On this week’s Corks & Conversation with Don Bentley episode we had a great talk about writing and living in the Tom Clancy universe! Have a listen …

Don Bentley’s second novel in the Jack Ryan, Jr. series, Tom Clancy’s Zero Hour, came out in June and we loved diving back into the high stakes world of international intrigue. Jack Ryan, Sr. is now President and his son works for a secret government agency. In this book, war is about to break loose in Korea, and the story is action packed. And a little scary for Christie, since her daughter is living in South Korea now! Don was able to give us insight, if not exactly reassurance.

Don’s pre-writing life reads a little like one of his characters. He was an Army Apache helicopter pilot and then an FBI Special Agent.  He’s also the author of the Matt Drake Thrillers. Hostile Intent, his third in that series, came out in May. That’s right! He writes two series at the same time. This New York Times best-selling author tells us how that happened and how he does it.

We suggest you get a copy of Tom Clancy’s Zero Hour here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com) If you can get it, you can pair it with Soju, the Korean spirit that Christie had in this episode. 

But it would go equally well with your new favorite from Naked Wines! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

You might also want to get a copy of Hostile Intent from his Matt Drake series here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com)      

Episode Highlights:
8:18 Tom Clancy as a gateway drug
9:10 Russian invasion of Ukraine – sound familiar?
13:37 Can you imagine getting this question?
14:07 Tom Clancy is here!
18:43 Introducing Jack Ryan, Jr.
33:20 Present you vs. Future you

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel.

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

In this week’s Thrillerfest 2022 Part Two episode, we continue our talk from our first in person conference since before the pandemic! Have a listen …

Find out how Thrillerfest 2022 went for us, from the travel to NYC to hobnobbing with so many crime fiction authors we’ve either met or admired! Yes, we name-drop and act like we always take walks in Central Park! We talked Craftfest, which we missed this year. And how much we learned from the panels of Thrillerfest! The deep dive into the pantser and plotter argument leads us to common ground. Imagine that in this day and age!

If you want to see us from our hotel room, you can watch the episode on our YouTube Channel.

Unfortunately we had to go to a bodega for our wine while at the hotel in NYC, but if you prefer the wine delivered, then take our advice and join the Naked Wines club! You won’t be disappointed, but if you are then you can get your money back! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

In this week’s Thrillerfest 2022 Part One episode, we talk from our first in person conference since before the pandemic! Have a listen …

Find out how Thrillerfest 2022 went for us, from the travel to NYC to hobnobbing with so many crime fiction authors we’ve either met or admired! Yes, we name-drop and act like we always take walks in Central Park! We also give the scoop on Consultfest, a relatively new part of Thrillerfest!

If you want to see us from our hotel room, you can watch the episode on our YouTube Channel.

Unfortunately we had to go to a bodega for our wine while at the hotel in NYC, but if you prefer the wine delivered, then take our advice and join the Naked Wines club! You won’t be disappointed, but if you are then you can get your money back! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

In this week’s GOBrecs Book Club – Find Me & One of Us Is Dead episode, we are recommending two best-selling crime fiction books! Have a listen …

We chose two crime fiction books for June that we loved! Afterall, June is the month of love, right?   

Cathi chose One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose. 

Cathi’s pick for June’s GOBRec is a perfect summer read – it’s almost too much fun for murder. Told from the perspective of 4 women, all competing for status and power, the book takes place in a wealthy, gossipy enclave. Reputations are at stake, and with them, cruel intentions, and someone ends up dead in a shocking ending. Real Housewives meets murder!

Order One of Us is Dead here for you and your friends (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com). And enjoy it with a Zinfandel and popcorn, like Cathi suggested!     

If you prefer the wine delivered, then take our advice and join the Naked Wines club! You won’t be disappointed, but if you are then you can get your money back! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Christie chose FIND ME by ALAFAIR BURKE. 

