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Archives - January 2015

Interview: Greer Macallister, author of The Magician's Lie

Jan 29, 2015

Greer Macallister is a poet, short story writer, playwright, and now novelist, whose debut, THE MAGICIAN’S LIE, is getting great buzz. It’s the spellbinding story of a notorious illusionist accused of murder: When the Amazing Arden swaps her saw for a fire ax, Officer Virgil Holt will have to decide if it's a new trick or an all-too-real murder. But will Arden reveal her secrets, even when her life is at stake? In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Kate Ayers, Macallister talks about her fascination with Adelaide Herrmann, the “Queen of Magic” and the inspiration for Arden, and how a glaring absence in Adelaide’s history moved her to write this story. She also shares how she was quickly disillusioned of any romantic ideas she had about research, as well as which authors have had the greatest influence on her.

Interview: Greg Baxter, author of Munich Airport

Jan 29, 2015

Texas-born Greg Baxter now lives in Berlin, where he writes and translates. His latest book, MUNICH AIRPORT, is about an unnamed, expatriate narrator who is waiting in Munich’s fog-bound airport with his father and a US consul to transport the corpse of his sister to America. Baxter deftly weaves flashbacks throughout the story in order to bring his narrator’s pain and conflict into sharper relief. In this interview, he discusses how he was able to use flashbacks in a way that feels emotionally honest and organic to the story, as well as the unusual role music plays in his novel.

Interview: Sarah Addison Allen, author of First Frost

Jan 22, 2015

Bestselling author Sarah Addison Allen never planned on revisiting the characters from her beloved first novel, GARDEN SPELLS. But much to the delight of fans, she has brought the Waverley women back to life in her latest book, FIRST FROST. In this charming follow-up, Claire, Sydney and Bay are still struggling with their unique “gifts,” until a mysterious stranger shows up and challenges the very heart of the family. Here, Allen talks to Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller about why she chose to return to her old characters and how their familiarity helped her through a hard time. She also shares how much she appreciates meeting her fans on tour (a lot!), whether or not she plans on returning to Bascom again, and how she feels social media has allowed for a less isolated writing experience.

Interview: Priya Parmar, author of Vanessa and Her Sister

Jan 22, 2015

Although VANESSA AND HER SISTER is only Priya Parmar’s second book (following her debut, EXIT THE ACTRESS), it has already wowed critics and readers. Set in the exhilarating days of prewar London, it tells the extraordinary tale of two gifted artists: Vanessa Bell and her sister, Virginia Woolf. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Roz Shea, Parmar talks about her fascination with Vanessa and Virginia, as well as the extended, equally eccentric Bloomsbury Group. She also discusses why she chose to tell the story in an epistolary format and why she hopes that the wonderful personalization of letter writing will not be lost in our technology-saturated world.

Interview: Amanda Eyre Ward, author of The Same Sky

Jan 22, 2015

Critically acclaimed author Amanda Eyre Ward spent the last year visiting shelters in Texas and California, meeting immigrant children whose stories inspired her latest novel, THE SAME SKY. In it, strong-willed Carla decides to leave Honduras with her young brother and make the difficult journey to Texas --- hoping to reunite with the only family they have left. In her interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Ward reveals the real-life inspiration for Carla and how moved she was by the stories that the kids at the Brownsville shelter shared with her. She also discusses how she hopes THE SAME SKY will add depth to an issue that is often oversimplified in the news and will mobilize readers to get involved.

Interview: John Lewis, author of March: Book Two

Jan 14, 2015

Recently, John Maher of The Book Report Network interviewed Representative John Lewis, the author of the graphic memoir MARCH: Book Two, the second in a series about his experiences during the American Civil Rights Movement. The former chairman of the Student Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, Lewis was one of the leading voices for nonviolent protest and civil disobedience in the 1960s. He is the only living member of the "Big Six," and one of 10 activists to speak to the more than 250,000 Americans gathered at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington in 1963. Lewis has served as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 5th congressional district since 1987, and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Interview: Charles Todd, author of A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

Jan 12, 2015

In A FINE SUMMER’S DAY, the latest entry in their Ian Rutledge series, the New York Times bestselling mother-son writing team known as Charles Todd takes readers into the Scotland Yard detective’s past --- to his perplexing final case before the outbreak of World War I. It’s a can’t-miss for fans of the series, set in a more carefree time when Rutledge’s first love was still alive. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Ray Palen, the Todds discuss why A FINE SUMMER’S DAY isn’t quite a prequel --- although it's still a crucial chapter in Rutledge’s personal history. The pair also opens up about the challenges of writing as a team and how they’ve managed to make the most of their collaboration.