Skip to main content

Archives - June 2013

Interview: S. J. Bolton, author of Lost

Jun 28, 2013

S. J. Bolton, an award-winning author of five books, delivers her most compelling novel to date, LOST, in which a fragile Lacey Flint must work with Barney, a courageous, lonely 11-year-old boy, to unmask a killer. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Bolton opens up about the not-coincidental similarities between Barney and her own 11-year-old son (who even plays Barney in the book trailer), the inspiration for and evolution of the story, and why it's crucial --- when writing a mystery --- to be led by plot and not character. She also stresses the importance of following your instincts and pursuing whatever it is you're passionate about.

Interview: Barbara Delinsky, author of Sweet Salt Air

Jun 20, 2013

Bestselling author Barbara Delinsky returns with a new novel just in time for the summer. SWEET SALT AIR is the story of best friends Nicole and Charlotte, who have grown distant over the years as each clings desperately to her own secrets. When they reunite one summer to work together on a cookbook, they find that sharing their hidden histories might test the limits of their friendship --- and ultimately set them free. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Delinsky talks about the themes that drive the story forward: friendship, loss, and the inspiration to grow despite past pain. She also opens up about how her own experiences color her worldview, and explains why it’s important to embrace life’s imperfections.

Interview: Linda Castillo, author of Her Last Breath

Jun 20, 2013

What if a tragic but routine car accident is really a case of premeditated murder? That's the question Linda Castillo asks in HER LAST BREATH, the latest installment in her Kate Burkholder series. In this interview, Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub asks a few questions of his own, including how much of the events in the book are based on real incidents and what kind of skeletons are still lurking in Kate Burkholder's closet. Castillo also discusses the fascinating and thinly veiled tension between the Amish and the "English," how daydreaming during a citizen's police academy workshop led to a key plot point, and the thrill of challenging her characters by putting them in worst-case scenarios.

Interview: Walter Walker, author of Crime of Privilege

Jun 20, 2013

In addition to writing legal thrillers, Walter Walker is a San Francisco trial attorney, so he knows a thing or two about how the system works. His latest novel, CRIME OF PRIVILEGE, is told from the perspective of George Becket, a young lawyer who has always lived at the edge of power. Now, an investigation brings him deep inside the world of the truly wealthy --- and shows him what a perilous place it is. Bookreporter.com’s Kate Ayers interviews Walker about the fine, crooked line between power and politics, what makes George such a compelling and entertaining narrator, and honing his own powers of observation in the courtroom --- and in life. He also discusses the parallel maturation of his legal and writing ambitions and why it seems that so many lawyers are interested in becoming authors, too.

Interview: Mary Kay Andrews, author of Ladies' Night

Jun 6, 2013

In Mary Kay Andrews’s latest novel, LADIES’ NIGHT, Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating. Heartache, humor, and a little bit of mystery come together in a story about life’s unpredictable twists and turns. Fortunately, the only real-life plot point that inspired the book was Mary Kay’s penchant for house fluffing --- and, of course, blogging about it. In this interview, the Queen of the Summer Beach Read talks to Bookreporter.com’s Jamie Layton about where her ideas come from (hint: even titles can be aspirational), the thrill of a successful DIY project, and what we can expect from her next. And for all the antique junkies out there, Mary Kay also shares some of her favorite flea markets, as well as the reason she prefers to read a good lifestyle blog to an old-fashioned home magazine.