David Baldacci’s Three 2022 Releases, an Iraq War Thriller, and Writing Believably about Place

In this episode 317, co-hosted by Charlotte Writers Club president Dave Collins,New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci brings not one but three very different and engaging books to the podcast: Dream Town, The 6:20 Man, and Long Shadows. We also share another thriller, Outside the Wire, by Gary Edgington, a law enforcement and counterterrorism veteran. And we explore how to write believably about places you’ve never seen.

Today’s Featured Authors:

David Baldacci Time Stamp: 7:19

Global #1 bestselling author David Baldacci returns to the podcast to discuss Long Shadows, his new thriller in which an FBI consultant with perfect recall delves into a bewildering double homicide, as well as his other recent books Dream Town and The 6:20 Man.

Gary Edgington Time Stamp: 1:17:40

Outside the Wire, rooted in local author Gary Edgington’s years as a counterterrorism task force commander, is the “deadly accurate” story of a counterterrorism advisor and Army doctor serving in Iraq in 2008.

Jonathan Lerner Time Stamp: 1:02:40

Jonathan Lerner shares his community blog post, “Writing Believably about Places You’ve Never Seen.”

Community Updates:

         Listen to our episode for updates on the Charlotte writing community, including events from the Charlotte Writers Club, Charlotte Lit, and more.

Host Updates:

         Sarah: I’m getting busy with family and holiday activities locally before I head out of town in mid-December. Looking ahead to the new year, on January 18th, I’ll be speaking with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s Writers Beyond Borders. Register for free here to join through Zoom and learn about fiction and screenwriting.

         Landis: Tonight, November 29th, I’m offering a class with Charlotte Lit on how to nail the author interview from both sides of the mic. And just in time for the holidays, I’m working on a cover refresh for my Christmas courtroom trilogy.

Book Recommendations: Time Stamp: 35:52

         Sarah recommends:

         Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin

         Landis recommends (via Park Road Books):

         Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown

         The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

         Dave Collins recommends:

         The Girls in the Stilt House by Kelly Mustian

         Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Mark West, Storied Charlotte Blog, recommends:

Bingeworthy: A Zits Treasury by Jerry Scott

Alyssa Pressler, That’s Novel Books, recommends:

The Overstory by Richard Powers

2-Minute Tip: Time Stamp: 53:28

Don’t miss Charlotte Lit co-founder and executive director Paul Reali’s tip about visualizing and keeping your writing goals.

Writing Tips: Time Stamp: 1:02:40

         From Jonathan Lerner’s blog post, “Writing Believably about Places You’ve Never Seen,” we get the following tips:

  • Don’t be afraid to write about places you’ve never visited, even in nonfiction.
  • Draw on your own analogous experiences to imagine foreign settings.
  • Start your research with Google–which is great for images–but expand beyond the internet and interview people where possible.

Takeaways:

We got some excellent tips today on writing what you know vs. researching and imagining beyond your own experience, and our contributing authors inspired us to approach writing as a lifelong process of learning. Thanks to Dave Collins for riding along!

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