Beyond the Next Chapter with Whitney Clark

Latest Episodes:

Christine Pride and Jo Piazza, "We Are Not Like Them" Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

When an unarmed Black teenager is shot by police while walking home from school, the grief and outrage ripples through the city of Philadelphia in the novel "We Are Not Like Them." The shooting calls for changes in policing, revealing deep divisions among those who experience systemic racism and those who deny it exists. For lifelong best friends Jen and Riley, the shooting is a deeply personal crisis that threatens to rip them apart for good. Christine Pride and Jo Piazza join the podcast to talk about writing this deeply moving book together, navigating their own obstacles to openly discussing race, and the value of exploring divisive issues through the storytelling lens of friendship, forgiveness, and what it takes for two different people to take their shared history into the future.

In a Moment With Margaret: discussion of other recent books that tackle race, including Zakiya Dalila Harris' "The Other Black Girl," Brit Bennett's "The Vanishing Half" and Emmanuel Acho's "Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Boy."

"We Are Not Like Them" is the first novel Piazza and Pride co-authored today. The book was published in October, 2021 by Atria Books.

Eric Rickstad, "I Am Not Who You Think I Am" Nov 16, 2021

Show notes

Erick Rickstad is a New York Times and international bestselling author of novels including "What Remains of Her" and "The Silent Girls." He joined the podcast to talk to Olivia about his latest dark, psychological mystery, "I Am Not Who You Think I Am." It's a tale that starts in 1976, with a tragic act of violence witnessed by then 8-year-old Maynard, who is not only shaped by the trauma and loss, but by the mounting pressure of keeping a secret from that day he grows to regret. The core of the story focuses on a teenage Maynard, convinced he has a mystery to solve, while navigating complicated teenage friendships and desires that drive him to hold new, even darker secrets. Rickstad talked about the book's unique narrative that begins with a letter from the police chief to the community, how his life in Vermont and love of the outdoors influences both what he writes and the way he writes it, and reflects on his early love of books and memories of first joining a book club where he was the only boy.

Margaret and Olivia discuss similar, darkly affecting psychological thrillers involving younger characters. Margaret recommends "The Chalk Man" by C.J. Tudor, and Olivia reflects on Donna Tartt's "The Secret History."

Vera Kurian, "Never Saw Me Coming" Nov 09, 2021

Show notes

Seven psychopaths enjoy a free ride to a prestigious east coast school, in exchange for being participating in a psychopathy study. What could go wrong? For one, students keep getting killed. One study participant, Chloe, isn't at worried for her safety because she considers herself the dangerous one. Debut novelist Vera Kurian joins the podcast to talk about "Never Saw Me Coming," and why readers find her protagonist irresistible, in spite of her homicidal plotting and lack of empathy.

Kurian discusses what it was like to achieve the dream of publishing a novel during a global pandemic, and in a Moment with Margaret, Margaret Stewart recommends "56 Days" by Catherine Ryan Howard.

Emily Itami, "Fault Lines" Nov 02, 2021

Show notes

Emily Itami is a debut novelist who uses her expertise as a travel writer to transport her readers to Tokyo in "Fault Lines." The book focuses on Mizuki, a wealthy and beautiful Tokyo wife and mother, who is profoundly bored. Her witty internal dialogue reveals there are cracks beneath the shiny surface which, like the fault lines running through the city, threaten to damage or destroy. Emily joined the podcast from London to reflect on her experience living in Tokyo, the expectations women face, and how motherhood changes everything.

Margaret discusses a recent novel she enjoyed, "Heard It In a Love Song" by Tracey Garvis Graves.

Riley Sager, "Survive The Night" Oct 26, 2021

Show notes

Fans of Riley Sager's work know that he is a master at delivering twist after twist in suspenseful thrillers like "Home Before Dark," "Lock Every Door," and his latest, "Survive The Night."

Sager joins the podcast to talk to Olivia about the novel, its protagonist Charlie, and why the film student fears she may be the Campus Killer's next victim. He set the book in 1991, the same time that Sager was a college student, allowing him to reference his own favorite music and movies to bring the story and tension to life. Sager talks about how post-pandemic readers may tap into their own feelings of being trapped as they journey along in the car next to Josh, not knowing when or how the road trip will end, or who will survive the night. See below for links to the companion movie and music playlist for "Survive the Night."

Olivia admits to the author that this is her first time reading his work—another reliable recommendation from Margaret!

