Skip to main content

Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Alice Hoffman, author of The Rules of Magic

Oct 12, 2017

Alice Hoffman is the prolific author of more than 30 works of fiction, including THE MARRIAGE OF OPPOSITES, THE MUSEUM OF EXTRAORDINARY THINGS and THE DOVEKEEPERS. Her latest novel, THE RULES OF MAGIC, is a prequel to her 1995 bestseller, PRACTICAL MAGIC, which takes us inside the lives of Frances and Jet Owens before their nieces, Sally and Gillian, came along. In this interview, Hoffman explains what inspired her to return to the Owens family after 22 years, the appearance of a male character in a lineage that has always been composed of female witches, how she chose the book’s setting, and the most important lesson she hopes will resonate with readers long after they’ve turned the last page.

Author Talk: Wendall Thomas, author of Lost Luggage

Oct 5, 2017

Wendall Thomas teaches in the Graduate Film School at UCLA, lectures internationally on screenwriting, and has worked as an entertainment reporter, script consultant, and film and television writer. Her debut novel, LOST LUGGAGE, is the opening installment of a zany mystery series starring travel agent Cyd Redondo, who is thrown heels-first into the bizarre and sinister world of international animal smuggling after winning a free African safari. In this interview, Thomas explains what possessed her to write her first mystery novel (according to her, she finally came to her senses!); describes her writing schedule, which she has followed for about 20 years and has been ideal for her; and previews the second book in the series, which will take place in Australia.

Author Talk: Michael Brandman, author of Missing Persons: A Buddy Steel Mystery

Sep 28, 2017

Michael Brandman is the author of three Jesse Stone novels, each based on characters created by Robert B. Parker. With his longtime partner, Tom Selleck, he has produced and co-wrote nine Jesse Stone movies and three westerns. MISSING PERSONS is the opening installment in his new mystery series starring Buddy Steel, an LAPD homicide detective who returns home to care for his father, a legendary sheriff who has fallen ill with Lou Gehrig's disease. In this interview, Brandman talks about what differentiates Buddy from other protagonists in today's crime fiction, why he considers the made-for-television movie Stone Cold to be his favorite collaboration with Robert B. Parker, and his working relationship with Tom Selleck as they currently write the 10th Jesse Stone film.

Interview: Kaira Rouda, author of Best Day Ever

Sep 21, 2017

Kaira Rouda is a USA TODAY bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of contemporary fiction. Her latest novel, BEST DAY EVER, is a psychological thriller about a married couple whose planned romantic weekend at their lake house is far from being the “best day ever” that Paul Strom had promised his wife, Mia. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Rouda talks about what inspired her to write her first work of psychological suspense, why the dinner scene is one of her favorite parts of the book, how social media has contributed toward the feeling of what is “perfect,” and her personal connection to Ohio, where the novel takes place.

Interview: Jamie Ford, author of Love and Other Consolation Prizes

Sep 14, 2017

Jamie Ford, whose debut novel HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET is being adapted into a film, returns with a new work of historical fiction. Inspired by a true story, LOVE AND OTHER CONSOLATION PRIZES is about a boy whose life is transformed at Seattle’s 1909 World’s Fair. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Ford discusses his inspiration for the novel, the social issues that are explored here (specifically class in its many forms as an underlying theme), and his penchant for writing strong female characters. He also talks about his decision to add titles to his chapters, why his original title for the book, “The Consolation Prize,” had to be scrapped, his tendency to overdo it when it comes to his research, and what readers can look forward to seeing from him in the near future.