Nelson DeMille: Dewar's on the rocks

Nelson talks about John Travolta on the set of General's Daughter, the importance of getting characters right even if not PC, the value of a mentor, how he has managed the loss of his wife Sandy with the help of friends and family.

Gregg Hurwitz: gin & tonic

Gregg discusses how Evan Smoak (aka Orphan X) stacks up against Reacher and Bourne, the virtues of Batman and Wolverine, the remaining advantages of humanity over artificial intelligence, how the Shakespearean formula applies to the modern thriller, and which thriller writer he considers his North Star.

Erika Robuck: Bahama Queen (2 1/2 ounces bourbon barreled gin, 1 ounce Grand Marnier, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice, 1/2 ounce passion fruit, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, mint, orange peel)

Erika discusses the line between historical fiction and nonfiction in the context of her own books as well as other works of historical fiction like Netflix’s THE CROWN, how Roald Dahl made her want to be a writer, how she finds women from the “shadows of history” to write about, and how she successfully moved from her self-published debut to getting an agent and deals from major publishers.

Lea Carpenter: Heineken

Lea tells what it was like working alongside JFK Jr at George Magazine in the 1990s, her other formative experiences working at Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope and then for The Paris Review, her discovery upon her father’s death that he’d had a career in espionage, how recruiting an asset in espionage is like a marriage proposal, the 4 reasons people work in espionage, what she means by “the crystal meth of purpose.”

Ruth Ware: dry white wine

#1 bestselling author Ruth Ware names the two greatest fictional detectives ever, describes the gratitude a former bookseller feels to be a published author, why she made the switch from writing YA fantasy novels to adult crime fiction, her milestones throughout the year to keep an annual publishing pace, how Agatha Christie inspired her own approach to creating an atmosphere for her novels, what she loves about America.

Megyn Kelly: Special Mother’s Day episode (martini: 3 ounces gin, dash dry vermouth, olives)

Megyn recommends three books for Mother’s Day and why she chose each, discusses her love for Dateline and the Real Housewives shows, reveals the identity of the famous actor at a Hollywood Oscars party that Doug mistook for a homeless person, reviews the Barbra Streisand memoir, and offers a piece of Mother’s Day advice.

Erik Larson: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Michter’s rye, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, dash bitters, cherry, served up)

Erik names the person he’s written about that he’d most like to be able to meet, talks about what he looks for in a subject for a new book, the stories behind finding the titles to his books so far, the conversations he had with his agent in the 1990s that helped him to find the path to writing his first ever historical narrative nonfiction, the secrets to what he does once inside the archives, the journalistic approach to non-judgment of the people in his books, and gives a clue to the subject for his next book.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss: Espresso

Liz Truss discusses her preference for the emergence of independent journalism and death of traditional media in America as opposed to Britain where the BBC is still dominant, names her favorite few states in America, names the two places in Britain that every American should visit, talks about the stress of the weekly ‘Questions to the Prime Minister’, credits JK Rowling for courage under woke fire, recounts her strangest moment in politics.