The Writing Table with Kris Clink

Jessi Cole Jackson grew up in rural Michigan surrounded by lakes, cornfields, and hard-working pragmatists who would never call themselves artists, despite woodworking, sewing, baking, flower arranging, building, drawing, and crafting. Thus, it took her twenty long years to accept that she was, in fact, creative, just like everyone had been telling her all along. But she wasn’t quite ready to admit her true dream of writing, so she studied and pursued a backup career: theatre. 

Jessi spent twelve years building costumes for various award-winning theatres in Cincinnati, DC, Philadelphia, Princeton, and the north shore of Bos...

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 Compa...

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. 

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 no...

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 und...

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...

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 Sout...

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 du...

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 L...

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. Pri...

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...

Kristine Delano spent over twenty years navigating a career on Wall Street before trading her panoramic city view for her standing writer's desk where she crafts thriller novels set in the high-stakes finance world, exploring the emotional tension of work-life balance. In pursuit of compelling stories, Kristine hosts the popular podcast We Talk Careers, where she interviews the voices of Wall Street on leadership, growth, and purpose. When she's not writing, Kristine enjoys playing games with friends, scuba diving, and chasing her husband and children down the snowy ski slopes of western Maine—never does she catch them, but wi...

Amy Meyerson is the acclaimed author of the internationally bestselling The Bookshop of Yesterdays, The Imperfects, and The Love Scribe. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and are frequently chosen for best-of lists, including lists from Good Morning America, Publishers Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Texas Library Association’s Lariat List, among others. Meyerson completed her graduate work in creative writing at the University of Southern California, where she now teaches in the writing department. Her latest novel is The Water Lies. 

Learn more at amymeyerson.com 

Sp...

Jessica L. Cozzi crafts swoon-worthy romances for teens to show that there is always love in the world, if you’re willing to find it. She is a publicist at William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, and is also a former YA book blogger. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Fordham University and an MFA in Young Adult Fiction Writing & Professional Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Her literary passion lies in Young Adult stories, including any and all contemporary romantic comedies. Through the stories she puts on bookstore shelves, she gives readers the chance to flip th...

Jacqueline Mitchard is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels for adults and teenagers, and the recipient of Great Britain’s Talkabout prize, The Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson awards, and named to the short list for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Her first novel, The Deep End of the Ocean, was the inaugural selection of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club, with more than 3 million copies in print in 34 languages. Mitchard’s essays also have been published in magazines worldwide, widely anthologized, and incorporated into school curricula. Her latest novel is The Bird Watcher. 

Learn more at...

Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press, an imprint of The Stable Book Group. She is a memoir coach and author of Write On, Sisters!, Green-light Your Book, What's Your Book?, and three books on memoir. She’s also a TEDx speaker (“Green-light Revolution”), weekly podcaster (of “Memoir Nation” with co-host Grant Faulkner), and publishes a weekly newsletter, Writerly Things, on Substack at brookewarner.substack.com. 

Learn more at brookewarner.substack.com

For information on Brooke's Magic of Memoir classes, visit magicofmemoir.com. 

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Christina Kovac sits down with Kris to talk about living and writing in and around her Georgetown, DC home. 

Christina writes psychological suspense/thrillers set in Washington, DC. Prior to writing fiction, Christina worked in television news, covering crime and politics at Fox 5’s Ten O’Clock News in Washington, DC, and after that as a news producer and desk editor at the Washington Bureau of NBC News. She lives outside Washington DC with her family. She loves morning writes with her cat on her lap, ballgames at Nationals Park, book hauls from her town library, and hikin...

Gareth Russell is a historian and broadcaster, educated at Oxford University and Queen’s University, Belfast. He is the author of nine books. He is host of the podcast Single Malt History with Gareth Russell.  Russell divides his time between London and Belfast, Northern Ireland. His latest book is The Six Loves of James I. 

Learn more by following Gareth at Instagram: @_garethrussell; Twitter: @garethrussell1. 

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Yasmin Angoe is an action and psychological suspense thriller author, Library of Virginia People’s Choice Fiction Award finalist, and Anthony-award nominee of the critically acclaimed international Her Name is Knight and domestic psychological suspense Not What She Seems. She is a first-generation Ghanaian American and received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color from Sisters in Crime. Yasmin’s books were featured as Amazon’s Best Book of the Month for Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, and an Editor’s Pick. Her work has received numerous recognitions, was on a billboard in Times Square, Best Of lists, and a Li...