In a Moment with Margaret, they discuss the Spotify playlist (and movie list!) the author crafted as companions to his latest book. Margaret also recommends "Summer of '69" by Elin Hilderbrand, a different genre, but a book that also taps heavily into music to set the scenes and the period.

https://www.rileysagerbooks.com/survive-the-night-movie-guide

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cgIbYbNQSFuj8g8xxhscE?si=febc64122c9c4b5b

Lisa Jewell, "The Night She Disappeared" Oct 19, 2021

Show notes

Halloween is creeping up and it is time for some suspenseful reads, and no one does it better than Lisa Jewell. This time, Jewell takes us to a posh boarding school in the English countryside where many secrets lurk in the beauty, in her latest thriller, The Night She Disappeared. The author joins the podcast to talk about the book and tells Olivia the surprising way she approached the novel: beginning with the setting and a "Dig Here" sign, rather than a crime or even a character! She talks with Olivia about recent travels to Spain, getting her daughters to read her books, and switching her book tour to virtual. She also lends her opinion on who readers should and should not tell, when they don't love a book or a moment in her books, hint: it is NOT the author!

After the interview, Olivia and Margaret discuss their obsession with British accents, how charming Lisa is, and why Jewell's catalogue is so worth a deep dive, Halloween themes, and another fan favorite Taylor Jenkins Reid and her latest novel, "Malibu Rising."

Paula McLain, "When The Stars Go Dark" Oct 12, 2021

Show notes

Bestselling author of The Paris Wife, Paula McLain, tackles a new genre in her powerful, emotionally charged thriller, When The Stars Go Dark. Following a personal tragedy, Detective Anna Hart launches herself into a missing persons investigation that takes her down a path right into her own painful past, wrestling with what it means to be a woman, a mother, a victim, survivor, and savior. McLain joins the podcast to talk about crafting the layered mystery, and her painful personal history that shapes this work of fiction, a book she feels she was destined to write. She shares how and why she wove in elements of true crime, the allure of setting the book in the 1990s, and her personal skills as a talented cook and mixologist— skills she puts to good use in her friendship with other writers. She talks about nature and the powerful connection she feels in the outdoors, which is palpable in this novel.

In a Moment With Margaret, Margaret recommends Leave No Trace by Mindy Mejia and Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson, which each have elements to appeal to fans of When The Stars Go Dark.

Jenn McKinlay, "Wait For It" Oct 05, 2021

Show notes

Jenn McKinlay is a prolific writer who is best known for the Library Lover's and Cupcake Bakery Mysteries. McKinlay is quickly building a loyal following for her women's fiction and romantic comedies, and her latest is "Wait for It." When the protagonist, Annabelle, moves from Boston to Phoenix, McKinlay brings readers a slice of life in the desert, a setting the author calls home.

She talks about writing, the ways the pandemic cramped her style, baking, travel, and who is the boss of her house (hint: not a human.) Her next Library Lover's book, "Killer Research" is available November 2.

A Moment With Margaret: Margaret and Olivia discuss a few other books with subtle character connections or crossover characters in stand-alone books. Margaret recommends Roni Loren's "Yes & I Love You" and "What If You & Me," and Olivia recalls old favorites by Emily Giffin, including "Something Borrowed" and the fun finding easter eggs between books, like Jennifer Weiner's "Big Summer" and "That Summer."

Laura Lippman, "Dream Girl" Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

"Dream Girl" is NYT bestselling author Laura Lippman's latest suspenseful novel. Lippman calls it "a book lover's book." Told from the perspective of an acclaimed novelist, Gerry Anderson, whose literary relevance was cemented with publication of a book called "Dream Girl." The story finds Gerry bed-ridden and isolated, recovering from physical injury and the passing of his mother, when he starts receiving mysterious phone calls from his book's fictional character.

Is he losing his mind? Or is someone out to get Gerry, and if so, why? A fresh look at life post #MeToo from the perspective of a man who may have a very unreliable take on his own past. Lippman talks with Olivia about the novel, a crossover from Tess Monaughan, her early days as a journalist, #MeToo, and her friendships with millenials.

In a A Moment With Margaret, Olivia and Margaret discuss revenge themes and Margaret shares why she recommends both Joshilyn Jackson's "Mother May I?" and S.A. Cosby's "Razorblade Tears.

Allison Larkin, "The People We Keep" Sep 21, 2021

Show notes

Allison Larkin's novel The People We Keep takes readers back to the early 1990s, with teenage April lives mostly alone in a motorhome in a rundown town in rural New York. The People We Keep is the coming-of-age story of a talented young woman who seems to always go without- without a mom, often without a dad, without opportunity, without understanding, without stability, without much of a safety net. Larkin joined the podcast to talk about about writing the story of a traveling musician who spends life on the road, a character that first came to mind fifteen years ago. She shared the journey of the book, the work she put in to hone her own musical skills, and her passion for encouraging other writers.

In a Moment with Margaret, Margaret and Olivia discuss how Instagram-worthy the gorgeous cover of The People We Keep is, and their affection for all things 90s. Margaret recommends The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Olivia admits to having binged (and loved) Freeform's Cruel Summer, also set in the 90s and streaming on Hulu.

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