In part one of this week’s episode, Bianca Marais chats with debut author Ruth Newton about the journey from being the very first Books with Hooks guest to publishing her novel, ‘The Carrier’. Ruth shares how a chance glimpse of a truck sparked the book’s high-concept premise, why speculative fiction gave her the freedom to explore complex emotional themes, and how competitions, deadlines, and feedback helped shape her path to publication. They discuss worldbuilding, working through major editorial revisions, balancing concept with character, and the fascinating real-world science behind the novel’s exploration of emotion, trauma, and the gut microbiome.
In part two of this week’s episode, Jackie McMahon joins Bianca Marais to discuss her debut historical mystery, ‘The Cloak and Dagger Club’. Jackie shares the surprising path that led from a Books with Hooks critique and an unpublished manuscript to a two-book deal with Berkeley, proving that every project can open unexpected doors. The conversation explores the real-life detection club that inspired the novel, the appeal of setting mysteries in the golden age of crime fiction, and the craft behind managing multiple POVs, a large ensemble cast, and a murder mystery packed with twists, romance, and literary history.
Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.
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