Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors

Join hosts J.D. Barker, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and Jena Brown as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about James Patterson, certifying human-made writing, and ElevenReader. Then, stick around for a chat with Sophia Efthimiatou!

Sophia Efthimiatou: "I am the Head of Writer Relations at Substack. I love words and I love working with people who spend their lives thinking about them.

I live in New York but I am orginally from Athens, Greece, which explains why my last name resembles a UPS tracking number.

I’ve worked in academic and professional book publishing, at a literary magazine, and for a powerhouse agent. I did the MFA thing. I helped put archaeological exhibitions together, curated artistic programs and public events. I have been lucky in my wanderings. Substack is the most interesting thing I’ve ever done..." Read more at sophia.substack.com!

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and JP Rindfleisch as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Anthropic, Grok chats, and C-SPAN. Then, stick around for a chat with Brian McAuley!

Brian McAuley grew up in Weird NJ on a steady diet of Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark? episodes. He received his BA in Creative Writing and Horror Theory from NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study before getting his MFA in Film from Columbia University.

As a WGA screenwriter, Brian has written five films for the Lifetime Network in addition to writing and producing the award-winning thriller Dismissed for BoulderLight Pictures. He sold his TV series pitch Affliction to Syfy Network in a pilot development deal and penned an episode of Fuller House for Netflix.

Brian’s debut novel Curse of the Reaper was named one of the Best Horror Books of 2022 by Esquire. His 2023 Christmas horror novella Candy Cain Kills received praise from Booklist, Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews, leading to the 2024 sequel Candy Cain Kills Again: The Second Slaying.

His new novel Breathe In, Bleed Out will publish on September 2nd, 2025 from Poisoned Pen Press. His short fiction and non-fiction have appeared in various magazines and anthologies.

Brian teaches as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Screenwriting at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School of Arizona State University.

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about $100,000 memoirs, Focus Friend, and Anthropic. Then, stick around for a chat with Jeffrey James Higgins!

Jeffrey James Higgins is a retired supervisory special agent who writes thrillers, short stories, creative nonfiction, and essays. He has wrestled a suicide bomber, fought the Taliban in combat, and chased terrorists across five continents.

Jeffrey received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Heroism and the DEA Award of Valor. CNN, Fox News, and The New York Times have interviewed him, and he’s appeared on CNN Declassified, National Geographic’s Narco Wars, and ABC News. He has a BS in Journalism and an MS in Criminal Justice.

He’s a #1 Amazon bestselling author who’s won the Claymore Award, PenCraft’s Best Fiction Book of the Year, and a Reader’s Favorite Gold Medal. His debut novel, Furious, is Black Rose Writing’s bestselling thriller, and The Forever Game was selected as one of the best medical thrillers of the 21st century. In 2025, Severn River Publishing will publish The Havana Syndrome, followed by three more thrillers in the Nathan Burke international espionage series.

Jeffrey owns Elaine’s Literary Salon in Alexandria, VA, where he counsels writers, interviews authors, and hosts a podcast. He’s an Authors Guild ambassador for the DC area and a frequent panelist at conferences and book festivals. Jeffrey’s an active member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, The Northern Virginia Writers Club, and the Royal Writers Secret Society.

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Join hosts Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, Kevin Tumlinson, and JP Rindfleisch as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Associated Press, book banning, and AI. Then, stick around for a chat with Lisa Gardner!

Lisa Gardner, a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist, began her career in food service, but after catching her hair on fire numerous times, she took the hint and focused on writing instead. A self-described research junkie, she has transformed her interest in police procedure and criminal minds into a streak of internationally acclaimed novels, published across 30 countries. She’s also had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide) and has made personal appearances on TruTV and CNN.

Lisa’s books have received awards from across the globe. Her novel, The Neighbor, won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers, while also receiving the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France. She was also recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for The Other Daughter. Finally, Lisa received the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017 for her work on behalf of at-risk children and the Humane Society.

For a bit of fun, Lisa invites her readers to enter the annual “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy” Sweepstakes at LisaGardner.com. Every year, one Lucky Stiff is selected to meet a grand end in Lisa’s latest novel. Past winners have nominated spouses, best friends and even themselves.

Lisa lives in New Hampshire where she spends her time with an assortment of canine companions. When not writing, she loves to hike, garden, snowshoe and play cribbage.

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Bookshop.org, Read Dating, and Stephen King. Then, stick around for a chat with Karin Slaughter!

