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Archives - February 2015

Interview: Susan Mallery, author of The Girls of Mischief Bay

Feb 27, 2015

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery --- whose work has been called "luscious and provocative" --- is back with a brand new series. THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY is the first book, and introduces us to three women at different stages in life who come together in the beautiful seaside town of Mischief Bay, California, to provide solace and support for one another. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Mallery talks about creating Mischief Bay (which is so well-conceived that it seems like a real place!) and why she chose to feature three distinctly different women. She also shares how she manages to be so prolific and where you can find more of her delicious recipes.

Author Talk: Allison Pataki, author of The Accidental Empress

Feb 19, 2015

Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed historical novel, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE. No slouch when it comes to history, Pataki was inspired to write her second work of fiction, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- about how Empress “Sisi” Elisabeth of Bavaria accidentally won the heart, and court, of Emperor Franz Joseph --- by her family’s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. In this interview, Pataki reveals how she was able to whittle all of her fascinating historical source material down to an elegantly cohesive story, as well as the liberties that writing fiction allowed her to take. She also talks about how thoroughly she researched THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- of course, it's no surprise that traveling was a highlight!

Interview: Emily Gray Tedrowe, author of Blue Stars

Feb 19, 2015

In her latest book, BLUE STARS, Emily Gray Tedrowe explores, in profoundly moving detail, the lives of military families --- in particular, two very different women whose lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each must live while caring for her wounded soldier. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Tedrowe talks about how her own experience as a member of a military family informed her writing, and the critical task of capturing all the complicated and ever-shifting attitudes of the people left behind at the home front. She also discusses why the unexpected friendship between her two female protagonists is crucial to the narrative, and how she found room in a war story for Edith Wharton.

Interview: Michael Callahan, author of Searching for Grace Kelly

Feb 13, 2015

Michael Callahan is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a former deputy editor at Town & Country and Marie Claire. His knowledge of style and culture certainly comes in handy in his debut novel, SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY. It’s the story of three young ladies --- all staying at the glamorous Barbizon Hotel in 1950s New York --- who embark on a journey of self-discovery that will take them from the penthouse salons of Park Avenue to the Beat scene of Greenwich Village to Atlantic City’s Steel Pier. In this interview with 20SomethingReads.com’s Rebecca Munro, Michael talks in stunning detail about the world that these women inhabited, as well as what drew him to the Barbizon Hotel in the first place. He also considers the timeless allure of a “bad girl,” how he created well-rounded characters out of tried-and-true archetypes, and what he thinks is the modern version of the Barbizon experience (hint: It’s not nearly as glamorous!).

Author Talk: Lisa Unger, author of Crazy Love You

Feb 13, 2015

Lisa Unger is an award-winning New York Times and internationally bestselling author, best known for dark psychological thrillers. Her latest, CRAZY LOVE YOU, incorporates all the elements that fans --- and she herself --- love most. In this interview, Unger shares some surprisingly light aspects of her creative process, including how she conceived of her character, Ian, and the evolution of The Hollows, the depressed, haunted town where Ian and his best friend, Priss, grew up. She also talks about why creative people seem to find “a home in their art” at a young age, and how the natural and supernatural worlds coexist side by side…and our experience of them is mostly a matter of perception.

Interview: Jess Lourey, author of February Fever: A Murder-by-Month Mystery

Feb 12, 2015

Jessica (Jess) Lourey is the author of the critically acclaimed Murder-by-Month mysteries, written with "a splendid mix of humor and suspense." In FEBRUARY FEVER, the latest addition to the series, airplane-averse heroine Mira James decides to take a train to visit an old friend. When a passenger is found murdered, it’s up to Mira to track down the killer --- or end up derailed...permanently. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Amie Taylor, Lourey talks about how Mira has grown throughout the series, the art of naming a character, and why she’ll never get too old for bathroom humor. She also shares fellow mystery authors who have inspired her and a hilarious story about how Amtrak was a little less than enthusiastic about accommodating her research.

Author Talk: Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale

Feb 6, 2015

Kristin Hannah is the bestselling author of more than 20 novels. Her latest is a bit of a departure for her: THE NIGHTINGALE is a sweeping work of historical fiction that tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, as each embarks on her own dangerous path toward survival, love and freedom in German-occupied France. In this interview, Hannah discusses the brave Belgian who inspired her to tell the story of the women’s war, as well as the pros and cons of writing fiction that adheres so resolutely to history. She also shares her favorite scene in the novel, how she overcame her nerves in order to actually write it, and what she hopes readers will take away from the story.

Interview: Scott McCloud, author of The Sculptor

Feb 3, 2015

Scott McCloud, comics' most eloquent and prolific theorist, is best known for his explications of the form: UNDERSTANDING COMICS and its follow-ups, REINVENTING COMICS and MAKING COMICS. But starting in the late 1980s --- even before he turned to non-fiction --- McCloud began his comics career with an American superhero manga series, Zot!. And this year, for the first time ever, McCloud puts his talents to an original graphic novel, the absolutely monumental THE SCULPTOR. Here, McCloud sits down with The Book Report Network staffer and GraphicNovelReporter site coordinator John Maher to discuss his newest work, his history in comics and why he prefers the pen to the hammer and chisel. Note: This interview is chock full of SPOILERS!