Alone At Lunch

This week we are joined by Tanya Grant! Tanya Grant writes twisty thrillers packed with secrets, murder, and gossipy group dynamics. Her essays have appeared in Writer’s Digest and CrimeReads, and she’s spoken about creativity on various podcasts. Tanya lives in Seattle with her family and a herd of cute but messy guinea pigs. When she’s not writing or conducting highly suspicious web searches (fo...

This week we are joined by Cole Brauer! Cole Brauer is a record-breaking American professional sailor who finished second in the grueling 2023–2024 solo race around the world. Brauer and her work have been featured in The New York Times and on Today and CNN. A University of Hawai‘i graduate, she is a sought-after speaker for companies and organizations ranging from PJT to Kaiser Permanente, known...

This week we are joined by Ellen O’Clover! Ellen O’Clover is the author of If Not You , The Heartbreak Hotel , and other stories for teens and adults. Her books have been selected for Book of the Month, appeared in outlets like NPR and Rolling Stone, and been nominated for multiple states' book awards. She lives in a little green house under a giant aspen tree near Boulder, Colorado, with her rock...

This week we are joined by Maggie Gates! Maggie Gates is an author who writes raw, relatable romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time, she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her e-reader is always within reach due to a love of small-town romances that borders...

This week we are joined by Marshall J Moore! Marshall J. Moore is the author of the Son of a Sailor cozy fantasy trilogy, the Rites of Resurrection epic fantasy trilogy, and over thirty published short stories. His story “Red Lanterns” won second place in the Baen Fantasy Adventure Award Short Story Contest. His latest novel, The Henchperson’s Guide to Unionizing is out 9/22/26.  Author Marsh...

This week we are joined by Isabel Sterling! Isabel Sterling writes stories about queer love and resilience with a witty magical twist. She is the author of several YA and adult novels, including: These Witches Don’t Burn and With All My Haunted Heart . Connect with Isabel at www. IsabelSterling.com Author Isabel Sterling joins the show to talk about her new sapphic ghost story, With All My Haunted...

This week we are joined by Ally Zetterberg! Ally Zetterberg is a British-Swedish writer who grew up in rural Sweden before stumbling on a modeling career that took her all over the world. She somehow ended up in the South of France, where she now lives with three children, a dog, and a cat. She has a degree in psychology and is passionate about writing characters who feel real and who bring a comp...

This week we are joined by Ophira Eisenberg! Ophira Eisenberg is a Standup Comedian, Writer, and Podcast Host (NPR, CBS, CNN, The Moth, HBO, Comedy Central, iHeart) who headlines theaters and comedy venues across the world, tours regularly with the Moth Mainstage, and hosts the weekly parenting-comedy podcast Parenting is a Joke (Webby Finalist for Best Host). Her new comedy special, I Used to Be...

This week we are joined by Natalie Moss! Natalie is the author of the adult psychological thriller, The Night Hunter . She is a Filipina-South African, born and raised in Manila, Philippines, and has gone on safaris since she was three years old. An Oxford graduate, Natalie has lived in seven countries, including the Philippines, Australia, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, South Africa, and Spain, and h...

This week we are joined by Isabelle Spotts! Isabelle Spotts is the writer and narrator of two award-winning audio dramas, Night Faces and Middle West. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband, two children, and two black cats.​ Saint Delilah is her debut novel. In this episode, Isabelle shares how her childhood terror of horror films evolved into a creative passion, leading her to transfo...

This week we are joined by Abbi Waxman. Abbi is a chocolate-loving, dog-loving woman, who lives in Los Angeles and lies down as much as possible. She worked in advertising for many years, which is how she learned to write fiction. She has three daughters, a dog, four cats, a snake and a pigeon. Deadly Does It is Abbi's eight novel, and her second mystery. In this episode, Abbi Waxman discusses her...

This week we are joined by Jillian Laine. Jillian Laine is an author and journalist. She has written multiple children’s books and has worked as an acquisitions editor, book festival director, and literary award judge. She and her husband live with their pride of cats in the Great Lakes State. In this episode, Jillian shares how her fascination with Tudor history and powerful women inspired her wr...

