Bookwild
On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with different co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.
True Crime, False Memories, and Family Secrets: Tara Goedjen's Please Enjoy Your Stay
In this episode, I talk with Tara Goedjen about her new gothic triller Please Enjoy Your Stay.
We had some technical difficulties at the end, so it ends somewhat abruptly!
Listen to hear about:
How Tara Goedjen's love of gothic fiction, mysteries, and horror inspired her adult debut, Please Enjoy Your Stay.The inspiration behind the novel's atmospheric Austrian castle setting and its blend of true crime, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror.The complicated ethics of true crime entertainment, from the impact on victims' families to the power of public perception.How unreliable memories...Books That Have Been on Our TBRs for TOO LONG with Erin Ashley and Kayla Hardy
This week, Erin Ashley, Kayla Hardy and I chat about books that have been on our TBRs for waaaay too long.
Kate's Books
Babel by R.F. Kuang
The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende
Fingersmith by Sarah Waters
Kayla's Books
House of Hunger by Alexis Henderson
Astarion: Baldur's Gate 3: by T. Kingfisher
Erin's Books
On Time: A Princely Life in Funk by Morris Day
The Mayor of Maxwell Street by Avery CunninghamÂ
A Love Song f...
When Folklore Meets Colonial Horror: Mathilda Zeller's It Looks Like You in the Dark
This week, I chat with Mathilda Zeller about her new horror It Looks Like You in the Dark.Â
Listen to hear all about:
How Inupiat folklore, family history, and a troubling account of cultural appropriation inspired this chilling Arctic horror novel.The intersection of supernatural horror, colonialism, capitalism, and environmental destruction—and how the real monsters aren't always supernatural.The complicated relationships between mothers, daughters, and sisters, and the ways generational trauma shapes our identities.The tension between honoring Indigenous traditions, protecting ancestral land, and finding your own path forward.How Zeller's remarkable family history influenced her...Immigration, Education and Family: Sara Fashandi's From Tehran to Tomorrow
In this episode, I chat with Sara Fashandi about her book From Tehran to Tomorrow, which chronicles her brother Mohsen's story as the first in their family to immigrate to America.
Listen to hear all about:
How a family storytelling contest inspired Sara Fashandi to become an author and preserve her older brother's extraordinary life experiences.The hidden hardships of immigrating to America in the 1970s, from language barriers and homesickness to financial struggles and homelessness.How Sara's brother Mohsen helped bring all five of his siblings to the United States, transforming his own difficult journey...Murder, Secrets & Halloween in the Thousand Islands: Tessa Wegert's This River Runs Black
In this episode, Gare and I chat with Tessa Wegert about her new thrill The River Runs Black!
Listen to hear about:
How the Thousand Islands and North Country become characters themselves, creating the perfect mix of cozy fall atmosphere, isolation, and underlying dread.Why Tessa set The River Runs Black around Halloween and how trick-or-treating, pumpkin festivals, orchards, and other seasonal details actually play into the mystery.How she uses multiple POVs, secrets, cliffhangers, and carefully timed reveals to keep readers guessing—and why she changed one major character’s perspective while writing.The real-life insp...Trad Wives, Social Media & the Horror of Losing Yourself with Sarah Langan
This week, I talk with Sarah Langan about her novella Bloody 13 and her horror novel Trad Wife!
Listen to hear about:
The inspiration behind Bloody 13, and the conflicting reactions to it when she initially published it.How Sarah Langan turned the trad wife movement into horror, using the seemingly idyllic online lifestyle to explore control, gender roles, motherhood, and the systems operating beneath the aesthetic. Why accusations of “selfishness” can be so powerful against women, and how Trad Wife examines the difference between selfishness, agency, and basic survival. How neglect, isolation, and high-control environments affect mothers and ch...Motherhood, Mystery, and Agency: Chital Mehta's Have You Seen Romit?
In this episode, I chat with Chital Mehta about her literary mystery Have You Seen Romit?
Listen to hear all about:
How motherhood, an MFA, and a lifelong love of reading led Chital to pursue her dream of becoming a novelist.The real-life missing-person article that inspired Have You Seen Romit? and why shifting the story's focus from a father to a mother changed everything.How adoption, sibling resentment, and parental expectations, create the complicated challenge of loving your children equally.How Usha's search for her missing son becomes a journey of self-discovery, challenging patriarchal traditions...Beyond MLK: The Women Who Shaped the Civil Rights Movement: How Bright the Path Grows by Marcia Chatelain
In this episode, I chat with Marcia Chatelain about her new non-fiction book How Bright the Path Grows: The Untold Story of the Women Who Made the March on Washington.
