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Author News & Interviews

Interview: Jessica Brockmole, author of Letters from Skye

Jul 11, 2013

A sweeping story told in letters, spanning two continents and two world wars, Jessica Brockmole’s atmospheric debut novel, LETTERS FROM SKYE, captures the indelible ways that people fall in love, and celebrates the power of the written word to stir the heart. The author herself spent several years living in Scotland, so she's no stranger to the joys and pitfalls of epistolary communication. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Norah Piehl, Brockmole talks about the setting that inspired the story --- and all the tricks she used to do its visceral beauty justice. She also reveals that, initially at least, the novel was an exercise in "voice," and how Elspeth, David and Margaret's voices took on lives of their own, as well as how the story might be different (or not!) if the characters had email access.

Author Talk: Luanne Rice, author of The Lemon Orchard

Jul 11, 2013

New York Times bestselling author Luanne Rice returns with her newest novel, THE LEMON ORCHARD, a love story about two people from seemingly different worlds who share a heartbreaking connection. The book deals frankly with the friction between citizens and immigrants along the U.S.-Mexico border. In this interview, Rice shares how she was able to find empathy for both sides of the conflict and humanize a very polarizing issue --- including visits to the border and getting to know families with firsthand experience of it. She also talks about her fascination with anthropology --- the way people naturally move toward a better life --- as well as the danger of black-and-white thinking and the importance of compassion.

Interview: S. J. Bolton, author of Lost

Jun 28, 2013

S. J. Bolton, an award-winning author of five books, delivers her most compelling novel to date, LOST, in which a fragile Lacey Flint must work with Barney, a courageous, lonely 11-year-old boy, to unmask a killer. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub, Bolton opens up about the not-coincidental similarities between Barney and her own 11-year-old son (who even plays Barney in the book trailer), the inspiration for and evolution of the story, and why it's crucial --- when writing a mystery --- to be led by plot and not character. She also stresses the importance of following your instincts and pursuing whatever it is you're passionate about.

Interview: Barbara Delinsky, author of Sweet Salt Air

Jun 20, 2013

Bestselling author Barbara Delinsky returns with a new novel just in time for the summer. SWEET SALT AIR is the story of best friends Nicole and Charlotte, who have grown distant over the years as each clings desperately to her own secrets. When they reunite one summer to work together on a cookbook, they find that sharing their hidden histories might test the limits of their friendship --- and ultimately set them free. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Delinsky talks about the themes that drive the story forward: friendship, loss, and the inspiration to grow despite past pain. She also opens up about how her own experiences color her worldview, and explains why it’s important to embrace life’s imperfections.

Interview: Linda Castillo, author of Her Last Breath

Jun 20, 2013

What if a tragic but routine car accident is really a case of premeditated murder? That's the question Linda Castillo asks in HER LAST BREATH, the latest installment in her Kate Burkholder series. In this interview, Bookreporter.com's Joe Hartlaub asks a few questions of his own, including how much of the events in the book are based on real incidents and what kind of skeletons are still lurking in Kate Burkholder's closet. Castillo also discusses the fascinating and thinly veiled tension between the Amish and the "English," how daydreaming during a citizen's police academy workshop led to a key plot point, and the thrill of challenging her characters by putting them in worst-case scenarios.