May Cobb Supports Women's Wrongs
Thriller writer May Cobb joins us for a discussion about the complicated women in her novels who break their seemingly perfect lives, how readers weigh the misdeeds of a flawed female character against those of a murderer, and why her stories are set in East Texas.
*
Welcome to the latest episode of TROPED OUT PODCAST—a podcast where we interview your favorite (and future favorite) author’s about all things tropes! Today we are chatting with domestic suspense author May Cobb!
*
Welcome to the latest episode of TROPED OUT PODCAST—a podcast where we interview your favorite (and future favorite) author’s about all things tropes! Today we are chatting with domestic suspense author May Cobb!
May Cobb grew up in the piney woods of East Texas where MY SUMMER DARLINGS, THE HUNTING WIVES and BIG WOODS are set. After college, she moved to San Francisco where she studied Victorian Literature for my Master's, and gravitated towards that era's detective novels, known as "sensation novels", such as Wilke Collins' THE WOMAN IN WHITE. She then lived in Los Angeles for a few years where she worked for filmmaker/writer Ron Shelton and his wife, the actress Lolita Davidovich.
Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Rumpus, Austin Monthly, and Texas Highways Magazine.
Check out May’s full bio on her website, www.MayCobb.com
- The podcast is kicked off by asking what May is reading and loving. May is reading Eliza Jane Brazier’s GIRLS AND THEIR HORSES, which May describes as DALLAS meets BIG LITTLE LIES (which sounds amazing).
- EJ is plowing through Sylvia Moreno Garcia’s backlist (bc she is a huge MEXICAN GOTHIC fan). Up now is VELVET WAS THE NIGHT.
- Emma says she read MY SUMMER DARLINGS this past summer on the beach and it was the perfect landscape to read about these women in this small Texas town doing horrible things to each other.
- Emma is currently listening to WHAT LIES IN THE WOODS by Kate Alice Marshall. She is also on the wild ride of Alice Feeney’s ROCK PAPER SCISSORS.
- Emma says that May Cobb writes toxic friendships so well. They are women that have everything outwardly—but they are determined to blow their lives up.
- Emma asks what is that is so fun to read about toxic female friendships.
- May says she thinks its just so fun because women’s relationships are so complex with layers that you can really dig in to.
- EJ compares messy relationships to the show YELLOWJACKETS. Emma and May are also huge fans. We discuss the cliffhanger of season one and what the writers were thinking (do they know where things are going or at this point, are they winging it?).
- Emma asks May if she has a favorite mean girl from any movie or book or show?
- May likes the character in the movie Heathers. None of us can think of the actress’s name. oh well! As May says, to be blonde and in Hollywood!
- EJ asks May about her favorite hot mess character.
- May loves a storyline where the woman gets to play the role that is traditionally male. Where they do messy things for no reason other than they want to.
- Emma asks May if she’s ran into anyone that has given her the “why are your characters so unlikeable” BS.
- May has stories! She says people are always way more scandalized by the fact that her characters sleep around, than by the murders.
- EJ says that MY SUMMER DARLINGS is fascinating because the male character knows exactly how to play the women. It is like he moves into town and knows the exact moves to make these women do as he wants. But he never coerces them. It is fascinating that the female characters on the hook, but the male character is not.
- May agrees. May says that each of her characters are at a crossroads when this man comes into their lives and begins tearing things apart with manipulation. She asks, who among us, if we were in any of these women’s positions, wouldn’t at least have the thought?
- EJ says that the lure of the male character is so charismatic he made her think of a vampire character.
- Boredom is the downfall of wealthy people in small towns. When you can’t go to the opera—you create your own drama.
- Emma says that May’s stories definitely have a strong sense of place—they are Texas to the bone. Was this intentional or did her roots seep into the story as she was creating it?
- May says that she believes it was intentional. She moved back home to East Texas for a while, and that is where she wrote her first book. It felt as if she was channeling something—the place spoke to her.
- She loves the vibey, dark feel of the East Texas woods.
- It’s time for another round of Troped Out! They explain the rules and get down to it!
- Predatory Mastermind or Killer Next Door?
- Who the F*ck Did I Marry or Good For Her?
- Back From The Dead or Final Girl?
- Shout out to BettysBookList on TikTok.
- Secret Baby or Secret Twin?
And that is a rap for this episode of TROPED OUT PODCAST!
You can find today’s guest—May Cobb—online:
Twitter: @maykcobb
Instagram: @may_cobb
Facebook: @maykcobb
May’s books are available everywhere books are sold, including our Troped Out Bookshop, which you can visit to find books from all of our Troped Out guests.
MY SUMMER DARLINGS is available in paperback today! Go grab your copy! And while you’re at it—preorder May’s upcoming release, A LIKABLE WOMAN. And if you haven’t read THE HUNTING WIVES—well do yourself a favor and get on it!
You can follow Emma and EJ and the podcast across all platforms by following Typo Productions. We are @Typopodcasts. Our website is TypoProductions.com.
EJ is @EJWenstrom across all social media platforms. Her website is EjWenstrom.com. While there, make sure and sign up for the Monstrosity newsletter to receive a weekly updates of extra juicy awesomeness straight to your inbox!
Emma is (occasionally) on twitter as @EmmaCWellsBooks, but you’ll likely find her on TikTok or Instagram as @Emma.C.Wells.Books. Her website is currently getting a renovation but should be back up soon!