B (2:42)

Yes, Starting in two weeks. We promised to chat about Ask for Andrea. I know a lot of people read it and want to hear our thoughts on it. So we will do a book chat about that book and we'll be excited to hear what you think about it. I know not everybody came to retreat or is interested in retreat, but do we want to talk a little bit about that? Because I would love to toss a little love to the expo author's way.

A (3:05)

Yeah. Oh yeah. Well, we have to toss love towards all of that. The entire place. My gosh.

B (3:12)

Yeah.

A (3:13)

It was amazing. Yes. Okay, so just to echo Ashley, if you're listening to this read Ask for Andrea by Noel Eiley by two weeks and we'll check.

B (3:22)

Yes. Do we want to talk about retreat?

A (3:24)

Let's do it.

B (3:25)

Okay. How in detail do we want to get. Do we want to start at day one when we were depressed about the weather and crying about pre order books not showing up or do we want to go straight to the awesome parts?

A (3:35)

I think we just give the highlights, the highlight reel of the best and the worst. So best part of retreat for you, Ashley?

B (3:43)

Best part of retreat? Well, I mean the best part is the most obvious part and it's always the people. Like when I just looked around and I'm like, all of these people are here because they love books and they love this community. Like when I was looking through pictures today, I saw people. I don't know, I. You could feel that everyone was having the time of their lives. But just looking through the textures, I'm like, people don't have their phones out. They're like reading books, drinking espresso martinis. So I think the best part is just the people. I don't know what's your highlight?

A (4:14)

Well, for sure the whole vibe is magical. It really is just so much joy, so little negativity, no drama. Like I. It's just joy. So that's pretty special. I would say. Highlights of the retreat included. Yeah. Getting to meet the expo author. So we have this room with like 24 authors who are really stellar authors and I'm actually halfway through Miranda Smith's book smile for the cameras and enjoying it so much. It's like a, it's like a play on like Scream or I know what you did last summer. And it's about like a reunion of the cast of that. But there were also like real things that happen on set. Anyway, I totally recommend it. Just meeting the expo Authors. That was a highlight. BA Paris's keynote was a highlight because it just was a full circle moment for us. Like, that's the book that started. This whole book club was behind closed doors by BA Paris. And having her there with us to talk about the book and talk about what she's up to next was really incredible. And I think the moment that, like, sticks out in my head is that the crowd, you know, our 450 guests gave her a standing ovation at the end. And just while.

B (5:30)

While I wept, I. I did a. Who was I talking to? I. Or maybe I did a video. I was talking to someone and I'm like, you know, I said four times at retreat, like, I'm. I'm not a big crier, but I had to say it because I was crying at retreat, like, to the point of, you know, doing that weird breathing. Like, get a hold of yourself, Ashley.

A (5:50)

I know. I do think it was super funny. I'll never forget that I was facing more via Paris, but you were facing outward more and you were crying, and it was supposed to be your turn to talk, and you were, like, so choked up, you couldn't talk. And you were looking to me and I was like, do you not see me? I can't talk. I too, we miss.

B (6:09)

Well, I just think our listeners know BA Paris, and she's like. I mean, to us in our world, she's like the Michael Jordan of thriller authors. She's like, our. I don't know how it gets any better than that. So for her to come and to tell us, like, this has been the highlight of my writing career. I think that was the high for me that her experience was so positive that she called it the highlight of her writing career. I couldn't. I could not believe that. I was like, did I. Did you just say that?

