Some stories don’t just happen in a place. They’re shaped by it.
What happens when a city stops being a backdrop—and starts behaving like a character?
In this episode, I’m joined by novelist Elizabeth Heider, author of Children of the Savage City, to explore how Naples became the beating heart of her thriller series—not through research alone, but through lived experience.
Elizabeth spent years in Naples working alongside the U.S. Navy, local law enforcement, and deeply embedded insiders. That proximity gave her more than material—it gave her responsibility. To the city. To the people. And to the story itself.
We talk about:
- How Naples shaped the ethics, tension, and emotional weight of the series
- Why some cities feel ravenous—and what that does to the people inside them
- The balance between discovery writing and structure (and why both matter)
- What Elizabeth calls compassionate witnessing—and why it matters more than clues
- And the unglamorous, essential work behind great creative output (yes, even polishing forks)
This conversation goes beyond thrillers and writing.
It’s about stewardship.
About structure serving creativity—not suffocating it.
And about how certain places meet us exactly where we are… and refuse to let us stay the same.
? Listen in—and step inside a city that doesn’t just set the scene. It shapes the story.
More about Elizabeth here: https://elizabethheider.com