Plot Twist Radio

Erin Egnatz
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Arts
  • Updated Weekly

Plot Twist Radio is where the best stories aren’t just written… they’re lived. Plot Twist Radio brings you conversations with authors, creators, and storytellers, uncovering the moments that changed everything. We dive into storytelling and inspiration through personal growth journeys. Each episode uncovers the defining plot twist that sparks transformation, featuring authors, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, athletes, screenwriters, and more. Host Erin Egnatz (Hauntings Around America, Eliza Nevius) brings a narrative-driven approach to stories about unexpected turns that shape lives.

  1. 4h ago

    Lucy Ashe on The Model Patient: Therapy, Obsession & Who We Can Trust

    Bestselling historical and psychological novelist Lucy Ashe joins Erin on Plot Twist Radio to discuss the inspiration behind her latest novel, The Model Patient, a psychological thriller set in 1960s London that explores identity, obsession, manipulation, and the unsettling question of whether we can always trust our own perceptions. Lucy shares how her personal experience with psychodynamic therapy and her fascination with transference, psychoanalysis, and the unusual relationship between therapist and patient became the foundation for the novel. She also explores why the changing world of the early 1960s provided the perfect backdrop for protagonist Evelyn Westbrook, a former model caught between growing female independence and the expectations of a still deeply conservative society. The conversation also traces Lucy's remarkable path from training at London's Royal Ballet School to studying English literature at Oxford, enduring years of rejection as an aspiring novelist, and eventually finding success with The Dance of the Dolls, The Sleeping Beauties, and The Model Patient. Lucy and Erin talk about writing historical fiction, meticulous plotting, the research behind psychological suspense, the vulnerability of submitting your work, and why sometimes the line between healing and obsession can become dangerously difficult to see. Plus, Lucy gives a glimpse at her next novel, The Love Cure, which ventures into the world of a 1970s New York sex-therapy cult. If you love psychological thrillers, historical fiction, unreliable narrators, complicated women, and stories that leave you wondering exactly whom you should trust, this episode is for you.

  2. Sep 13

    Vinnie Favale: Behind the Scenes with David Letterman, CBS, MTV & Comedy Central

    Writer, producer, songwriter, and longtime television executive Vinnie Favale joins Plot Twist Radio for a conversation spanning decades of comedy, late-night television, unexpected career turns, love, loss, and reinvention. Vinnie takes Erin behind the scenes of his remarkable television career, from his early days at MTV and Comedy Central to CBS and his years working with David Letterman. He shares the unlikely story of how a colleague secretly entered him into a David Letterman talent audition, only for Vinnie to find himself back in Letterman’s office fourteen years later interviewing for a network executive position. He also reveals what working with David Letterman and Howard Stern taught him about the craft behind great comedy, recalls the early days of Comedy Central, and offers his perspective on the changing landscape of late-night television and the end of Stephen Colbert’s CBS era. But some of Vinnie’s biggest plot twists happened far from television. He shares the almost cinematic story of meeting his wife through a mistaken phone call, falling in love across the country before ever meeting in person, and proposing after spending only days together face-to-face. He also reflects candidly on grief, mortality, and how losing people he loved ultimately changed the way he approaches life. Now Vinnie is entering another creative chapter, researching an ambitious history of Christmas music while exploring how AI can help independent writers, musicians, and producers bring ideas to life. It’s a conversation about what happens behind the curtain of television, but even more about the unexpected moments that rewrite the story entirely. Find out more at vinniefavale.com

  3. Sep 9

    Beyond Childhood Autism: Pam Minelli on Advocacy, Motherhood & Letting Go Without Letting Go