This GOBRec is a twisty mystery that had Christie up all night turning the pages. In FIND ME, defense attorney Lindsay Miller teams up with detective Ellie Hatcher to find her best-friend Hope Miller. An accident fifteen years earlier left Hope with amnesia. Has Hope’s unknown past caught up with her? And what will it reveal? Alafair Burke shows us how these characters’ emotions, namely love, can drive them or blind them to the truth. Friends, lovers, abusers, liars, and murderers – they are all in this novel that will have your head spinning.

Order FIND ME here (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com). And take Christie’s suggestion and pair it with Beach House Pinot Grigio and big salad with crusty french bread. You’ll feel like you’re in the coastal setting in the book!      

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel.

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

On this week’s episode, we cap off the season with making our signature cocktail, the GOB Aperol Spritzer, among other things! Have a listen …

Veronica Gutierrez, author of As You Look,  joined us in making our signature cocktail that she designed for us. This goes with her Little Black Cocktail Book, where you can keep recipes of your favorite cocktails. Lots of fun! 

We also give a our anticipated off-season fun at conferences and Christie’s next month’s #GOBRec – FIND ME by Alafair Burke. You can get a copy of FIND ME here, ahead of our June GOBRecs episode. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com) 

We haven’t picked a wine to go with it yet, but if you want to prepare you could always order from Naked Wines! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Did you know that we were on the podcast Wrong Place, Write Crime? It was a blast being on the other end of the microphone, so to speak. Have a listen to find out how we reacted to Frank’s hard hitting questions! And we are also doing a giveaway for his listeners – just use the promo code “Frank” – when you enter here.

Last, but not least, we give a preview of what we are working on in the way of publishing and merchandise! You are going to love it and look for it on our new shopping page! 

Highlights:
2:22 We finished the season with a bang!
11:02: Pro tip from the mixologist!
13:48 Never fear – GOBrecs will continue this summer
14:47 Big Announcement: We’re publishing a book together!
15:30 The Cover Reveal!
16:07 Come for the Crime, Stay for the Wine! Merch coming!
17:55 Writing Conferences, here we come!
19:37 Don’t forget to listen to us on Frank’s podcast
22:35 Like thousands of others – sign up for our newsletter (please and thank you!)

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel. 

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

On this week’s Corks & Conversation with Davida Breier episode we had a fun talk about nostalgia, zines, and scuba diving! Have a listen …

Davida Breier’s  debut novel, Sinkhole, is a coming of age mystery set in 1980’s Florida. This story takes a nostalgic, and as we discuss, an anti-nostalgic look at teen life prior to the internet. Christie lived this book … minus the murder, of course. And the twist at the end, you won’t see coming!

It is opening to great reviews, like this one:

“Sinkhole is a thought-provoking, highly atmospheric, and immensely readable debut about growing pains and facing the truths we’d rather run from. Breier summons both the 1980s and Central Florida to great effect.” —Jonathan Evison, New York Times Bestselling author of Small World

We suggest you get a copy of Sinkhole here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com)

We paired it with one of our favorite wines, Layer Cake Shiraz. But it would go equally well with your new favorite from Naked Wines! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Davida spent many years writing zines, which are independently published writings that are sent in the mail. She always wrote non-fiction, so we asked about the transition to fiction writing. Davida said that it took her a while to give herself the grace to try fiction writing. As she said,

“[Fiction] has always been the thing I held in the highest regard and that I was always terrified of … bad fiction is the worst thing. The thought of writing bad fiction is worse than running through the streets naked.”

We’re glad she overcame her fear and look forward to her next novel!

Episode Highlights:

6:08 Looking back with nostalgia, or is it anti-nostalgia?
10:10 We have to talk about Florida!
11:36 Funny thing about Lorida, Florida
16:15 Adam Walsh colored their childhoods
17:03 An 80’s playlist!
18:45 A dive into scuba diving
21:48 Swimming with Manta Rays
23:06 The world of zines

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel.

