Author Insights From Chris Bohjalian, Bailey Hannah and Tarah DeWitt

In part one of this week’s episode, Bianca Marais sits down with bestselling author Chris Bohjalian to discuss The Amateur. Don’t miss this incredibly insightful interview that touches on voice, tension, and emotional storytelling. They explore how to create deeply flawed yet unforgettable characters, use specificity to reveal backstory without slowing the narrative, and build suspense through foreshadowing and structure. Chris also shares why he wrote the novel in just 90 days, how he balances first-person narration with psychological depth, and why action—not exposition—is often the strongest path to revealing character. Shifting over to Bailey Hannah who joins Carly Watters to celebrate the final book in the beloved Wells Ranch series, Love Wells Kept. They discuss bringing the five-book journey to a close, writing an emotional marriage-in-crisis romance centered on amnesia, balancing heartbreak with hope, and researching traumatic brain injuries to portray recovery authentically. Bailey also shares her approach to romance tropes, crafting emotionally intelligent heroes, writing interconnected series, and why aspiring authors should stop waiting for the perfect moment and simply write the book.In part three of this week’s author interviews, Carly Watters interviews Tara DeWitt about her new book Lost and Found, the culmination of her Spoons series. They talk about themes of grief, motherhood, and the complexities of relationships, exploring how Tara's characters navigate their emotional journeys. The discussion also touches on the balance of sweetness and spice in romance writing, the impact of social media on authors, and the powerful connections formed with fans through storytelling.Note: CeCe Lyra is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. If you’d like to query CeCe, please refer to the submission guidelines at www.wsherman.com. Carly Watters is a literary agent at P.S. Literary Agency, but her work on this podcast is not affiliated with the agency, and the views expressed by Carly on this podcast are solely that of her as a podcast co-host ​and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, policies, or position of P.S. Literary Agency.Audio excerpted courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio from Love Wells Kept by Bailey Hannah; Read by James Cassidy and Samantha Brentmoor. © 2026 Bailey Hannah, ℗ 2026 Penguin Random House, LLC. All rights reserved.Find us on our socials:Threads: https://www.threads.net/@the_shit_about_writinghttps://www.threads.net/@biancamarais_authorhttps://www.threads.net/@carlywatters https://www.threads.net/@cece_lyra_agentInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_shit_about_writing/https://www.instagram.com/biancamarais_author/ https://www.instagram.com/carlywatters/ https://www.instagram.com/cece_lyra_agent/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TSNOTYAWWebsites: www.theshitaboutwriting.com, www.biancamarais.com, www.carlywatters.com and www.cecilialyra.comBookshop.org affiliate page: https://bookshop.org/shop/theshitnoonetellsyouaboutwritingTo sign up for our Substack newsletter, head to https://theshitaboutwriting.substack.comOur Sponsors:* Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/tsnotyaw for a great deal: https://www.quince.com* Check out Rosetta Stone and use my code TODAY for a great deal: https://www.rosettastone.com* Check out Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.comAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands