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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Michael Connelly, author of The Late Show

Jul 21, 2017

In a departure from his Harry Bosch and Mickey Haller thrillers, Michael Connelly introduces readers to a brand new protagonist for his 30th novel, THE LATE SHOW. Renée Ballard is a fierce young detective who is fighting to prove herself on the LAPD’s toughest beat. In this interview, Connelly explains why he is starting a new series and what made him decide to create a female lead character again --- his first since Cassie Black in 2000’s VOID MOON. He also discusses why it was so much fun to write about the LAPD Hollywood Station late shift and the possibility of seeing a crossover of characters from his Bosch series.

Interview: John Gilstrap, author of Final Target: A Jonathan Grave Thriller

Jun 27, 2017

John Gilstrap has cornered the market on hostage rescue thrillers told through dynamic characters who operate as a single unit. AGAINST ALL ENEMIES won 2016’s Thriller Award for Best Paperback Original Novel. His latest, FINAL TARGET, is the most intense of the series. Jonathan Grave and Boxers navigate southern Mexico’s jungle, where a single hostage is joined by 15 orphans, and the exfil helicopter pilot deserts the team. Gilstrap chats with Bookreporter.com’s Dean Murphy about winning the Thriller Award, the upcoming SCORPION STRIKE, the writing life, and a new subscriber-based YouTube feature.

Interview: Mary McNear, author of The Light in Summer: A Butternut Lake Novel

Jun 23, 2017

Mary McNear is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Butternut Lake series, the latest installment of which, THE LIGHT IN SUMMER, is now available. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Megan Elliott, McNear explains what inspired her to make a single parent the main character in this fifth installment of the series, and why secrets --- those we keep and those we eventually choose (or are forced) to reveal --- are such rich terrain for writers. She also talks about the challenges of writing several chapters from the perspective of a teenage boy (her protagonist’s son) and gives us a sneak peek at the sixth (and, she believes, final) Butternut Lake novel.

Author Talk: Warren C. Easley, author of Blood for Wine: A Cal Claxton Oregon Mystery

Jun 23, 2017

Warren C. Easley was a research scientist and an international business executive before becoming an award-winning author. BLOOD FOR WINE is the fifth and latest book in his mystery series starring Cal Claxton, a former Los Angeles prosecutor who has settled in Oregon’s Red Hills after his wife’s suicide and runs a small law practice that includes some pro bono work. In this interview, Easley mentions the crime writers who most influenced his work in this series, discusses the feedback he has received from readers about Cal’s love interests that made him think about the direction in which he was taking his protagonist, and previews his next Cal Claxton mystery, MOVING TARGETS, which will be set primarily in Portland.

Author Talk: Thomas Kies, author of Random Road: A Geneva Chase Crime Reporter Mystery

May 11, 2017

Thomas Kies has worked for newspapers and magazines, primarily in New England and New York, for a number of years. His debut novel, RANDOM ROAD, kicks off his mystery series starring veteran reporter Geneva Chase, who is battling alcoholism and bad choices but has a chance to redeem herself by covering a horrific story: the murders of six people, all of whom were found naked and hacked to pieces. In this interview, Kies talks about the key event that led him to pursue his dream of becoming a published author, an important decision he made in the early stages of preparing the book’s first draft, and the challenges of writing from the point of view of a female protagonist.