Carter Wilson's Making It Up

Samuel Octavius spent 24 years in the Marine Corps, being rewarded with tons of stories to share. He has pursued his passions for writing, technology, and the intersection of futurism and society. He retired at the rank of Master Gunnery Sergeant, completed a B.S. and an M.S. and continues to pursue graduate studies while working on his first novel, The Echo Chamber. 

Among other things, Carter and Samuel discuss the impact that speech and debate in high school had on Sam’s life, his experience in the military and the adjustment period afterwards, and the difference between having the idea for a story and being a storyteller. At the end of the conversation, they make up an intriguing story from a sentence out of The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com  

Connect with Samuel at www.samueloctavius.com 

Jonathan Woods holds multiple degrees and for many years he practiced law for a multi-national high-tech company. But writing is his real passion. His stories have appeared in 3:AM Magazine, Dogmatika, Plots with Guns, Pulp Pusher, Thuglit and other web-based literary magazines. His latest novel, Wild Hogs, released late August this year. 

Among other things, Carter and Jonathan discuss childhood reading, Jonathan’s years in-between law and writing, and living the writer's dream. At the end of their conversation, they tell a story quite fitting for Halloween weekend, starting with a sentence from Stephen Hunter’s Black Light. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com  

Connect with Jonathan at www.southernnoir.com 

Kelly J. Ford is the author of Real Bad Things, and Cottonmouths, named one of 2017’s best books of the year by the Los Angeles Review and featured in the “52 Books in 52 Weeks” from the Los Angeles Times. An Arkansas native, Kelly writes crime fiction set in the Ozarks and Arkansas River Valley. Kelly is also an occasional co-host with Daniel Ford on the Writer’s Bone podcast. She lives in Vermont with her wife, cat, and dog. 

Among other things, Carter and Kelly discuss the best locations for thrillers, the influence social media can have on authors, and some advice to new authors. At the end of their conversation, they make up an intriguing scene starting with a sentence from Tell No Lies by Julie Compton. 

Sam McAlister was the first in her family to go to university, before training to be a criminal barrister. As a single mum, she decided her real passion was in news. Now BAFTA-nominated for her work with BBC Newsnight, Sam’s hard-won exclusives have shaped the public conversation. Most notably, she is the woman who clinched the 2019 interview with Prince Andrew, described as ‘a plane crashing into an oil tanker, causing a tsunami, triggering a nuclear explosion’. Sam’s new book, Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews, has recently been optioned for film. 

Among other things, Carter and Sam discuss her experience as a barrister, her ability to connect with people, and jumping into a book deal without any experience writing. At the end of their conversation, they delve into the mind of a character starting with a sentence out of Lost Lake by Emily LittleJohn.  

Wendy Walker’s psychological suspense novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages, topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad, and have been optioned for television and film. Prior to her writing career, Wendy practiced both corporate and family law and worked as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Her latest novel, What Remains, will be released in June, 2023. 

Among other things, Carter and Wendy discuss the difference between writing and reading dark novels, how she applies her real-life knowledge to her characters, and their love for ambiguous endings. At the end of their conversation, they tell what could be the beginning of a new thriller novel, starting with a sentence from Just After Sunset by Stephen King. 

Wendy Walker’s psychological suspense novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages, topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad, and have been optioned for television and film. Prior to her writing career, Wendy practiced both corporate and family law and worked as a financial analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. Her latest novel, What Remains, will be released in June, 2023. 

Among other things, Carter and Wendy discuss the difference between writing and reading dark novels, how she applies her real-life knowledge to her characters, and their love for ambiguous endings. At the end of their conversation, they tell what could be the beginning of a new thriller novel, starting with a sentence from Just After Sunset by Stephen King. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Wendy at www.wendywalkerbooks.com

After a short career in law, Leanne Kale Sparks has returned to her first love—writing about murder, mayhem, and crime. Currently, she is an author with Crooked Lane Books and her current release is The Wrong Woman. Leanne is also working on a new series featuring an FBI agent hunting down her best friend’s murderer. She currently resides in Texas with her husband and German Shepherd, Zoe. 

Among other things, Carter and Leanne discuss discovering the genre that fits their voice, what Leanne learned from self-publishing, and the pros and cons of a standalone vs. series. At the end of the conversation, they devise a chilling tale that will leave you wanting more, starting with a sentence from David Bell’s The Finalists. 

Laurie R. King is the New York Times bestselling author of 30 novels and other works, including the Mary Russell-Sherlock Holmes stories (The Beekeeper’s Apprentice was chosen as one of the “20th Century’s Best Crime Novels” by the IMBA.) She has won the Agatha, Anthony, Creasey, Edgar, Lambda, Macavity, Wolfe, and Romantic Times Career Achievement awards, has an honorary doctorate in theology, and is a Baker Street Irregular. Her recent release is the cold-case novel Back to the Garden. 

Among other things, Laurie and Carter discuss friendships within the writing community, how to write a character’s emotions, and rereading in order to shut off your brain. At the end of their conversation, they make up a comedic tale of revenge, beginning with a sentence from The Lies I Tell by Julie Clark. 

David Ellis is a judge and an Edgar-award-winning author of ten novels of crime fiction, as well as eight bestselling books co-authored with James Patterson. His novels have been translated into more than ten languages worldwide. In December 2014, Dave was sworn in as the youngest-serving Justice of the Illinois Appellate Court for the First District. 

Among other things, Carter and David discuss figuring out how to actually write, David’s experience as a co-author with James Patterson, and the never-ending plague of typos. At the end of the conversation, they devise a story with quite a cliffhanger, starting with a sentence from The Winner by David Baldacci. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with David at www.davidellis.com

After flying helicopters with the U.S. Army and a career as a technical writer, Russell James now spins twisted tales best read in daylight. Russell has penned over twenty horror novels including Dark Inspiration, Q Island, and The Playing Card Killer. He also authored the Grant Coleman Adventures series starting with Cavern of the Damned and the Ranger Kathy West series starting with Claws. 

Among other things, Carter and Russell discuss life before writing, finding success without an agent, and promoting books at horror and pop-culture conventions. At the end of their conversation, they craft the beginning of a mystery from a sentence out of The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. 

Connect with Carter at www.carterwilson.com

Connect with Russell at www.russellrjames.com