Explore every episode of the podcast Bookwild

Dive into the complete episode list for Bookwild. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

	Title	Pub. Date	Duration
	The History of Misogyny in Pop Culture: Our Thoughts on Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert	19 Jun 2026	01:04:00
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 movements that begin as authentic expressions of female empowerment—like Riot Grrrl and "girl power"—often get repackaged, commercialized, and stripped of their original political meaning. An exploration of reality TV, celebrity culture, diet culture, and the male gaze—and how they continue to influence the way women are expected to look, behave, and present themselves. Misogyny as a cultural system: why women are often disbelieved, how abuse tactics show up in institutions and media, and what happens when we stop viewing these incidents as isolated events and start seeing the larger pattern. 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 @missusa2mba
	Three Hitmen, a Baby, and the Art of Writing Great Action: Rob Hart's Three Hitmen and a Baby	16 Jun 2026	00:48:33
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. 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 @missusa2mba
	Comfort Reads and Watches with Gare and Steph	12 Jun 2026	01:17:53
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 Spin TV Shows We Talked About Orphan Black Severance The Vampire Diaries New Girl The Office Parks and Recreation Schitt's Creek Movies We Talked About Basic Instinct Oddity Cape Fear Black Christmas Verity Scream I Know What You Did Last Summer 10 Things I Hate About You 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 @missusa2mba
	Cosmic Horror and a Crime Procedural: CJ Leede's Headlights	09 Jun 2026	00:55:00
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 themes about life, death, and the unknown. How the novel contains investigative thriller and horror elements, but is really a book about confronting sadness, loss, and the things we cannot outrun within ourselves. Why horror can uniquely encompass mysteries, romance, literary fiction, supernatural stories, social commentary, and psychological explorations, making it one of the broadest and most creative genres available. 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 @missusa2mba
	Emma West's Reading Journey, TBR Habit, and Approach to Inventory Manager at Wild Geese Bookshop	05 Jun 2026	01:21:03
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 books can explore identity, trauma, religion, immigration, and society through speculative or horror elements, with special praise for Sublimation and Yesteryear. Our shared obsession with Ashley Winstead, and how both of us now consider Hot Girl Murder Club our favorite book of hers! 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 @missusa2mba
	Identity, Immigration and Intent: Isabel J. Kim's Sublimation	02 Jun 2026	00:47:36
In this episode, I talk with Isabel J. Kim about her debut speculative fiction, Sublimation! 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 story into a novel, which required adding new perspectives and characters to show that different people would experience the phenomenon of instancing in radically different ways. How she chose to approach borders as both physical and social constructs, examining how governments, corporations, immigration systems, and personal choices all influence identity and belonging. Why speculative fiction often isn't really about the future—it uses imagined worlds to examine present-day social, political, and cultural tensions through a different lens. 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 @missusa2mba
	MacKenzie Green is the Global Head of Social for Audible!	29 May 2026	00:55:26
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 culminated in her new job at Audible. How reading is a way to understand other perspectives, strengthen listening skills, and connect with people through shared stories, and how audiobooks are a return to the oldest form of storytelling: oral tradition. 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 @missusa2mba
	From Indoctrination to Curiosity: Promise Backlund's Gospel of Lies	26 May 2026	01:22:14
In this episode, I talk with Promise Backlund about her book Gospel of Lies! 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, thought policing, and religious perfectionism can overlap with anxiety and OCD, especially when introduced during childhood. Deconstructing during the late 2010s and how political shifts exposed tensions between teachings of love and exclusion inside evangelical spaces. An examination of Biblical stories like Adam and Eve, questioning themes of obedience, curiosity, punishment, and whether religious narratives discourage questioning and self-trust. How purity culture, worship environments, and restricted access to secular art shaped identity—and how reclaiming pleasure, curiosity, art, and personal agency became part of healing. 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 @missusa2mba
	All Our Thoughts About Good People by Patmeena Sabit with Erin Ashley	23 May 2026	01:07:22
This week, Erin Ashley is back, and we dive into all our thoughts and reactions to Patmenna Sabit's stunning debut novel Good People! 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 @missusa2mba
	Palestinian Joy, Stand-Up Comedy and Secret Family History: Sara Hamdan's What Will People Think	19 May 2026	00:50:06
