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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Sulari Gentill, author of Gentlemen Formerly Dressed: A Rowland Sinclair Mystery

Jun 21, 2018

GENTLEMEN FORMERLY DRESSED is the fifth and latest entry in Sulari Gentill’s series of mysteries set in the 1930s featuring Rowland Sinclair, the gentleman artist-cum-amateur-detective. In this interview, Gentill discusses her inspiration for the series, how she conducts her research to give authenticity to the settings, why she is a “pantser” (a novelist who writes by the seat of her pants), the most interesting queries she has received from her readers, and why she often has two or more books going at the same time.

Author Talk: Ruth Ware, author of The Death of Mrs. Westaway

May 30, 2018

Ruth Ware follows up her New York Times bestsellers IN A DARK, DARK WOOD, THE WOMAN IN CABIN 10 and THE LYING GAME with her highly anticipated fourth novel, THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY. This Agatha Christie-style story revolves around the duplicitous actions taken by its main character, Hal, after receiving a mysterious inheritance letter that was clearly meant for someone else. In this interview, Ware explains how this book differs from her previous psychological thrillers; discusses the research she conducted into tarot readers, fake mediums and psychics, along with their techniques, all of which she found fascinating; and reveals the two writers who were the biggest influence on THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY.

Author Talk: Jon Talton, author of The Bomb Shelter: A David Mapstone Mystery

May 17, 2018

Jon Talton is the author of a series of mysteries featuring historian-turned-sheriff's deputy David Mapstone. The ninthand latest installment, THE BOMB SHELTER, is now available and is based on the 1976 car bombing death of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles. In this interview, Talton explains his decision to take on this horrific case, how Mapstone’s frequent ruminations on the changes Phoenix has undergone in the past 50 years mirrors his own feelings on the subject, and why he considers THE BOMB SHELTER to be the toughest book he’s ever written.

Author Talk: Zeyn Joukhadar, author of The Map of Salt and Stars

May 10, 2018

Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar’s debut novel, THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS, is the story of two girls living 800 years apart --- a modern-day Syrian refugee seeking safety and a medieval adventurer apprenticed to a legendary mapmaker. In this interview, Joukhadar explains how she thinks her book can help readers understand the Syrian refugee crisis, and why she decided to make 12-year-old Nour the narrator. She also talks about the significance of the book’s title and her interpretation of it, offers some wonderful advice to new writers, mentions the authors who have influenced her writing the most, and gives us a sneak peek at her second stand-alone novel, which is currently in the works.

Interview: Paula McLain, author of Love and Ruin

May 3, 2018

Paula McLain’s 2011 novel, THE PARIS WIFE, captured the love affair between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Seven years later, McLain revisits the literary giant in LOVE AND RUIN, this time focusing on his passionate, stormy marriage to his third wife, Martha Gellhorn, who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Amy Haddock, McLain discusses what drew her to Gellhorn’s story and why she felt compelled to write about Hemingway again. She also describes her research process, explains how she was able to maintain a strong sense of place throughout the novel, and even shares the recipe for a Hemingway-esque daiquiri that can be enjoyed while reading the book or discussing it with your book group.