Book of the Month Live

Written and recorded by Book of the Month 3peat author Katherine Center.  Author website: https://katherinecenter.com/   New members can get Katherine Center's latest novel, The Bodyguard, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief: Since the day I was born, I've had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that's ok, but yesterday was a different...

Written by Book of the Month author Abby Jimenez. Author website: https://www.authorabbyjimenez.com/   New members can get Abby Jimenez's novel Part of Your World at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief: Since the day I was born, I've had a hard time keeping my mouth shut. Most of the time that's ok, but yesterday was a different story. The moment I said...

When crafting her characters, Alice Feeney likes to get inside their minds, no matter how dark (except for all of the murdery bits). Today, we're sitting down with author Alice Feeney to talk about her newest thriller novel, Daisy Darker . She shares all about her lucky chocolate bars, why she fiercely protects the plot twist board, and why she punched a French doctor in the face.  In Daisy Darker...

Prom night is a memorable night for many Americans, but it's also a great setting for a murder. Today we sit down with Karin Slaughter to talk about her newest thriller novel Girl, Forgotten , why she wanted to change her last name to Laughter as a young girl, and how she channels her Southern roots in her writing.      Girl, Forgotten follows newly minted U.S. Marshal, Andrea Oliver, as she goes...

Can you fend off an intruder with a pool noodle? Why is it important to feel unsettled when finishing a thriller novel? We answer these questions and more in today's episode with Lisa Jewell, the author of The Family Remains .      The Family Remains tells the spine-tingling story of detectives who find bones connected to a cold case that left three people dead on the kitchen floor in a Chelsea ma...

Powerful corporate executive by day and successful novelist by night. Jillian Medoff really does do it all. In this episode, Jillian shares how talking to random strangers on the train and sitting in on courtroom trials helped her write her fifth novel, When We Were Bright and Beautiful .  When We Were Bright and Beautiful tells the story of the Quinns—a wealthy but dysfunctional family living in...

It's not everyday that authors go from being top-notch lawyers to writing novels about swingers. But Taylor Hahn is not your average author. On today's episode Taylor discusses her debut novel, The Lifestyle , which is already sparking some spicy conversations all over the internet. Taylor talks about how difficult it was to write the perfect sex scene, why you shouldn't have just one fake ID, and...

If you're a thriller author researching how to get away with murder, what kind of targeted ads start popping up? Our next guest, Jennifer Hillier, is here to answer that question and more as we discuss her newest thriller novel, Things We Do in the Dark. She talks about how her writing process is…unique, how true crime series are her comfort shows, and how everyone is capable of murder .  Things W...

Written by Book of the Month author Elyssa Friedland. Author website: http://www.elyssafriedland.com/   New members can get Elyssa Friedland's novel, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel , at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief: No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played...

Written by Book of the Month author Hannah Orenstein.  Author website: http://hannahorenstein.com/     New members can get Hannah Orenstein's novel, Head Over Heels, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief: No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cr...

Written by Book of the Month author Chloe Gong.    Author website: https://thechloegong.com/    New members can get Chloe Gong's novel, These Violent Delights, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.   Here's the brief:   No one wanted to see the psychic. Not initially. But it was a bachelorette party. How could we say no to the bride? Everyone played along at first, cracki...

She is an expert in all things adorable, a BOTM 3peat author, and can give you the inside scoop on what makes a great kiss. In this episode, Katherine Center talks about her newest novel, The Bodyguard . She also speaks to how the pandemic drove her to write her lightest novel yet, how really good fiction novels trick us into believing they're real, and what it means to "eat" a book.    The Bodygu...

After listening to today's episode, Blake Crouch will have you questioning everything. Are the biggest global corporations run solely by AI? Could gene modification make it so we can all run a 4-minute mile? Is Blake really writing fiction, or are his books actually just futures that haven't become realities…yet? Our 3peat author is here today to blow our minds and talk about his new novel Upgrade...

If you could live in any video game, what would it be? Or are we actually living in one giant simulation already? We're here to answer these questions and more with author Gabrielle Zevin. She talks about her above-average Mario Kart skills, her constant fight against reviews that describe her book as "lovely" and "charming," and how we all need a little more play time in our lives.  Tomorrow, and...

Written by Jocelyn Kender.   Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.     Here's the brief:   "The date had been on their respective calendars for months–travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the first time in over a decade, it was a...

Written by Danica Lo. Author website: https://www.danicalo.com   Browse great reads at bookofthemonth.com and new members can get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.    Here's the brief:   "The date had been on their respective calendars for months--travel booked, conferences declined, childcare arranged. And now that they were all gathered back on campus, together for the f...

We're kicking off our new VBT Briefs series with Book of the Month 3peat author Helen Hoang. New members can get Helen Hoang's most recent work, The Heart Principle, at bookofthemonth.com for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout. Please note this episode contains adult topics and might not be appropriate for all listeners.   Here's the brief:   "The date had been on their respective calendars for...

What happens when you take tea leaf reading, family secrets, and powerful premonitions and blend them into an epic Western novel? You get Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Woman of Light. On today's episode, we talk about her deep Denver roots and the family stories that inspired her newest novel.    Woman of Light is an epic yet intimate story that shows three generations of women trying to make a life in t...

How can one little lamp cause so much trouble? And how do video game characters fit all of their potions, weapons, and maps into their pockets? On today's episode, we answer these questions and more with Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief .    The Stardust Thief is a novel that will grant your wish for a perfect fantasy with dark magic and a dangerous quest. When Loulie saves the life...

How can you fit conniving con artists, edge-of-your-seat endings, and shifty scammers all into one podcast episode? Listen to find out! Repeat BOTM author Julie Clark sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how paranoia and a little bit of fear are the perfect recipe for a nail-biting thriller.   The Lies I Tell tells the story of M...

How does an author go from writing Lord of the Rings fanfic to a spine-chilling tale about the supernatural? Author Isabel Cañas sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how someone who is afraid of the dark (but really, who isn't?) and a self-proclaimed "wuss" when it comes to horror, wrote The Hacienda , a spooky novel that will ma...

Have you ever been so petty that you left your glass right next to the coaster, knowing that it might drive your own mother to murder? Well, our next guest wrote this exact scene for a character in her newest crime novel, Like a Sister. Author Kellye Garrett sits down with Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane to talk about how losing her job pushed her into...

Every conversation with Adriana Trigiani is one to remember. According to Adriana, this one was years of manifestation in the making! Editorial Director Brianna Goodman and Editorial Associate Jerrod MacFarlane sit down with Adriana to talk about how stories are everywhere, especially in your own family tree. Adriana talks about her crazy Uncle (cousin?) Ralph who was thrown into a water tower by...

Since we've never been ones to keep interesting new books to ourselves, we're kicking off a series of conversations with Book of the Month authors about God only knows what. Recorded at Book of the Month headquarters on West 27th St. in front of a live audience of raucous employees! Give us your ears and we'll give you a look into the minds of writers we admire and a treasure trove of anecdotes, w...