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 explore her own family history and identity. Why stand-up comedy became central to the novel, including Sara’s real-life experience taking comedy classes to overcome public speaking anxiety and how humor can deliver difficult truths with softness. Code-switching, compartmentalizing identity, and the pressure many women feel to justify life choices—while emphasizing the importance of autonomy and becoming comfortable showing up as your full self. Fiction as a way to preserve cultural memory and show everyday life beyond headlines, using family stories, historical detail, and personal experiences to create empathy. 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 @missusa2mba
	Vietnam Vets, Addiction and Deserved Justice: Karen E Osborne's Justice for Emerson	12 May 2026	00:57:22
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 conspiracy. The way survival—through volunteering, recovery, or writing—gives meaning and accountability can help people endure trauma, addiction, and reinvention. Karen's approach to writing, creativity, discipline, and timing, and how small daily habits (like 15 minutes a day) can build a creative life. 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 @missusa2mba
	Haunted Houses and the Horrors of Domestic Motherhood: Aimee Pokwatka's Accumulation	12 May 2026	00:36:00
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 “inefficient” writing process—heavy outlining followed by intuitive drafting—and how revision uncovers deeper emotional truths. Why horror, especially domestic and psychological horror, can uniquely explore trauma, gender roles, and the unsettling transformation of everyday spaces into something terrifying. 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 @missusa2mba
	Kara Confer and Emily Hone Are Getting Introverts to Go Out: The Wild Geese Event Staff	08 May 2026	01:02:16
This week, you get to meet the book girlies who I haven't been able to stop talking about! Kara Confer and Emily Hone are the event team at Wild Geese Bookshop, and they are bringing some incredible authors to Indiana. 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 Remarkably Bright Creatures — Shelby Van Pelt Done and Dusted — Lyla Sage Books Emily Mentioned The Hunger Games series — Suzanne Collins Superfan — Jenny Tinghui Zhang The Song of Achilles — Madeline Miller Exquisite Things — Abdi Nazemian A Good Vampire’s Guide to Blood and Boyfriends — Jamie D’Amato The Strength of the Few — James Islington The Poppy War — R.F. Kuang Seek the Traitor’s Son — Veronica Roth Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It — Brooke Averick 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 @missusa2mba
	Privilege, Payback, and Pay-to-Stay Prison: Elizabeth Rose Quinn's Payback	05 May 2026	01:11:14
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 arcs 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 @missusa2mba
	More Than Dragons & Spice: Bridget Howard's The Romantasy Lover's Journal	01 May 2026	00:59:30
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 standalones 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 @missusa2mba
	Books that NEED Adaptations with Gare	01 May 2026	00:58:31
This week, Gare and I talk about books we think deserve adaptations ASAP! 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 The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll 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 @missusa2mba
	Katharine Hepburn, Old Hollywood and Performed Authenticity: Priya Parmar's The Original	29 Apr 2026	00:42:12
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 intentionally built Behind-the-scenes insight into writing historical fiction about a real woman whose voice, image, and legacy are already iconic 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 @missusa2mba
	Memoir Isn’t Dead (and Never Will Be) with Rachel Kramer Bussel	24 Apr 2026	01:44:01
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 struggles Rachel's "Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to ban books" T-shirt Books We Talked About I'm Glad My Mom Died — Jennette McCurdy King of Ashes — S. A. Cosby Razorblade Tears — S. A. Cosby Camouflage — Heather Sweeney Hologram Boyfriends — Mike Albo Somebody I Used to Know — Wendy Mitchell Agorafabulous — Sara Benincasa Actress of a Certain Age — Jeff Hiller Do What Godmother Says — L. S. Stratton Adult Braces — Lindy West Strangers — Belle Burden Famesick — Lena Dunham Destroy this House – Amanda Uhle 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 @missusa2mba
	Follow the Rules… or Else: Marcus Kliewer's The Caretaker	21 Apr 2026	00:44:27
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! 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 unsettling A candid discussion on OCD, anxiety, and how those experiences shape the story’s tension Behind-the-scenes details on worldbuilding, Easter eggs, hidden codes, and what might connect across his books 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 @missusa2mba
	All of My Thoughts on Yesteryear, The Drama, and Trust Me: The False Prophet	17 Apr 2026	01:46:41
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. I briefly discuss the discourse around Yesteryear and The Drama without spoilers, and go in depth on Trust Me: The False Prophet, WITH spoilers. Then, for anyone who wants spoilers, I discuss spoilery aspects of Yesteryear and The Drama at the end of the episode. Here is the link for the Substack article I mentioned about The Drama. 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 @missusa2mba
	A Con Woman, A Wealthy Woman, and a Dead Husband: Rebecca Sharpe's Harmless Women	14 Apr 2026	00:45:00
