- 49 minutes 27 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Laura Moriarty Writes
New York Times bestselling author Laura Moriarty spoke with us about her teaching philosophy as a creative writing professor, the craft of historical fiction, and the research process behind her latest novel, SUNLIGHT FINDS YOU.
Laura Moriarty is the New York Times bestselling author of The Chaperone, The Center of Everything, The Rest of Her Life, While I'm Falling, and a Creative Writing Professor at the University of Kansas.
Her latest novel is Sunlight Finds You, described as a book that “explores the fervor of young love, the shock of parental betrayal, and the long-term consequences of adolescent choices.”
A Kirkus starred review wrote of the work, “Moriarty has an unusual gift for voice, a spark that can turn a novel about ordinary events into something compelling…A rich, rewarding slice of history that should remind us how important it is for women to have choices of all kinds.”
Laura Moriarty received her master's degree from the University of Kansas and was awarded the George Bennett Fellowship for Creative Writing at Phillips Exeter Academy.
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In this file Laura Moriarty, Milena, and I discussed:
Her early career in social work and how she almost became a doctor
Why she loves working with graduate students on their WIPs
The research process that went into Sunlight Finds You
What changing the POV can do for your narrative
How incorporating psychological authenticity over modern values can improve historical fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
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english.ku.edu/people/laura-moriarty
Sunlight Finds You: A Novel by Laura Moriarty (Amazon)
Laura Moriarty Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
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5 August 2026, 7:00 am - 35 minutes 56 secondsHow Bestselling Author Sarma Melngailis Writes: Part Two
Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO.
Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented.
Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.”
Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinary Institute
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In Part Two of this file Sarma Melngailis, Milena, and I discussed:
Her professional journey from the French Culinary Institute to celebrity restaurateur
Reclaiming her narrative from sensationalist and biased media coverage
How she continues to examine the psychology of manipulation
Reliving some of the trauma of her experience by recording the audiobook
Her thoughts on resurrecting Pure Food and Wine
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir by Sarma Melngailis (Amazon)
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
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31 July 2026, 7:00 am - 35 minutes 23 secondsHow Bestselling Author Sarma Melngailis Writes: Part One
Bestselling memoirist, chef, and former restaurateur Sarma Melngailis spoke with us about her much-loved restaurant, Pure Food and Wine, reclaiming her narrative post Bad Vegan, and her eight-year journey writing THE GIRL WITH THE DUCK TATTOO.
Sarma Melngailis is the founder of One Lucky Duck and co-creator of the acclaimed New York City restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Her notorious story of scandal and betrayal was the subject of the Netflix docuseries Bad Vegan—a series that left much of her story misrepresented.
Her bestselling memoir, The Girl with the Duck Tattoo, is described as a “reclamation” and “... a raw, unflinching memoir of how one smart, driven woman went from building a dream to being ensnared in a cult of one.”
Sarma is the author of cookbooks Living Raw Food and the co-author of Raw Food/Real World, and is currently in production on a new docuseries while working to re-launch her businesses. She is also graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the French Culinary Institute
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In Part One of this file Sarma Melngailis, Milena, and I discussed:
How she knew she would write the book while serving time at Rikers Island
The Art of Memoir as part of the healing process
When she knew the book would become an investigation and a cautionary tale
How memory plays tricks on us
Why she chose to publish her memoir independently
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
The Girl with the Duck Tattoo: A Memoir by Sarma Melngailis (Amazon)
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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30 July 2026, 3:30 am - 47 minutes 56 secondsHow Pulitzer Winner & NY Times Bestselling Author Daniel Kraus Writes
New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel Kraus spoke with us about book promotion as an introvert, writing two books a year, his creative process, and his first sci-fi novel, THE SIXTH NIK.
Daniel Kraus is a New York Times bestselling novelist, screenwriter, and 2026 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction for his novel Angel Down. His novel Whalefall received a front-cover review in The New York Times Book Review, won the Alex Award, was an Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist, and was named a Best Book of Year by NPR, The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and more.
