Bookwild
On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with multiple co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.
Some Mid-Year Favorite Reads with Halley Sutton
This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we discuss tv shows and movies we've been watching recently, and share some of our favorite reads so far halfway through 2026!
Books We Talked About
Kate's Books
It Came from Neverland by Cynthia Pelayo
The Bad Muslim Discount by Syed M. Masood
Our Sister's Keeper by Jasmine Holmes
Halley's Books
Revenge Plot by Stephanie Wrobel
The Chaperones by Amy Meyerson
London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for...
Your New Favorite Bisexual Stoner P.I. | Jack Friday's Killer Vibes
In this episode, I talk with Jack Friday (a.k.a John Fram) about his new P.I. series Killer Vibes!
Listen to hear all about:
Building a detective unlike the classic hard-boiled heroes: How Peter Key became a lazy, bisexual, stoner private investigator whose sincerity, humor, and curiosity make him feel fresh while still honoring classic noir traditions. The art of writing humor that actually lands: Why he never writes "jokes" on purpose, how Peter's personality naturally creates comedy, and why sincerity is the secret ingredient behind the book's funniest moments. Balancing creativity with the...What If Your Parent was a Serial Killer? V.A. Vazquez's The Death Row Club
In this episode, Gare and I talk with V.A. Vazquez about her dark, twisty thriller The Death Row Club!
Listen to hear all about:
The deeply personal experience that inspired The Death Row Club. V.A. Vazquez shares how discovering that a beloved high school teacher was secretly a predator sparked the question: What would it be like to be the child of someone capable of horrific crimes? Why writing this novel became an exploration of shame, identity, and inherited judgment. V.A. Vazquez discusses how growing up with two moms in a conservative Catholic s...Good for Her, Female Rage, and Sisterhood: Molly Fader's Lady X
In this episode, I talk with Molly Fader about her ragey, dual-timeline thriller Lady X!
Listen to hear all about:
How her teenage daughter and Taylor Swift inspired the story. Molly shares how frustration with real-world misogyny, a personal experience involving her daughter, and one song combined to spark the idea for Lady X. A thoughtful conversation about women's anger—and why we're often taught to suppress it. We discuss how patriarchy, complicity, female rage, and why stories about women standing together feel especially powerful today. The fascinating research behind 1970s New York City. Learn how So...Serial Killers, Sherlock, and the Truth About Empire: Arvind Ethan David's The Great Game
In this episode, I talk with Arvind Ethan David about his historical mystery thriller The Great Game!
Listen to hear all about:
How Arvind Ethan David reimagined classic literary icons by pairing Sherlock Holmes with gentleman thief A.J. Raffles and Balvinder Singh, an Indian veteran whose perspective reshapes Edwardian-era mysteries. The real history that shaped the thriller, including the Boer War, the British Empire, and the often-overlooked presence of Indian soldiers and immigrants in early 1900s London. How historical fiction can be propulsive, as Arvind blends grisly serial murders, conspiracy, humor, and literary Easter eggs i...Pop Culture, Gossip and Revenge: Ashley Winstead's Hot Girl Murder Club
Ashley Winstead IS BACK! Â Gare and I ask all our burning questions about Hot Girl Murder Club.
Listen to hear about:
How Ashley Winstead wrote Hot Girl Murder Club as an act of creative defiance. Ashley shares the publishing and Hollywood conversations that told her feminist revenge stories were "over"—and why that made her determined to write one anyway. The surprising inspiration behind the novel's unique structure. Ashley discusses how Dune, historical dissertations, Patty Hearst, and mythic storytelling shaped the book, including an early version that was set decades in the future. A deep dive into...Double Agents, Journalism and Espionage: Connor Martin's The Silver Fish
**If you're listening when this airs, note that this episode was recorded at the beginning of May and should've come out in May. Â Due to an injury (and painkillers) it's been sitting in my drafts, and I forgot to publish it.**
In this episode, I chat with Connor Martin about his new espionage thriller The Silver Fish.