In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Sharpe about her debut con-thriller Harmless Women. 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 outlining Harmless 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 hair clippers to change their appearance so that when they wake up, they can't easily prove who they are. It gives her a head start and a new identity to get away. She's targeted Primrose Meath for her last big score, and then she'll fade away to a life of ease and luxury--something she's dreamed of since a very tough childhood. On paper, Prim is the perfect wealthy, workaholic, and distracted by her cheating husband. But when Avalon finds Prim's husband dead, she can't get away so easily--not when she's been mistaken for Prim who's now wanted for murder. The two women, opposites, enemies, are suddenly on the run together, and must learn to get along, to depend on each other, in order to get away. And then, what starts as a cat-and-mouse run to the coast of England becomes a fight for their survival. 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 @missusa2mba
	Medicine, Machines, and Meaning: Justin C. Key's The Hospital at the End of the World	07 Apr 2026	01:00:06
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 Justin’s writing journey evolved naturally from a deep love of reading into a disciplined, intuitive creative practice How his “pantser” approach prioritizes discovery, with structure and outlines often emerging during the editing phase How The Hospital at the End of the World began as a short story and expanded over years alongside his medical education The way the novel explores AI in healthcare, balancing its powerful analytical potential with the risks of over-reliance and loss of human judgment How the novel explores the irreplaceable role of human connection, arguing that empathy and presence are just as critical as data in medicine Follow Justin C. Key here and grab a copy of The Hospital at the End of the World here 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 @missusa2mba
	How John Marrs Writes Out of Order (And Still Nails the Ending)	03 Apr 2026	01:12:53
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 nearby for writing The time he got arrested in America A unique encounter with frogs in his backyard 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 @missusa2mba
	Exploitation, Empowerment and Enlightenment: Courtney Kocak's Girl Gone Wild	01 Apr 2026	01:02:58
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.” Listen to hear about: How the memoir evolved over 15+ years, requiring both craft development and personal growth to fully process her past experiences How early religious and cultural messaging created deep tension between bodily autonomy and imposed shame The empowerment vs. exploitation dynamic for young women, especially in entertainment The way Hollywood’s success narrative often hides the economic struggle, privilege, and sacrifices required to sustain creative work How Kocak shifted from chasing external validation and fame to prioritizing artistic fulfillment and an integrated, authentic identity Learn more about Courtney or purchase Girl Gone Wild here 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 @missusa2mba
	Deconstructing Without Losing Jesus: Jeremy Jernigan's The Edge of the Inside	31 Mar 2026	01:24:19
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: Writing as healing, not just storytelling Jeremy describes the book as a form of therapy, something he had to live through and process before he could write honestly and help others. The “edge of the inside” concept Inspired by Richard Rohr, this idea captures the experience of still belonging to a system while holding a perspective that challenges it. Deconstruction and expanding belief systems We both reflect on realizing that what we were taught wasn’t the full picture, leading to curiosity, questioning, and broader exploration. How language shapes belief (and confusion) The same words, faith, truth, provision, can mean completely different things depending on who’s using them, especially in religious and political contexts. The “life quake” moment Jeremy shares the pivotal realization that doing the “right” things doesn’t guarantee success—and sometimes leads to losing everything, forcing a complete redefinition of faith and identity. Grab a copy of Jeremy's book here! 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 @missusa2mba
	Racial Trauma and Culturally Responsive Care: Ashley McGirt-Adair's The Cost of Healing in Silence	31 Mar 2026	01:10:07
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. 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 (misread medical devices, dismissal of symptoms, lack of advocacy). The burden of self-advocacy in medical spaces, especially for Black patients and families navigating emergencies or chronic illness. Ashley’s idea of moving from “hope” to “commitment,” and how small, individual actions create meaningful systemic change. The idea of “homecoming to self” through culture, ancestry, music, food, and joy as a necessary counterbalance to generational trauma. And grab a copy of The Cost of Healing in Silence here! 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 @missusa2mba
	First Quarter Favorite Reads of 2026 with Gare and Steph	27 Mar 2026	01:07:37
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 Loss by Georgia McVeigh The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass Steph’s Books We Used to Live Here The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead 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 @missusa2mba
