Shows / Bookwild
Bookwild
On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with different co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.
Episodes
BookwildJohn Fugelsang's Separation of Church and Hate: A Sane Person's Guide to Taking Back the Bible from Fundamentalists, Fascists, and Flock-Fleecing Frauds
This week, I got to talk with John Fugelsang about his new book Separation of Church and Hate! He shares why he's passionate about taking back the religion of…
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Halley's Scandinavian Travels and Trip to a Haunted Mortuary, Kate's First Audiobook Production
Halley Sutton is back! I can't even begin to tell you every topic we talked about, because we basically caught up with each others' lives while also talking…
- Bookwild
Jennifer Fawcett's Keep This For Me: A Serial Killer, Generational Trauma and Motherhood
This week, Gare and I got to talk with Jennifer Fawcett about her serial killer thriller Keep This For Me! We dive into her inspiration for the story, how she…
BookwildC.I Jerez's At The Island's Edge: Healing After Trauma, Family Bonds, and Second Chances
This week, I talk with C.I. Jerez about her emotional and empowering novel At the Island's Edge. We dive into the inspiration for the story, how she explored…
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10 Before The End with Gare and Steph
This week, we have some chaotic dog interruptions, I recorded int he dark because I couldn't even with the light, AND we broke a record and talked about more…
BookwildAlma Katsu's Fiend: Family Wealth, a Family Curse, and Family Horror
This week, I talk with Alma Katsu about her new horror novel Fiend. We dive into her inspiration for the story, what draws her to horror, and how she crafted…
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Narrating and Producing My First Audiobook!
This week, I dive into how I went from listening to audiobooks, to wanting to edit audiobooks, to co-narrating and editing my first audiobook over the course…
BookwildThe Grave Artist by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado: An Aesthetic Serial Killer, and an AI Investigator
This week, I got to talk with Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado about their second in their Sanchez & Heron series The Grave Artists. We dive into how they…
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Books on Our Fall TBRs with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I share books we are excited about on our Fall TBRs!Books We Talked AboutThe Reformatory by Tananarive DueSalt Bones by Jennifer…
BookwildL. S. Stratton's In Deadly Company: Hollywood Hijinks, Bad Rich People and Dual Timelines
This week, I got to talk with L.S. Stratton about her newest thriller In Deadly Company! We dive into how she wanted to write a fun, bingey thriller, how she…
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Learning From Fiction with Steph
This week, Steph and I talk about fiction books that taught us about different subjects!Books We Talked AboutPlay Nice by Rachel HarrisonEloquent Rage by…
BookwildPenny Zang's Doll Parts: Dark Academia, Sylvia Plath, and Complicated Female Friendship
This week, I got to talk with Penny Zang about her debut novel Doll Parts! We dive into her inspiration for the story, the importance of music throughout, and…
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Some of Our Favorite Reads from August with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about some of our favorite books we read in August!Books We Talked AboutMy Husband by Maud VenturaToo Old for This by…
BookwildRebecca McKanna's Don't Forget the Girl: Remembering the Victims, Female Friendship and True Crime Podcasts
This week, I got to talk with Rebecca McKanna with Steph Lauer IN PERSON about Rebecca's book Don't Forget the Girl. We dive into how a short story collection…
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Short, Bingey Books with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I share short, bingey books we highly recommend!Books We Talked AboutEveryone Is Lying to You – Joe PiazzaThe Favorite Girl – Monica…
BookwildKaila Yu's Fetishized: Yellow Fever, Sexualization, Fetishization, Feminism & Beauty
This week, I got to talk with Kaila Yu about her memoir Fetishization: A Reckoning with Yellow Fever, Feminism, and Beauty. We dive into her experience growing…
BookwildZoe B. Wallbrook's History Lessons: Dark Academia, Satirical Humor & Navigating Racial Tensions
This week, I talk with Zoe B. Wallbrook about her hilariously funny and suspenseful mystery novel History Lessons. We dive into her inspiration for the book…
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A True Crime Chorus: The Vanishing of Ethel Cain | Gare's Love Letter to Ethel Cain
This week, Gare shares all the ins and outs of Ethel Cain's dark, haunting album Preacher's Daughter!Check out the album here. All the Bookwild Links:Check Out…
BookwildLeigh Dunlap's Bless Your Heart: Buckhead Betties, Racial Tensions and a Murder
This week, I chat with Leigh Dunlap about her darkly comical debut thriller Bless Your Heart. We dive into her inspiration for the story, how her screenwriting…
BookwildSamantha Downing's Too Old For This: A Retired Serial Killer, A Nosy Journalist, And Tons of Mayhem
This week, I talk with Samantha Downing about her snarky new thriller Too Old for This. We dive into her inspiration for the story, her favorite parts about…
- Bookwild
Memorable Characters with Steph
This week, Steph and I talk about books with memorable characters who we will never forget!Books We've Been ReadingYou Belong HereDon’t Forget the…
BookwildCobie LaJeanne's Blood in the Cradle: Religious Trauma, Missing Children, and a Detective with Synesthesia
This week, I talk with Cobie LaJeanne about her pitch-black thriller Blood in the Cradle. We dive into her inspiration for the story, how the book developed…
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New Favorite Authors with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about new-to-us authors we discovered and love!Books We Talked AboutThe Book of AccidentsThe Babysitter LivesThe Killer on…
BookwildClèmence Michallon's Our Last Resort: Dual Timelines, Cult Memories and a Locked Resort Mystery
This week, Gare and I talk with Clèmence Michallon about her new thriller Our Last Resort. We dive into her inspiration for the book, her fresh take on a…
BookwildMelanie Anagnos' Nightswimming: Noir in 1970s New Jersey with Halley Sutton
This week, Halley Sutton and I chat with Melanie Anagnos about her new noir Nightswimming. We dive into her love for 70s culture, how reading noir shaped…
BookwildChristina Dotson's Love You to Death: Wedding Crashing, Toxic Friendships and Racial Tension
This week, I talk with Christina Dotson about her voice-y thriller loosely inspired by Thelma & Louise. She shares how she created Kayla and Zorie's…
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Writing Updates, A Way to Create Without Shame, Changes in the Publishing Industry, Capitalism vs Creativity, and Many Many More Topics with Halley Sutton
This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up about where we are with our writing processes (spoiler: I am focusing more on building Bookwild than writing).Halley…
BookwildCebo Campbell's Sky Full of Elephants: Exploring Black Identity in a World Without White People
This week, I got to talk with Cebo Campbell and MacKenzie Green about Cebo's speculative novel Sky Full of Elephants. We dive into his inspiration for the…
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Non-Thrillers Steph and I Have Loved
This week, Steph and I talk about some our favorite books outside the thriller genre, since we've both been expanding our genres a little.Books We Talked…
BookwildM.M. Deluca's The Divorce Party: A Toxic Friend Group, A Divorce Party, and A LOT of Secrets
This week, I talk with M.M. Deluca about her new thriller The Divorce Party! We dive into why she wanted to write a thriller with some humor, how her trip to…
- Bookwild
ThrillerFest Recap with Sabrina Thatcher and Lori Brand
Last year, Sabrina Thatcher (aka Olivia Day Wallce) and Lori Brand shared their experiences at ThrillerFest, and this year, since I got to go for the first…
BookwildKaira Rouda's Jill Is Not Happy: Jack and Jill Go on a Tense Road Trip
This week, I talked with Kaira Rouda about her new thriller Jill Is Not Happy. We dive into how her own road trip inspired the story, what Kaira loves about…
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Blue and Yellow Cover Thrillers with Gare and Steph
This week, I shared a quick ThrillerFest Recap (more to come on that front), and then Gare and Steph and I shared some of our favorite iconically blue and…
BookwildRob Hart's The Medusa Protocol: Assassins In Recovery and Bad Guys Mining Memories
This week, I got to talk with Rob Hart about the second book in his Assassins Anonymous Series The Medusa Protocol. We dive into the inspiration for the title…
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Audiobooks Steph and I Love: Fiction, Non-Fiction and Memoirs
This week, I was lucky enough to go to Chicago with Steph to see Julie Clark in conversation with Mary Kubica about her new thriller The Ghostwriter!! If you…
BookwildKimberly G. Giarratano's Make a Killing: P.I.s in Competition and Business Conspiracies
This week, I got to talk with Kimberly G. Giarratano about her newest installation in the noir Billie Levine series, Make a Killing! We dive into what was…
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It's So Gay And I Love It with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite LGBTQIA+ books for Pride Month! Also, don't forget you can #ReadQueerAllYear!Books We Talked…
BookwildJennifer Oko's Just Emilia: Stuck in an Elevator with Three Versions of Yourself
This week, I got to talk with Jennifer Oko about her uniquely crafted novel Just Emilia. We dive into how she created the three women in the elevator as their…
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Gare's Montreal Mystery Festival Recap and Our Mid-Year Favorite Reads with Gare and Steph
This week, Steph and I ask all about Gare's experience as a moderator at the Montreal Mystery Festival, and we all share some of our favorite reads halfway…
BookwildAllison Buccola's The Ascent: Cults, Murder and Postpartum Depression
This week, I got to talk with Allison Bucola about her new thriller The Ascent. We dive into her cult research, the long term damage of growing up in a cult…
BookwildKristen L. Berry's We Don't Talk About Carol: 6 Missing Black Girls, Intergenerational Family Drama and Messy Motherhood
This week, I got to talk with Kristen L. Berry about her debut mystery thriller We Don't Talk About Carol! We dive into Kristen's writing process, the…
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Problematic Artists, Body Image Wars, and The Intersection of Creativity and Commerce with Halley Sutton
This week, Halley Sutton and I catch up on everything we've been reading and watching, including The Studio and how it examines the intersection of creativity…
BookwildTori Eldridge's Kaua'i Storm: Family Drama, A Missing Persons Case, and A Setting That's Its Own Character
This week, I got to talk with Tori Eldridge about her newest novel Kaua'i Storm. Tori shares the inspiration for the book, how her settings matter so much to…
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Bad Things Happening in Cul-De-Sacs with Brian Watson
This week, I chat with Brian Watson @readingwithbrian about how long we've both been reading, thrillers that stood out as ones that created our love for…
BookwildJaime Lynn Hendricks' Their Double Lives: What Would You Do to Save Your Dog?
This week, the iconic Jaime Lynn Hendricks is back for the fifth time to chat about her newest page turner Their Double Lives! Gare and I ask all our burning…
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Summer Thriller Releases We Are Excited for with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I are talking about the 2025 Summer thriller releases we are excited to read!Bookwild MerchThrillerFest GoFundMeBooks We Talked…
BookwildJudy Huston's Spy Notes: The Music Business as the Perfect Cover for a Spy
This week, I talk with Judy Hutson about her new spy thriller Spy Notes! We dive into the inspiration for the story, how her job as a publicist in the music…
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Five Fave Authors and Books with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I talk about five of our favorite authors and our favorite book of theirs!Books We Talked AboutThe Last HousewifeBright Young…
BookwildRobert Bailey's The Boomerang: Hidden Cancer Cure, An Outspoken Land Baron and One Dedicated Father
This week, I got to talk with Robert Bailey about his emotionally driven action thriller The Boomerang. We dive into the inspiration for the book, the research…
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The Role of Subconscious in Writing, Milling for Empathy, and Craft Tactics with Halley Sutton
This week, Halley Sutton is back and we delve into character development, the subconscious influences on storytelling, and the darker themes that often emerge…
- Bookwild
Sinners Reactions and Analysis with MacKenzie Green
This week, MacKenzie Green and I dive into everything we loved about Sinners. We dive into Ryan Coogler's succinct visual storytelling, how he tackled the…
BookwildLiann Zhang's Julie Chan is Dead: Estranged Twins, Toxic Influencers and a Wild Trip
This week, I got to talk with Liann Zhang about her incredibly voicey and suspenseful thriller Julie Chan is dead. We dive into the inspiration for the story…
- Bookwild
Books We Took a Chance on and Loved with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and i talk about books we took risks on that we ended up loving!Books We Talked AboutLion Women of Tehran Marjan KamaliHush Anne…
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Analyzing Agatha All Along with Halley Sutton SPOILERS
THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR AGATHA ALL ALONGA couple weeks ago, Halley told me she watched Agatha All Along and loved it, which lead to me binging it in…
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Pyschological Thrillers, Reality TV, and a Tornado with Marishka Lunde and Gare Billings
This week, Marisha Lunde, Gare and I set out to talk about psychological thrillers, but veered into all kinds of other topics, including reality TV. The…
BookwildSaumya Dave's The Guilt Pill: Mom Guilt, Ambition and Maintaining Your Individuality
This week, I got to talk with Saumya Dave about her new thriller The Guilt Pill! She shares how she found the inspiration for the book, how her work as a…
- Bookwild
White Lotus Season Three Reactions with Halley
This week, Halley and I do a DEEP dive into our thoughts after the season three finale of The White Lotus. Grab a piña colada and enjoy! 🙃Links Mentioned:White…
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White Lotus Finale Predictions and Writing Catchup with Halley
If you're listening to these episodes as their air, you're getting what was going to be April 8ths Tuesday episode today, because Halley Sutton and I HAD to…
- Bookwild
Single POV Thrillers with Gare and Steph
This week, Gare, Steph and I share some of our favorite single POV thrillers!Books We Talked AboutAnd Now She’s GoneChasing the BoogeymanThe Devil and Mrs…
BookwildOlesya Lyuzna's Glitter in the Dark: 1920s Harlem, Prohibition, Showgirls and Noir
This week I got to talk with Olesya Lyuzna about her historical noir Glitter in the Dark! We dive into Olesya's lifelong obsession with the 1920s, some wild…