Dedicated with Doug Brunt

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 practice that could save the world.

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 from her book ASK NOT that have gone unreported about the Kennedy family, and reflects on the debate over “nature v nurture” with regard to both the Kennedy Inheritance and her own family.

Ken Burns: green tea

Ken 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 films. 

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 the border with Mexico (going south), his experience with COVID on the Caspian Sea, his favorite moment of the entire seven-year walk, and his surprising revelation about the desirability of travel for a good life. 

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 filmmakers of the growing number of docu-series that are often fictionalized for dramatic effect and the mounting number of lawsuits against Netflix, her all-star dinner group of top mystery writers (including Nelson DeMille, Lee Child, Harlan Coben and Mary Higgins Clark), and Linda and I make a toast to the memory of the great Nelson DeMille. 

Jay McInerney: Cristal

Jay 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 December 2023 with his home covered in his own blood and remembering nothing.

Nelson DeMille: Dewar's on the rocks

Nelson 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.

Gregg Hurwitz: gin & tonic

Gregg 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.

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 to be a writer, how she finds women from the “shadows of history” to write about, and how she successfully moved from her self-published debut to getting an agent and deals from major publishers.

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 she means by “the crystal meth of purpose.”

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 atmosphere for her novels, what she loves about America.

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’s Day advice. 

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 writing his first ever historical narrative nonfiction, the secrets to what he does once inside the archives, the journalistic approach to non-judgment of the people in his books, and gives a clue to the subject for his next book.

Former Prime Minister Liz Truss: Espresso

Liz 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’, credits JK Rowling for courage under woke fire, recounts her strangest moment in politics.

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 speculative (not predictive) work of fiction, 2054, describes a looming technological threat to humanity, and names one of the best political books ever written (which is not, on its face, a political book at all).

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 hardcover book so that he could include short films/videos as companions to the stories in the printed book, the future convergence of AI, Virtual Reality and book publishing and what possible user experiences could be, how he toggles between writing grisly horror fiction to then joining his wife for dinner, and the authors who inspired his writing career.

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 player have made him a failed person, whether the Hall of Fame can treat the personal lives of players separately from their art as players on the field, compares and contrasts the way Pete Rose and Lance Armstrong behaved once caught in lies, and who is the greatest sports announcer of all time. 

You can watch all of our video episodes on YouTube as well: https://www.youtube.com/@DedicatedwithDoug

James Ellroy: coffee

James 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’.

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, and her approach to new media for the book world.

Edoardo Ballerini: vodka martini, three olives

Award-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 in 2007, and how the nuance of reading characters of a different age/race/gender has changed in recent years, explains the goals of the university course on audiobook narration that he teaches, reveals his favorite place in Italy, and tells why we should not go faster than 1x.

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 or briefing presidents, why his book THE WORLD: A BRIEF INTRODUCTION is an important read for all citizens.

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 podcasting has evolved in the last few years, his terrific book that combines shocking historical events with Mike’s unique perspective, the #1 dirtiest job, and some thoughts on the key ingredients for a good life.

Kashmir Hill: gin & tonic

New 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 allows people “no fresh starts”, and what she misses most from the 1980s that she would like to have back.

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 memoir INHERITANCE because she was living the tale as she was writing it, tells of the happy ‘accidents’ of co-founding a writers’ conference in Positano, Italy and of launching her hit podcast FAMILY SECRETS, and how when writing a book that jumps time that it can be useful to work on the book for as long as the jumps.

Howard Blum: Diet Coke

Award-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 agencies, and reveals the one book he read in his youth that inspired his writing career.

Brad Meltzer: tequila

Brad 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.

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 platform to reach millions of readers, and gives an update on her work with Universal and the movie version of Lightlark.

Adam Plantinga: Coffee, black

Award-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 thing he wants the public to know about law enforcement.

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. 

Gad Saad: Bailey's on the rocks

Professor 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 minded and persuadable or stuck, and names the 122 sq miles on earth (an island country) that is the most conducive to human happiness.

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 covering 500 years of history at Hampton Court that is full of captivating anecdotes, shares several insider stories that illuminate the charm and wit of the former Queen Mother, and shares his opinion of the least and most pleasant ways to be executed. 

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.