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

On this week’s Corks & Conversation with Lydia Kang episode we had a great chat about science, ghosts, and breaking gender stereotypes! And of course her writing (many genres) and her latest historical thriller. Have a listen …

Lydia Kang’s  latest book, The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding, takes place in New York City during World War II. It’s a fascinating look at the time of the Manhattan Project and women in the workforce. This page-turning novel twists and turns to a surprise ending! Christie wanted to go back to find the clues and red-herrings. To this, Lydia says … 

“My goal in these is often time to surprise people … it makes me super happy when people are like ‘Okay, I did not see that coming!’”

The characters in this book allow love to drive their choices and lead to crime. Lydia explained,

“Emotion colors how you see things and how you react to everything. I find that really fascinating, the interplay between your cognitive logic and then what emotion drives you to do.”

The Half-Life of Ruby Fielding is her fourth historical mystery set in New York City. We suggest you get a copy here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com) It is a stand-alone but you may want to get her other books just to find the family connections of the characters! We paired it with a rosé wine, which is one of Lydia’s favorites.    

Cathi stuck with a wine from this month’s Naked Wines selection. It was delightful and you can get Naked Wines delivered to your home too! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Lydia still works as a physician and she feels this balances well with her writing world. She must be doing something right because she has written and published books in many genres. And we love her non-fiction books Quackery and Patient Zero, as well.

We also loved this episode, with all its insights and laughs! And that is not just the wine talking!

Episode Highlights:
4:13 Lydia has a wine story
6:40 Best wine for poison?
10:05 She has a surprising goal!
13:29 Love drives us
16:42 They are all related!
22:11 WWII in NYC
24:03 Ghosts & Mermaids
31:21 Another take on “Don’t quit your day job”

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel. 

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

In this week’s GOBrecs Book Club – The Family Plot & Her Name Is Knight episode, we are recommending two best-selling crime fiction books! Have a listen …

We chose two crime fiction books for May that are far from the flower symbol of the month! We loved them both, but light and airy they are not!  

Cathi chose Her Name is Knight, an amazing debut novel from Yasmin Angoe.  

Cathi fell in love with this riveting novel from the get-go. Nena Knight is an elite assassin currently working in Miami, but shaped by the traumas of her childhood in Ghana. Her current assignment tasks her with taking down a human trafficking ring, along with the possiblity of avenging the very person who ripped her family’s lives apart. It’s action packed, suspenseful, a love story, all written at a breathtaking pace. Her characters are intense and real. You’re going to want more from Yasmin Angoe as soon as you finish the last sentence

Order Her Name Is Knight here for you and a friend (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com). And enjoy it with sliders and a cabernet, like Cathi suggested!   

If you prefer the wine delivered, then take our advice and join the Naked Wines club! You won’t be disappointed, but if you are then you can get your money back! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Christie’s chose The Family Plot, an awesomely creepy mystery by best-selling author Megan Collins. 

This month’s GOBRec speaks to every reader who, like Christie, thinks they have the market on crazy relatives. The Family Plot takes crazy to another, murderous level. The Lighthouse family live in a secluded mansion on a small island known for its serial killer. A mother obsessed with crime victims like her own parents, raises her children on the stories of true crime. What could go wrong? The youngest of those children, now an adult, Dahlia Lighthouse, returns and is forced to face all her fears and the grief and horror that surrounds her family. Megan Collins has written an entertaining, eerie, page-turner of a mystery novel that will have you appreciating (or explaining, yikes) your own family.

Order The Family Plot here (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com). And take Christie’s suggestion and pair it with cookies and Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sauvignon!    

Here are some of the highlights from the episode!
:31 May’s GOBRecs so not about flowers!
2:23 Yasmin Angoe’s debut is admirable!
3:25 What Cathi finds cool about her book!
7:03 Cathi loves Naked Wines
10:04 The Family Plot – awesome title and cover!
12:05 Murder victim curriculum. What?
16:39 We found a May flower connection after all!
20:07 More Naked Wine love!

