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Author News & Interviews

Interview: Laura Lee Smith, author of Heart of Palm

Apr 4, 2013

Laura Lee Smith has been called an “enchanter casting her spell with lyrical prose,” and her first novel perfectly exemplifies this praise. HEART OF PALM tells the story of the Bravo family living in Utina, Florida, right before the tide of development rocks the small town. When things start to change, the family has to face not only an uncertain future, but also a tragic past. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Smith discusses her brilliant use of dialect, her inspiration for the town of Utina, and how to handle rejection with perseverance. She also touches on point of view, survivor’s guilt and emotional attachment to objects, which are all important aspects of her debut.

Interview: Therese Anne Fowler, author of Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald

Mar 29, 2013

Therese Anne Fowler’s highly-anticipated novel, Z, details the romantic, tumultuous and extraordinary marriage of Zelda Sayre and one of the 20th-century’s greatest American writers, F. Scott Fitzgerald. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Fowler discusses her inspiration for the book and her extensive research, which involved studying newspaper clippings, photographs, book reviews, Zelda’s artwork, even ticket stubs. She also addresses Zelda’s mental health, explains the nod to Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s HERLAND in the story, and talks about the benefits and drawbacks of competition, which plays a big part in the novel.

Interview: Deborah Cloyed, author of What Tears Us Apart

Mar 29, 2013

Deborah Cloyed’s second novel, WHAT TEARS US APART, is the story of Leda and Ita’s blooming love for each other in the aftermath of the riots that ensued following Kenya’s 2007 presidential election and the secrets that threaten to tear them apart. Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl talked with Cloyed about her experiences in Kenya, her inspiration for the book, and how the process of writing this story deeply affected her. She also explains her intentions behind some of the characters and offers additional titles for those looking to better understand Kenya and its people.

Interview: Jane Green, author of Family Pictures

Mar 22, 2013

In Jane Green’s latest novel, FAMILY PICTURES, two women’s lives intersect when a shocking secret is revealed. Green talked with Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl about her fascinating female protagonists, along with the book’s contrasting settings and the huge surprise at the center of the story. She also reveals which of her main characters she fell in love with immediately, some of her favorite books and writers (particularly in the suspense genre), and the plot line of her next novel, which she has already completed.

Interview: Sophie Littlefield, author of Garden of Stones

Mar 22, 2013

Bookreporter.com’s Melanie Smith talks to Sophie Littlefield, whose latest novel, GARDEN OF STONES, revolves around a mother who makes the ultimate sacrifice for her daughter in the dark days of World War II. In this interview, Littlefield discusses her motivation for writing the book, the fascinating mother-daughter relationship that is central to the plot, and the novel’s vividly described settings. She also shares much about her firsthand experiences and perceptions in visiting Manzanar, how she went about understanding the psychological aspect of captivity for the Japanese Americans, and why she incorporated taxidermy into the storyline.