In this episode, I talk with Olesya Lyuzna about the second book in her Ginny Dugan series Liars in Paradise.

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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.

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 on Jack being framed.

Historical fiction can feel incredibly relevant because human behavior doesn't change. We discuss how periods of uncertainty—after war, during economic booms, or amid social upheaval—create fertile ground for cults, scams, conspiracy thinking, and charismatic leaders.

Real places often make the best fictional settings. Olesya shares how a supposedly haunted Long Island mansion, Winfield Hall, became the inspiration for Echelon's headquarters, complete with strange history, ghost stories, and Gilded Age excess.

Great mystery series let their characters carry emotional scars. Rather than resetting Ginny after each case, Olesya discusses intentionally letting previous losses and evolving relationships shape every investigation, making the series feel more emotionally authentic.

All the Bookwild Links:

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Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

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 community and beliefs she trusted.
• Why forgiveness without accountability can deepen harm. We discuss how teachings about immediate forgiveness sometimes minimize abuse, shift responsibility onto victims, and allow perpetrators to avoid meaningful accountability.
• When books became a path toward healing and perspective. Kate Johnson shares how fantasy novels initially provided escape during childhood, while later works by authors like Kristin Kobes Du Mez, Rachel Held Evans, and Tia Levings helped her understand her experiences within the larger context of evangelical culture rather than seeing them as isolated events.
• How deconstruction ultimately led to connection instead of fear. Rather than abandoning spirituality altogether, we discuss moving toward a spirituality rooted in curiosity, community, nature, joy, and authentic human connection instead of shame, perfectionism, and control.

Links:

Kate Johnson's Substack

Kate Johnson's List of Books for Healing from Religious Trauma

Kate Johnson's List of Books on Purity Culture

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor

This week, Brian Watson @readingwithbrian is back, and we share our take on Summerween book recommendations!

Kate’s Books

Vanishing Daughters by Cynthia Pelayo

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 Woolsoncroft

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Misery by Stephen King

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

Get Bookwild Merch

Follow @imbookwild on Instagram

Check Out Author Social Media Packages

Follow Co-hosts On Instagram:

Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor