Finding the Throughline with Kate Hanley

Latest Episodes:

[Elisa Faison, what’s coming up]: Being open to all feedback–even the negative kind Ep 1280 Jul 10, 2026

Show notes

In this final installment of my interview with Elisa Faison, author of “Skin Contact,” a novel about the thrills and the unintended consequences of opening up your marriage, we’re getting a peek at where Elisa’s throughline is leading her next, plus hearing about what she’s currently reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating.
We covered:
- A sneak peek at the novel she just finished the first draft of
- The author whose body of works inspires her- Why she views all feedback as helpful
- The audiobook she couldn’t stop talking to her husband about
- Why she takes her coffee in a regular mug, not a to-go cup, even when she’s wrangling two kids into the car
- Her brief stint as a wedding cake baker
Connect with Elisa at @elfaison on Instagram or at elisafaison.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Elisa Faison, inner stuff]: Getting through those moments of doubt Ep 1279 Jul 08, 2026

Show notes

This is part two of my interview with Elisa Faison, debut author of the brand new novel “Skin Contact,” a razor-sharp exploration of intimacy, non-monogamous desire, motherhood, and grief.
We covered:
- Honoring your own neurodiversity in your writing process
- The plight of being an author who hates self-promotion on social media
- How she lets those doubts out so she can keep going
- Transitioning from the exploratory phase of her twenties to the more settled nature of her thirties
- Opening her marriage
- Getting more open-minded with age
- Her system for keeping track of the various ideas and inspirations she gets throughout the day
Connect with Elisa at @elfaison on Instagram or at elisafaison.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Elisa Faison, practical matters]: Cultivating the creative mindset Ep 1278 Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

My guest this week is Elisa Faison, debut author of Skin Contact, a bingeable, sexy, and poignant novel about a young couple who decide to open up their marriage. Elisa also won the 2024 Peden Prize for her story “Motherlove.”
We covered:
- Her storied past as an “OC” and Harry Potter fanfic writer
- Touring through various writing adjacent jobs
- The book she wrote that may never see the light of day
- The writing conference that was her first glimpse of what it’s like to be “a writer”
- Her rough introduction to the politics of publishing
- How she makes money
- How her day-to-day experiences make their way into her writing
- When your morning routine is not your own (Elisa is the mom of 2-1/2 year old twins)
- Why she reads a poem before she starts writing–and which poets she typically reads
Connect with Elisa at @elfaison on Instagram or at elisafaison.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Vanessa Lillie: What’s coming up]: When the rejection just keeps coming + a to-die-for scallop recipe Ep 1277 Jun 26, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to the Finding the Throughline interview with Vanessa Lillie, whose bestselling books include "The Bone Thief," "Blood Sisters," "Little Voices”, and “For the Best.” Vanessa is also the co-author of the Young Rich Widows series and an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
This episode is a replay.
We covered:
- Why she’s so excited about Indigenous storytelling right now
- Many recommendations for books, shows, and movies by Indigenous creators
- A preview of her sequel to “Blood Sisters”
- Her forays into screenwriting
- How you get more rejection once you’re in the door
- Keeping an open mind and being very open to failing
- The Netflix feminist thriller she stayed up too late watching
- A recipe for bomster scallops that I will be trying
Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie, where she hosts a long-running series of interviews with crime fiction authors.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.
Thank you for listening!

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[Vanessa Lillie, inner stuff]: Getting clear on the stories you're meant to tell Ep 1276 Jun 24, 2026

Show notes

In part two of my conversation with bestselling crime fiction author Vanessa Lillie, whose books include "The Bone Thief," "Blood Sisters," "Little Voices”, and “For the Best,” we're breaking down all the mental hurdles that can get in the way of your writing, and how to overcome them, including:
- Fighting erasure by weaving her family’s story into her books
- The thrill of writing about your culture, and worrying about getting it wrong
- How Vanessa steadies herself when that anxiety crops up
- Embracing the challenge of writing a page turner
- Dealing with the fear that your current work isn’t as good as your previous work
- Seeing ideas as a butterfly that come and sit on your shoulder (from Elizabeth Gilbert’s book “Big Magic”)
- Why it’s so vital to get clear on why you are the right person to tell this story
- Why being in her 40s feels like such a relief
- Some frank talk about early motherhood–-and why it was a theme in her first novel
- Letting go of the idea that your success is within your control
This episode is a replay.
Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie, where she hosts a long-running series of interviews with crime fiction authors.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.
Thank you for listening!

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[Vanessa Lillie, practical matters]: How to bust out of a lack mentality Ep 1275 Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

This week I’m talking with Vanessa Lillie, the bestselling author of numerous thrillers, including "The Bone Thief" (her most recent) and its prequel, "Blood Sisters," as well as “Little Voices,” and “For the Best." Vanessa is also the co-author of the Young Rich Widows series of fun 80s mystery romps.
Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.
This episode is a replay.
We covered:
- Making up stories as a form of escape
- How a nagging sense of unhappiness in her 20s and 30s drove her to keep questioning what she should ‘do with her life’
- The trip to the airport bookstore that awakened her desire to be an author
- The joy–and terror–of having a dream
- Using restlessness as a force for creative good
- Channeling your childhood and your family history into fiction
- The privilege of sharing stories with people who are interested
- Why it’s so easy to get into a lack mentality as an author
- How Vanessa ended up back at square one–no publisher, no agent–after her second book came out
- Finding the story you’re meant to tell so that you’re not “turning yourself into a pretzel to fit inside the system”
- The tools that helped her get out of that lack mentality
- Embracing chaos as a creative and honoring your particular process
- Stepping out the capitalistic narrative that if you’re not working 9-to-5, or really, 9-to-9, you’re a slacker
Connect with Vanessa on Instagram @vanessalillie, where she hosts a long-running series of interviews with crime fiction authors.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit ⁠katehanley.substack.com⁠.
Thank you for listening!

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[Philip Eil: What’s coming up]: Tackling clutter + how AI is spreading misinformation Ep 1274 Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to the final part of my interview with Philip Eil, an award-winning freelance journalist based in his hometown, Providence, Rhode Island and the author of “Prescription for Pain” and a work in progress about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility, a maximum-security prison in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
Today we’re going to get a glimpse at where Phil’s throughline is leading him next and end with my fast final five questions about what he’s been reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating.
We talked about:
- The local nonprofit news outlet he just joined the board of
- Stumbling into being an expert on AI and misinformation (book him for a talk at your local library!)
- Why it’s helpful to think about the people whose careers you envy
- The parts of being an author he finds especially rewarding and thrilling
- The link between clutter and mental health
- The novels he recently binged, the brand of coffee he swears by, and the absolute best part of his week
Connect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Phil Eil, inner stuff]: The power of writing about mental health challenges (especially as a man) Ep 1273 Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to part two of my interview with Philip Eil, freelance investigative journalist and author of the book “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’” and a work in progress about the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, otherwise known as the hometown of Viola Davis.
Today we’re talking about the inner stuff involved in writing—the doubts, the beliefs, and the fears that can impact your work whether you’re conscious of it or not.
We covered:
- The type of writing that just “tumbles out” for him
- Why he doesn’t miss writing for outlets that have national name recognition
- What his inner critic is telling him as he works on his second book
- How being passionate and excited about your work can get you into some tricky situations… and how to avoid that
- Why he openly writes about his mental health challenges
- How he’s pushing back against our current ideas of masculinity
Connect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Phil Eil, practical matters]: When the work you’re passionate about doesn’t make a lot of money Ep 1272 Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

This week my guest is Phil Eil, an author and freelance journalist based in his hometown–and mind–Providence, RI.
Phil’s first book, “Prescription for Pain: How a Once Promising Doctor Became the ‘Pill Mill Killer’”, came out in 2024 and was hailed a riveting true-crime page-turner by the Columbus Dispatch. He’s currently working on a new book about the history of the Wyatt Detention Facility in Central Falls, RI, a maximum-security prison that was hailed as an economic lifeline for Rhode Island’s poorest–and geographically smallest–city and is now being used to house people detained by ICE and causing quite a stir in the local community.
Phil was the news editor and staff writer at the alt-weekly, the Providence Phoenix, until the paper closed in 2014. Since then, he's contributed to VICE, the Atlantic, Men’s Health, The Nation, Boston Magazine, and Huffington Post, and is a regular contributor to vital local independent news outlets including UpriseRI and the Rhode Island Current.
We covered:
-How his first clue that he wanted to be a journalist was that he loved writing papers in college (not something most people love)
- The continuing education class he took that clicked his career path into place
- How meaning and passion can make up for lack of profit
- The news story he just broke
- How he uses speaking to supplement his income
- The link between AI and the spread of disinformation (a subject he speaks about)
- A look at the financial realities of being a journalist in 2026
- Why he doesn’t get down when reporting on bleak topics
- The prescription medication that was a game changer for him
Connect with Phil at philipeil.com, or on Instagram @philip.eil or Bluesky @phileil.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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[Lori Gold: What’s coming up]: Re-jiggering your schedule so writing comes first EP 1271 May 22, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to part three of my interview with Lori Gold, author of the brand new novel “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” about three women who play a spin on the classic sleepover game and wake up the next day in an alternate universe, and “Romantic Friction,” an NPR Book of the Day that satirizes publishing and AI and explores female ambition and friendship.
Lori is also the author of Love, Theodosia, Sources Say, Screen Queens, and the Becoming Jinn series, which she published under the name Lori Goldstein.
In today’s episode, we’re going to get a peek at where Lori’s throughline may be leading her next, as well as what she’s been reading, watching, listening to, and fantasizing about eating lately, including:
- How she comes up with book ideas that have a hooky premise
- How reading all of Liane Moriarty’s book was an education (as well as a joyride)
- Keeping writing fresh by taking on new storytelling challenges
- Re-organizing her time so she can do a deep dive on completing the draft of her next book
- The Netflix rom com that’s giving her life
Connect with Lori on Instagram @lorigoldsteinbooks or at her website, lorigoldsteinbooks.com.
For full show notes with links to everything we discuss, plus bonus photos!, visit katehanley.substack.com.
Thank you for listening!

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