Author News & Interviews

Interview: Reavis Z. Wortham, author of Laying Bones: A Texas Red River Mystery

Jan 15, 2021

Reavis Z. Wortham is the critically acclaimed author of the Red River Mysteries, which takes place in rural Northeast Texas in the 1960s, and a contemporary thriller series featuring Texas Ranger Sonny Hawke. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, who has worked in book publicity since 1984, Wortham talks about the fascinating research he conducted for LAYING BONES, the eighth and latest Red River mystery; his decision to have these books progress one year at a time throughout the ’60s; which of his characters are inspired by people from his own life; the top five authors in his personal Texas Novelists Hall of Fame; and what readers can look forward to in future installments of the Red River series.

Interview: Thomas Perry, author of Eddie's Boy: A Butcher's Boy Novel

Dec 2, 2020

EDDIE’S BOY is the long-awaited fourth entry in Thomas Perry’s Butcher’s Boy series, following his Edgar Award-winning debut novel, THE BUTCHER’S BOY (1982); SLEEPING DOGS (1992); and THE INFORMANT (2011). In this interview, Perry talks to Michael Barson, who has worked in book publicity since 1984, about the unusually long period of time between installments; his thoughts on main character Michael Shaeffer, an ultra-proficient hitman who genuinely adores his loving wife; and the lessons he has learned in his 40 years as a published author.

Interview: Matt Coyle, author of Blind Vigil: A Rick Cahill Novel

Dec 2, 2020

Matt Coyle, whose books are set in contemporary San Diego, has revived the Raymond Chandler hardboiled PI model. In 2019’s LOST TOMORROWS, Rick Cahill solved the murders of his wife Colleen and cop friend Krista Landingham. He was shot in the face by the perpetrator and blinded by inflammation caused by bullet fragments.

In BLIND VIGIL, Rick returns to San Diego from Santa Barbara, the city of lost tomorrows. Though blind, he is engaged by PI pal Moira MacFarlane to aid in the investigation of Shay Sommers, estranged chum Turk Muldoon’s girlfriend. Heightened audio and olfactory senses aid Rick in his pursuit of justice, and lead to an astounding and credible conclusion.

In this interview, Coyle chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about the blind PI plot, his appearance as Left Coast Crime Toastmaster, and his writing life amid a pandemic.

Interview: Andrea Carter, author of The Well of Ice: An Inishowen Mystery

Nov 13, 2020

Set on the Inishowen Peninsula, in Ireland’s northwest County Donegal, Andrea Carter revived the Agatha Christie amateur sleuth genre, in the younger incarnation of barrister Benedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe. Ben swims against the current and encounters a shoal of red herrings in her quest to solve murder and mayhem mysteries. In THE WELL OF ICE, Ben confronts Luke Kirby, who killed her sister and is now paroled. But nefarious events --- including arson and murder --- occur in Glendara while Luke is in Dublin. Who is responsible for this criminality? In this interview, Carter chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy (Ó Murchadha) about her career, future books, the Inishowen Peninsula and the television adaption of her novels.

Author Talk: Christie Tate, author of Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life

Oct 29, 2020

GROUP is November’s Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. Here, Chicago-based writer and essayist Christie Tate details how she reluctantly chose to get psychologically and emotionally naked in a room of six complete strangers --- her psychotherapy group --- and in turn found human connection, and herself. In this interview, Tate discusses what inspired her to share her daring, exhilarating, painful and hilarious journey with the world; how her fellow group members have reacted to being featured in the book; her evolving relationship with her eccentric therapist, Dr. Rosen, and how she would encourage skeptical readers to embrace some facets of his unique approach; why she considers her memoir to be a bildungsroman; and her decision to end GROUP with a “Ten Years Later” update rather than with her wedding.