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Author News & Interviews

Interview: Lauren Willig, author of The Ashford Affair

Apr 11, 2013

Lauren Willig, the author of the long-running Pink Carnation series, has written a new page-turner. THE ASHFORD AFFAIR is the story of two women --- Clementine Evans, a Manhattan lawyer, and her grandmother Addie --- who are united through history by a long-buried family secret. When a relative accidentally hints at the secret during Addie’s 99th birthday party, Clemmie will be led on a journey of discovery over three continents. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Willig discusses the inspiration for writing a book that spans different eras, the reversal of the gender paradigm, and how she immerses herself in research --- all of which play important roles in this stand-alone novel.

Interview: Alan Brennert, author of Palisades Park

Apr 11, 2013

PALISADES PARK, the highly anticipated new novel from bestselling author Alan Brennert, is a fictional account of the Stopka family in the very real world of the 1930s Palisades Amusement Park in New Jersey. This family of dreamers lives through some of the most defining moments of United States history --- the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II --- to realize that the American dream is what you make of it, all the while being drawn back together and to Palisades Park. Brennert spoke with Bookreporter.com’s Amy Gwiazdowski about researching the renowned amusement park and his personal ties to it, the challenges of being a modern writer penning historical fiction, how his experience in media has impacted his writing, and the ever-catchy “Palisades Park” jingle.

Author Talk: Jody Hedlund, author of A Noble Groom

Apr 11, 2013

In Jody Hedlund’s latest historical romance, A NOBLE GROOM, Annalisa Werner needs a husband to save her farm. Desperate, she allows her father to send for a groom from the Old Country. But then friendship --- and something more --- begins to grow between Annalisa and her temporary farmhand. In this interview, Hedlund talks about why she was drawn to write the book, the take-away message she wants readers to receive upon finishing the story, and how her childhood visits to the farm where her dad grew up served as inspiration for the novel.

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.