Skip to main content

Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Alice Hoffman, author of The World That We Knew

Sep 25, 2019

In 1941, during humanity’s darkest hour, three young women must act with courage and love to survive. This is the premise of Alice Hoffman’s spellbinding new novel, THE WORLD THAT WE KNEW, which is set mainly in France during the Nazi occupation. In this interview, Hoffman discusses her inspiration for the book; how she used magic to reach the emotional heart of such a cruel time in history; the research she conducted, which included traveling to France and visiting the chateaus where Jewish children were sent when they were separated from their parents; the character in the novel who moved her the most; and her next project, which is sure to excite readers of her Practical Magic series.

Interview: Nefertiti Austin, author of Motherhood So White: A Memoir of Race, Gender, and Parenting in America

Sep 25, 2019

In MOTHERHOOD SO WHITE, an unflinching account of her parenting journey, Nefertiti Austin examines the history of adoption in the African American community, faces off against stereotypes of single, Black motherhood, and confronts the reality of raising children of color in racially charged, modern-day America. Austin talks to Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, about her decision to write a book that focuses on her path to becoming a mother, her shock and disappointment over the lack of parenting books for Black women who choose to adopt like her, the advice she would give to a single mother looking to adopt, and her outlook regarding the prospects for her two children and other Black youth growing up in America at this time.

Author Talk: Martin Edwards, author of Gallows Court

Sep 19, 2019

Martin Edwards has published 16 crime novels and more than 50 short stories. His crime fiction has been shortlisted for several awards, and in 2008 he won the CWA Short Story Dagger. In this interview, Edwards explains his decision to set his latest mystery, GALLOWS COURT, in 1930, which he calls “a pivotal year”; why he finds his protagonist, Rachel Savernake, so appealing; and the biggest challenge he faced writing this book, which he pulled off without the benefit of an outline.

Interview: Christy Lefteri, author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo

Sep 12, 2019

Back in June, when Carol Fitzgerald was at Book Expo, she had the opportunity to chat with Christy Lefteri, the author of THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. They tried to do an on-the-fly video interview, but there was too much ambient noise in the room. As a result, their discussion is transcribed here.

Author Talk: Kerry Greenwood, author of The Spotted Dog: A Corinna Chapman Mystery

Sep 12, 2019

THE SPOTTED DOG is the seventh installment in Kerry Greenwood’s mystery series featuring professional baker and amateur sleuth Corinna Chapman. In this interview, Greenwood talks about the differences between writing these books and her Phryne Fisher series, which is set in the 1920s; the feedback she has received from readers concerning Corinna’s adventures in cooking, as food plays a major role in the series; the mystery writers who have had the most influence on her work; and the actress who she would like to see portray Corinna in a potential television adaptation.