Holiday Author Blogs 2012

We wrap up this year's Author Holiday Blogs with an inspirational piece from Betsy Prioleau, the author of SEDUCTRESS, THE CIRCLE OF EROS, and her latest work, SWOON, which releases on February 4th. It’s possible that none of these achievements would have occurred had it not been for THE COSMOPOLITAN CAT, the book that Betsy received on Christmas when she was 22 and in a bad place. It completely altered the course of her life, and as we enter 2013, Betsy's remarkable story should serve as a reminder to us all that a new year can signify major changes, a fresh start, and a new beginning.

Rita Leganski, whose debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONAVENTURE ARROW releases on February 26th, talks about the book she initially did not want but that ultimately changed her life at the age of eight. And she had a fellow student named Kenny P. to thank for that.

Before becoming publisher of Soho Press, Bronwen Hruska worked as a journalist and screenwriter for 20 years. Her debut novel, ACCELERATED, released in October and looks at the overdiagnosis and overmedication of school-aged kids for ADHD. Each December, Bronwen looks forward to attending singer-songwriter Mike Errico’s annual holiday show at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan. While his contagious personality, amazing comic timing and incredible musical talent cannot be denied, Bronwen and her fellow fans flock to the Public Theater mainly because of Mike’s now famous Holiday Omens.

Lynn Austin is a former teacher who now writes and speaks full time. She is the recipient of eight Christy Awards for her novels, the latest of which is ALL THINGS NEW. As a child, Lynn would look forward to her mother reading A CHRISTMAS CAROL to her and her sisters every year on Christmas Eve. This annual tradition of reading together as a family helped her understand the true meaning of Christmas.

Joseph Monninger has published 11 novels, the latest of which is MARGARET FROM MAINE, and three nonfiction books. Here, Joseph remembers the copy of ROBINSON CRUSOE that belonged to his father and was prominently displayed on the bookshelf behind his father’s easy chair. It wasn’t so much the content that drew Joseph to Daniel Defoe’s classic, but the physical appearance of the book and everything it represented to him --- beauty, adventure, excitement, and the exotic.

Claire Bidwell Smith is the author of the memoir THE RULES OF INHERITANCE, which is now available in paperback, and a therapist specializing in grief. Having lost both her parents by the time she was 25, Claire never looked forward to the holidays, which had long been a sad and stressful time for her. That all changed when she was able to experience her first Christmas with her daughter, which signified that she was part of a family again. Here, Claire explains why she decided to buy her six-month-old a copy of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE for Christmas.

Mark Sullivan is the author of eight thrillers, including PRIVATE GAMES, which he co-wrote with James Patterson. His latest effort is ROGUE, a stand-alone novel, and the newest book in the Private series, PRIVATE BERLIN, releases on January 29th. Here, Mark offers a touching tribute to his mom, Betty Jane Walker Sullivan, who passed away in October. Betty Jane was passionate about so many things: her family, Christmas, a good laugh --- and, of course, books. In fact, she was reading and telling jokes just hours before her passing. Although she will be missed dearly on this Christmas Day, Mark knows she will be with her family in spirit and eagerly awaiting all the books they will be unwrapping.

Eric Van Lustbader is the author of the internationally bestselling Jason Bourne thrillers, as well as the Jack McClure series, the latest installment of which is FATHER NIGHT. Here, Eric discusses the Christmas gift that also gave him a valuable revelation he would use for years to come. Ian Fleming’s Bond novel, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, taught him that a thriller can be so much more than the conventions of the genre. If used creatively, a novel can become a doorway to many other worlds and realities, and it is only the beating heart of humanity that can truly reach readers.

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times bestselling author who has written eight novels and four novellas, the most recent being CHRISTMAS IN APPLE RIDGE. One of Cindy’s most memorable Christmases occurred when she was eight years old. That was the year she finally began to understand her dad, whose apparent grumpiness and lack of engagement during the holidays took on new meaning when she discovered what was really going on behind the scenes.

Charles Todd, whose latest mystery is THE WALNUT TREE: A Holiday Tale, is actually the mother-and-son writing team of Charles and Caroline Todd. Caroline’s father read A CHRISTMAS CAROL to her family every year on the three nights leading up to Christmas Eve. One year, her dad even took them to a live reading at the local movie theater. Experiencing Charles Dickens’ classic together became an integral tradition for the Todd family that made every holiday season special.