Alex Dolan's Blog, page 2

Belinda Bauer on Psychics and Animal Psychology

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERIt was a treat talking toBelinda Bauerthis week on Thrill Seekers.Belinda is an award-winning author of several novels, including Rubbernecker, The Shut Eye, and her latest, The Beautiful Dead. She grew up in South Africa and currently lives in the UK, where she was a journalist, and brings that experience into her latest book. In this interview, we have a great conversation about psychics, animal psychology, what's happening in the media, and how she was able to charge her sisters admission to play with her as a child.This is an excerpt from our conversation:ME: I love that your bedroom had a cover charge.BELINDA: It was an exciting place to be, Alex.Shockingly, there was nothing inappropriate about these remarks.The interview marks the first time that Isa (my dog) made into the studio. While she resisted the urge to bark throughout the interview, you can hear a little jingle in the background whenever she decides to come over to the mic to investigate. She offered no insightful commentary.In the interview, one of the things we talk about are psychics, and the difference between an "open eye" and a "shut eye." We also mentioned the following:The Spider and the Fly, Claudia RoweNext of Kin, Roger FoutsNoam Chomsky's work and theories on the gestural origins of languageAl Jazeera

The triumphant return of Laura McHugh

 LISTENSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERHappy Thanksgiving! Hopefully, you'll get this before you start on your holiday commute. If you have a long holiday commute, might I suggest listening to this interview to keep you company, or to keep you from ruminating about how to not discuss politics with your family?This week, I have the mightyLaura McHughback on the show to talk about her second book, Arrowood.The book focuses on Arden Arrowood, who comes back to her home town of Keokuk, Iowa, to look into the disappearance of her two twin sisters that occurred when she was a child.In the interview, we talk about the state of Keokuk, which was an up-and-coming town that has fallen into disrepair. I've posted some photos below to give you a better sense of what the town looks like today.In addition, we talk about a few cases, including theLyon sisters abduction, as well as  thedisappearance of paperboys in Iowa.The book I reference is calledThe Spider and The Fly, by Catherine Rowe. And the author I mention at the end is Jill Orr, who is about to release her first book,The Good Byline.Here are some images of Keoku, IA, to give you the scene behind Arrowood:

Acclaimed author Amy Lukavics on modern vs. period horror

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERI had a great time this week talking toAmy Lukavics, the author of two fantastic horror novels, The Women in the Walls and Daughters Unto Devils.She also happens to be one of the few authors I've ever known (Paul Tremblay, author of A Head Full of Ghosts, being another) who has done a reading at Comic-Con.Amy's first book is set in the mid 1800s, and the second in present day. We talked about the horror genre, what it's like writing modern versus period horror, and how reading (or watching) horror helps empower us.

Killer families in Appalachia...they're just like us! A talk with Ania Ahlborn

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week I got to talk to Ania Ahlborn on her latest book, BROTHER. She just moved out of the Portland Oregon area, and is settling into her new home in South Carolina. Did Ania's arrival have anything to do with the recentdeaths of millions of honeybees?  You'll have to decide for yourself.She's written a fantastic book, and I'd recommend THE BIRD EATER as well if you're looking for a second book from Ania. After talking to her, I need to read her first book, SEED, which is a rare but fantastic example of a self-published book that became a runaway success.One of the things we talk about in the interview is her experience with a nighttime festival in Poland. I believe she is referring to Zaduszki, otherwise known as All Souls Day (which I mistakenly call All Saints Day in the episode), which includes nighttime ceremonies in graveyards.If you want to know more click here.MORE ON ANIA AHLBORNBorn in Poland,Ania Ahlbornhas always been drawn to the darker, mysterious, and sometimes morbid sides of life. Her earliest childhood memory is of crawling through a hole in the chain link fence that separated her family home from a large wooded cemetery. Ania's first novel, SEED, was self-published. It clawed its way up the Amazon charts to the number one horror spot, earning her a multi-book deal and a key to the kingdom of the macabre. Less than five years later, her work has been lauded by the likes of Publishers Weekly, New York Daily News, and the New York Times. She hopes to one day be invited to dinner at Stephen King's place, where she will immediately be crushed beneath the weight of her imposter syndrome.

