Libby Cudmore is the author of Negative Girl and The Big Rewind, as well as the Wade & Jacks P.I. series in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Tough. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous places including The Dark, Smokelong Quarterly, Shotgun Honey, and more. She is the 2018 recipient of the Oregon Writer’s Colony prize, the 2023 Shamus award for best P.I short story, and the 2023 Black Orchid Novella award. She is the current co-host of the OST Party and Misbehavin’ podcasts and the former co-host of The Shattered Shield podcast, and teaches short fiction through The Writer’s Circle.

Among other things, Libby and Carter discuss Libby’s ongoing book tour, treating writing as if it is your day-job, and the benefits of engaging socially in the writing community. At the end of their conversation, they make up a chilling story using a line from Clare Mackintosh’s A Game of Lies.

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.