Internationally bestselling author Tess Gerritsen’s books have been translated into 40 languages, and more than 40 million copies have been sold around the world. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for VANISH) and the Rita Award (for THE SURGEON). Time Magazine named THE SURGEON one of the best mystery/thrillers ever written. Tess's first medical thriller, Harvest, marked her debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Her novels have hit bestseller lists ever since.

Among other things, Tess and Carter discuss how thrillers really aren’t about the violence, how to differentiate your characters when writing from multiple POVs, and retiring from being an author. At the end of their conversation, they make up a beautiful story using a line from Araminta Hall’s One of the Good Guys.

Andrew DeYoung is the author of The Temps, a speculative novel about the end of the world. He works as an editor at a children's book publishing company, and he lives with his wife and two children in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota. The Day He Never Came Home is his first domestic thriller. Stay Away From Him is coming out in July 2025.

Among other things, Andrew and Carter discuss initial fears of not being a good writer, balancing writing when you have children, and embracing variety in your writing style. At the end of their conversation, they make up a random story using a line from Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five.

Sydney Leigh spent several years running a seasonal business, working in the summer so she could spend cold months in cool places. Now she writes modern cozy mysteries and thinks about murder. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and served on the board of Crime Writers of Canada from 2018-2021.

Among other things, Sydney and Carter discuss how receiving feedback motivated Sydney to continue her writing journey, struggling to find an agent after having “failed” books, and the genre of cozies versus thrillers. At the end of their conversation, they make up a fascinating story using a line from Matt Goldman’s The Murder Show.

Meredith Lyons collected two degrees from Louisiana State University before running away to Chicago to be an actor. In between plays, she got her black belt and made martial arts and yoga her full-time day job. She fought in the Chicago Golden Gloves, ran the Chicago Marathon, and competed for team USA in the Savate World Championships in Paris. She's a member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. A Dagger of Lightning is her second novel. Her debut, Ghost Tamer, a paranormal suspense, was published in 2023.

Among other things, Carter and Meredith discuss Meredith’s experience at her first writing conference, trusting your instincts when writing, and an author’s role in the marketing of their book. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gruesome story using a line from Stuart Turton’s The Last Murder at the End of the World.

Episode 173 of Making It Up is out and it’s a different one! Today we feature the brilliant voice artists Allyson Ryan and Patrick Zeller, who are the voices behind the audio version of Carter’s latest release TELL ME WHAT YOU DID. This audiobook is the very first release of Sourcebooks’ new division Sourcebooks Audio. Both Allyson and Patrick are award-winning narrators who have voiced a range of popular books, so you might recognize their voices in the episode.

Among other things, they discuss how both Allyson and Patrick got into voice acting, how they prepare themselves for each work they narrate, and their processes for bringing books to life in a whole new way. At the end of the conversation, Carter asks them questions that they have to answer in voices of the characters from TELL ME WHAT YOU DID.

Charlotte Vassell’s debut novel The Other Half was longlisted for the John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger in 2024. The In Crowd, the second in the DI Caius Beauchamp series was shortlisted for Best Novel in the 2025 Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allen Poe Awards. Charlotte studied History at the University of Liverpool and completed a Master’s in Art History at SOAS before training as an actor at Drama Studio London.

Among other things, Charlotte and Carter discuss Charlotte’s background in acting, learning from your unpublished manuscripts, and having confidence in yourself to write a compelling story. At the end of their conversation, they make up an entertaining story using a line from Richard Adams’ Watership Down.

Kyle Prue is an award winning author, actor and comedian. He published his first novel The Sparks at just 18, which earned accolades from USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, and book festivals. Kyle later completed his trilogy with The Flames and The Ashes. Kyle received his BFA in Performance with a concentration in acting from the University of Michigan. He also has experience in many different aspects of creating films such as acting, writing, producing, and stunt-work.

Among other things, Carter and Kyle discuss what a potential Tik Tok ban would mean for large creators, the methodology and reasoning behind Kyle’s How to Piss Off Men content series and book, and maintaining a fan base across platforms and media. At the end of their conversation, they make up a hilarious story using a line from Matt Goldman’s The Murder Show.

Chad Boudreaux has a broad range of government, legal and corporate experience. Prior to serving as the Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Boudreaux also served in several high-ranking positions at the U.S. Justice Department, where he focused most of his time on matters relating to terrorism and homeland security. His career in the government led him to write his debut novel, Scavenger Hunt.

Among other things, Carter and Chad discuss how Chad uses his justice, government, and personal experiences as inspiration for his novels, writing main characters of a different gender, and the benefits of hiring PR teams. At the end of their conversation, they make up a gripping story using a line from Chad’s own novel Homecoming Queen.