Catch up with us and retreat recap

Find our new True Crime Podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/reconsidered-unsolved/id1841954874

We’ve been a little MIA… but for the best reason ever — we were busy planning and hosting our Thriller Retreat! From diving into the Rachel Hansen case (episode one will be released early to you TODAY) to fangirling over expo authors and soaking up wisdom from our incredible guest speakers, this weekend was everything we dreamed of and more.

We’re spilling all the behind-the-scenes tea from the retreat — our favorite moments, the unforgettable highlights, and what it was like finally bringing this event to life. Plus, we’re recapping the recent Creepy Book Club retreat in arizona where we hung out with the best readers, moderated author panels, and basically lived our spooky little bookish dreams.

Of course, we’re also catching up on what we’re currently reading and watching (because when are we not?). We’re gearing up for upcoming discussions on Ask for Andrea and Ashley is obsessed with listening to Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir on audiobook (and yes, she will tell you why). 👀

And just wait… we’re teasing even more thrillers coming your way soon. Trust us — you’re going to want to add to that TBR.

Transcript

Catch up with music 

Summary

 The hosts share highlights from the Book Retreat they recently hosted. They also discuss some of the amazing thriller author guests they had, including B.A. Paris, Sarah Pekkanen, Ashley Winstead, Jason Bocanik, and Lucinda Berry.: This article is a conversation between the hosts of the Creepy Bookclub podcast where they discuss the recent book retreat they held and their favorite moments. They also talk about Expo authors and the books they are reading or have read recently. on today's episode of the creepy book club podcast, Emily and Emily catch up and reflect on the recent live reading retreat they hosted. They also discuss their recent reads including "The Missing Half" by Brooke Powley, and "Have You Seen Me?" by Kate White. They also talk about the book "Project Hail Mary" by Andy Weir and their conversation with author Alice Feeney. They also tease future episodes discussing "Andrea’s Bestie" by Noelle Adams and

