“Not that my work is superior to Rear Window, but I thought—what’s more interesting than a broken leg? A broken mind.” —A.J. Finn

A. J. Finn is the author of The Woman in the Window, the #1 internationally-bestselling phenomenon published in more than forty languages and adapted for the screen as a film starring Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, and Julianne Moore. His second novel, End of Story, was released in February 2024.

Among other things, A. J. and Carter discuss how previously working in publishing influenced A. J.’s writing journey, reasons behind adopting a pseudonym, and A. J.’s experience being at the top of the New York Times Best Seller list. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Jeffrey Konvitz’s The Circus of Satan.

“If I'm going out to sea, I'm doing it in a ship I built, not in the piece of crap they want me to build." – Matt Goldman quoting Jerry Seinfeld

Matt Goldman is a New York Times Bestselling author and Emmy Award winning television writer. He has been nominated for the Shamus Award and Nero Award. Matt's television writing credits include Seinfeld, Ellen, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.

Among other things, Matt and Carter discuss the writing behind stand-up comedy versus the performance of it, staying true to vision and voice while writing for Seinfeld, and learning brevity. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful and detailed story using a line from Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger.

“The best part of writing that first, terrible book was realizing I could write a book. That changed everything.” – Joshua Moehling

Joshua Moehling is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ben Packard series. The first book, AND THERE HE KEPT HER, was a Barnes & Noble monthly Mystery/Thriller pick and a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ+ Mystery. His second novel, WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP, was described as “a well-paced whodunit” and “devastating” by The New York Times.

Among other things, Carter and Joshua discuss authors that grew up as army brats, the utility of critique groups, and the transition from a full-time job to writing full-time. At the end of their conversation, they make up a dark story using a line from Stephen King’s Pet Sematary.

"Two simple words—'what if'—can create thousands of novels." – Traci Abramson

Traci Hunter Abramson was born in Arizona, and after graduating from Brigham Young University, she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency, eventually resigning in order to raise her family. She recently retired after twenty-six years coaching her local high school swim team. She has written forty-five best-selling novels and is an eight-time Whitney Award winner, including 2017 and 2019 Best Novel of the Year.

Among other things, Traci and Carter discuss how Traci’s background in the CIA influenced her writing, treating writing as a job versus as a hobby, and Traci’s experiences with the CIA’s review board when writing her novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a mysterious story using a line from Lee Goldberg’s Dream Town.

Cynthia Pelayo is a Bram Stoker Award winning and International Latino Book Award winning author and poet. She is the first Latina in history to win a Bram Stoker Award. Pelayo writes fairy tales that blend genre and explore concepts of grief, mourning, and cycles of violence. She is the author of Loteria, Santa Muerte, The Missing, Poems of My Night, Into the Forest and All the Way Through, Children of Chicago, Crime Scene, and more.

Among other things, Cynthia and Carter discuss having a day job while writing, their approaches to social media, and writing fairy tales versus novels grounded in reality. At the end of their conversation, they make up a clever story using a line from Mindy Mejia’s A World of Hurt.

Bob Johnson is an award-winning short story writer and graduate of the lowa Writers’ Workshop. His work has been published by The Common, Philadelphia Stories, Vol. 1 Brooklyn, The Barcelona Review, and elsewhere. His story "The Continental Divide" was named Short Story of the Year in The Hudson Review.

Among other things, Bob and Carter discuss growing up with undiagnosed ADD, writing without thinking of the odds of getting published, and getting reviewed by the New York Times. At the end of their conversation, they make up a fast-paced story using a line from Sean Eads’ Seventeen Stitches.

G.T. Karber is a mystery writer, computer programmer, and the creator of Murdle, the USA Today and #1 Sunday Times bestselling murder-mystery puzzle book series. The first two paperback volumes of Murdle were published in 2023, with the third volume published in March 2024. In 2023, Murdle was the UK Christmas #1 bestseller, making Karber the third non-British author to achieve a Christmas number one, after Dan Brown and Michelle Obama. He earned his MFA from the USC School of Cinematic Arts.

Among other things, G.T. and Carter discuss what the goal of writing is and how to determine success in writing, the art of creating puzzles for the general public, and keeping commercial writing simple. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Emily Carpenter is the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of suspense novels, Burying the Honeysuckle Girls, The Weight of Lies, and Every Single Secret. After graduating from Auburn with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication, she moved to New York City. She’s worked as an actor, producer, screenwriter, and behind-the-scenes soap opera assistant for the CBS shows, As the World Turns and Guiding Light.

Among other things, Emily and Carter discuss Emily’s move from the South to New York City, thinking of writing in terms of cinema, and religious representation in books and TV. At the end of their conversation, they make up a tense story using a line from Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl.