Book Gang - SoundSage

Bestselling author Meagan Church returns to discuss our March Book Club selection, The Mad Wife, and its whirlwind success.

This month, we welcome Meagan Church back to Book Gang to celebrate our March Reader's Choice selection, The Mad Wife—the most-voted book by our community. Meagan first joined us earlier in her writing journey to discuss the inspiration behind this story. Now she returns following the novel's breakout success, including appearances on the bestseller lists and recognition as a Barnes & Noble Fiction Pick.

In this follow-up conversation, we talk about how Life has changed since The Mad Wife reached readers around the country—from touring and meeting fans to seeing Lulu's story resonate with audiences. We also take a lighter turn with a fun round of writer habits, reading life confessions, and quickfire questions designed to help listeners get to know Meagan beyond the page.

In this spoiler-free conversation with my friend, we explore:

📚 Celebrating a bestselling moment: Meagan reflects on The Mad Wife becoming a Barnes & Noble Fiction Pick and landing on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists.

📚 Life after publication: From book tours to meeting readers face-to-face, Meagan shares how the response to Lulu's story has shaped her perspective on storytelling and future projects.

📚 Getting to know the writer: In a fun closing segment, Meagan talks about her writing rituals, reading Life, favorite bookstores, and the habits that keep her creative process moving.

📚📚 BONUS BOOK LIST: Don't miss this week's NEW companion list with 24 Medical Drama Books to Get Your Heart Racing, available to reserve now for your best weekend ever. Patrons will receive weekly printable checklists for their next library visit!

Meet Meagan Church

Meagan Church is the Southern indie bestselling author of The Girls We Sent Away, The Last Carolina Girl , and The Mad Wife, this month's Barnes & Noble Book fiction pick. She writes to tell grounded stories that explore the complexity of human nature. Her historical fiction chronicles the plight and fight of unheard voices of the past. After receiving a B.A. in English from Indiana University, Meagan built a career as a storyteller and freelance writer for brands, blogs, and organizations. She is an adjunct professor for Drexel University's MFA in Creative Writing program, helping authors tell their own stories through editing, coaching, and workshops. A Midwesterner by birth, she now lives in North Carolina with her high school sweetheart, three children, and a plethora of pets.

Mentioned in this episode:Gratitude to Our Show Patrons: This week's episode is open to all listeners thanks to generous donations made through Buy Me a Coffee and your community memberships. If you'd like to keep the conversation going, you're invited to join our Patreon Book Club chat on March 26th at 8 PM ET, where we'll dive deeper into spoilers, themes, and reader reactions WITH MEAGAN. Membership is $5 a month, or you can prepay for the year and save 10%.

Download Today's Show Transcript (Scroll down to view second episode)

Buy Me a Coffee - I'm grateful for your support this year!

NEW BOOK LIST: 24 Medical Drama Books to Get Your Heart Racing

Join the March Book Club 3/26 at 8 PM ET (The Mad Wife)

2026 MomAdvice Book Club Books (All 12 Selections)

Unmasking Hysteria in The Mad Wife Podcast

Meagan's spoiler episode

The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church

The Girls We Sent Away by Meagan Church

The Mad Wife by Meagan Church

Cleary Bookstore

The Mad Wife Spotify Playlist

Story Genius by Lisa Cron

Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner

Everything is Spiritual by Rob Bell

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

Orbital by Samatha Harvey

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

Hit the Road with Annie Hartnett Podcast

Shark Heart by Emily Habeck

How Shark Heart Transformed Emily Habeck and Her Readers

Olivia Muenter - Such a Bad Influence Podcast

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Parnassus Books

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

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