

Writers, Ink: Your backstage pass to the world's most prolific authors
J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle
What does it take to succeed as a writer? Join host J.D. Barker and a panel of industry experts as they pull back the curtain and offer rare insights from the household names found on bookshelves worldwide.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 21, 2023 • 43min
Hugh Howey Update! Silo, Beacon 23, and More.
On this bonus episode of Writers, Ink, JP catches up with previous guest Hugh Howey.
Hugh Howey is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of WOOL, MACHINE LEARNING, SAND, BEACON 23, and many others. His works have been translated into over 40 languages, with millions of copies sold around the world. WOOL has been adapted into Silo, a TV show from AppleTVPlus, which premiers May 5th!
Find Writers, Ink on YouTube! - https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/
Links:*
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Hugh Howey - https://hughhowey.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 20, 2023 • 1h 4min
The one where Tracy Clark explains what happens after you figure out where you’re going to hide the body.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch IX, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week’s publishing topics, including a blockbuster publishing deal for one of today’s bestselling authors. Then stick around as Christine chats with mystery author Tracy Clark.
Tracy Clark, a native Chicagoan, is the author of the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series, featuring ex-cop turned PI Cassandra Raines. Her debut, BROKEN PLACES, made Library Journal’s list of the Best Crime Fiction of 2018, and CrimeReads named Cass Raines Best New PI of 2018. Her latest novel, Hide, a Detective Harriet Foster Thriller, was released in January 2023 and is available now wherever books are sold.
Links:*
Check Out Writers, Ink on YouTube! – https://www.youtube.com/@jdbarker_author/podcasts
J.D. Barker – http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle – https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX – https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson – https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O’Donnell – https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Tracy Clark – https://tracyclarkbooks.com/
TODAY’S SPONSOR: Laterpress – http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok – https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus – https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley – http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio – http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn – https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel – http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact – https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 13, 2023 • 1h 5min
The one where Vaishnavi Patel explains how she hit the New York Times list with her debut novel.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including a report from Bowker that proves the self-publishing boom is still going strong. Then stick around as Christine chats with debut novelist Vaishnavi Patel about reimaging important cultural tales, TikTok, and hitting the NYT Bestseller list.
Vaishnavi Patel is a law student focusing on constitutional law and civil rights. She likes to write at the intersection of Indian myth, feminism, and anti-colonialism. Her debut novel, Kaikeyi, a feminist retailing of the ancient Indian epic, the Rāmāyana, is available now from Redhook/Hachette.
Links:*
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Vaishnavi Patel - https://vaishnavipatel.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mar 6, 2023 • 1h 7min
The one where NYT Bestseller William Landay explains why no writer of any quality can base their work on fact.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including Bookshop.org's move into ebooks and an AI-related update pertaining to audiobook voice talent. Then stick around as Christine chats with novelist and former lawyer William Landay about truth (or the lack thereof) in fiction and the crime novel as a great vehicle for exploring universal themes.
William Landay is the author of Defending Jacob, which won the Strand Critics Award for best mystery novel; The Strangler, listed as a best crime novel of the year by the L.A. Times, Daily Telegraph, and others; and Mission Flats, winner of the Dagger Award for best first crime novel. [source] His latest novel, All That Is Mine I Carry With Me, releases tomorrow, March 7, 2023, from Bantam Books.
Links:*
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
William Landay - https://www.williamlanday.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 27, 2023 • 1h 3min
The one where New York Times Bestseller Daniel Suarez talks ChatGPT, future tech, and what it’s like to get a phone call from the pentagon after they read your book.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including JP's undying love for keeping things local. Then stick around as Kevin chats with NYT bestselling author Daniel Suarez about indie publishing, the future of technology, and making the most of experts.
DANIEL SUAREZ is the New York Times bestselling author of Daemon, FreedomTM, Kill Decision, and Delta-v. His latest novel, Critical Mass, was released on January 31st from Dutton Books [PRH] and is available now wherever books are sold.
Links:*
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Daniel Suarez - https://daniel-suarez.com/https://daniel-suarez.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 20, 2023 • 1h 4min
The one where #1 New York Times Bestseller James Rollins explains why villains must have a purpose and how the prologue just might be dead.
Join hosts J.D. Barker, Christine Daigle, and Kevin Tumlinson as they discuss the week's publishing topics, including a major update on the HarperCollins strike as well as distributing to libraries as both traditional and independent authors. Then stick around as Kevin talks with NYT bestselling author James Rollins about villains, prologues, juggling a variety of projects at once, and writing in multiple genres.
James Rollins is the #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of the Sigma Force series, the novelization for the blockbuster film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, and the Jake Ransom middle-grade series. His latest novel, The Cradle of Ice (MoonFall Saga #2), dropped February 7th from TOR/Macmillan and is available now wherever books are sold.
