#bookstagram influencer, reviewer, and writer Milena Gonzalez (aka Diary of a Book Babe) spoke to me about culling inspiration from the podcast, hyping up her favorite authors, and her latest five-star finds.
This is the first volume of a new format of the show where I’ll be inviting some like-minded friends to talk shop.
Milena Gonzalez graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a double major in Literary Journalism and English. She spent eight years as owner, designer, and screen printer of a small business, Lady & Little.
Milena is a Southern California mom to three kids. She is currently working on her third novel, a psychological suburban thriller. Learn more about her at diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram.
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In this file Milena Gonzalez and I discussed:
Why we both love #1 NY Times bestselling author Bonnie Garmus so much
Quick reviews of the latest releases from NY Times bestselling author Stacy Willingham and debut novelist Penny Zang
How Milena discovers new and established authors to review
The definition of “dark academia”
Where we put all of our TBR stacks
Advice on how to keep going
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
Forget Me Not: A Novel by Stacy Willingham (Amazon)
Doll Parts: A Novel by Penny Zang (Amazon)
Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (Amazon)
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Bonnie Garmus Writes
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Priscilla Morris Writes
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Carley Fortune Writes - Redux
How NY Times Bestselling Thriller Writer Riley Sager Writes
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Emily Henry Writes: Part One
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How #1 Sunday Times Bestselling Author Stuart MacBride Writes
#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Stuart MacBride spoke to me about playing god, why there are no shortcuts for writers, and his latest Logan McRae novel THIS HOUSE OF BURNING BONES.
Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. He’s also published standalones, novellas, short stories, and a “... slightly twisted children’s picture book.”
His latest novel, THIS HOUSE OF BURNING BONES, is the 13th in the popular Logan McRae series. “A gritty police procedural that perfectly blends dry humor and psychological elements, this brand-new installment in the Logan McRae series celebrates 20 years since the beloved detective's first appearance in Cold Granite (2005).”
The Washington Post wrote of the book, "Though part of a series, this novel stands successfully on its own, its characters fleshed out and in full possession of their idiosyncrasies."
Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series, said, "Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different."
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Stuart MacBride and I discussed:
Why your first novel will definitely be crap
How finally getting his first agent went sideways
The decision to have his protagonist age in real time
Taking a five-year hiatus from the popular DI Logan McRae series
Why he writes his novels as screenplays first
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
stuartmacbride.com
This House of Burning Bones (Logan McRae, 13) by Stuart MacBride (Amazon)
Stuart MacBride Amazon Author Page
Stuart MacBride on Facebook
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Priscilla Morris Writes
Acclaimed debut novelist and English Professor Priscilla Morris spoke to me about finding her voice, and the germ of an idea that became her labor of love, acclaimed debut novel BLACK BUTTERFLIES.
Priscilla Morris is a British author and lecturer whose debut novel, Black Butterflies, was shortlisted for a number of major awards.
Critics described Black Butterflies as “a story of strife and hope set during the conflict in the Balkans in the early '90s,” and it was shortlisted in 2023 for: the Women’s Prize for Fiction, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, among others, and chosen as an Indie Fiction Book of the Month.
Black Butterflies is a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize 2025 (winners to be announced in September).
Priscilla teaches creative writing in Ireland and studied Spanish, Italian and social anthropology at Cambridge University and creative writing at the University of East Anglia, where she earned her PhD.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Priscilla Morris and I discussed:
How her Grandfather’s funeral planted the seed that became her novel
Why art helps overcome the tragedies of war
Writing a love letter to the place she spent a part of her formative childhood
How to cultivate a balanced disposition toward your work over time
Why writing is a long game
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
priscillamorris.org
Black Butterflies: A Novel by Priscilla Morris (Amazon)
Priscilla Morris on Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes: Part Two - Redux
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, returned to chat about why bestsellers stick around for years, why fiction is perfectly geared for the human mind, and her latest YA thriller, THE GRANDEST GAME.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 25 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games series (over 3 million copies sold), Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series.
Her latest is another #1 New York Times bestseller, The Grandest Game (Volume 1) “... a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series, set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.”
Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science including a Ph.D. from Yale University, and “...is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination.”
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I discussed:
Juggling a book launch, edits, and revisions for three new books
How to reboot a hit series to capture the same energy as the original
Why she approaches writing as both a scientist and an author
How she uses lists of her favorite tropes to unlock her scenes
More theories on why readers love fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes: Part One
Jenniferlynnbarnes.com
The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant - TED Audio Collective
The Grandest Game (Volume 1) (The Grandest Game, 1) By Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Amazon Author Page
Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Lynn Barnes Writes: Part One - Redux
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, spoke to me about how to write seven novels in 18 months, the psychology of fiction and fandom, and her latest YA mystery, THE BROTHERS HAWTHORNE.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 20 acclaimed young adult novels, including The Inheritance Games trilogy, Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals, The Lovely and the Lost, and The Naturals series.
Her latest is The Brothers Hawthorne, described as “Knives Out-esque” by Publishers Weekly, it is a story of [two brothers] “Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, [who] —with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.”
Jen is a Fulbright Scholar with advanced degrees in psychology, psychiatry, and cognitive science including a Ph.D. from Yale University, and “...is one of the world's leading experts on the psychology of fandom and the cognitive science of fiction and the imagination.”
[Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm]
[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Jennifer Lynn Barnes and I discussed:
Her study of autism and why neurodivergents rely so heavily on story
How her bestselling trilogy went viral on TikTok
Why she writes for reluctant readers
How to write mysteries with intricate puzzles, twists, turns, and reveals
Her theories on why readers love fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Jenniferlynnbarnes.com
The psychology of fiction with Jennifer Lynn Barnes | Re:Thinking with Adam Grant - TED Audio Collective
The Brothers Hawthorne By Jennifer Lynn Barnes (Amazon)
Jennifer Lynn Barnes Amazon Author Page
Jennifer Lynn Barnes on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
“Learn how acclaimed writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block.”
Each week, host Kelton Reid chats with guests like Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, on life after becoming a laureate; #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry on her past life as a YA mid-lister; Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, on his conflicted feelings after winning a National Book Award; NY Times bestselling author, Lisa Scottoline, on what she learned from literary lion Philip Roth; #1 NY Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane on what he borrowed from Clint Eastwood; and bestselling author, Matt Haig, on the process behind his novel, The Midnight Library, and serial guest hosts: neuroscientist Michael Grybko, journalist Adam Skolnick, and short story writer Robert Bruce.
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