Podcast appearances and mentions of Lee Child

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt. Born in Minnesota in 1955 to a Norwegian mother and American father, Siri grew up bilingual. On a family trip one summer, she read voraciously and decided she wanted to become a writer. In 1981 Siri published her first poem in the Paris Review and a small collection emerged two years later. In 1992 she published her debut novel, “The Blindfold”, which was translated into 17 languages. Six more novels followed - “The Enchantment of Lily Dahl”, “What I Loved”, “The Sorrows of an American”, “The Summer Without Men”, “The Blazing World” (longlisted for the Man Booker Prize) and “Memories of the Future” - as well as several collections of essays. Alongside her writing, Siri has studied psychoanalysis, neurology and psychiatry and in 2015 she was appointed a lecturer in psychiatry at Weill Cornell medical school. We spoke to Siri about making her way in poetry and publishing, her interest in the sciences and her latest book, “Ghost Stories”, a memoir about her marriage to the late novelist Paul Auster. In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.   We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (one is left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's episode 233 and time for Battle of the Books 2026! Which book will we all read and discuss? You decide! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray

Bestselling author Lee Child joins award-winning writer Dreda Say Mitchell MBE for a live conversation at The Royal Society of Arts on the 8th of June. Together, they will explore the power of reading to shape and enrich lives and unlock opportunity for all. They will discuss what authors, institutions, and readers need to do to ensure reading remains central to culture, creativity, and human connection. From Child's global success with the Jack Reacher series to Mitchell's work championing literacy and prison reading initiatives, this event examines how books can transform individuals and communities. The discussion will be opened by Karen Napier, Reading Agency CEO, and spotlight the role of accessible publishing, including Quick Reads, in tackling barriers to reading in an age of declining attention and growing inequality. Speaker: Lee Child, Author Chair: Dreda Say Mitchell MBE, Author Donate to the RSA: https://thersa.co/3ZyPOEa Become an RSA Events sponsor: https://utm.guru/ueemb Follow RSA on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thersaorg/ Like RSA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theRSAorg/ Listen to RSA Events podcasts: https://bit.ly/35EyQYU Join our Fellowship: https://www.thersa.org/fellowship/join

Simon and Rachel speak with the novelist and journalist John Lanchester. John has written six works of fiction including "The Debt to Pleasure", "Capital" and "Fragrant Harbour" and four of non-fiction including "Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No One Can Pay". His books have won the Hawthornden Prize, the Whitbread First Novel Award, the E. M. Forster Award and the Premi Llibreter, been longlisted for the Booker Prize and translated into 25 languages. The television mini-series adaptation of "Capital" won an International Emmy Award. He is a contributing editor to the London Review of Books and a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. We spoke to John about his long relationship with the LRB, his state of London novel "Capital" and his new novel, "Look What You Made Me Do."  In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.   We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (one is left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist Kathryn Stockett. Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Kathryn moved to New York after university and spent almost a decade working in magazine publishing and marketing. In 2001, reeling from the 9/11 attacks and missing home, Kathryn started writing "The Help". The story of black maids and their white employers in Jackson in the 1960s became a sleeper hit in 2009 - it went on to sell 15 million copies worldwide and was adapted into a film in 2011. (The movie grossed more than $220 million at the box office; Octavia Spencer won an Oscar for her portrayal of Minny, one of the maids.) Kathryn spent over a decade working on her follow-up, "The Calamity Club", set in Oxford, Mississippi, in the 1930s. We spoke to Kathryn about magazine largesse in the 1990s, the huge success of "The Help" and the long road to publication of "The Calamity Club".   In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (one is left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What do we mean by a “good book”? Some people choose a holiday read that demands time and attention. Others pick rip-roaring novels that require little thought. Our bookworms discuss whether art has to be improving to be praiseworthy, and give genre fiction some much-needed air time. This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show:“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen“Red Rising” by Pierce BrownJack Reacher series by Lee Child“The Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy“Riders” and the other Rutshire chronicles by Jilly CooperDungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman“Middlemarch” by George Eliot“Ulysses” by James Joyce“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel“The Diamond Age” by Neal StephensonThe Murderbot series by Martha Wells “The Martian” by Andy Weir“American Wife” by Curtis SittenfeldGuests and host:Catherine Nixey, culture and Britain correspondentTom Standage, Economist deputy editorAlexandra Suich Bass, culture editorAlex Hern, AI writerRosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Fiction, romance, sci-fi, crime, thrillers, fantasy, romantasyJane Austen, Jilly Cooper, Curtis Sittenfeld, Lee ChildMatt Dinniman, Pierce Brown, Neal StephensonListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do we mean by a “good book”? Some people choose a holiday read that demands time and attention. Others pick rip-roaring novels that require little thought. Our bookworms discuss whether art has to be improving to be praiseworthy, and give genre fiction some much-needed air time. This is a full list of the books mentioned in the show:“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen“Red Rising” by Pierce BrownJack Reacher series by Lee Child“The Hunt for Red October” by Tom Clancy“Riders” and the other Rutshire chronicles by Jilly CooperDungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman“Middlemarch” by George Eliot“Ulysses” by James Joyce“Wolf Hall” by Hilary Mantel“The Diamond Age” by Neal StephensonThe Murderbot series by Martha Wells “The Martian” by Andy Weir“American Wife” by Curtis SittenfeldGuests and host:Catherine Nixey, culture and Britain correspondentTom Standage, Economist deputy editorAlexandra Suich Bass, culture editorAlex Hern, AI writerRosie Blau, host of “The Intelligence”Topics covered: Fiction, romance, sci-fi, crime, thrillers, fantasy, romantasyJane Austen, Jilly Cooper, Curtis Sittenfeld, Lee ChildMatt Dinniman, Pierce Brown, Neal StephensonListen to what matters most, from global politics and business to science and technology—Subscribe to Economist Podcasts+For more information about how to access Economist Podcasts+, please visit our FAQs page or watch our video explaining how to link your account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we start a new series on 2005's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. We set it in its time, talk about the Clancy of it all, and then get into the play and presentation. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: The first level or two Issues covered: missing a week, games from 2005 and UbiSoft, stealth games and how we feel about them, what it borrows from its forebears, Tim's history and love of military themes, grounding the series in real places, hard milspec, the spectrum of more or less video-gamey, Brett's history with Clancy, offputting tone and writing, the weird nationalistic lens, the military melodrama, when you can mess up the formula, black and white and the icks, systems thinking in the game vs not the narrative, finding ways to maintain the black and white, the tutorial videos, seeing the mechanics against the real missions, controlling Sam's movement speed, other interface choices, alt-fire modes, shooting everyone in the head, having multiple kill moves, having mission objectives that get canceled, whether there's an alternate version, a number associated with your performance, the weirdness of speaking to your handler directly behind a target, your advisors, informing the choice of loadout, how different games reinforce the loadout, a review, Tim's Twitch drop. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: Star Wars (series), God of War, Shadow of the Colossus, Resident Evil 4, Psychonauts, Guild Wars, Civ IV, FEAR, The Undying, AC: Wild World, Guitar Hero, Mercenaries, Battlefront II, KotOR II, Lego Star Wars, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Peter Molyneux, Clint Hocking, Far Cry 2, Thief, Metal Gear Solid (series), Looking Glass, Dishonored (series), Hideo Kojima, The Division (series), Rainbow Six (novel), No One Lives Forever, Harrison Ford, Alec Baldwin, Sean Connery, Doubleday (book publisher), Day of the Jackal, Tolkien, Project: Hail Mary, Ghost Recon (series), Rainbow Six (series), John Krasinski, Ben Affleck, Jack Reacher (series), Lee Child, Tom Cruise, Mark Greaney, The Gray Man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rambo (series), Jon Bernthal, Call of Duty (series), Hitman (series), Shadowlord-72, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers, Mark Garcia.  Next time: more TC's SC:CT! Errata: It was The Cardinal of the Kremlin. We regret the error.  Twitch: timlongojr and twinsunscorp YouTube Discord DevGameClub@gmail.com 

In an episode recorded live in Bristol, Simon and Rachel speak with the children's author Michael Morpurgo. A former primary-school teacher, Michael has written over 150 books, including "Private Peaceful", "Kensuke's Kingdom" and "The Butterfly Lion". "War Horse", first published in 1982, later became a hugely successful production from the National Theatre and then, in 2011, a film directed by Steven Spielberg. Michael was appointed Children's Laureate in 2003, a post he previously helped to set up with Ted Hughes in 1999. With his wife Clare, he also set up the charity Farms for City Children in 1976, which offers children and teachers from inner-city primary schools the chance to live and work in the countryside for a week on one of the charity's three farms in Devon, Gloucestershire and Wales. We spoke to Michael about moving from teaching children to writing for them, the origin of the "War Horse" phenomenon, and his new book, "Funny Thing, Getting Older".  In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (two are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Burn wurde eingeladen auf eine Blauderei mit Verköstigung. Grillen im Penthouse von Pete. Pete als Experte für den Charakter "Reacher" aus der Feder von Lee Child erzählt Burn und Euch über den Autor, die spannende Figur und die Werke. Die Serie kennen viele von Euch, die Filme eventuell auch, die Bücher wahrscheinlich die Wenigsten. Warum der Shit so gut ist und warum Reacher Reacher heißt...Hier erfahrt Ihr es... Die erwähnten Werke: Größenwahn Child, Lee ISBN 9783734105128, Blanvalet , € 13,00 Ausgeliefert Child, Lee ISBN 9783734105135, Blanvalet , € 13,00 Sein wahres Gesicht Child, Lee ISBN 9783442356928, Blanvalet , € 13,00 Zeit der Rache Child, Lee ISBN 9783442357154, Blanvalet , € 13,00 Killing Floor Child, Lee ISBN 9780553826166, Transworld Publ. Ltd UK, € 12,50 Die Trying Child, Lee ISBN 9781804991633, Transworld Publishers Ltd, € 12,50

Rachel and Simon speak with the novelist and short-story writer Lauren Groff. Lauren is the bestselling author of the novels "The Monsters of Templeton", "Arcadia", "Fates and Furies", "Matrix" and "The Vaster Wilds", and the short-story collections "Delicate Edible Birds" and "Florida". "Fates and Furies", "Florida" and "Matrix" were all finalists for the National Book Award in the United States. In 2024 Lauren and her husband opened a bookshop, The Lynx, in Florida, which has an emphasis on books that are currently challenged or banned in the state. We spoke to Lauren about the position of short stories in the literary marketplace, working as a bookseller as well as an author, and her latest collection of stories, "Brawler". In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.   We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (two are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon and Rachel speak to Jason Burke, the international security correspondent for the Guardian. Jason has been a foreign correspondent for almost 30 years, reporting from the Middle East, South Asia, Europe and Africa. He writes regularly on terrorism and is the author of five books: "The New Threat from Islamic Militancy" (which was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2016); "The 9/11 Wars" (described by The Economist as "the best overview of the 9/11 decade in print"); "Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam" and "On the Road to Kandahar - Travels through Conflict in the Islamic World". His latest book, "The Revolutionists - The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s", was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford prize in 2025. We spoke to Jason about his career as a longtime foreign correspondent, the emotional costs of covering conflict, and researching and writing "The Revolutionists".    In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. Join us on April 21st as we interview Michael Morpurgo at the Lantern Theatre in Bristol. You can get your tickets here.  We've also made (yet) another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added a further 70 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New Yorker, Bloomberg Businessweek, and the Guardian Long Read. The whole compendium now runs to a magisterial 230 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (six are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us Fan MailWelcome everyone to a bonus episode of the Cops and Writers podcast, author spotlight with bestselling author and publicist, Deborah Levison. Her first book, THE CRATE, won seven literary awards, and Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the JACK REACHER series, said, “THE CRATE is an impressive piece of work." Since then, she wrote A Nest of Snakes and recently released A Novel Crime, which has been described as “Uproariously funny, exquisitely unputdownable, and ingeniously plotted... the perfect, delicious escape." Please enjoy this wide-ranging conversation with one of my favorite authors. In today's episode, we discuss:·      Her award-winning and bestselling book, The Crate.·      Growing up as a child of immigrants who were Holocaust survivors.·      The growing antisemitic rhetoric in this country.·      Lee Child giving her a glowing review for The Crate.·      Her book launch for her newest book, A Novel Crime! Let's just say sometimes things don't always go as planned.All of this and more on today's episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.Please visit Deborah Levison's website to learn more about her and her books.Head on over to my website to learn more about me and my books!Check out my newest book! Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos & Life as a Big City Cop!What's the craziest thing you saw when you were a cop?My first week on the job, a guy running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.That's chapter 1. There are 33 more.Police Stories: The Rookie Years just launched - available on Amazon. Search 'Police Stories Patrick O'Donnell' or click thSupport the show

Barbara Peters in conversation with Lee Child

Rachel and Simon speak to the art historian and author Katy Hessel. While working at a London art gallery, Katy set up @thegreatwomenartists, an Instagram account dedicated to celebrating female artists, as well as "The Great Women Artists Podcast". In 2022 she published "The Story of Art without Men", which became a Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller and won Waterstones Book of the Year. (She has recently adapted it into an illustrated book for children.) In 2025 she published "How To Live An Artful Life", a collection of quotes for every day of the year, drawing on her interviews with artists including Marina Abramović, Tracey Emin and more. We spoke to Katy about falling in love with the world of museums and art history as a child, the virtues of Instagram and putting together "How To Live An Artful Life". In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  Join us on April 21st as we interview Michael Morpurgo at the Lantern Theatre in Bristol. You can get your tickets here.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Simon and Rachel speak with Doug Naylor, who co-created the hit 1990s science-fiction comedy "Red Dwarf". After abandoning his university studies in psychology in Manchester, Doug spent the better part of a year visiting Manchester Central Library, reading film and TV scripts and teaching himself the mechanics of comedy writing; unbeknownst to his parents, who thought he was still pursuing his degree. After breaking into radio comedy, he became the head writer and script editor on the 1980s satirical puppet show "Spitting Image". He co-wrote the novelty hit "The Chicken Song", which topped the British charts for three weeks in 1986, and he has also published several novels. We spoke to Doug about breaking into the world of comedy, creating "Red Dwarf" and his new children's novel, "Sin Bin Island".  In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  Join us on April 21st as we interview Michael Morpurgo at the Lantern Theatre in Bristol. You can get your tickets here.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send a textToday's show will be especially helpful for you writers out there, or if you are curious to see what makes a full-time thriller author tick. On the show today, we have award-winning and bestselling author Nick Petrie, who just released his 9th book in the Peter Ash series, The Dark Time.His first novel, The Drifter, won the ITW Thriller and Barry Awards and was nominated for Edgar, Anthony, and Hammett Awards. He won the 2016 Literary Award from the Wisconsin Library Association and was named one of Apple's 10 Writers to Read in 2017.  Apple Books named Light It Up the Best Thriller of 2018. Both Light It Up and The Wild One were shortlisted for the Barry Award.Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher novels, said. “Lots of characters get compared to my own Jack Reacher, but Petrie's Peter Ash is the real deal.”Nick is the quindecennial blue-collar author. He has an impeccable work ethic forged with years of working as a carpenter and other trades, which has paved his way to becoming a full-time, bestselling author. Please enjoy my conversation with one of the nicest guys I know in the business, Nick Petrie. In today's episode, we discuss:·      What has changed in the publishing business in the last two years since he released his last book? Luck finds people who show up for work every day. ·      Artificial Intelligence and the publishing business.·      Best marketing practices for authors.·      How his former professions and life experiences have helped him in his writing career.·      Pros and cons of writing in a series.·      His advice for new or newer authors looking to break through. All of this and more on today's episode of the Cops and Writers podcast.Visit Nick's website to learn more about him and his books.Check out my newest book! Police Stories: The Rookie Years - True Crime, Chaos & Life as a Big City Cop!My first week as a rookie cop, I had to decide whether to pull the trigger on a man running at me with a butcher knife. He'd just killed his brother over the last hot dog.That was my introduction to policing in Milwaukee.From Wall Street Journal-featured author Patrick O'Donnell comes a memoir of rookie years on Milwaukee's streets.Support the show

Rachel and Simon speak with the author and academic Mary Beard. Mary is a professor emerita of classics at Cambridge University and the Classics editor of the Times Literary Supplement. She has written more than 20 books, including "Pompeii" (the winner of the Wolfson History Prize in 2008), "Confronting the Classics", "SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome" and "Women & Power: A Manifesto". Several of her titles have been bestsellers and her work has been published in more than 35 languages. Mary has also presented many television documentaries, such as "Meet the Romans with Mary Beard" and "Inside Culture". She is a fellow of the British Academy and in 2018 she received a damehood for "services to the study of classical civilisations". We spoke to Mary about her early interest in learning Latin and Greek; moving from an academic career to writing and broadcasting for a wider audience; and her new book, "Talking Classics". Join us on April 21st as we interview Michael Morpurgo at the Lantern Theatre in Bristol. You can get your tickets via Live Nation.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description Go for the gold with us as we dive into the ultimate 80s/90s Trivia-lympics, battling it out in Movies, Music, TV, Sports, and Pop Culture for pure glory. Play along and see if you deserve a participation trophy, or a gold medal! This week we also cover big geeky news, share what we're enjoying lately, spotlight Jay's latest article, and take a Sci-Fi Saturday trip into a tense dystopian thriller.   News Rogue One: Cassian Andor – Marvel celebrates ten years of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story with a new one-shot comic following Cassian on a dangerous mission before the events of the film.   Toy Story 5 – The new trailer teases Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the gang facing a modern challenge to playtime when electronics enter the picture.   We look at some really cool projects coming this month  Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 – More giant monster intrigue stomps onto screens.   Ted Season 2 – The foul-mouthed teddy returns for more misadventures.   Young Sherlock – A new take on the early life of the legendary detective arrives.   Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 – Matt Murdock continues his gritty return to the MCU streets.   Project Hail Mary – The sci-fi survival epic blasts into theaters this March.   Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends What we're Enjoying Shua has been laughing his way through Bloom County Boys, the new comic strip by Berke Breathed, a continuation of some of his characters from the classic strip. Available now on Patreon. Jay dove into Killing Floor by Lee Child, the first Jack Reacher novel. He's enjoying the stripped-down, gritty storytelling and the quiet intensity that makes Reacher such a compelling drifter-hero.     Sci-Fi Saturdays -  This week on Sci-Fi Saturdays Jay looks at a forgotten story from 2017, What Happened to Monday. In a future where strict population control laws allow only one child per family, seven identical sisters secretly share a single identity to survive under government scrutiny. When one of them disappears, the others must unravel a dangerous conspiracy while staying one step ahead of authorities determined to enforce the rules. Jay especially enjoyed the strong performances and the gripping dystopian premise. Read his article on RetroZap.com. And make sure to play around with the interactive map on MCULocationScout.com. Plus, you can tune in to SHIELD: Case Files where Jay and Shua talk about great stuff in the MCU.   Enjoy Trivia!  This week, Jay and Shua lace up their mental sneakers and compete in the first ever Trivia-lympics, using a retro 80s/90s trivia game picked up at the legendary "World's Largest Truck Stop" in Iowa. With five categories, Movies, Music, TV, Sports, and Pop Culture, the battle for two correct answers in each category sparks laughs, debates, and plenty of questionable memory recall. It's a fast-paced, nostalgia-fueled showdown that invites listeners to play along at home and see if they've still got that championship-level brain power.   How did you do with the questions? Let us know! First person that emails me with the subject line, "I'll take retro trivia for 1,000" will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com 

Welcome back, my fellow creatives!Yup, I'm back to looking at the first five pages of various stories, for those five pages can make or break the engagement of a reader--or an agent. So, let's scope out the stories of others to see how they hook an audience!Now I admit that I was hesitant at first when I opened the book and saw a prologue. But thankfully, this prologue did its job. In its single page, we meet Helena as she struggles to keep her memories while in "stasis," a sensory deprivation container where she is jolted with electricity every few hours until "someone" comes to get her. Only that someone does not come. Helena loses her sense of time, but she knows her purpose: "She had to stay ready."Not that she tells readers what that means. And that's okay. I don't want an exposition dump in the prologue. Chapter 1 starts with two men discovering Helena, who was "stored wrong," and she lashes out to try and escape even though her senses are completely overwhelmed. They knock her out, and she wakes to hear a woman speak of carrying her to "Central" because there are no prisoner records of Helena, and yet she has two numbers. She's also alive and literally kicking, unlike most of the other statis residents.I tip my hat to SenLinYu for using Helena's lack of senses for storytelling purposes. Helena can't see or move around much, so the only input Helena--and therefore readers--can get in these early pages is through dialogue. And SenLinYu uses that dialogue to accomplish some quick worldbuilding without overwhelming the readers. There's a High Necromancer mentioned, and the woman orders that any corpses in stasis chambers should be reanimated for labor.WHAAAAAT?But the dust jacket did mention necromancy, and here we are on the third page of the book hearing about the necromancy. There's also a degree of science involved in this world, too, for Helena was in some sort of special gel and often jolted with electricity. And on top of all that, there is also magic besides necromancy, for the woman alters Helena's senses to make it easier for her to use her eyes.The prose style here is solid, too. SenLinYu reminds me a little of Lee Child, putting a mix of short and long sentences to use so that the narrative pacing is fast without the prose feeling choppy. A good example comes when Helena is first awoken by the men going through all the stasis chambers."Light was stabbing her. A spike driven through her eyes, burrowing into her skull. Gods, her eyes.She writhed. The brightness blurred, careening. The burn of fluid rushed down her throat. A roar in her ears."If the first five pages are any indication, SenLinYu's got a lovely debut on their hands. And what will we discover in the next story's five pages?We'll have to wait and see. xxxxRead on, share on, and write on, my friends!

