Welcome to the Summer Break Rewind!

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations from Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!

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In this special Summer Rewind episode of The Conversation Podcast, I’m sharing Episode 199 of Page One: The Writer’s Podcast, where hosts Marco and Tariq sit down with

Deborah Harkness, best-selling author of the 'All Souls' series. Her debut, A Discovery of Witches, was an immediate best-seller, hitting #2 on the New York Times list, and was also a bestseller in the UK, France and Germany. The initial trilogy in the All Souls series has been translated into 37 languages. Her latest book in the series, The Black Bird Oracle, is just out.

Buy The Black Bird Oracle

The first shadows fall on a Friday afternoon when a single, dying raven delivers an invitation to the witch, Diana Bishop. It calls her home to the hallowed ground of Ravenswood, to a place and a family she has never known.

And when Diana and her husband Matthew Clairmont learn that their seven-year-old twins must have their magical powers tested, Diana decides to forge a new future for her family, hoping to find answers at the Proctor ancestral home.

There, Diana becomes her great aunt Gwyneth's pupil in Higher Magic. And as Diana walks an unknown path, she must journey to some of the darkest places within her family history - and herself - if she is to unlock greater power.

Follow Deborah Harkness

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Summer Break Rewind!

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations from Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!

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Kate Ruby, renowned author and TV producer, joins me to unpack her incredible journey from crafting lighthearted rom-coms to penning edge-of-your-seat domestic thrillers. This episode doesn't just skim the surface; we dissect Kate's career evolution and delve into the unique experiences that shaped her storytelling skills, from her unconventional childhood to her dynamic roles in television production at major networks like Channel 4 and the BBC and her new book, "Everything You Have."

Her insights into transitioning between the collaborative nature of TV and the solitary world of novel writing offer invaluable lessons for any creative balancing multiple pursuits.

Follow Kate Ruby

*First Broadcast: 17 December 2024

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the Summer Break Rewind!

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations fr Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!

------------------------------------------------------------

In this special Summer Rewind episode of The Conversation Podcast, I’m sharing Episode 200 of Page One: The Writer’s Podcast, where hosts Marco and Tariq sit down with international bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child. Together, they talk about the craft of thriller writing, the legacy of the Jack Reacher series, and the unique challenges and rewards of collaborating as brothers. It’s a masterclass in storytelling from two of the biggest names in crime fiction.

Follow Jack Reacher

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

Welcome to the Summer Break Rewind!

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations from Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!
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Ever wondered what really happens during a writer's deadline week? Bestselling author Maz Evans pulls no punches as she reveals the unglamorous reality: "Everything my children have eaten has come out of brown plastic. The oven's not been on. No cutlery has been used." This refreshingly honest conversation with Nadine Matheson peels back the curtain on the business of being an author in ways rarely discussed publicly.

Evans also discusses her latest novel, "That'll Teach Her," a clever murder mystery set in a primary school and told partially through WhatsApp group chats, a format inspired by the "absolute fat shittery" of parents' group messages.

Whether you're an aspiring writer wondering about the path ahead, a published author seeking solidarity, or simply curious about the realities behind the books you love, this conversation offers a master class in literary resilience. As Maz Evans wisely concludes, "The biggest success is staying in the game."

Follow Maz Evans

*First Broadcast 25 March 2025

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations from Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!

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Four powerful voices in crime fiction unite in this captivating Black History Month - Crime Writers special that peels back the curtain on writing, representation, and resilience. Dorothy Koomson (celebrating 21 years in publishing with 21 books), Amen Alonge (author of the Pretty Boy series), and Leye Adenle (creator of the Amaka Thrillers) join Nadine Matheson for a conversation that's equal parts hilarious and profound.

This special episode stands as both celebration and call to action, showcasing exceptional talent while highlighting how much more diverse the crime fiction landscape could and should be.

Follow Dorothy Koomson

Follow Amen Alonge

Follow Leye Adenle

*First Broadcast: 1 November 2024

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

Welcome to the Summer Break Rewind!

While The Conversation takes a short summer break, I’ll be sharing fan-favourite episodes from Season Three, along with brilliant conversations from Page One: The Writer’s Podcast. Season Four returns in September until then, enjoy the rewind!

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Sunday Times bestselling author Karen Swan, takes us on a journey through her unexpected path to authorship, from journalism to becoming a bestselling novelist. She recounts how an innocuous library visit revealed her innate storytelling gift, challenging her preconceived career notions.

We talk about the critical balancing act between creativity and professionalism in publishing, diving into the realities of the editing process and her new novel.

Follow Karen Swan

Buy: The Midnight Secret

*First Broadcast: 3 December 2024

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

Buy Me A Cup of Coffee and exclusive 'The Conversation' Merch

Ever wondered what happens after you land that dream literary agent? Award-winning journalist and novelist Lisa Rookes pulls back the curtain on publishing's hidden realities in this eye-opening conversation with Nadine Matheson.