	Secrets, Spirits, and the Stories We Inherit: Olesya Salnikova Gilmore's The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru	24 Mar 2026	01:02:20
This week, I talk with Olesya Salnikova Gilmore about her historical-suspense The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru. We dive into: Her writing process as a "plantser" Why she's drawn to dark genres: historical fiction, gothic, fantasy, mystery How blending genres creates tension and unpredictability How she has experienced and writes about the “in-between” feeling of not fully belonging to one culture How she processed grief through this story Her research of Slavic folklore and Western spiritualism movements The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru Synopsis Spirited twenty-something Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina’s mother’s untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele. Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for answers about the disappearance of their father, the Grand Duke and cousin to the murdered last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother’s death. As Zina delves into her family’s hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening Zina and her grandmother’s found family, home, and tearoom, not to mention their very lives. 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 @missusa2mba
	Toxic Masculinity and Female Rage: Katherine Greene's Where the Truth Lies	24 Mar 2026	00:37:22
This week, I talk with writing duo Katherine Greene, aka Claire C. Riley and A. Meredith Walkters, about their new small town thriller Where the Truth Lies! We dive into: Writing a thriller inspired by real-life events and the challenge of balancing fiction with truth How this story came from Abbi’s family history and a decades-old newspaper clipping The emotional difficulty of writing characters based on real people vs. fictionalizing them Crafting multiple POVs + dual timelines to build tension and a fuller picture of the crime Exploring toxic masculinity and how it develops, including how “nice” men can be influenced The concept of the “perfect victim” and how readers often unfairly judge women vs. men Where The Truth Lies Synopsis A picture-perfect couple's sordid past threatens to rock a sleepy southern town to its core. Told in alternating timelines and inspired by real events, this multi-POV thriller explores toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, and female rage in the tradition of Darby Kane. Childhood sweethearts Rhett and Lucinda seem to have the perfect marriage, the child they always wanted, and even the white picket fence. But fifteen years ago, the couple came very close to losing everything. When outsider Jennifer Moore arrived in their tight-knit Kentucky town, a brief but explosive affair between the newcomer and the soon-to-be-married Rhett stirred up a violent storm of betrayal that ended with a dead body and a mystery riddled in corruption and deception. Now, new evidence has surfaced-including an eyewitness who places Rhett at the scene of the brutal crime. Soon, the carefully constructed life Rhett and Lucinda built starts to crumble-and the truth waiting beneath the surface could destroy them both. In a town steeped in deadly southern charm, secrets don't fade-they fester. 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 @missusa2mba
	Taylor Frankie Paul, Another Duggar, The Manosphere, Age of Attraction and More with Halley Sutton	20 Mar 2026	01:27:51
Halley broke the news to me that The Bachelorette was cancelled after the video of Taylor Frankie Paul was sold to TMZ, so we start off right in the mess of pop culture. Listen for our thoughts on: Cancellation/pause of The Bachelorette starring Taylor Frankie Paul due to domestic violence allegations Ethics of airing real-life trauma and abuse on reality TV Trad wife culture vs. reality of women as breadwinners Religious conditioning and spiritual bypassing Purity culture and its connection to shame and abuse Grift culture (influencers, politics, capitalism) Age of Attraction's age gap dating approach The Manosphere - when men become obsessed with the male gaze Incel/red pill ideology as a bid for connection Some movies, TV shows and books we've loved recently 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 @missusa2mba
	The Divine Feminine, Matriarchy and Dreams: Andrea M. Butler's Mother	17 Mar 2026	01:10:57
This week, I talk with Andrea M. Butler about her debut speculative fiction Mother. We dive into a wide range of topics, including: The origin of the novel’s idea Dreams and spiritual communication Energy work and spirituality Speculative fiction grounded in reality The “predictive” nature of fiction Capitalism, wealth inequality, and food insecurity Religion and evangelical culture Community as resistance Divine feminine energy Hope through storytelling Mother by Andrea M. Butler Synopsis Having gained control of the world’s food supply, a single corporation, SunRay, holds the fate of humanity in its hands. When the government passed the HOME Act and sent millions of immigrants away, it threw the nation into an unprecedented economic crisis. Set in the near future amidst the backdrop of an increasingly volatile climate, Matt and Evie Fisher are struggling to survive. In order to find a way to save their two daughters, Matt and Evie must wrestle with their faith, their past, and a mysterious illness affecting much of the population. When a series of otherworldly dreams sets Evie on a path to find a mystical portal, and Matt finds himself in possession of information that could topple SunRay and the political network behind it, Evie realizes she is being offered a choice that could not only save her daughters, but could alter the fate of humanity forever. 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 @missusa2mba