Simon and Rachel speak to Jacques Testard, the founder and publisher of Fitzcarraldo Editions, an independent house based in London that, since its establishment in 2014, has won four Nobel Prizes for literature. Jacques's Nobel winners are Svetlana Alexievich (2015), Olga Tokarczuk (2018), Annie Ernaux (2022) and Jon Fosse (2023). Prior to setting up Fitzcarraldo, Jacques co-founded The White Review, a literary magazine launched in 2011. He's also published work by Claire-Louise Bennett, Jon Lee Anderson and Fernanda Melchor. We spoke to Jacques about setting up Fitzcarraldo and releasing its first book in 2014, its extraordinary success with literary prizes, including the Nobel, and the economics of running a small publishing house.In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  Join us on April 21st as we interview Michael Morpurgo at the Lantern Theatre in Bristol. You can get your tickets here.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Description This week we're skipping the blockbusters for the weird, wild, and mostly forgotten gems. Grab your neural implants and alien blasters as we explore the sci-fi movies that time almost left behind. From cyberpunk head-scratchers to B-movie alien invasions, we revisit the fascinating, flawed, and surprisingly ambitious sci-fi films that didn't quite make the Hall of Fame, but absolutely deserve another look.   News Marvel Oreos - The Stuf of Legends has arrived with superhero-themed cookies.   Millennium Falcon Pilot Chair - A detailed rolling chair replica inspired by Han Solo's cockpit seat is now available.   The 'Burbs TV Series - A Peacock series inspired by the 1989 Tom Hanks classic quietly dropped all episodes.   The Mummy 4 - Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz return on May 19, 2028 for the next installment.   During the Super Bowl, we got new looks at The Mandalorian and Grogu, Project Hail Mary, Super Mario Galaxy, Supergirl, Disclosure Day, and The Adventures of Cliff Booth.   Check out our TeePublic store for some enjoyable swag and all the latest fashion trends What we're Enjoying Shua has been diving into Reacher, where the towering former military policeman dispenses his own brand of justice with quiet intensity and very loud punches. Based on the Lee Child novels, the series delivers tightly constructed mysteries and satisfying payoffs that make it perfect comfort viewing for action fans. Jay is revisiting Twin Peaks Season 1, soaking in David Lynch's wonderfully strange blend of soap opera melodrama and unsettling mystery. Between cherry pie, coffee, and cryptic dream sequences, it's a masterclass in mood and quirky storytelling that still feels fresh decades later.     Sci-Fi Saturdays -  This week on Sci-Fi Saturdays Jay looks at the forgotten sci-fi gem Colossal (2017). Gloria (Anne Hathaway), an out-of-work woman struggling with alcoholism, returns to her hometown only to discover she may somehow be connected to a giant monster attacking Seoul. It's a clever, genre-bending mix of kaiju chaos and personal drama, blending big sci-fi spectacle with intimate character study. Hathaway did a great job, and Jason Sudeikis plays against type in a role that's equal parts charming and unsettling. Read his article on RetroZap.com. And make sure to play around with the interactive map on MCULocationScout.com. Plus, you can tune in to SHIELD: Case Files where Jay and Shua talk about great stuff in the MCU.   Enjoy Movies!  The 1990s were packed with massive sci-fi blockbusters! But what about the ones that didn't dominate the multiplex? This week, Jay and Shua explore the fascinating middle tier of 90s science fiction: the cyber-thrillers, alien shootouts, dystopian futures, and existential thought experiments that lived just outside the spotlight.   From cult classics to genuine box office swings, they discuss why some of these films faded from pop culture memory while others quietly built loyal fanbases. It's a nostalgic, lighthearted look at the ambition, weirdness, and undeniable creativity that made 90s sci-fi such a strange and wonderful era. Which animated character would you pick? Who would be a good mashup? Let us know! First person that emails me with the subject line, "What the world needs now, is love sweet love." will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com

Lee and Andrew Child are the writers of the popular book series "Reacher" and here they talk about their individual and joint experiences writing them.

Nick Petrie: whiskey on the rocks  Nick reveals the sage advice CJ Box gave him at the reception for the Edgar Awards that he's held onto ever since, explains how his work as a building inspector meeting veterans who were buying a first home became a driving force for his debut novel, tells the meaning behind the character name Peter Ash, identifies the key differences between being a full-time or part-time writer, names the two possessions of each writer.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world's simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Lee Child, the man behind the "Jack Reacher" series, has sold more than 200 million books. It is the best-selling series of all time on Amazon in the UK. More than Harry Potter, which is crazy! A new book is sold on average every nine seconds. So how does he do it? How does he write it? How does he come up with the ideas? That's what we're going to find out. About the host Hey! I'm David Perell and I'm a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode Rachel and Simon speak to Nicole Vanderbilt, managing director of Bookshop.org in the UK. She joined Bookshop - an online bookseller set up to financially support independent bookshops - at its launch in November 2020; since then it has raised almost £5 million for over 600 local retailers. As well as selling physical books, Bookshop.org sells e-books and plans to launch audiobooks in 2026. It also offers a trade-in scheme, called Bookloop, for secondhand books. We spoke to Nicole about Bookshop's status as the "ethical alternative to Amazon", how her background in finance and tech has shaped her approach to publishing, and about the challenges of getting people to read. In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an episode recorded live at EA Festival, Simon and Rachel speak with the science writer Frank Close. Frank is emeritus professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oxford and is the only professional scientist to have won the Association of British Science Writers Prize on three occasions. His 22 books include "The Cosmic Onion", "Trinity" and "Elusive". Frank is also a fellow of the Royal Society and winner of their Michael Faraday Prize for excellence in science communication. We spoke to Frank about the challenges of writing about physics for a lay audience, his fascination with the history of nuclear weapons, and his latest book, "Destroyer of Worlds".  Alongside listening to us in audio as usual, the podcast is now available on video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new sign-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How do you turn life's toughest blows into your greatest source of motivation? After a life-altering brain haemorrhage, Dan MacQueen shares his remarkable story of recovery and reinvention. He speaks candidly about relearning to walk, talk and smile, and the unwavering support of friends, family and self-care that help rebuild his life. Now, as a keynote speaker, Dan encourages others to reframe challenges, lead with compassion and commit to meaningful personal development. Favouring  meaningful impact versus traditional metrics, Dan's journey stands as a powerful reminder of perseverance and optimism. When it comes to navigating change and building resilience, Dan's focus remains clear: be better than yesterday.   KEY TAKEAWAY 'Better than yesterday is  something I really strive myself to abide by and live by. That's what I can pass along–just approach life in that better than yesterday kind of vibe.'   BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS The Jack Reacher series by Lee Child.   ABOUT THE GUEST – DAN MACQUEEN At 28, Dan was leading a healthy, active life. After an optometrist appointment to identify the cause of his persistent headaches was cut short, he was handed a sealed envelope and told to go directly to the hospital. What followed was emergency brain surgery. On June 21, 2014, Dan's reality was shattered by a devastating brain hemorrhage. With no map to guide him on the gruelling path to recovery, Dan had to rely on his grit, perseverance, and resilience to relearn everything he once knew: how to walk, talk and even smile.   Dan has survived two emergency brain surgeries, weeks in a coma, and months in a rehab hospital. What he found out along the way might surprise you: there is nothing like a brain injury to refocus the mind!    CONNECT WITH DAN https://www.macqueendan.com/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvetrjnuZDZ66QRTiJtt6mw https://www.instagram.com/macqueendan/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/macqueendan/ https://twitter.com/macqueendan   ABOUT THE HOST - AMY ROWLINSON Amy is a purpose and fulfilment coach, author, podcast strategist and mastermind host who empowers purpose-driven leaders to boost productivity, engagement and meaning in life and work. Through transformational conversations, Amy helps individuals overcome overwhelm and live with clarity, building living legacies along the way.   WORK WITH AMY If you're interested in how purpose can help you and your business, please book a free 30 min call via https://calendly.com/amyrowlinson/call    KEEP IN TOUCH WITH AMY Sign up for the weekly Friday Focus - https://www.amyrowlinson.com/subscribe-to-weekly-newsletter    CONNECT WITH AMY https://linktr.ee/AmyRowlinson    BUY AMY'S BOOK (Shortlisted in the 2025 Business Book Awards) * Focus on Why by Amy Rowlinson with George F. Kerr – https://amzn.eu/d/6W02HWu    HOSTED BY AMY ROWLINSON   DISCLAIMER The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this podcast belong solely to the host and guest speakers. Please conduct your own due diligence.

Lee Child is a writer who is best known for his series of bestselling novels featuring Jack Reacher. Reacher is an enigmatic 6ft 5in, 17-stone ex-military police major who rights wrongs before disappearing off into the sunset. The books have sold in their millions around the world and have inspired two films starring Tom Cruise and a television series.Lee Child was born James - Jim - Grant in 1954 and grew up in Birmingham. He studied Law at the University of Sheffield and then joined the presentation department at Granada Television where he was a shop steward and became a thorn in the side of the management. At 40 he was made redundant and sat down to write his first Reacher novel Killing Floor. He found himself an agent and the novel was published in March 1997 - the franchise was up and running. In the UK Lee outsells both Stephen King and John Grisham and worldwide he sells between 12 and 15 million copies a year.In 2020 Lee announced that he was handing over the Reacher franchise to his younger brother Andrew Grant. The two brothers have worked on several novels since then and the thirtieth Reacher title features both brothers' names on the cover.Lee Child was appointed CBE in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours. He lives in the Lake District with his wife Jane. They have one daughter.DISC ONE: She Loves You - The Beatles DISC TWO: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - The Rolling Stones DISC THREE: So What - Miles Davis DISC FOUR: Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Minor, Op. 23: I. Allegro non troppo e molto maestoso – Allegro con spirito. Performed by Stephen Hough (piano) and Minnesota Orchestra, conducted by Osmo Vänskä DISC FIVE: Joe's Blues - Joe Pass DISC SIX: The Lemon Song - Led Zeppelin DISC SEVEN: Für Elise (Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor) Composed by Ludwig Beethoven and performed by Lang Lang DISC EIGHT: Delibes: Lakmé / Act 1: "Sous le dôme épais" (Flower Duet) Performed by Renée Fleming (soprano), Susan Graham (mezzo soprano), Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing BOOK CHOICE: Killing Floor by Lee Child LUXURY ITEM: A mechanical wind-up watch CASTAWAY'S FAVOURITE: So What - Miles Davis Presenter: Lauren Laverne Producer: Paula McGinley

Rachel and Simon speak to the playwright, screenwriter and novelist Moira Buffini. After training as an actor, Moira started writing for the stage; her plays include "Gabriel" (which won the Meyer-Whitworth Award in 1998), "Dinner" (nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 2003) and "Handbagged" (winner of an Olivier Award in 2014). In 2003 Moira became a founding member of The Monsterists, a group of British writers who campaigned for "big, imaginative plays rather than naturalistic soap-opera dramas". Moira has also written extensively for film ("Jane Eyre", "The Dig") and television ("Harlots"). In 2024 Moira published "Songlight", her debut novel and the first in a trilogy for young adults; it won the YA Book Prize in 2025. We spoke to Moira about her early work in theatre, writing for the screen and her dystopian book series, "The Torch Trilogy". Alongside listening to us in audio as usual, the podcast is now available on video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new sign-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Child is the co-author of the Jack Reacher series, one of the most successful and recognizable modern thriller franchises in the world. Working alongside his brother Lee Child, Andrew became responsible for continuing and evolving a character known for discipline, restraint, moral clarity, and decisive action. Before joining the Reacher universe, Andrew spent years developing his own voice as a novelist and journalist, with a background that shaped his approach to structure, clarity, and storytelling. Stepping into an already iconic series required understanding not just the character, but the values and principles that made Jack Reacher resonate with millions of readers globally. Andrew now carries the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of a cultural archetype — a lone figure guided by competence, accountability, and an uncompromising sense of right and wrong. His work has helped ensure the Jack Reacher series remains relevant, grounded, and consistent while continuing to grow its audience across books, television, and film. Today's Sponsors: Black Rifle Coffee: https://www.blackriflecoffee.com Helix: Go to https://www.helixsleep.com/clearedhot for 27 percent off Sitewide. Brunt: https://www.bruntworkwear.com Use code "clearedhot" for 10 dollars off at checkout 

Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Salman Rushdie, whose 17 works of fiction have been translated into over 40 languages. Salman's novels include include "Midnight's Children" – for which he won the Booker Prize in 1981, the Booker of Bookers on the 25th anniversary of the prize, and Best of the Booker on the 40th anniversary –  "Shame", "The Satanic Verses" and "The Ground Beneath her Feet". He has also written five works of non-fiction, including a memoir, "Joseph Anton", about living under a fatwa imposed in 1989 by Iranian leader Ayatollah Khomeini in response to "The Satanic Verses", and "Knife", his meditation after he was attacked on stage while giving a lecture in the US in 2022. We spoke to Salman about returning to writing after the 2022 attack, his earlier experience living under the fatwa, and his new collection of stories, "The Eleventh Hour".  In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textThis episode gathers some great advice from the best authors of our current time. It is a fun episode. The collective writing advice from these authors emphasizes core principles of discipline, clarity, honesty, and reader engagement, while acknowledging that individual processes can vary (e.g., plotters vs. "pantsers").Common and Diverse ThemesDiscipline and Consistency: King, Mosley, and Oates all stress the importance of a regular, consistent writing schedule, often daily, to build momentum and allow ideas to "bubble up" from the subconscious.Clarity and Simplicity: Vonnegut, King, and Mosley advocate for clear, simple language, avoiding jargon or overly "fancy" words to ensure the reader is engaged and can easily understand the story.Reader Empathy: A central tenet for Vonnegut and King is to respect the reader's time and attention, making sure every sentence moves the story forward or reveals character, and that the reader feels their time was not wasted.Honesty and Personal Voice: The authors encourage finding your own natural voice and writing about subjects you genuinely care about, believing this authenticity is what truly connects with readers.The Primacy of Story/Character over Plot: King and Mosley are notably skeptical of rigid plotting, preferring to place interesting characters in a situation and discover the story as they write. Conversely, Vonnegut suggests starting as close to the end as possible, implying a clear destination is necessary.Rigorous Editing: There is universal agreement on the necessity of editing. King suggests cutting 10% of a first draft and letting it "marinate" before revisiting, while Vonnegut talks about having the "guts to cut" anything that doesn't advance the narrative.Individual Author HighlightsKurt Vonnegut: Famous for his "8 Rules," including the instruction to make awful things happen to characters "so that the reader may see what they are made of" and to use the time of a stranger wisely.Walter Mosley: Emphasizes that writing is a form of self-discovery and encourages writers to "write without restraint" in the first draft, exploring the darker sides of characters to make them believable.Stephen King: Strongly advocates for reading a lot and writing a lot, viewing writing as a form of "telepathy" where the writer transmits thoughts to the reader. He advises avoiding passive voice and adverbs.Lee Child: Stresses that "character is king" and that the writer's main qualification is being a reader. He also has specific advice on pacing, suggesting writing "fast stuff slow, the slow stuff fast".John Grisham: (Specific tips were not available in the provided snippets, but his work is a prime example of effective, fast-paced plotting that aligns with many of the above principles, particularly the idea of starting close to the action and keeping the reader engaged).Joyce Carol Oates: Focuses on using physical details and setting to reveal characters' interior psychological conditions, with details carrying implicit meaning within the story. Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

In this episode, recorded live at Wimbledon BookFest, Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist Michelle Paver. Born in Nyasaland (now Malawi) to a South African father and Belgian mother, Michelle moved to Britain when she was three. After studying biochemistry at university, Michelle initially pursued a career as a solicitor, but later gave up her job as partner in a law firm to pursue writing. She published her debut novel, "Without Charity", in 2000, and followed it up with a romance novel, "A Place in the Hills" in 2001. In 2004 Michelle published "Wolf Brother", a children's story set in prehistoric times; it was the first instalment in a nine-book series which has sold more than 3 million copies to date. Michelle has since published another children's series, set in the Bronze Age, as well as bestselling novels for adults. We spoke to Michelle about moving from biochemistry to the law to a literary career, writing the "Wolf Brother" series, and her latest book, "Rainforest". In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Simon and Rachel speak to the prolific novelist Anthony Horowitz.  Anthony is the author of the teen spy Alex Rider series, which has sold more than 19 million copies worldwide. The books have been adapted into a film and a show on Amazon Prime Video. Anthony has also written two continuation novels for Sherlock Holmes, "The House of Silk" and "Moriarty"; three for James Bond, "Trigger Mortis", "Forever and a Day" and "With a Mind to Kill"; and mystery novels featuring book editor Susan Ryeland and Detective Daniel Hawthorne. Anthony has also written extensively for television, where he created the ITV series "Foyle's War", "Collision" and "Injustice" and the BBC series "Crime Traveller" and "New Blood". We spoke to Anthony about moving from advertising to children's books and TV and then on to adult novels, his breakthrough with Alex Rider, and his latest book, "Marble Hall Murders". In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Send us a textJoin us starting November 25, 2025 for a Christmas Holidays Special 16th Season as we venture into new territory. Over the end of November and through out December we will spend 16 episodes looking at the Great American Authors, From F. Scott Fitzgerald to Stephen King and all points in between. We hope you will join us as we take a little break from American Political History and take a deep dive into American Literature, its history, and learn some writing tips from some of the greatest authors our country has ever produced. This sixteen episode season will feature F. Scott Fitzgerald, Edgar Allan Poe, Dr. Suess, John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, Mark Twain, Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Harper Lee, J. D. Salinger, Margaret Mitchell, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, William Faulkner, Ian Fleming, J. K Rowling, Pat Conroy, Gene Hackman, Kurt Vonnegut, Walter Mosley, Lee Child, Stephen King, John Grisham, Joyce Carol Oats, Sinclair Lewis, Tennessee Williams, Ernest Hemingway, Jimmy Carter, Marilyn Quayle,  Newt Gingrich, Bill Clinton, James Patterson, and the announcement about our hosts own three books, a history companion book to this podcast, and two novels by Randal Wallace. We hope you will join us starting November 25 for The Great American Authors Special Season and Bob Dole will return in "Bob Dole The Life That Brought Him There" in January, 2026. Questions or comments at , Randalrgw1@aol.com , https://twitter.com/randal_wallace , and http://www.randalwallace.com/Please Leave us a review at wherever you get your podcastsThanks for listening!!

The Jack Carr Book Club November 2025 Selection: EXIT STRATEGY by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child & Andrew Child.Jack Reacher will make three stops today. Not all of them were planned.In EXIT STRATEGY, the blockbuster new Jack Reacher thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling authors Lee Child and Andrew Child, Reacher once again finds himself in the crosshairs of a mystery that only he can unravel. A suspicious brush in a Baltimore coffee shop. A forgotten coat in a store. And a handwritten note tucked into his pocket—a desperate plea for help that sets him on a collision course with danger, deception, and “the best villain yet” (USA Today).Lee Child is the author of twenty-five New York Times bestselling Jack Reacher novels, with sixteen reaching the #1 position, along with the #1 bestselling short story collection No Middle Name. Andrew Child, who also writes as Andrew Grant, is the author of RUN, FALSE POSITIVE, FALSE FRIEND, FALSE WITNESS, INVISIBLE, and TOO CLOSE TO HOME. This month's conversation explores the evolution of Jack Reacher, the craft behind maintaining one of the world's most iconic heroes, and how Lee and Andrew continue to push the Reacher universe forward with fresh energy and a deep respect for the character's legacy. We dig into their collaborative process, the precision behind Reacher's moral compass, and what readers can expect as the series continues to evolve.FOLLOW LEEInstagram - @jackreacherbooks Facebook - @JackReacherOfficialX - @LeeChildReacherWebsite - https://www.jackreacher.com/us/ FOLLOW ANDREWFacebook - @andrewgrantauthorX - @andrew_grant Website - https://andrewgrantbooks.com/ FOLLOW JACKInstagram - @JackCarrUSA X - @JackCarrUSAFacebook - @JackCarr YouTube - @JackCarrUSA SPONSORSCRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/cry-havoc/Bravo Company Manufacturing - BCM Stock MOD3:https://bravocompanyusa.com/bcm-stock-mod-3-black/  and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSATHE SIGs of Jack Carr:Visit https://www.sigsauer.com/ and on Instagram @sigsauerinc Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here https://jackcarr.co/gear

