The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

#1 international bestselling author Raphael Montes spoke with us about his dual career in TV and fiction, finding commercial success while maintaining authenticity, and the US publication of his hit book THE SECRET DINNER.

Raphael Montes is the internationally acclaimed, #1 bestselling Brazilian thriller writer best known for The Secret Dinner, a dark and provocative novel set in Rio de Janeiro described as "a mixture of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense with Quentin Tarantino's black comedy.” He is published in over 25 countries with over 8 million copies sold.

Set in Copacabana, The Secret Dinner—a biting, dark satire of foodie culture, wealth excess, and youth desperation—is landing in the US for the first time and has been named a summer most-anticipated by Crimereads, in addition to two mentions in The New York Times.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager said of the book, "The Secret Dinner is a potent combination of gallows humor, Hitchcockian suspense, and trenchant social commentary. Bold and bloody, it's a thriller with real bite."

Also a screenwriter, Raphael is the showrunner of Scars of Beauty—the most-watched original show on HBO Max in Latin America—and Netflix’s award-winning series Good Morning, Verônica.

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In this file Raphael Montes, Milena, and I discussed:

How he leveraged early Bookstagram and BookTok to great success

The themes of power, ambition, food, and class behind The Secret Dinner

Switching between screenwriting and fiction to beat writer’s block

Why he believes literature should provoke moral questions and self-reflection in readers

How he broke into TV after producers noticed the filmic quality of his second novel

Drinking dry gin martinis with Patricia Highsmith

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

RaphaelMontes.com

The Secret Dinner: A Novel by Raphael Montes (Amazon)

Raphael Montes Amazon Author Page

Raphael Montes on TikTok

Raphael Montes on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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#1 New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter spoke with us about her writing origins, cabin-based creative process, TV adaptations, and her new novel THE SECRETS WE HIDE, a follow-up to #1 hit WE ARE ALL GUILTY HERE.

Karin Slaughter is one of the world's most popular crime thriller writers, a fixture on bestseller lists who has written more than 25 novels. Her work consistently tops the charts and We Are All Guilty Here was her first #1 on the New York Times list.

The follow up is to that hit novel is her latest thriller in the North Falls series, The Secrets We Hide. Publishers Weekly wrote of the author, "Slaughter remains as skilled as ever at probing the darker side of life in Georgia."

Karin is published in 120 countries with over 40 million copies sold. The TV series based on her novel PIECES OF HER debuted at #1 worldwide on Netflix, and her beloved Will Trent series is now in its fourth season with ABC.

She also wrote the limited series adaptation of The Good Daughter for Peacock, and is the founder of the Save the Libraries project—a nonprofit that supports libraries.

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In this file Karin Slaughter, Milena, and I discussed:

How she was incentivized to write about dark subjects at a young age

The core advice that helps her keep the words flowing

Why she writes in sprints that break her brain

Where the kernel of her idea for the sequel to We Are All Guilty Here began

How to stay prolific by challenging yourself as a writer

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

(00:00) [THE SECRETS WE HIDE]

karinslaughter.com

The Secrets We Hide : A Novel By Karin Slaughter (Amazon)

Karin Slaughter Amazon Author Page

Karin Slaughter on Facebook

Karin Slaughter on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
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Novelist, veteran screenwriter, and longtime Blue Bloods showrunner Kevin Wade spoke with us about the challenges of transitioning across writing mediums, storytelling principles, and book two of his debut crime series, ONE GOOD EYE.

Kevin Wade is the Golden Globe and the Writers Guild of America nominated screenwriter of movies including the seven-time Oscar nominated comedy Working Girl (1988), True Colors (1991) starring John Cusack and James Spader, the Tom Selleck comedy Mr. Baseball (1992), Ivan Reitman's Junior (1994), the epic romance Meet Joe Black (1998), and the rom-com Maid in Manhattan (2002).

In 2010, he joined the rookie CBS drama Blue Bloods as a writer, and in 2011 he became its showrunner and executive producer for the entire 14-year run.