    What happens when the child you’ve spent your life advocating for grows up? Pam Minelli, of Jupiter, Florida, is the mother of a 28-year-old son with autism and the author of The Kindness of Strangers: Letting Go of My Son with Autism. Her family’s journey began decades ago, when autism was far less understood and getting the right diagnosis, education, and support often meant fighting to be heard. Pam joins Erin to talk about raising her nonverbal son, Andrew, navigating schools and IEPs, finding community, and celebrating victories that other families might take for granted. She also opens up about one of the most difficult chapters of motherhood: preparing for Andrew to move into a group home, watching him thrive there, and discovering that knowing something is right for your child doesn’t necessarily make letting go any easier. They also discuss the growing need for services for autistic adults, the realities families face when planning for lifelong support, and the lessons Andrew has taught Pam about patience, advocacy, and allowing someone you love to follow their own timeline. It’s a candid conversation about autism beyond childhood, the complicated emotions of caregiving, and what it means to help your child build a life that can exist beyond your own. Find more about Pam and her advocacy here.

  4. Sep 4

    Jim Paulk on How I Found Love, Life at Sea & the Relationships That Shape Us

    From Navy submarines and corporate problem-solving to fishing conservation, storytelling, and the search for lasting love, Jim Paulk has spent a lifetime following opportunities he never could have predicted. In this episode of Plot Twist Radio, Jim joins Erin Egnatz to reflect on growing up in small-town Georgia during the Great Depression, graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, serving aboard submarines, and building a career centered on leadership, teamwork, and human connection. Jim also shares the unlikely story of how he became an author after insisting he was a “terrible writer,” and discusses his books Swimming for Our Lives, Shaking Up the World, and his newest release, How I Found Love. Along the way, he recounts extraordinary stories from his Naval Academy classmates, including men who helped shape GPS, walked on the moon, and officiated Super Bowls. But beneath Jim’s many adventures is one lesson that has followed him throughout his life: relationships matter. At 93, his advice is beautifully simple: nurture the people around you, don't dwell on life's negative turns, and remain open to wherever the journey takes you. It’s a warm, funny, and inspiring conversation about love, leadership, friendship, resilience, and a life that refused to follow just one path.

  5. Aug 28

    From ICU Nurse to Improv Innovator: Dr. Candy Campbell on Creativity, Communication & Reinvention

    What happens when a nurse, actor, comedian, author, filmmaker, researcher, and educator brings all of those worlds together? Dr. Candy Campbell joins Plot Twist Radio to share her remarkable journey from behavioral health, ICU, labor and delivery, and the NICU to acting, improv, filmmaking, leadership training, and writing. She reveals how a difficult period in her personal life led her back to comedy, why improv requires far more vulnerability than acting, and how she discovered that the principles of improv could transform communication far beyond the stage. Candy discusses her doctoral research on applied improv in healthcare, including how simple communication principles helped professionals break through workplace silos and build stronger relationships. She and Erin also explore creativity, reinvention, the emotional realities of nursing, and why the different chapters of a creative life don't necessarily compete with one another. The conversation takes another unexpected turn as Candy shares the unforgettable encounter with a Navy nurse returning from Vietnam that stayed with her for decades and ultimately inspired an award-winning screenplay and her forthcoming novel. From premature babies and Florence Nightingale to Silicon Valley engineers, improv stages, film school, and Vietnam-era storytelling, this episode is about following curiosity, embracing unexpected paths, and discovering how seemingly unrelated experiences can become part of the same story. Find Dr. Campbell here.

  6. Aug 22

    Laura Van Wormer on The Class of ’74, Reinventing Storytelling & Surviving the Plot Twist That Changed Everything

    Bestselling novelist Laura Van Wormer has spent decades telling stories, but her latest chapter may be her most unexpected yet. In this episode of Plot Twist Radio, Laura looks back on a remarkable career that took her from Doubleday and the New York publishing world to writing bestselling fiction, including Riverside Drive, and ultimately to creating The Class of ’74, her serialized storytelling podcast inspired by her own high school generation. Laura shares how the television storytelling of Dallas and Dynasty influenced her approach to fiction, why cliffhangers remain such a powerful storytelling tool, and how The Class of ’74 combines fiction, history, nostalgia and the intimacy of podcasting to transport listeners back to the early 1970s. She also opens up about the devastating head-on collision that nearly took her life, the lasting effects of her injuries, and how losing some of the abilities she once relied upon as a novelist forced her to rethink what storytelling could look like. The conversation travels through publishing, pop culture, the music and social upheaval of the 1970s, high school memories, changing attitudes toward identity, and the surprising ways reconnecting with her Class of 1974 helped Laura rediscover both her past and herself. Plus, Laura discusses her upcoming Liberation Generation project and why she believes serialized podcast storytelling could offer writers an entirely new way to connect with audiences. It’s a wide-ranging conversation about reinvention, resilience, nostalgia and what happens when the story you planned for your life takes a plot twist of its own.

  7. Aug 16

    Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champion Dwayne Woodruff: From the NFL to the Judge’s Bench

    Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl champion Dwayne Woodruff joins Erin Egnatz on Plot Twist Radio to share the remarkable story of his journey from the NFL to the judge’s bench. Woodruff spent 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, beginning his career as a rookie on the legendary 1979 team that defeated the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl XIV. He takes us inside one of the greatest eras in Steelers history, remembering what it was like to play alongside NFL icons including Mean Joe Greene, Mel Blount, Donnie Shell, Jack Lambert, and L.C. Greenwood. But Woodruff’s story didn’t end when he left the football field. While still playing in the NFL, he attended Duquesne University School of Law at night, balancing Steelers practices, games, travel, and legal studies before launching an entirely new career. Now a longtime juvenile court judge in Pittsburgh, Woodruff discusses how the discipline, preparation, teamwork, and perseverance he learned in football shaped his approach to the law and his work with young people. He also reveals which accomplishment means even more to him than winning a Super Bowl, reflects on Pittsburgh’s legendary championship teams, and answers the important question: when Steelers fans recognize a former NFL player who became a judge, do they ask about football…or how to get out of jury duty? It’s a conversation about football, reinvention, public service, and what happens when one extraordinary chapter becomes the beginning of another.

    Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl Champion Dwayne Woodruff: From the NFL to the Judge’s Bench

  8. Aug 12

    The Undertaker’s Wife: Dee Branch Oliver on Funeral Homes, Grief, Death & Finding Humor in Loss

    What is life really like behind the doors of a funeral home? Author and licensed funeral director Dee Branch Oliver joins Erin Egnatz on Plot Twist Radio to share the remarkable story behind The Undertaker’s Wife and Going Out in Style. Dee’s introduction to the funeral business began in unforgettable fashion: her future husband, fourth-generation funeral director Johnny Oliver, took her on a first date that unexpectedly included responding to a death call. Years later, Dee found herself working in the family funeral home, earning her own degree in mortuary science and discovering just how differently those who work around death experience life. Dee also opens up about the sudden death of her husband, the grief that followed, and the startling realization that even two funeral directors were unprepared for their own family’s loss. She explains how writing became therapeutic, why humor belongs in conversations about death, and what she wishes more families understood about grieving. Now, as The Undertaker’s Wife marks its 10-year anniversary, Dee reflects on funeral-home myths, the emotional lives of funeral directors, navigating profound loss and why some of the objects we leave behind can become powerful sources of comfort. It’s a funny, candid and unexpectedly life-affirming conversation about death, love, grief and what happens when the people who help everyone else say goodbye have to face a goodbye of their own. You can find Dee's books here! I highly recommend checking them out!

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About

Plot Twist Radio is where the best stories aren’t just written… they’re lived. Plot Twist Radio brings you conversations with authors, creators, and storytellers, uncovering the moments that changed everything. We dive into storytelling and inspiration through personal growth journeys. Each episode uncovers the defining plot twist that sparks transformation, featuring authors, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, athletes, screenwriters, and more. Host Erin Egnatz (Hauntings Around America, Eliza Nevius) brings a narrative-driven approach to stories about unexpected turns that shape lives.

Information

  • Creator
    Erin Egnatz
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    105
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Erin Egnatz
  • Show Website
    Plot Twist Radio