When Ian Scott and Kirsty McHugh – curators at the National Library of Scotland – created an exhibition on pen names, they never imagined it would become a book. But that’s exactly what happened, and in this episode, Ian joins to discuss some of the curious motivations and stories behind some of the world’s most famous and infamous pseudonyms in their book Pen Names – including examples of authors who fully immersed themselves in their imaginary personas! 00:00 Welcome00:18 Rewriting your personal narrative07:06 Writing tip: Tracking your time10:05 WIN!: The Funeral Crashers by Joanna Nell13:33 Word of the week: ‘Edentulous’14:14 The world of words: Short forms of ‘until’16:10 Writer in residence: Ian Scott16:57 The inspiration for the book Pen Names18:42 An exhibition on pen names23:00 The stories behind the stories27:00 Common reasons for pen names27:58 Gender bias in literature31:55 Other reasons for not using your own name32:10 Famous examples34:55 Authors wanting to be judged independently38:47 Deceptive use of a pen name: Fiona Macleod40:55 Modern pen names and marketability43:19 Collaborative writing under one name45:01 Authors like Lee Child and book cover real estate46:49 Would Ian choose a pen name for himself?48:45 Wait – is his co-writer Kirsty McHugh even real?50:30 Is his book in his own library?53:02 Final thoughts Read the show notes Connect with Valerie and listeners in the podcast community on Facebook Visit WritersCentre.com.au | ValerieKhoo.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when determination becomes your only strategy?In this episode of The Determined Society, host Shawn French sits down with Andrew Child, acclaimed author of the Reacher series and one of the minds behind the latest installment, Exit Strategy.The conversation dives into the psychology of writing, the craft of visualization, and the relentless perseverance that fuels one of fiction's most iconic franchises. Andrew reveals how he and his brother, Lee Child, evolved the legendary Reacher character to reflect a rapidly changing world — from technology to moral complexity — while maintaining the timeless essence of grit and justice that fans love.From Wyoming solitude to world stages, Andrew shares how creative resilience, emotional awareness, and flexibility shape his process. He also opens up about Lee's firing from television that ultimately birthed Reacher, proving that sometimes the worst endings lead to the best beginnings.Together, they explore the art of persistence, the myth of writer's block, and why the only real “exit strategy” is refusing to quit.Key Takeaways-Writing is an act of determination — you can't wait for inspiration, you must show up.-Visualization turns good writing into cinematic storytelling.-The Reacher series continues evolving with the times, tackling modern tech and social dynamics.-Collaboration and flexibility keep creativity alive.-Adversity often opens the door to reinvention — Lee Child's firing from TV led to global success.-Determination means refusing to quit, even when motivation fades.-Every author — and every human — has their own “exit strategy.” Connect with me :https://link.me/theshawnfrench?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaY2s9TipS1cPaEZZ9h692pnV-rlsO-lzvK6LSFGtkKZ53WvtCAYTKY7lmQ_aem_OY08g381oa759QqTr7iPGAAndrew Childhttps://www.instagram.com/jackreacherbooks/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode Rachel and Simon speak to the American novelist Susan Choi. Born in Indiana to a Korean father and Jewish mother, Susan is the author of six novels: "The Foreign Student" (1998), "American Woman" (2003), "A Person of Interest" (2008), "My Education" (2013), "Trust Exercise" (2019) and "Flashlight" (2025). In 2004 "American Woman" was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and in 2019 "Trust Exercise" won the National Book Award for Fiction. (It was also a bestseller in America and picked by Barack Obama as one of his books of the year.) "Flashlight" was shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize. We spoke to Susan about working as a fact-checker at the New Yorker, the role of literary prizes and about turning "Flashlight" from a short story into a novel.  In addition to the standard audio format, the podcast is now available in video. You can check us out on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Simon and Rachel speak to the novelist Dean Koontz. The author of over 120 books, Dean is published in 38 countries and has sold 500m copies to date. His suspense thrillers blend science fiction, horror, crime and comedy. Fourteen of Dean's novels - including "One Door Away From Heaven", "The Bad Place" and "77 Shadow Street" - have reached #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. His titles have also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden. Many of his books, including "Whispers," "Demon Seed" and "Odd Thomas", have been made into films too. We spoke to Dean about the role of books as an escape during a difficult childhood, the challenges of navigating agents and editors, especially early in his career, and his latest novel, "Going Home in the Dark". Alongside listening to us in audio as usual, the podcast is now available on video. You can check us out, and get a glimpse of Dean's adorable golden retriever, on YouTube under Always Take Notes.  We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel. A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel and Simon speak to the novelist Sarah Perry. Sarah is the internationally bestselling author of four novels - "After Me Comes the Flood" (2014), "The Essex Serpent" (2016), "Melmoth" (2018) and "Enlightenment" (2024) - as well as two works of non-fiction, "Essex Girls" (2020) and "Death of an Ordinary Man" (2025). Waterstone's and the British Book Awards both named "The Essex Serpent" Book of the Year and in 2022 Apple TV+ adapted the novel into a mini-series starring Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston. Sarah's work has been nominated for major literary prizes including the Women's Prize for Fiction, the Dylan Thomas Prize, the Folio Prize and the Costa Novel Award. We spoke to Sarah about growing up in a Strict Baptist household, her breakout success with "The Essex Serpent", and her latest novel, "Enlightenment".We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

The greatest regrets in life rarely come from failure, they come from never trying. In this episode, Jake and Damian explore the courage to act, joined by insights from Siya Kolisi, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Fraser, and Lee Child. Together, they reveal why preparation, consistency, and self-reliance are the real keys to success.This episode challenges the myth of “the perfect moment,” showing that progress is built through small, deliberate steps and the willingness to start, even when conditions aren't ideal. Whether you're chasing a dream, building confidence, or seeking change, the message is simple: stop waiting, take action, and create your own momentum.Listen to the episodes mentioned:Siya Kolisi: https://pod.fo/e/af659Lee Child: 1https://pod.fo/e/10a24aMatthew McConaughey: https://pod.fo/e/a9e4aMat Fraser: https://pod.fo/e/158ba0Heights