His latest release is the follow-up to his debut crime novel Johnny Careless, a book author John Sanford called a “fast-moving classic crime novel,” and that was shortlisted for the Edgar Best First Novel Award.

One Good Eye is the second in the Police Chief Jeep Mullane series and Library Journal said of the author, “Wade delivers another compelling literary mystery. His characters feel intimately real...and Jeep remains a deeply engaging protagonist...With sharp prose and a vivid sense of place on Long Island’s Gold Coast, Wade’s second…book will have readers eager to read more stories about Jeep and his community."

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[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 Kevin Wade, Milena, and I discussed:

What his early aspirations as an actor in NYC taught him about playwriting

How he had his first screenplay turned into a hit movie by a legendary director

Why he wrote his debut novel during the Writers Guild strike

The biggest challenges of moving from TV writing to the novel

His favorite advice from Elmore Leonard's Ten Rules for Writers

How to write relatable characters

Classic advice from literary lions

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

One Good Eye: A Jeep Mullane Novel (The Jeep Mullane Series, 2) by Kevin Wade (Amazon)

Kevin Wade Amazon Author Page

Kevin Wade on IMDb

Kevin Wade on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New York Times bestselling author Gillian McAllister spoke with us about how to deal with rejection, deleting full drafts, the business side of adaptations, and her latest US release, the thriller THAT NIGHT.

Gillian McAllister is the internationally bestselling author of Wrong Place Wrong Time, Just Another Missing Person, Famous Last Words, and others. Her novels have been selected by both Read with Jenna and Reese’s Book Club, and she has become one of today’s most celebrated voices in psychological suspense.

Her latest US release is That Night (already adapted into a Netflix series), a novel that follows a family’s dream vacation in Italy that spirals into a nightmare.

New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry said of Gillian, “McAllister is the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.”

Gillian graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast.

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[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 Gillian McAllister, Milena, and I discussed:

Her law background and path to publication

How she wrote close to 400K words before breaking through

Why she plans novels via synopsis and keeps her early drafts private

Business advice on how to talk to publishers once you’ve sold a book

The real reason so many lawyers become crime writers

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

gillianmcallister.com

The Honest Authors’ Podcast

That Night: A Novel by Gillian McAllister (Amazon)

Gillian McAllister Amazon Author Page

Gillian McAllister Facebook

Gillian McAllister on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bestselling author and storytelling expert Abbie Emmons spoke with us about topping 600K YouTube followers, helping writers craft emotionally resonant narratives, and her new writing guide MAKE YOUR STORY MATTER.

Abbie Emmons is the popular YouTube creator behind the channel Make Your Story Matter. For over seven years, she has been sharing her wisdom on YouTube (@abbieemmons), where she teaches writers how to make their stories matter by harnessing the power and psychology of storytelling to transform their ideas into masterpieces

Her latest book, Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love (releasing August 11, 2026), “... [offers a] simple but powerful 3-step framework for storytelling that’s rooted in psychology called the Who, What, Why Method.”

Jessica Brody, bestselling author of Save The Cat! Writes a Novel, wrote of the book, "Understanding why stories move us is one of the most powerful things a writer can learn. Make Your Story Matter brings the psychology and heart of storytelling to life in a way that will transform how you think about your characters and your craft."

Her online learning platform, Abbie’s Story University, has thousands of students worldwide. Through monthly live lectures and in-depth courses, Abbie offers comprehensive instruction on creative writing, editing, publishing, and more.

[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 Abbie Emmons, Milena, and I discussed:

Her three-pillar framework for crafting compelling stories

How to make your characters relatable

Why writers struggle with motivation and writing slumps despite having great ideas

What “writing ugly” can do for your productivity

How to create a conversation around your book

And a lot more!

Show Notes:

ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web

abbieemmonsauthor.com

abbiesstoryuniversity.com

Make Your Story Matter: An Interactive Guide to Unlocking Your Brain's Storytelling Power and Writing a Book Readers Love by Abbie Emmons (Amazon)

Abbie Emmons on YouTube

Abbie Emmons on Facebook

Abbie Emmons on Instagram

Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer

diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram

Kelton Reid Instagram

Kelton Reid on Twitter
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices