Dedicated with Doug Brunt
Dedicated with Doug Brunt is hosted by New York Times bestselling author Doug Brunt. Each episode begins with the guest's favorite cocktail and then explores the guest author's life and work. Brunt talks with writers about their writing routines, creative process, latest books, and behind-the-scenes stories. The show offers an insider's view of the minds behind popular stories.
Episodes
Simon Sebag Montefiore
Simon Sebag Montefiore: Negroni (1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Campari with large ice cube and orange rind)Simon talks about his work in a South African gold mine, his long friendship with King Charles who brought Simon together with his wife, the cauldron of the Middle East and its history, the mutual dislike of the Shah and JFK despite their similar behaviors with women, the enorm
Harry Connick Jr.
Harry Connick Jr: green teaHarry plays a game of battle of the bands, ranks his preference for genres of music, tells the story of composing and recording a musical tribute for a victim of the Newtown school shooting that is too painful ever to perform, describes his creative state when writing the music of his mother’s (Babe’s) life, tells the story of setting foot inside Carnegie Hall in 2026 &n
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren: Hard Cut Vodka (3 ounces shaken over ice, sip neat)Dolph discusses the physical abuse he suffered from his father and how that drove many of his decisions in his adult life, how he broke the cycle of abuse with his own children, strange moments inside Studio 54 with Grace Jones, his terrible experience with the Swedish healthcare system, whether he might have more children, who win
C. J. Box
CJ Box: Blanton’s bourbon whiskey
CJ tells the best first-agent-first-book-deal story I’ve ever heard (by far), shares his daily writing routine in Wyoming, describes the way working in print journalism has helped his fiction career, reveals that people have frequently thought they are a character in one of his novels, gives a raw appraisal of Taylor Sheridan. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz co
Doug Brunt
Douglas Brunt: Negroni (1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Campari, garnish with orange rind and Luxardo cherry)
Elliot Ackerman (best selling author, former special forces and intelligence officer) guest-hosts Dedicated, including bartending, to interview Doug about THE LOST EMPIRE OF EMANUEL NOBEL. They discuss the world's century-long quest to capture oil, Russia and Ukraine from the
Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Hurwitz: gin and tonic
Gregg takes us inside the famous NYC Thrillerfest event, offers advice to aspiring writers on how to develop sales momentum for their books and pitfalls to avoid, names one thing that Artificial Intelligence will *never* be able to do, offers thoughts on how to approach a career path in the face of AI, describes the secret squirrel work he’s currently doing to detect f
Jack Carr
Jack Carr: whiskey
Jack talks about what Chris Pratt does to set the tone on the set of TERMINAL LIST, the experience filming the show in Morocco, why he decided to develop a new character and very different feel for his new novel THE FOURTH OPTION, how he draws on his own experiences downrange to inform his fiction, his thoughts on whether the world is a safer place today compared to when he wa
Tim Blake Nelson
Tim Blake Nelson: green tea
Tim names the best actor of his generation (and the certain things that this actor requires of everyone on set), shares thoughts on AI and the future of film, describes the difference between films that lead with art or with entertainment, reveals how the generosity of Robin Williams touched his family, explains why there can never be another Picasso, and lists the best
Joshua Hammer
Joshua Hammer: Negroni (1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Compari, garnish with orange rind)
Joshua tells of his harrowing kidnapping in Gaza in 2001 while he was the Jerusalem bureau chief for Newsweek, then of his second kidnapping in Iraq in 2004, recounts overlapping with Jon Meacham at the Reagan Ranch, gives his thoughts on how to structure a magazine piece and a book-length work
Nick Petrie
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
Julian Sancton
Julian Sancton: dry martini (3 ounces gin, 2 drops dry vermouth, lemon twist)Julian shares the greatest sunken treasure story of all time (and it’s real) that makes the treasure of the Outer Banks tv series look puny, warns of the harm that Bob Iger and Disney’s move into OpenAI could do, discusses the impact that podcasts will have on the media landscape, reveals the pros and cons of growing up w
Grant Ginder
Grant Ginder: Negroni (1 ounce each of gin, sweet vermouth, Campari served with orange rind)Grant tells the story of taking a fiction writing class with Colson Whitehead, describes his reaction to reading drafts of the screenplay for his novel The People We Hate at the Wedding that starred Kristen Bell and Allison Janney, reveals what you can expect from the writing course he teaches at NYU, talks
Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer: Asombroso tequila, neat Brad discusses the elusiveness of closure in life and how writing THE VIPER helped him come to terms with his own relationship with his father, reveals certain aspects of the top-secret Dover Air Force Base, shares the mysterious ways that witness protection has changed, gives the behind-the-scenes story of his wildly viral commencement speech at Michigan, an
Doug's 2026 Book Picks
Doug Picks 4 books for 2026 with background noise provided by his dog Thunder who is romping in the snow Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Catherine Grace Katz
Catherine Grace Katz: Gunner (equal parts ginger beer & ginger ale with fresh lime juice and dash bitters)Catherine describes how Stalin made an emergency dash to the bathroom during the 1945 Yalta conference which was briefly mistaken for an American kidnapping plot, the treasures she found in personal letters of the Churchill and Harriman archives, the friendships and rivalries and sexual affair
Rick Atkinson
Rick Atkinson: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Michter’s rye, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, dash bitters served up with Luxardo cherry) Rick names the most intelligent of the Founding Fathers, shows the ways King George III has been misrepresented in history, explains his experiences visiting the battlefields he writes about and why the visits are important, talks through the ways to manage personal finances i
Tony Lyons
Tony Lyons: whiskey sour (2 1/2 ounces rye, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, sugar in shaker with ice, served up with cherry and dash bitters)Tony tells the wild story of meeting in Woody Allen’s apartment in person to sign the deal to publish Woody’s ‘banned’ book, what it was like working with Melania Trump on her memoir, how he personally got the audio recording of Alan Dershowitz’s Epstein accuser that
Marc Siegel
Marc Siegel: coffeeDr. Marc Siegel talks about religion and faith in medicine, discusses the merits of MAHA, sounds the alarm that our defenses are down against a future pandemic, describes the ways fiction can advance our thinking on issues in the real world, tells about the early days of founding Doctor Radio and his work at Fox News Channel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.ads
Seth Wickersham
Seth Wickersham: Johnny Walker Blue (pour over 3 ice cubes)ESNP senior writer Seth Wickersham discusses the extreme difference in the way Belichick handles the media today compared to his days in New England, the different ways elite athletes sometimes struggle in retirement, Tom Brady’s evolving fashion as well as the reason and inspiration for it, recounts America’s first ever sports power coupl
Jake Tapper
Jake Tapper: bourbon on iceJake discusses his stint working for Hooters Restaurant, names the US President with the best sense of humor, names his favorite Eagle football player and why, describes how politics is a day-job that he leaves behind when with friends and family, confesses to the aggressive note he sent to his mother-in-law who is a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, reveals some Frank Sinatra
Michael Connelly
Michael Connelly: Old Fashioned (2 1/2 ounces rye, bitters and sugar over large ice cube with cherry and orange peel) Michael Connelly describes his first meeting with Clint Eastwood who was playing piano throughout their discussion of an upcoming movie project, reveals the biggest difference between working with Netflix and Amazon, remembers the strange and unsolved crime he witnessed when only 1
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis: Sazerac (coat a chilled glass with absinthe, mix 2 1/2 ounces rye, sugar, bitters and chill with ice, add to glass with a twist)Michael reveals an incredible professional connection with Steve Bannon, tells how he’s recently been in touch with Sam Bankman-Fried while SBF has been incarcerated, names the key ingredients he needs to have to make a great book, describes the reaction of
Cheryl Hines
Cheryl Hines (dry vodka martini: 3 ounces vodka, dash dry vermouth, olives) Cheryl names which actor should play her husband Bobby in an inverted version of Curb Your Enthusiasm, describes her most embarrassing audition ever (hint: involves a famous horror movie franchise and Michael Jackson), reveals her thoughts on religion and spirituality, offers her prediction whether Ethel Kennedy would have
Laura Dickerman
