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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Jon Talton, author of The Bomb Shelter: A David Mapstone Mystery

May 17, 2018

Jon Talton is the author of a series of mysteries featuring historian-turned-sheriff's deputy David Mapstone. The ninthand latest installment, THE BOMB SHELTER, is now available and is based on the 1976 car bombing death of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles. In this interview, Talton explains his decision to take on this horrific case, how Mapstone’s frequent ruminations on the changes Phoenix has undergone in the past 50 years mirrors his own feelings on the subject, and why he considers THE BOMB SHELTER to be the toughest book he’s ever written.

Author Talk: Zeyn Joukhadar, author of The Map of Salt and Stars

May 10, 2018

Jennifer Zeynab Joukhadar’s debut novel, THE MAP OF SALT AND STARS, is the story of two girls living 800 years apart --- a modern-day Syrian refugee seeking safety and a medieval adventurer apprenticed to a legendary mapmaker. In this interview, Joukhadar explains how she thinks her book can help readers understand the Syrian refugee crisis, and why she decided to make 12-year-old Nour the narrator. She also talks about the significance of the book’s title and her interpretation of it, offers some wonderful advice to new writers, mentions the authors who have influenced her writing the most, and gives us a sneak peek at her second stand-alone novel, which is currently in the works.

Interview: Paula McLain, author of Love and Ruin

May 3, 2018

Paula McLain’s 2011 novel, THE PARIS WIFE, captured the love affair between Ernest Hemingway and his first wife, Hadley Richardson. Seven years later, McLain revisits the literary giant in LOVE AND RUIN, this time focusing on his passionate, stormy marriage to his third wife, Martha Gellhorn, who would become one of the greatest war correspondents of the 20th century. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Amy Haddock, McLain discusses what drew her to Gellhorn’s story and why she felt compelled to write about Hemingway again. She also describes her research process, explains how she was able to maintain a strong sense of place throughout the novel, and even shares the recipe for a Hemingway-esque daiquiri that can be enjoyed while reading the book or discussing it with your book group.

Author Talk: Ann Parker, author of A Dying Note: A Silver Rush Mystery

Apr 18, 2018

Ann Parker’s award-winning Silver Rush mystery series features saloon owner Inez Stannert  in the 1880s silver boomtown of Leadville, Colorado. In this interview, Parker describes the extensive research she conducted for the sixth and latest installment, A DYING NOTE, in which Inez moves her base of operations from Leadville to San Francisco. She also talks about her inspiration for merging the historical western and crime genres, some memorable feedback she has received from readers about her novels, and the opportunity she has created by choosing a title that does not rhyme (unlike the previous five books in the series).

Author Talk: Tina Whittle, author of Necessary Ends: A Tai Randolph Mystery

Apr 11, 2018

Tina Whittle is the author of a series of Atlanta-based mysteries featuring intrepid gun shop owner Tai Randolph and her corporate security agent partner, Trey Seaver. In this interview, Whittle discusses the challenges of writing a series and how she researched the details about filmmaking that are central to the sixth and latest installment, NECESSARY ENDS. She also explains why she chooses not to outline her novels and feels more comfortable as a “dyed-in-the-wool pantser,” making up the plot by the seat of her pants, and reveals some of her primary writing influences.