Carter Wilson's Making It Up

L.R. Jones, or Lisa Renee Jones, is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Her dark, edgy fiction includes the novels You Look Beautiful Tonight, The Poet, A Perfect Lie, and the Lilah Love series. Prior to publishing, Lisa owned a multistate staffing agency recognized by the Austin Business Journal and was #7 in Entrepreneur magazine’s list of growing women-owned businesses.

Among other things, Lisa and Carter discuss being parents to golden retrievers, the differences between writing romance and writing thrillers, and publishing and editing complications. At the end of their conversation, they make up a dark and suspenseful story using a sentence from You Always Come Back by Emily Smith. 

Matt Coyle is the author of the best-selling Rick Cahill crime novels. He graduated with a degree in English from University of California at Santa Barbara. His foray into crime fiction was delayed for thirty years as he spent time managing a restaurant, selling golf clubs for various golf companies, and in national sales for a sports licensing company. Yesterday’s Echo was published in 2013 and won the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, the San Diego Book Award for Best Mystery, and the Ben Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Fiction. 

Among other things, Matt and Carter discuss the emergence of the crime fiction genre, balancing a full-time job and writing, and what it’s like to find your “voice” in your writing. At the end of their conversation, they make up a fast-paced story using a sentence from Clare Mackintosh’s The Last Party.

Audrey Gale is the author of the new release, The Human Trial. After twenty-plus years in the banking industry, Audrey pursued her master’s in fiction writing at the University of Southern California. Her first novel, a legal thriller entitled The Sausage Maker’s Daughters, was published under the name A.G.S. Johnson. Her second, The Human Trial, is the first book in a medical-thriller trilogy inspired by Gale’s own experiences with the gap between traditional medicine and approaches based on the findings of the great physicists of the 20th Century. Gale lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dogs.

Among other things, Audrey and Carter discuss writing stories as a child, navigating imposter syndrome as a new author, and the necessity of doing research in different academic/career fields for a book, even when writing fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a hilarious and twisted story using a sentence from Darcy Coates’s From Below.

Katherine Howe, author of A True Account: Hannah Masury’s Sojourn Amongst the Pyrates, Written by Herself, is a New York Times bestselling and award-winning historian and novelist. She is the author of several novels for adults and young adults, has edited two volumes of primary sources for Penguin Classics, and is the co-author with Anderson Cooper of the #1 New York Times bestselling books Vanderbilt and Astor. She has appeared on “Good Morning America,” “CBS This Morning,” NPR’s “Weekend Edition,” the BBC, the History Channel, and others. 

Among other things, Katherine and Carter discuss how the Salem Witch Trials influenced her writing journey, her unique story of how she got her agent, and how she started writing novels with Anderson Cooper. At the end of their conversation, Katherine makes up a captivating story using a sentence from The Lost Weekend by Charles R. Jackson. 

Boyd Morrison is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of twelve thrillers, including six collaborations with Clive Cussler in the Oregon Files series. His first novel, The Ark, was an Indie Next Notable pick. He has a PhD in industrial engineering from Virginia Tech. His latest thriller The Last True Templar is the second book in the Tales of the Lawless Land series co-written with his sister, expert medievalist Beth Morrison. Beth is Senior Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Paul Getty Museum. She has curated major exhibitions including 'Imagining the Past in France, 1250-1500’. She has a PhD in the History of Art from Cornell University. 

Among other things, Boyd, Beth, and Carter discuss how careers in engineering and art history have tied into their writing journeys, the process of writing novels together as siblings, and how they travel to gather research and inspiration for their novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy and gripping story using a sentence from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. 

Sara DiVello is a true crime writer and the founder and host of the popular author interview series, Mystery and Thriller Mavens. Her latest book, Broadway Butterfly: A Thriller, received starred reviews from Library Journal and Book List, was a CBS New York Book Club pick, an Entertainment Weekly Best Book of Summer, was featured in Vanity Fair,  and much more.

Among other things, Sara and Carter discuss why they wanted to start podcasts, the transition from a corporate career to being an author, and their experiences reading negative reviews. At the end of their conversation, they make up a hilariously dark story using a sentence from Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas. 

Hailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Cruel Angels Past Sundown, Queen of Teeth, A Light Most Hateful, The Worm and His Kings series, and other books of dark fiction. She is also the author of over 100 short stories, and her non-fiction appears in Writer’s Digest, Library Journal, CrimeReads, and others. 

Among other things, Hailey and Carter discuss how to navigate conversations and relationships with editors, outlining during the writing process, and Hailey’s experiences writing short stories. At the end of their conversation, they make up an eerie and mysterious story using a sentence from an anthology of Victorian ghost stories. 

Abbott Kahler (formerly Karen Abbott) is the author of four New York Times bestselling works of narrative nonfiction, including The Ghosts of Eden Park and Then Came the Devil. Her debut novel, Where You End, is inspired by a true story of identical twins and amnesia. USA Today once named her “a pioneer of sizzle history.” 

Among other things, Abbott and Carter discuss Abbott’s early commitment to getting published, the thriller genre and its changes over time, and her experience moving from writing non-fiction to fiction. At the end of the conversation, they make up a quirky story using a sentence from her very own, brand-new novel, Where You End by Abbott Kahler. 

Novelist Kathleen Willett has a B.A. in English from Holy Cross and a M.A. in English Education from Columbia University. An English teacher who grew up in New Jersey and London, Kathleen lives in Manhattan with her husband, two daughters, and a cat named Mr. Sparkles. Willett's debut novel, Mother of All Secrets, was shared by Hoda Kotb on The Today Show as one of her favorite new books.  

Among other things, Kathleen and Carter discuss the benefits of reading as a kid, the emotions generated by editor's notes, and getting used to promoting and speaking about yourself. At the end of their conversation, they make up a story that goes from zero to chilling, starting with a sentence from The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Kathleen at www.kathleenmwillett.com

Novelist Emily Smith is a New Jersey native, who pursued her BFA in Dramatic Writing at NYU and her MFA in Creative Writing at American University. Her electrifying debut novel, You Always Come Back, was released in late 2023 to rave reviews. 

Among other things, Emily and Carter discuss Emily’s desire to be a writer from age four, what should be taught during an MFA, and developing an online presence. At the end of their conversation, they make up a ghost hunting story starting with a sentence from Camino Winds by John Grisham. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Emily at www.emsmithwrites.com