Episodes

Anne Hillerman had some very big shoes to fill when she stepped up to continue her father Tony Hillerman’s much loved Joe and Jim Navajo mysteries, an 18-book series adored by fans as well as admired by critics. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Anne talks about how she came to assume her father’s mantle and write five more Navajo mysteries which are all New York Times best sellers. And we’ve got three E book copies of her latest, The Tale Teller, to giveaway...

Tricia Stringer’s best-selling Australian rural romance stories have helped country love blossom into the hugely popular category it is today. As a recognised “voice of Australian story telling” Tricia’s gone on to include historical sagas and multi-generational family fiction in her very popular body of work. In tune with the times her latest book, The Model Wife, examines what happens when a woman everyone relies on feels she’s been pushed just one point too far. Could it be that in her a...

Christine Wells’ World War II historical fiction celebrates strong, courageous women with story lines that faithfully reflect the true lives of real spies and resistance workers. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in today’s binge reading episode Christine talks about the remarkable boom happening at the moment in wartime fiction and her fascination with the heroic women who were sent behind enemy lines. And we’ve got three E-book copies of Christine’s latest spy thriller The Juliet ...

Chuck Greaves had the amazing experience of having his first two novels placed first and second in an international “New Writers” competition that attracted 600 entries, so it’s perhaps not surprising that the former LA trial lawyer hasn’t looked back since. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today on the Joys of Binge Reading Chuck talks about his popular Jack MacTaggart legal thriller series as well as the literary and historical crime fiction that’s winning him top awards and a gr...

Fiona Valpy’s French romances are like a glass of wine in French sunshine – a perfect summer – and pandemic escape. But she writes more than romance. Fiona’s best-selling World War II fiction tells stories of remarkable women, generations apart, who use adversity to their advantage and find resilience deep within. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading this week Fiona shows why her books are the antidote for dark times, and we offer the French Escape Giveaway… three Ebook...

Bronwyn Sell’s romantic comedy, Lovestruck, is set in an island resort run by a lovably dysfunctional family – a perfect place for tangled love and tourists seeking a tropical paradise. Perfect that is, except when the world is in lockdown. Hi there. I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in today’s episode of Binge Reading Bronwyn talks about the complications of writing romantic comedy in a pandemic, when you’re not even sure if your characters will be able to fly anywhere. . . And just to ...

Barbara Hannay’s “sparkling feel-good emotional romance” has attracted more than 12 million readers to her uplifting hope-filled stories. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today in the Joys of binge reading Barbara talks about the power of romance and how in days of pandemic, more than ever before, readers want to be uplifted. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: How Barbara got started on her 60 book career Why we still want to believe in love North Quee...

Fiona Barton’s first crime thriller The Widow was a best seller on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and she hasn’t dropped her pace in the few years since. Her third novel – The Suspect –newly released in the US – continues to show her a crime thriller breakout star – with a tale of two teens who go to Thailand for Gap year partying and find themselves in all sorts of trouble. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and Fiona describes what it was like living in the rural reaches of Myanmar wh...

Dwight Holing’s contemporary western thriller series starring Nick Drake owe their success to their readers, who are vocal in clamoring for the next book . . . Hi there. I’m your host, Jenny Wheeler and today Dwight explains how he sees writing as a collaboration and agrees with feted author John Cheever who once said “I can’t write without a reader. It’s precisely like a kiss. You can’t do it alone. “ We are delighted also to be offering a Nick Drake Giveaway – two E-book copies of The S...

Janet Gover’s fictional country town of Coorah Creek is Robyn Carr’s Virgin River set in The Outback – with the stories of love and loss, flights and fights, that fans love. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny wheeler, and today on the Joys of Binge Reading Janet talks about her latest book, The Lawson Sisters, a contemporary story of family guilt and estranged siblings, and exciting new projects – like her recreation of Bronte stories in the 20th century. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys...

Hazel Gaynor’s best-selling historical novels take famous events and look at how they affected the lives of the “little people.” Her most recent work – her eighth – Meet Me in Monaco – does just that with the events surrounding Grace Kelly’s Monaco marriage to Princess Rainier. Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Hazel talks about what it takes to build a successful author career and the Titanic love story that got her launched. And as a special treat we’ve got three paperback copie...

Melanie Benjamin’s historic fiction successfully combines romance with thriller plots and famous real life heroines, so its perhaps not surprising her books regularly grace the New York Times and USA Today best seller lists. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Melanie talks about her latest book Mistress of the Ritz, a World War II story based in the landmark Paris hotel taken over by the Nazis. It’s a love story and a suspense thriller all in one. Six things you’ll learn from this...