Patricia Cornwell: anejo tequila

Patricia 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 film, why outlining books doesn’t work for her, the ups and downs of her life with Billy and Ruth Bell Graham, the problem with the 3rd-person omniscient narrator when it comes to her novels, how she persevered through the rejection of many attempts at a novel early in her career, and describes the comfort and beauty of what she and Kay Scarpetta find in a good marriage.

John O'Hurley: red wine

In 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.

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 he - and his books - remain hopeful. 

Martini (2 1/2 ounces gin, 1 ounce dry vermouth, 4 olives)

Award winning author and recipient of the Bronze Star, Silver Star and Purple Heart, Elliot reveals a secret handshake to counter program the famous Trump handshake-yank, shares his thoughts on the Great Man Theory of history and what he’d do about a young Hitler, how he and Adm. James Stavridis have worked together on novel writing, and gives his opinion of the best war movie ever made (you won’t see this one coming).

Andrew Klavan; Macallan 12-year scotch

Award-winning author and host Andrew Klavan discusses how conversation and real connection brought him from insanity to sanity, how he's always known he wanted to be a novelist and he gives us the plot lines of the novel he wrote when he was 14-years old, how scripture has informed his storytelling, describes his strangely brilliant and creative family relations, talks about the acceleration of cultural shifts, and shares a valuable piece of advice for listeners of all ages.

Alex & Nelson DeMille: scotch, gin & tonic with lime

The father & son team take a break from the fast-paced book tour to join DEDICATED for a 9:30am cocktail. They discuss Alex's childhood realization that his father was a major literary success, and later when Alex's 10th grade teacher assigned Nelson's novel, THE CHARM SCHOOL. They consider how much of a writer's talent is learned and how much is in the BLOODLINE (pun intended), how collaborative writing is fraught (Nelson and a previous co-writer did not have a good personal experience) and explain the method that Alex and Nelson have used to make collaboration work, and reveal the actors who could play Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor. 

Fiona Davis: Side Car (2 ounces cognac, 1 ounce Cointreau, lemon juice, garnish with orange rind)

Fiona talks about her earlier careers in theater and journalism, the rigorous research she does for her historical novels and some of the joyous moments that have happened during her research, bringing Radio City and the history of the Rockettes to life on the page in the latest novel THE SPECTACULAR, her revelation of Parkinson's disease and her work with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and her favorite hidden bar in NYC that feels like walking through a time machine.

Lawrence Wright: vesper martini (2 1/2 ounces gin, 1 ounce vodka, 1/2 ounce Lillet blonde

The Pulitzer Prize winning author and journalist discusses the pivotal role Texas will play in the future of America, suggests Tom Cruise has a moral obligation to speak out against Scientology, reveals his notable hypnosis skills, shares his organization strategies for the hundreds of interviews and secondary sources he uses in research, the appalling treatment he received at a book event, whether religion or politics is a more powerful force in shaping our behaviors, and why some books can still connect with readers decades into the future while others cannot.

Omar Epps & Clarence A. Haynes: coffee

Omar and Clarence discuss their late nights collaborating on ideas for their epic fantasy book series NUBIA, reveal how Omar remains child-like (not childish) and taps into the innate creativity gifted to all young minds which propels both his acting and his writing, explore themes of African mythology mixed with futuristic technology like antigravity and artificial intelligence, name their favorite books and the strangest moment ever at a book event.

Club soda with lemon

Scott talks about the choices he made in leaving a Stanford Fellowship in creative writing to enroll at Harvard Law School where Alan Dershowitz was a young professor, the 1977 publication of his nonfiction book about law school, ONE L, his casework as an Assistant US Attorney in Chicago, the earth-shaking success of his 1987 fiction debut, PRESUMED INNOCENT, and thereafter the variety of strange reactions he got from judges, juries and opposing counsels when he entered the courtroom to litigate cases while already a bonafide literary star, his thoughts on the differences between novel and film writing, and the reboot of PRESUMED INNOCENT on Apple with David E. Kelley and JJ Abrams.

Douglas Brunt: Manhattan with Luxardo cherry

Chris Bohjalian (Guest Host): Negroni

Chris and Doug discuss THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL, the charm of the Gilded Age period of the story, the thrilling investigation put forward in the book leading the the jaw-dropping conclusion, and the incredible characters that play a role in the book including Churchill, Kaiser Wilhelm II, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, Adolphus Busch, Chester Nimitz, Tsar Nicholas II. 

Doug reveals the most difficult job he's ever had, discusses the extensive research he's done for his prior fiction and how that experience helped with his preparation for writing nonfiction, process differences between writing fiction and nonfiction, his career before writing, and his insights on the show DEDICATED.

You Can Buy Doug's New Book Here: https://tinyurl.com/9e6p4yt7

Find Out More About Doug By Visiting His Website: https://douglasbrunt-author.com/

Meryl Gordon: gin & tonic with lime

Award winning journalist and author Meryl Gordon discusses her process for writing profiles and biographies, the 230 interviews she conducted in preparation for writing MRS. ASTOR REGRETS and her stunned disappointment with Anderson Cooper's new Astor book which cited her prior work 39 times over 31 pages, discusses her love of teaching a masters course in journalism and magazine writing, the thrill of seeing her students publish, the challenging economics of book writing and how to stretch the book advances to pay the bills, and her upcoming book which is close to deadline. 

Jay Winik calls the book, "Equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes...riveting history.

Lee Child: "Outstanding - Brunt mixes a historians respect for research with a novelist's eye for character..."

Dan Abrams: "A page turning crime thriller and an important addition to 20th century history."

You can discover more about Rudolf Diesel and preorder at this link: https://tinyurl.com/282eafxv

Doug recaps the 32 guests of Season 1 and reveals which is the most downloaded episode of the season! Season 2 begins in September with more of the world's greatest writers.

Special Episode also available on video - download the SiriusXM App here: (https://www.siriusxm.com/streaming)

Former Navy SEAL and #1 bestselling author Jack Carr reveals who would win in the Octagon between Conor McGregor and Jocko Willink, how it's been working with Chris Pratt and Amazon on the hit show TERMINAL LIST which is based on his first novel, his thoughts on the great pioneers of the thriller genre that he read as a kid and also while deployed as a SEAL, the key step he takes when beginning each novel to make sure he has a story worth telling, how the Department of Defense has forced redactions of his manuscripts and how that backfired on the DoD, the food from back home he craved most while deployed, how he followed his childhood ambitions to serve in the military and to become an author.

Jo Nesbo: whiskey sour (2 1/2 ounces Bulleit bourbon, 1/2 ounce simple syrup, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, orange wheel, cherry)

#1 bestselling author Jo Nesbo talks about the unpublished Harry Hole novel, the difference between political views and political agendas in literature, how he designs his intricate twists and plot reveals, the point at which anyone can consider oneself a writer, the best songwriter and best lead singer of all time, the reasons you should visit Oslo, Norway.

Douglas Murray: rye Manhattan (2 1/2 ounces Bulleit rye, 1 1/2 ounces sweet vermouth, 2 dashes bitters, Luxardo cherry)

Douglas lists the several people he'd most like to debate in a contest of ideas, reveals the one novel that transformed him into an adult reader, discusses the concept of the Genius Exception as it applies to Pablo Picasso, Woody Allen and others, describes the value of studying history and stoicism, assesses the position of the world's cultural pendulum, confesses the horrific spelling of the word 'maths', identifies the best and worst things of America and Britain, and tells what kind of conversation makes for a good dinner party.

Emily St. John Mandel: Earl Grey tea with milk

Emily talks about the unstructured education of her childhood homeschooling and how that upbringing opened doors to literature, her growing confidence as an author, how she plunges into a new novel without an outline, the life-changing attention after STATION ELEVEN, the differences between writing for TV and writing a novel, and she reveals her beliefs about whether we're all living in a simulation.

Jay Fielden: Rob Roy (2 1/2 ounces Dewar's 12 year scotch, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, bitters, Luxardo cherry)

The former editor-in-chief of Men's Vogue, Town & Country, Esquire Magazine tells what it was like working alongside Anna Wintour at Vogue and whether Devil Wears Prada was close to the truth, his view of Tom Brady's fashion sense, his thoughts on the changing media landscape and how print can compete with the dynamism of social media, observations of the disappearance of newsstands and shoeshine stalls in Grand Central Station and elsewhere, and gives an editor's view of the Kardashians, the one book that most made him want to be a writer and editor, and tells of an impromptu Shakespearian riff with David Harbour.

Scott Brick: Old Fashioned (2 1/2 ounces bourbon, sugar, bitters, water, Luxardo cherry)

The world's top audiobook narrator, nicknamed "The Golden Voice", joins us fresh from a late night at the Audie Awards to tell us his Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall story, his analysis of the strange voice of Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos, the best voices in Hollywood of all time, his process to find the voice and get into character for his book narration projects, the importance of identifying the protagonist for narration, his thoughts on AI in voice work, what you can expect to learn in a Scott Brick workshop for audiobook narration.

Diana Gabaldon: Bailey's Irish Cream over ice

The author of the OUTLANDER series discusses how she and George R.R. Martin feel about having a successful TV series running in parallel to their book series, the difference between her character Claire Randall in the book versus the show, how she has always known that she was meant to be a novelist, the ways she supports her fandom, and how to write strong female characters, and discusses the Chinese MudSkipper Fish.

Jenny Jackson: tequila soda (2 1/2 ounces Casamigos blanco, club soda, lime)

The highly regarded executive editor and now debut author of the stunning novel PINEAPPLE STREET discusses her thoughts on the changing generational views of wealth and inheritance, her technique in switching POVs in her novel, what it was like returning to the office at Penguin Random after maternity leave, her top literary influences, how she won the bid for CRAZY RICH ASIANS, what it's like editing top authors like Emily St. John Mandel, Chris Bohjalian and Kevin Kwan, and hangover strategies.

Rick Springfield: coffee or Kola Spiced Beach Bar rum

Rick and I tell the story of sharing the same editor at Simon & Schuster, Rick describes what life was like as both his music and acting careers simultaneously went big in 1981, how a great song gets written in two phases, reveals who is Jessie and who is his girl, reacts to the news that Kellyanne Conway listed in her high school yearbook that her life's ambition is to kiss Rick Springfield, talks about how he has managed to make his struggles with depression a part of his strength and drive.

Amor Towles: Negroni (1 ounce Barr Hill gin, 1 ounce Campari, 1 ounce sweet vermouth with an orange peel)

Amor discusses his notebook of story ideas, the piece of hotel stationery that contains the original sketch for A Gentleman in Moscow, the original titles of each of this three books, how he uses the technique of outlining to drive his creative process and the physiological reason it works for him, an editing trick to elevate his work to the best it can be, what he means by 'an Impressionist version of history' and 'timely v timeless', reveals his thoughts on Ewan McGregor starring in A Gentleman in Moscow, talks about his literary influences and favorite books of all time, gives a hint about his next novel, reveals the tradition of Towles Cinema family movie night, and answers some listener questions.

James Patterson: red wine 

#1 bestselling author of all time discusses his early struggles as a writer when his first manuscript was rejected by 31 publishers, his eventual career transition from advertising executive to full-time writer, the frustrating lack of media attention for his new book about cops, Walk the Blue Line, which was co-authored with Matt Eversmann (retired Army Ranger, winner of the Bronze Star, group leader of the Black Hawk Down, Mogadishu raid), how Amazon is changing the character of Alex Cross for the new streaming series (and why Amazon is doing it), and his worst-ever book event.

Min Jin Lee: Ito En unsweetened green tea 

Min Jin Lee discusses the grey area between accountability and ‘cancel culture’, how she left the law for fiction writing, the power of fiction to educate, her favorite K-dramas streaming on TV, an update on her next novel and what she and Donna Tartt have in common. 

Brad Thor: Revolver (2 ½ ounces Bulleit bourbon, ½ ounce Kahula, dash of bitters with an orange rind)

Hear how Brad Thor predicted Chinese balloons in his novel ten years ago and the other threats he predicted when working for Homeland Security’s Red Cell Unit that later came to pass, whether he will (again) run for President of the USA in 2024, which A-list Chris of Hollywood could play Scot Harvath on the screen, and who wins the MMA bout between Scot Harvath and Jack Reacher.

John Stossel: vodka martini (2 1/2 ounces vodka, 1/2 ounce dry vermouth, lemon twist)

19-time Emmy Award winning John Stossel shares how his Jewish parents emigrated from Germany to the USA in the 1920s, recalls his first job working as an office gopher in an Oregon newsroom in 1969, moving to NYC to work for CBS and having fun while renting Hamptons summer homes with John Tesh and Arnold Diaz in the 1980s, considers the talents of Barbara Walters, tells how he conquered his childhood stutter but not before it led to his most embarrassing moment ever on live TV, reflects on the decades of his past writings, and offers some good advice.