	Oscars Reactions (Some Choices Were… Interesting) with MacKenzie Green	16 Mar 2026	01:29:16
As promised, MacKenzie Green and I share our Oscars reactions, and thoughts on just about everything: - Awards season and Oscar campaigning - Timothée Chalamet discourse - Misty Copeland’s performance - Sinners on Broadway?? - Criticism of Sean Penn winning Best Supporting Actor - The historical context of Black Oscar winners, and why Michael B. Jordan's win is so HUGE - Comparisons to past controversial Oscar wins (think Green Book vs Black Panther) - Distinctions between authentic cultural storytelling (like Sinners) and films by those outside the culture for performative or superficial benefit 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 @missusa2mba
	Buddy Review of Kin by Tayari Jones with Erin Ashley	13 Mar 2026	01:20:18
Erin and I both adored Kin by Tayari Jones, and we decided to do a whole episode discussing it! The first 15ish minutes are spoiler free, so if you haven't read it yet, you can listen and decide if the vibes sound right for you. After that, we get into everything we loved about the characters, the prose, the plotting and the themes! Kin by Tayari Jones Synopsis Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood, but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother’s death, Vernice leaves Atlanta at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and marries into an affluent family. Annie, abandoned by her dissolute mother as a child, and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, and culminate in a battle for her life. Tayari Jones Oprah Interview Tayari Jones on The Stacks Erin's Interview with ReShanda Tate about With Love From Harlem 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 @missusa2mba
	Quantum Theology: Where Science Meets the Soul	10 Mar 2026	01:22:44
This week, I talk with Keith Giles, Mary Terhune, Zac Cannon and Nish Dubashia about their collective work in Quantum Theology: Volume One. Listen to hear about: How science and spirituality may not be opposites, but different ways of exploring the same underlying reality How ideas from quantum physics—like interconnectedness and entanglement—echo concepts found in mysticism and religious traditions Why many contributors believe the sense of separation between people, cultures, and religions is an illusion, and what recognizing our interconnectedness could mean for humanity. How mystical experiences challenge the limits of language—why some spiritual insights can’t fully be explained, only experienced How awakening to shared consciousness could transform ethics, compassion, and how we treat one another Quantum Theology, Volume One Summary Quantum Theology: Volume One brings together an extraordinary and diverse group of scientists, mathematicians, theologians, mystics, authors, and cultural commentators to explore one of the most provocative conversations of our time: What happens when Quantum Physics and Theology begin to overlap? Edited and curated by author Keith Giles, this book explores the intersection between science and faith. Featuring contributions by: Brandy Anderson, Zac Cannon, Brother Jason (Jay) Clark, Michelle Collins, Stuart Delony, Nish Dubashia, Eric Scot English, Jeremy L. Evans, Ellen Haroutunian, DMin., Dr. Steve McVey, Mark Merizan, Jenny Lorraine Nielsen, William Sarill, Mary Terhune, R.N., Mo Thomas, and John van de Laar. 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 @missusa2mba
	Last, Current and Next Reads with Gare and Steph	06 Mar 2026	01:18:13
Steph has been traveling the world, and now she is back with Gare and me, talking about our Last, Current and Next Reads! Kate’s Last, Current and Next Kin by Tayari Jones The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunaseker When I Was Death by Alexis Henderson Alexis Henderson’s Substack About When I Was Death Gare’s Last, Current and Next The Final Hunt Audrey J Cole The Missing Sister by Joshilyn Jackson The Vanishing Hour by Seraphina Nova Glass Steph Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth Sundown Girls by L.S. Stratton The Two Deaths of Lillian Carmichael by Paulette Kennedy Other Books Discussed The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives The Vanishing Half by Britt Bennett The Mothers by Brit Bennett History Lessons Zoe B. Wallbrook An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally Breakneck Bay by Faith Gardner The Spin Faith Gardner Heather by Caitlin Mullen 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 @missusa2mba
	Fame, Family & the Cost of the Spotlight: Juliet Izon's The Encore	03 Mar 2026	00:31:28
