Alex Dolan's Blog

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERIn her debut novel, The Good Byline,Jill Orrpresents herself as a fresh voice to the thriller genre. The book centers around a young woman who is obsessed with obituaries, only to find herself forced to write an obituary for her best friend. It's a wonderful mystery, but also a refreshing does of humor in a genre that can be at times, fairly morose.In the interview, we talk about one of the inspirations for the book, which is perhaps one of the best obituaries ever written, forHarry Stamps of Long Beach. We talk about how obituaries can effectively celebrate the lives, and don't have to be dry, stale summaries of someone's life.In addition to coming out with her debut novel, Jill Orr writes features and a parenting column for Como Living Magazine in Columbia, Missouri, where she lives with her husband and two children. She writes humor essays about parenting on her blog, An Exercise in Narcissism. The Good Byline is her first novel in the Riley Ellison mysteries series, published by Prospect Park Books.OTHER THINGS WE DISCUSSJill Orr: Not the same Jill Orr, but an accomplished artist based in AustraliaMaria Semple, one of Jill's literary heroes—she recommends starting with Where’d you go Bernadette?Lisa KoganRoxane Gay, Magic Mike XXL: Possibly the finest piece of film criticism ever written, according to meJim Sheeler: Obit: Inspiring Stories of People who Lived Extraordinary Lives

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERCarter Wilsonis a USA Today and #1 Denver Post bestselling author, born in New Mexico and raised in Los Angeles. His novels have received critical acclaim, including multiple starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal, and his works have won the Colorado Book Award, the International Book Award, and the National Indie Excellence Award. Carter lives outside of Boulder, Colorado in a spooky Victorian house.This week, we talked about his latest book, Revelation, wherein the lead character wakes up in a cell next to his dead friend and an antique typewriter, and is told to start writing a story. We also meet Coyote, his sociopath roommate, who has aspirations to found his own religion, and might have just succeeded.

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATEREver wonder what an FBI profiler actually does all day?This week I'm joined by award-winning authorElizabeth Heiter.Liz is the author of seven books, including the wildly successful profiler series, starting with Hunted and including the recently released Stalked. Her novels have been published in more than a dozen countries and translated into eight languages. They've also been shortlisted for the Daphne Du Maurier award, the National Readers' Choice award and the Booksellers' Best award and won the RT Reviewers' Choice award.Research for her books has taken her inside the FBI, CIA, the military, and other various law enforcement agencies. She is weapons trained, and knows what all of those acronyms mean.In addition to talking about her work, Liz gives us a peek behind the curtain to the FBI, and what life is like for a profiler. For those looking for tips on how to make your writing about law enforcement more authentic, tune in. You can also learn why cops can't really shoot out the tires of a runaway car.THINGS WE TALK ABOUT:FBI Acronyms: Scroll down here for Liz's glossary of FBI termsZabibah and the King: A romance novel written by, you guessed it, Saddam HusseinBaghdad Bedrock: The Flintstone Village Saddam Hussein built for his grandchildrenHonestly, we don't spend that much time talking about Saddam Hussein.

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERI first sawLori Rader-Dayon a panel at the 2016 Bouchercon "Thunderdome" panel, a game show format where she was eliminated in the first round and then came back to win it all. I only wish I had the winning jersey to commemorate it.She is also the award-winning author of three novels, including her latest, The Day I Died, which tells the story of a handwriting analyst who gets involved in a crime that could affect the safety of her son.We talked about the art of handwriting analysis, and for those who are interested in finding out what your writing says about you, she recommends readingSex, Lies & Handwriting.In addition, we discussed some of the experiences she's had in writing communities, both in her home city of Chicago and elsewhere. This year, she is launching a new crime writing event calledMurder and Mayhem in Chicago,scheduled for this week on March 11. Show up and mingle with Lori and other crime writers.We also talk about making playlists for your book, or at least the ones Lori created for all three books. When you curl up with your next Lori Rader-Day book, think about putting some of these on in the background:Blood in the Cut, K.FlaySail, AwolnationLucky Now, Ryan AdamsWhite Blank Page, Mumford and SonsMORE ON LORI RADER-DAYLori Rader-Day’s debut mystery, The Black Hour, won the 2015 Anthony Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the 2015 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her second novel, Little Pretty Things, won the 2016 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was a nominee for the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original. Little Pretty Things was named a 2015 “most arresting crime novel” by Kirkus Reviews and one of the top 10 crime novels of the year by Booklist. Her third novel, The Day I Died, will be released by Harper Collins William Morrow on April 11, 2017. She lives in Chicago.