His latest novel is The Sixth Nik, “Perfectly aligned for readers of Iain M. Banks’s The Culture series and Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas”, The Sixth Nik is a galaxy-spanning adventure,” that Booklist called “Strange and intense and impossible to look away from … sf at its most daring.”
Daniel Kraus coauthored The Shape of Water with Guillermo del Toro, based on the same idea the two created for the Oscar-winning film. Also with del Toro, Kraus coauthored Trollhunters, which was adapted into the Emmy Award–winning Netflix series.
Kraus has won the Bram Stoker Award, Scribe Award, two Odyssey Awards (for both Rotters and Scowler), and has appeared multiple times as Library Guild selections, and more. Kraus’s work has been translated into over 25 languages.
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In this file Daniel Kraus, Milena, and I discussed:
How he overcame the productivity “delays” of winning a Pulitzer Prize
When he sensed the momentum shift in his writing career
The distinctive honor he shares with Cormac McCarthy
Adapting Whalefall for the big screen
His first foray into science fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
Angel Down (Pulitzer Prize Winner): A Novel by Daniel Kraus (Amazon)
The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus (Amazon)
Daniel Kraus Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
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24 July 2026, 7:00 am - 54 minutes 18 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Eddie Huang Writes
New York Times bestselling author, filmmaker, and decorated chef Eddie Huang spoke with us about his origins as a writer, the pivot from memoir to autofiction, and the personal transformation behind his debut novel COME UNDONE.
Eddie Huang is a chef, restaurateur, food personality, filmmaker, and polmath widely recognized for his bestselling memoir, Fresh Off the Boat, which inspired the hit ABC sitcom of the same name. Anthony Bourdain wrote of the book, “Mercilessly funny and provocative, Fresh Off the Boat is also a serious piece of work.”
Eddie recently published his fiction debut, Come Undone: A Novel, described as “a sharp, emotionally raw exploration of love, masculinity, and self-destruction.”
“A subversively funny first novel, the bestselling author of Fresh Off the Boat delivers a portrait of a haunted manchild and his messy search for love…”
Eddie is also a co-owner of BaoHaus, a restaurant in the East Village of Lower Manhattan, and was previously the host of “Huang's World” for Viceland. He wrote and directed the feature film Boogie (2021) and released the documentary Vice Is Broke (2024). He now co-hosts a popular lifestyle podcast alongside his wife, Natashia Perrotti, Canal Street Dreams.
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In this file Eddie Huang, Milena, and I discussed:
Why Good Will Hunting changed his life
The decade of self-doubt that followed runaway hit Fresh Off the Boat
How autofiction allowed him to access an emotional truth without the constraints of memoir
On not being Cormac McCarthy
What Anthony Bourdain's death meant to him personally
His key literary influences
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
“I Immediately Sh*t My Pants”: Eddie Huang’s Book Tour Confessions
Come Undone: A Novel by Eddie Huang (Amazon)
Eddie Huang Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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23 July 2026, 3:39 am - 42 minutes 53 secondsHow Newberry Medalist and #1 NYT Bestselling Author Kate DiCamillo Writes
#1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Newbery Medal winner Kate DiCamillo spoke with us about overcoming rejection early on, her workmanlike process, and how she stays grounded after more than 25 years in the craft.
Kate DiCamillo is a celebrated author of children's fiction, and famously one of only seven authors to win two Newbery Medals for her outstanding contributions to American children's literature.
Because of Winn-Dixie—her debut novel—became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. Since then she has written for a wide range of ages, received countless awards, has nearly 49 million books in print worldwide, and been translated into 41 languages.
Kate has multiple new books this year, and is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the beloved classic, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.
The Chicago Tribune wrote of the author, “DiCamillo has carved out a distinct place as one of her generation’s most beloved writers.”
There are popular feature film versions of some of her classic novels, including Because of Winn-Dixie, The Tale of Despereaux, Flora & Ulysses, The Tiger Rising, and The Magician’s Elephant.
Kate is also a literacy advocate and a Library of Congress National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Emerita.
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In this file Kate DiCamillo, Milena, and I discussed:
Why all roads lead to the coffee maker
Her morning ritual and daily page counts
What she tells students about being relentless
How each book presents a unique challenge for her
Hanging out with friend Ann Patchett at Parnassus Books
Why writers need to show up every day
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
Kate DiCamillo Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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17 July 2026, 7:00 am - 45 minutes 26 secondsHow Acclaimed Debut Author Austin Taylor Writes
Acclaimed debut novelist Austin Taylor spoke with us about the pressure cooker of Harvard life, studying AI law in the heart of Silicon Valley, and the inspiration behind her debut set in the biotech startup world of NOTES ON INFINITY.
Austin Taylor graduated from Harvard University in 2021 with a joint degree in Chemistry and English. She is currently pursuing a JD at Stanford Law School as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, with a focus on generative AI, copyright, and authorship.
Her debut novel, Notes on Infinity, was named an Oprah Daily “Best Summer Read,” a Zibby Owens’ “Summer Read,” a Goodreads “Hottest Debut of 2025,” and is inspired in part by her undergraduate studies, peers, and lab work in Harvard’s chemistry department.
Booklist wrote of the book, "With a trajectory that echoes that of Elizabeth Holmes’ Theranos, Taylor's debut provides an insider's glimpse into the high-stakes Ivy League climate and the potentially devastating personal consequences for those caught up in ambition beyond their abilities."
Austin is also a private pilot, a registered Maine guide, and a bassist.
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In this file Austin Taylor, Milena, and I discussed:
What it was like to grow up on a dairy farm in Maine
Writing her debut novel during her gap year
How The Social Network helped her capture the "momentum and excitement” of startup life
Her morning ritual and daily word counts
Why bad writing days are "almost always because [she’s] not reading enough" good stuff
Balancing law school and writing her sophomore novel
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
Notes on Infinity: A Novel by Austin Taylor
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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16 July 2026, 4:00 am - 41 minutes 16 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Jessica Knoll Writes
New York Times bestselling author Jessica Knoll spoke with us about her career trajectory from magazine editor to novelist and screenwriter, the allure of dark romance, and her latest erotic thriller, HELPLESS.
Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of Bright Young Women, The Favorite Sister, and Luckiest Girl Alive — now a major motion picture on Netflix starring Mila Kunis. She adapted and executive-produced Luckiest Girl Alive for the screen.
In 2021, she was named a screenwriter to watch by Variety, and in 2019, her original script, ‘Til Death, sold to Amazon and made The Black List.
Her latest novel, Helpless, was named a New York Times, Oprah Daily, Crime Reads, Town & Country, and Bookpage Most Anticipated Book.
Booklist described Helpless as “[A] taut contemporary tale of the explosive reunion of two former lovers… Knoll's twisty tale of psychological suspense, with its exploration of a nuanced relationship with elements of submission and control, will get readers talking.” And the New York Times Book Review wrote, “Knoll is the author of really unsettling thrillers… [Helpless] is like Misery but with your ex.”
Before writing fiction, Knoll built a career in editorial journalism, serving as a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and as articles editor at Self magazine. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and Vogue.
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In this file Jessica Knoll, Milena, and I discussed:
Writing her first novel in under ten months
How she taught herself the screenwriting craft
Why you need to write the book you want to read
How to write “low-fat” novels
The first time she understood that unlikable characters can anchor your fiction
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
Helpless: A Novel by Jessica Knoll (Amazon)
Jessica Knoll Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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10 July 2026, 7:00 am - 37 minutes 2 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part Two
New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton returns to speak to me about the unknown nature of early spaceflight, watching The Right Stuff, the Artemis launch, and writing speculative fiction in her latest novel, AN INFINITE LOVE STORY.
Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West, among others.
Her new historical fiction novel, An Infinite Love Story, is described as Interstellar meets Daisy Jones & the Six: a sweeping dual-timeline novel set against the backdrop of the 1960s Space Race, perfect for readers of Taylor Jenkins Reid, Kate Quinn, and Kristin Hannah.
