How NY Times Bestselling Author Chevy Stevens Writes: Part Two
New York Times bestselling and award-winning psychological thriller writer, Chevy Stevens, returns to speak with me about writing dark subjects, running out of scary humans, and her latest “home invasion on wheels,” THE HITCHHIKERS.
Chevy's debut novel Still Missing became a New York Times bestseller and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel in 2010.
Her popular books, including Those Girls — which Stephen King called “Incredibly scary and suspenseful” — have been published in over thirty countries and optioned for film and TV.
New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter described her eighth novel, another standalone thriller titled THE HITCHHIKERS (available for pre-order and on-sale 10/7) as "A frightening and viscerally chilling road-trip-gone-wrong story."
In Part Two of this file Chevy Stevens and I discussed:
How not all Canadians are friendly
Starting books with something innocent that morphs into terror
Why writing is like dating
Her love of the nostalgia of ‘70s Hollywood
Why Poltergeist is the scariest movie of all time
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
chevystevens.com
The Hitchhikers: A Novel Hardcover – October 7, 2025 by Chevy Stevens (Amazon)
Chevy Stevens Amazon Author Page
Chevy Stevens on Facebook
Chevy Stevens on Instagram
Chevy Stevens on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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How NY Times Bestselling Author Chevy Stevens Writes: Part One - Redux
Award-winning, New York Times bestselling psychological thriller writer, Chevy Stevens, spoke to me about her life as a recluse, dreaming in prose, scaring the King, and her latest, Dark Roads.
Chevy's debut novel Still Missing went on to become a New York Times bestseller and winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel in 2010.
Her popular books, including Those Girls – which Stephen King called “Incredibly scary and suspenseful,” – have been published in more than thirty countries and optioned for film.
Her seventh novel, the standalone thriller, Dark Roads, has been described as an "instant classic" by #1 New York Times bestselling author C. J. Box. Author Gillian Flynn has called Chevy's work both "Gripping ... [and] unforgettable."
Stay calm and write on ...
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In this file Chevy Stevens and I discussed:
Why writers need to be protective of their (daydreaming) time
The romanticization of the writing life
Tossing novel drafts in the trash bin
The real-life "Highway of Tears" and a legacy of broken promises
How to write a proper prologue, your first 50 pages ...
And a lot more
Show Notes:
ChevyStevens.com
Dark Roads: A Novel by Chevy Stevens (Amazon)
Chevy Stevens Amazon author page
Chevy Stevens on Facebook
Chevy Stevens on Instagram
Chevy Stevens on Twitter
Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Bonnie Garmus Writes: Redux
#1 New York Times bestselling author, Bonnie Garmus, spoke to me about the evolution of her craft, how her protagonist changed her life, getting blurbed by Stephen King, and the never-ending book tour for her lauded debut LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY.
Bonnie Garmus is a copywriter, creative director, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling novel, Lessons in Chemistry, named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Entertainment Weekly, and Newsweek.
The book introduced the main character, “Elizabeth Zott, a headstrong, gifted chemist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show.”
BuzzFeed wrote of the book, “A kicky debut, this book tackles feminism, resilience, and rationalism in a fun and refreshing way.” And Stephen King called it, “witty, sometimes hilarious…the Catch-22 of early feminism.”
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In this file Bonnie Garmus and I discussed:
How her copywriting career supported her fiction writing
Why courses will never make you a writer
Plotters vs Pantsers and why she can't write from an outline
Overcoming a fear of the blank page
Why writing a synopsis is one of The Circles of Hell
Getting a phone call from Academy Award Winner Brie Larson
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
BonnieGarmus.com
Lessons in Chemistry By Bonnie Garmus (Amazon)
Bonnie Garmus on Instagram
Bonnie Garmus on Twitter
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Josie Silver Writes: Redux
#1 New York Times bestselling author Josie Silver spoke to me about the laptop that changed her life, overcoming adversity early on, and her latest ghost-hunting rom-com CRAZY SPOOKY LOVE.
Josie Silver is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One Day in December, The Two Lives of Lydia Bird, One Night on the Island, and A Winter in New York, and her books have been published in over 25 languages.
Her latest novel, CRAZY SPOOKY LOVE (September 2, 2025), features a plucky medium, her fame-chasing ex, and an infuriatingly handsome skeptic reporter in a ghost-hunting series full of romance and humor.
Although Josie Silver burst onto the scene with her smash-hit debut romance, One Day in December in 2018, she had published books before—just under a different name, and never in the U.S. She tells me that story here.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Josie Silver and I discussed:
How she wrote on maternity leave, won a contest, and got an agent
Why she couldn’t imagine doing anything else amidst multiple rejections
The need for authors to reinvent themselves often
How her latest protagonist strolled into her imagination fully formed
Rewriting a previously published work for a new set of editors
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
josiesilver.com
Crazy Spooky Love: A Melody Bittersweet Novel (Melody Bittersweet, 1) – September 2, 2025 – by Josie Silver (Amazon)
Josie Silver Amazon Author Page
Josie Silver on Twitter/X
Josie Silver on Instagram
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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The Writer Files x Diary of a Book Babe: Vol. 1
#bookstagram influencer, reviewer, and writer Milena Gonzalez (aka Diary of a Book Babe) spoke to me about culling inspiration from the podcast, hyping up her favorite authors, and her latest five-star finds.
This is the first volume of a new format of the show where I’ll be inviting some like-minded friends to talk shop.
Milena Gonzalez graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a double major in Literary Journalism and English. She spent eight years as owner, designer, and screen printer of a small business, Lady & Little.
Milena is a Southern California mom to three kids. She is currently working on her third novel, a psychological suburban thriller. Learn more about her at diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram.
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[If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen]
In this file Milena Gonzalez and I discussed:
Why we both love #1 NY Times bestselling author Bonnie Garmus so much
Quick reviews of the latest releases from NY Times bestselling author Stacy Willingham and debut novelist Penny Zang
How Milena discovers new and established authors to review
The definition of “dark academia”
Where we put all of our TBR stacks
Advice on how to keep going
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
Forget Me Not: A Novel by Stacy Willingham (Amazon)
Doll Parts: A Novel by Penny Zang (Amazon)
Dating After the End of the World by Jeneva Rose (Amazon)
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Bonnie Garmus Writes
How Acclaimed Debut Novelist Priscilla Morris Writes
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Carley Fortune Writes - Redux
How NY Times Bestselling Thriller Writer Riley Sager Writes
How #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Emily Henry Writes: Part One
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
Kelton Reid Instagram
Kelton Reid on Twitter
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About The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
“Learn how acclaimed writers keep the ink flowing, the cursor moving, and avoid writer’s block.”
Each week, host Kelton Reid chats with guests like Nobel Prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah, on life after becoming a laureate; #1 New York Times bestselling author, Emily Henry on her past life as a YA mid-lister; Celebrated author, Walter Mosley, on his conflicted feelings after winning a National Book Award; NY Times bestselling author, Lisa Scottoline, on what she learned from literary lion Philip Roth; #1 NY Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane on what he borrowed from Clint Eastwood; and bestselling author, Matt Haig, on the process behind his novel, The Midnight Library, and serial guest hosts: neuroscientist Michael Grybko, journalist Adam Skolnick, and short story writer Robert Bruce.
Listen to The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience, Comfort Eating with Grace Dent and many other podcasts from around the world with the radio.net app
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