Bestseller Alex Marwood on narcissism, groupthink, and the power or persuasion

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week on Thrill Seekers I talk toAlex Marwood, a figment of the imagination of the novelist and sometime journalist Serena Mackesy.For our purposes on Thrill Seekers, she is the bestselling author of The Wicked Girls, The Killer Next Door, and the recently released The Darkest Secret. In an unprecedented Alex-on-Alex conversation, we talk about her experience in journalism, and how the psychological phenomena of groupthink and the rise of narcissism play into her latest thriller.In addition to her experience as a journalist and columnist for The Independent, she talks about some of her experiences doing research, such as the time she trained as a hypnotist withPaul McKenna, and learned how easy it is to influence people with the power of suggestion. The combination of this suggestion with narcissists and the flaws in collective groupthink lead to some of the main themes in The Dark Secret, which uncovers the secrets behind the disappearance of a three year-old girl, Coco Jackson.On a related note, Alex also recommended the bookFuture Babble, which delves into some of these themes as they relate to the influence (and accuracy) of pundits in the media.

NY Times bestseller Aleatha Romig on cults, kidnapping and Detroit

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week on Thrill Seekers I got to talk to Aleatha Romig, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling thriller and romance author. We talked about her new "The Light" series, which includes INTO THE LIGHT and the forthcoming AWAY FROM THE DARK. During the show, Aleatha talks about how she wrote about cults in the series, as well as how this series is different from some of her romance novels. I loved the first book, and I'll be waiting for the second coming in October. Tune in for a fascinating talk with a masterful and prolific storyteller.  

Bestseller Libby Fischer Hellmann on Espionage, Watergate and the Downfall of Journalism

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week on THRILL SEEKERS I talk to bestseller Libby Fischer Hellman on her new book, JUMP CUT.In addition to writing several bestselling novels, Libby was the former president ofSisters in Crime, as well as a veteran in broadcast journalism, having covered the Watergate hearings in 1973.We talked about her new novel, and how her history in journalism helped inform the book. She shared insights about the current trends in journalism (hint: not great), and where to go for investigative journalism since CNN cut its team (Bill Moyers).

Tom Pitts on Male Prostitutes and Blackmail

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week I interview acclaimed author Tom Pitts on the re-release of his novel HUSTLE. He's also a fellow San Franciscan, who came here from Canada in the 80s to join the music scene that spouted bands like Dead Kennedys and Faith No More.HUSTLE is a fantastic book, and given its gritty subject matter, I was surprised how immediately drawn into the story I was. Part of it might have been the honesty Tom draws on from his own experience with drugs and petty crime, but most of it is just the fact that Tom's a great writer, and this crime novel is a really fun ride. I hope you guys pick it up.Tom is also an acquisitions editor at Gutter Books, an editor of the Flash Fiction Offensive, and host of Skid Row Chatter at Authors on the Air network.

What you need to know about writing festivals and conferences

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATEROn this special episode of Thrill Seekers, we talk to authors Ursula Ringham and Glen Erik Hamilton to provide advice on writing festivals and conferences for thriller writers. We talk about the top thriller events, what you can expect from them, and how to get the most out of these events.Ursula is the author of Privileged Corruption; Glen is the Edgar Award nominated author of Past Crimes and Hard Cold Winter.Here are some of the festivals we talk about during the show. I recommend you having a listen, and looking into each of these and see if it makes sense for you.Whatever stage of your career, whether you're trying to hone your craft, whether you've finished your book and are trying to get a publishing deal, or whether you've been published and are looking to grow your audience, each of these events might help.WRITING CONFERENCES FEATURED IN EPISODEThrillerfestBoucherconLeft Coast CrimeCrime BakeLitquake

Gwendolyn Womack talks about unlocking past lives with drugs

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERI first met Gwen last year when we were both releasing our debut novels. Since we joined the International Thriller Writers organization at the same time, and did some joint promotions last year, I feel like she's part of the same class. I really like talking to her, and loved her first book, The Memory Painter, which just came out this month in paperback.In this interview, we talk about everything from her switching her career from environmental sciences to writing, and what gave her the writing bug in the first place. Since then, she's been a screenwriter and moved into her current job as a novelist. She talks about her book and what she'll be working on next. She's a wonderful writer and person, so please listen!