Laura Dickerman: Last Word (1 1/2 ounces gin, 3/4 ounce green chartreuse, 3/4 ounce maraschino liqueur, 1/2 ounce fresh lime juice, Luxardo cherry)Laura tells some George Plimpton stories from her days as an intern at the Paris Review that inspired, in part, her debut novel HOT DESK, discusses some of the important differences in the publishing world during the 1980s and present day, reveals that
Ken Follett
Ken Follett (champagne)Ken names the #1 event in history that he wishes he could witness (hint: it occurred in 16th century London), declares the worst century in history to be alive, describes the secret door to his home library/office and the reason he uses three computer screens concurrently in his writing process, lists his favorite writers, and makes the offer to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce
Megan Abbott
Megan Abbott: gimlet (2 1/2 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce lime juice, dash simple syrup, garnish with lime wheel)Megan names Detroit’s best quality, shares her love and analysis of the hard boiled crime fiction of Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammett, discusses the differences between writing for film and writing a novel, describes her first encounter with novelist James Ellroy, reveals her fandom of Dat
Megan Marshall
Megan Marshall: Caipirinha (lime, sugar, cachaca)Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for biography, Megan discusses the distinctions between biography and narrative history, her frustration with historical fiction that is irresponsible and inconsistent with the historical record, her own transition from poetry to biography and the mentors who helped along the way, the evolving notion of feminism, and her
Father's Day Book Picks
Jennifer Egan, Jay McInerney, David Grann: (Crystal)Jenny, Jay and David create the Best List of the best books, discuss the stylistic and structural reasons why they love these books, and tell insider stories connected to the books on the list and the authors who wrote them. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal da
Montel Williams
Montel Williams: sparkling water with cranberry juice Montel reveals the worst thing about being deployed on a submarine, explains how Tom Clancy angered the US Navy with his book THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER, describes some of the riveting naval scenes in his book that involve the aircraft carrier INTREPID as well as the much earlier US Navy ship INTREPID (1798) that fought Barbary pirates, recounts
Carl Hiaasen
Carl Hiaasen: gin & tonic (Barr Hill gin, tonic, lime wedge)Carl discusses the talented Vince Vaughn and how he will forever more inhabit the character Yancy, tells how his surroundings in Florida have changed so much since the time of his youth and why that has inspired him to make Florida a recurring ‘character’ in his novels, reveals a time that he was nearly eaten by an alligator while floatin
Chris Pavone
Chris Pavone: Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, club soda, orange twist)Chris discusses his early career experiences in publishing meetings with Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and what her work meant to him and other colleagues, the gifts his wife possesses that made her a great CEO for Penguin Random House and that also guided him to a writing career upon recognizing he did not possess those gifts,
J.D. Barker
J.D. Barker: White Russian (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce heavy cream)J.D. talks about how he stalked and then connected with Stephen King, how his partnership with James Patterson has changed his writing method, the way he has turned his Asperger Syndrome into his secret weapon for writing novels, the landmark publishing imprint of his own within Simon & Schuster and how he worked with
David Baldacci
David Baldacci: sparkling waterDavid names the two most underrated thriller writers, describes the way that planning-then-writing a novel can be similar to Tom Brady practicing-then-playing a football game, reveals the mystery books from his childhood that made him love reading, tells of a peak moment of dejection when he doubted he could ever become a writer, shares the story of a bizarre book si
Marcy Dermansky
Marcy Dermansky: House of Balloons (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Aperol, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice, simple syrup, top with club soda)Marcy talks about the struggles of a working writer including waiting in an unemployment line in New York while holding her newborn baby the week of publication of her novel, her isolating move to Germany and her return to New York where she was a
Gregory Maguire
