelves worldwide.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Dec 11, 2023 • 1h 1min
The one where Tyler Wagner explains how Authors Unite can take your publishing career to the next level.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including Sports Illustrated's AI controversy. Then, stick around as Christine chats with author and indie publishing professional Tyler Wagner!
Tyler Wagner is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author and podcast host with over half a million followers on social media. He's also the founder of Authors Unite, where he helps authors learn how to become profitable and maximize their impact through publishing, editing, writing, and marketing.
Check It Out!
Authors Unite - https://authorsunite.com/
Preorder Kevin's new book, God Mode - https://books2read.com/godmode
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Tyler Wagner - https://authorsunite.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com/jd (click this link to take advantage of our Writers, Ink special offer!!!)
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley and recorded at Mill Pond Studio
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Dec 4, 2023 • 58min
The one where bestseller Caz Frear explains why she submitted a novel for awards before she actually wrote it.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including the continued growth of the audiobook market. Then, stick around as Christine chats with bestselling author Caz Frear!
Caz Frear has a degree in History & Politics, and when she’s not agonizing over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at Arsenal football matches. Her first Cat Kinsella mystery was the smash hit Sweet Little Lies. Her latest novel (a standalone) is called Five Bad Deeds and releases December 5th.
Check It Out!
Five Bad Deeds - https://bookshop.org/p/books/five-bad-deeds-caz-frear/19880129
Patrick's interview with AuthorNation's Joe Solari - https://www.copsandwriters.com/podcast-1/episode/7c571135/146-joe-solari-helping-indie-authors-maximize-profits-and-gives-us-the-inside-scoop-on-author-nation-live
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Caz Frear - https://twitter.com/CazziF
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley and recorded at Mill Pond Studio
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Nov 27, 2023 • 59min
The one where bestseller Wendy Whitman explains our fascination with true crime and how to incorporate it into your fiction.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including some troubling concerns around NaNoWriMo. Then, stick around as Christine chats with former Court TV producer and current crime novelist Wendy Whitman!
Wendy Whitman has a unique background through her decades-long work as an executive and producer for HLN and Court TV, where she received three Telly Awards and two GLAAD nominations. Since turning her attention to writing, Whitman has published two crime thriller novels: Premonition and the sequel, Retribution, which was released back in July and is available now.
Check It Out!
The Deer Killer Series by Wendy Whitman - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5MYR45G
NaNoWriMo controversy (via @Arumi_kai's X thread) - https://twitter.com/Arumi_kai/status/1722007756058574916
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Wendy Whitman - https://wendywhitman.com/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Nov 20, 2023 • 55min
The one where NYT Bestseller James Ellroy details his process. How does it differ from yours?
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including some optimistic publishing predictions from the stage of the 74th National Book Awards. Then, stick around as Christine chats with crime fiction legend James Ellroy!
Called "The American Dostoyevsky" by Joyce Carol Oates, James Ellroy is the author of the Underworld U.S.A. Trilogy: American Tabloid, The Cold Six Thousand, and Blood’s a Rover, and the L.A. Quartet novels: The Black Dahlia, The Big Nowhere, L.A. Confidential, and White Jazz. His latest novel, The Enchanters, came out in September and is available now wherever books are sold.
Check It Out!
The Enchanters - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-enchanters-james-ellroy/19462467
James Ellroy's American Tabloid: A Full Cast Audio Drama (An Audible Exclusive) - https://www.amazon.com/James-Ellroys-American-Tabloid-Audio/dp/B0CJ16ZQQH
Write Publish Profit 6.0: Join The Waiting List! - https://infostack.io/stack/wpp6/
"David Steinberger’s Narrative" (via Publishing Perspectives) - https://publishingperspectives.com/2023/11/the-national-book-awards-david-steinbergers-narrative/
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
James Ellroy - https://www.jamesellroy.net/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Nov 13, 2023 • 1h 1min
The one where NYT bestsellers Beth and Boyd Morrison explain why every book should have dragons.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including an update on Simon & Schuster's new owners. Then, stick around as Christine chats with brother and sister writing duo Boyd and Beth Morrison!
Boyd Morrison is a #1 NY Times bestselling author, actor, engineer, and Jeopardy! Champion. Beth Morrison is Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Their new novel, The Last True Templar, is a follow-up to their first collaboration, The Lawless Land, and is the second book in their "Tales From The Lawless Land" series. It is available now wherever books are sold.
Check It Out!
The Last True Templar - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-last-true-templar-volume-2-boyd-morrison/19781594
"The End of an Era: The Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller Lists Discontinued" (via NY Weekly) - https://nyweekly.com/news/the-end-of-an-era-the-wall-street-journals-bestseller-lists-discontinued/
"Spotify Launches 200,000-Plus Audiobooks for Premium Subscribers in the U.S." (via Variety) - https://variety.com/2023/digital/news/spotify-premium-audiobooks-subscribers-us-1235784076/
"SAG-AFTRA Reveals Details of Strike-Ending Deal With Hollywood Studios" (via Rolling Stone)- https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-news/sag-aftra-board-approves-deal-with-hollywood-studios-end-strike-1234875654/
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Boyd Morrison - https://boydmorrison.com/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Nov 6, 2023 • 1h 1min
The one where Sally Gardner explains why you need to take your main characters out to dinner.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including an update on Simon & Schuster's new owners. Then, stick around as Christine chats with successful theatre costume designer turned-author and illustrator Sally Gardner!