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERThis week I'm having a bit of a fanboy moment.When I was doing my own reading atBorderlands Booksin San Francisco, I saw the novel "The Girl With All the Gifts" featured out, and it became my favorite book that year. It is an original take on the zombie genre that truly stunned me, for the reason that it was as touching as it was terrifying.I anxiously waited for the follow-up, Fellside, which was just as good, and much different—a ghost story set inside a women's correctional facility. Book consumers—gobble these up if you haven't already.Simple, simple, Alex...I thought I was discovering a new writer. In fact,M.R. Carey(alsoMike Carey) is an astoundingly prolific and accomplished talent.In addition to being the bestselling author of The Girl With All The Gifts (the film version of which comes out in theaters this month) and Fellside, he's also a legend in the comic industry, as the creator of the Lucifer (the spinoff of Neil Gaiman's Sandman series) and Hellblazer (which became the film Constantine) series.I caught up with Mike this week, where we talked about the meaning and value of storytelling, the importance of structure in helping to fuel, and the fact that he got to have a zombie cameo in his own movie.Once you've read the book (no cheating), see the film version of The Girl with All the Gifts this month. Here's the trailer:

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATER This week, I was lucky to talk toDeborah Coonts, a bestseller, world traveler, licensed pilot, and former Las Vegas resident. Do you have the guts to live in Las Vegas? I didn't think so.The bestselling author of the Lucky O'Toole series and the forthcoming Deep Water, she has written a vast body of work. In her psychological thriller After Me, her central character, a former detective afflicted with early onset Alzheimer's, is trying to piece together why a body has turned up in her bathtub.In the interview, we talk about her research into Alzheimer's, sense memories, and how as en extrovert she uses her writing career to enrich her experiences. We should all be this adventurous.THINGS DISCUSSEDThe Institute for Ethnomedicine60 Minutes: The Alzheimer's Laboratory

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERIn this episode of Thrill Seekers, I welcome thriller authorE.A. AymarandDJ Alkimist, who have been working together to weave storytelling and music. The result is fantastic, and we play three tracks on the show, including the debut of their latest track, "Red Room":I'm sorry, I got distracted. That's Red ROOM:A little more on both of them:E.A. Aymar is the author of I’LL SLEEP WHEN YOU’RE DEAD and YOU’RE AS GOOD AS DEAD. He also writes a monthly column for the Washington Independent Review of Books, and is the Managing Editor of The Thril Begins (for International Thriller Writers). His work has appeared in several top crime fiction publications. He holds a Masters in Literature and lives outside of Washington, DC.DJ Alkimist, or Kimberly Venetz, is a DJ, musician, and music producer based out of Washington, DC, and New York City. A classically trained viola player, she has been recording her own music since 2014.For those who want more details, here are some of the things we talked about on the show:Ani DiFranco & Utah Philips, The Past Didn't Go Anywhere: Another great example of collaboration between musicians and storytellers, and a fantastic album. Worth the download.William S. Burroughs, Dead City Radio: Another example of good storytelling set over music.Noir at the Bar (Washington DC): Ed hosts this series, if you live in DC and want to connect with other writers, it's a good series.Ed's books:I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead &  You’re As Good As DeadLiterary Death Match8 Mile Eminem Songwriting Scene: For me, one of the few scenes in movies that accurately captures how songs get written.L'Orange: One of the musicians that inspired Ed. I'm listening, and I like.