This week, I talk with Juliet Izon about her debut contemporary fiction novel The Encore. Listen now to hear about: How Izon, a longtime journalist pivoted into fiction, writing secret scenes at night, cold-DMing composers on Reddit for research, and building a debut novel from pure creative obsession Fame, artistic ambition, and complicated family dynamics, especially the mother-daughter tension between Anna and Lottie, and what happens when talent and identity collide The craft details that make this fictional music world feel real: tour bus logistics, conservatory life, perfect pitch, scoring scenes with playlists, and why the book’s title changed from Arpeggio to The Encore The Encore Synopsis In 2003, at the prestigious Brookfield Conservatory in Boston, a chance encounter sparks an inimitable friendship between driven pianist and singer Anna Buckley and composer wunderkind Will Pendleton. Over the next four years, as they strive toward careers as professional musicians, their bond deepens both from shared prodigious skill and the inexplicable sense that they’re kindred souls. But on the precipice of graduation, one night forever alters the trajectory of their lives, destroying their relationship in the process. Twenty years later in New York, 16-year-old piano virtuoso Lottie Thomas is grappling with the rigors of her elite prep school and the confounding disappearance of the woman who gave her up at birth. When Lottie suddenly discovers the startling truth of her identity, the revelation catalyzes a chain of events that not only reunites Lottie with her birth parents, but forces them together on a careening, cross-country rock and roll tour-bus journey. And it is there, trapped in these tight confines, that the three must finally reconcile with the irrevocable choices made a decade-and-a-half earlier. 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 @missusa2mba
	Reflecting on My First In Person Interview, And Getting Emosh About Bookish Communities	27 Feb 2026	00:41:27
It's a solo ep today! I get into the full story of my first ever in-person author interview at Wild Geese Bookshop with Kate Alice Marshall! I give a play by play of what was going on in my head, and share some fun facts about Kate Alice Marshall. For me, the experience ended up being a reminder of how far Bookwild has come. I reflect on the journey from starting a bookish podcast with no audience to finding a community of readers, authors, and indie bookstores who now feel like found family. Get a copy of Kate Alice Marshall's The Girls Before Check out Wild Geese Bookshop 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 @missusa2mba
	Slashers, Final Girls, and Mannequins: Interview with Stephen Graham Jones	24 Feb 2026	00:32:18
This week, I talk with Stephen Graham Jones about his new short story Night of the Mannequins, and the many horror books he's also written. Listen to hear: A behind-the-scenes look at how Stephen Graham Jones writes horror: following first sentences, trusting surprise endings, and letting stories unfold without outlining or theme-driven intent. Insight into why teenage perspectives, slashers, and “final girl” narratives resonate in his work, and how horror can function as a justice fantasy in an unfair world. A deep dive into Night of the Mannequins, including its origin from a title and prank idea, plus a broader conversation on genre-blending, identity in storytelling, and why he writes to genuinely scare readers. 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 @missusa2mba
	Empathy, Research, and Resistance: Interview with Susana M. Morris about Positive Obsession	24 Feb 2026	01:00:07
This week, I talk with Susana M. Morris about her Octavia E. Butler cultural biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler. Listen to hear about: Octavia Butler’s journey from a shy, self-diagnosed dyslexic student to a groundbreaking sci-fi author, and how her relentless “positive obsession” with writing shaped her career. How Butler’s work reflects deep research, historical pattern recognition, and sharp social insight—explaining why her stories feel prophetic even though she chaffed at that comparison. The personal costs and creative rewards of dedicating your life to meaningful work, and how Butler’s example encourages artists and writers to pursue their own Positive Obsessions. 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 @missusa2mba
	Secrets, Lies and Murder In Flight: Susan Walter's Murder at 30,000 Feet	20 Feb 2026	00:54:01
This week, I talk with Susan Walter about her new airplane thriller Murder at 30,000 Feet. She shares her inspiration from the story, how she writes such cinematic thrillers, and how she managed multiple POVs. Murder at 30,000 Feet Synopsis It’s a ticket to paradise. Flight 868 with nonstop service to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Over a dozen tipsy passengers are off to a destination wedding. A team of high school baseball players are headed to a tournament. The plane is packed with people eager to escape their lives, and others who can’t wait to return to their beloved home. But sweet anticipation turns to terror when a lightning strike short-circuits the avionics and plunges the plane into darkness. When the lights come back on, a passenger is found brutally murdered, with only a bewildered air marshal to solve the crime. He soon realizes that several passengers are harboring dark secrets, but the identity of the murderer eludes him. There’s only one certainty: the killer is on the plane. Thousands of feet above the earth with thunderstorms closing in, the danger outside is as grave as the mounting threat within. Can the captain outrun the storm? Or will the murderer among them bring the plane down first? 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 @missusa2mba
	The America's Next Top Model Syllabus with MacKenzie Green	20 Feb 2026	01:21:39
