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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: George Hodgman, author of Bettyville: A Memoir

Mar 12, 2015

George Hodgman is a veteran magazine and book editor who has worked at Simon & Schuster, Vanity Fair and Talk magazine. His recent memoir, BETTYVILLE, is about moving back to Paris, Missouri --- after years spent building his career in Manhattan --- to care for his aging mother, Betty, a woman of wit and will. As these two unforgettable characters try to bring their different worlds together, Hodgman reveals the obstacles of Betty’s life and his own struggle for self-respect. In this interview, Hodgman opens up about caring for a family member with dementia, including the challenges he faces daily and the unexpected ways it enriches his life. He also discusses how he wrestled with his own sexual identity, and the role his memoir played in putting his feelings into perspective.

Interview: Susan Mallery, author of The Girls of Mischief Bay

Feb 27, 2015

New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery --- whose work has been called "luscious and provocative" --- is back with a brand new series. THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY is the first book, and introduces us to three women at different stages in life who come together in the beautiful seaside town of Mischief Bay, California, to provide solace and support for one another. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Bronwyn Miller, Mallery talks about creating Mischief Bay (which is so well-conceived that it seems like a real place!) and why she chose to feature three distinctly different women. She also shares how she manages to be so prolific and where you can find more of her delicious recipes.

Author Talk: Allison Pataki, author of The Accidental Empress

Feb 19, 2015

Allison Pataki is the author of the New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed historical novel, THE TRAITOR'S WIFE. No slouch when it comes to history, Pataki was inspired to write her second work of fiction, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- about how Empress “Sisi” Elisabeth of Bavaria accidentally won the heart, and court, of Emperor Franz Joseph --- by her family’s deep roots in the former Habsburg empire of Austria-Hungary. In this interview, Pataki reveals how she was able to whittle all of her fascinating historical source material down to an elegantly cohesive story, as well as the liberties that writing fiction allowed her to take. She also talks about how thoroughly she researched THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS --- of course, it's no surprise that traveling was a highlight!

Interview: Emily Gray Tedrowe, author of Blue Stars

Feb 19, 2015

In her latest book, BLUE STARS, Emily Gray Tedrowe explores, in profoundly moving detail, the lives of military families --- in particular, two very different women whose lives become intertwined in Walter Reed Army Hospital, where each must live while caring for her wounded soldier. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling, Tedrowe talks about how her own experience as a member of a military family informed her writing, and the critical task of capturing all the complicated and ever-shifting attitudes of the people left behind at the home front. She also discusses why the unexpected friendship between her two female protagonists is crucial to the narrative, and how she found room in a war story for Edith Wharton.

Interview: Michael Callahan, author of Searching for Grace Kelly

Feb 13, 2015

Michael Callahan is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair and a former deputy editor at Town & Country and Marie Claire. His knowledge of style and culture certainly comes in handy in his debut novel, SEARCHING FOR GRACE KELLY. It’s the story of three young ladies --- all staying at the glamorous Barbizon Hotel in 1950s New York --- who embark on a journey of self-discovery that will take them from the penthouse salons of Park Avenue to the Beat scene of Greenwich Village to Atlantic City’s Steel Pier. In this interview with 20SomethingReads.com’s Rebecca Munro, Michael talks in stunning detail about the world that these women inhabited, as well as what drew him to the Barbizon Hotel in the first place. He also considers the timeless allure of a “bad girl,” how he created well-rounded characters out of tried-and-true archetypes, and what he thinks is the modern version of the Barbizon experience (hint: It’s not nearly as glamorous!).