This week we are joined by Kerri Maher. Kerri is the USA Today bestselling author of The Paris Bookseller , All You Have To Do Is Call , The Kennedy Debutante , and The Girl in White Gloves . She lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts with her daughter and dog, but was born and raised in California where Summer of Love , her latest novel, is set. In this episode, Kerri shares how personal adversit...

This week we are joined by Liza Tully. Liza Tully writes the Merritt & Blunt comedy mystery series, including The Forty Year Grudge , published in June 2026. She also writes dark suspense and literary fiction under the name Elisabeth Elo and Elisabeth Panttaja Brink, with novels published in six countries, a Book of the Month Club selection, and Indie Next Pick appearances. A Brown University grad...

This week we are joined by Emma Mills! Emma Mills is thrilled to be making her adult mystery debut with Rachel West and the Fallen Starlet . She is also the author of six YA novels and one middle grade graphic novel ( The Greenies ). When she is not writing, Emma can be found editing scientific manuscripts, tending to her large collection of succulents, and deep-diving into various fandoms. Emma l...

This week we are joined by Edward Schmit! Edward Schmit is an author based in New York City. From theatre kid to graphic designer to creative director, he’s always exploring new ways to tell stories. A passionate mental health advocate, he’s worked in the nonprofit space for over seven years. The Open Era is his debut novel and combines three things close to his heart: queer love stories, mental h...

This week we are joined by Rachel Moore! Rachel Moore is the author of high-stakes, genre-blending novels The Library of Shadows, Us in Ruins, and her thriller debut, Safari Murder Party. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and two cats she’s violently allergic to. (The cats, not the husband.) On the rare occasion she isn’t writing happy endings, you can find her collecting dictionaries, drink...

This week we are joined by Eve J. Chung! Eve J. Chung is a Taiwanese American lawyer and women's human rights specialist. She has worked on a range of issues, including torture, sexual violence, contemporary forms of slavery, and discriminatory legislation. Her writing is inspired by social justice movements, and the continued struggle for equality and fundamental freedoms worldwide.  In this epis...

This week we are joined by Catherine Kurtz! Catherine Kurtz is a painter and writer whose debut novel FEAST published in June 2026 (Hachette UK, Penguin USA). As a painter she is represented by The Redfern Gallery in London. She is a member of The Guild of Food Writers, Grand Jury Member of The International Chocolate Awards, and co-author of Sex & Drugs & Sausage Rolls. Her journalism has appeare...

This week we are joined by Holly Brown! Holly’s comedy is what you get when the girl next door has a little bite - mixing dark humor and millennial nostalgia with an honesty that makes you laugh and squirm. Named one of WhoHaHa’s Comedians of the Year in 2022, Holly has been featured on popular podcasts The Daily Zeitgeist and The Dork Forest, and has performed at SF Sketchfest, Big Pine, the SLO...

This week we are joined by Mickey Trescott! Mickey Trescott, MSc, is an author, recipe creator, and holistic nutrition professional, widely recognized for her expertise in living well with autoimmune disease. She holds an MSc in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine from the University of Western States and is a certified Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. Trescott has been working in...

This week we are joined by Anna North! Anna North is the author of four novels, including Outlawed, an instant New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick, and Bog Queen, a national bestseller and National Book Foundation Science + Literature Selected Title. She is also a senior correspondent at Vox, and lives in Brooklyn. In this episode, we discuss Anna’s journey as a writer and her lat...

This week we are joined by Krista and Becca Ritchie! Krista & Becca Ritchie are New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors and identical twins—one a science nerd, the other a comic book geek—but with their shared passion for writing, they combined their mental powers as kids and have never stopped telling stories. They love superheroes, flawed characters, and soul mate love. In this episode,...

This week we are joined by Deanna Raybourn! New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She is the author of the Veronica Speedwell Victorian mystery series, and her first contemporary thriller, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, published in September of 20...

This week we are joined by Moorea Coorigan! Moorea Corrigan holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in English literature from the University of Edinburgh and a master of publishing degree from Simon Fraser University, Vancouver. She works at an academic press in Boulder, Colorado. When she is not writing, you can find her singing, spending time with her menagerie of pets, or attending Jane Austen c...