Jen Ruiz is a lawyer turned full-time travel blogger. A multiple bestselling author, TEDx speaker, and national award-winning travel journalist, she has been featured in The Washington Post, Forbes, and ABC News. Jen has been named a Latina Travel Expert by Mitu and Top 40 Under 40 by the Naples Herald. She is the solo female traveler behind Jen on a Jet Plane.

Among other things, Jen and Carter discuss Jen’s personal travel challenge she set for herself, how she utilizes “sensitivity readers” in her books, and the dark side of having a career in social media. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from J.N. Stroyar’s The Children’s War.

Gina DeMillo Wagner is an award-winning journalist and author. Her writing has been featured in The New York Times, Washington Post, Memoir Magazine, Modern Loss, Self, Outside, Writer’s Digest, and other publications. She is a Yaddo Fellow, a winner of the CRAFT Creative Nonfiction Award, and her memoir was longlisted for the 2022 SFWP Literary prize. Gina has a master’s degree in journalism and is an instructor at Lighthouse Writers Workshop.

Among other things, Gina and Carter discuss how writing scientific biology papers led Gina to pursue journalism, the guilt associated with writing about struggles with family members with disabilities, and navigating the publishing process during the pandemic. At the end of their conversation, they make up a humorous story using a line from R.G. Belsky’s Broadcast Blues.

Barbara Feigin is an advertising executive and World War II refugee, having fled with her parents from Nazi Germany as a young child in 1940. She attended Whitman College, then completed a graduate program in business run jointly by Harvard Business School and Radcliffe Graduate School. She had a 30-year career in advertising, mostly with Grey Advertising, and in 2017 she was named one of the century’s Legendary Pioneers by Grey. Her memoir was released January 2024.

Among other things, Barbara and Carter discuss Barbara’s family’s experiences escaping Nazi Germany, working in advertising as a woman in the 1960s, and how Barbara utilized writing coaching to start her memoir. At the end of their conversation, they make up an imaginative story using a line from Alex Kenna’s Burn This Night.

Karen Dionne is the USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of the award-winning psychological suspense novels The Marsh King’s Daughter and The Wicked Sister, both published by G.P. Putnam’s Sons in the U.S. and in dozens of other countries. The Marsh King’s Daughter was named one of the best books of 2017 by iBooks and many other booksellers and reviewers, and released in 2023 by Lionsgate as a major motion picture.

Among other things, Karen and Carter discuss why Karen returned to writing after 30 years, the process behind writing The Marsh King’s Daughter, and the struggle of self-identifying as an author. At the end of their conversation, they make up a multiple-POV story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s The Last Party.

Lisa Gardner is a #1 New York Times bestselling thriller novelist. Her internationally acclaimed novels have been published across 30 countries. She’s had four books become TV movies (At the Midnight Hour; The Perfect Husband; The Survivors Club; Hide). Her novel, The Neighbor, won Best Hardcover Novel from the International Thriller Writers, and the Grand Prix des Lectrices de Elle in France. She was also recognized with the Daphne du Maurier Award in 2000 for The Other Daughter. Finally, Lisa received the Silver Bullet Award from the International Thriller Writers in 2017.

Among other things, Lisa and Carter discuss the dangers of “writing by committee”, avoiding repetition after having published several books, and changing up your style and genre of writing in commercial fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy story using a line from Darcy Coates’ From Below.

​​Erin E. Adams is a first-generation Haitian American writer and theater artist. She received her BA with honors in literary arts from Brown University, her MFA in acting from The Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program, and her MFA in dramatic writing from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is an award-winning playwright and actor, and also the author of One of You and Jackal.

Among other things, Erin and Carter discuss the complications of accurately portraying a town, Erin’s training as a dramatic actor and how it translates to writing prose, and printing out and reading your whole manuscript. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from Kristen Perrin’s How To Solve Your Own Murder.

J.D. Barker (Jonathan Dylan Barker) is an international bestselling American author whose work has been broadly described as suspense thrillers, often incorporating elements of horror, crime, mystery, science fiction, and the supernatural. He has collaborated several times with James Patterson. His books have been translated into two dozen languages, sold in more than 150 countries, and optioned for both film and television.

Among other things, J.D. and Carter discuss J.D.'s experience starting out as a ghost writer, having a working relationship with a major best-selling author, and J.D.’s newsletter controversy. At the end of their conversation, they make up an eerie story using a line from Clare Mackintosh's A Game of Lies.

Lauren Thoman writes speculative fiction for teens and adults. Her debut novel, I'll Stop the World, was selected for publication in 2023 by six-time Emmy nominee Mindy Kaling through her eponymous imprint, Mindy's Book Studio. Lauren's pop culture writing has also appeared in numerous online outlets including Parade and Vulture. Her second novel, You Shouldn’t Be Here, was released in July 2024.

Among other things, Lauren and Carter discuss the pros and cons of attending writing conferences, marketing a book as young adult vs. adult fiction, and how writing on a deadline can impact how you perceive your work. At the end of their conversation, they make up an odd story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s The Last Party.