Sally Gardner gained a first-class degree at a leading London art college and became a successful theatre costume designer before illustrating and writing books. Her debut novel, I, Coriander, won the Nestle Gold Award, and she is also a Costa and Carnegie prize winner. Her latest novel, The Weather Woman, was released in September by Head of Zeus Press.
Check It Out!
The Weather Woman - https://www.amazon.com/Weather-Woman-Sally-Gardner-ebook/dp/B09MXD9MCV/
Kevin's Announcement! - https://www.openpr.com/news/3272937/kevin-tumlinson-assumes-role-of-ceo-for-next-chapter
"KKR Closes Deal to Buy Simon & Schuster" (via The New York Times) - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/30/books/kkr-simon-schuster-sale.html
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Sally Gardner - https://www.sallygardner.net
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Oct 30, 2023 • 51min
The one where Mariana Zapata explains how she received over a quarter BILLION views on TikTok.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including Book Riot's thoughts on the future of bookstores. Then, stick around as Christine chats with romance author Mariana Zapata!
Mariana Zapata is a former indie author who recently signed a trad deal for her latest best-selling novel, The Wall of Winnipeg and Me. She also has an excellent handle on TikTok—at last check, she had over a quarter billion views! Mariana lives in a small town in Colorado with her husband and two oversized children—her beloved Great Danes, Dorian and Kaiser. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, spending time outside, forcing kisses on her boys, or pretending to write.
Check It Out!
The Wall of Winnipeg and Me - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-wall-of-winnipeg-and-me-mariana-zapata/16712489
PRH Announce "Freedom of Expression" Prize For High School Students - https://goodereader.com/blog/commentary/penguin-random-house-introduces-high-school-award-to-defend-literature-against-book-bans
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Mariana Zapata - https://www.marianazapata.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com/jd (click this link to take advantage of our Writers, Ink special offer!!!)
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Oct 23, 2023 • 60min
The one where Andrew Child explains what goes into writing the 28th Jack Reacher book with his brother, Lee Child.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including Book Riot's thoughts on the future of bookstores. Then, stick around as Christine chats with bestselling author Andrew Child!
Andrew Child is a British author who also writes as Andrew Grant. He is the author of several books, including the David Trevellyan series and the Paul McGrath series. For the last several years, Andrew has worked alongside his brother Lee Child on the latter's blockbuster Jack Reacher books in preparation for taking over the series. The duo's fourth and latest Reacher collaboration, The Secret, drops tomorrow, October 24, and is available for preorder now.
Check It Out!
The Secret: A Jack Reacher Novel - https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-secret-a-jack-reacher-novel-lee-child/19630515
Andrew Child's previous Writers, Ink appearances - Episode 106, Episode 157
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Andrew Child - https://www.jackreacher.com/us/authors/
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com/jd (click this link to take advantage of our Writers, Ink special offer!!!)
Written Word Media - https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Oct 16, 2023 • 1h 1min
The one where Richard Chizmar explains the art of telling a fiction tale as “true crime."
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including Book Riot's thoughts on the future of bookstores. Then, stick around as J.P. talks with New York Times bestselling author Richard Chizmar.
Richard Chizmar is the co-author (with Stephen King) of the bestselling Gwendy’s Button Box trilogy and is the founder/publisher of Cemetery Dance magazine and the Cemetery Dance Publications book imprint. He has edited more than 35 anthologies, and his short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including multiple editions of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. His latest novel, Becoming The Boogeyman, the follow-up to his 2021 smash hit, Chasing The Boogeyman, was released on October 10 and is available wherever books are sold.
Check It Out!
Becoming The Boogeyman - https://bookshop.org/p/books/becoming-the-boogeyman-richard-chizmar/19726757
Richard Chizmar on Writers, Ink - Episode 12, Episode 94
"Are Co-Op Bookstores the Future of Bookselling?" via Book Riot - https://bookriot.com/co-op-bookstores
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Richard Chizmar - https://richardchizmar.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com/jd (click this link to take advantage of our Writers, Ink special offer!!!)
Written Word Media - https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.

Oct 9, 2023 • 1h 9min
The one where Ashley Winstead explains story arcs and why Twilight was important.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including some exciting publishing news for our very own J.D.! Then, stick around as Christine chats with Ashley Winstead.
Ashley Winstead is the author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and The Last Housewife. She holds a Ph.D. in contemporary American literature and a B.A. in English and art history. She lives in Houston, Texas, where she drinks red wine and dreams up novels. Her latest, Midnight is The Darkest Hour, was released last week, October 3, and is available wherever books are sold!
Check It Out!
Midnight is The Darkest Hour - https://bookshop.org/p/books/midnight-is-the-darkest-hour-ashley-winstead/19462760
Simon & Schuster Team Up With J.D. Barker Imprint, Hampton Creek Press - https://bit.ly/3rH78YX
Lit Agent Laura Zats' Twitter Thread on Lit Agent Landscape - https://twitter.com/LZats/status/1707414688173064584
Can Spotify Take Digital Audiobooks to the Next Level? (via Publishers Weekly) - https://bit.ly/3rO2atp
Show Links:
Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker - https://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/]
Ashley Winstead - https://www.ashleywinstead.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR:
AutoCrit - https://www.autocrit.com/jd (click this link to take advantage of our Writers, Ink special offer!!!)
Written Word Media - https://www.writtenwordmedia.com/
Other Links
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Booktrib - https://booktrib.com/author/writers-ink/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/horrorstoic
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*NOTE: Some of the links are affiliate links.