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Author News & Interviews

Author Talk: Patti Callahan Henry, author of The Secret Book of Flora Lea

May 4, 2023

When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. That is the premise of Patti Callahan Henry’s latest historical novel, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA --- which is an Indie Next pick for May, along with being this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club selection and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites pick. In this interview, Patti talks about her extensive research for the book, what inspired her to center the novel on a bookstore, why she loves writing historical fiction, and the creation of “Friends and Fiction” --- a popular weekly web show, podcast and Facebook group that she founded with Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel and Kristy Woodson Harvey.

Author Talk: Marie Benedict, author of The Mitford Affair

Jan 20, 2023

Probing the torrid political climate in the lead-up to World War II and the ways that seemingly sensible people can be sucked into radical action, THE MITFORD AFFAIR follows novelist Nancy Mitford's valiant efforts to stop the Nazis from taking over Great Britain, and the complicated choices she must make between the personal and the political. In this interview, Marie Benedict talks about why she decided to take a certain degree of liberty with this true story and add more action to it; the kinds of sources she consulted in order to learn more about the Mitford sisters and their world; which sister she found the most challenging to write about and understand; and why she believes that loyalty must have its limits.

Interview: C. J. Carey, author of Widowland

Aug 18, 2022

WIDOWLAND by C. J. Carey is a thrilling feminist dystopian novel set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British alliance with Germany would look like if the Nazis had won WWII. In this interview conducted by Bookreporter reviewer Rebecca Munro, Carey talks about her inspiration for the book’s premise; explains how she approached her research of major historical moments and figures to write the story; introduces readers to her main character, Rose, and Rose’s role in society; and offers a sneak peek at the sequel to WIDOWLAND, THE LAST QUEEN, which takes place two years later in 1955.

Author Talk: Lisa Jewell, author of The Family Remains

Aug 11, 2022

THE FAMILY REMAINS is a stand-alone sequel to Lisa Jewell’s 2019 thriller, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families and deadly obsessions. In this interview, Jewell explains some of the challenges she faced in writing this much-anticipated follow-up (which so many of her readers were asking for) and what excited her the most about it. She also talks about the character whose development surprised her the most from the first book to the second, reveals her ideal future for the Lambs and Rachel, and previews her next novel, which is very different from THE FAMILY REMAINS.

Author Talk: Jamie Ford, author of The Many Daughters of Afong Moy

Aug 4, 2022

Jamie Ford, the New York Times bestselling author of HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF BITTER AND SWEET, returns with his highly anticipated new novel, THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY. This powerful exploration of the love that binds one family across the generations is this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. In this interview, Ford explains what epigenetics is and why he decided to write a love story that revolves around it. He also discusses what fascinated him about the true story of Afong Moy, how he managed the personalities of the various female characters who span several generations, the challenges he faced in writing about the future, and what’s next for him.