Skip to main content

Archives - April 2013

Interview: William Kent Krueger, author of Ordinary Grace

Apr 26, 2013

William Kent Krueger so enjoyed the questions that were posed by our Sneak Peek readers for ORDINARY GRACE that he answered them in the interview that we have here.

Interview: Kristin Hannah, author of Fly Away

Apr 25, 2013

FLY AWAY, the highly anticipated follow-up to Kristin Hannah’s FIREFLY LANE, finally has been released. In this emotionally complex and often heart-wrenching novel, Hannah focuses on the characters of Tully, Johnny, Dorothy and Marah, and the stories and relationships that have made them who they are. Told with vibrant flashbacks, the book paints a portrait of growth, redemption, and what it means to be a woman. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl, Hannah discusses grief, motherhood, and our misunderstandings of the people closest to us. She also talks about the craft and struggle of writing with flashbacks, and what led her to return to the world of FIREFLY LANE five years after its publication.

Author Talk: Helene Wecker, author of The Golem and the Jinni

Apr 25, 2013

Helene Wecker’s debut novel, THE GOLEM AND THE JINNI, is a magical tale of cross-cultural love in turn-of-the-century New York. The golem, Chava, was created to seem human only while serving her husband, and the Jinni is a creature whose true magical nature is being supplanted by his fascination with mortals. The two meet by chance, and learn together how to reconcile their cultures and their struggle for independence. In this interview, Wecker discusses what inspired her supernatural twist on a classic immigrant love story, the challenges of making mystical characters seem human (and modeling her Golem on Lt. Commander Data of “Star Trek”), and discovering that people across the centuries have always been wrestling with the same all-too-human issues: faith, identity and love.

Interview: Patti Callahan Henry, author of And Then I Found You

Apr 11, 2013

Patti Callahan Henry’s latest novel, AND THEN I FOUND YOU, is inspired by true events and tells the story of Katie Vaughan, a woman whose life is full of tough choices and who has dark secrets. Katie needs to confront those from her past and make peace with a secret that has been haunting her in order to live and love to her fullest. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Henry shares her personal ties to this story, the theme of making peace with the past, and the experience of writing a novel so based in truth. She also discusses her writing regimen, another upcoming book tour, and the challenge of being a full-time wife, mother and author --- three elements that have greatly impacted her career.

Interview: Lauren Willig, author of The Ashford Affair

Apr 11, 2013

Lauren Willig, the author of the long-running Pink Carnation series, has written a new page-turner. THE ASHFORD AFFAIR is the story of two women --- Clementine Evans, a Manhattan lawyer, and her grandmother Addie --- who are united through history by a long-buried family secret. When a relative accidentally hints at the secret during Addie’s 99th birthday party, Clemmie will be led on a journey of discovery over three continents. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Willig discusses the inspiration for writing a book that spans different eras, the reversal of the gender paradigm, and how she immerses herself in research --- all of which play important roles in this stand-alone novel.

Interview: Alan Brennert, author of Palisades Park

Apr 11, 2013

PALISADES PARK, the highly anticipated new novel from bestselling author Alan Brennert, is a fictional account of the Stopka family in the very real world of the 1930s Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. This family of dreamers lives through some of the most defining moments of United States history --- the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II --- to realize that the American dream is what you make of it, all the while being drawn back together and to Palisades Park. Brennert spoke with Bookreporter.com’s Amy Gwiazdowski about researching the renowned amusement park and his personal ties to it, the challenges of being a modern writer penning historical fiction, how his experience in media has impacted his writing, and the ever-catchy “Palisades Park” jingle.

Author Talk: Jody Hedlund, author of A Noble Groom

Apr 11, 2013

In Jody Hedlund’s latest historical romance, A NOBLE GROOM, Annalisa Werner needs a husband to save her farm. Desperate, she allows her father to send for a groom from the Old Country. But then friendship --- and something more --- begins to grow between Annalisa and her temporary farmhand. In this interview, Hedlund talks about why she was drawn to write the book, the take-away message she wants readers to receive upon finishing the story, and how her childhood visits to the farm where her dad grew up served as inspiration for the novel.

Interview: Laura Lee Smith, author of Heart of Palm

Apr 4, 2013

Laura Lee Smith has been called an “enchanter casting her spell with lyrical prose,” and her first novel perfectly exemplifies this praise. HEART OF PALM tells the story of the Bravo family living in Utina, Florida, right before the tide of development rocks the small town. When things start to change, the family has to face not only an uncertain future, but also a tragic past. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Smith discusses her brilliant use of dialect, her inspiration for the town of Utina, and how to handle rejection with perseverance. She also touches on point of view, survivor’s guilt and emotional attachment to objects, which are all important aspects of her debut.