Marlon James: Dark & Stormy

Named to Time Magazine's list of '100 Most Influential People in the World' Marlon tells why he felt he'd leave Jamaica in either a coffin or a plane, remembers the story of the 78 rejections of his first novel and the amazing save of the manuscript that eventually found a home, relates the tale of a harrowing 'Voluntary Exorcism', discusses the universe of the Dark Star trilogy, how he feels about Postcolonial as a literary movement, and his literary influences that range from Shakespeare and Toni Morrison to Wolverine and Hellboy. 

Melissa Francis: French Tart (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce elderflower liquor, 1 ounce grapefruit juice, 1/4 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 ounce rosemary simple syrup, served up and garnished with rosemary sprig)

Melissa talks about a poolside, cigarette-filled run-in with Giselle, discusses beginning her acting career at the age of six months, praises the way Michael Landon paved the way for other actors to bring their own ideas to the screen, reveals her admiration for the work of former co-star Jason Bateman, determines whether Elizabeth Banks really played her in an episode of 30 Rock, shares her process for writing her memior, and what she's learned about how to structure TV writing from several classes she's taken and recommends to anyone wanting to write for TV.

Steve Forbes: pilsner

Steve Forbes names his picks for the two best business leaders in American history, discusses the future of crypto currency, identifies the foreign economies poised to grow and the American real estate markets that are currently undervalued, analyzes the parallels of Grover Cleveland (1892) and Donald Trump (2024), sheds light on how to fix the nation's inflation problem, and reveals the story of how the Forbes 400 came about.

Chris Bohjalian: Negroni (1 1/2 ounces Barr Hill gin, 1 1/12 ounces Campari, 1 1/12 ounces sweet vermouth, orange twist)

Chris tells us his thoughts on Kaley Cuoco playing the lead role in the HBO adaptation of his novel THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, lists the three things he does to get ready to begin each of his novels, discusses how he's evolved as a writer in the 35 years since the best selling novelist of all time blurbed his debut novel, reveals how he made the leap from working in advertising at J. Walter Thompson to being a novelist as well as his thoughts on retirement, and he promises to try a day of writing after combining Red Bull with one other secret ingredient.  

Leigh Bardugo: French 75 (1 ounce gin, 1/2 ounce lemon juice, 1/4 ounce simple syrup mixed in shaker then poured in champagne flute, topped with champagne and lemon twist)

Leigh discusses Skull & Bones, Wolf's Head and the secret societies of Yale that are the backdrop of her books, whether people in the secret societies have embraced her books or gotten angry, having to put legal disclaimers on her books as real people are mentioned, her writing process for creating the universe that her books explore, the line between 'young adult' and 'adult' fiction, camping out for a George R.R. Martin book signing, and the value of creating in secret.

Craig Mazin: Old Fashioned (1 teaspoon sugar, 3 dashes bitters, 1 teaspoon water, 2 1/2 ounces bourbon, orange twist, Luxardo cherry optional)

2-time Emmy Award winner Craig Mazin discusses his new HBO show THE LAST OF US based in the very popular video game, The Sopranos and the Golden Age of TV, the brilliance of the 'Limited Series' format for scripted and unscripted content, the HBO limited series CHERNOBYL and the very fraught sliding scale of journalistic responsibility shown by the creators of documentaries and docu-dramas, and his crazy casting story with Sir Anthony Hopkins.

Dennis Lehane: Chopin vodka over crushed ice

Can't say I loved this drink, but it grew on me (a little) over the course of our conversation. Dennis discusses his book to film experiences with his novels MYSTIC RIVER, SHUTTER ISLAND, GONE BABY GONE, LIVE BY NIGHT and working with Clint Eastwood, Martin Scorsese, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn, Leonardo DiCaprio; how his life changed dramatically with the smash success of MYSTIC RIVER in 2001, making his bones writing in the 1990s while competing with and congratulating his contemporaries and friends Michael Connelly, Lee Child, Harlan Coben; how he approaches teaching fiction-writing to Harvard students and what students can expect to learn from him, how a show gets made beginning with the option of the book rights all the way to the show appearing on the small screen - using the example of Black Bird for which he was showrunner, and the number one thing a person must have to be a good writer. 