Booklist called it "[A] charming exploration of romantic entanglements during the Space Race…,” and New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn said of the book, "Cleeton's most deeply personal and deeply moving book yet! As an Air Force spouse herself, Cleeton paints Vivian's agony for her husband's safety and her frustration with a system built on the unseen labor of its military wives with keen understanding and endless sympathy. Both a tender romantic drama and a fascinating deep dive into the 1960s space race, An Infinite Love Story soars as high as its astronauts."
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In Part Two of this file Chanel Cleeton and I discussed:
NASA’s unique use of squawk boxes during the Space Race
How her IR academic background shaped the Cold War framing throughout her novel
Why managing reveals in speculative fiction is similar to managing multiple timelines
How to write a tearjerker
What she’s cooking up for her next Cold War novel
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
An Infinite Love Story By Chanel Cleeton (Amazon)
Chanel Cleeton Amazon Author Page
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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8 July 2026, 3:00 am - 30 minutes 27 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Chanel Cleeton Writes: Part One - Redux
New York Times bestselling author, Chanel Cleeton, spoke to me about her passion for exploring Cuban-American identity via women's perspectives throughout history, how she plots her popular historical fiction, and her latest novel THE CUBAN HEIRESS.
Chanel Cleeton is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana, as well as instant New York Times bestsellers When We Left Cuba, and The Last Train to Key West.
Her most recent historical fiction entry is The Cuban Heiress, described as a novel inspired by true events that “ … follows two women whose lives become intertwined during a fateful journey upon the S.S. Morro Castle—a luxury cruise liner that caught fire and sank on its way from Havana to New York in September 1934”
Booklist wrote of the book, “Nothing is what it seems in Cleeton's latest gripping historical novel.... Handsome con men, clever thieves, desperate rebels, and our valiant heroines all convene on this elegant but doomed ocean liner. Cleeton includes vivid details about the mysterious final voyage of the Morro Castle and provides further reading about this historic disaster.”
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In this file Chanel Cleeton and I discussed:
How she turned a law degree into a writing career
Why every writer needs to write a terrible first book
The research process of a book-a-year writer
Exploring lesser known events shaping Cuban-American culture
How her characters speak to her in her daily life
Why writers need to dig deep to overcome rejection
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
The Cuban Heiress By Chanel Cleeton (Amazon)
Chanel Cleeton Amazon Author Page
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3 July 2026, 7:00 am - 43 minutes 59 secondsHow NY Times Bestselling Author Eloisa James Writes
New York Times bestselling author and Shakespeare Professor Emeritus, Eloisa James, spoke with us about balancing literary scholarship with romance writing, leaving academia to write full-time, and her new “gothic adjacent” novel, THE LAST LADY B.
Eloisa James is a New York Times bestselling author who has led a “double life” as both Mary Bly—a Harvard, Oxford, and Yale-educated Shakespeare professor—and Eloisa James—a powerhouse of historical romance (recognized for her Regency and Georgian-era romances).
Eloisa, called “a reigning queen of romance” by CBS Sunday Morning and a newly retired Shakespeare professor, continues to reinvent herself with her latest novel. THE LAST LADY B is a sharp, contemporary take on historical romance and her first foray into near-gothic storytelling—described as Jane Austen meets The White Lotus in the Scottish Highlands.
Publishers Weekly said of the book in a starred review, "As the intrigue ramps up—complete with death, scandalous revelations, criminal allegations, and the potential for supernatural interference—sparks fly …"
Eloisa James inherited a fascination with literature from her father, American Book Award-winning poet Robert Bly; her mother, short story author Carol Bly; and her godfather, Pulitzer Prize winner James Wright.
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In this file Eloisa James, Milena, and I discussed:
The burnout she experienced as a professor and former head of the Creative Writing program at Fordham University
Why she decided to break the fourth wall and write her latest in first person
What the romance genre offers writers in creative freedom and experimentation
Her Popular course on writing genre fiction “Dragons, Daggers, and Dukes”
How she collaborated with co-author Julia Quinn
And a lot more!
Show Notes:
ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web
Get up to $200 off Square hardware when you sign up at square.com/go/files! #squarepod
The Last Lady B: A Novel By Eloisa James (Author)
Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer
diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram
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