WJHG Chapter Chat

Author Christine Wells joins Chapter Chat from Australia to talk The Lost Perfumes of Paris. The novel is a love letter to Paris and perfume meant to be an escapist, armchair-travel read celebrating female strength. Wells shares how she connects with readers, what goes into cover design, and her hybrid writing process. Wells talks about researching but avoiding a rigid plan so characters can...

For years, author Madeline Martin kept a secret. She had a vivid childhood dream she never shared with a single person. That dream eventually became the seed for her latest novel, A Time of Witches.  It's a spellbinding blend of magical realism and historical fiction, and the perfect read to curl up with this fall. In this episode of Chapter Chat, Madeline opens up about the long road to brin...

Known as a queen of sun-drenched summer reads, New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey thought she was heading into a much-needed break until inspiration struck on tour and pulled her right into autumn. In this episode of  Chapter Chat , Kristy joins Jessica Foster to dive into Falling for Peachtree Bluff , returning to her beloved, wildly popular series with a cozy seasonal t...

Author Charlotte Lillie Balogh joins  Chapter Chat to discuss her gripping coming-of-age novel, Capsized , centered on a high school girls' rowing team. Charlotte opens up about the grit required in the revision process, the village behind every book, and the realities of promoting on BookTok and other social media platforms. Plus, she shares an exclusive tease about adapting  Capsized f...

In this engaging and candid episode of Chapter Chat , bestselling author Eliza Knight joins us to discuss the unique challenge of releasing two very different books simultaneously: Lost in the Summer of ’69 and a gripping thriller published under her pseudonym, Michelle Brandon. Eliza breaks down the creative process of switching between historical fiction and suspense, what she uncovered wh...

In this episode of  Chapter Chat , host Jessica Foster sits down with New York Times  bestselling author Nina Simon to discuss her latest release,  My Sister is Going to Kill Me . Nina opens up about how her mother’s cancer diagnosis became the catalyst for her writing journey, the fierce power of female bonds, and how storytelling became an unexpected conduit for healing and...

Episode Synopsis: In this empowering episode of  Chapter Chat , host Jessica Foster sits down with bestselling author Natasha Lester to discuss her captivating new novel,  The Chateau on Sunset, a stunning 1960s retelling of  Jane Eyre . Together, they dive deep into the power of female friendships, the strength of "the whisper network," and what it truly means to live unapologetica...

In this episode of  Chapter Chat , we sit down with bestselling author Susan Wiggs to celebrate the paperback release of her deeply resonant novel,  Wayward Girls . Susan opens up about the passionate, specific feedback she has received from readers and shares her unique creative process, from the grounding ritual of handwriting her first drafts to how she physically transitions when wri...

In this episode of  Chapter Chat , we sit down with the legendary  New York Times  bestselling author Rhys Bowen to discuss her latest release,  The Castle in the Glen . Rhys shares why she actively seeks out creative challenges when plotting her intricate novels, how she successfully keeps so many literary plates spinning at the same time, and what it’s really like colla...

Why do real-life spy operations feel wilder than anything we can make up? This week on  Chapter Chat , we’re cracking open  Spies, Lies & Alibies with author Natalie Walters. She reveals how she uses bizarre, real-world scenarios to weave into her high-stakes mysteries, her blueprint for the ultimate slow-burn romance, and how she crafts addictive thrill rides that leave reader...

Author Courtney Walsh joins  Chapter Chat  to talk about her new novel  Brighter Than Before and the belief at its core that it’s not too late to begin again. Courtney empahsizes how you’re never too old to rewrite your story. We dig into why Courtney keeps her romances low-spice and high-heart, focusing on emotional intimacy and meaningful connection. Plu...

Author Marian Yee joins  Chapter Chat  to discuss her novel  4 Janes. It's a fascinating retelling of  Jane Eyre  that proves why the classic story remains timeless and transcends time. Inspired by a trip to Vietnam, Yee shares how place, memory, and perspective shaped her reimagining, and she opens up about her own writing approach: slow, steady, and built on the power of...

In this Chapter Chat episode, author Kerri Maher joins us to discuss her latest novel,  Summer of Love, a deeply layered story that doesn’t shy away from the hard stuff. We talk candidly about the book’s themes of addiction and recovery, and Maher shares a raw, honest reflection on her own journey with sobriety, including the joy and the challenges that come wi...

Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie join the podcast to discuss A Founding Mother , their new historical fiction novel illuminating Abigail Adams’ lasting imprint on the United States as the wife of one president and the mother of another. With America’s 250th on the horizon, they explore why the Revolutionary era still resonates today, how they collaborate as co-authors to bring history t...

Best-selling author Mary Kay Andrews joins  Chapter Chat  to talk about her latest release,  Road Trip, a story rooted in sisterhood, self-discovery, and a setting that whisks readers away to Ireland. Andrews shares why she always makes her readers the same promise: you’ll be happy at the end, even when the journey gets messy. We also dig into how her...

Author Ashley Poston returns to  Chapter Chat for her second appearance. This time she talks about her latest release, The Someday Garden . Ashley shares her approach to magical realism and how she blends fantasy and contemporary elements to create stories that feel both grounded and wondrous. We dig into the novel’s powerful themes of grief, including how...

Nicola Harrison stops by  Chapter Chat  to unpack  The Island Club , from the strength of women supporting women to the discipline behind writing historical fiction. We cover her pivot from journalist to novelist, the questions that guide her research, and how she balances fact, feeling, and imagination on the page.

Author Sheila Roberts stops by  Chapter Chat to discuss her latest romance novel,  Love on the Shelf and to preview the Christmas novel she has coming out later this year. Sheila opens up about what it’s like having her holiday books adapted into movies, why she’s drawn to writing stories full of warmth and hope, and how her writing process takes a book from first s...

Chapter Chat  sits down with New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger to talk thrillers and the creative process behind them. Unger shares why she’s a writing “gardener,” letting stories evolve on the page instead of relying on detailed outlines, and how plot flows from character in her work. She also dives into the research that fuels her suspense, t...

Author Priya Parmar joins  Chapter Chat  to discuss her novel  The Original , and the enduring fascination with Katherine Hepburn. Parmar shares how she balances deep research with imaginative storytelling. Parmar blends real people, places, and details with fiction in a way that feels authentic without being constrained by the record. She also walks us through the meticul...

Kristy Woodson Harvey joins  Chapter Chat  to talk about her latest release,  Summer State of Mind and why “found family” remains one of her favorite themes to explore on the page. We also dig into the power of a “hook book,” the irresistible read that sparks a lifelong love of reading, and how Kristy approaches writing stories that pull readers in and keep t...

Corinne Sullivan joins  Chapter Chat  to talk about her latest thriller,  Yours Always , and the eight-year gap between her first and second novels. She shares what it’s like balancing writing with motherhood and her role as Senior News Editor at  Cosmopolitan , plus how the changing media landscape has shaped her career and her storytelling.

Author and former TV news producer Nikesha Elise Williams joins  Chapter Chat  to talk about her latest novel,  The Seven Daughters of Dupree. It's a layered family story where secrets don’t stay buried and generational trauma shapes what gets passed down. The Seven Daughters of Dupree touches on the resilience of Black women and the complicated love that holds families togeth...

Author Emily Carpenter joins Chapter Chat  to talk about her newest novel,  A Spell for Saints and Sinners , a Southern Gothic story set in Savannah, Georgia. We dig into her research process, how she builds characters and scenes, and the winding road that led her to becoming an author—ups, downs, and all.

In this episode of  Chapter Chat , Donna Jones Alward takes us aboard the Titanic through her novel  Ship of Dreams . From meticulous historical research to the overlooked realities of women’s lives at the time, we explore what the tragedy reveals about society, ambition, and the personal stories history can’t fully capture.