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We wrap up this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blog series with a touching piece from Stephanie Scott, whose first novel, WHAT’S LEFT OF ME IS YOURS, releases on June 23rd. This gripping debut revolves around a young woman's search for the truth about her mother's life --- and her murder. Stephanie has dedicated the book to her own mother, who read to her constantly as a child and gave her plenty of book and author recommendations. She also has fond memories of their weekly trips to the library, which is still open to this day. As soon as she is allowed to travel again, Stephanie would love to return home to Singapore and give a reading at that same library. She hopes her mother will be able to join her.
Kelly Rimmer is the worldwide and USA TODAY bestselling author of such books as BEFORE I LET YOU GO, ME WITHOUT YOU and THE SECRET DAUGHTER. Her latest novel, TRUTHS I NEVER TOLD YOU, is a post-WWII story that explores the expectations society places on women set within an engrossing family mystery that may unravel everything once believed to be true. Kelly’s birthday plans this year, which included a family vacation to Tasmania, had to be canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shortly thereafter, her mother made a surprise delivery at her front gate: a huge box containing a plethora of books that Kelly devoured as a child. Over these last few weeks, she has been sharing this treasure trove of goodies with her 10-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter, and it’s been a wonderful bonding experience. This wouldn’t have been possible without the kindness and generosity of her mother, the wisest woman Kelly knows.
Francesca Serritella has written nine humorous essay collections with her mother, bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, about their relationship, which are based on their Sunday column in The Philadelphia Inquirer titled “Chick Wit.” She’s a graduate of Harvard University, so it’s only fitting that her newly released debut novel, GHOSTS OF HARVARD, revolves around a Harvard freshman who becomes obsessed with her schizophrenic brother’s suicide. Then she starts hearing voices. In this hilarious blog post, Francesca reflects on her childhood obsession with the Berenstain Bears and the not-so-conventional way that Lisa dealt with it.
A Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that released in paperback earlier this year, Marjan Kamali’s novel, THE STATIONERY SHOP, is a powerful love story set against the political upheaval of 1953 Tehran. Marjan has wonderful childhood memories of her mother reading to her and her sister. It was a nightly ritual that allowed the two girls to better understand the English language, which they didn’t know quite as well as their mother did. At the age of six, Marjan received her first library card, a privilege that made her feel like an adult and connected to the people who had borrowed the same books before her. Eventually reading turned into a solitary act for Marjan, but she will always treasure the gift that her mother gave her --- magic and belonging through books.
Dete Meserve is the award-winning, bestselling author of a series of mystery novels featuring investigative news reporter Kate Bradley: GOOD SAM, PERFECTLY GOOD CRIME and THE GOOD STRANGER, the latter of which will release on May 19th. When Dete was 10 years old, her mother read THE SECRET GARDEN to her and her brother; not long after that, it was THE HOBBIT’s turn to capture her imagination and inspire her to explore the world around her. This sense of curiosity and adventure would not have been possible without her mother and the long-ago gift she gave her, which Dete lovingly describes in her blog post.
We are kicking off this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blog series with New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda, whose new psychological thriller, THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS, releases on June 23rd. Megan has such vivid childhood memories of visiting the library with her mother each week and never leaving empty-handed. Receiving her first library card was significant for Megan, as it opened up a world of possibilities for her and gave her the freedom to explore all different kinds of books. Megan’s path to becoming a writer (and a very successful one at that) begins with her mother and their shared love of the written word, as she explains in this heartwarming piece.
Michael A. Kahn is the award-winning author of a series of fast-paced legal thrillers starring attorney Rachel Gold, the 11th installment of which, BAD TRUST, has just been released. To coincide with its publication, Michael has written a blog post for us about cage-free characters. As he explains it, “He or she typically starts off as a minor character who somehow yanks control of the story from the creator. In the process, our free-range character morphs from bit player into key figure, and not only adds humor to the work but depth to the protagonist.” Michael’s favorite cage-free character is Rachel’s best friend, Benny Goldberg, who is now a tenured professor and a noted antitrust expert. Read on to find out why Benny is so appealing to him.
Kim Michele Richardson’s novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller that released to rave reviews last year. It is based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project, a group of librarians who delivered books on horseback to rural areas of Kentucky during the Great Depression. In this timely and much-needed blog post, Kim Michele draws on the history of these brave and dedicated traveling librarians to deliver an important message to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are yesterday’s Pack Horse Librarians, delivering wisdom, escape, entertainment and education during these difficult and uncertain times.
Jeffrey Siger has penned a series of mysteries starring Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis, which explores political and societal issues confronting contemporary Greece. The 10th and latest installment, ISLAND OF SECRETS, is now available in paperback following its hardcover publication last year as THE MYKONOS MOB. The book takes place on the Greek Aegean island of Mykonos, where Jeffrey has lived for the past 35 years. In MYKONOS AFTER MIDNIGHT, the fifth in the series, he warns how Greece’s dire financial crisis led to Mykonos falling prey to foreign opportunists seeking to turn the island into a wide-open hedonistic playground bearing little relationship to its roots. ISLAND OF SECRETS sadly depicts the consequences of Mykonos ignoring that warning, as Jeffrey explains in his thoughtful blog post.
Sulari Gentill’s latest novel, AFTER SHE WROTE HIM (originally published in 2017 as CROSSING THE LINES), is a captivating thriller that Dean Koontz calls "pure delight, a swift yet psychologically complex read." To celebrate its rerelease, Sulari was kind enough to write a piece for us about the significance of To-Be-Read piles and why she never reads fiction while she’s working on a new manuscript. Don’t miss the eighth installment in her series of historical mysteries featuring Roland Sinclair, A DANGEROUS LANGUAGE, which will be available on June 9th.
