On this episode of Complicated Conversations, we welcome Taylor Hutton, the pen name for writing duo Julie Buxbaum and Adele Griffin, to discuss their new novel Strike And Burn, a breathless romantic thriller that doesn't just toe the line between danger and desire—it burns it to the ground. When a book starts with a “meet cute” in a morgue, you know it’s going to be something unique!

We chat with Julie and Adele about how their project evolved from a secretive writing endeavor into a published book, the magic of co-writing, and the importance of maintaining joy in their work. We also talk about themes of trauma, female desire, justice and how they play out through complex character development. The fun Julie and Adele had writing this book is infectious and clearly comes through in the pages of their novel.

Strike and Burn is out now. Buy it, read it, share it, and listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts.

Yellowjackets Season 3, Episodes 1&2 recap

Side Bar on pivots, reality TV, and the internet being a scary place

*with a spoiler section - listen if you want to hear Layne explain THOSE moments*

On this episode of Complicated Conversations we welcome Layne Fargo to discuss her new novel, The Favorites, an epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating about a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice. 

The Favorites is a retelling of Wuthering Heights set in the world of Olympic ice dancing. While it has vibes of Daisy Jones & The Six mixed with Carrie Soto Is Back, it is uniquely its own page-turning sensation!  We had so much fun gushing to Layne about our mutual love for the novel and chatting about themes of female ambition, intense rivalry, the complexities of toxic relationships, and her highly effective narrative style that combines her main character Kat's perspective with documentary elements. Layne shares a passion for astrology so we also delve into the influence of astrology on character compatibility and the creative process behind writing. 

Warning - there are some spoilers in this one because we just had to talk about reader expectations and reactions to some of the reveals/twists in this book! Don’t worry - we give spoiler warnings on air mark them here:

Spoilers begin at 15:56 and end at 28:35, which is where the astrology chat starts!

The Favorites is out now! Listen to our spoiler-free chat wherever you get your podcasts. 

On this episode of Debut Discussions, we welcome Sandra Chwialkowska to discuss her novel, The Ends of Things, a story that is both a thought-provoking suspense and a meditation on female friendship and agency.

Sandra shares her journey as a writer and producer, discussing her literary influences, the transition from literature to television writing, and the personal inspiration behind her debut novel. We chat about themes of solitude, freedom, and the complexities of female friendships, as well as the character development of Laura, the protagonist, who grapples with her own fears and the concept of catastrophizing. The significance of the title and the exploration of female obsession are also highlighted. Finally, we turn to the woo-woo and get tangible inspiration from Sandra about the power of manifestation through vision boards and how it has played a part in her publication journey.

Listen now to Sandra’s story. The Ends of Things is out now -- buy it, read it, and share it (in other words, make a debut author’s dreams come true!).

Continuing our discussions about Oscar-nominated movies, this time we’re chatting about Anora, a story about a young sex worker from Brooklyn who gets her chance at a Cinderella story when she meets and marries the son of a Russian oligarch until it all goes terribly wrong. Mikey Madison brilliantly brings Ani to life in a role that was quite literally made for her. We chat about her character’s arc/growth, the similarities to Pretty Woman, the ways in which the film subverts typical genre expectations, THAT ending scene, and the surprising ways we related to Ani. We’re also back to some of our favorite segments - “What’s Your Damage, Heather?” where we put Ani on the couch and “What She Said” where we share first person intel from Mikey Madison and writer/director Sean Baker, as well as his producing partner wife, Samantha Quan.  Finally, in our “Crystal Ball” segment we discuss whether Ani and Igor have a future.

On today’s Complicated Conversation we welcome Greg Wands and Elizabeth McCullough Keenan to discuss Trust Issues, which is a fresh take on the classic conman chase novel following two adult siblings forced to play nice in hopes of tracking down the man they believe killed their mother and ran off with their sizable inheritance.

We chat with Liz and Greg about why they love a classic conman story; the complexities of character development, particularly focusing on unreliable narrators and sibling relationships; their collaborative writing process; and personal anecdotes about synchronicity in their writing process … sometimes real-life events often mirror their fictional stories! We also discuss the challenges of imposter syndrome faced by writers, leading to the creation of their podcast that aims to address these common feelings. Check them out on Imposter Hour with Liz and Greg wherever you get your podcasts.

In today’s Sidebar episode we discuss our mutual obsession with The Favorites by Layne Fargo; the Oscar nominations; what happens when you pay creators for their art, and TV shows coming back that we are so excited for (hello Yellowjackets and White Lotus), as well as our upcoming dive into reality TV.

The PFW Sidebar is now in session!

In today’s episode we dive into The Substance, written and directed by Coralie Fargeat and starring Demi Moore in an Oscar-worthy performance (go watch her acceptance speech from the recent Golden Globes win stat!). In case you’ve somehow been out of the loop, the film centers on Elisabeth Sparkle, a Jane Fonda–esque actor and fitness icon who is abruptly laid off from her TV show by a misogynistic producer, Harvey (Dennis Quaid, who is a scene stealer). Desperate to reclaim her relevance, she turns to the Substance, a black-market treatment that allows her to spawn Sue (Margaret Qualley)—a younger, better version of herself. The two versions cannot coexist, however, so Elisabeth must alternate between herself and her alternate every seven days—or else. What could go wrong? Ummmm…one cannot begin to imagine. It’s a “bonkers” film the likes of which we have never seen before, which means you HAVE to check it out! It’s a feminist body horror movie that has us talking about the violence of control over women, the violence of one’s own thoughts, the horrors imposed on women by society and ourselves, and our deeper takeaway messages.

Welcome to a new segment called high-low therapy, where we let a deck of cards take us to places we never expected. On this episode, Carinn is the dealer and Kate in the hot seat. We touch on time travel, theme songs, belief in the afterlife, and how we feel about anger.