Listen to hear about:
How Marcia Chatelain’s love of storytelling, journalism, and deep historical research shaped her path to becoming a Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and narrative nonfiction writer. Why How Bright the Path Grows reframes the civil rights movement by centering the Black women whose organizing, artistry, advocacy, and sacrifices are often overshadowed by figures like Martin Luther King Jr. The complicated, deeply human lives...First Ladies, Church Secrets & Respectability Politics: Deesha Philyaw's The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman
This week, Cassie Goodwin and I chat with Deesha Philyaw about her fiction debut The True Confessions of Lady Freeman!
Listen to hear about:
How The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman evolved over nearly 20 years, and why Deesha had to become a different, more experienced writer before she could finally tell Sharice’s story. Why Deesha transformed Sharice from a character modeled on herself into a woman who genuinely loves being a First Lady—and therefore has something meaningful to lose. How embracing satire, humor, and an actual First Lady beauty pageant unlocked the novel and al...When What We Inherit Haunts Us: Deena Helm's Our Cut of Salt
This week, I talk with Deena Helm about her debut literary horror novel Our Cut of Salt!
Listen to hear about:
How Deena Helm turned a haunted house into a living embodiment of history, memory, and inherited trauma.Why Our Cut of Salt follows three generations of Palestinian women, and how trauma changes the relationships between mothers and daughters across decades. The tension between preserving family history and being consumed by it—and what happens when younger generations want answers their elders may not be ready to give. Why Deena chose horror to explore real historical viol...Books We Wish We Could Forget and Reread with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I share books we wish we could wipe from our brains and reread!
Kate’s Books
Never Saw Me Coming by Vera Kurian
The Ursulina by Brian Freeman
But Won’t I Miss Me by Tiffany Tsao
Â
Gare’s Books
Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
The Last Winter of Dani Lansing by P.D. Viner
A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice
Â
Steph’s Books
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Madwoman...
When Faith, Femininity & Capitalism Collide: Kristin Kobes Du Mez's Live, Laugh, Love
This week, I talk with Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her new book Live, Laugh Love: The Secret History of White Christian Women
and the World They Made. Â Listen to hear all about:
Horror We Are Excited to Read with Kayla Hardy
This week, Kayla Hardy - screenwriter, reader, and author of The Quarter Queen - and I talk about horror books we are excited to read this year!
Kate’s Upcoming Reads
The Unhaunting — Micaiah Johnson
Nightjars — Michael Wehunt
Incarnate — Alma Katsu
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Kayla’s Upcoming Reads
Runner — Ashton Lattimore
Horror Movie — Paul Tremblay
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter — Stephen Graham Jones
Â
Other Books We Discussed
The Quarter Queen — Kayla Hardy
The Night and the Moth — Rachel Gillig
Be...
Female Friendship, Identity and Motherhood: Amy Chozick's With Friends Like You
This week, Gare and I talk with Amy Chozick about her suspenseful literary debut With Friends Like You!
Short Synopsis
Emily, an exhausted new mother in Manhattan, becomes obsessed with finding her long-lost college roommate Daisy, whose mysterious disappearance has haunted her for years. When Daisy suddenly reappears and pulls Emily into a seductive new world of friendship and community, their reunion begins to crack, forcing Emily to question whether Daisy is saving her—or unraveling her life.
Listen to hear about:
The real-life experiences that inspired With Friends Like You — including Amy...Class, Race, Jazz and Crime: Andre Hardy's Fresh Take on Noir Fiction
This week, I talk with Andre Hardy about his fresh take on noir in his debut novel Tear the City Down!
Listen to hear about:
How Andre Hardy’s debut novel, Tear the City Down, grew from his lifelong love of noir—particularly Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress, which showed him a fully realized Black protagonist in a genre he already loved. The ways Hardy uses San Diego’s stark dualities—tourist paradise versus underserved neighborhoods, enormous wealth versus systemic oppression—as the foundation for Coltrane's story and the novel’s larger questions about social mo...Sci-Fi, Philip K. Dick & the Birth of Pink Beam Press
This week, I talk with Keith Giles, David Agranoff, Brian Evenson, Gordon Bonnet, and Andrew Turck about Pink Beam Press, a new speculative-fiction imprint inspired by Philip K. Dick and the strange, reality-bending possibilities of science fiction.
Listen to hear about:
The origins of Pink Beam Press and how Philip K. Dick’s legendary “pink beam” experience helped inspire its identity and mission. Why speculative fiction is such a powerful way to explore reality, consciousness, identity, technology, privacy, and other big philosophical questions. How the authors behind Pink Beam’s novellas transform wildly different concepts—from digital re...Fall Hopefuls on Our TBRs with Gare
This week, Gare and I share fall book releases we are excited about!