Anna Quindlen: mocktail to-be-named (seltzer, simple syrup, lime juice, fresh basil)

Anna discusses her novel One True Thing and how she felt about her friend Meryl Streep in the lead role of the film adaptation; her unsparing thoughts on social media; her morning routine and process for writing books; the lasting effects of her mother’s remark to her; the New Jersey Hall of Fame; a beautiful piece of advice. [Also a comparison of Anna to Rocky Balboa which I should have described as unusual rather than low-brow]

David Duchovny: Paloma, or Tequila Greyhound (2 ounces tequila blanco, 2 ounces grapefruit juice, splash of club soda)

David discusses bunking up with JFK Junior while in high school, shares important lessons learned from Don Rickles and Gary Shandling, reviews his thesis for his PhD at Yale, reveals why he won't write a memoir, describes how he kept faith in himself as an artist during the early years of his career, tells about an entertaining encounter playing tennis next to John McEnroe, gives some thoughts on musical bands like The Who and The Kinks, examines the power of a quiet mind.

Penn Jillette - The Air We Breathe (no alcohol, no caffeine)

Penn describes what performing magic and writing a novel have in common, talks about Bill Maher and the difference between a cynic and a skeptic, identifies his favorite illustration of America's First Amendment, warns of the peril of technology's capacity to take geography out of tribalism, and discusses the concept behind his new novel, Random. 

Joseph Kanon: Louis Latour - white Burgundy wine

Joe has seen it all - he was CEO of the most prestigious publishing house in the world prior to becoming a bestselling author of spy novels including The Good German which was made into a movie starring George Clooney and Kate Blanchett. Joe talks about the history and future of the novel and the publishing business, writing for TV and film, and how to write novels of moral intrigue (what do you do when forced to chose between two wrongs?).

Dan Abrams: bourbon on the rocks

Bestselling author, journalist and media entrepreneur Dan Abrams discusses an elevator encounter with Wayne Newton, what Keith Olbermann deserves credit for, Kanye West's play for the social media platform Parler, how writing needs to be crafted differently for network news v. cable news v. print journalism, and the secrets to success in working with a co-author. 

Paulina Porizkova: very dirty martini (2 1/2 ounces Hendrick’s gin, dry vermouth, extra olives) 

Paulina credits Johnny Depp with being a positive example of kindness on the set and teaching her to be less judgmental; pays a compliment to both Naomi Watts and Bill Nye (not Nighy) the Science Guy; discusses narcissism, Instagram, the Kardashians and Olivia Dunn. 

William Finnegan: Bulleit bourbon & club soda

Pulitzer Prize winning author Bill Finnegan talks about a day-in-the-life of a writer on staff at The New Yorker and how a piece gets started with editor David Remnick. Bill also discusses his memoir Barbarian Days and names his picks for top male and top female surfers of all time, as well as names some of his favorite surf breaks around the world. 

Jess Walter: The Robert Burns cocktail (1 ounce Dewar's scotch, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce Benedictine, served up and with a lemon twist)

It's possible I poured this one a little heavy, but it's my favorite drink so far. Jess talks about the surprise success of his novel Beautiful Ruins, how his agent had nearly negotiated a bonus if it made the bestseller list, though everyone believed making the list was a long shot (it stayed on the bestseller list for a year and a half!). Learn the alternate titles considered for Beautiful Ruins, his writing process, how he evaluates news ideas for novels and short stories, as well as his early work in journalism including working with Christopher Darden to write a book about the OJ Simpson case.

Nelson DeMille: Dewar's on the rocks

Nelson 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.

Lee Child: “good champagne”

Lee talks about meeting King Charles III, what it was like to work with Tom Cruise, who he always pictured in the role of Jack Reacher, and which celebrity would make a good love-match for Reacher (hint: you know her well).

Jennifer Egan: Gold Rush (2 ounces bourbon, 3/4 ounce lemon, 3/4 ounce honey, lemon twist)

Jennifer talks about getting rejected from every writers' workshop she tried because her writing showed "no promise", her Pulitzer prize winning novel Goon Squad, her term as president of PEN America and the organization's mission to promote freedom of expression on college campuses, and her worst-ever author event.

Beginning with our guest’s favorite cocktail, Dedicated offers an insider’s look at the lives and work of your favorite authors. New York Times bestselling author Doug Brunt hosts conversations with the world’s greatest writers as they discuss their writing lifestyle, creative process, latest work, and behind-the-scenes revelations. If you want to hear from the brilliant minds creating our best stories, be sure to tune in.