Gregory Maguire: Ginger Mojito Mocktail (grated ginger, grated cucumber, mint, lime juice, ginger ale, sparkling water) Gregory reveals the one book that he later realized had subconsciously guided his reimagining of Oz for his novel WICKED, shares his thoughts on the departures that the adaptations (both stage and film) have taken in reimagining WICKED, names the one children’s book that made hi
Elizabeth Staple
Elizabeth Staple: Old Fashioned (water, sugar, bitters with 2 1/2 ounces whiskey, garnish with orange and cherry)After working in media relations for the NFL's New York Giants and the New England Patriots, Elizabeth delivers her debut crime thriller THE SNAP that takes us behind the scenes of an NFL franchise. She discusses the many points of overlap between her fictional character and her real-li
Alissa Wilkinson
Alissa Wilkinson: Gibson (3 ounces gin, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, onion)Film Critic for the New York Times, Alissa gives her take on the Oscars, shares some insider info on Siskel and Ebert, discusses the beginning and end of the Golden Age of TV along with some of her favorites from the era, reflects on Joan Dideon’s admiration for John Wayne and Barry Goldwater along with her surprising takes on t
David Grann
David Grann: Mojito (2 ounces white rum, 1 ounce lime juice, sugar, mint, topped with club soda)David discusses his early years covering politics on Capitol Hill, how his mother paved the way for women executives in publishing as the first woman CEO of a major publisher and how she eventually agreed that writing was a good career choice for David, describes conversations with Leonardo DiCaprio and
Karl Anderson
Capt. Karl Anderson: Spanish Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Pilar rum, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, bitters, garnish with orange rind)Karl tells of the assignment that his parents gave him when he was a young boy that instilled in him the discipline to become a writer, reminisces about the stories of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig fishing and gunning the same territory that he has, shares the process by which he tr
Wendy Walker
Wendy Walker: Greyhound (1 1/2 ounces vodka, 2 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice)Wendy shares the meticulous approach she took to becoming a bestselling author that began with learning what kind of fiction works for the market, describes what she likes about James Patterson's "winning structural formula", describes her early careers as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and then as a corporate attor
Alafair Burke
Alafair Burke: Vesper Martini (2 ounces gin, 3/4 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc)Alafair reveals the haunting impressions of growing up in Kansas during the active period of the BTK serial killer and how that time influenced her path to practicing law and writing crime novels, how she applies her experience as a DA to the pages of her crime thrillers, the differences between writing the novel
Spencer Klavan
Spencer Klavan: scotchSpencer discusses the brimming culture of intolerance during his years at Yale, art and morality, the inherently required translation in all communication as concepts move from the soul to the page, the varied interplay between science and religion through the millennia, the different types of scotch, makes some amazing book recommendations and chooses a favorite between C.S.
David Coggins
David Coggins: Pilar rum David Coggins discusses Hemingway’s escapades on his fishing boat Pilar, the secret history of New York’s 21 Club, his process for travel writing and for his Substack: The Contender, what his dad taught him about writing, how there are few Hollywood endings in fishing, the most sought after fishing spot in the world. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz
Jim Rutenberg
Jim Rutenberg: mango spritzer (equal parts mango and club soda)Jim discusses the Murdoch family dynastic succession, the slow decline of the Big 3 News anchors and the rise of digital media, the unsteady state of CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, his time as a reporter for Page 6 during it’s zenith, and offers a helpful reminder as we all enter 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz
Lili Anolik
Lili Anolik: gimlet (2 1/2 ounces gin, squeezed lime juice, sugar)Lili shares some of the scoop from her terrific biography DIDION & BABITZ including Harrison Ford supplying drugs to much of the 1960s Los Angeles literary scene, Steve Martin's slightly awkward early romantic life, sex with Jim Morrison and Jackson Browne. She also discusses how we can come to understand the identity of a decade re
Neal Stephenson
