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Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst 

Kelton Reid

If you’re searching for a show that pulls back the curtain on the mystique of the writing life, look no further than The Writer Files. Hosts Kelton Reid and Milena Gonzalez study the habits, habitats, and brains of the biggest and brightest authors of our time.

Tune in each week to learn from bestselling and acclaimed writers on how to keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block. Please follow The Writer Files wherever you get your podcasts, and leave us a rating or review to help other writers find us.

The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS.

Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West.

Her most recent historical fiction entry is The Cuban Heiress, described as a novel inspired by true events that “ … follows two women whose lives become intertwined during a fateful journey upon the S.S. Morro Castle—a luxury cruise liner that caught fire and sank on its way from Havana to New York in September 1934”

Booklist wrote of the book, “Nothing is what it seems in Cleeton's latest gripping historical novel.... Handsome con men, clever thieves, desperate rebels, and our valiant heroines all convene on this elegant but doomed ocean liner. Cleeton includes vivid details about the mysterious final voyage of the Morro Castle and provides further reading about this historic disaster.”

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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 Chanel Cleeton and I discussed: 

How she turned a law degree into a writing career

Why every writer needs to write a terrible first book

The research process of a book-a-year writer

Exploring lesser known events shaping Cuban-American culture

How her characters speak to her in her daily life

Why writers need to dig deep to overcome rejection

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

⁠ChanelCleeton.com⁠

⁠The Cuban Heiress⁠ By Chanel Cleeton (Amazon)

⁠Chanel Cleeton Amazon Author Page⁠

⁠Chanel Cleeton on Instagram⁠

⁠Chanel Cleeton on Facebook⁠

⁠Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part One - Redux

New York Times bestselling author and Shakespeare Professor Emeritus, Eloisa James, spoke with us about balancing literary scholarship with romance writing, leaving academia to write full-time, and her new “gothic adjacent” novel, THE LAST LADY B.

Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author who has lead a “double life” as both Mary Bly—a Harvard, Oxford, and Yale-educated Shakespeare professor—and Eloisa James—a powerhouse of historical romance (recognized for her Regency and Georgian-era romances).

Eloisa, called “a reigning queen of romance” by CBS Sunday Morning and a newly retired Shakespeare professor, continues to reinvent herself with her latest novel. THE LAST LADY B is a sharp, contemporary take on historical romance and her first foray into near-gothic storytelling—described as Jane Austen meets The White Lotus in the Scottish Highlands.

Publishers Weekly said of the book in a starred review, "As the intrigue ramps up—complete with death, scandalous revelations, criminal allegations, and the potential for supernatural interference—sparks fly …"

Eloisa James inherited a fascination with literature from her father, American Book Award-winning poet Robert Bly; her mother, short story author Carol Bly; and her godfather, Pulitzer Prize winner James Wright.

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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 Eloisa James, Milena, and I discussed:

The burnout she experienced as a professor and former head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University

Why she decided to break the fourth wall and write her latest in first person

What the romance genre offers writers in creative freedom and experimentation

Her Popular course on writing genre fiction “Dragons, Daggers, and Dukes”

How she collaborated with co-author Julia Quinn

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod

eloisajames.com 

The Last Lady B: A Novel By Eloisa James (Author)

Eloisa James on Facebook

Eloisa James on TikTok

Eloisa James on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Author Eloisa James Writes

New York Times bestselling author and Knopf Executive Editor, Jenny Jackson, spoke with us about balancing life as an #authormom, editing bestsellers, finding standalone books, and her anticipated second novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT.

Jenny Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street, a graduate of Williams College and the Columbia Publishing Course, and a Vice President and Editorial Director of Fiction at Alfred A. Knopf.

Her second novel, The Shampoo Effect (Pamela Dorman Books; June 30), was named a most anticipated book of 2026 by the New York Times, described as “a frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship,” [about] “an ambitious young woman [who] insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town.”

New York Times bestselling author Coco Mellors said, “Jackson has a rare knack for capturing the intensity of old friendships and the way love, jealousy, money, and history combust until everyone is behaving (deliciously) badly.”