A (6:39)

I know. And here I am, like, we're not even talking about the fact that we had Sarah Pekkanen, Ashley Winstead, Jason Rak, Heather Gooden Cough, Lucinda Berry and Cara Ruda there. Like, these are celebrity status thriller authors in our world. And it was so cute. Oh, I'll tell you this one cute story. We took the authors the first night of retreat, like, Thursday night after the happy hour reception, we took them to Calla to dinner in Scottsdale. And the server was, like, weak in the knees over the fact that these were thriller authors. And I said, I was sitting next to Jason Rakulik and I was at the table, like, in the placeholder, waiting for BA Paris to take my spot when you Guys arrived with her. And so at the author was like, six massive thriller authors. And she's like, you guys write the books. And she's like, I don't know. I've read, you know, everybody goes to, like, Verity. And we're. I was like, did you read that one book? I think it's. What's it called? With the pictures in it? I go, hidden. Hidden pictures. Did I tell you the story before, Ashley? No. Sitting next to Jason. I know that. That one with the pictures. Hidden pictures. And she goes, oh, yes, I read that by Jason. And I go, rakulik. That's right. This is him. And he goes, that was you. That was a plant. And I was like, it's not. And she goes, I read the other one too. What was it? And I go, last one at the wedding. She goes, yes, I read that one too. I really liked that.

B (8:09)

You know, I feel like last year a lot of our readers were not as up on Cara Ruda's books as they were some of the other authors. And people left being like, oh, my gosh. Kara Ruda, like, she is absolutely incredible as a person. And I feel like this year that's what happened with Jason. For the people who came to his session, they were like, he's like a standup comedian level funny. We left his.

A (8:34)

His.

B (8:35)

Like, he did a whole presentation and the entire audience was absolutely cracking up. And I think when authors come to our retreat and this is just parroting what they tell us, it's a different experience because it's an experience about the readers. Right. The authors aren't expected to teach the readers how to write or how to whatever. They're kind of just there, honestly, to, like, entertain our readers and ask the questions we have of them so they get to show these little sides of their personality that, I don't know, they usually share with their readers. So I feel like Jason Rakulith now has. However many people were in his session, like, dedicated readers for life, just because they are now aware that not only is he an incredible writer, but also a hilarious human.

A (9:17)

Oh, my gosh. I mean, okay, here's the thing that. Another takeaway. Just about these, like, headliner authors. Sarah Pekkanen is absolutely the life of the party. She is, like, such a fun time. She's down for anything. She has more energy than anyone I know. Ashley Winstead, phenomenal storyteller. Very, very. Just like, what is it? Captivating. She's very captivating and fun and light. And Lucinda Berry. We. We've known Lucinda Berry for a Few years. She's hilarious. She's such a good time. I mean, what else can we say? And Heather Goodenkopf, for those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Heather Goodenkof at our events yet either, she's the kindest, most gentle person. Like BA Paris. The two of them, I feel like, are just. Just soft and gentle in this very, like, kind, demure way. They're really classy. And then they say stuff like, I like to make my husband lay down and see if I killed him, if that position would work for my writing. Or like, I am looking for places to hide a body.

B (10:26)

Remember when Bernadette said that, that her husband will be talking to her and she won't hear what he's saying, and he'll be like, you're thinking about where to hide a body. And she'll be like, yes, I am. I think the night we took the. The authors to call it to. I don't know if you. I don't know if you saw this, and I hope we. I don't think we have any pictures of videos of it, but they brought us this dessert and they lit it on fire, and it was beautiful. But I'm sitting next to Ashley Winstead, and across from us are Lucinda and Lucinda. And you can see this if you follow her on TikTok is very animated, talks with her hands, you know, kind of all over the place. And Ashley is also a very big hand talker. And they both are tactile, like, would touch each other's hands while having a conversation. And I just sat there and I was like, one of them's gonna catch on fire. Because they were having this animated conversation and reaching across this open flame dessert. And I was like, one of them. One of them's gonna catch their arm on fire. And that's the end. And Harry at one point was like, can you guys please just sit on your hands?

A (11:23)

That is so funny. Yes, we. I did end up. I gave up that seat next to Jason Rakulik, of course, because I was just keeping it warm for BA Paris when she arrived. And I sat with. And then the server came back around, and she was like, said to the. All of us sitting down at that other end, she's like, I. She's like, do you even understand? I have celebrities come in here all the time, and I never care. I never care. And she's like, I feel like I could pass out. I'm so excited here. So anyway, if you are a nerd like us, then you are stoked about Thriller authors.

