Author News & Interviews

Interview: Eva Stachniak, author of The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great

Jan 12, 2012

Eva Stachniak’s THE WINTER PALACE is a fictional account of Catherine the Great’s rise to power, told from the perspective of a low-profile servant in the court. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Melanie Smith, Stachniak discusses her inspiration to write about this legendary figure, her extensive research process, and her opinions concerning some of the laws and customs of 18th-century Europe.

Author Talk: William Landay, author of Defending Jacob

Jan 12, 2012

Some thoughts on
“The Unwritten Rules of the Legal Thriller”
by William Landay

I have been asked for a few words from on high about “the unwritten rules of the legal thriller.” I would be delighted to boil down these rules to a few pithy, authoritative commandments and deliver them in a handy numbered list, like Moses or Tyler Durden. It would be helpful to have the damn things spelled out, finally. But honestly I can think of only one rule for the legal thriller, which is that there are no rules for the legal thriller. There are also no rules for the non-legal thriller, the non-thriller, or any other type of novel. It sounds pedantic, but it’s true: “rules” in this context is an optimist’s word for clichés. If a writer hears of such a “rule,” he should break it right away. It’s the only way to produce original, surprising work. Readers, after all, know the “rules” too.

Author Talk: Jeffrey Zaslow, author of The Magic Room: A Story About the Love We Wish for Our Daughters

Jan 5, 2012

THE MAGIC ROOM by Jeffrey Zaslow tells the emotional stories of eight of the countless brides who have passed through Becker’s Bridal, a small-town bridal shop in Michigan that has been in the same family since 1934. In this interview, Zaslow describes the process of finding the shop and delving into its history, shares his thoughts on the bridal industry and those who dedicate their careers to it, and explains the most challenging part of writing such a personal and heartfelt book.

Interview: Neal Baer, author of Kill Switch

Dec 16, 2011

In Neal Baer and Jonathan Greene’s debut novel, KILL SWITCH, forensic psychiatrist Claire Waters takes on a troubling case that leads her directly into a maniacal killer’s path. In this interview, the former executive producers of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” discuss the process of developing their book, which began as an idea for a feature film. They share how they met and began collaborating, discuss the different processes of writing for television versus penning a novel, and give advice to aspiring authors.

Interview: Raymond Khoury, author of The Devil's Elixir

Dec 15, 2011

Raymond Khoury’s THE DEVIL’S ELIXIR marks the return of FBI agent Sean Reilly and his girlfriend, Tess Chaykin, who now find themselves in a deadly race against time to trace the long history of a secret, dangerously powerful drug. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Ray Palen, Khoury shares his research and opinions of the “war on drugs” in the United States and Mexico, describes the process of writing in the first person for the first time, and gives a glimpse into two planned sequels.