Lisa shares her journey from early agent excitement (receiving eight offers of representation!), the sobering reality when her manuscript didn't sell and her new novel, The Empty Cradle. Through candid storytelling, Lisa dismantles the myth that good writing automatically leads to publishing success, explaining how timing, market trends, and commercial factors often matter more than quality. 

The Empty Cradle

Amy's so sure that her husband, Joel, is deeply invested in their future together. After all, it's his dream of a family together that has them trying so hard to have a baby, despite a series of disappointments. It's this certainty that leaves Amy absolutely floored when she learns of Joel's affair with her best friend.

Heartbroken and horrified, Amy flees to a dilapidated cottage in a Yorkshire village, a place she'd bought with dreams of making it feel homey and warm. In the new village, she feels like a clear outsider, but a group of local women soon take her under their wing. They gather for a routine book club, they say. Before Amy knows it, these women are in her life, and in her home.

Amy wakes one night to find herself outside in the fields. Strange offerings seem to be left on her doorstep. And the surveillance camera she installs shows shapes creeping around her house in the night. Strangest of all, she suddenly finds she's pregnant. A pregnancy that feels like a cruel joke.

The book club is incredibly invested in Amy's pregnancy. And it might just be in Amy's mind, but the women's interest doesn't always seem safe. What do the women want with her? And what do they want with her baby?

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

What happens when you dare to change direction in your 50s? Niloufar Lamakan's creative journey is nothing short of extraordinary. Transitioning from economics and technology to award-winning interior design and published fiction, all beginning in her late 40s.

Her debut novel "Aged to Perfection"  features a 60-year-old protagonist navigating dating and sexuality, what Niloufar calls "a rebel yell for older women to say don't write us off." For anyone contemplating a creative shift later in life, Niloufar's story proves it's never too late to reinvent yourself. 

Aged To Perfection

Sophia is determined to grow old disgracefully and refuses to be invisible. She craves fiery passion and steamy romance, not targeted ads for funeral plans. After a heart-shattering breakup, she ditches love to date a new man each week for a year.

As she flirts, fumbles and sips fizz through an array of encounters, from an opera buff in a cape to an orgasm whisperer, she discovers it's never too late to rewrite your own love story, even if it's not the one you expected…

Follow Niloufar Lamakan

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

What does success mean when you've spent your life running away rather than running towards something? Marcia Hutchinson's journey from a challenging childhood in Bradford to acclaimed debut novelist offers profound insights into resilience, creativity, and learning to celebrate life's achievements.

As Marcia Hutchinson celebrates her recognition as one of the Observer's debut novelists to watch in 2025 alongside the publication of "The Mercy Step," she's learning to run towards joy rather than away from pain.  Her story reminds us that sometimes our most painful experiences can become the source of our greatest strengths.

The Mercy Step

Bradford, December 1962.

A precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb, to a chaotic household that seems to have no place for her. Her siblings do not understand her, her mother’s attention is given to the Church, and the entire family lives at the whims of her father’s quick temper. 

Left to herself, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort of her faithful toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith and fear threatens to close in, Mercy learns she must act if she wants a different future; one where she is seen, heard, and her family set free. 

The Mercy Step is a sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion, and her refusal to be broken. 

Follow Marcia Hutchinson

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a text

Patricia Marques joins us for the final Coffee Break of Season 3 to discuss "The Burning Woman," the fourth and concluding novel in her Inspector Reis series. For readers who enjoy their crime fiction with a speculative twist, this finale delivers a satisfying end to character arcs while introducing a complex serial killer investigation.

The Inspector Reis Series 

1.  The Colours of Death
2.  House of Silence
3.  Broken Oaths

4. The Burning Woman

A local woman is found in a children's playground, tied up and burned to death. Her clothes are neatly folded and laid at the base of a nearby tree. Her body, charred and still smoking, is on display for all to see.

One town over, another victim is discovered in the scorched remains of a brutal fire, her clothes having been laid out just beyond the reach of the vicious flames.

Isabel Reis is called back to her post in the PolÍcia Judiciária hunt the serial killer and extinguish the red-hot city of Lisbon, or will she too get caught up in the smoke of the fire burning so close to home . . .

The blood-tingling final instalment in the critically acclaimed Inspector Reis series propels us back to Portugal, right into the path of a serial killer.

Follow Patricia Marques

Support the show

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.
https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Follow Me:
www.nadinematheson.com

BlueSky: @nadinematheson.com Substack: @nadinematheson Instagram: @queennads
Threads: @nadinematheson Facebook: nadinemathesonbooks
TikTok: @writer_nadinematheson

"Enjoying 'The Conversation'? Support the podcast by buying me a cup of coffee ☕️! Every contribution helps keep the show going.

https://ko-fi.com/nadinematheson

Don't forget to subscribe, download and review.

You can purchase books by the authors featured in our conversations through my affiliate shop on Bookshop.org. By using this link, you’ll be supporting independent bookstores, and I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.