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel. 

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website! 

On this week’s Corks & Conversation with William Maz episode we had a fascinating talk with this physician and author about his debut historical novel with parallels to current events. Have a listen …

William Maz is the debut author of the novel, The Bucharest Dossier. This historical spy novel was inspired by events in his own life. And this led us to a lively discussion of current events. From the Russian-Ukraine war to how propaganda plays a part in shaping society and fueling conflicts. And, as always, we find humor where we can! 

William Maz’s debut novel, The Bucharest Dossier, is a page turning spy novel! We suggest you get a copy here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com) Although his protagonist enjoyed a good whisky, William suggested we share a glass of Meiomi Pinot Noir instead. This was more our speed, and delicious! 

If you prefer the wine delivered, then take our advice and join the Naked Wines club! You won’t be disappointed, but if you are then you can get your money back! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

When asked about his transition from medicine to writing, William explained how he has always been a writer, from his first short story as child in a refugee camp in Italy. His simple explanation warmed our hearts …

“I love language; I love the writing. I love every part of it. I love rewriting. I love looking at a sentence and trying to figure out a better way of saying it.”

Shouldn’t we all love what we do? Listen to the whole episode for more inspiration!

Episode Highlights:
1:55 Lee Child says to buy this book!
3:57 Johnnie Walker Black: make him the life of the party and became a major theme in the book!
9:30 Multiple trips to stay with family in Romania led to a spy novel
10:10 Why Americans need to understand what it’s like living under an authoritarian regime
11:47 insight on Putin
22:15 A childhood short story leads to his love of writing – ALL of it

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel.

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!

On this week’s Corks & Conversation with Emilya Naymark episode we had a great chat about women PIs, family drama leading to crime, and why the baddies in her books always seem to be Russian.  Have a listen …

Emilya Naymark is the author of the novel, Behind the Lie. This series follows NYPD detective turned small town PI, Laney Bird, in a fight to save lives—including her own—after a neighborhood block party turns deadly. We loved how rich the characters were and that Laney was also a single mom of a teenage boy. Family dynamics plays a big part in how this page-turning crime fiction novel unfolds. In Emilya’s words… 

“Family is the thing that is the most core part- if you want to evoke any kind of emotion in the reader, you go to family, and there’s going to be some kind of emotion there”

Behind the Lie is the second book in her Sylvan series, set in a charming but deadly upstate NY town. We suggest you get a copy here. (indie bookshop.org or Amazon.com) We paired it with a beer this week, Pilsner Urquell from Czech Republic, which is one of Emilya’s favorites. It reminded Christie of sitting at an outdoor cafe on a hot day in Europe.

Cathi, not the beer drinker or in a hot climate, stuck with a wine from this month’s Naked Wines selection. It was delightful and you can get Naked Wines delivered to your home too! Just be sure to use one of our links when you order (like the coupon at the top of our website) so that we can get a little credit for the referral! 

Naked Wines – Discover the best way to enjoy great wine!

Emilya started writing at night (after office hours) as a much needed creative outlet. She loves to read but writing offers so much more. As she said …

“Reading transports you, but writing transports you time a thousand”

We couldn’t agree more! Our topics on this episode ranged from mustard on corn to the fall of the Soviet Union (Emilya’s birthplace). You will just have to listen! 

Episode Highlights:
8:04 “My baddies are Russian”
10:31 Her immigration story
13:35 Comparing stories about East Berlin
16:41 Family is the thing
21:15 She puts WHAT on corn?
25:10 Working from home was her goal!

You can play the episodes from our website, wherever you listen to podcasts or watch them on our YouTube Channel.

And please subscribe right here to get an email with each new episode released. You’ll get a monthly newsletter jam-packed with cool information, contests, and our new GOB Recs where we give our current recommendations on what we are listening to, reading, and watching!

You can find all our episodes and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, YouTube, or right here on our website!