This week, MacKenzie Green (who auditioned for ANTM) and I talk about the cultural implications of America's Next Top Model documentary Reality Check. We also share fiction and non-fiction books that relate to the themes of the documentary. Hear us dive into: How pop culture—especially America’s Next Top Model—shaped beauty standards, body image, and the way women learned to critique themselves and each other. A broader conversation about “girl-on-girl” dynamics: internalized patriarchy, reality TV as a mirror of culture, and why shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race offered a more affirming counterpoint. How being a conscious consumer makes all the difference in the media you consume. Books for the ANTM Syllabus Girl on Girl by Sophie Gilbert Cue The Sun! by Emily Nussbaum The Lilac People by Milo Todd Apprentice in Wonderland by Ramin Setoodeh The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Model Home by Rivers Solomon 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 @missusa2mba
	Skates, Snow, and Secrets : Wendy Walker's Blade	17 Feb 2026	00:49:29
This week, I talk with Wendy Walker about her new ice skating thriller Blade! We dive into her past with ice skating, how she developed her cast of characters, and how she chose the unique plot structure. Blade Synopsis Ana Robbins was an Olympic star in the making—until tragedy forced her to leave that world behind. At the age of sixteen, she gave up her dream and never looked back. Fourteen years later, she’s a successful defense attorney, revered for her work with minors. But when her former coach turns up dead, Ana lands right back where it all began, and abruptly The Palace, a world-renowned skating facility nestled high in the mountains of Colorado. Ana returns to The Palace to defend the young skater accused of the brutal crime—Grace Montgomery. Despite her claims of innocence, all evidence points squarely at Grace’s guilt, and she’s days away from facing charges of first-degree murder. But Ana’s investigation dredges up childhood memories of her own, triggering the fear that permeates this place where she once lived and trained far from home as an “Orphan.” With a blizzard raging outside, and time running out for Grace, Ana is determined to uncover the truth—even if it means exposing her own secrets that she buried here long ago. 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 @missusa2mba
	Valentines Day Adjacent Book Recs from Not Quite Romance Readers with Halley Sutton	13 Feb 2026	01:13:06
This week, Halley Sutton is back, and we catch up on what we've been reading and watching, as well as our thoughts in Emerald Fennell's upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation. We also share romance-adjacent book recommendations for Valentine's Day. Kate's Books A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams History Lessons by Zoe E Wallbrook This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum The Long Game by Rachel Reid My Husband by Maud Ventura Halley's Books Enormous Wings by Laurie Frankel Cross My Heart by Megan Collins Crush by Frederic Dard I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol The Bridesmaid by Ruth Rendell We Are Too Many by Hannah Pitard 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 @missusa2mba
	Art As Resistance: Breaking Down Benito Bowl with MacKenzie Green	10 Feb 2026	01:25:43
BONUS EPISODE!! MacKenzie Green and I were set to record yesterday (the morning after the Benito Bowl) for a Friday episode, but all we could talk about was Bad Bunny's performance, so I decide for timing's sake, it made sense to release it today! We discuss it all: why it felt historic rather than merely entertaining, how the show functioned as protest art, communal storytelling, and cultural affirmation, especially for Latino and Afro-Latino audiences. We also dive into how intentional details—language, symbolism, ancestry, refusal to translate or explain—created a moment that centered people who are usually asked to assimilate, while inviting others to listen, learn, or sit with not fully understanding, proof that creativity, empathy, and resistance exist loudly and beautifully even in times of backlash and fear. 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 @missusa2mba
	Family, Fear and the Final Frontier: Jeff Rake's and Rob Hart's Detour	10 Feb 2026	00:39:29
This week, I talk with Jeff Rake and Rob Hart about the first installment of their new series Detour. Jeff shares how he got the idea for the story originally for TV, but when he mentioned it to a friend they said it sounded like a novel. When he got connected to Rob, their partnership was instantly born, and they went on to write an entire full-length novel without meeting in person until the very end. They share what their process was like, how they developed such a large cast of characters, and how being fathers themselves shaped the family themes in the book. Detour Synopsis Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt. As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan. A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier. But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes. When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled. Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins. 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 @missusa2mba
	Big Hair and Big Secrets: May Cobb's All The Little Houses	06 Feb 2026	01:02:50
This week, Gare and I chat with May Cobb about her new, messy thriller All the Little Houses! She shares the inspiration for the story, how she managed multiple POVs, and what it was like on the set of The Hunting Wives. All the Little Houses Synopsis It's the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can't get for herself… well, that's what her mother is for. Because Charleigh Andersen, blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning, remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she'd so desperately thirsted for. When a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh's entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble. Who will be left standing when the dust settles? 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 @missusa2mba
