Category Archives: Author Interview

E111: Interview with Johnny Compton, author of The Spite House

January 30, 2023Author InterviewAuthor Interview, candy man, debut, debut author, degener, East Texas, Friday Reads, haunted house, hill country, Horror, horror debut, johnny compton, Readers Advisory, Staff Pick, Texas, the spite house, Tor Nightfiretopshelfatmerricklibrary

THE SPITE HOUSE by Johnny Compton has all the things and gives us all the things in this stunner by a horror master in the making. Think The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country and you have yourself one terrifying book.

For this episode, we talk about nightmares, frights, all things THE SPITE HOUSE, and so much more. I call Johnny Compton diabolical and that is all I will say about this action packed and joyful-horror filled episode. As for the diabolical Johnny, he can come back to the podcast any time – such a blast! Don’t miss this excellent debut, THE SPITE HOUSE.

Johnny Compton recommends: Rootwork by Tracy Cross; Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn; and the podcast: Rumors: Dark Lore from India. Also recommended: The House Next Door by Anne River Siddons; Burnt Offerings by Robert Marasco; The Elementals by Michael McDowell, The Golden Arm featuring Jackie Torrance; Too Much Horror Fiction by WIll Errickson.

Listen to Johnny Compton’s podcast right here!

Follow Johnny Compton on Twitter and Instagram: @comptonwrites

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E110: Interview with Tiffany Quay Tyson author of The Past Is Never

January 19, 2023Author Intervieweverglades, Skyhorse Publishing, southern fiction, southern gothic, the past is never, three rivers, tiffany quay tyson, william faulknertopshelfatmerricklibrary

“Tyson penetrates your imagination with characters and places in The Past is Never, so real they feel like your own suppressed memories. I’ll never look at the Everglades the same way again.” —Carrie La Seur, award-winning author of The Home Place

The Past is Never by Tiffany Quay Tyson is a compelling addition to contemporary Southern Gothic fiction, deftly weaving together local legends, family secrets, the search for a missing child, and I could not put it down.

Tiffany and I talk about the title of the book, the stories that families tell each other, childhood memories, what Tiffany is working on next and so much more. I had a blast, thank you Tiffany!

Tiffany recommends: White Horse by Erika T. Wurth; the works of Michael Farris Smith; Cottonmouths and Real Bad Things both by Kelly J. Ford; The Last List of Miss Judith Kratt by Andrea Bobotis; It Dies With You by Scott Blackburn (E109 guest); and A Violent Gospel and A Mourning Song both by Mark Westmoreland (E108 guest).

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E109: Interview with Allegra Goodman, author of SAM

December 29, 2022Author InterviewAllegra Goodman, Author Interview, Book Discussion, coming of age, Dial Press, Friday Reads, Intuition, Kaaterskill Falls, Paradise Park, Readers Advisory, Sam, Staff Pick, The Chalk Artist, The Cookbook Collector, The Family Markowitz, The Other Side of the Islandtopshelfatmerricklibrary

“One of the most evocative and tender examinations of youth that I have ever read.” ~ Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See Here

Sam, the latest by Allegra Goodman knocked me sideways with how good it is. For this episode, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down with Allegra Goodman herself to talk about her incredible new release. We talk about writing as a performance, establishing Sam’s voice through the years, the coming-of-age genre, and so much more. Sam is book club gold, so please don’t miss it! Thank you Allegra!

Allegra Goodman recommends: T.S. Eliot: An Imperfect Life by Lyndall Gordon; Haven by Emma Donoghue; Women Talking by Miriam Toews; This Boys Life by Tobias Wolfe; Boyhood directed by Richard Linklater; Lady Bird directed by Greta Gerwig

Click here to read Allegra Goodman’s piece in Vogue Magazine. Follow Allegra Goodman on Instagram: @allegragoodmanwriter and on Facebook: @allegragoodman

Place your hold here for all these wonderful Allegra Goodman titles.