Karin Slaughter is one of the world's most popular and acclaimed storytellers. She is the author of more than twenty instant New York Times bestselling novels, including the Edgar–nominated Cop Town and standalone novels Pretty Girls, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her. She is published in 120 countries with more than 40 million copies sold across the globe. Pieces of Her is a #1 Netflix original series starring Toni Collette, and WILL TRENT, based on her Will Trent series, is on ABC (and streaming on Hulu in the U.S. and Disney+ internationally). False Witness and The Good Daughter are in development for television. Slaughter is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit organization established to support libraries and library programming. A native of Georgia, she lives in Atlanta.

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about BookTok, Publishers Marketplace, and Briet. Then, stick around for a chat with Ania Ahlborn!

Ania Ahlborn is a Polish-American author known for her work in the horror and thriller genres. Born in Ciechanów, Poland, she moved to the United States when she was young.

Ahlborn began her writing career by self-publishing her first novel, Seed, before gaining recognition for her distinctive voice in horror. Her novels often explore dark and psychological themes, captivating readers with her ability to create chilling atmospheres and complex characters.

One of her notable works, "Brother," garnered attention for its intense narrative and psychological depth. Her storytelling style often blends elements of psychological horror, suspense, and a keen understanding of the dark intricacies of human nature.

She has earned praise for her contributions to both the horror and psychological thriller genres, and her novels have resonated with readers who appreciate atmospheric, character-driven, no-holds-barred fiction.

Originally hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, she has lived in Portland, Oregon and Greenville, South Carolina. She currently resides outside of Raleigh, North Carolina with her husband, son, and standard schnauzers.

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about Reese Witherspoon, the AI Protection Act, and audiobook walking clubs. Then, stick around for a chat with J.T. Ellison!

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 psychological thrillers and domestic noir novels, and the Emmy® award-winning co-host of A Word on Words on Nashville PBS.

She also writes contemporary fantasy as Joss Walker, including the award-winning Jayne Thorne series. With millions of books sold across 30 countries, her work has earned critical acclaim, prestigious awards, and multiple TV options. J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens—one of whom is a ghost—where she’s crafting her next suspenseful tale.

Want to learn more? Visit J.T.'s FAQ page, and check out her favorite interviews. Need a book cover? How about a head shot? Visit the media kit.

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about a scam, a $100,000 prize, and Anthropic. Then, stick around for a chat with Christina Dotson!

Christina Dotson: Thriller author of LOVE YOU TO DEATH (7/22/2025) from Bantam/@randomhouse, lover of carbs & plot twists, and a super Social Worker❤️ - https://www.threads.com/@christinadotsonwrites?xmt=AQF0XaAiFcQ39Vr0u9-KG8lCjhoyU8i8sy8J4f03KOJtiDU

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, Jena Brown, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about TikTok, must-read magazines, and AI translation. Then, stick around for a chat with Tess Sharpe!

Tess Sharpe: Born in a mountain cabin to a punk-rocker mother, Tess Sharpe grew up in rural northern California. She lives deep in the backwoods with a pack of dogs and a growing colony of formerly feral cats. She is the author of Barbed Wire Heart, the critically acclaimed YA novel Far From You and the upcoming Jurassic World prequel, The Evolution of Claire.

She is also the co-editor of Toil & Trouble, a feminist anthology about witches. Her short fiction has been featured in All Out, an anthology edited by Saundra Mitchell. 

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Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's entertainment news, including stories about influencers, AI, and BookBub. Then, stick around for a chat with Andrew Gulli!

Andrew Gulli's The Strand Magazine:

The Strand Mystery Magazine is a quarterly which offers the best of both worlds—publishing previously unpublished works by literary masters such as John Steinbeck, Ernest Hemingway,  Rod Serling,  Louisa May Alcott, Shirley Jackson, Agatha Christie, Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler , Tennessee Williams, and H.G.Wells . The Strand Magazine also features new works by today’s bestselling authors including Alexander McCall Smith, R.L. Stine, Michael Connelly, Faye Kellerman, Craig Johnson, Ruth Ware, Joseph Finder, and Jeffery Deaver, as well as engaging interviews. Our reviews section looks at the latest mystery/thriller offerings, Sherlock Holmes pastiches, and anthologies, in addition to audiobooks and DVDs. The Strand Mystery Magazine has been featured several times in The New York Times, NPR, PBS, USA Today, and the Associated Press.

Our current issue features Ian Fleming, Graham Greene, C.J. Box, Denise Mina and John Floyd. We also have an interview with Amor Towles.

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