	Grief, Meteoric Fame and Parasocial Relationships: Ashley Winstead's The Future Saints	03 Feb 2026	01:37:39
This week, Gare and I talk with Ashley Winstead about her new contemporary fiction (tragi-comedy but don't tell Ashley's publicists we said so) The Future Saints! We dive into her inspiration for the book, how it changed over the years through rounds of edits, and her fascination with ambitious women and how the world reacts to them. The Future Saints Synopsis This is a love story, but not the one you’re expecting. When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral and Theo has been dispatched to coax a new—and successful—album out of them, or else let them go. Immediately, Theo is struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who’s gone off script by debuting a whole new sound, replacing their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record, and new start. But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister Ginny—her lifelong partner in crime—undermine Theo at every turn. Hannah isn’t ready to move on or prepared for the fame she’s been chasing, and the weight of her problems jeopardize the band, her growing closeness with Theo, and, worst of all, her relationship with her sister—all while the world watches closely. The Future Saints’s big break is here—if only they can survive it. 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 @missusa2mba
	Body Swapping, Dark Academia & Personal Magic: Petra Lord's Queen of Faces	03 Feb 2026	00:48:41
This week, I talk with Petra Lord about her debut genre bending fantasy-sci-fi-dark-academia book Queen of Faces. She shares the eight year journey of writing the book, how she injured herself while writing it, and how fantasy worlds are so effective for social commentary. Queen of Faces Synopsis Anabelle Gage is trapped in a male body, and it’s rotting from the inside out. In Caimor, where the magical elite buy and swap designer bodies like clothes, Ana can’t afford to escape her tattered form. When she fails the entrance exam to the prestigious Paragon Academy, her last hope of earning a new body implodes. As the clock ticks down to her last breath, she’s forced to use her illusion magic to steal a healthy chassis—before her own kills her. But Ana is caught by none other than the headmaster of Paragon Academy, who poses a brutal ultimatum: face execution for her crime or become a mercenary at his command. Revolt brews in Caimor's smog-choked underworld, and the wealthy and powerful will stop at nothing to take down the rebels and the infamous dark witch at their helm, the Black Wraith. With no choice but to accept, Ana will steal, fight, and kill her way to salvation. But her survival depends on a dangerous band of an impulsive assassin, a brooding bombmaker, and an alluring exile who might just spell her ruin. As Ana is drawn into a tangled web of secrets, the line between villain and hero shatters—and Ana must decide which side is worth dying for. 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 @missusa2mba
	Motherhood, Memory, and Murder: The Water Lies by Amy Meyerson	01 Feb 2026	00:44:43
This week, I talk with Amy Meyerson about her new mystery thriller The Water Lies. We dive into her inspiration for the book, how audiobooks changed her approach to pacing, and how she grappled with intuition, pregnancy and motherhood. This was supposed to be released on January 1, but I put it in my release calendar for February 1, so some of our conversation may seem dated! The Water Lies Synopsis Heavily pregnant with her second child, Tessa Irons has enough on her mind without her toddler throwing tantrums at the local coffee shop. The boy is inconsolable, shouting “Gigi!” to a woman Tessa’s never seen before—and never will again. The next morning, the woman’s body is dredged up from the canal outside the Ironses’ posh Venice Beach home, and Tessa’s gut tells her it’s no coincidence. Barb Geller refuses to believe that her daughter’s death was just some drunken accident. She heads to California for answers, where she crosses paths with Tessa. Together they hunt for the truth, certain they’ll find a connection between their children. But the police don’t believe them. Tessa’s husband dismisses her worries as pregnancy jitters, and even though people are always watching along the canals, no one saw a thing. Tessa and Barb only have each other, their intuition, and the creeping sense of danger that grows with every shocking revelation. 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 @missusa2mba
	Predicting Our 2026 Favorite Books with Gare and Steph	30 Jan 2026	01:20:33
This week, Gare and Steph and I attempt to predict which books will be some of our favorite books in 2026! Kate’s Books Dead Beat Alex Stern Leigh Bardugo Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead The Caretaker Marcus Kliewer Honey by Imani Thompson Queen of Faces Gare’s Books The Secret Lives of Murderers Wives by Elizabeth Arnott This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum Helpless by Jessica Knoll Heather by Caitlin Mullen Heart of Glass Jennifer Hillier Steph’s Books It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell Cleo Dang Would Rather Be Dead by Mai Nguyen Forget You Saw Her by Noelle W. Ihli Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer Let’s Not Go Overboard Here by Erica Hendry 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 @missusa2mba

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