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Archives - August 2014

Author Talk: Matthew Thomas, author of We Are Not Ourselves

Aug 22, 2014

A graduate of the University of Chicago, Matthew Thomas has an MA from the Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and an MFA from the University of California, Irvine, where he received the Graduate Essay Award. His first novel, WE ARE NOT OURSELVES, was more than a decade in the making, and tells the sprawling story of Eileen and Ed Leary, a wife and husband drawn apart and together again by their complicated relationship with the American Dream. In this interview, Thomas talks about what compelled him to keep writing through all those years --- more practical than mystical --- and offers some advice to aspiring writers. He also discusses how, ironically, his characters were finally able to live when he stopped trying to recreate the real-life people on whom they are based, and why the language of baseball and identity are indefinitely intertwined.

Interview: William Kent Krueger, author of Windigo Island

Aug 22, 2014

William Kent Krueger is the award-winning author of ORDINARY GRACE, as well as 14 Cork O’Connor mysteries. In the latest book in the series, WINDIGO ISLAND, former-sheriff-turned-PI Cork O’Connor becomes involved in the investigation of a runaway teenage Ojibwe girl’s death and the grim circumstances surrounding her disappearance. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Krueger discusses what compelled him to write about such a serious and disturbing subject --- the sexual exploitation of Native American women --- and the steps he would take to eradicate the situation. He also talks about honoring Ojibwe mythology by including some supernatural elements in his story, why he finds it’s nearly impossible for a man to write from a woman’s first-person perspective, and the part he likes to play in supporting local bookstores.

Interview: Martha Woodroof, author of Small Blessings

Aug 13, 2014

Martha Woodroof's debut novel, SMALL BLESSINGS, introduces readers to Tom Putnam, a college English professor who is stuck in an existence that hasn't changed in decades. Suddenly, he finds that his life takes on new light and expanded possibilities when everything around him is upended by what first appears to be a terrible tragedy. In this interview, Woodroof talks to Bookreporter.com’s Amie Taylor about what inspires people to venture out of their comfort zones and pursue happiness, and how love can hold together even the most diverse groups. She also opens up about why she can’t choose favorites when it comes to her characters and the reason she prefers country living to city life.

Author Talk: Sarah Loudin Thomas, author of Miracle in a Dry Season

Aug 12, 2014

Sarah Loudin Thomas's debut novel, MIRACLE IN A DRY SEASON, tells the story of Perla Long, who moves to Wise, West Virginia, a quiet, safe place for her and her daughter, where the mistakes of her past can stay hidden. But when drought comes to Wise, Perla is pulled into the turmoil of a town desperately in need of a miracle. In this interview, Sarah talks about her family legacy of colorful storytelling, what she does when she’s not writing, and the daily miracles that are too often taken for granted.

Interview: Joshilyn Jackson, author of Someone Else's Love Story

Aug 8, 2014

Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including GODS IN ALABAMA and A GROWN-UP KIND OF PRETTY. Her most recent book, SOMEONE ELSE'S LOVE STORY, is about a single mom who stumbles into the middle of a mini-mart robbery, where the actions of a stranger cause her to fall irrevocably in love with him. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Rebecca Munro, Jackson talks about her development as a strong female voice --- how she overcame her fear of “being taken too seriously” in order to write what she considers her best novel yet. She also lovingly discusses her eclectic cast of characters, the way fiction creates a safe space for readers to suspend their disbelief, and why it’s so hard for her to turn away a good metaphor.

Author Talk: Malcolm Brooks, author of Painted Horses

Aug 8, 2014

Malcolm Brooks was raised in the rural foothills of the California Sierras and grew up around Gold Rush and Native American artifacts. A carpenter by trade, he has lived in Montana for most of two decades. His debut novel, PAINTED HORSES, combines his widely varied interests, his fascination with the American West and, of course, his lifelong love of horses. In this interview, Brooks talks about the path that led him to write this “sprawling book,” the strange paradox of progress, how living in Montana has affected his writing and, naturally, why he loves horses so much.

Author Talk: Laura Lane McNeal, author of Dollbaby

Aug 7, 2014

Laura Lane McNeal grew up and currently resides in New Orleans, where people laugh a lot, talk with their hands, love good music and food, and will make up any excuse for a party. So it’s no coincidence that her debut novel, DOLLBABY, is set in the heart of "The Big Easy." In this interview, McNeal talks affectionately about why New Orleans is such a dynamic setting for a book--- how the place itself “tugs at your soul” and engages all your senses. She also discusses all the research that went into DOLLBABY, why she chose to tell the story from two different points of view, and how all her characters are really searching for is their place in the world --- just like the rest of us.

Interview: Daisy Goodwin, author of The Fortune Hunter

Aug 1, 2014

In addition to publishing numerous poetry anthologies and the New York Times bestselling novel THE AMERICAN HEIRESS, Daisy Goodwin has presented award-winning television series on poetry and on the enduring appeal of romantic fiction. She currently lives in London with her husband, two daughters and three dogs. So when she says she’s been researching her latest book, THE FORTUNE HUNTER, her “whole life,” she isn’t kidding! In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Goodwin talks about the picture of Empress Elizabeth of Austria that inspired her to tell this story and the challenges of crafting fiction that has roots in real history. She also shares how her experience working in television production has been invaluable to her writing, why she feels so strongly about her charity, Women Taking Action, and why a 2am text message from a reader was one of the highlights of her career.