Listen to hear about:How a 20-year journey and a career in national security led Connor Martin to write his debut espionage thriller—including why switching from literary fiction to spy fiction finally unlocked the story he was mea...
Power, Greed, and the Dark Side of Utopia: Zac Canon's Stillwater Trace
In this episode, I chat with Zac Cannon about his new speculative thriller Stillwater Trace!
Listen to hear about:
How a "dad action movie" premise transformed into a layered thriller exploring faith, power, surveillance, and belonging—and why Zac let the story evolve far beyond his original concept. The real-world inspirations behind Stillwater Trace, from corporate master-planned communities and culture wars to religious deconstruction, and how current events shaped the novel without making it feel tied to one moment in time. The craft of writing cinematic suspense, including how Zac's screenwriting background influences his novels, why he...Trauma, Twins and Twists: The Girls in the Dark by Avery Bishop
In this episode, Gare and I chat with Avery Bishop about his new thriller The Girls in the Dark!
Listen to hear about:
An unfiltered look at editorial disagreements, publishing contracts, audiobook production, and why getting a book into readers' hands is often far more complicated than fans realize. The inspiration behind The Girls in the Dark, balancing suspense with emotional realism, portraying trauma responsibly, and why some stories need to embrace their darkness. Crafting page-turning cliffhangers and deciding how much of a killer's motivation readers really needCheck Out Author Social Media Packages<...
Chronic Illness, Spy Thrills & Fake Dating: Kate Williams' Fake Out Make Out
This week, I talk with Kate Williams about her new romance spy thriller Fake Out Make Out!
Kate's journey from self-publishing and writing across genres to landing a traditional publishing deal with Fake Out, Make Out. How Kate built a spy romance, balanced action with emotional beats, and embraced genre mashups. How she drew from her own autoimmune journey and the importance of seeing disabled and chronically ill characters on the page. How she approaches outlining action scenes, creating compelling character dynamics, and finding the perfect title for the book. Lessons from years of writing, and encouragement for a...A Trip to Greece, Widow's Bay, Summer House and More with Halley Sutton
Halley Sutton is back from a trip through Greece and Turkey, and she shares some of the highlights of her trip! Â We also discuss books, tv shows and movies we've been watching and reading recently, and dive into THAT Summer House Reunion a la Scamanda.
Check Out Author Social Media Packages
Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon
Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack
Get Bookwild Merch
Follow @imbookwild on Instagram
Other Co-hosts On Instagram:
Gare Billings @gareindeedreads
Steph Lauer @b...
Improv, Love and Grief: Emma Brodie's Into the Blue
This week, Emma West, Kara Confer and I talk with Emma Brodie about her love story Into the Blue!
Listen to hear about:
How a single character—Noah—kept appearing across multiple abandoned projects until he became the foundation of Into the Blue A behind-the-scenes look at how Emma's theater classes, improv training, and fascination with performance shaped the book's unique portrayal of acting and creative connection.
 The emotional reality of publishing while working in the publishing industry, including the vulnerability of releasing work when you're surrounded by people who understand exactly how the busine...
When Rom-Coms Become Nightmares: Olivia Worley's Man of My Dreams
This week, Gare and I talk with Olivia Worley about her new horror-thriller Man of My Dreams!
Listen to hear about:
How Olivia's real-life dating experiences—and meeting a man eerily similar to a character she had already written—inspired the premise of Man of My Dreams A deep dive into blending rom-coms with psychological thrillers, why modern dating is the perfect backdrop for suspense, and how Olivia carefully balances romance with increasingly dark twists
 Writing morally complicated women, the thrill of surprising readers, and why some of the most compelling stories happen when romanc...
The History of Misogyny in Pop Culture: Our Thoughts on Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert
This week, Elizabeth Rose Quinn and I discuss revelations we had while reading Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Each Other by Sophie Gilbert.