Elle Marr is the author of thrillers THE MISSING SISTER (2020), LIES WE BURY (2021), STRANGERS WE KNOW (2022), THE FAMILY BONES (2023), THE ALONE TIME (2024), and YOUR DARK SECRETS (July 30). She is (evidently) a fan of coffee. Her work has been featured in PopSugar, Woman’s World Magazine, Goodreads, Audible, and TV affiliates for CBS, ABC, FOX, and NBC. THE MISSING SISTER was a #1 Amazon bestseller and an Amazon Charts bestseller, while LIES WE BURY earned a Kirkus starred review, and STRANGERS WE KNOW was an Audible Most Anticipated Thriller. Publishers Weekly gave a starred review to THE FAMILY BONES, saying “Readers will...

BEVERLY JENKINS is the recipient of the 2018 Michigan Author Award by the Michigan Library Association, the 2017 Romance Writers of America Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as the 2016 Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award for historical romance. She has been nominated for the NAACP Image Award in Literature and was featured in both the documentary Love Between the Covers and on CBS Sunday Morning. Since the publication of Night Song in 1994, she has been leading the charge for inclusive romance and has been a constant darling of reviewers, fans, and her peers alike, garnering accolades for her work from th...

Kelsey Miller is a culture writer based in Brooklyn, New York. She is the author of international bestseller, I'll Be There For You (2018), a pop-culture history of Friends, and the memoir Big Girl (2016). Her work has been featured in New York Magazine, Glamour, Medium, Women's Health, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, Literary Hub, Refinery29, A Cup of Jo, and more. OLD MONEY is her first novel.

Learn more at kelseymiller.com 

Special thanks to Net Galley for an advance review copy. 

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Debut novelist Amy Rossi shares her journey as she launches The Cover Girl. 

Amy Rossi received her MFA from Louisiana State University, and she lives in North Carolina, by way of Massachusetts, with her partner and two dogs. The Cover Girl is her first novel.

Learn more at amyrossi.com 

Special thanks to Net Galley for an early preview copy.

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Lori Gold discusses her transition from writing young adult to commercial book club fiction. She and Kris chat about writing in the age of Artificial Intelligence. Lori discusses her current works-in-progress, teaching other writers through Grub Street Center for Creative Writing, and her latest novel, Romantic Friction which Sally Hepworth, New York Times bestselling author of Darling Girls, describes: “Relatable characters, sharp writing, and emotional turbulence will make you laugh and cry." Amy Tintera, author of Listen for the Lie, calls it "Smart, funny, and unpredictable." 

Gold is the author of four novels for young adults as wel...

Kelly Foster Lundquist explores the secrets of her first marriage, how she found the courage to love again, and what it took to share her story with readers. 

A teacher of writing at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park, MN. Lundquist is originally from Mississippi and has taught writing all over the United States (Boston, Chicago, Mississippi, Seattle, California, etc), as well as in Slovakia and Scotland. Her poetry and nonfiction can be seen in many places, including Villain Era Lit, Last Syllable Lit, Whale Road Review, and Image Journal. Her work has been nominated for a...

Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of ten novels, including The Overnight Guest and her most recent thriller Everyone is Watching. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence, was an instant NYT bestseller and remained on the list for 22 weeks. Gudenkauf’s critically acclaimed novels have been published in over 25 countries and have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. Her books have been featured on many Best Of roundups including lists by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Amazon, Apple Books, GoodReads, and more. Heather was born in Wagner, South Da...

Author of Chocolat, the best-selling novel that became the acclaimed movie starring Juliette Binoche, Dame Judi Dench, and Johnny Depp, Joanne Harris weighs in on her latest novel, Vianne and what it's taken to maintain her successful writing career. 

Joanne Harris is the internationally renowned and award-winning author of more than twenty novels, plus novellas, cookbooks, scripts, short stories, libretti, lyrics, articles, and a self-help book for writers. Her books are published in fifty countries. She holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Sheffield and Huddersfield, is an honorary Fellow of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge, and a F...

Olivia Dade sheds light on the jobs predating her writing career and why maintaining voice is important to an author's success. 

Dade grew up an undeniable nerd, prone to ignoring the world around her as she read any book she could find. Her favorites, though, were always, always romances. As an adult, she earned an M.A. in American history and worked in a variety of jobs that required the donning of actual pants: Colonial Williamsburg interpreter, high school teacher, academic tutor, and (of course librarian. Now, however, she has finally achieved her lifelong goal of wearing p...

Elizabeth Bass Parnam queried over two-hundred times before landing an agent and finding her novel in a four-way bidding war. Not giving up landed her where she'd always wanted to be: living the life of a professional novelist. This episode, Elizabeth shares her journey and discusses her newest novel, Bees in June. 

Elizabeth is a native Nashvillian, who had the extraordinarily good fortune of having as an English teacher in middle school author Lee Smith. Lee told Elizabeth to always keep writing, which she has joyfully done. She received her Bachelor’s degree in English literature from Ham...

Writing can be a struggle between joy and pain, but Jennifer Probst seems to have figured out how to pivot during the less enjoyable times. 

