Kellye Garrett knew at age 5 that she wanted to write.

That’s a big deal, guys. I think it took me until age 7 to know - so she was way ahead of me!

And she’s come a long way since then. Today, her crime fiction novels have been featured on the Today Show, won numerous awards, and named to Time Magazine’s 100 Best Mystery & Thrillers of All Time. The latest is Missing White Woman, which was an Apple Books Staff Pick, Amazon Editors’ Pick, Reader's Digest June 2024 Book Club selection and the CBS New York Club Calvi Spring Book Club pick.

In addition, Kellye is a co-founder of Crime Writers of Color, which received the 2023 Raven Award from MWA and Boucheron’s 2024 David Thompson Special Service Award.

Plus, she’s an overall amazing person and so much fun to talk to.

We talked about her road from screenwriter to novelist, including:

• What journalism taught her about writing

• How a billboard on the side of an LA freeway led to her first novel, Hollywood Homicide

• The everyday experiences that shape her writing practice

• How community has helped shape her career

And so much more.

Chapters:

03:00 Kellye's Journey to Crime Writing

06:12 Transition from Screenwriting to Novels

08:57 Finding an Agent and Getting Published

12:11 The Evolution of Kellye's Writing Career

15:09 Writing Process and Idea Generation

18:06 Research and Community in Writing

20:54 Diversity in Crime Fiction

24:07 Upcoming Projects and Future Plans

27:01 Advice for Aspiring Writers

You can find more about Kellye here: https://kellyegarrett.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

Calvin Coolidge said: “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.”

Well, it’s all true. And my guest today has the tales to prove it.

I’m delighted to welcome my friend and fellow crime writer Daniel Palmer to the show today.

Daniel has a few iterations of names and brands, which we’ll get to in the conversation, but the headline is - he is the author of 22 novels. He’s written under Daniel Palmer, D.J. Palmer and as a duo with his dad, Michael Palmer, who was also a hugely successful medical thriller author. Daniel received his master’s degree from Boston University and after a career in e-commerce he shifted gears to writing full time.

I love talking to writers about their journeys because everyone’s is so unique. And the publishing journey is a whole other thing - also super unique to everyone and completely separate from the writing journey. Daniel and I talk a lot about that as he walks us through the twists and turns his career has taken - as many as any good suspense novel - and it serves as a reminder to us all that the path may not look the way we thought it would but if we stick with it, we’ll get to the right place.

We talked about his winding path to the career he has today, including:

• What to do when the writing journey doesn’t go the way you think it “should”

• What it was like growing up with a hugely successful novelist father, and how that

shaped his writing and his own career (surprisingly not in the way you might think!)

• Why you need to stick to the path, no matter how directionless it might seem in a

certain moment

• How a fictional dog salvaged his first novel

And so much more.

If you’re looking for inspiration to keep going when your writing career isn’t panning out the

way you hoped, come listen. Have we got stories for you.

You can connect with Daniel here: https://danielpalmerbooks.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!

I’m thrilled to welcome crime writer Delia Pitts to the podcast! Delia’s journey to becoming a mystery author is absolutely fascinating, shaped by an impressive and diverse career. We could have talked for hours about her background and how each stage of her life, from journalism to diplomacy, added layers to her fiction writing.

Delia is a proud board member of Sisters in Crime, serving as the DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging) liaison. She’s passionate about representation in the crime writing world and is a valuable voice in our shared community of writers.

Here’s a bit more about Delia: she was born and raised in Chicago, studied history at Oberlin College, and earned her Ph.D. in African history from the University of Chicago. She’s worked as a journalist, university administrator, and U.S. diplomat, bringing a unique perspective to her storytelling. This summer, she released her latest novel, Trouble in Queenstown, a private eye mystery published by Minotaur Books, and her short story The Killer was featured in *Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Delia is also the author of the Ross Agency Mysteries, which feature an unforgettable cast of characters.

Join me for this conversation as we dive into Delia’s unique journey to crime fiction, the inspiration behind her characters, and her thoughts on the evolution of the genre.

We covered:

• Delia’s unique career path, from journalist to U.S. diplomat to PI novelist.

• Insights into her DEIJB role with Sisters in Crime and the importance of diverse voices in crime fiction.

• The making of Trouble in Queenstown and what inspired her private eye protagonist.

• How Delia’s experiences in various fields inform her characters and settings.

• The concept of justice and how it manifests in her work.

And so much more.

Tune in for an engaging conversation that explores the intersections of life experience and fiction—and get inspired by Delia’s journey to becoming a standout voice in crime writing.

You can connect with Delia here: https://www.deliapitts.com/

Want more writing inspo? I have answers to all your burning questions about writing and

publishing. Download my Ultimate Guide to Writing and Publishing Your Mystery.

I’m on IG @lizmugavero - follow for info on the latest episodes!