Listen to hear about:
How Sophie Gilbert's Girl on Girl traces a throughline from the 1990s to today, revealing how pop culture, celebrity media, and entertainment industries shaped modern misogyny and women's relationships with each other. A discussion of the "post-privacy era," from Pamela Anderson's stolen sex tape to social media, influencer culture, and the normalization of treating women's lives and bodies as public property. Why...Three Hitmen, a Baby, and the Art of Writing Great Action: Rob Hart's Three Hitmen and a Baby
This week, I talk with Rob Hart about his third Assassins Anonymous book Three Hitmen and a Baby!
Listen to hear about:
Why the series resonates beyond action: Hart uses professional killers in recovery to examine guilt, redemption, personal growth, and whether people can truly change. Rob's writing philosophy, and why he believes even pantsers need to know where their story is headed emotionally.
 Why humor is essential in thrillers, arguing that comedy acts as a pressure-release valve that helps readers connect more deeply with characters and makes even high-stakes action scenes more memorable.
...
Comfort Reads and Watches with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare catches Steph and I up on his trip to the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share what we gravitate toward in books, movies and TV shows when we need a comfort story!
Books We Talked About
Verity Hot Girl Murder Club We Used to Live Here Sublimation The Midnight Knock Jar of Hearts The Truth About Melody Browne The SpinTV Shows We Talked About
Orphan Black Severance The Vampire Diaries New Girl The Office Parks and Recreation Schitt's CreekMovies We Talked About
Basic Instinct Oddity Cape...Cosmic Horror and a Crime Procedural: CJ Leede's Headlights
This week, I talk with CJ Leede about her new horror novel Headlights!
Listen to hear about:
How CJ originally planned to become a medieval historian, but after a professor helped her discover storytelling was what she wanted to pursue. How Headlights began with the idea of people waking up on the side of a highway wearing the skin of strangers, and evolved into a story about grief, mortality, family legacy, and the search for meaning. Why Leede treats setting as a character, using Colorado's beauty, danger, wildlife, and landscapes as metaphors for the novel's larger...Emma West's Reading Journey, TBR Habit, and Approach to Inventory Manager at Wild Geese Bookshop
This week, Emma West joins and shares her reading journey, her favorite genres, and how she ended up the Inventory Manager at Wild Geese Books.
Listen to hear about:
Emma's reading journey beginning as a substitute for formal education, and how she approached books as a way to keep learning and expanding her worldview. How both of us gravitate toward layered, "mind-bending" stories that require active engagement rather than straightforward "popcorn thrillers." How romance works best for uswhen it's about more than romance—family dynamics, grief, friendship, identity, or creative life make the emotional stakes richer. How...Identity, Immigration and Intent: Isabel J. Kim's Sublimation
In this episode, I talk with Isabel J. Kim about her debut speculative fiction, Sublimation! Â
Listen to hear about:
How Isabel J. Kim's inspiration for Sublimation came from her own experience growing up between Korea and the United States and wondering how different her life might have been if she had stayed in Korea permanently. Why "instancing" (where you split into two people when you cross a border) worked so well as a speculative framework to explore identity, immigration, belonging, and the ways environment shapes who we become over time. The process of expanding her short s...MacKenzie Green is the Global Head of Social for Audible!
MacKenzie Green is back, and she's now the Global Head of Social for Audible!
Listen to hear about:
How MacKenzie grew up dyslexic, relied heavily on audiobooks to keep up in school, and never imagined she would one day become Head of Global Social at Audible. Why people should read what they actually enjoy, DNF books that aren't working, and use whatever format—audio, ebook, or print—helps them engage with stories. How asking people what they were reading helped her build relationships, conduct informational interviews, and create meaningful follow-up conversations throughout her career, which all culm...From Indoctrination to Curiosity: Promise Backlund's Gospel of Lies
In this episode, I talk with Promise Backlund about her book Gospel of Lies! Â She shares her experience growing up in evangelical Christianity, examining how fear, purity culture, certainty, and religious identity shaped her childhood and adult life. We dive into deconstruction, religious trauma, politics, sexuality, pleasure, and the complicated process of rebuilding meaning, identity, and awe outside of rigid belief systems.
Listen to hear about:
How faith was woven into every part of both our childhoods—from sunsets to sickness—creating a worldview where God explained everything and fear explained the rest. How fear of hell...All Our Thoughts About Good People by Patmeena Sabit with Erin Ashley
This week, Erin Ashley is back, and we dive into all our thoughts and reactions to Patmenna Sabit's stunning debut novel Good People! Â THIS IS A SPOILER EPISODE.
Check Out Author Social Media Packages
Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon
Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack
Get Bookwild Merch
Follow @imbookwild on Instagram
Other Co-hosts On Instagram:
Gare Billings @gareindeedreads
Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland
Halley Sutton @halleysutton25
Brian Watson @readingwithbrian
MacKenzie Green @m...
Palestinian Joy, Stand-Up Comedy and Secret Family History: Sara Hamdan's What Will People Think
This week, I talk with Sara Hamdan about her journey from finance and journalism into fiction, and how writing What Will People Think became a way to explore identity, belonging, family history, and the freedom to define yourself outside of expectations. Through conversations about comedy, Palestinian representation, women’s choices, historical memory, and the many forms of love, the episode explores how fiction can create connection and make complex experiences feel deeply human.
Listen to hear about:
How moving from finance into journalism—and eventually fiction—helped her discover storytelling as both a craft and a way to...Vietnam Vets, Addiction and Deserved Justice: Karen E Osborne's Justice for Emerson
This week, I talk with return guest Karen E. Osborne about her newest mystery Justice for Emerson!
Listen to hear about:
How Karen approached a dual-timeline mystery that blends a present-day murder investigation with the long emotional aftermath of the Vietnam War, addiction, race, and trauma. How Karen’s research process is deeply people-centered—drawing from her husband’s Vietnam experiences, veterans, recovering addicts, and sensitivity readers to create emotionally authentic characters without judgment.
 How she crafted her protagonist: a widowed nonprofit CEO balancing grief, self-doubt, romance, family tension, and danger while unraveling a conspira...
Haunted Houses and the Horrors of Domestic Motherhood: Aimee Pokwatka's Accumulation
This week, I talk with Aimee Poktwatka about her hew horror book Accumulation!
Listen to hear about:
Aimee's unconventional path to becoming an author—from anthropology and veterinary work to creative writing—and how curiosity has shaped her storytelling. How Accumulation was inspired by Aimee’s real 18th-century home, a creepy doll her husband found in the yard, and her fascination with haunted house stories as metaphors for domestic life.
 How the novel blends haunted house horror, psychological suspense, and social commentary to examine motherhood, invisible labor, and the slow erosion of self.
 Aimee's “...
Kara Confer and Emily Hone Are Getting Introverts to Go Out: The Wild Geese Event Staff
This week, you get to meet the book girlies who I haven't been able to stop talking about! Â Kara Confer and Emily Hone are the event team at Wild Geese Bookshop, and they are bringing some incredible authors to Indiana. Â Hear about how they have evolved into their current positions, some book event BTS, starting their podcast Fill Your Cup, and books that define their reading tastes!
Books Kara Mentioned
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies — Deesha Philyaw The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman — Deesha Philyaw Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead — Emily Austin ...Privilege, Payback, and Pay-to-Stay Prison: Elizabeth Rose Quinn's Payback
This week, I talk with repeat guest and friend Elizabeth Rose Quinn about her new, somewhat locked room thriller Payback!
Listen to hear us discuss:
Payback’s fascinating “weekend prison” premise and how it critiques privilege within the carceral system Balancing social commentary with a genuinely fun, propulsive thriller Crafting a large cast of distinct, memorable characters The psychological implications of our current judicial and carceral systems How Quinn's work as a therapist informs how she creates character arcsCheck Out Author Social Media Packages
Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon
C...
