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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, author of Before We Visit the Goddess

Apr 20, 2016

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is the award-winning author of numerous books, including THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS, ONE AMAZING THING and OLEANDER GIRL. Her latest novel, BEFORE WE VISIT THE GODDESS, sweeps across the 20th century from the countryside of Bengal to the streets of Houston, exploring the complex relationships between mothers and daughters, and the different kinds of love that bind us across generations. In this interview, Divakaruni discusses the various elements that inspired GODDESS --- including books by other authors, cultural mythology and personal experiences --- as well as the themes she seems to return to, intentionally or not, again and again in her work.

Author Talk: Kathleen Grissom, author of Glory Over Everything

Apr 7, 2016

Born and raised in Saskatchewan, Kathleen Grissom is now happily rooted in south-side Virginia, where she and her husband live in the plantation tavern they renovated. Those renovations inspired THE KITCHEN HOUSE, her debut novel and a smash hit with readers, especially book groups. Now she follows up that success with GLORY OVER EVERYTHING, where she continues the story of Jamie Pyke, son of both a slave and master of Tall Oakes, whose deadly secret compels him to take a treacherous journey through the Underground Railroad. In this interview, Grissom opens up about the tremendous and emotional research that goes into writing a historical novel about slavery, as well as the reason she felt compelled to tell Jamie’s story (he was not her first choice). She also talks about why THE KITCHEN HOUSE inspires such great discussions and what she plans to work on next.

Interview: Joyce Maynard, author of Under the Influence

Feb 25, 2016

Joyce Maynard is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous titles, including LABOR DAY and AFTER HER, as well as a memoir, AT HOME IN THE WORLD. Her latest novel is UNDER THE INFLUENCE, a poignant story about the true meaning --- and the true price --- of friendship. Like most of her books, UNDER THE INFLUENCE has an authentic, ripped-from-the-headlines appeal, and here, Maynard talks to The Book Report Network’s Norah Piehl about how her fiction intersects with her real life. She also discusses addiction, single motherhood, and the joys and horrors of online dating.

Interview: Fiona Barton, author of The Widow

Feb 18, 2016

THE WIDOW, debut author Fiona Barton’s brilliant psychological thriller, had readers buzzing well before its publication date. It’s the story of a woman who has stood firmly by a husband suspected of committing a terrible crime. Now that he is dead, people want the truth --- which is never as simple as it seems. Although this is her first book, Barton has been a respected journalist for over 30 years and has a keen eye for the fine line between fact and fiction. In this interview, she talks to Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub about her unconventional storytelling choices, why she finds “the people on the edge of stories” so fascinating, and how she is adjusting to the unexpected but very well-deserved success of her inaugural novel.

Interview: Joshilyn Jackson, author of The Opposite of Everyone

Feb 16, 2016

Joshilyn Jackson is the New York Times bestselling author of seven novels, as well as an award-winning audiobook narrator (something we have a great appreciation for at The Book Report Network). In her latest book, THE OPPOSITE OF EVERYONE, former foster kid and tough-as-nails attorney Paula Vauss discovers that her estranged mother has another daughter and, with the help of her ex-lover, must figure out how to put her family back together. In this interview with The Book Report Network’s Bronwyn Miller, Jackson talks about why she decided to give scene-stealing Paula --- a minor character in SOMEONE ELSE’S LOVE STORY --- her own story, the unique genre she would assign her eclectic bibliography, and why this might not be the last readers will see of Paula.