Jenny Jackson is a prominent figure in the publishing world, having edited numerous high-profile works, including Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, and Cormac McCarthy’s final books, among others.

[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 Jenny Jackson, Milena, and I discussed:

Why she has the "shortest resume in all of publishing"

What 23 years at Penguin Random House have taught her

How John Updike inspired her latest

The number of pages it takes her to know if your voice works

Why you need to reject “rise and grind” culture and write whenever you can

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for⁠ iOS,⁠⁠ Android,⁠⁠ Web⁠

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at ⁠square.com/go/files⁠! #squarepod

www.jennyjacksonbooks.com

The Shampoo Effect: A Novel by Jenny Jackson (Author)

Jenny Jackson Amazon Author Page

Jenny Jackson on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Author & Publishing Exec. Jenny Jackson Writes

Critically acclaimed novelist and entertainment podcaster, Bobby Finger, returns to speak with us about his weekly word counts, wedding DJs, Who? Weekly, and his latest beach read WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY.

Bobby Finger is the author of The Old Place and Four Squares, and co-creator and cohost of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t."

His third novel, We Are Gathered Here Today, was named a New York Times Summer's Best Beach Read. It’s described as The Wedding People meets The Celebrants, and a “...sharp and tender story [that] follows a recently engaged gay man who begins to question the idea of marriage while attending his cousin’s chaotic Wild West-themed wedding weekend.”

Booklist called the book “… a perfect read for anyone confused by or suspicious of the wedding-industrial complex, which can leave happy celebrations feeling more like a second full-time job for young lovers.”

Bobby previously worked as a staff writer for the culture website Jezebel from 2015 to 2018 and has contributed extensively to outlets like Vulture and The New York Times.

[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 Bobby Finger, Milena, and I discussed:

How his latest originally featured a death until his editor suggested everyone live, transforming it into a beach read

Why he changed the book’s setting from fall to June at the`` publisher's request to position as summer release

How a scene from the book became a part of the cover design

The craziest thing he’s ever witnessed at a wedding IRL

His next book and upcoming essay collection written with his podcast co-host

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for⁠ iOS,⁠⁠ Android,⁠⁠ Web⁠

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at ⁠square.com/go/files⁠! #squarepod

⁠whoweekly.us⁠

We Are Gathered Here Today By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon)

Bobby Finger Amazon Author Page

Bobby Finger on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Critically Acclaimed Author & Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part Two

Journalist, hit entertainment podcaster, and debut novelist, Bobby Finger, spoke to me about writing for Jezebel, turning a screenplay into a novel, and his debut, "The Old Place."

Bobby Finger is a writer and co-host of the popular celebrity and entertainment podcast, Who? Weekly, "The podcast that tells you everything you need to know about celebrities you don’t."

His debut novel is The Old Place, described as "A bighearted and moving debut about a wry retired schoolteacher whose decade-old secret threatens to come to light and send shockwaves through her small Texas town."

It has been named Washington Post‘s 10 Noteworthy Books for September, People‘s Best New Books, Town & Country’s 45 Must-Read Books of Fall, New York’s 25 Notable New Releases, Kirkus Review‘s 150 Most Anticipated Fall Books, LitHub‘s Most Anticipated Books of 2022, among many others.

New York Times bestselling author Emma Straub said of the book, “I loved being inside this skillful novel—at the planning parties for church fundraisers, learning to drive with a can of beer in the cupholder, and in the heads of some wonderfully tangy old Texan ladies. Bobby Finger has built a rich world in The Old Place, and I will think of it every time I make toast.”

Stay calm and write on ...

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If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, ⁠please "Follow" us to automatically see new interviews⁠.

