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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Paulette Jiles, author of News of the World

Oct 13, 2016

Paulette Jiles has written across many genres --- including fiction, memoir and poetry --- but clear across all her work is a deep love of the landscape of the Southwest. In her latest book, NEWS OF THE WORLD, she demonstrates that fondness and more in an exquisitely rendered tale about a Civil War captain who must choose between respectability and compassion --- with the life of a young girl hanging in the balance. In this interview, Jiles discusses the real-life inspiration for her protagonist, Captain Kidd, her manifest love of the outdoors, and how good research can be like an addiction.

Interview: Jade Chang, author of The Wangs vs. the World

Oct 7, 2016

Jade Chang is a former arts and culture journalist, whose debut novel, THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD, is a hilariously subversive immigrant story about a wealthy but fractured Chinese family that had it all, only to lose every last cent --- and about the road trip they take across America that binds them back together. In this interview conducted by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network, Chang talks about her unique approach to a classic story type, how she enjoys finding humor in unexpected places, and the surprising way she was able to research the Wangs’ cross-country adventure.

Interview: Robyn Carr, author of The Life She Wants

Sep 30, 2016

In THE LIFE SHE WANTS, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr delivers yet another moving story that will leave readers laughing and crying, about two friends who must confront their pasts in order to move toward their futures. In this interview with The Book Report Network’s very own Rebecca Munro, Carr explains why she loves to write about women’s friendship and why women’s issues will always be at the foreground of all her novels. She also opens up about why she has moved on from historical fiction and what readers can expect from her next.

Author Talk: Tilar J. Mazzeo, author of Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto

Sep 30, 2016

Tilar J. Mazzeo is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple nonfiction books that tell stories of strong, resourceful women in impossible situations. In this interview, Mazzeo opens up about the joys and obstacles of historical storytelling, including --- as is the case with her latest book, IRENA’S CHILDREN, about a real-life social worker who risked her life to save 2,500 children from the Holocaust --- becoming emotionally attached to her subjects. She also discusses why the telling of history, be it personal or national, can never be subjective.

Interview: Sherryl Woods, author of Mending Fences

Sep 29, 2016

A former journalist, Sherryl Woods is now the bestselling author of over 100 mystery and romance books. In 2007, she published MENDING FENCES --- the story of how a rape accusation threatens to shatter the bond between two families --- and is now re-releasing it because the issues are so timely. In this interview with The Book Report Network's Megan Elliott, Woods discusses what led her to write about such a difficult subject, the unfortunate reason she was able to empathize with victims of abuse, and why she remains so interested in and moved by female friendship.