Rebecca McKanna is an associate professor of English at the University of Indianapolis. Her debut novel, Don’t Forget the Girl, was nominated for the 2024 Lambda Literary Award in LGBTQ+ Mystery and the 2023 Strand Magazine’s Critics Award for Best Debut Mystery, and awarded the 2024 Indiana Authors Award for Genre Fiction. Her short stories have been anthologized in The Best American Mystery Stories 2019 and recognized as distinguished in The Best American Short Stories 2019. She has been published in Colorado Review, Michigan Quarterly Review, and The Rumpus, among others.

Among other things, Rebecca and Carter discuss the process of launching a debut novel, the struggle of self-promotion and going public with your book, and the differences between genre fiction and literary fiction. At the end of their conversation, they make up a chilling story using a line from Samantha Jayne Allen’s Next of Kin.

Elise Hart Kipness is a television sports reporter turned crime fiction writer. In addition to reporting for Fox Sports Network, Elise was a reporter at New York’s WNBC-TV, News 12 Long Island, and the Associated Press, covering events including the Olympics, NBA and NCAA Championships, and the US Open. She is the President of Sisters in Crime Connecticut, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Friends of Key West Library. The third book in her Kate Green thrilled series, Close Call, will be released in October 2025.

At the end of their conversation, Elise and Carter discuss pitching books in person to agents, Elise’s 12-hour writing days, and listening to your own book on audio. At the end of their conversation, they make up a creepy story using a line from Elise’s own novel, Dangerous Play.

Brad Parks is an international bestselling author, and the only writer to have won the Shamus, Nero, and Lefty Awards, three of American crime fiction’s most prestigious prizes. His novels have been translated into 16 languages and have won critical acclaim across the globe, including stars from every major pre-publication review outlet. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Parks is a former journalist with The Washington Post and The (Newark, N.J.) Star-Ledger.

At the end of their conversation, Brad and Carter discuss writing from the perspective of a teenager, Brad’s experience with Amazon publishing, and exploring themes of false accusations and innocence in a novel. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful story using a line from Larry McMurtry’s Sin Killer.