More Than Dragons & Spice: Bridget Howard's The Romantasy Lover's Journal
This week, MacKenzie Green and I talk with Bridget Howard about her new Romantasy Lovers' Journal.
Listen to hear about:
Bridget’s journey from book blogger to Bookstagram creator to marketing professional for publishers and authors How romantasy evolved from YA and paranormal roots into today’s booming genre Why romantasy, fantasy, and romance deserve the same literary analysis and cultural respect as “serious” fiction The creation of the Romantasy Lover's Reading Journal and how it helps both seasoned readers and newcomers engage more deeply Beginner-friendly romantasy recommendations, from gateway reads like ACOTAR to duologies and standalo...Books that NEED Adaptations with Gare
This week, Gare and I talk about books we think deserve adaptations ASAP! Â Gare also brought a messy icebreaker to the episode.
Books We Talked About
Good People by Patmeena Sabit
The Anniversary by Alex Finlay
Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson
Secret Lives of Murderers Wives by Elizabeth Arnott
Into the Blue by Emma Brodie
Night Watcher by Stephanie Woolsoncroft
She Drinks the Light by Yasmin Angoe
Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Nora Murphy
T...
Katharine Hepburn, Old Hollywood and Performed Authenticity: Priya Parmar's The Original
This week, I talk with Priya Parmar about The Original, her fictionalized portrait of Katharine Hepburn’s early life and Hollywood reinvention, diving into how academic rigor, obsessive research, and creative intuition shaped the book.
We discuss:
Priya’s transition from academic and PhD research into fiction writing—and how scholarship still shapes her creative process The accidental Google rabbit hole that led her to Katharine Hepburn’s hidden early struggles A fascinating look at 1930s Hollywood as a surprisingly progressive, image-conscious, and socially fluid ecosystem Fame, performed authenticity, grief, reinvention, and how public myths are intentio...Memoir Isn’t Dead (and Never Will Be) with Rachel Kramer Bussel
This week, I chat with Rachel Kramer Bussel—editor, essayist, and founder of Open Secrets Magazine—about a lifelong love of reading, writing and editing.  Listen to hear about:
How memoirs allow readers to experience others' lives in highly personal ways Rachel’s journey from editing 70+ erotica anthologies to building a personal essays literary magazine How “ordinary” lives still make compelling, meaningful essays The behind-the-scenes reality of running a submission-based publication The emotional and ethical tightrope of writing about real people, relationships, and personal strugglesRachel's "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to ban books" T-shirt
Books...
Follow the Rules… or Else: Marcus Kliewer's The Caretaker
You all know how excited I am to say that this week, I got to chat with Marcus Kliewer about his newest horror book The Caretaker! Â We dive into his unconventional path to writing, our shared fascination with psychological horror, and how he plants his Easter eggs in multiple mediums.
Listen to hear more about:
The Caretaker’s premise, tone, and how it connects to We Used to Live Here Marcus Kliewer's origin story—from Reddit horror posts to book deals and adaptations Insight into psychological horror, ambiguity in endings, and why “not knowing” is so unsettlin...All of My Thoughts on Yesteryear, The Drama, and Trust Me: The False Prophet
Today is a solo episode, and I share all of my thoughts on Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, The Drama and Trust Me: The False Prophet. Â I briefly discuss the discourse around Yesteryear and The Drama without spoilers, and go in depth on Trust Me: The False Prophet, WITH spoilers. Â Then, for anyone who wants spoilers, I discuss spoilery aspects of Yesteryear and The Drama at the end of the episode. Â
Here is the link for the Substack article I mentioned about The Drama.
Check Out Author Social Media Packages
Check out the...
