My guest this week is Alma Katsu, the award-winning, critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of nine novels. Alma has written two spy novels, "Red Widow" and "Red London," inspired by her 35-year career working in intelligence. She also writes novels that combine historical fiction with supernatural and horror elements.
"The Hunger" was a re-imagining of the story of the Donner Party and named one of NPR's 100 favorite horror stories. Her first book, "The Taker," was named one of the top 10 debut novels of 2011 by Booklist. And her latest novel, brand new, hot off the presses, is "Fiend," which examines our fascination with the ultra wealthy through a lens that combines dark fantasy and horror. Think Succession meets Angel Heart, if you're old enough to remember that movie.
Alma's books have been translated into over a dozen languages and several are in various stages of film and television development. She's also a contributor to the Washington Post book world where she reviews thrillers.
We covered:
- How she came to work in US intelligence for 35 years, despite having early ambitions of being a writer
- Why she writes so many different genres (spy thrillers, horror, speculative fiction)
- An inside peek at just an absolutely fascinating government career
- The illness that got her writing again
- The challenges of building a readership
- Why she thinks writing a novel that’s inspired by the news is more persuasive than writing an article
- How her background in intelligence helps her come up with ideas for her novels
- Unlearning old habits of driving herself too hard
- Recommitting to exercise so she has stamina for book tours
Connect with Alma on Substack: https://substack.com/@almakatsu
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!
And thanks to this week’s sponsor, Aqua Tru. Visit aquatru.com and use code KATE to save 20% off a great countertop reverse osmosis water filter that I have been using and loving for years now. Comes with a 1-year warranty and a 30-day money back guarantee.

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