Writing Murder with Heart & Humor with Nina Simon

This week in The Literary Lounge, Jennifer is joined by bestselling author Nina Simon to talk about her new novel, My Sister Is Going to Kill Me, a warmhearted whodunnit about two sisters whose annual trip takes them rafting through the Grand Canyon—with a murderer in their midst. Nina and Jennifer discuss writing complicated family relationships, finding inspiration in the natural world, and balancing murder with plenty of heart and humor. Nina also shares how she builds and plots a mystery and opens up about her unexpected path to publishing—from writing a novel simply to make her mother smile to becoming a bestselling author with her debut, Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a Reese’s Book Club pick. This episode is for mystery lovers and is full of writing advice and craft techniques for crafting a page-turning whodunnit that keeps readers guessing. In This EpisodeWhy Nina is drawn to writing strong women, wild places, and dead bodies Writing the love, tension, and complexity within family relationships The Grand Canyon: an ideal setting for murder Plotting whodunnits that keep readers guessing   Writing without expectations Navigating the publishing journey Meet Nina Simon Nina Simon writes crime fiction about strong women. She is the New York Times-bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night. This big-hearted whodunnit was a Reese's Book Club pick, an Anthony Award winner, and a "best of 2023" selection for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Her second whodunit, My Sister Is Going to Kill Me, is out on August 18, 2026 from William Morrow Books.Before turning to fiction, Nina wore many hats: NASA engineer, slam poet, game designer, museum director, and nonprofit CEO. Her work on community participation in museums, libraries, parks, and theaters has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, NPR, and the TEDx stage. Nina lives off-the-grid in the Santa Cruz Mountains and enjoys weird adventures in wild places.Connect with Nina  Website Instagram: @ninaksimon Books & Authors Mentioned My Sister Is Going to Kill Me by Nina SimonMother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina SimonSue GraftonJanet Evanovich Faye Kellerman STAY CONNECTED The Literary LoungeFollow and subscribe to The Literary Lounge wherever you listen to podcasts so you never miss a new conversation. Continue the conversation by subscribing to The Literary Lounge on Substack, delivered every Sunday and featuring:The Guest Book (extended guest Q&A)The Bookshop (a featured independent bookstore) Recommended readsLiterary discoveries and behind-the-scenes updates Instagram: @theliterarylounge.co Jennifer CashHost, Creator, Producer & Editor of The Literary Lounge Instagram: @readwithjennifer