Exploring Addiction in Joe Clifford’s “Gritty” Psychological Thriller

Charlotte Readers Podcast

In this episode 382, we welcome award-winning author Joe Clifford, and discuss his new psychological thriller, All Who Wander. Clifford’s work has been praised as “taut, pacey and with a powerful sense of pace...” by celebrated mystery writer, Paula Hawkins, and Anthony- nominated author E.A. Ayman calls his latest “gritty, compelling, and fearless… a powerful read.” Today, we hear more about Joe’s backstory and explore the themes in All Who Wander.
Show discussion highlights:
● Moving back to San Francisco after being in Florida for grad school
● Joe’s history with addiction and how this impacts his writing
● Debriefing Joe’s memoir, Junkie Love, and how it feeds the rest of his writing
● Writing mystery series’
● The dark side of being a mystery writer
● Writing plot-driven stories
● How authors like Gillian Flynn influence Joe
● Development of multi-faceted characters
● Generational trauma in All Who Wander
● The therapeutic act of writing
Brief author bio:
After spending the 1990s as a homeless heroin addict in San Francisco, Joe Clifford got off the streets and turned his life around. He earned his MFA from Florida International University in 2008, before returning to the Bay Area, where he currently lives with his wife and two sons. His memoir, Junkie Love, chronicles his battle with drugs and was first published in 2010 and re-released in 2018. He is the author of the award-winning Jay Porter Thriller Series, as well as several standalones including The One That Got Away, The Lakehouse, The Shadow People, Say My Name and All Who Wander.
His bestselling Jay Porter Thriller Series (Oceanview Publishing) has received rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among many others. Joe is also editor of Trouble in the Heartland: Crime Stories Based on the Songs of Bruce Springsteen and Just to Watch Him Die: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Johnny Cash. Currently Joe teaches online writing courses for FIU, as well as around the country at various conferences and retreats (or frankly anywhere someone will pay him).
Learn more about the author and their books HERE. https://joeclifford.com
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