The Story Craft Cafe Podcast

Murder Mysteries Told In Reverse with Peter Swanson | SCC 223

KILL YOUR DARLINGS (William Morrow; June 10, 2025) is New York Times bestselling author PETER SWANSON’s most ambitious novel yet. The book marries an evergreen hook—a terrible secret unravels a marriage—to a one-of-a-kind structure: this is a thriller told in reverse.
Swanson—a “master of suspense” (Crimereads) who specializes in psychological thrillers that subvert expectations—“never disappoints” (NPR). Critics call his novels “ingenious” and “devious” (New York Times Book Review), “inventive” (Wall Street Journal), “complex, twist-filled” (the Associated Press), and “so ruthlessly clever it’s criminal” (Entertainment Weekly).
 If you haven’t yet jumped on the Peter Swanson bandwagon, now is the time. KILL YOUR DARLINGS is poised to be the breakout thriller of the summer. A terrible act binds a husband and wife to one another forever. But when the marriage goes south, how far will each of them go to protect their secrets?
Smart, unique, and unnerving, KILL YOUR DARLINGS is the latest incredible read from Peter Swanson.

How To Blend Romantic Thrillers With Futuristic Suspense With Jayne Ann Krentz | SCC 222

In this episode we talk with New York Times Bestseller Jayne Ann Krentz about her long career in publishing, the importance of genre, meeting reader expectations, mixing popular genres, and so much more.
With over 50 New York Times bestsellers, Krentz is one of the forerunners of paranormal romance. She writes romantic thrillers, futuristic suspense, and historical mysteries under the Krentz, Castle, and Amanda Quick names, respectively, and her Harmony novels have been praised for their “seamless synthesis of futuristic suspense, magical settings, and scintillating romance” (Booklist, starred review).

Plotting Thrillers That Keep Readers Flipping Pages With Kimberly Belle | SCC 221

KIMBERLY BELLE is the Edgar Award nominated, USA Today and internationally bestselling author with more than one million copies sold worldwide, with titles including The Paris Widow, The Marriage Lie, a Goodreads Choice Awards semifinalist for Best Mystery & Thriller, and the co-authored #1 Audible Original, Young Rich Widows. Kimberly’s novels have been optioned for film and television and selected by LibraryReads and Amazon and Apple books editors as best books of the month, and the International Thriller Writers as nominee for best book of the year. She divides her time between Atlanta and Amsterdam.

Writing Supernatural Thrillers That Readers Can’t Put Down With Linwood Barclay | SCC 220

Linwood Barclay, a New York Times bestselling author with twenty novels to his credit, spent three decades in newspapers before turning full time to writing thrillers. His books have been translated into more than two dozen languages, sold millions of copies, and he counts Stephen King among his fans. Many of his books have been optioned for film and TV, a series has been made in France, and he wrote the screenplay for the film based on his novel Never Saw it Coming. Born in the US, his parents moved to Canada just as he was turning four, and he’s lived there ever since. He lives near Toronto with his wife, Neetha. They have two grown children.

Exploring Morally Gray Characters With Humor With Jenny Morris | SCC 219

Jenny Morris is a psychology researcher with a fascination in ethics, human behavior, and moral dilemmas. She writes high-concept crime novels that explore deep philosophical questions that started off as conversations with friends like, ‘How much would I have to pay you to eat a human toe?’ Jenny has completed the Faber Academy ‘Writing a Novel' six-month course, and has won short story contests in both Writing Magazine and Writers' Forum. In 2020, she completed a PhD in Psychology. Jenny lives in Kent. AN ETHICAL GUIDE TO MURDER is her first novel.
Thea has a secret. She can tell how long someone has left to live just by touching them. Not only that, but she can transfer life from one person to another—something she finds out the hard way when her best friend, Ruth, suffers a fatal head injury on a night out. Desperate to save her, Thea accidentally kills the man responsible and lets his life flow directly into Ruth.
Thea comes to understand that she has a godlike power, but how to use it quickly becomes a question of self-control. Is it really so wrong to take a little life from a bad person—say, a very annoying boss—and gift it to someone who's truly good? Realizing she needs to harness her newfound skills, Thea creates an Ethical Guide to Murder. But as she embarks on her mission to punish the wicked and give the deserving more time, she finds good and bad aren't as simple as she first thought.
How can she really know who deserves to live and die, and can she figure out her own rules before Ruth’s borrowed time runs out?

