What does an author do when her debut novel becomes an instant bestseller?  Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney went right back to work on her next one, and her next-also instant hits. In this episode, Cynthia discusses growing up in the seventies, her hometown, and her parents' book collection influenced her latest novel, Lake Effect. People Magazine calls Lake Effect: “Astute and immersive with a surprising twist.”

Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney is the author of the instant New York Times bestselling novels The Nest (named a best book of the year by People, the Washington Post, and NPR) and Good Company (a Read with Jenna selection). She has been a guest on Today, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and NPR’s All Things Considered. Her work has been translated into more than 28 languages, and The Nest is in development as a limited series with AMC Studios. Sweeney holds an MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. She and her husband live in New York City.  Her latest novel is LAKE EFFECT. 

Learn more at daprixsweeney.com 

Thanks to NetGalley for early preview copies. 

Ragdale Writing Residencies

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Inspiration doesn't always find authors at their desk, and it doesn't give a darn about deadlines. Where does a creative go when the muse is silent? 

Nick Petrie's back at the Writing Table. He shares his secrets to writing adventure-filled thrillers and provides accessible tactics everyone can use to to refill their creative well. 

*Plus* a peek at what goes into his Peter Ash novels. This is a fun episode, y'all. 

Nick Petrie received his MFA in fiction from the University of Washington and won a Hopwood Award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. His story “At the Laundromat” won the 2006 Short Story Contest in The Seattle Review, and his  first novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awards. It was also nominated for Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards. He won the 2016 Literary Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and was named one of Apple’s 10 Writers to Read in 2017. Light It Up was named the Best Thriller of 2018 by Apple Books. Light it Up, The Wild One and The Price You Pay were shortlisted for the Barry Award. A husband and father, he has worked as a carpenter, remodeling contractor, and building inspector.  He lives in Milwaukee, where he is hard at work on the next Peter Ash novel. His latest novel is THE DARK TIME. 

Learn more at nickpetrie.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley for early previews. 

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Regarded as a master of suspense, Lisa Unger stops by the Writing Table to talk to Kris about her writing career and how she channels inspiration into suspense-packed novels. 

Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-three novels. Her books have been published in thirty-three languages with millions of copies sold worldwide Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family. Her latest novel is Served Him Right. 

Lisa mentioned Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way during this episode. 

Learn more at lisaunger.com

Special thanks to NetGalley for an early peek at Served Him Right. 

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Linda Rhodes began her career as a dairy cow veterinarian after she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania summa cum laude in 1978. After several years in dairy practice, she was granted a fellowship at Cornell University, where she obtained her PhD in 1988. The rest of her career was spent in the pharmaceutical industry, helping to develop medicines for many species of animals. She retired in 2016 and has subsequently served on several corporate and start-up boards in the animal health industry. She has received the Iron Paw Award for her lifetime achievements. Breaking the Barnyard Barrier is her first book. 

Lean more about Linda Rhodes at lindarhodes.com. 

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Kate White is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of eleven psychological thrillers. In addition to writing stand-alone psychological thrillers, Kate is the author of eight Bailey Weggins mysteries. The most recent, SUCH A PERFECT WIFE, was nominated for an International Thriller Writers Award. She is a frequent speaker at libraries and conferences and loves to share her strategies for Fearless Reinvention or offer her nine best tips for writing a page-turning thriller or mystery. The former editor-in-chief of five major magazines, including Cosmopolitan for 14 years, Kate is also the author of several popular career books, including the groundbreaking Wall Street Journal bestseller WHY GOOD GIRLS DON'T GET AHEAD BUT GUTSY GIRLS DO. Kate is an avid traveler and spends each winter with her husband at their home in Uruguay. She holds an honorary doctorate of letters from her alma mater, Union College, where she gave the 2022 commencement address.Her latest novel is I CAME BACK FOR YOU. Learn more at katewhite.com 

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New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Joshilyn Jackson’s books have been translated into a dozen languages, won SIBA’s Novel of the Year award, three times been the #1 Book Sense Pick, twice been the #1 Indie Next Pick, twice won Georgia Author of the Year, been a top ten finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards, been the Target Book Club Pick, three times been a Books-A-Million Book Club Pick, four times been shortlisted for the Townsend Prize for Fiction, been a finalist for the Willie Morris Award for Southern Fiction, and won the Patricia Winn Award for Southern Fiction.

A former actor, Jackson reads the audio versions of both her own novels and other writers’ books. Her work in this field has been nominated for the Audie Award, included on AudioFile Magazine’s best of the year list, won three Earphones Awards, made the Audible All-Star list for highest listener ranks/reviews, and garnered three Listen Up Awards from Publishers Weekly. She lives in upstate New York with her family and a motley crew of black and white animals. Her latest novel is Missing Sister. 

Learn more at Joshilynjackson.com

Special thanks to NetGalley.

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Hays Trott Blinckmann is a writer, journalist, teacher, and recovering painter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Tufts University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She has written the novels: In the Salt, Where I Can Breathe, Here, Kitty, and the young adult novel Yell Out Loud, and lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband and two sons. Her latest novel is Tiny Little Earthquakes.  

Learn more at authorhaysblinckmann.com 

Click here to see Hays discussing Tiny Little Earthquakes on Good Morning America during the book's February 17th launch week.

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Sofia Robleda is a Mexican writer who spent her childhood and adolescence in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. She completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in psychology at the University of Queensland, in Australia. She currently lives in the UK with her husband and son, and splits her time writing, raising her son, and working as a psychologist, supporting people with brain injuries and neurological conditions. Her latest work is THE OTHER MOCTEZUMA GIRLS.

Learn more at sofiarobleda.com

Thanks to NetGalley for early review copies. 

Sofia recommended The Moor's Account by Laila Lalami. 

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How does an ice skater move forward when her Olympic hopes are dashed? This isn't the logline for a novel, but Wendy Walker's true story. 

Wendy Walker is the author of the psychological suspense novels All Is Not Forgotten, Emma In the Night, The Night Before, Don’t Look For Me, What Remains, American Girl and the Audible Original audio play, Mad Love. Her novels have been translated into 23 foreign languages, topped bestseller lists both nationally and abroad, and have been optioned for both television and film. Wendy holds degrees from Brown University and Georgetown Law School. Prior to her writing career, Wendy trained for competitive figure skating, worked as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs, and practiced both corporate and family law. She resides in Connecticut where she raised her three sons. Her latest novel is Blade. 

Learn more at wendywalkerbooks.com 

Special thanks to NetGalley. 

Check out The Room Next Door, Wendy's Audible Original featuring Julia Whelan among the talented cast of narrators. 

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Kaira Rouda is an award–winning, USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her novels of domestic suspense include The Widow, Somebody’s Home, The Next Wife, The Favorite Daughter, Best Day Ever, All the Difference and more. Beneath the Surface has been optioned for a feature film. To date, Kaira’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. The Next Wife was named a Suspense Magazine’s Best Book of 2021 Award, and a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense Novel and a 2022 Silver Falchion first runner-up for Best Book of the Year. She lives in Southern California with her family and is working on her next novel. Her latest novel is WE WERE NEVER FRIENDS. 

Learn more at Kairarouda.com 

The Killer Author Club 

Special thanks to NetGalley for early preview copies. 

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