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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Beth Hoffman, author of Looking for Me

May 29, 2013

Beth Hoffman follows the tremendous success of her debut novel, SAVING CEECEE HONEYCUTT, with LOOKING FOR ME, in which a woman must return home to confront her past --- and decide what to let go of and what to keep. In this interview, Hoffman explains why this is a story that "demanded to be told," as she recalls sleepless nights and an auspicious red-tailed hawk. She also discusses the universal complexity of mother-daughter relationships, how her writing process has changed since becoming a bestselling author, and the importance of embracing life and feeling connected to family, work and nature.

Interview: Nicole Baart, author of Sleeping in Eden

May 22, 2013

In SLEEPING IN EDEN, Nicole Baart deftly weaves together the present-day story of Dr. Lucas Hudson, whose own crumbling life is thrown into further chaos when he discovers a woman buried in a barn floor, and Meg Painter, who years earlier is caught between her deep and dangerous love for Dylan Reid and the security of her older neighbor, Jess. In this interview, Baart opens up to Bookreporter.com’s Terry Miller Shannon about creating characters from real life and from fantasy, the often unacknowledged pain of miscarriage and the healing joy of adoption, and how important it is not to take for granted life’s smaller pleasures. 

Author Talk: Leslie Gould, author of Adoring Addie: The Courtships of Lancaster County, Book 2

May 13, 2013

Leslie Gould, the award-winning author of COURTING CATE, is back with the second installment in her Courtships of Lancaster County series. In ADORING ADDIE, the rivalry between the Cramers and the Mosiers heats up again when Addie Cramer and Jonathan Mosier fall head over heels in love with each other. As in ROMEO AND JULIET, the Shakespeare classic that inspired this book, the lovers will have to overcome many obstacles if they hope for any chance at a happy ending together. In this interview, Gould talks about how her love of the Bard dates back to preschool, the challenges she faced in adapting a classic story to an Amish setting, and the new romance that’s budding in Lancaster County. 

Author Talk: Jeanne Kalogridis, author of The Inquisitor's Wife: A Novel of Renaissance Spain

May 9, 2013

THE INQUISITOR’S WIFE, Jeanne Kalogridis’s most recent work of historical fiction, follows Marisol Garcia, a young converso, as she navigates the Inquisition in renaissance Spain. When her father is arrested and tortured, Marisol must choose between her love for him and her duty to her people, and make dangerous alliances, including one with the ruthless queen herself. In this interview, Kalogridis addresses some common misconceptions about Queen Isabella, who wasn’t as meek or mousey as you might believe. She also talks about the ever-prevalent politics of identity, describes some of the snares of writing historical fiction --- including “research rapture” --- and shares a few enticing details about her next novel.

Interview: Susan Wiggs, author of The Apple Orchard

May 3, 2013

In a departure from her popular Lakeshore Chronicles series, Susan Wiggs has written THE APPLE ORCHARD, a novel of sisters, friendship, and how memories are woven like a spell around us. Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling spoke with Wiggs about the format of her book and her ability to seamlessly weave together details of two disparate settings in order to draw a complete picture of the characters’ family history. She also explains how writing the novel was similar to a treasure hunt (a nod to protagonist Tess’s job), talks about the inclusion of taste-tempting recipes that are sprinkled throughout the story, and reveals a unique test-taking “tip” that she told her students about when she was a math teacher.