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Author News & Interviews

Interview: Charles Todd, author of A Fine Summer's Day: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery

Jan 12, 2015

In A FINE SUMMER’S DAY, the latest entry in their Ian Rutledge series, the New York Times bestselling mother-son writing team known as Charles Todd takes readers into the Scotland Yard detective’s past --- to his perplexing final case before the outbreak of World War I. It’s a can’t-miss for fans of the series, set in a more carefree time when Rutledge’s first love was still alive. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Ray Palen, the Todds discuss why A FINE SUMMER’S DAY isn’t quite a prequel --- although it's still a crucial chapter in Rutledge’s personal history. The pair also opens up about the challenges of writing as a team and how they’ve managed to make the most of their collaboration.

Interview: Jane Green, author of Saving Grace

Dec 17, 2014

Internationally bestselling author Jane Green’s latest book, SAVING GRACE, is fiction, although it seems to be in line with the old author wisdom to “write what you know.” It’s the story of Beth Chapman and her famous author husband, Ted, whose crumbling marriage is rescued by Beth, an assistant promising to calm Ted’s rages and lend Grace emotional support. It soon appears, though, that this too-good-to-be-true interloper might be the biggest threat of all. In this interview with Bookreporter.com’s Norah Piehl, Green discusses the real-life inspiration for SAVING GRACE and why writing Ted’s character was not a stretch for her. She also talks about the elusive idea of “home” and why she decided to write her own spinoff cookbook, HAPPY FOOD.

Interview: Mindy Greenstein, PhD and Jimmie Holland, MD , author of Lighter as We Go: Virtues, Character Strengths, and Aging

Oct 31, 2014

Mindy Greenstein, PhD and Jimmie Holland, MD are the brilliant duo behind LIGHTER AS WE GO: Virtues, Character Strengths, and Aging. In it, they show us that, contrary to common wisdom, our sense of well-being actually increases with our age, by exploring the positive psychology concepts of character strengths and virtues. In this interview, award-winning author Caroline Leavitt (whose most recent work is the New York Times bestseller IS THIS TOMORROW) talks to Greenstein and Holland about aging throughout the centuries --- how it is and has been perceived, the stigmas that historically have been attached to it, and its cultural implications. They especially shed light on the concept of “learning as we go” and how a greater knowledge of self (that comes from experience) can diffuse personal boundaries and create a more comfortable position in the world.

Author Talk: Andrew Grant, author of Run

Oct 16, 2014

Andrew Grant is the author of the David Trevellyan novels, a three-book thriller series that revolves around a professional spy. His latest book, RUN, is a stand-alone thriller that introduces readers to computer consultant and software engineer Marc Bowman --- who, unlike Trevellyan, is a layperson like you and me. When Bowman’s world falls apart, he finds himself in more danger than he ever could have imagined, to the point where he can no longer tell friend from foe. In this interview, Grant discusses why he chose to make his new protagonist so relatable --- including the challenges he faced in getting Bowman realistically out of sticky situations. He also talks about the surprising parallel between Bowman and pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, and why writing a book at the same time that his wife [Lady Emily author Tasha Alexander] was writing her own was less hectic than you would think.

Author Talk: Tasha Alexander, author of The Counterfeit Heiress: A Lady Emily Mystery

Oct 16, 2014

Tasha Alexander is the author of the Lady Emily novels, a historical mystery series that most recently includes THE COUNTERFEIT HEIRESS. This ninth book finds Lady Emily embroiled in the murder investigation of one of the guests of a grand masquerade ball, Estella Lamar, a sometime actress trying to pass herself off as the mysterious heiress and world traveler. In this interview, Alexander talks about how much fun the book was to write, and why she chose to set the story in London and Paris. She also discusses the collection of photographs from a 19th-century masquerade ball that inspired her latest work, and how she has allowed Lady Emily to (slowly and believably) grow up over the course of the series.