M. L. Rio

Toody Cole, <br>The TVD Interview - The Vinyl District Toody Cole has the best laugh I’ve heard in a long time—big, unabashed, spontaneous. We’ve traded emails for a month or two, trying to find room for an interview between my touring schedule and hers. ...

Had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Toody Cole of Dead Moon a little while back, and how fitting the piece goes live today, when I'm in Portland supporting HOT WAX! What a powerhouse she is. Hope you'll give it a read ⚡ www.thevinyldistrict.com/storefront/t... #music

UK & Ireland!🩷

Grab your ticket to see @mlrio.bsky.social talk about her brand new electric, rock and roll fuelled story HOT WAX 🎸

Buy now: linktr.ee/HotWaxEvents

LA, you hungry? Treats on me. @booksoupofficial.bsky.social tonight at 7 🍜 booksoup.com/event/2025-1... #booksky @simonbooks.bsky.social

UK + Ireland! Coming your way with as much swag as I can carry, only available on tour 😎 Snag your pass before the show's sold out 🎟️ @headlinebooks.bsky.social @wildfirebooks.bsky.social #booksky linktr.ee/HotWaxEvents

I'm housesitting right now and just getting over being extremely sick, but sitting outside with the dogs for a bit, enjoying the autumn weather, and doing a bit of reading on @mlrio.bsky.social 's newest novel has me feeling much more human 🧡🖤🧡

#booksky #autumn #reading

That is the primary object of good literature! Thanks so much for reading xx

Good news If you need a Scooby snack for spooky season -- digital editions of GRAVEYARD SHIFT are discounted this month in the US (Kindle) and the UK (Kindle/Apple Books) and from October 7-8 the US print edition is 66% off 🐀🐀🐀 @flatironbooks.bsky.social @headlinebooks.bsky.social #booksky

West Coast! Next week, come get yer freak on 🪩 mlrio.com/events/ #books #booksky @simonbooks.bsky.social

Book review: Facing the music of the past 'Hot Wax' is an electrifying triumph of a novel with a raw, emotional core, finely crafted by the talented M. L. Rio.

HOT WAX is "an electrifying triumph of a novel" in today's @irishexaminer.bsky.social 🎸 @headlinebooks.bsky.social @wildfirebooks.bsky.social #books #booksky www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ar...

HOT WAX Tour Diary, 3 October 2025 Back from somewhere

Some hard truths about publishing in 2025 and the infernal sales track in the 'stack today mlriodiscursions.substack.com/p/hot-wax-to... #books #writing #booksky

We asked Tiny Bookshop's designer about Game of Thrones, genres, and greedy seagulls Tiny Bookshop welcomes us all with open arms, so we asked what went into the game, where the inspiration came from, and if we can expect more.

Oh hey, I’m in a video game? My 90s-kid heart loves this. What a perfect little slice of soothing in a completely crazy world. www.pockettactics.com/tiny-booksho... #books @tinybookshopgame.com @flatironbooks.bsky.social

Last night at @parkbooks.bsky.social was a trip! What better way to finish off this leg of the HOT WAX tour than a pop-up record shop and an absolutely bitchin' vinyl score? I know how I'm kicking back the next few days before I'm off to the West Coast 📀😎📀 @simonbooks.bsky.social #books #vinyl

So many friends’ books have come out in the past two weeks. In my trip to Brooklyn & driving back upstate I got to buy their books at fav bookstores: @mlrio.bsky.social, @ericlarocca.bsky.social @raforall.bsky.social @rachelharrison.bsky.social, @pfracassi.bsky.social & @brianmcwriter.bsky.social

❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Thanks so much for letting me cut this one! Always great fun 🤘

“I spent nearly a decade writing and re-writing this book, and in that time I racked up thousands of records and ticket stubs...”

@mlrio.bsky.social shared a playlist for her novel Hot Wax largeheartedboy.com/2025/09/29/m...

This is a dream endorsement, honestly ❤️❤️❤️

Lemme tell you, I adored HOT WAX by @mlrio.bsky.social. Just the character work ALONE makes that book sing.

Nice to see HOT WAX in the @nytimes.com again but also nice to resurrect this list of Gothic thrillers I dreamed up earlier this year! If you're ready for some dark and stormy reads, I've got some recs for you: www.nytimes.com/interactive/... @simonbooks.bsky.social @kathy-daneman.bsky.social #books

I collect them on every road trip and use them for all occasions -- birthdays, holidays, just because!

Two stops left of the second leg of the HOT WAX tour! Tonight at @oldtownbooks.bsky.social Alexandria Alexandria, tomorrow at @parkbooks.bsky.social Baltimore/Severna Park 🎸 What better way to spend a gray, drizzly day than some sizzlin' new fiction? ❤️‍🔥 @simonbooks.bsky.social #books

I love a good postcard!!!

MY UK EDITION CAME IN A WEEK EARLY!!!

I can’t wait to read this @mlrio.bsky.social

#booksky #reading

So glad it arrived!!

Absolutely not over it

It's officially Autumn, aka the perfect time to curl up with a good book! There's no better time of year to read (or reread 👀) IF WE WERE VILLAINS by @mlrio.bsky.social. 🍂

Thank you to romesreads on Instagram for this gorgeous photo! 🎭

M.L. Rio on Writing Real Songs for Fictional Bands This first appeared in Lit Hub’s Craft of Writing newsletter—sign up here. As any woman who’s ever worn a band T-shirt out of the house can attest, the proprietary indignation at perceived inauthen…

@mlrio.bsky.social explains the enjoyment and peculiarity of writing songs for fictional bands: “Too much granular detail can suck the life out of something.”

Heroes and villains... the best book about rock'n'roll since High Fidelity ML Rio went from literary outsider to superstar with If We Were Villains. Now she's back with Hot Wax, an incendiary tale of rock 'n' roll at its glorious best

Just, wow. Absolutely floored to see this amazing @dailyexpressnews.bsky.social review of HOT WAX, "the best book about rock n' roll music since HIGH FIDELITY." www.express.co.uk/entertainmen... #books @headlinebooks.bsky.social

I did not get raptured, but I did get a residency! Very excited and very grateful for this opportunity to get back to the craft next summer tskw.org/2025-26-pears/ #writing

Spotted in the wild earlier at our local bookstore, the latest from @mlrio.bsky.social