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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Judy Clemens, author of Beyond the Grave: A Grim Reaper Mystery

Aug 23, 2018

BEYOND THE GRAVE is the fifth installment in Judy Clemens’ Grim Reaper mystery series, which revolves around the travels and travails of Casey Maldonado in the wake of the tragic deaths of her husband and young son. Her constant companion is Death and follows her everywhere she goes. This time, she escapes to the quiet village of Armstrong, but soon finds herself surrounded by all kinds of trouble. In this interview, Clemens discusses her very personal reason for creating a mystery series with a supernatural twist; reveals her literary inspirations for Casey, who is a master of the Eastern fighting arts; explains why she decided to use the character of the Grim Reaper as occasional comic relief; and talks about the differences in her approach to writing this series and her Stella Crown mysteries, the latter of which features no paranormal aspects.

Interview: Jerrold Fine, author of Make Me Even and I'll Never Gamble Again

Aug 14, 2018

Hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine blends a heartfelt story of a young man fiercely intent on achieving independence with a fascinating insider’s look at the perks and pitfalls of a high-stakes life in the world of financial markets in his debut novel, MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Fine explains his inspiration for writing his first work of fiction, why he chose to set the book in the 1970s and early ’80s, and the differences between the financial world and book publishing. He also pays tribute to two mentors who played key roles in his personal and professional lives, offers advice to those who would like to pursue a career in finance, and reveals how close (or not) Showtime’s “Billions” is to real life.

Author Talk: Michael Brandman, author of One on One: A Buddy Steel Mystery

Aug 7, 2018

ONE ON ONE is the second book in Michael Brandman’s mystery series featuring Sheriff Buddy Steel, following MISSING PERSONS in 2017. In this latest installment, Buddy is investigating the brutal murder of a prominent high school sports coach while also trying to thwart the individuals responsible for the graffiti that is defacing both pubic and private property. In this interview, Brandman talks about the key contributions of his editors in helping to make him a stronger novelist; how his approach to writing these novels differs from how he tackled the Jesse Stone series, which he took over from his friend, the late Robert B. Parker; discusses the storyline of the 10th Jesse Stone made-for-TV movie, on which he is collaborating with Tom Selleck and is currently a work in progress; and reveals which actors he would love to see cast as Buddy Steel in a potential film or television adaptation.

Interview: Beatriz Williams, author of The Summer Wives

Jul 10, 2018

Beatriz Williams explores a new branch of the Schuyler family tree in her latest novel, THE SUMMER WIVES, which follows the triumphs and misfortunes of the inhabitants of a small island off the coast of New England --- including an actress returning after several years with her own secrets in tow, her ebullient stepsister and a local fisherman loved by both. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Williams talks about her inspiration for choosing a fictionalized version of Fishers Island as the book’s setting, how her collaborations with fellow bestselling authors Lauren Willig and Karen White came about (their next joint effort, THE GLASS OCEAN, releases on September 4th), and why she enjoys book tours so much.

Author Talk: Graham Reed, author of The Chairman's Toys

Jul 10, 2018

Graham Reed’s debut novel, THE CHAIRMAN’S TOYS, introduces readers to Jake Constable, an ex-drug dealer who is determined to turn his life around --- but the discovery of a dead body may put those plans on hold. In this interview, Reed talks about the authors to whom he turned for inspiration as he prepared to write his first mystery and the “research” he conducted for it; his fascination with crime fiction, which started at an early age (before he learned to drive); and the important lesson he learned about the writing process that he is applying to the second book in the series, which is currently in the works.