Making It Up with Elena Taylor, author of The Haunting of Emily Grace
“I got one life. What do I want to leave behind? And I decided a failed writer was better than a successful attorney.” —Elena Taylor Elena Taylor spent several years working in theater as a playwright, director, designer, and educator before turning to fiction. Her first series, the Eddie Shoes Mysteries, introduced a quirky mother/daughter crime fighting duo. With the Sheriff Bet Rivers Mysteries, Elena returns to her dramatic roots and brings readers much more serious and atmospheric novels. Elena is also a senior editor with Allegory Editing, where she works one-on-one with writers to shape and polish manuscripts, short stories, and plays.Among other things, Elena and Carter discuss Elena’s path to becoming a playwright, the role of atmosphere in thrillers, and overcoming comparison within the writing community. At the end of their conversation, they make up an incredible story using a line from Mailan Doquan’s Ceylon Sapphires.
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Making It Up with Harry Hunsicker, author of The Life and Death of Rose Doucette
“I wrote 90 pages about the most boring man in the world. He drove around, got coffee, thought about life... and after six months, I killed him and buried him in a desk drawer.” —Harry Hunsicker Harry Hunsicker spent his working career as a commercial real estate appraiser. His first novel was the Shamus Award nominated Still River, about a Dallas PI with the unfortunate name of Lee Henry Oswald. Hunsicker has since written and published eight more crime thrillers, including The Life and Death of Rose Doucette, which was recently nominated for a 2025 Thriller Award. Hunsicker also writes screenplays. His short script—the PG13 titled (S)hit Squad, was produced in 2022 and has garnered a number of awards including Best Screenplay by the Twin Lakes Film Festival. Among other things, Harry and Carter discuss Harry getting inspiration from his own bookshelves, the art of sending query letters, and receiving Thriller award nominations. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from Jennifer Chase’s Count Their Graves.
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Making It Up with Aime Austin, author of the Casey Cort series
“The muse days and the slog days look the same on the page, but they feel completely different when you’re writing them.” —Aime Austin Aime Austin is the author of the Casey Cort and Nicole Long legal thriller series, weaving sharp social commentary into gripping crime fiction. Born in Brooklyn, Aime graduated from Smith College and Cornell Law School before practicing family and criminal law in Cleveland, Ohio. She now splits her time between Los Angeles and Budapest, writing thrillers, hosting the podcast A Time to Thrill, and interviewing brilliant women creators. Aime is a 2025 Mystery Writers of America Barbara Neely Scholarship recipient.Among other things, Aime and Carter discuss Aime’s experiences doing “stringer” work for newspapers, fearing losing momentum in your writing, and attracting new readers as your fanbase ages. At the end of their conversation, they make up a dark story using a line from Tess Gerritson’s The Summer Guests.
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Making It Up with Scott Graham, author of Grand Canyon Sacrifice
“Don’t be afraid of the fact that pretty much every first draft is a failure. Just get the thing out.” —Scott Graham Scott Graham is the author of the National Park Mystery Series, which includes nine books and counting. In addition to his mysteries, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman and advocate for public lands. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, city councilor, and coal-shoveling fireman on the steam-powered Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad.Among other things, Scott and Carter discuss staying relevant between book releases, improving your writing by reading others’, and balancing the reality of murder with hopeful storylines. At the end of their conversation, they make up an unpredictable story using a line from Matt Goldman’s The Murder Show.
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Making It Up with Andrea Bartz, author of The Last Ferry Out
“Nothing guarantees anything. A breakout book doesn’t mean your next one won’t flop—and that’s just the reality.”—Andrea Bartz Andrea Bartz is a reporter, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author. Her third novel, WE WERE NEVER HERE, was a Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant New York Times bestseller; it was optioned by Berlanti Productions and Netflix. Her most recent thriller, THE LAST FERRY OUT, was praised by NPR’s Fresh Air, Marie Claire, Publishers Weekly, and more. She is also a journalist whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, and many other outlets, and she’s held editorial positions at Glamour, Psychology Today, and Self.Among other things, Andrea and Carter discuss thinking like a businessperson to make it as a writer, separating your emotions from feedback on your writing, and engaging with readers to show gratitude. At the end of their conversation, they make up a brilliant story using a line from Victoria Houson’s At the Edge of the Woods.
In this conversation series, USA Today bestselling novelist Carter Wilson talks to writers of all backgrounds in order to find out why they do what they do. He and his guests discuss childhood influences, roots of creativity, luck and loss, tools of the craft, and the highs and lows of publishing. At the end of their conversation, they pick a random sentence from a random book and use it to create an impromptu short story. Visit Carter at www.carterwilson.com.
New Zealand