West of the Page

Crime fiction author Phillip Thompson joins us to discuss his short story "Get Out of Denver," featured in the Hard Country anthology. Thompson shares the inspiration behind the story, the challenges of writing outside his usual Southern crime fiction settings, and what makes a compelling noir-inspired character. He also reflects on his journey from journalism and the Marine Corps to bec...

What does it take to build a career spanning 19 novels, dozens of published short stories, and multiple award-winning mystery and Western series? In this fascinating conversation, author Larry Sweazy pulls back the curtain on his writing life, sharing hard-earned lessons about creativity, discipline, storytelling, and the unexpected ways great ideas take shape. From discovering characters on the p...

Award-winning author and historical researcher Jefferson Glass joins us for a fascinating conversation about the American West, historical fiction, Western mysteries, and the art of bringing history to life on the page. We explore Jefferson's unique research process, his passion for uncovering forgotten stories from the Northern Plains and Rocky Mountain West, and how real historical locations...

Award-winning author Laura Buchwald joins West of the Page for a fascinating conversation about ghosts, grief, creativity, and the stories that connect us. Laura discusses her debut novel The Coat Check Girl — a finalist for the American Bookfest Awards in Best General Fiction — and takes us inside the supernatural world of Josie, a young woman learning to live with her ability to communicate with...

From Top Gun graduate to bestselling thriller author, retired Navy fighter pilot Jack Stewart shares the stories behind the stories. In this conversation, Jack dives into his military career, the reality of Top Gun training, and his contribution to the upcoming anthology Rough Country — a gripping historical fiction tale set in the golden age of aviation, where an air mail pilot flying through the...

Award-winning author Anthony Wood discusses the inspiration behind his modern western short story, The Last Hanging Tree, featured in the Rough Country anthology. Set in 1940s Round Rock, Texas during World War II, the story follows a newly elected sheriff investigating cattle rustling, only to uncover a devastating connection much closer to home. In this episode of West of the Page, Wood explores...

In this episode of West of the Page , award-winning Western and Southern fiction author James Wade joins us for a deep conversation on craft, character, and the power of place. From his latest short story “ The Harvest ” in the anthology Rough Country —written in support of the U.S. Marshals—to his broader body of work, Wade unpacks how setting becomes a living force, how moral lines blur under pr...

Bestselling author Craig Johnson, the mind behind the iconic Walt Longmire series, sits down for an in-depth interview exploring his latest work in the Rough Country anthology. Discover the fascinating true story behind “The Perfect A,” inspired by a 1930s Wyoming sheep herder’s unexpected connection to the New York Philharmonic, and get a rare look into Johnson’s creative process, storytelling te...

Lysandra James talks about her fantasy novel Truthtaker—a genre-bending story that blends historical fiction, time displacement, and magic. In this episode, we explore the world of Truthtaker, where characters from the Regency era are mysteriously transported to the Ice Age and form a powerful matriarchal society known as “New London.” With magic that shifts the balance of power, the story dives i...

From comic books to cult classics—here’s how Joe R. Lansdale became one of the most original voices in modern storytelling. Lansdale dives into his wild, genre-bending career, from crime and horror to westerns packed with grit and myth. He talks about his story “Under the Moon of Arizona” from the Rough Country anthology , where he reimagines real-life Black cowboy Nat Love and brings overlooked h...

Dive into storytelling, science, and second chances in this episode of West of the Page ! Hosts Lindsay Flanagan and Staci sit down with author Mary Shotwell to explore her unique journey from biostatistics to bestselling fiction. From dolphin research to whale-watching rivals, Mary shares how her scientific background shapes her unforgettable stories. We talk about her Maiden’s Bay romance series...

New York Times bestselling author John Gilstrap joins us to talk about writing thrillers, his creative process, and how real-life experience shapes powerful storytelling. Drawing from 16 years as a firefighter and EMT, Gilstrap explains how he translates real-world adrenaline into compelling fiction and why he chooses not to outline his stories. He shares insights into writing novels versus short...

In this episode, we sit down with author Annie Atkin to talk about her gripping Western romance Devil in the Daylight and the story behind the book. Set against the rugged backdrop of the Old West, the novel follows Maggie Bennett, a woman determined to see the outlaw who killed her father brought to justice. But the dangerous journey to return him to Bluff City forces Maggie to confront the possi...

In this episode of West of the Page , New York Times bestselling author and five-time Bram Stoker Award winner Jonathan Maberry joins Roan Weatherford Publishing to talk about his contribution to the upcoming Hard Country anthology. The conversation focuses on his iconic character Joe Ledger—a former Army Ranger, Baltimore detective, and now special ops operative—and his latest short story, Bad Ti...

Bestselling author Reavis Wortham discusses the creation of Rough Country and Hard Country , two anthologies supporting the U.S. Marshals Survivors Benefit Fund. From curating a wide range of stories to writing his own tale about life choices and destiny, Wortham shares the inspiration behind the project, his storytelling roots, and the impact of using fiction to give back.

Join us on West of the Page for an in-depth conversation with New York Times bestselling author Reavis Z. Wortham as he dives into the creation of his newest Western-horror novel, Comancheria . Wortham shares highlights from his decades-long writing career—over 2,000 columns, 20 novels, multiple Spur Awards and Will Rogers Medallions—and reveals how a vivid dream during lockdown sparked this dark,...