Interview: We chat with F. Paul Wilson, author of over 40 novels including the seminal Repairman Jack and Adversary Cycle series, about his newest book, a young adult entry about Jack’s teen years, Jack: Secret Histories. He gives us a history on building Jack up by going back to his teen years in the Pine Barrens when he’s slowly discovering his abilities as well as defining his loyalties to his friends.
suspense / thriller
Cover to Cover #303A: Scott Sigler
Interview: New Media Rockstar Scott Sigler joins Mike, Summer and Mike to chat about his newest hardcover release, INFECTED. He talks about the interest of Crown Books in experimenting with using free content to promote sales of the print version, with free e-book version available for a few days prior to the print release, as well as the podcast version of the book being released again.
Cover to Cover #297A: Nina Munteanu
Interview: Michael and Michael talk with Nina Munteanu about Darwin’s Paradox, a near-future eco-thriller that Brian enjoyed, and he had a list of burning questions.
Nina is a scientist working as an environmental consultant, and she approaches environmental conservation with a scientific perspective. The story explores a path of “where we are” and “where we’re going”, and a number of intertwining concepts that could place a fast-paced thriller in a dense, rich world.
Cover to Cover #276A: Tom Piccirilli
Interview: Michael, Summer and Michael talk with acclaimed and award-winning horror/suspense author Tom Piccirilli about his latest book, The Midnight Road, and he tells us about his awards and near-miss awards, what goes into writing scary stories, moving from writing straight horror stories into crime and suspense stories, and more.
Cover to Cover #269: James Patrick Kelly / Seth Harwood
Interview #1: Michael, Summer, Brian and Michael talk with James Patrick Kelly, who tells us about the convoluted journey of BURN from print to podcast, back to print to Nebula Award. The podcast version was nominated, and won the award for the novella category.
Interview #2: Next up, Michael, Summer and Michael talk with Seth Harwood about his upcoming podcast “This is Life”, the sequel to the crime noir podcast, “Jack Wakes Up”.
Cover to Cover #267: Kelley Armstrong
Interview: Michael, Summer, Michael and Brian chat with Kelley Armstrong about her latest Otherworld novel, “No Humans Involved”, and her interpretation of necromancer as Jaime Vegas takes the forefront in her own story this time around.
Kelley also tells us about her other book coming out later this summer, “Exit Strategy”, a crime thriller featuring a female law enforcement officer turned hitwoman, with not one speck of paranormal to be found anywhere in the story.
Review: “Sagramanda” by Alan Dean Foster
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a techo thriller with near future sci-fi thrown in. It is a well written and enjoyable tale that is full of the flavor of India, its culture and people, from a forward looking perspective.
Cover to Cover #240: Tim Powers and Writers of the Future
This week we have a roundtable discussion from this year’s World Fantasy Convention. It’s a chat that spans everything from Tim’s new book, Three Days to Never, his involvement as a judge of the Writers of the Future contest, a little detail on what finalists go through at their “bootcamp”, and more. Just remember, it’s always about the pneumatic tubes.
Snipe Hunting With City Slickers on the Appalachian Trail: An Interview with Scott Nicholson
Every so often a genre writer comes along whose work just jumps out at me. Greg Bear is one, Neil Gaiman is one. Scott Nicholson is another. I was born in Appalachia and lived a decent amount of my life in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, so Scott’s work is near and dear to my heart. Growing up there, ghost stories were an almost nightly entertainment. My grandmother loved to spin a good yarn. Living in the mountains of North Carolina, Scott too, is a product of that environment.
Cover to Cover #185: Deborah LeBlanc / Holly Lisle
First up this week we talk with Deborah LeBlanc about her book Grave Intent. Deborah is a great guest with a slightly twisted view on life.
We then talk to Holly Lisle about Talyn. Holly’s book is about two civilizations battling for dominance Technology vs. Religion. It makes for an interesting ride.
Cover to Cover #174: Brandon Sanderson / Steve Alten
First up this week is Brandon Sanderson talking about his book, Elantris. A richly written world, with a city filled with God-like inhabitants.
After that, Steve Alten takes us into the paranormal with The Loch, Yes, we are talking the Loch Ness Monster, and no, we are not taking over Art Bell’s job.
Review: “Crater County” by Jonathan Miller
So there I am at Ice Escape, and a young man starts chatting me up about his book, Crater County: A Legal Thriller of New Mexico. It’s a slightly supernatural legal thriller, he says. And I says, “A slightly supernatural legal thriller? I don’t think I’ve ever read something like that.” And he says, “How’d you like to review the book?” I says, “Sure, why not?”
We said a lot.
Cover to Cover #156: Ellen Datlow / Craig Spector
Interviews with Ellen Datlow (Faery Reel) and Craig Spector (Underground)
Cover to Cover #149: Wil Wheaton / Scott Nicholson
Interview: Wil Wheaton is, by his own admission, Just a Geek. Hands down one of the most funny and deep guests we’ve had on the show, Wil joins us to talk about his book, what’s inside and where it all came from.
Interview: Scott Nicholson is our favorite spooky boy from the Appalachians, and we talk about his new Appalachian Gothic novel The Manor, once again inspired by some place right near where Scott lives.
Cover to Cover #139: Greg Bear / James K. Burk
Greg Bear
We just had to get Greg on the show again when we found out that the SciFi Channel was developing his novels Darwin’s Children and Darwin’s Radio. Additionally, Dead Lines, a high-tech ghost story is out in stores. Fans of Greg’s hard-science fiction will be intrigued by his treatment to ghost stories.
James K. Burk
Jim has released High Rage, a fantasy novel, as well as several chapbooks of the magical realism genre.
