How #1 International Bestselling Author Raphael Montes Writes episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 21, 2026 · 52 MIN

How #1 International Bestselling Author Raphael Montes Writes

from The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience · host Kelton Reid

#1 international bestselling author Raphael Montes spoke with us about his dual career in TV and fiction, finding commercial success while maintaining authenticity, and the US publication of his hit book THE SECRET DINNER. Raphael Montes is the internationally acclaimed, #1 bestselling Brazilian thriller writer best known for The Secret Dinner, a dark and provocative novel set in Rio de Janeiro described as "a mixture of Alfred Hitchcock's suspense with Quentin Tarantino's black comedy.” He is published in over 25 countries with over 8 million copies sold. Set in Copacabana, The Secret Dinner—a biting, dark satire of foodie culture, wealth excess, and youth desperation—is landing in the US for the first time and has been named a summer most-anticipated by Crimereads, in addition to two mentions in The New York Times. #1 New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager said of the book, "The Secret Dinner is a potent combination of gallows humor, Hitchcockian suspense, and trenchant social commentary. Bold and bloody, it's a thriller with real bite."  Also a screenwriter, Raphael is the showrunner of Scars of Beauty—the most-watched original show on HBO Max in Latin America—and Netflix’s award-winning series Good Morning, Verônica. [Discover The Writer Files Extra: Get 'The Writer Files' Podcast Delivered Straight to Your Inbox at writerfiles.fm] [If you’re a fan of The Writer Files, please click FOLLOW to automatically see new interviews. And drop us a rating or a review wherever you listen] In this file Raphael Montes, Milena, and I discussed: How he leveraged early Bookstagram and BookTok to great success The themes of power, ambition, food, and class behind The Secret Dinner Switching between screenwriting and fiction to beat writer’s block Why he believes literature should provoke moral questions and self-reflection in readers How he broke into TV after producers noticed the filmic quality of his second novel Drinking dry gin martinis with Patricia Highsmith And a lot more! Show Notes: ElevenReader is a new, award-winning audio app for iOS, Android, Web RaphaelMontes.com The Secret Dinner: A Novel by Raphael Montes (Amazon) Raphael Montes Amazon Author Page Raphael Montes on TikTok Raphael Montes on Instagram Milena Gonzalez | Writer | Reader | Book Reviewer diary_of_a_book_babe on Instagram Kelton Reid Instagram Kelton Reid on Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 21, 2026

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This episode was published on August 21, 2026.

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