David Baldacci: sparkling water

David names the two most underrated thriller writers, describes the way that planning-then-writing a novel can be similar to Tom Brady practicing-then-playing a football game, reveals the mystery books from his childhood that made him love reading, tells of a peak moment of dejection when he doubted he could ever become a writer, shares the story of a bizarre book signing event, talks about the fragile ‘ecosystem of literature’ and offers a terrific piece of advice.

Marcy Dermansky: House of Balloons (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Aperol, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice, simple syrup, top with club soda)

Marcy talks about the struggles of a working writer including waiting in an unemployment line in New York while holding her newborn baby the week of publication of her novel, her isolating move to Germany and her return to New York where she was a more productive writer, how publishing short fiction can in some ways be more difficult than publishing a novel, and the fact that someone she is friends with on Facebook is the inspiration for a major character in her new novel though he does not know it

Gregory Maguire: Ginger Mojito Mocktail (grated ginger, grated cucumber, mint, lime juice, ginger ale, sparkling water)  

Gregory reveals the one book that he later realized had subconsciously guided his reimagining of Oz for his novel WICKED, shares his thoughts on the departures that the adaptations (both stage and film) have taken in reimagining WICKED, names the one children’s book that made him want to be a writer, names 3 books every kid should read by age 10, talks about the blurred line between YA and adult fiction, provides some insider details about Elphaba, discusses how his Catholicism influences themes in his writing, tells the story of the very unplanned first meeting of his husband, Andy.

Elizabeth Staple: Old Fashioned (water, sugar, bitters with 2 1/2 ounces whiskey, garnish with orange and cherry)

After working in media relations for the NFL's New York Giants and the New England Patriots, Elizabeth delivers her debut crime thriller THE SNAP that takes us behind the scenes of an NFL franchise. She discusses the many points of overlap between her fictional character and her real-life work experiences that include fraught office politics, coaching NFL players to handle the press, rescuing inebriated players from nightclubs, and how friends who are still working in the NFL have reacted to the book.

Alissa Wilkinson: Gibson (3 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, onion)

Film Critic for the New York Times, Alissa gives her take on the Oscars, shares some insider info on Siskel and Ebert, discusses the beginning and end of the Golden Age of TV along with some of her favorites from the era, reflects on Joan Dideon’s admiration for John Wayne and Barry Goldwater along with her surprising takes on their present day closest equivalents, and identifies why 9-11 was a before-and-after moment for American filmmaking.

David Grann: Mojito (2 ounces white rum, 1 ounce lime juice, sugar, mint, topped with club soda)

David discusses his early years covering politics on Capitol Hill, how his mother paved the way for women executives in publishing as the first woman CEO of a major publisher and how she eventually agreed that writing was a good career choice for David, describes conversations with Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to review details of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON, mentions other authors of narrative history who he admires, identifies his first and most trusted reader of his early drafts, reveals how he organizes his thinking for new projects, names the person from history he’d most like to interview, and gives a tiny and cryptic hint about his upcoming book.

Capt. Karl Anderson: Spanish Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Pilar rum, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, bitters, garnish with orange rind)

Karl tells of the assignment that his parents gave him when he was a young boy that instilled in him the discipline to become a writer, reminisces about the stories of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig fishing and gunning the same territory that he has, shares the process by which he translates the magical moments he’s had in nature to film and print, assesses whether Michael Jordan is a good sport-fisherman, and shares some advice from his dad.

Wendy Walker: Greyhound (1 1/2 ounces vodka, 2 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice)

Wendy shares the meticulous approach she took to becoming a bestselling author that began with learning what kind of fiction works for the market, describes what she likes about James Patterson's "winning structural formula", describes her early careers as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and then as a corporate attorney, tells how motherhood brought her out of the workforce then returned her to a career as a novelist, lists the greatest plot twist ever, and reveals the strangest question she's ever gotten at a book event.

Alafair Burke: Vesper Martini (2 ounces gin, 3/4 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc)

Alafair reveals the haunting impressions of growing up in Kansas during the active period of the BTK serial killer and how that time influenced her path to practicing law and writing crime novels, how she applies her experience as a DA to the pages of her crime thrillers, the differences between writing the novel and writing for film and TV, how she might pick the perfect writers' room, how her very successful novelist father feels about her very successful novelist career (and which movie stars her father resembles), and offers a great piece of advice at the end of the show (and at the end of the martini).

Spencer Klavan: scotch

Spencer discusses the brimming culture of intolerance during his years at Yale, art and morality, the inherently required translation in all communication as concepts move from the soul to the page, the varied interplay between science and religion through the millennia, the different types of scotch, makes some amazing book recommendations and chooses a favorite between C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.