Who am I, anyway?
I’m Debbi Mack, and I’m a New York Times bestselling author. And somehow I became a podcaster.
Now, those are words I never thought I’d ever write. And, to be honest, although I think of myself primarily as a writer, I’ve been exploring the storytelling potential of other media than books.
About the Crime Cafe
I started the Crime Cafe podcast in 2015, with the goal of promoting crime, suspense, and thriller writers of all kinds. I had barely the notion of what I was doing when I started the podcast. I knew that I loved and wrote crime fiction. Along with helping other authors, I wanted to promote the genre and my own writing. By “others”, I had both authors and readers squarely in mind.
Naturally, my first guests were authors I knew either online or from meeting at various events. However, as I write this in the middle of the sixth season (and updated in the midst of the eighth season) with guests booked until more than a year in advance, I’m astonished looking back on some of what the podcast has become.
Among those who’ve appeared on the show, I’ve been privileged to have bestselling authors such as Joe Lansdale, Robert Crais, Jeff Lindsay, Karin Slaughter and Jeffery Deaver, among many others. And I’ve learned so much from talking with all my guests. They are a source of great stories and inspiration. Making a connection through their interviews will help you get to know them and their work.
The combined advice and experience of my guests offer great benefits to both readers and writers. Because of that, I started transcribing the episodes (sporadically, at first, because I paid for the transcriptions from my own pocket) and, eventually, set up a Patreon Page to support the effort.
Eventually, I’d like to create a series of ebooks, summarizing their advice and their thoughts about the writing life, in general.
This leads me to the other thing I hadn’t expected. That I’d aspire to be a producer or publish other authors’ work. That I might even produce a scripted podcast or a web series or a show you’d watch on a streamer like Netflix or Hulu. Or publish more anthologies. Also, a possibility.
I wish it were easy to do any of this, but having a podcast has been one of the best things I’ve ever accomplished. I’ve met so many interesting new authors this way, as well visiting with authors I’ve known (or only read!) for years.
A lot of what I hope to do will depend on my energy, especially given my chronic health issues. And quoting Yoda in my head. :)
“Do or do not. There is no try.”
Why I Started this Newsletter
This newsletter is intended to provide notice of upcoming guests, as well as share the wealth of knowledge the interviews provide, along with other news of interest.
When you subscribe for free, you get:
Each episode of the Crime Cafe podcast delivered to your inbox;
A copy of the guest post and book giveaway provided before each guest’s appearance; and
Written show notes and a PDF transcript of each episode.
With a paid subscription, you get:
Access to ad-free video and bonus episodes.
A monthly compilation of reprints of short stories, excerpts of new releases, book reviews, and curated links of interest to crime fiction fans.
My goal is to, at least, make the podcast self-sustaining. My hope is to create a scripted podcast along the lines of an old radio show.
I’ll keep you apprised as to if and when that happens.
For these benefits and more, become a Patreon supporter.
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