Shawn and Clea talk about Clea's new book HOLD ME DOWN, their mutual love of Rock and Roll, the joys and challenges of writing a series and of writing as a career in general, believing in yourself, how being a reporter makes you very good at meeting deadlines, how reading and writing helped both Clea and Shawn "escape" tumultuous households growing up, and criticism as a conversation starter.

The author of 29 books (and counting), Clea Simon is a regular contributor to the Boston Globe, and her writing pops up occasionally in such publications as American Prospect, Ms., the San Francisco Chronicle, and Salon.com.