Sally Koslow relied on her years spent as the editor-in-chief of McCall's to give readers the inside scoop on the magazine industry in her debut novel, LITTLE PINK SLIPS. In this interview, Koslow reveals her sole reason for writing the book, and discusses the biggest differences between creating fiction and nonfiction. She also describes her habits for overcoming procrastination, shares some of her thoughts on America's obsession with celebrities and explains why running a magazine was her ultimate dream job.

LITTLE PINK SLIPS by Sally Koslow (Fiction)
More fun than a newsstand full of glossy monthlies, this ex-magazine editor's workplace roman à clef has the authority of someone who's Been There --- as well as descriptions galore of glamorous clothes, hot sex and behind-the-scenes corporate nastiness. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.

-Click here to read a review of LITTLE PINK SLIPS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from LITTLE PINK SLIPS.
-For more, visit Sally Koslow's website, SallyKoslow.com.

We are pleased to announce that Andrea Portes is our newest One to Watch author. Her debut novel HICK --- which is now available in stores --- tracks the real perils that modern teenagers so often face. And it does so with bright wit, energy and an indomitable spirit.

We have 10 copies of HICK to give to readers who would like to read and comment on the book. Interested? Send your name and mailing address to OneToWatch@bookreporter.com by Friday, May 18th.

Because the book is already in stores, readers will notice some differences in the timing of our One to Watch feature for Andrea Portes. This week we are featuring the following:

-Click here to read a review of HICK.
-Click here to read Andrea Portes's bio.
-Visit Andrea Portes's website, AndreaPortes.com.

HICK by Andrea Portes (Fiction)
Foreseeing a hopeless future in barrooms and parking lots, cagey 13-year-old Luli McMullen bolts headlong from the heartland, aiming at Las Vegas where she expects to find herself a sugar daddy. Almost immediately, crooked-bodied Eddie Kreezer, a roving obsessive with a violent streak, and a fading but lovely grifter named Glenda begin to do battle for Luli's head and heart. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.

Our Mother's Day Hatbox Contest has ended, and we’re pleased to announce our five winners: Heather from Easton, PA, who has fond memories of her mother reading the Little House on the Prairie series; Judy from West Carrollton, OH, whose mother read her LITTLE WOMEN; Kerri from Eclectic, AL, remembers mom reading THE VELVETEEN RABBIT; Marcia from Gray, ME, whose mother read from ALICE IN WONDERLAND; and Michael from Orland Park, IL, whose mother read him GREEN EGGS AND HAM. Thanks to all the readers who entered and told us their favorite book that their moms read to them.

-Click here to see what other readers had to say.

Looking for a last-minute gift to give to Mom on Sunday? Our featured Mother's Day titles --- JULIA’S CHOCOLATES by Cathy Lamb, MARS NEEDS MOMS! by Berkeley Breathed, SWIMMING LESSONS and TURTLE SUMMER by Mary Alice Monroe, and VIRGIN RIVER by Robyn Carr --- are some great choices.

One of our featured Debut Suspense/Thriller authors is Todd Buchholz, whose book THE CASTRO GENE is an intricately plotted knockout that hits stores May 15th. 

-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE CASTRO GENE.

More about THE CASTRO GENE:
After killing a man in the ring, Luke Braden quits boxing. While toiling as a security guard and yearning to reinvent himself, Luke is swept up into the high-flying domain of Paul Tremont. Tremont, the hottest hedge fund hand around, has a penchant for the dramatic and a disquieting need to control. Being Tremont’s protégé has its perks –-- Luke trades in his ratty basement apartment for a penthouse view, his gym clothes for designer suits. But there are strings attached, and Tremont is pulling those strings.

Why does Tremont need a washed-up boxer? The answer lies not in what Luke is, but who he is. Luke Braden is the only man who can execute Tremont’s diabolical scheme.

Our second Debut Suspense/Thriller author is Heather Terrell, whose provocative historical page-turner THE CHRYSALIS hits stores May 15th.

-Click here to see our advance copy winners.
-Click here to read a new excerpt from THE CHRYSALIS

More about THE CHRYSALIS:
Haarlem, Holland, seventeenth-century: The city’s chief magistrate commissions a family portrait from Dutch master painter Johannes Miereveld. But when the artist sees the magistrate’s daughter, Amalia, an illicit love affair begins. Miereveld creates a captivating masterpiece, THE CHRYSALIS --- a stunning portrait of the Virgin Mary, full of Catholic symbols, that outrages his Protestant patron and signals the death of his career.

Spanning centuries and continents, THE CHRYSALIS is a brilliant, intelligent, fast-paced thriller that melds art and history into a provocative work of fiction. From the underground Catholicism in seventeenth-century Holland to the unspeakable crimes of the Nazis and the repercussions that reverberate to this day throughout the art world, Heather Terrell has created a fascinating story that will entrance readers to the very last page.

THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES by Tess Uriza Holthe (Fiction/Short Stories) 

In THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES, Tess Uriza Holthe peers deeply into the inner lives of women and men, while evoking the sensual grace and richness of the land and culture they share: the time-stopping quality of an exquisite and leisurely meal taken at a tiny ristorante in an unmapped village; the salty breeze that wafts through the open bedroom window of an elegant chateau by the sea; the pulse of life at the festival in Rapallo, in the bullrings of Pamplona, and on the streets of Cannes when the movie people have gone. Sad and lovely, often at the same time, THE FIVE-FORTY-FIVE TO CANNES takes us to places where we are happy to linger, in the world and in the human heart.