Neal Stephenson: mezcal margarita (2 ounces mezcal, 1 ounce Cointreau, lime juice) Neal identifies the two greatest threats to the future of humanity, the most compelling inflection points for alternative history, his process for writing his novels (and shares that he writes by hand), the best sci fi book ever written, the best sci fi movie ever made, and discusses a new philosophy he’s started to
Maureen Callahan
Maureen Callahan: vodka martini (3 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, olives)Maureen names the four worst hypocrites in the world today then we debate the world champion from this Final Four (with a special honorable mention), discusses her first job at MTV, describes what it was like to encounter one of the subjects of her “vitriolic” columns at an event in NYC, mentions some shocking facts fr
Ken Burns
Ken Burns: green teaKen names the three people from history that he’d invite to dinner, discusses the responsibility of a documentary filmmaker to remain factual and objective- and how this responsibility is often violated, offers a humanizing view of Hemingway, reflects on the many qualities of da Vinci that have made him a titan among titans through the ages, reveals his process for creating his
Tom Turcich
Tom Turcich: Old Fashioned (bitters, sugar, whiskey with cherry and orange rind garnish)Tom walked 28,000 miles around the world with his dog and a converted stroller filled with supplies, then wrote a book that records his adventures and reflections. In terrific travel-writing style he reveals his encounter with a pervert before he managed even to walk outside the USA, his strange difficulty at t
Linda Fairstein
Linda discusses founding the sex crimes unit of the Manhattan DA’s office - first in the nation - and when Mariska Hargitay and Dick Wolf shadowed her to help develop the concept for the new show Law & Order: SVU, recounts writing her first novels while still working more than full time as a prosecutor, her writing process for her bestselling Alex Cooper novels, addresses the responsibility of fil
Jay McInerney
Jay McInerney: CristalJay discusses cocaine and a proposition from Truman Capote (spoiler alert: he escaped), his pioneering use of the 2nd-person in BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY, his best moment ever with a glass of wine, the perfect 3-course meal with wine pairing, what Raymond Carver taught him about writing, getting fired from The New Yorker, squatting in George Plimpton’s house, waking up in Decem
Nelson DeMille
Nelson DeMille: Dewar's on the rocksNelson talks about John Travolta on the set of General's Daughter, the importance of getting characters right even if not PC, the value of a mentor, how he has managed the loss of his wife Sandy with the help of friends and family. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for adv
Gregg Hurwitz
Gregg Hurwitz: gin & tonicGregg discusses how Evan Smoak (aka Orphan X) stacks up against Reacher and Bourne, the virtues of Batman and Wolverine, the remaining advantages of humanity over artificial intelligence, how the Shakespearean formula applies to the modern thriller, and which thriller writer he considers his North Star. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for inf
Erika Robuck
Erika Robuck: Bahama Queen (2 1/2 ounces bourbon barreled gin, 1 ounce Grand Marnier, 1 ounce lemon juice, 1/2 ounce pineapple juice, 1/2 ounce passion fruit, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, mint, orange peel)Erika discusses the line between historical fiction and nonfiction in the context of her own books as well as other works of historical fiction like Netflix’s THE CROWN, how Roald Dahl made her want
Lea Carpenter
Lea Carpenter: Heineken Lea tells what it was like working alongside JFK Jr at George Magazine in the 1990s, her other formative experiences working at Francis Ford Coppola’s Zoetrope and then for The Paris Review, her discovery upon her father’s death that he’d had a career in espionage, how recruiting an asset in espionage is like a marriage proposal, the 4 reasons people work in espionage, what
Ruth Ware
Ruth Ware: dry white wine#1 bestselling author Ruth Ware names the two greatest fictional detectives ever, describes the gratitude a former bookseller feels to be a published author, why she made the switch from writing YA fantasy novels to adult crime fiction, her milestones throughout the year to keep an annual publishing pace, how Agatha Christie inspired her own approach to creating an atmosph
Megyn Kelly
Megyn Kelly: Special Mother’s Day episode (martini: 3 ounces gin, dash dry vermouth, olives)Megyn recommends three books for Mother’s Day and why she chose each, discusses her love for Dateline and the Real Housewives shows, reveals the identity of the famous actor at a Hollywood Oscars party that Doug mistook for a homeless person, reviews the Barbra Streisand memoir, and offers a piece of Mother
Erik Larson
Erik Larson: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Michter’s rye, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, dash bitters, cherry, served up)Erik names the person he’s written about that he’d most like to be able to meet, talks about what he looks for in a subject for a new book, the stories behind finding the titles to his books so far, the conversations he had with his agent in the 1990s that helped him to find the path to
Liz Truss
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss: EspressoLiz Truss discusses her preference for the emergence of independent journalism and death of traditional media in America as opposed to Britain where the BBC is still dominant, names her favorite few states in America, names the two places in Britain that every American should visit, talks about the stress of the weekly ‘Questions to the Prime Minister’, cre
Admiral James Stavridis
Admiral James Stavridis: Negroni (1 ounce gin, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Campari, garnish with orange peel)Admiral Stavridis names the two most terrifying moments of his military career, describes how naval warfare will look in fifty years (or less), the classified military report meant to predict the future that was most off, the Russel Crowe movie that best captures life at sea, how his sp
Andrew Duplessie
Andrew Duplessie: Dark N’ Stormy (2 1/2 ounces Goslings rum with ginger beer over ice, 2 lime wedges)One of the most popular authors in the world on BookTok, Andrew discusses the ins-and-outs of publishing fiction in new media, as well as contrasts the experience with his debut TOO SCARED TO SLEEP, published by (traditional media) Harper Collins, how he used Flowcode’s QR codes on the pages of his
Keith O’Brien
Keith O’Brien: Old Fashioned (cube of sugar, dash water, dash bitters, 2 1/2 ounces Knobel whiskey, garnish with cherry and orange peel)Author of the new biography of Pete Rose, CHARLIE HUSTLE, discusses the Ohtani baseball gambling scandal, why the partnerships between professional sports leagues and gambling services are fraught, how the characteristics and that made Pete Rose a great baseball p
James Ellroy
James Ellroy: coffeeJames offers an alternative introduction for the show that makes for an interesting contrast, reveals a sexual dalliance between his father and Rita Hayworth, gives honest feedback about the film LA CONFIDENTIAL, discusses his writing process and why he thinks ‘closure is BS’. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and
Zibby Owens
Zibby Owens: Aperol Spritz (3 ounces Aperol, 3 ounces prosecco, 1 ounce club soda, garnish with orange slice)Zibby gives the origin story of her hit podcast MOMS DON'T HAVE TIME TO READ BOOKS, the mission of her publishing imprint that has already published more than a dozen books (several bestsellers!), the sneaky "writer's retreat" where she wrote much of her novel BLANK, her writing process, an
Edoardo Ballerini
Edoardo Ballerini: vodka martini, three olivesAward-winning audiobook narrator and actor Edoardo discusses how he went from studying Latin at the Vatican to joining an acting troupe then making his NYC acting debut on LAW & ORDER, identifies which areas of the arts are most immediately under threat from artificial intelligence, tells how the audiobook business has evolved since his first narration
Richard Haass
Richard Haass: dry martini (3 ounces gin, a few drops of dry vermouth, served up with 3 olives)Richard reveals for the first time a confidential memo regarding the war in Iraq that he hand-delivered to Secretary Powell, why he feels America is in a "uniquely dangerous" time in the world, the TV show that most accurately portrays the Situation Room, how he prepares himself for writing memos, books
Mike Rowe
Mike Rowe: Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Knobel whiskey, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, bitters, Luxardo cherry)Author (and host) of THE WAY I HEARD IT Mike talks about being fired three times from QVC and hired twice to host The Daily Show for Comedy Central, his thoughts on Jon Stewart and the origins of fake news, his struggles with a childhood stammer and how a music teacher helped him overcome, how p
Kashmir Hill
Kashmir Hill: gin & tonicNew York Times technology reporter Kashmir Hills explains the incredible and horrifying implications of AI and facial recognition, the pair of eyeglasses developed by Meta that can instantly tell you EVERYTHING about a person just by glancing at them, what Oppenheimer and Heather Douglas meant by “technical sweetness”, how we might live in a new world of technology that al
Dani Shapiro
Dani Shapiro: Mezcal Negroni (1 ounce mezcal, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1 ounce Campari, garnish with orange slice)Award-winning author Dani Shapiro discusses how the effort of her first books refined her future work and process so that in addition to focusing on the music of her writing she’s also focused on the meaning, explains that she had to slow down the rush of storytelling in her gripping me
Howard Blum
Howard Blum: Diet CokeAward-winning author and journalist Howard Blum discusses the latest on the Idaho murders where he has been leading the coverage, describes how he conducts different types of research for book subjects ranging from prior centuries to other books covering present day topics, his writing pieces with Graydon Carter’s media company Air Mail, compares national intelligence agencie
Brad Meltzer
Brad Meltzer: tequilaBrad reveals what it takes to make him wear his underpants on the outside, the wildest forms of terror attack that he brainstormed with the CIA and FBI while a member of the Red Cell Unit, some hilarious insider stories of Barbara Bush, what’s underneath the White House, how he started his “I Am…” book series for kids, and how he first fell in love with the writing process. Ho
Alex Aster
Alex Aster: espresso martini (2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce espresso, garnish with 3 coffee beans, serve up)Alex discusses the oral tradition of storytelling in her family and her Colombian heritage, her dogged efforts to land a literary agent when she was 12-years old, how she skipped her college graduation day to land an agent and a book deal, how she leverages TikTok and other platf
Adam Plantinga
Adam Plantinga: Coffee, blackAward-winning author and San Francisco cop Adam Plantinga talks about the differences between vacation problems (getting sunscreen on his daughters) and work problems (getting charged by a criminal wielding a butcher knife), the favorite and most influential books he’s read, how humor can be an important tool on the job (both jobs), his debut novel The Ascent, and one
Best Of Lightning Round
Lightening Round: Some of the most thought provoking and entertaining responses to the Lightening Round questions from our Season 1 guests.Then Doug plays - free to listeners - the complete Prologue of THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL, narrated by Scott Brick, courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection
Gad Saad
Gad Saad: Bailey's on the rocksProfessor Saad discusses the nuanced differences between fellow Canadian Jordan Peterson and himself, how he manages to remain a Happy Warrior in the face of toxicity and a workplace that has been compared to Gaza, how he teaches the art of storytelling even in the presentation of scientific material, the mental conditions that contribute to whether a person is open
Gareth Russell
Gareth Russell: gin & Dubonnet (1 ounce gin, 2 ounces Dubinet, lemon wheel, topped with one over-sized ice cube)Gareth discusses the questionable claims in Omid Scobie's work regarding Harry, Meghan and the Royal Family, discusses a defense of the existence of the monarchy as posed by C.S. Lewis and others, reveals aspects of the monumental research effort involved in writing his phenomenal book c
Doug's Holiday Book Picks
Doug's Holiday Book Picks: Egg Nog (fill a rocks glass with ice, add 2 ounces bourbon, fill with egg nog (the full-fat kind), stir then top with nutmeg)Doug picks 4 excellent books for December, then plays - free to listeners - the complete Prologue of THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL, narrated by Scott Brick, courtesy of Simon & Schuster Audio. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pc
Patricia Cornwell
Patricia Cornwell: anejo tequilaPatricia reveals that one of the most famous characters in all of fiction, Kay Scarpetta, will soon be portrayed by Nicole Kidman, shares never-before-told stories of her childhood and the difficult times during her mother’s mental illness, paying her dues in the office of the Chief Medical Examiner in VA which brought so much of forensic science to literature and f
John O'Hurley
John O'Hurley: red wineIn town for the National Dog Show, John stops by and reveals whether he thinks a Seinfeld reboot would work, revisits the controversy of his Dancing With the Stars Season 1 championship, reveals that each step in his career has begun in his imagination, his most terrifying and most wonderful moment as a parent, and reads an original work of poetry. Hosted by Simplecast, an A
Mitch Albom
Mitch Albom: Ouzo (3 ounces ouzo, neat)Mitch describes the musical prowess of his rock band that includes Scott Turow and Stephen King, retells the whirlwind that led to his 7-month stint as a piano bar act in Greece, discusses how he handled the holocaust in his new fiction THE LITTLE LIAR and how elements from that period resonate today - especially the tactic ‘to change the language’, and why h
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