The thing to remember about California is that it’s all new.I’m not implying that the land was unsettled before Americans got to it. Far from it. Before the United States, this was Mexico. Before Mexico, Spain. And before Spain, a number of indigenous tribes dotted the coast. Not to mention the influx of settlers coming everywhere from China to The Netherlands. But the cultural mish-mash from a century of aggressive development has defined California as we know it. It is a state of constant churn, a state of cultural turnover.If the East Coast is the grown-up part of America, California is the unruly high school senior who throws a house party while his parents are away. Weird things happen. Mistakes are made. Someone lights the dog on fire.When you arrive in California, you will be struck by its physical beauty. And make no mistake—it is lovely.But people might not tell you about the time the CIA dosed strangers with LSD in a project called Project MKUltra. San Francisco was chosen for one of the test sites because, even as recently as the mid-twentieth century, the west coast was considered so remote that these experiments were safer to conduct. People went missing all the time in California. A few more wouldn’t shock anyone.San Francisco, 1851San Francisco, 2016Enough about that. I shouldn’t bring us down. You’re in California. Look at the beaches. The way Route 1 wraps around breathtaking cliffs. You can smell oranges ripening on trees. It’s paradise.You probably don’t want to hear about the crime out here. Or do you? How the infamous Gangster Squad (or the Organized Crime Intelligence Division) was formed in Los Angeles to run the East Coast mafia out of the city. How one of its members, John O’Mara, was asked about their ruthless approach and admitted, “We did a lot of things that we’d get indicted for today.”You can’t fault California for these things, can you? It’s like throwing your new clothes in the washer. Sure, something might end up bleeding, but it’s a small price to pay for the fresh smell.Los Angeles, 1857Los Angeles, 2016I like to think of California as a place where people with ingenuity and tenacity have a better shot at becoming self-made successes. On the flip side, the mad scramble for cash that started in the Gold Rush has evolved into generations trying to find fortunes in ultra-competitive work environments, sometimes sacrificing personal ambitions to keep up with the rising cost of living.People come for prosperity. Sometimes they find it. Sometimes they leave. Populations surge and flee in accordance with economic booms and busts and can leave a somewhat-transitory population where people are friendly to new faces but wary of strangers. The risk of living in an area of constant change is that change can bring catastrophe as often as opportunity.San Diego, 1888San Diego, 2016I set my first novel in California so that the reader could experience the untamed nature of this region. THE EUTHANIST follows a young euthanasia practitioner who goes by the name Kali. At the start of the book, Kali has helped end the lives of 26 people suffering from terminal illnesses and, when we meet her, she’s about to help the wrong client. My main character is young, idealistic, and courageous enough to break the law (although demonstrating how quickly California shifts, the laws have changed since I started writing THE EUTHANIST; in 2016, California passed the End of Life Option Act, which allows residents to choose assisted suicide).California seemed like the most fitting home for this kind of character. The area still has a frontier mentality, and people here take risks. Sometimes they break the law. Sometimes when they break the law, they do so with confidence, not because they don’t believe they’ll be caught, but because they believe in their own righteousness. They are outlaws. And despite centuries of history, or possibly because of it, California still breeds outlaws.NOTE: The original version of this post was published in ITW's The Thill Begins.

 LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERFor your New Year's resolutions, did you promise to be more politically active?Meet screenwriter, entertainment lawyer and producer, and now thriller authorNina Sadowsky. In addition to creating a buzz with her debut novel, JUST FALL (which is currently being developed as a series by Starz), she has been taking an active role how to create progressive change.She is a former entertainment lawyer and screenwriter, and we talk about everything including the film industry, the book industry, and what practical things you can do to help fight orange men.Two free tips from Nina:VoteSpotter: This free app lets you know when your rep in Congress votes, so you know when to call.Action Network Groups: Find a local network of like-minded people who care about the issues you care about.Other things we discussed during our chat:Jumpin' at the Boneyard: This is Nina's first credit as a film producer. What she didn't mention is that this little "indie" stars the likes of Tim Roth, Samuel L . Jackson and the recently departed Alexis Arquette.The Year of Yes, Shonda Rhimes (perfect if you're looking to kickstart your 2017)The Atlantic, "Women Are Writing the Best Crime Novels": The article we mention in our interview talks about many things, including the importance of pacing. ​

LISTEN NOWSUBSCRIBE & LISTEN LATERIt's the Christmas show on Thrill Seekers! Whatever your holiday, I hope you have fun celebrating, and end giving this year the old heave-ho.To celebrate on Thrill Seekers, I welcomed authorTammy Cohen, who wrote possibly the ultimate anit-Christmas thriller, Dying for Christmas, about a young woman who is abducted and then forced to open one gruesome present for twelve days. It just proves that you should really get a gift list for the holidays—you can never count on people getting you what you want.​Tammy (who also writes under the name Tamar Cohen), has also released The Fallout, about two couples and the rippling, insidious effects of divorce. I highly recommend both.Among the things we mention in the show:Killer Women, a crime writers organization that includes Tammy Cohen, Thrill Seekers alum Alex Marwood, and Paula Hawkins of The Girl on the Train FameThe Slap by Christos Tsiolkas The Shining Girls by Lauren BeukesMichael Faber​​We also talk about sexual fetishes and Tammy's poorly behaved dog. One of those things is shown below.