Blog

Deborah Crombie is the award-winning author of the beloved Kincaid/James series. The latest installment, THE SOUND OF BROKEN GLASS (which will be available in paperback on February 25th), finds Detective Inspector Gemma James and her team working overtime to find the companion of a well-respected barrister, who was found dead at a seedy hotel. Their search takes them into unexpected corners and forces them to contemplate unsettling truths about the weaknesses and passions that lead to murder. In her Holiday Author Blog, Deborah writes about a topic that is decidedly less grim but no less thrilling: the joy of receiving books for Christmas. The book that is most special to her is the one her now-husband gave her more than 40 years ago --- which was just as much a “keeper” as he turned out to be.

Wendy Webb is the award-winning author of THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE and THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN. Her latest book, THE VANISHING (which releases on January 21st), is about Julia Bishop, whose life is collapsing around her when a stranger appears on her doorstep with an intriguing job offer: He asks Julia to be a companion for his elderly mother, the famous and rather eccentric horror novelist Amaris Sinclair, whom the whole world thinks is dead. In her Holiday Author Blog, Wendy opens up about one meaningful Christmas spent in the ER with her young son, and just how enchanting stories can be, especially if you’re able to see the magic between the pages.

Mary Jane Clark is the author of 16 novels, including 12 in her KEY News thriller series, and four in her Wedding Cake mystery series, the latest of which is THAT OLD BLACK MAGIC, releasing on January 21st. Aspiring actress and wedding-cake decorator Piper Donovan thinks she can unmask a killer, but she will have to conjure up some old black magic of her own if she hopes to live long enough to reveal the truth. Mary Jane may not have always been a mystery writer --- she took a three-decade detour as a writer and producer for CBS News --- but she can trace her love for mysteries back to her childhood and a few memorable Christmas gifts.

Jeff Abbott is the New York Times bestselling author of 15 novels. In addition to four stand-alone titles, his books include the Sam Capra thrillers ADRENALINE, THE LAST MINUTE (winner of an International Thriller Writers Award), and DOWNFALL, the latest installment in the series (available in paperback on January 28th). It finds ex-CIA agent Sam Capra entangled, once again, in the dangerous life he wants so badly to retire from. When a beautiful young woman walks into the San Francisco bar, pursued by two gunmen, Sam is thrust into a fight for his life. When Jeff was a kid, he loved exploring the mysteries of the universe, as well as the mysteries he found in the library. In this Holiday Author Blog, he talks about the first Christmas that he knew his heart belonged to stories, not science.

Margaret Wrinkle is a writer, filmmaker, educator and visual artist. In her debut novel, WASH (now available in paperback), Washington, the slave of a troubled Revolutionary War veteran, encounters a potent healer named Pallas, who inspires Wash to forge a new understanding of his heritage and his place in it. In her Holiday Author Blog, Margaret talks about how she was inspired by the Paris Review’s historic author interviews, and why the best gifts --- the ones we really need --- are sometimes the ones we give ourselves, no matter when, no matter where.

Susan Wiggs is an award-winning author, who has written more than 40 novels, including #1 New York Times bestsellers from her hit series, The Lakeshore Chronicles. CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS, the latest Lakeshore installment, is about Logan O'Donnell, a single father determined to create the perfect Christmas for his son, Charlie. When newcomer Darcy Fitzgerald arrives at Willow Lake --- even though she’s the last person Logan can see himself falling for, and Darcy is convinced that a relationship is the last thing she needs this Christmas --- their two lonely hearts collide. In real life, Susan knows a thing or two about matchmaking --- especially when it comes to books! Here, she talks about the pleasure of giving the right book to the right reader, and how one precise and inspired book choice helped her bond with her stepson, Carter. CANDLELIGHT CHRISTMAS, not coincidentally, is dedicated to him.

Christopher Reich is the bestselling author of numerous novels, including NUMBERED ACCOUNT, THE RUNNER and RULES OF DECEPTION. His latest book, THE PRINCE OF RISK, is about Robert "Bobby" Astor, a fearless New York hedge-fund gunslinger on the verge of making his biggest killing ever. But everything changes when his father, the venerable chief executive of the New York Stock Exchange, is murdered. Here, Christopher writes about a more serene memory: his family's yearly Christmas trip to a small ski resort in the Alps. There was plenty of downtime, and little else to do besides read, so their suitcases were packed heavy with books --- enough to get them through two weeks up in the snowy mountains. Almost.

Alma Katsu's debut, THE TAKER, a Gothic novel of suspense, has been compared to the early work of Anne Rice and Elizabeth Kostova's THE HISTORIAN. Now, she returns with the final book in the Taker trilogy, THE DESCENT. In this stunning conclusion, Lanore McIlvrae faces her powerful nemesis, Adair, one last time --- and asks him for a favor that will cost her either her love or her life. Alma doesn't only deal in supernatural mysteries; she also contemplates the mysteries of daily life --- like how to give a booklover a book without offending his or her sophisticated sensibilities. Here, she offers a solution to that age-old question.

Jill McCorkle's first two novels --- THE CHEERLEADER and JULY 7th --- were published on the same day, and she hasn't slowed down ever since. She's the author of five New York Times Notable Books, as well as short stories that have been anthologized in numerous literary journals. Her latest novel, LIFE AFTER LIFE (now available in paperback), is about the residents and staff of Pine Haven Estates, a retirement facility in Fulton, North Carolina. As their lives become intertwined through their present circumstances, their pasts and, in some cases, their deaths, a bigger picture begins to develop --- one that celebrates the beauty and wisdom of later life. Here, in her Holiday Author Blog, Jill makes another interesting connection between past and present. She traces her love of writing and storytelling back to a Christmas gift she received when she was seven years old: Danny O'Day, a ventriloquist dummy. 

Jane Maas is known as "a legend" in the advertising world, and her first book, MAD WOMEN, reveals what it was really like to be a woman in the industry in the 1960s. Her latest book, THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL, is a lot less tell-all. Full of love and faith and the spirit of Christmas, it's the story of an ornamental angel carved by Owen Thomas for the woman who would break his heart. Owen brings the angel from his Welsh home to America, where she looks down over five generations, witnessing their triumphs and tragedies, and reminding all who look upon her that laughter and goodwill can remedy even the heaviest burden. In this very moving piece, Jane opens up about her own guardian angel: her Aunt Mary, who would send Jane books throughout each stage of her life, which contained --- almost magically ---  exactly the wisdom she needed.