In today's podcast episode, Katie Williams and I delve into the complex questions surrounding motherhood, marriage, and society's fixation on a certain type of murder victim that she explores in My Murder. We discuss the romanticization of white female victims, serial killers and guilt, and the integration of video games and virtual reality into this story. As a bonus, Katie also gives us a sneak peek into her upcoming horror comedy and shares her books recommendations.

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Highlights

• Katie shares a spoiler-free summary of My Murder.
• How the narrator of My Murder (Lou) subverts the public's fascination with the murder of white women.
• Katie's take on whether she'd want to come back as a clone after her death.
• The romanticization of this type of death and victim.
• Lou's ambivalence about her life before her death and the complex way she examines this after returning as a clone.
• Katie's research on motherhood and her process that shaped her nuanced approach.
• The integration of video games and virtual reality into her novel.
• Pulling together the experience of guilt and serial killers.
• How Katie crafted her surprising, but earned, ending.
• Riding the line between writing by the seat of her pants (pantser) and planning everything out ahead of time (planner).
• A little bit about Katie's next book — a horror comedy!

Katie's Book Recommendations [27:36]

Two OLD Books She Loves

• This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone | Amazon | Bookshop.org [27:50]
• A Study in Scarlet Women (The Lady Sherlock Series, Book 1) by Sherry Thomas | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:34]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle [30:58]

Two NEW Books She Loves

• Beware the Woman by Megan Abbott | Amazon | Bookshop.org [33:30]
• Killingly by Katharine Beutner | Amazon | Bookshop.org [37:24]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia [35:12]
  • The Turnout by Megan Abbott [35:27]

NEW RELEASE She's Excited About

• Family Meal by Bryan Washington (October 10, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:50]
• Other Books Mentioned:
  • Memorial by Bryan Washington [41:01]

Last 5-Star Book Katie Read

• Lone Women by Victor LaValle | Amazon | Bookshop.org [43:57]

Other Links

• Ep. 144: John Marrs (Author of The One, The Passengers, and The Marriage Act)
• Ep. 90: Megan Abbott (Author of The Turnout)

Other Books Mentioned

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin [21:04]