Author News & Interviews

Interview: W.K. Stratton, author of The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah, a Revolution in Hollywood, and the Making of a Legendary Film

Feb 13, 2019

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the release of The Wild Bunch, which was named one of the greatest Westerns of all time by the American Film Institute. In his newly published book, THE WILD BUNCH, W.K. Stratton tells the fascinating history of the making of the movie, which was shaped by infamous director Sam Peckinpah and starred such visionary actors as William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Edmond O'Brien and Robert Ryan. Michael Barson, the Director of Publicity at Poisoned Pen Press, talks with Stratton about his extensive research, which included interviews with many of the surviving cast and crew members; what he considers to be Peckinpah’s single most serious miscalculation in the making of the film; and why he is less than enthusiastic about its upcoming remake, which will be directed by Mel Gibson.

Interview: Matt Coyle, author of Wrong Light: A Rick Cahill Novel

Dec 12, 2018

Matt Coyle revived the Raymond Chandler hard-boiled PI model, set in today’s fancy (and seedy) side of San Diego and the adjacent affluent city, La Jolla. WRONG LIGHT has protagonist Rick Cahill mired in the perplexing case of a stalker homing in on sultry radio talk show host Naomi Hendrix. Meanwhile, Rick revisits Sergei Volkov and “the devil’s daughter,” Tatiana, leaders of San Diego’s Russian mafia. They offer a deal that Rick can’t refuse --- if he wants to live.

Rick pushes compatriot PI Moira MacFarlane’s friendship to the brink, yet feisty Moira doles out favors that Rick can never recompense. The multifaceted plot structure makes for one satisfying hard-boiled detective lore.

In this interview, Coyle chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about his appointment as upcoming Left Coast Crime Convention Toastmaster, Rick’s strained friendships, Russian collusion and the next Cahill adventure.

Interview: Diane Setterfield, author of Once Upon a River

Dec 4, 2018

Diane Setterfield is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE THIRTEENTH TALE and BELLMAN & BLACK. Her third novel, ONCE UPON A RIVER, is about the wrenching disappearance of three little girls and the wide-reaching effect it has on their small town. In this interview, conducted by The Book Report Network’s Rebecca Munro, Setterfield explains her inspiration for this richly imagined storyline; the role that the river Thames plays as a plot driver, the effects of which are felt by each and every character; and the research she conducted that allowed her to immerse herself in the time period in which the book is set (towards the end of the 19th century) and what she learned during the process that surprised her.

Author Talk: Jane Tesh, author of Death by Dragonfly: A Grace Street Mystery

Dec 4, 2018

Jane Tesh is the author of the Madeline Maclin mysteries, starring ex-beauty queen turned detective Madeline Maclin and her con man husband, Jerry Fairweather, and the Grace Street mysteries, featuring PI David Randall, his psychic friend Camden, and the many colorful Southern characters who live at 302 Grace Street. The sixth installment of the latter series, DEATH BY DRAGONFLY, is now available. In this interview, Tesh talks about her inspiration for creating the Randall/Camden pairing, the importance of alternating between two different series, and why she has set all 11 of her mystery novels in North Carolina, where she has lived all her life.

Author Talk: Michelle Obama, author of Becoming

Nov 28, 2018

In her memoir, BECOMING, Michelle Obama describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it --- in her own words and on her own terms. In this interview, the former First Lady discusses her inspiration for writing the book and what she hoped to accomplish; offers advice to people who are unsure about their path in life and who need some help figuring out their passion; and explains how she has dealt with self-doubt, those moments in your life when you question whether or not you’re good enough.