Carl Hiaasen: gin & tonic (Barr Hill gin, tonic, lime wedge)

Carl discusses the talented Vince Vaughn and how he will forever more inhabit the character Yancy, tells how his surroundings in Florida have changed so much since the time of his youth and why that has inspired him to make Florida a recurring ‘character’ in his novels, reveals a time that he was nearly eaten by an alligator while floating on an inner tube, shares incredible personal stories with Jimmy Buffett and Warren Zevon, names the book that expanded for him what can be possible to do in a novel, and offers an important piece of advice especially if you live in Florida.

Chris Pavone: Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth, club soda, orange twist)

Chris discusses his early career experiences in publishing meetings with Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis and what her work meant to him and other colleagues, the gifts his wife possesses that made her a great CEO for Penguin Random House and that also guided him to a writing career upon recognizing he did not possess those gifts, how his life as an expat inspired his debut novel THE EXPAT, how the first drafts of his novels might end personal friendships unless his wife makes some edits, the importance of writing down the flap copy of your life.

J.D. Barker: White Russian (2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce Kahlua, 1 ounce heavy cream)

J.D. talks about how he stalked and then connected with Stephen King, how his partnership with James Patterson has changed his writing method, the way he has turned his Asperger Syndrome into his secret weapon for writing novels, the landmark publishing imprint of his own within Simon & Schuster and how he worked with CEO Jonathan Karp and the private equity firm KKR to establish the business model for it, the pros and cons of independent publishing and traditional publishing, the remote island that is the setting for his latest ‘Chiller’ novel as well as is the setting for his real life.