Author News & Interviews

Interview: Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal

Jan 26, 2018

Once a political correspondent herself, author Sarah Vaughan is no slouch when it comes to knowing what goes on behind the scenes in the world of politics. Her third and latest novel, ANATOMY OF A SCANDAL, reflects that understanding, shedding light on how power corrupts, how secrets and grudges take root, and how we navigate the dangerous landscape of sexual politics. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Vaughan discusses where and when her ideas emerged, the challenges she faced in embracing the first-person point of view for the first time, and, of course, politics.

Interview: Benjamin Ludwig, author of Ginny Moon

Jan 4, 2018

Shortly after Benjamin Ludwig and his wife married, they became foster parents and adopted a teenager with autism.His debut novel, GINNY MOON, which is now available in paperback, was inspired in part by his conversations with other parents at his daughter’s Special Olympics basketball practices. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Ludwig reflects on his conversations with book groups and the questions they ask him most frequently, the elements of praise for GINNY MOON that made him particularly proud to have written this story, and what he hopes readers will take away from the book.

Author Talk: Eileen Brady, author of Chained: A Kate Turner, DVM, Mystery

Dec 5, 2017

Eileen Brady is a practicing veterinarian for over 20 years, so it’s only fitting that the protagonist of her debut mystery series shares the same profession. CHAINED is the third installment, and revolves around Dr. Kate Turner’s investigation of a murder that took place 10 years ago. The victim was Flynn Keegan, the handsome blond “Golden Boy” of Oak Falls, a town in New York's Hudson River Valley, where the series is set. In this interview, Brady talks about how her literary career got started, the feedback she receives from her readers (who she calls “wonderful”), her love of all animals, and her plans for future novels, which includes the next book in this series.

Interview: Matt Coyle, author of Blood Truth: A Rick Cahill Novel

Dec 5, 2017

Matt Coyle revived the Raymond Chandler hard-boiled PI model, set in today’s tony La Jolla suburb of San Diego. BLOOD TRUTH sees protagonist Rick Cahill confronting demons that haunted his father, who had been ousted from the La Jolla Police Department years ago and drank himself into an early grave. In this episode, readers realize that Rick is his father’s son.

Rick comes across a safe found in his father’s former home. Do the contents prove his father’s corruption, and is the horded cash blood money? Meanwhile, Rick struggles with a possible rekindled romance with Kim Connelly, now married to real estate mogul Jeff Parker, in the most complex installment of this award-winning series.

In this interview, Coyle chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about Rick’s relationship with his father --- and Coyle’s relationship with his own dad --- the writing life, and the next Rick Cahill mystery.

Author Talk: Steven F. Havill, author of Easy Errors: The Posadas County Mysteries

Nov 14, 2017

While EASY ERRORS is Steven F. Havill’s 22nd Posadas County mystery, it is also the first in the series --- chronologically speaking. When the opening installment, HEARTSHOT, published in 1991, Bill Gastner was the county Undersheriff. Over time Bill became Sheriff, then retired, and Robert Torrez took over the top spot. But what were Torrez's first days as a rookie officer like? In this interview, Havill explains why he decided to follow up his first prequel, ONE PERFECT SHOT, which told the story of Estelle Reyes-Guzman's first day on the job, with a second one; his fascination with New Mexico, which is the setting for the series and has virtually become a character in his stories; and what led him to delve into the mystery genre after writing four westerns.