Kate’s Books
The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo JohnsonÂ
Have You Seen Romit? By Chital Mehta
It Looks Like You in the Dark by Mathilda Zeller
The Turning of Sally Mae by Nuzo Onoh
Lethal Kiss by Taylor Grothe
Gare’s Books
The Little Red House Liv Andersson
Killing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
The Witch by Freida McFadden
This B Jus...
The Multi-Hyphenate Marie Laveau: Kayla Hardy's The Quarter Queen
This week, I talk with Kayla Hardy about her dark fantasy The Quarter Queen!
How The Quarter Queen began as a television pilot.Kayla Hardy’s screenwriting background shaped the novel’s cinematic pacing, visual set pieces, ensemble cast, and meticulous plotting. Why Marie Laveau is both historical inspiration and a personal connection.Â
Hardy draws on her Louisiana Creole roots, academic background in African American literature and folklore, and fascination with Marie to humanize a woman often reduced to legend. Crafting the mother-daughter relationship is the emotional heart of the novel.Â
Marie and Ree represent differen...
ARCs We Are Excited About with Emma West
In this episode, Emma West and I share ARCs we are excited about!
Kate's Books
Hive Mind — Allison Gunn Accidents Never Happened — Penny Zang Scream City — Hannah Morrissey Our Cut of Salt — Dina Nayeri Helm The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman — Deesha PhilyawEmama's Books
Kiss Slay Replay — Rachel Harrison She’s a Doll — Barbara Truglove Public Access Afterworld — Jane Schoenbrun Mother Dearest — Claire Bird Bad Words - Rioghnach RobinsonAll the Bookwild Links:
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Friendship, Grief and Second (and Third, and Fourth) Chances: Paige Harbison's Destination Funeral
In this episode, I talk with Paige Harbison about her new time loop novel Destination Funeral!
Listen to our whole conversation to hear about:
How Destination Funeral uses being literally stuck in time to explore being emotionally stuck. The characters are trapped with unresolved relationships, old resentments, and versions of themselves they haven’t fully escaped. Why “What if?” is Paige’s favorite starting point for storytelling. Rather than setting out to write magical realism or a particular genre, she follows a compelling premise and lets the story dictate where it needs to go. How grief and humo...The Best & Rest of Summer Books with Gare Billings
This week, Gare and I share some of our best reads of the summer, and forecast ones we think we will love for the rest of summer!
Kate’s Best of Summer
Killer Vibes by Jack Friday
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
The Great Game by Arvind Ethan David
Kate’s Rest of Summer
Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm
Mazywood by Tananarive Due
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw
Gare’s Best of Summer
Heat...
Manifestation, Murder, and the Cults of the 1920s: Olesya Lyuzna's Liars in Paradise
In this episode, I talk with Olesya Lyuzna about the second book in her Ginny Dugan series Liars in Paradise.
Listen to hear all about:
The roots of modern self-help, manifestation, and MLM-style thinking stretch back to the 1920s. Olesya shares how historical figures like Napoleon Hill and the era's get-rich-quick culture inspired the novel's sinister organization, Echelon.Â
Sometimes throwing away an entire draft is the best writing decision. Olesya discusses scrapping a nearly finished manuscript, rebuilding the story from the ground up, and how the rewrite created a much stronger mystery centered o...
An Eldest Daughter Pastor’s Kid Unpacks Her Father's Arrest and Shares the Books That Changed Everything with Kate Johnson
This week, I talk with Kate Johnson about her deconstruction journey and healing from religious trauma.
Listen to hear all about:
How growing up in evangelical culture created an information bubble. We reflect on how strict media restrictions, homeschooling, and Christian-only entertainment reinforced the belief that avoiding certain books, movies, and ideas would keep families spiritually and physically safe. How trauma exposed the cracks in that worldview. Kate Johnson shares how her father's arrest for child sexual abuse material shattered the promise that following every rule would guarantee safety, leading to a painful reevaluation of the...SUMMERWEEN Book Recs with Brian Watson
This week, Brian Watson @readingwithbrian is back, and we share our take on Summerween book recommendations!
Kate’s Books
Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia PelayoÂ
Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine
Almost Surely Dead by Amina Akhtar
Play Nice by Rachel Harrison
Fiend by Alma Katsu
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Brian’s Books
Marion by Leah Rowan
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
Don’t Turn Around by Jessica Barry
Night Watcher by Daphne Woolson...
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 needAll the Bookwild Links:
...
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.
All the Bookwild Links:
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Gare Billings @gareindeedreads
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...