Master Of Plot Anthony Horowitz Talks About The Art Of The Twist | SCC 218

One of the world’s most prolific and successful writers, ANTHONY HOROWITZ may have committed more (fictional) murders than any other living author, working across all media formats, from books, to TV, film, plays, and journalism. In January 2022 he was awarded a CBE for his services to literature. He has written two highly acclaimed Sherlock Holmes novels, The House of Silk and Moriarty; three James Bond novels, Trigger Mortis, Forever and a Day, and With a Mind to Kill; the mystery novels featuring book editor Susan Ryeland: Magpie Murders, Moonflower Murders, and now MARBLE HALL MURDERS, and the Detective Hawthorne novels: The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, A Line To Kill, The Twist of a Knife, and Close to Death. He is also the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, which has sold more than nineteen million copies worldwide and has become a hugely successful show on Amazon Prime TV. His breakthrough murder mystery, Magpie Murders, and the follow up Moonflower Murders, were both adapted for TV and aired on PBS. He lives in London with his wife and dog. For more on Anthony Horowitz, visit: https://anthonyhorowitz.com/.

How Book Coaches Can Help You Transform Your Writing With Jennie Nash | SCC 217

What's a book coach? A book coach gives you editorial feedback, accountability, support, and marketplace intelligence while you write. We’re committed to helping you write the best book you can write — and to make it a little less lonely along the way.You know what a basketball coach does? A career coach? A leadership coach? Imagine that kind of oversight, nurturing, and guidance while you are writing a book.
Jennie Nash is the founder and CEO of Author Accelerator, a company on a mission to lead the emerging book coaching industry. Author Accelerator has certified more than 160 book coaches in both fiction and nonfiction. Jennie’s own book coaching clients have landed top New York agents and six-figure book deals with Big 5 houses such as Penguin, Scribner, Simon & Schuster, and Hachette, and won dozens of national indie book awards. Client KJ Dell’Antonia became an instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick in 2020, and in 2021, client Jenn Lim, hit the Wall Street Journal bestseller list. Jennie is the author of 12 books in 3 genres, including Blueprint for a Nonfiction Book: Plan and Pitch Your Big Idea and the forthcoming Blueprint for a Memoir: How to Write a Memoir for the Marketplace. Learn more about being coached or becoming a coach at   authoraccelerator.com.

Mastering The Alchemy Of Emotions, Words, and Characters With Jen Braaksma | SCC 216

Jen Braaksma is a book coach and is the author of two young adult novels, Evangeline’s Heaven and Amaranth. A former journalist and high school English teacher, Jen is now a book coach who helps writers develop their stories. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband (soulmates do exist!), two daughters (Best. Kids. Ever.) and her four cats (who know they’re in charge).

Finding The Joy In Your Writing With Michelle Hazen | SCC 215

Michelle Hazen is a nomad with a writing problem. Years ago, she and her husband ducked out of the 9 to 5 world and moved into their truck to become desert tortoise biologists. She found her voice with the support of the online fanfiction community, and once she started typing, she never looked back.
As a result, she has written most of her books in odd places, including a bus in Thailand, an off-the-grid cabin in the Sawtooth Mountains, a golf cart in a sandstorm, a rental car during a heat wave in the Mohave Desert and a beach in Honduras.
These days, she works as a freelance editor and writing coach with Sanctuary Editorial mostly based out of Idaho, but thanks to the wonders of Wi-Fi, she and her husband are still soaking up inspiration while they travel the country and work along the way.
She’s currently addicted to Shadow and Bone, rock climbing, and Tillamook cheese.
Michelle is double-agented, so for rights inquiries for romance, psychological suspense, or for her self-published novels, please contact Eva Scalzo of Speilburg Literary. For fantasy novels and associated rights, contact Naomi Davis of BookEnds Literary.
Find her on Instagram at MichelleHazenAuthor, on Facebook at Michelle Hazen, or follow her on Twitter @michellehazen.
https://michellehazenbooks.com/
https://www.sanctuaryeditorial.com/

Pacing with Devri Walls | SCC 214

In a novel, pacing is everything. During this workshop, we’ll talk about story beats and how to use them correctly, followed by an introduction to the all-powerful micro-beat. Through video clips, I'll teach you how to identify the moments on screen that bring you to the edge of your seat and show you how to apply those techniques to your writing. Learn how to create killer action scenes, nail-biting drama, and romantic moments that will leave your readers swooning for more.
Join us as Devri Walls leads us through the paces (see what I did there) to keep your novel on track. Devri is an international best-selling author. She lives in Meridian, Idaho, with her husband, two children, and one adorable little mutt. Writing in all things fantasy, she would do just about anything for a working magic wand.
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