Jennifer is the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifty books in contemporary romance fiction. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over 2 million copies, and was dubbed a "romance phenom" by Kirkus Reviews. Her passions include reading, horse racing, Scrabble, Italian wine and food, shameful reality television, and rescue dogs. Like some of her characters, Probst, along with her husband a...

Poppy and Kris have an honest conversation about writing with neurodivergence and other health issues, and Poppy gives the background of her latest novel, Battle of the Bookshops. 

Poppy Alexander is the author of The Littlest Library, Storybook Ending, and 25 Days ’Til Christmas. She wrote her first book when she was five. There was a long gap in her writing career while she was at school, and after studying classical music at university, she decided the world of music was better off without her and took up public relations, campaigning, political lobbying, and a bit of...

Hannah McKinnon enjoyed success writing for young people. Then, pulled back when asked to write edgier novels, recalibrating and finding success in the adult market. 

Hannah is the author of several acclaimed novels, including The Lake Season, Mystic Summer, The Summer House, Sailing Lessons, The View from Here, Message in the Sand, The Darlings, The Summer Club, and her latest, The Sandy Page Bookshop. She graduated from Connecticut College and the University of South Australia. She lives in Connecticut, with her family, a flock of chickens, and two raggedy rescue dogs. 

Learn more at HannahMcKinnon.co...

Courtney Psak graduated with a degree in Communications and Journalism with a master’s degree in Publishing. She currently lives in Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and two sons. She is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, the National Writers Association, International Thriller Writers and a board member for the Mystery Writers of America. Her newest novel is The Tutor.

 Special thanks to NetGalley for an early copy. 

Learn more at courtneypsak.com 

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Jane Hamilton shares what she's been doing since publishing her last novel almost ten years ago and reveals what got in her way while writing The Phoebe Variations. 

Jane Hamilton is the author of seven critically acclaimed and bestselling novels, including The Book of Ruth and A Map of the World, both of which were Oprah's Book Club selections. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Allure, Elle, and various anthologies. She's married to an apple farmer and lives in Wisconsin. 

Learn more at Janehamiltonbooks.com 

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Shirley Russak Wachtel is the author of the short story collection Three For A Dollar, the book of poetry, In The Mellow Light, and several books for children. Her short stories and poems have appeared in various literary journals. A daughter of Holocaust survivors, Wachtel was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a doctor of letters degree from Drew University and Professor Emerita of English at Middlesex College in New Jersey.  The mother of three grown sons and grandmother to three precocious granddaughters, she currently resides in East Brunswick, New Jersey, with her husband, A...

What does it take to become a successful multi-genre author? J.T. Ellison reveals how she's navigated the changing publishing market while maintaining an authentic writing voice and promotional image. 

JT is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 35+ novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes urban fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker. With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim, prestigious awards, been optioned for television, and has been published in 28 countries. J.T. li...

Amran Gowani is a former Wall Street analyst, a prolific content creator and over the last four years he's written and produced 200 humorous personal essays and satirical short-form pieces. When Amran’s not hanging out with imaginary people in imaginary places, he enjoys biking around the great city of Chicago, bouldering with his extraordinary wife Felicia, and reading comic books with his two wildly imaginative and deeply ungrateful children. By leveraging his lifelong love of film, literature, and video games—and drawing upon his decade-plus of surreal and disturbing experiences across Big Pharma and Wall Street—he crafte...

Ally Carter's novels are infused with excitement and Mr. and Mrs. Smith level romantic intrigue. Crafting them is not as easy as some might assume. Ally peels back the curtain and shares unvarnished accountings of the heartache that comes with creating electric jaunts for her characters. 

Ally is the bestselling author of novels that have epitomized action-adventure YA romance for more than a decade. From the spy-centric humor of I’d Tell You I Love You, but Then I’d Have to Kill You to the globe-trotting glamour of Heist Society, Embassy Row, and Not If I Save...

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is USA Today bestselling author of 16 psychological thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, with 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors for her groundbreaking journalism and true crime stories. National book critics call her “a superb and gifted storyteller.” Her current novel isOne Wrong Word, a twisty story of gaslighting, manipulation, and murder. Hank is on the board of International Thriller Writers, a sought-after teacher and keynote speaker, and host of thr...

Joelle Babula writes about things your mother warned you not to talk about at the dinner table, like infidelity, emotional chaos and cheese-induced bliss. A former award-winning journalist and columnist turned nurse practitioner, Joelle now lives on Baltimore’s inner harbor with her adoring husband and two absurd cats. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, she spends her days caring for patients and her nights stirring up fictional drama, often with a glass of wine in hand and a wedge of something smelly on her plate. Infidelity Rules is her debut novel. And yes, she’s work...