 Transcription

 Hi, I'm Emily, I'm Ashley, and this is books with your besties. Hello, besties. We're back. I bet you thought we were never going to be back. We disappeared for about a month and a half, maybe more. I don't know, because we just hosted a massive book retreat with thriller authors and guests. And, boy, it turns out that takes some work. It does. It turns out when you're planning retreat and in the thick of it, talking about the books you're reading, I still read books. Like we still were reading books with our ears and our eyes while planning. We just didn't have any time to talk about the books. Yeah, we've been really in the trenches. I mean, we we are already planning retreat 2027 six. What year is this? 27. We're already planning next year's retreat. I mean, pretty significantly. This is literally a year of work to plan these retreats. But the last month to two months before, we did almost nothing but planned retreat. And then really what what took a lot of our time is at retreat. We hosted a podcast episode that was a true crime pod, and we wanted to do something local to the Scottsdale, Arizona area. And so we found a case out of Gilbert that really piqued our interest and felt like the right fit. And it's about Rachel Hansen, and we presented sort of an abbreviated 45 minute podcast for our retreat goers live on Rachel Hansen. But the reality is, this case absolutely stole all of our attention and every second of free time that we weren't planning, retreat, or working our regular jobs or taking care of our children. We were deep into case files all Rachel Hansen and we are releasing. If you're listening to this, maybe the same day. Today we are releasing episode one of a series about the Rachel Hansen murder. Emily, one of the things that made me laugh about how deep we are still in, but we're in the Rachel Hansen case before retreat, is that we would work at night, which we don't usually do. Ben would be like, excuse me, there's no working at night. And I'd be like, I'm sorry, just we're still talking about this at 9 p.m.. Totally. And the fact that I think we thought, oh, retreat is over, we can finally relax. And yesterday Sunday, we began working at 10 a.m. and did not stop until the afternoon hours. So we are working weekends. We are working nights because of this, the intensity of this case. But guess what? Here we are. We didn't forget about you. We just needed a small pause, a little window of vacation, and we're back and we're going to be talking about books starting in two weeks. Yes, starting 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 authors way. Yeah. Oh yeah. Well, we have to toss love towards all of that the entire place. My gosh. Yeah. It was amazing. Yes. Okay, so just to echo, Ashley, if you're listening to this, read out for Andrea by Noelle Ely by two weeks and we'll check. Yes. And do we want to talk about retreat? Let's do it. 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 preorder books not showing up? Or do we want to go straight to the awesome parts? I think we just give the highlights the highlight reel of the best and the worst. So best part of retreat for you, Ashley? 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 pictures, I'm like, people don't have their phones out there, like reading books, drinking espresso martinis. So I think the best part is just the people. I don't know when. What's your highlight? Well, for sure, the whole vibe is magical. It really is just so much joy, so little negativity. No drama like I is 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, uh, 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 at bay. 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 Bate Harris, 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. Our 450 guests gave her a standing ovation at the end. And just wow. While I wept, I. I did. Who was I talking to? 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 Ahold of yourself. Ashley, I do, 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 you 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 to we both. Well, I 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? I know, and here I am like, we're not even talking about the fact that we had Sarah Picon, Ashley Winstead, Jason Vaculik, Heather Gooden, Lucinda Berry and Cara Ruda. They're 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 that Thursday night after the Happy Hour reception. We took them to Karla 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 Vaculik and I was at the table, like in the placeholder, waiting for Paris to take my spot when you guys arrived with her. And so at the author with 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 I was like, did you read that one book? I think it's, um, what's it called with the pictures in it? I know hidden, hidden pictures. Did I tell you the story before? Actually, no. I sitting next to Jason, I know that that one with the pictures, hidden pictures. And she goes, oh, yes, I wrote that by Jason. Uh, and I go record. That's right. This is him. And he goes, that was you. That was a plant. Another thing. And it's not. And she goes, I read the other one too. Um, what was it? And I go, last one at the wedding. She goes, yes, I read that one too. I really liked that. You know, I feel like last year, a lot of our readers. Were not as up on Kara Rude as books as they were some of the other authors and people left being like, oh my gosh, Kara Ruto! Like she's 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 stand up comedian level. Funny. We left his his 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 or Cool with 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. Oh my gosh. I mean, okay, here's the thing that another takeaway just about these like headliner authors, Sara Heikkinen 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. Uh, Ashley Winstead. Phenomenal storyteller. Very, very. Just like, uh, what is it? Captivating. She's very captivating and fun and light. And Lucinda Berry. 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. Good. And coffee. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Heather good. And coffee or 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. And Rohan 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 Caleta. 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 going to catch on fire because they were having this animated conversation and reaching across this open flame desert. And I was like, one of them, one of them's going to 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? That is so funny. Yes, we I did end up. I gave up that seat next to Jason Cook, of course, because I was just keeping it warm for Bay Paris when she arrived. And I sat with the staff and then the server came back around and she was like, said to that, 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. I think one of the other I know we're talking about this 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 is got a tattoo. I know. I saw Faith Gardner. She's one of the authors that we had 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. 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 ah, ah the books coming. Ah 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. Yeah. The stress 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's book side, 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 worked really well. People did have to wait in some lines, but they were never very long. 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. So. 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 and I was like, super cool. At one point I was like, no, my hands not cramping up when someone was like, oh, this has your hand. Okay, no, it's not cramping up. I actually handwrite out all my books. I was like, what? Okay. You know, it just cool stuff that you learn anyway, listen, you should go look it up. The expo authors that are been absolutely incredible. I mean, we had Steph Nelson and Courtney Sack of the. I mean, just thinking about the ones we haven't even mentioned yet, right? Like, there are so many incredible authors, Jennifer Trammell or Kristen Mulligan. I mean, go look at our list online, go to the Creepy Bookclub Comm 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're being very intentional about being thoughtful about that. 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 expose, and they're really excited to get their name out there and their work, but they all sold out of their books. I know, I'm so glad. 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. Yeah, that's that's so great. And I, I mean, just having that many authors in one place, I was definitely I was on Stan Girling. I know. I was too. Um, what else do we have to catch up on? What are we reading or watching? What do people want to know? Well, I'm reading this Miranda Smith's smile for the cameras, so I will keep you posted on that one. That's with my eyes. With my ears I just finished Hey Han by Emily Paulson, who was one of our Expo authors, and she wrote a book about how moms are essentially like Colts and 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 Briar 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. Wait, what did it? I've read something by Kate Quinn. Right. The rose. Cole. Yes, yes. That's it. I did not read that, but the Briar Club starts out with a bang. The first, like five minutes on the audiobook where, like, there's a murder. And who did it? I so I'm like, oh, is this a thriller? Oh, I don't know, but I read it. I have to tell you something funny. So there is, um, 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 a 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 do, um, The Alaskans. Oh, well. I love all of Alaskans life we bury. Probably my first my top and then quiet librarian. Wait, did I tell you? Allen Askins, I think cousin was at our retreat. Did I tell you this? Yeah, I think so. Somebody who's related to Allen was at our retreat, and I. She saw that we had picked his book of the month 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, um, kind of the recognition and that us choosing his book for the book of the month was such a big deal. Um, and I was like, oh, well, just like, tell Allen we said hi. Isn't that small world? Yes, I know. Uh, anyway, so I I'll tell you, I just finished. Did you did you finish? Alice Heaney'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. Oh, wow. Alice Feeney just so amazing. That's the master of the twists. Um. Did great. Did you read it with your eyes or your ears? I think my ears. I only asked that because I guess when you read it with your eyes, the major, major twist doesn't come until the last two pages. Okay. Yeah, I, I think I did my ears, you know, is it not terrible that I can't remember? Oh, I had to do it all on, like, remind me what happened in this book last night. I think my, my memory is going faster and faster, but yeah, I'm pretty sure I, I'm pretty sure I listen to it and I it was very twisty, but I like that show was introduced multiple twists. So there's like twist upon twist upon twist. And I'm reading with my ears right now. Project hail Mary. 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. Yeah, there's always ringing in my house. Like, all I can hear is like when I'm like, oh, well, I hope we got good AI noise reduction when we put this into the filter thing. Our people love us. I'm going to tell them a story and then I'm going to 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 is now listening to it also. Would you recommend it? Yes. 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 Meghan, 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. It's an audiobook. It's fascinating. It's so good, and I can't. Figure out where it's going, but I think I'm going to be sad at some point because I love everyone. It's so good. Well, I mean, I feel like we have more to say. Oh, so we're going to talk about us for Andrea by Noelle Ali. We're going to talk about my My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney. Maybe. That's amazing. Yeah, yeah. And then I'll be having an interview with Alice on Patreon before the end of the month. I'm just waiting to hear back on timing. 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 misses. 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. Yeah, I looked it up. Okay. So we talked about the missing half. We talked about having killed in years, right, by Amy Green. We haven't talked about it yet. Oh well, we have that up and then we have asked for her. And then it's not her, which is our book of the month this month by Mary Kubica. Okay, that sounds good. I'm into those. I feel like 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. We probably probably should. I also want to read is it Ashley Elston? The Anatomy of an alibi? Yes. He's the one who wrote that one first. Lie wins. Okay. If we're going to be completely honest, actually, neither one of us finished that book, right? I didn't. It was a DNF for both of us, and we got pretty far into it. No, and I don't even care how it ended, but. And I don't think it was the 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. 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, right? And I'm just not that interested in it. Like, do you give me a cabin in the woods, in the snow, with no wifi? I don't even care. It doesn't even have to be good. I'm gonna love it. I gotta 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 characters. Newest book, um, 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. I think it's crossed off my list pretty quick. Often I've snow fence authors. Thank you. Same with the, um, stolen? No, not stolen identity. Also, uh, um, what? Multiple personalities. That's an immediate. Now I my favorite trope, I've decided other than like a domestic thriller, which I love and these are. But I am obsessed with books where 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. You've always liked that. Yes, creepy kids are your thing. Those were also my favorite Maury Povich episodes where people would come on and be like, I'm afraid of my child. You know what those are like? I like that too. I am also interested in that whole trope. Okay, we have to let our people go now because we have to get ready for an interview. 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. People who came to retreat probably are going to say I'm not coming back, mainly because they are the hosts. Well, listen, next year we'll get some other helpers. Also, uh, I do think one of the things that I delighted in that I think is so cute is that people who came and could not tell us apart. Yes. The person in the bathroom who goes, which one are you? Yes. 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, actually reintroduce ourselves because they don't know who's who. 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. 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 a very big undertaking. It's got famous thriller authors of Meat Galore, many of them 30 authors, 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. I know I'm always like, I don't know, we're just dabbling in some side hustle type of stuff. I'm like, what are you doing? I'm like, oh, I don't have time to explain it. I'm like, it's just a club. And they're like, what am I? Don't worry about it. It's an umbrella corporation for about 50 activities, and we can't get on top of any of them. But we did hire you all. I hope you saw our post about our new social media manager, Alison, the bookish camper. She is keeping us in line, and she's the reason that any of our socials look a little bit better at our Patreon will be a lot 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 your outcomes? And we'll be like, whoopsie daisy. 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. Yeah, that sounds fair. Okay. Bye, besties. We'll see you next time to talk about ask for Andrea. Yep. We're getting back on the book train. So as for Andrea Noelle, I'll, we'll we'll talk about that in two weeks. You'll get that on Patreon early on Tuesday. Uh, not next week, but the week after. And then Friday drops everywhere. We also have some good behind the scenes content coming your way on Patreon. Thanks for listening, friends. Take care. Hi guys. Thanks for listening. For more content, find us on Patreon at the Creepy Book Club. Happy reading!