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.

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.

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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:

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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:

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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, 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 Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe

All the Bookwild Links:

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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

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 business of publishing: From choosing genres strategically to discussing pen names, annual series deadlines, Hollywood adaptations, and why chasing trends rarely works, John offers an honest look at the publishing industry behind the scenes.
• Creating memorable characters and a setting that feels like one: How Austin became a character in its own right, why supporting characters like LaShirl practically wrote themselves, and how an unexpected inheritance became the perfect origin story for Peter Key.
• Why John Fram created the Jack Friday pen name: John shares how Peter Key's voice and the desire to write an ongoing mystery series naturally led to a new identity, allowing readers to distinguish these books from his horror novels while giving him room to build a long-running detective franchise.

All the Bookwild Links:

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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

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 school influenced the emotional core of the novel and the idea of being judged for your family rather than your own actions.
• The surprising publishing journey that intertwined with Ashley Winstead. Vazquez talks about moving to Scotland, writing her first novels while waiting for work authorization, landing in Pitch Wars, and how Ashley Winstead encouraged her to dream much bigger than she ever imagined.
• How real memoirs from the families of serial killers shaped the book. Instead of consuming true crime entertainment, Vazquez researched memoirs by children and spouses of serial killers to authentically portray grief, loyalty, denial, and trauma.
• Behind the scenes of building a thriller with an unforgettable cast. Everything from creating detailed outlines and character boards to debating book adaptations and dream casting.

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

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 Son of Sam, the 1977 blackout, Studio 54, and virtual pandemic walking tours helped bring the novel's gritty dual timeline to life.
• Behind-the-scenes of Molly's writing process. From plotting entire endings before drafting to rewriting emotional scenes until the anger felt authentic, Molly shares how she builds her novels.
• A nuanced discussion about morally gray women, celebrity culture, and public judgment. We dive into why readers react so differently to characters like Margot and why society is often quicker to blame women than the men who betray them.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

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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

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 into a fast-paced mystery.
• The surprising process of writing a first novel after years in television and theater, including what he had to unlearn about dialogue, pacing, and building scenes on the page.
• How Arvind wove real historical figures with fictional legends, from J.M. Barrie and Winston Churchill to Sherlock Holmes, while staying faithful to the historical timeline.

All the Bookwild Links:

Check Out the Bookwild Substack

Subscribe to Bookwild on YouTube

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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