How #1 International Bestselling Author Raphael Montes Writes
The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and NeuroscienceShow Notes
#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
More from The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience
New York Times bestselling author Alma Katsu spoke with us about her 30-plus-year career in intelligence, her deep expertise in AI and social media disinformation, and her new techno-horror novel INCARNATE.
Bestselling author and historian Isabel Cañas returned to speak with us about the influence of Latin American history and family lore on her writing, the stakes of historical fiction, and her YA debut, THE HOUSE OF GARDENIAS.
New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo spoke with us about her journey from National Poetry Slam champion to winning the the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature, and her new YA novel, ANGER IS ONLY A SHADOW.
Mexican-American writer and historian, Isabel Cañas, spoke to me about how to binge-write a novel, her fear of the dark, and swinging for the fences with her gothic debut "The Hacienda."
Bestselling crime novelist and former NFL running back Andre Hardy spoke with us about the slim odds of going from professional athlete to published novelist, writing through therapy, and his debut, TEAR THE CITY DOWN.