B (11:56)

I think one of the other. I know we're talking about this a lot, but one of the other highlights too was the non book related stuff we offered that people like. I don't think I talked to anybody that did not. I think we're the only people that didn't get a tattoo. Everybody I talked with got a tattoo.

A (12:12)

I, I know I saw Faith Gardner. She's one of the authors that we have there in the expo. Oh my gosh. Phenomenal author. Got a knife behind her ear and it looks so cute. Ellis Hart, who wrote a little novella of a murder mystery happening at the retreat, set at the Scott Resort. At the retreat during the time of the retreat. So clever. He got a cute tattoo on his arm. I just, I know. I was so jealous as I was watching people with those.

B (12:41)

I was too. I. Yeah, it was just such an epic weekend, I don't think. I mean, usually when you talk about highs and lows that there were no lows once the guests arrived. The lows were before they arrived because we're so focused on wanting everyone to have the best experience that I think the little bumps in the road that people don't see before they arrive are the times where we are freaking out. Just like are, are the books coming? Are the, just all the, all the behind the scenes stuff that you don't see or hear about? Because that's not part of your experience.

A (13:15)

Yeah, the stress and, and the, just the anxiety and nervousness of leading up to retreat is so much. And I was so worried about things that are under our control. I was worried about things not under our control. Like, I was so worried one of us would be like deathly ill, not be able to host our sessions or something. But I was also worried about things under our control. Like, I just was super worried about the user experience with lines. Like I did not want people to come away from retreat being like, I stood in line for four hours to get an author book signed or I stood in line for an hour and a half and then, and then they cut me off. And you know what? I think that went really well. People did have to wait in some lines, but they were never very long.

B (14:00)

Yeah, well. And I know as, as the hosts of retreat, it would probably be more beneficial for us not to be the ones standing at book signings helping people take pictures with the authors because a lot of other people could be doing that task. But looking back, I, I loved being a fly on the wall and hearing the conversations authors have with their readers. I loved just Hearing how readers came to find these authors books and the authors loving hearing these stories. And I know one of our volunteers said it made her feel really stressed that, you know, these authors had been signing for like 30 minutes. But the author said to her, like, no, we really enjoy this. Like this is the whole point. We get to meet our readers and talk with them. I would do signings all day. Like this is the least I can do for someone who spends money and time on my books. And I just, I kind of loved being a like a fly on the wall watching these conversations.

A (15:00)

Oh, me too. That was really fun to just eavesdrop and listen to them talk to the authors and to the authors. Gave up so much interesting information. That was like, Jason Rakulik at one point was like, no, my hand's not cramping up when someone's like, oh, how's your hand? Okay. No, it's not cramping up. I, I actually hand write out all my books. I was like, what? Okay. You know, it's just cool stuff that you learn. Anyway, listen, you should go look it up. The Expo authors at Araben. Absolutely incredible. I mean we had Steph Nelson and Courtney Psak of the. We mean, just thinking about the ones we haven't even mentioned yet. Right? Like there, there are so many incredible authors. Jennifer Tramore, Kristen Mulligan. I mean, go look at our list online. Go to the creepy bookclub.com retreat and you can see all of the authors, headliners and expo authors from this year. We are already generating ideas about invitations for next year and we actually get reached out to a lot. So we have historically sort of been like, take what comes our way. And we, we're being very intentional about being thoughtful about that.

B (16:08)

Yeah, I'm super excited for Expo authors for next year. I also think we have to give our community a pat on the back because most of the expo authors reported to us that often they go to expos and they're really excited to get their name out there and their work. But they all sold out of their books.

A (16:24)

I know, I'm so glad.

B (16:26)

Day one, day one and a half and had to get more books. So I just think our community shows up to support authors and I think that's unique and it's really special.

A (16:35)

Yeah, that's, that's so great. And I, I mean, just having that many authors in one place. I was definitely, I was a fan girling.

B (16:44)

I know, I was too. What else do we have to catch up on? What are we reading or watching? What, what do people want to know?

A (16:51)

Well, I'm reading this Miranda Smith's not for the Cameras. So I will keep you posted on that one. That's with my eyes, with my ears. I just finished hey Hun by Emily Paulson who was one of our expo authors and she wrote an a book about how MLMs are essentially like cults and, and p. Perpetuate white supremacy and stuff. And I loved it. I thought that was fascinating. So I just finished listening to that. Now I'm, I'm deviating and I'm going to be listening to the Brier Club by Kate Quinn because I have an in person book club that does all kinds of books, not just thrillers. And that's our pick for this book club.

B (17:28)

Wait, what did. I've read something by Kate Quinn, right?

A (17:32)

The Rose Color.

B (17:33)

Yes, yes, that's it.

A (17:35)

I did not read that. But the Briar Club starts out with a bang. The first like five minutes on the audiobook were like, there's a murder and who did? So I'm like, oh, is this a thriller? Oh, I don't know, but I like.

B (17:49)

All right, I have to tell you something funny. So there is, there's a gal named Kara Goucher. If you're a runner, you know who she is. She's a big deal and she loves thriller books. She wants to come to retreat and she asked me to recommend a book and I kind of asked her a couple questions like, what have you read that you like? Like how dark do you like to go? So I recommended Strange Sally diamond and she shared it in her stories and she was like, she said something like, you know, got this recommendation from lots of miles and like now I don't know if I should trust you or like if I love you even more. She's like, that book was an absolutely wild ride. So then I told her to kind of pivot. I'm like, if you want a beautiful book that still has some thrillers. I told her to the Alan Eskins.

A (18:37)

Oh, I love, I love all of Allen Eskins life we bury. Probably my first, my top and then quiet librarian.

B (18:45)

Wait, did I tell you Alan Eskins? I think cousin was at our retreat. Did I tell you this?

A (18:51)

Yeah.

B (18:52)

So somebody who's related to Alan was at our retreat and I. She saw that we had picked his book of the month and, and how he was so grateful and thankful because he doesn't feel like, you know, he gets, which I feel like he doesn't as well, kind of the recognition and that us choosing his book for the book of the month was such a big deal, and I was like, oh, well, just like, tell Alan we said hi. Isn't that. Small world? Yes, I know. Anyway, so I. I'll tell you. I just finished. Did you. Did you finish Alice Feeny's My Husband's wife. Okay, so I finished that, and we did the book chat on it last night, and it was a good chat. It's the. It's the first book where nobody rated it under four stars. It got all fours or fives with our group.

A (19:42)

Oh, wow. Alice Feeney, just so amazing.

B (19:45)

Just the master of the twists. Did you read it with your eyes or your ears?

A (19:52)

I. I think my. My ears.

B (19:54)

I only ask that because I guess when you read it with your eyes, the major, major twist doesn't come until the last two pages.

A (20:02)

Okay, Yeah, I. I think I did my ears. You know, isn't that terrible that I can't remember?

B (20:08)

Oh, I had to do well on, like, to remind me what happened in this book last night.

A (20:13)

I think my. My memory's going faster and faster. But, yeah, I'm pretty sure I. I'm pretty sure I listen to it, and I was very twisty. But I like that she always introduced multiple twists, so there's like, twist upon twist upon twist.

B (20:26)

And I'm reading with my ears right now. Project Hail Mary.

A (20:29)

Oh, I love that. Okay, can I just say. Can I just say, being an amateur podcaster, that it's a little annoying that there's people who are apparently. I don't know, all the trees in my neighborhood maybe are getting cut down today, and it's really loud out there. There's like, lawn work, yard work happening everywhere. And at your house, there's a dog barking.

B (20:49)

Yeah, there's always dog barking in my house.

A (20:52)

Like, all I can hear is like. I'm like, oh, well, I hope we got good AI noise reduction when we put this into the filter thing.

B (21:03)

Our people love us. I'm. I'm gonna tell them a story, and then I'm gonna stop talking. Emily told me to listen to Project Hail Mary, and I did not. I did not download it on my audible, and I was at the airport, and I bought the book. And then I thought that you'd be proud of me for reading the book. And Emily was like, I told you to listen to it like it is an experience. And I'm here to say you are right, that I can't stop listening to it, and it's beautiful and I love it, and that's all I have to say. Hunter's now listening to it also. Which you recommended.

A (21:35)

Yes. I. I was so angry with you for bringing that book into our hotel room. I said, what are you. What are you doing? That's just because I know you enjoy the listen and the narration. So special. So if you were somebody who, like, never listened to audiobooks, I could understand. But even my friends, like Megan, who came to retreat and helped work for us for a day, she doesn't listen to audiobooks hardly ever. And she did project Hail Mary as an audiobook.

B (22:01)

It's fascinating. It's so good. And I can't figure out where it's going, but I think I'm gonna be sad at some point. Cause I love everyone.

A (22:10)

It's so good. Well, I mean, I feel like we have more to say. Oh, so we're going to talk about Ask for Andrea by Noel Eiley. We're going to talk about my. My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney.

B (22:23)

Maybe.

A (22:24)

That's a maybe.

B (22:26)

Yeah. Yeah. And then probably have an interview with Alice on Patreon before the end of the month. I'm just waiting to hear back on timing.

A (22:33)

Okay. And I feel like there were other books that we were thinking about talking. This is a classic. Emily and Ashley, we told you. We're like, read these books. Do not. Do not miss out on our book chats on books with your besties. You better read these books because we're going to talk about them. And now we're like, what were those? I don't know. We're not going to talk about anything here.

B (22:54)

I looked it up.

A (22:55)

Okay.

B (22:55)

So we talked about the missing half. We talked about Haven't Killed in Years. Right. By Amy Green.

A (23:02)

We haven't talked about it yet. Oh, well, we have that up.

B (23:05)

And then we have Ask for Andrew. And then it's not her, which is our book of the month this month by Mary Kubika.

A (23:10)

Okay, that sounds good. I'm into those. I feel like we. What we do is we both. We both like to read a lot of random books that aren't on our list that we agree about necessarily. And then we just decide to talk about them randomly. We're like, oh, let's just talk about this one. So maybe we should stop making so many promises.

B (23:29)

We probably. Probably should. I also want to read. Is it Ashley Elston, the Anatomy of an Alibi?

A (23:36)

Yes. She's the one who wrote that one. First lie wins.

B (23:40)

Okay.

A (23:42)

If we're gonna be completely honest, Ashley, neither one of us finished that book, right? I didn't either. It was a DNF for both of us, and we got pretty far into it.

B (23:52)

No, And I don't even care how it ended, but. And I don't think it was the. I. I think she's a good writer. I just don't think I was, I don't know, into the stories. But from what I've seen, Anatomy of an Alibi has pretty good ratings. I don't know. I'll give it a shot.

A (24:06)

Oh, me too. And here's the thing is, I think my problem was it is very, very, very rare that you're gonna get me to, like, a con game story.

B (24:15)

Right? And I'm just not that interested in it.

A (24:19)

Like, you give me a cabin in the woods in the snow with no WI fi. I don't even care. It doesn't even have to be good. I'm gonna love it. I had a. Love it. Any domestic suspense? Domestic thrillers. Love domestic thrillers. Like almost anything about family dynamics, relationships, that's. I'm into domestic stuff. You know, you just like certain tropes more than others. I do like a locked door mystery. I love, like, Kara Ruda's newest book, we Were Never Friends. Which, by the way, I'm still wearing my we were never friends friendship bracelet. Reunion of friends kind of concept. Like in vacation houses stuff. But a con job, like a con artist. It gets crossed off my list pretty quick. Often. I've. No offense, authors. Thank you.

B (25:04)

Same with the stolen. No, not stolen identity. Also. What? Multiple personalities. That's an immediate no. I. My favorite trope. I've decided, other than like, a domestic thriller, which I love. And these are. But I. I am obsessed with books where the. You don't know if a kid is really bad or not. I like. I get enough of, like, the push. Perfect child. Those are. I love them.

A (25:35)

You've always liked that. Yes. Creepy kids are your thing.

B (25:40)

Those were also my favorite Maury Povich episodes where people would come on and be like, I'm afraid of my child.

A (25:45)

You know what those are like. I like that too. I am also interested in that whole. The trope.

B (25:53)

Okay, we have to let our people go now because we have to get ready for an interview.

A (25:57)

Also, we got so boring at the end. Apologies. This is what it's like hanging out with us. Can you imagine? Being our friend, we just start to ramble.

B (26:05)

People who came to retreat probably are going to say, I'm not coming back. Mainly because they are the hosts.

A (26:12)

Listen, next year we'll get some other helpers. Also, I do Think one of the things that, like, I delighted in, that I think is so cute is the people who came and could not tell us apart.

B (26:23)

Yes. What? The person in the bathroom who goes, which one are you?

A (26:28)

I had multiple people come up to me and they'd be like, thank you so much for doing this retreat. And then they would like, visually look at my name tag and be like, emily, I can't tell which one you are. I can't tell. And so then when we got up on stage, I started to be like, ashley, reintroduce ourselves because they don't know who's who.

B (26:46)

Okay, wait, one last thing and then we'll really go. I also love that our friends who came and volunteered literally said like, you guys do such a bad job explaining, like what your job is. And they came. You're like, this is what you do. Kelly, my friend Kelly was literally like, when you say you're like working your book business, I just think you're lying and you don't have time to hang out. She's like, if I knew this is what it was, now I understand.

A (27:13)

I know. It's like it feels like self aggrandizing to go to people and be like, well, I run this retreat. It's massive. It's very big undertaking. It's got famous thriller authors of Met Galore, many of them, 30 authors.

B (27:30)

And we have a book of the month and we have two podcasts. I'm like, I'm just going to call us a multimedia company and say, leave us alone.

A (27:37)

I know. I'm always like, I don't know, we're just dabbling in some side hustle type of stuff.

B (27:42)

I'm like, what do you do? I'm like, I don't have time to explain it. I'm like, it's just book club. And they're like, what? I'm like, don't worry about it.

A (27:50)

It's an umbrella corporation for about 50 activities and we can't get on top of any of them. What? We did hire you all. I hope you saw our post about our new social media manager, Allison, the bookish camper. She is keeping us in line and she's the reason that any of our socials look a little bit better and our patreon will be a little better. And she is on us about getting our stuff done. So that's really helpful. So as we make promises, she's going to be like, hi there, y' all. Promise this. Can you please send me your outcomes? And we'll be like, whoopsie. Daisy.

B (28:24)

I just texted her yes to something she's asking for, and I don't even know what it is, but whatever it is, we just have to do it.

A (28:30)

Yeah, that sounds good. Okay.

B (28:32)

Bye, besties. We'll see you next time to talk about Ask for Andrea.

A (28:36)

Yep, we're getting back on the book train, so ask for Andrea Noel Eiley. We'll talk. We'll talk about that in two weeks. You'll get that on Patreon early on Tuesday, not next week, but the week after, and then Friday it drops everywhere. We also have some good behind the scenes content coming your way on Patreon. Thanks for listening, friends. Take care.

B (28:58)

Bye, guys. Thanks for listening.

A (29:04)

For more content, find us on Patreon at the Creepy Book Club.

B (29:08)

Happy reading.