A Con Woman, A Wealthy Woman, and a Dead Husband: Rebecca Sharpe's Harmless Women
In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Sharpe about her debut con-thriller Harmless Women. Â
Listen to hear about:
Rebecca's long, bumpy publishing journey How the book explores the way society underestimates women, and how that perception can be both a vulnerability and a weapon How Rebecca's fluid, character-driven writing process focuses on emotional pacing, moral complexity, and letting the story evolve organically rather than rigid outliningHarmless Women Synopsis
Avalon Dale is a masterful grifter. She researches her victims thoroughly, kidnaps and sedates them, cleans out their bank accounts, and uses injections and h...
Medicine, Machines, and Meaning: Justin C. Key's The Hospital at the End of the World
In this episode, I talk with Justin C. Key about his speculative novel The Hospital at the End of the World.  Justin shares how his medical training and fascination with AI, consciousness, and ethics informed the novel’s evolution from a short story into a full-length work. We dive into the tension between technological advancement and human connection, particularly in medicine, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of empathy and lived experience. Justin also discusses worldbuilding choices, balancing speculative ideas with grounded realism, and both the promise and risks of AI in healthcare and learning.
Listen to hear about:
...How John Marrs Writes Out of Order (And Still Nails the Ending)
In this episode, Gare and I chat with our long time favorite John Marrs! John shares his journey from journalist to author, his out of order writing process, why he doesn’t always think his books are that dark (LOL), and a wild group of frogs in his yard (yes, I said frogs).
Listen to our whole conversation to hear about:
What it was like getting his first book idea, writing it, and self publishing it
His transition to traditional publishing
His hybrid plotter-pantser process
The snacks he has ne...
Exploitation, Empowerment and Enlightenment: Courtney Kocak's Girl Gone Wild
In this episode, I chat with Courtney Kocak about her debut memoir Girl Gone Wild!  She shares how it is both a personal reckoning and a cultural critique, tracing her journey from a “too much” small-town girl to a woman navigating ambition, sexuality, religion, and creative identity. She reflects on how early influences—strict religious messaging, shame around the body, and a lack of role models—shaped her relationship to power, pleasure, and self-worth, while her experiences in Hollywood and the entertainment industry reveal the harsh realities behind the myth of “making it.”Â
Listen to hear about:
How the m...Deconstructing Without Losing Jesus: Jeremy Jernigan's The Edge of the Inside
In this episode, I talk with Jeremy Jernigan about his deeply personal and intellectual journey behind The Edge of the Inside, unpacking how Jeremy’s lifelong love of writing evolved into a healing-driven project that blends memoir and theology. We discuss how time and emotional distance were necessary to move from bitterness to clarity, allowing Jeremy to structure the book into reflection, belief, and application. We also discuss shared experiences as pastor’s kids, the disorienting process of deconstruction, and the realization that faith is far broader than what we were taught.
Listen to hear about:
Writ...Racial Trauma and Culturally Responsive Care: Ashley McGirt-Adair's The Cost of Healing in Silence
In this episode, MacKenzie Green and I talk with Ashley McGirt-Adair about her new book, The Cost of Healing in Silence, and the deep, often overlooked impact of racial trauma within healthcare systems. Ashley shares how her personal experiences, her grandmother’s legacy, and over a decade of work as a trauma therapist shaped her approach to culturally responsive care.Â
Listen to hear about:
The concept of racial trauma as real trauma, and why naming it explicitly matters in both therapy and broader cultural conversations. How systemic bias in healthcare shows up in real, life-threatening ways (mis...First Quarter Favorite Reads of 2026 with Gare and Steph
Gare, Steph and I share and discuss our favorite reads from the first quarter of 2026!
Kate’s Books
Queen of Faces by Petra Lord
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
She Drinks the Light by Yasmin Angoe
Judge Stone by Viola Davis and James Patterson
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
Gare’s Books
The Secret Lives of Murderers Wives
Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding
Ours Is a Tale of Murder by Seraphina Nova Glass
Sorry for Your...
