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.

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Gare Billings @gareindeedreads

Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland

Halley Sutton @halleysutton25

Brian Watson @readingwithbrian

MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

Erin Ashley @bellametaphor