In this file Bobby Finger and I discussed:

Growing up in a small Texas town

His start in copywriting and freelance journalism

Writing screenplays in the margins

Becoming a full-time podcaster

How to write autofiction with a twist

What happens when people leave, and those left behind

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod

⁠whoweekly.us⁠

⁠The Old Place By Bobby Finger⁠ (Amazon)

Bobby Finger on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Acclaimed Debut Novelist and Podcaster Bobby Finger Writes: Part One - Redux

Critically acclaimed debut novelist and food writer, Catherine Kurtz, spoke with us about art school, painting life, judging the International Chocolate Awards, and her delicious first book FEAST.

Catherine Kurtz is a multidisciplinarian known for her parallel careers in the visual arts, literature, and culinary criticism – including as a judge and educator in the field of chocolate tasting. She is a member of the Guild of Food Writers and a Grand Jury Member of the International Chocolate Awards.

Her debut is, Feast, “for fans of Chocolat (show-co-lot, haha, i need this 😂) and Like Water for Chocolate,” and described as a historical novel set at the turn of the 20th century as one young woman navigates the wonders and perils of her remarkable gift: an astonishing sense of taste and smell.

Alex Hay, author of The Housekeepers called it, “A beautiful book, vivid and delicious and alive—a story of escape and belonging and one woman's extraordinary gifts, unfolding its mysteries with care, brimming with feeling and stunning prose.”

Catherine Kurtz is also a painter represented by The Redfern Gallery in London. Her journalism has been published in a variety of publications including The Spectator’s Scoff, Harvest, ckbk and Celebrated Living.

[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 Catherine Kurtz, Milena, and I discussed:

How her debut ​​combines her backgrounds as a painter, food writer, and professional chocolate taster

Writing a book for The Great British Bake Off on Chocolate

Working with rock star turned chef Graham Garrett on his book Sex, Drugs, and Sausage Rolls 

Why she took an art school approach to writing

The editorial approach to her food-centric writing and debut cover design

Her writing philosophy

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

linktr.ee/catherinekurtzart

Feast by Catherine Kurtz (Amazon)

Catherine Kurtz on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Critically Acclaimed Debut Novelist & Food Journo Catherine Kurtz Writes

Bestselling author Meg Shaffer spoke with us about paying homage to fairy tales, defending libraries against censorship, and her latest cinematic, genre-bending bestseller, THE BOOK WITCH.

Meg Shaffer is the bestselling author of The Lost Story and The Wishing Game, which was a Book of the Month finalist for Book of the Year as well as a Reader’s Digest and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and has been translated into 23 languages. Shaffer holds an MFA in TV and Screenwriting from Stephens College.

Her latest is the instant bestseller The Book Witch, described as a novel that’s part mystery, part love letter to libraries and booksellers, and a direct, timely meditation on book-banning.

Booklist called it a “whimsical tale of lost love, family secrets, and how books can change a reader's life” and Kirkus calls it “catnip for anyone who ever wished they could walk around in their favorite book.” 

[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 Meg Shaffer, Milena, and I discussed:

How she wrote a couple dozen romance novels under her real name

The rules set forth in her latest book about entering the worlds of beloved childrens’ series

Why the author’s writing is best when she’s having fun

Channeling the iconic sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury

Why "all books are kids' books if the kid can read"

How she aims to make readers appreciate the books they read as children

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

megshaffer.com

The Book Witch: A Novel By Meg Shaffer (Amazon)

Meg Shaffer Amazon Author Page

Meg Shaffer on Instagram

Meg Shaffer on Facebook

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Bestselling Author Meg Shaffer Writes

Acclaimed debut author Darby Bozeman spoke with us about her journey from middle school English teacher to published author, and her debut thriller, SUMMER’S NEVER OVER.

Darby Bozeman, originally from Portland, Oregon, relocated to the American South for graduate school, earning a master's degree in teaching from the University of Georgia. Before pivoting to full-time writing, she spent five years as a middle school English teacher.

Her dual-timeline debut thriller, Summer’s Never Over (Berkley Trade Original; on sale June 9, 2026), is described as We Were Liars meets God of the Woods, and is set at a summer camp where a counselor died in a suspicious fire five years prior. The book was recently chosen as a June selection for the Book of the Month Club.