Links:*
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
James Rollins - https://jamesrollins.com/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTok - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Show notes & audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 13, 2023 • 1h 4min
The one where Gregg Hurwitz discusses Orphans, AWA Studios, and writing for Morgan Freeman.
Join hosts J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle, along with JP Rindfleisch IX, Kevin Tumlinson, and Patrick O'Donnell, as they discuss a wide array of publishing topics, including how allowances for machine learning have made their way into publishing contracts. Then stick around as Christine chats with NYT bestselling author and screenwriter Gregg Hurwitz.
GREGG HURWITZ is the internationally bestselling author of 23 thrillers, including the Orphan X series. His novels have won numerous literary awards and have been published in 33 languages. Gregg currently serves as the Co-President of International Thriller Writers (ITW). Additionally, he’s written screenplays and television scripts for many of the major studios and networks, comics for AWA, DC, and Marvel, and political and culture pieces for The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, and others. [source: https://gregghurwitz.net/] The latest novel in his Orphan X series, The Last Orphan, releases tomorrow, February 14, wherever books are sold.
Links:
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Gregg Hurwitz - https://gregghurwitz.net/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Feb 6, 2023 • 56min
The one where Swedish sensation Tove Alsterdal explains the importance of setting as a character.
Join hosts J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle, along with JP Rindfleisch IX and Patrick O'Donnell, as they discuss the week's publishing news, including an update on the HarperCollins strike. Then stick around as Christine chats with acclaimed novelist and playwright Tove Alsterdal about the latest novel in her High Coast thriller series, You Will Never Be Found.
Tove Alsterdal burst upon the Swedish book scene in 2009 with The Forgotten Dead and is the author of five critically acclaimed stand-alone novels. We Know You Remember, named Swedish Crime Novel of the Year and shortlisted for the country’s Book of the Year Award, marked her American debut. [source: HarperCollins] The follow-up, You Will Never Be Found, is available now.
Links:
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
Tove Alsterdal - https://www.tovealsterdal.se/english/books/
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
J. Thorn’s Rubrics for Writers - https://theauthorlife.com/free-tools/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 30, 2023 • 1h 2min
The one where bestselling author C.J. Tudor explains why it's better to have no agent than the wrong agent.
Join hosts J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle, along with JP Rindfleisch IX and Kevin Tumlinson, as they welcome law enforcement consultant Patrick O'Donnell (episode 47) to the guest host chair. Then stick around as Christine chats with best-selling novelist C. J. Tudor about finding the right agent, writing what you love no matter what, and her upcoming end-of-the-world thriller, The Drift.
C. J. Tudor is the author of The Burning Girls, The Other People, The Hiding Place, and The Chalk Man, which won the International Thriller Writers Award for Best First Novel, the Barry Award, and the Strand Critics Award for Best Debut Novel. Her fifth novel, The Drift, an "audacious, utterly gripping [story] of catastrophe and survival at the end of the world," drops tomorrow, January 31st, from Ballentine Books.
Links:
J.D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Patrick O'Donnell - https://www.copsandwriters.com/
C. J. Tudor - https://twitter.com/cjtudor
TODAY'S SPONSOR: Laterpress - http://laterpress.com/
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
J. Thorn’s Rubrics for Writers - https://theauthorlife.com/free-tools/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jan 23, 2023 • 1h 4min
The one where Mary Adkins explains why you don't need an MFA (unless you do).
Join hosts J.D. Barker and Christine Daigle as they welcome back JP Rindfleisch IX and invite first-time guest host Kevin Tumlinson to the show. Then stick around as Christine chats with author and book coach Mary Adkins.
Mary Adkins is the author of When You Read This, Privilege, and Palm Beach, which was voted one of 2021's Best Books by The New York Post. A native of the American South and a graduate of Duke University and Yale Law School, her writing has appeared in the New York Times and the Atlantic. She is also the founder of The Book Incubator, a 12-month, hands-on writing program for authors and memoirists, and the host of the podcast The First Draft Club.
Links:
J. D. Barker - http://jdbarker.com/
Christine Daigle - https://www.christinedaiglebooks.com/
JP Rindfleisch IX - https://www.jprindfleischix.com/
Kevin Tumlinson - https://www.kevintumlinson.com/
Mary Adkins - https://maryadkinswriter.com/
Best of BookTook - https://bestofbooktok.com/
J. Thorn’s Rubrics for Writers - https://theauthorlife.com/free-tools/
Music by Nicorus - https://cctrax.com/nicorus/dust-to-dust-ep
Voice Over by Rick Ganley - http://www.nhpr.com and recorded at Mill Pond Studio - http://www.millpondstudio.com
Audio production by Geoff Emberlyn - https://twitter.com/gmbrlyn
Website Design by Word & Pixel - http://wordandpixel.com/
Contact - https://writersinkpodcast.com/contact/
*Full disclosure: Some of the links are affiliate links. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.