We're excited to present the multi-million selling author and creator of Jack Reacher, Lee Child, as our guest today. And this is a brilliant episode. Lee is a master storyteller - painting a vivid picture of his childhood in Birmingham, his well-meaning but cold parents, his early forays into relationships with girls, and his days working at Granada Television. He also tells Gyles about his writing routine. This is a funny, fascinating and evocative episode with one of the best selling writers of all time.If you're a Rosebud fan, you can join our new Facebook community: just search Rosebud Reflections on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/782397874458836. You can also follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therosebudpodcast/. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel and Simon speak with the screenwriter and novelist James Alistair Henry. James first started writing while working as a bookseller. He joined the writing team for Channel 4's "Smack the Pony" and went on to write the BAFTA-award winning "Green Wing", ITV comedy "Delivery Man" and sitcom "Campus" as well as episodes for the children's television shows "Bob The Builder" and "Hey Duggee". His Radio 4 sketch show, "Wosson Cornwall", was selected as BBC Radio Comedy of the Week and his newest sitcom, "Piglets", has been commissioned for a second series. James's recent debut novel, "Pagans", set in an alternate 21st-century Britain where Christianity, the Norman Conquest and the Industrial Revolution never happened, has been optioned for TV by production company Media Res. We spoke to James about comedy writing, his children's TV work, and his new novel. We've made another update for those ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠who support the podcast on the crowdfunding site Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We've added 40 pages of new material to the package of successful article pitches that goes to anyone who supports the show with $5 per month or more, including new pitches to the New York Times, the Washington Post and the BBC. The whole compendium now runs to a whopping 160 pages. For Patreons who contribute $10/month we're now also releasing bonus mini-episodes. Thanks to our sponsor, Scrivener, the first ten new signs-ups at $10/month will receive a lifelong license to Scrivener worth £55/$59.99 (seven are left). This specialist word-processing software helps you organise long writing projects such as novels, academic papers and even scripts. Other Patreon rewards include signed copies of the podcast book and the opportunity to take part in a monthly call with Simon and Rachel.A new edition of “Always Take Notes: Advice From Some Of The World's Greatest Writers” - a book drawing on our podcast interviews - is available now. The updated version now includes insights from over 100 past guests on the podcast, with new contributions from Harlan Coben, Victoria Hislop, Lee Child, Megan Nolan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Philippa Gregory, Jo Nesbø, Paul Theroux, Hisham Matar and Bettany Hughes. You can order it via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Waterstones⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.You can find us online at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠alwaystakenotes.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, on Twitter @takenotesalways and on Instagram @alwaystakenotes. Always Take Notes is presented by Simon Akam and Rachel Lloyd, and produced by Artemis Irvine. Our music is by Jessica Dannheisser and our logo was designed by James Edgar.

Part two with the phenomenally successful thriller writer Lee Child. He tells Theo Delaney what it's like becoming hugely rich in your late thirties, reveals why football is so important to him and relives goals from Vardy, Platt and more. Throughout September Life Goals is supporting CALM the brilliant suicide prevention charity and its STAY TUNED campaign and offering you the chance to be a guest on Life Goals.  Find out more here: https://tiltify.com/@theo-delaney/stay-tuned-2025-life-goals-fundraiser-for-calm @LeeChildReacher@theCALMzone@LifeGoalsTD@theodelaney https://www.jackreacher.com/uk/https://www.thecalmzone.net/https://www.theodelaney.com/life-goals-links

Award-winning and globally bestselling creator of Jack Reacher, Lee Child has published his first-ever autobiographical book. 

#1 Sunday Times bestselling author Stuart MacBride spoke to me about playing god, why there are no shortcuts for writers, and his latest Logan McRae novel THIS HOUSE OF BURNING BONES. Stuart MacBride is the Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author of the Logan McRae and Ash Henderson novels. He's also published standalones, novellas, short stories, and a “... slightly twisted children's picture book.” His latest novel, THIS HOUSE OF BURNING BONES, is the 13th in the popular Logan McRae series. “A gritty police procedural that perfectly blends dry humor and psychological elements, this brand-new installment in the Logan McRae series celebrates 20 years since the beloved detective's first appearance in Cold Granite (2005).” The Washington Post wrote of the book, "Though part of a series, this novel stands successfully on its own, its characters fleshed out and in full possession of their idiosyncrasies." Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series, said, "Stuart MacBride is an automatic must-read for me . . . always fast, hard, authentic – and different."  [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [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 Stuart MacBride and I discussed: Why your first novel will definitely be crap How finally getting his first agent went sideways The decision to have his protagonist age in real time Taking a five-year hiatus from the popular DI Logan McRae series Why he writes his novels as screenplays first And a lot more! Show Notes: stuartmacbride.com This House of Burning Bones (Logan McRae, 13) by Stuart MacBride (Amazon) Stuart MacBride Amazon Author Page Stuart MacBride on Facebook Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Dev Game Club, where this week we continue our series on empathy games, returning to discuss a little more about Papers, Please before digging into Cart Life a bit. Dev Game Club looks at classic video games and plays through them over several episodes, providing commentary. Sections played: A bit more of Papers, Please and a little bit of Cart Life Issues covered: thanks for the interview, a bit about Twin Suns Corp, showing earlier versions of the game, a vertical slice with all the game play, getting fired, building up through the systems, was this my run, tactility in games, citations and the space they take, space economy, inventory management by comparison, encumbrance, restriction on space, card games and space, making citations bigger, where's the money coming from, thinking about decisions, the save system, leveraging the save system to have space for warnings, a generous save system, you have to make the whole game, the spread of subversion, not playing through multiple times, an unfortunate bug, GDC and the IGF, festival games on the show floor, a history of game issues, the two storylines we're playing, a dark story of divorce, differences between the cart stories, more adventure game than expected, having a hard time getting a cart and also being too late to pick up your daughter, difficulty and opacity, a film equivalent, Brett's fantasy recs, Papers Please and authenticity, controlling your population in authoritarian regimes, stereotypes in games. Games, people, and influences mentioned or discussed: CalamityNolan, BioStats, Kaeon, KyleAndError, Project Octavia, Harley Baldwin, Republic Commando, Choose Your Own Adventure, Mark Garcia, The Room, SpaceTeam, Gorogoa, The Elder Scrolls, Marvel: Snap, Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, Netrunner, Prince of Persia: Sands of Time, The Last Express, Nier: Automata, Spelunky, The Walking Dead, Richard Hofmeier, howling dogs, Porpentine, itch.io, Ad Hoc, Telltale, The Wolf Among Us, Adventure Game Studio, The Sims, Tow, Rose Byrne, Max, Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Raymond Feist, Riftwar saga, Piers Anthony, The Belgariad, David Eddings, Wheel of Time, Robert Jordan, Song of Ice and Fire, George R.R. Martin, Dave Duncan, Ursula K. LeGuin, Tales of Earthsea, Robert Jackson Bennett, Divine Cities trilogy, Founders trilogy, Terry Pratchett, Discworld, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Shadows of the Apt, Robin Hobb, Farseer trilogy, Martha Wells, Murderbot Diaries, Books of the Raksura, Lois McMaster Bujold, Vorkosigan saga, J. R. R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, John LeCarré, Lee Child, Jack Reacher, Claudiu, Chernobyl, Outer Wilds, Kirk Hamilton, Aaron Evers. Next time: More Cart Life Oops: What I was going to say at the end there is that This War of Mine caught some flak for not accurately representing how people would come together in times of strife (though generally the critical reception was very positive) Links: First look stream of Project Octavia  Twitch: timlongojr and Twin Suns Corp  Discord  DevGameClub@gmail.com 

He's an expert at finding a parking spot in Pittsburgh. Which is no easy feat, let me tell you! In this week's new podcast, we're taking aim at Jack Reacher. Tom Cruise stars as the mysterious drifter and former military investigator in this gritty action thriller. It also marks the first time Cruise teamed up with director Christopher McQuarrie, a partnership that would lead to several Impossible films to come. Does this adaptation of Lee Child's popular novel One Shot hit the mark? Listen now as our hosts break down the action, the performances, and whether Jack Reacher stands tall or falls short.