Bookwild

Kate Hergott, Bookwild Collective

On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with multiple co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.

  1. A Con Woman, A Wealthy Woman, and a Dead Husband: Rebecca Sharpe's Harmless Women

    14 AVR.

    A Con Woman, A Wealthy Woman, and a Dead Husband: Rebecca Sharpe's Harmless Women

    In this episode, I talk with Rebecca Sharpe about her debut con-thriller Harmless Women.   Listen to hear about: Rebecca's long, bumpy publishing journey How the book explores the way society underestimates women, and how that perception can be both a vulnerability and a weapon How Rebecca's fluid, character-driven writing process focuses on emotional pacing, moral complexity, and letting the story evolve organically rather than rigid outlining Harmless Women Synopsis Avalon Dale is a masterful grifter. She researches her victims thoroughly, kidnaps and sedates them, cleans out their bank accounts, and uses injections and hair clippers to change their appearance so that when they wake up, they can't easily prove who they are. It gives her a head start and a new identity to get away. She's targeted Primrose Meath for her last big score, and then she'll fade away to a life of ease and luxury--something she's dreamed of since a very tough childhood. On paper, Prim is the perfect wealthy, workaholic, and distracted by her cheating husband. But when Avalon finds Prim's husband dead, she can't get away so easily--not when she's been mistaken for Prim who's now wanted for murder. The two women, opposites, enemies, are suddenly on the run together, and must learn to get along, to depend on each other, in order to get away. And then, what starts as a cat-and-mouse run to the coast of England becomes a fight for their survival. Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland Halley Sutton @halleysutton25 Brian Watson @readingwithbrian MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

    45 min
  2. Medicine, Machines, and Meaning: Justin C. Key's The Hospital at the End of the World

    7 AVR.

    Medicine, Machines, and Meaning: Justin C. Key's The Hospital at the End of the World

    In this episode, I talk with Justin C. Key about his speculative novel The Hospital at the End of the World.  Justin shares how his medical training and fascination with AI, consciousness, and ethics informed the novel’s evolution from a short story into a full-length work. We dive into the tension between technological advancement and human connection, particularly in medicine, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of empathy and lived experience. Justin also discusses worldbuilding choices, balancing speculative ideas with grounded realism, and both the promise and risks of AI in healthcare and learning. Listen to hear about: How Justin’s writing journey evolved naturally from a deep love of reading into a disciplined, intuitive creative practice   How his “pantser” approach prioritizes discovery, with structure and outlines often emerging during the editing phase   How The Hospital at the End of the World began as a short story and expanded over years alongside his medical education   The way the novel explores AI in healthcare, balancing its powerful analytical potential with the risks of over-reliance and loss of human judgment   How the novel explores the irreplaceable role of human connection, arguing that empathy and presence are just as critical as data in medicine Follow Justin C. Key here and grab a copy of The Hospital at the End of the World here Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland Halley Sutton @halleysutton25 Brian Watson @readingwithbrian MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

    1 h
  3. Exploitation, Empowerment and Enlightenment: Courtney Kocak's Girl Gone Wild

    1 AVR.

    Exploitation, Empowerment and Enlightenment: Courtney Kocak's Girl Gone Wild

    In this episode, I chat with Courtney Kocak about her debut memoir Girl Gone Wild!  She shares how it is both a personal reckoning and a cultural critique, tracing her journey from a “too much” small-town girl to a woman navigating ambition, sexuality, religion, and creative identity. She reflects on how early influences—strict religious messaging, shame around the body, and a lack of role models—shaped her relationship to power, pleasure, and self-worth, while her experiences in Hollywood and the entertainment industry reveal the harsh realities behind the myth of “making it.”  Listen to hear about: How the memoir evolved over 15+ years, requiring both craft development and personal growth to fully process her past experiences How early religious and cultural messaging created deep tension between bodily autonomy and imposed shame The empowerment vs. exploitation dynamic for young women, especially in entertainment The way Hollywood’s success narrative often hides the economic struggle, privilege, and sacrifices required to sustain creative work How Kocak shifted from chasing external validation and fame to prioritizing artistic fulfillment and an integrated, authentic identity Learn more about Courtney or purchase Girl Gone Wild here Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland Halley Sutton @halleysutton25 Brian Watson @readingwithbrian MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

    1 h 3 min
  4. Deconstructing Without Losing Jesus: Jeremy Jernigan's The Edge of the Inside

    31 MARS

    Deconstructing Without Losing Jesus: Jeremy Jernigan's The Edge of the Inside

    In this episode, I talk with Jeremy Jernigan about his deeply personal and intellectual journey behind The Edge of the Inside, unpacking how Jeremy’s lifelong love of writing evolved into a healing-driven project that blends memoir and theology. We discuss how time and emotional distance were necessary to move from bitterness to clarity, allowing Jeremy to structure the book into reflection, belief, and application. We also discuss shared experiences as pastor’s kids, the disorienting process of deconstruction, and the realization that faith is far broader than what we were taught. Listen to hear about: Writing as healing, not just storytelling Jeremy describes the book as a form of therapy, something he had to live through and process before he could write honestly and help others.   The “edge of the inside” concept Inspired by Richard Rohr, this idea captures the experience of still belonging to a system while holding a perspective that challenges it.   Deconstruction and expanding belief systems We both reflect on realizing that what we were taught wasn’t the full picture, leading to curiosity, questioning, and broader exploration.   How language shapes belief (and confusion) The same words, faith, truth, provision, can mean completely different things depending on who’s using them, especially in religious and political contexts.   The “life quake” moment Jeremy shares the pivotal realization that doing the “right” things doesn’t guarantee success—and sometimes leads to losing everything, forcing a complete redefinition of faith and identity. Grab a copy of Jeremy's book here! Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland Halley Sutton @halleysutton25 Brian Watson @readingwithbrian MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

    1 h 24 min
  5. Racial Trauma and Culturally Responsive Care: Ashley McGirt-Adair's The Cost of Healing in Silence

    31 MARS

    Racial Trauma and Culturally Responsive Care: Ashley McGirt-Adair's The Cost of Healing in Silence

    In this episode, MacKenzie Green and I talk with Ashley McGirt-Adair about her new book, The Cost of Healing in Silence, and the deep, often overlooked impact of racial trauma within healthcare systems. Ashley shares how her personal experiences, her grandmother’s legacy, and over a decade of work as a trauma therapist shaped her approach to culturally responsive care.  Listen to hear about: The concept of racial trauma as real trauma, and why naming it explicitly matters in both therapy and broader cultural conversations. How systemic bias in healthcare shows up in real, life-threatening ways (misread medical devices, dismissal of symptoms, lack of advocacy). The burden of self-advocacy in medical spaces, especially for Black patients and families navigating emergencies or chronic illness. Ashley’s idea of moving from “hope” to “commitment,” and how small, individual actions create meaningful systemic change. The idea of “homecoming to self” through culture, ancestry, music, food, and joy as a necessary counterbalance to generational trauma.   And grab a copy of The Cost of Healing in Silence here! Check Out Author Social Media Packages Check out the Bookwild Community on Patreon Check Out My Stories Are My Religion Substack Get Bookwild Merch Follow @imbookwild on Instagram Other Co-hosts On Instagram: Gare Billings @gareindeedreads Steph Lauer @books.in.badgerland Halley Sutton @halleysutton25 Brian Watson @readingwithbrian MacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

    1 h 10 min

À propos

On Tuesdays, Kate Hergott talks with authors about their books and writing processes. On Fridays, Kate talks with multiple co-host Bookstagrammers and BookTubers about a variety of bookish topics.

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