SW Hubbard’s twisty edgy domestic thrillers are favorites with readers who also enjoy her complex characters and sly humor. Hi, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today on the Binge Reading podcast SW – Sue – talks about what it takes to be a successful indie author with not just two but three different series to her credit. Along with the show, we’re giving away three Ebook copies of Treasure Built On Sand, SW’s latest Estate Sale mystery and a twisty domestic thriller. Enter the draw on the Jo...

Kate Alcott’s Hollywood novels take us inside the sparkle of the star system to reveal real people, from Clark Gable and Carole Lombard on the set of Gone With The Wind to purity icon Ingrid Bergman’s spectacular fall from grace as an American darling. Hi there. I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and on the Joys of Binge Reading today Kate talks about growing up in Los Angeles and being a Hollywood insider, as well as assessing how women writers and actors fared in early Hollywood compared with...

Listen to the interview with Stephanie Dray, L:aura’s writing partner, in this episode of Binge Reading – History’s Forgotten Women. Laura Kamoie hit No 1 in the Amazon best seller charts with her latest historical novel My Dear Hamilton on the week we talked – evidence of the success she and co-author Stephanie Dray are enjoying with their novel about Eliza Hamilton, wife of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in today’s Binge Reading episode, Lau...

Scott Graham’s National Park mysteries combine murder, mayhem and mysticism in spectacular landscapes while embracing a keen awareness of environmental and social justice issues – a heady brew that’s winning him a growing audience. Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in today’s Binge Reading podcast Scott talks about why he chose to set his five book series around an archaeologist sleuth Chuck and his Latina wife Janelle. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episod...

Welcome back to The Joys of Binge Reading podcast. I’m your host, Jenny Wheeler, and here in New Zealand we’ve taken a month out for a summer holiday break – blobbing out at the beach. Now we’re back – rejuvenated and raring to go – in our mission of helping you – our audience – discover popular best sellers you’ll find irresistible reading… Australia’s bush fires have made international news while we’ve been in recess, so it’s fitting to kick off the first episode of 2020 with author Stephani...

Ian Austin’s under-cover cop Dan Calder is a man with a tendency for trouble – either creating it or falling into it… the protagonist in a crime series that’s been favorably compared to international names like John Grisham and Ian Rankin. Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Ian talks about why he doesn’t see Dan as a “hero”, describes how he became a full-time writer after a long and successful career as a police officer, and the high value he places on reader feedback. Six...

Martin Walker’s Bruno, the French police chief at the heart of his best-selling Perigord mystery series, is everyone’s ideal cop – as well as the town’s most eligible bachelor and a talented host with an international award-winning cook book in his name . . . . Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Martin Walker talks about French charm, his passion for the Perigord, and his years as a diplomatic correspondent in Gorbachev’s Moscow and Clinton’s Washington. Six things you’ll learn fr...

Stephanie Barron’s popular Jane Austen mysteries feature the famous novelist as a crime investigator and are so close to real life that Stephanie sometimes hears Jane’s voice in her head as she writes. Hi there, I’m your host, Jenny Wheeler and today Stephanie talks about channelling Jane Austen, World War II espionage novels, and That Churchill Woman, her latest novel about Sir Winston Churchill’s controversial American mother. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episo...

Novelist Gill Paul takes iconic women of the 20th century – from Wallis Simpson to Diana, Princess of Wales, from Jackie O to Maria Callas – and spins a magic story that combines fact with imagination to give readers new insights into famous lives. . . . Hi there. I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and in this week’s Joys of Binge Reading episode Gill talks about the romance of the Romanovs, and her crazy passion for cutting ice to go swimming. Six Things You Didn’t Know Six things you’ll learn from...

Joanna Shupe’s Gilded Age New York heroes are giving Regency Dukes a run for their money on romance best seller lists, making the age of the Astors and Vanderbilts “hot” with contemporary readers. Hi there I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and Joanna talks about feisty women, ostentatious wealth, dinner parties on horseback and how so often truth is stranger than fiction. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: Why surprising readers is important The lure of the Gilded...

Anna Willet writes nightmare thrillers it’s best not to read before bed – and that’s the way her readers love them. Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in todays Binge Reading episode Anna talks about facing her worst fears in her nail biting books and the traumatic experience as a teen that has colored her work. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: The draw of psychological thrillers On being an Australian thriller writer The challenge of giving her char...

When Cassandra Clark publishes a new book in her Abbess of Meaux series, medievalists rejoice. The ten-book series was sparked by a dream, and it focuses on the remarkable Cistercian nun Hildegard, during the turbulent reign of the boy king, King Richard II. Hi there. I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and today Cassandra talks about how the victors write history and being in New York on September 11. Six things you’ll learn from this Joys of Binge Reading episode: The dream that sparked a series ...