A short holiday work week means that we all were working double time! Whew, we literally turned out a full update in 2 1/2 days. So once again I wave my mouse at our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, with appreciation!

There’s lots to share. First, we have our interview with Jacqueline Winspear; the title of her new book, THIS TIME NEXT YEAR WE’LL BE LAUGHING (a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick), coincidentally could be our mantra. After 16 novels, she has taken the bold step of turning to memoir, revealing the hardships and joys of her family history. Both shockingly frank and deftly restrained, her story tackles the difficult, poignant and fascinating family accounts of three generations --- her grandparents, her parents, and she and her brother. Her childhood was spent picking hops and fruit on farms in rural Kent, capturing her ties to the land and her dream of being a writer at its very inception. Jackie talks about this eye-opening and heartfelt portrayal of a post-War England that we rarely see and how she pulled together these memories. She also discusses the experience of narrating the audiobook. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.