Publishers Weekly called it an “Impressive debut…an addictive thriller ideal for summer reading.” Bestselling author Ashley Winstead wrote, "Darby Bozeman has the perfect beach read in this sinister summer camp thriller, where the paradisical woods of Dread's Cove hide not only hot bodies and cold waters, but dark secrets.”

[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 Darby Bozeman, Milena, and I discussed:

How she gleaned inspiration from her teaching

The science of narrative writing, including tension building and sentence-level craft

Why her book was pitched as “Carly Fortune writing a murder mystery”

How she secured an agent and got a two-book deal

Why she prefers the coffee shop to her own coffee

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

darbybozeman.com

Summer’s Never Over : A Novel By Darby Bozeman (Amazon)

Darby Bozeman on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Acclaimed Debut Author Darby Bozeman Writes

New York Times bestselling and award-winning author John Kenney spoke with us about life as an ad-man, writing humor for The New Yorker, and the paperback release of his latest novel I SEE YOU’VE CALLED IN DEAD.

John Kenney is the bestselling author of three novels and four books of poetry, including Love Poems (For Married People), a New York Times bestseller. His first novel, Truth In Advertising, won the Thurber Prize for American Humor. He is a longtime contributor to The New Yorker magazine’s Shouts & Murmurs column.

His most recent novel, I See You’ve Called In Dead (available in paperback June 2nd), is described as “The Office meets Six Feet Under meets About a Boy” and was an instant bestseller. The book follows Bud Stanley, an obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obituary and begins attending strangers' funerals to find meaning of life.

In a starred review Booklist said of the book, “I See You’ve Called in Dead is a witty and heartwarming reminder of the bottomless despair, limitless absurdity, and undeniable joy of the human experience.”

John Kenney has worked as a copywriter for more than 25 years at Ogilvy, McGarry Bowen, and Publicis. He has created campaigns for American Express, Citi, Chevron, Heineken, and Cadillac, to name a few.

[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 John Kenney, Milena, and I discussed:

His past life as a high profile copywriter 

10 years of rejections from the New Yorker

Why he still has impostor syndrome

The personal inspiration behind his latest novel

Writing self-deprecating poetry

Why he’s writing a memoir about rewriting his mother's obituary

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

byjohnkenney.com

I See You've Called in Dead by John Kenney (Amazon)

John Kenney Amazon Author Page

John Kenney on Instagram

John Kenney for The New Yorker

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How NY Times Bestselling Author John Kenney Writes

#1 New York Times bestselling author, Ruta Sepetys, returns to speak with us about her 12 years of research, ragtime music, and the “fortune and facade” of 1920s Detroit in her adult historical fiction debut, A FORTUNE OF SAND. 

Ruta Sepetys is the award-winning and internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Her acclaimed “crossover” YA literature includes the Carnegie Medal-winning Salt to the Sea. 

Her latest, A Fortune of Sand (available May 26th), is described as F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby and Amor Towles’ Rules Of Civility meets Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums. The novel follows a wealthy, eccentric family in Detroit’s booming automobile industry and includes a plot twist around stolen jewels. 

A Booklist starred review called the book, “A richly detailed portrait of the glittering city and [Detroit’s] dark underbelly. . . . This will appeal to fans of Kate Atkinson’s Shrines of Gaiety and Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach.”

Ruta’s books have won or been shortlisted for more than 50 book prizes, and are currently in development for film and television.

[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 Ruta Sepetys, Milena, and I discussed:

Why she still gets nervous before every book release

Finding a writing structure to mimic the volatile energy of The Roaring ‘20s

Why she filed FOIA requests and worked with former FBI agents to interpret her research

How she co-authored a YA historical mystery with Steve Sheinkin

Why she prefers the term "investigation" over "research"

Her creative fuel

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

rutasepetys.com

A Fortune of Sand: A Novel by Ruta Sepetys (Amazon)

Ruta Sepetys Amazon Author Page

Ruta Sepetys on Facebook 

Ruta Sepetys on Instagram

Ruta Sepetys on Twitter

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How Bestselling Author Meg Shaffer Writes

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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