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E108: Interview with Scott Blackburn, author of It Dies With You

December 9, 2022Author InterviewAuthor Interview, crooked land books, debut, debut author, Friday Reads, it dies with you, Readers Advisory, scott blackburn, southern crime, southern fiction, Staff Picktopshelfatmerricklibrary

“It Dies With You is a satisfying gut-punch of a story. Gritty and surprising, the small-town Southern mystery is populated with big characters that make this novel truly special. I can’t wait to read whatever Scott Blackburn writes next.” —Tiffany Quay Tyson, award-winning author of The Past is Never.

In Scott Blackburn’s debut, It Dies With You, protagonist Hudson takes over his dad’s salvage business after his father is murdered. But Hudson gets more than he bargains for and must join forces with two unlikely accomplices. It Dies with You is a timely story about the long shadows cast by sins of the past.

I also can’t wait to read what Scott Blackburn writes next and he talks about that and more in this episode! Scott also shared a few book recommendations to get you ready for the holiday season, and you can find those below. What a great interview, thank you so much Scott!

Scott recommends: The Past is Never by Tiffany Quay Tyson; After the Lights Go Out by John Vercher; Every Hidden Thing by Ted Flanagan; the work of William Boyle; Kill the Prince by Dan Fogarty; The Devil Himself by Peter Farris; Living the Gimmick by Bobby Matthews; In the Lonely Backwater by Valerie Nieman; Something Bad Wrong by Eryk Pruitt; Hemlock Hollow by Culley Holderfield; and The Nightmare Man by JH Markert. That ought to get y’all started!

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Episode 107: Interview with author Mark Westmoreland for A Violent Gospel and A Mourning Song

November 9, 2022Author Interviewa mourning song, a violent gospel, crime noir, Georgia, mark westmoreland, shotgun honey, southern fiction, southern gothic, southern noirtopshelfatmerricklibrary

These two books by Mark Westmoreland? They are absolutely terrific. Both A Violent Gospel and A Mourning Song feature the Dooley brothers and if you can, start with A Violent Gospel. After the events of A Violent Gospel left Mack Dooley at the bottom of a whiskey bottle, he’s a haunted man and he’s back in A Mourning Song, forced to face his demons.

For this episode, Mark Westmoreland talks about the origins of the Dooley brothers, his approach to writing villains, the book he’s working on next, and so much more. Thank you so much Mark! Follow Mark Westmoreland on Twitter and Instagram: @ItsMarkYall

Mark Westmoreland recommends: A Fire in the Night by Christopher Swann; Hillbilly Hustle by Wesley Browne; Walking Through Needles by Heather Levy; It Dies With You by Scott Blackburn; The Past is Never by Tiffany Quay Tyson; Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor

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Episode 106: Interview with Gary Goldstein, author of The Mother I Never Had

November 3, 2022Author InterviewAuthor Interview, California, domestic fiction, fresno, gary goldstein, hadleigh house, Staff Pick, the last birthday party, the mother i never hadtopshelfatmerricklibrary

“Nate’s morning began like any other. So how could he possibly know that well before the day was over his life would never be the same?” ~The Mother I Never Had by Gary Goldstein.

Hook set! I loved talking with former Long Island native Gary Goldstein about his latest book, The Mother I Never Had featuring protagonist Nate Cronin. When Nick discovers that his father kept a life-changing secret from him, he has the daunting task of reevaluating everything he thought he knew about his own life. Gary details Nate’s journey of self-discovery in such sensitive and comprehensive ways, I couldn’t put the book down. As bestselling author Iris Rainer Dart says, “There are so many surprises and joys in this beautiful, human, well-told, emotionally rich story, that you won’t want it to end.” And how could you possibly disagree with the bestselling author of Beaches?

Gary and I could have spoken for hours, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to host him for this episode. Don’t miss this book and don’t miss Gary’s debut, The Last Birthday Party. Both are perfect for book discussions!

Gary Goldstein recommends: Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan; The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles; Oh WIlliam! by Elizabeth Strout; The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin

Click here for Gary’s interview with Marilyn Simon Rothstein

Don’t miss Gary Goldstein’s latest Hallmark Channel production: Lights, Camera, Christmas!

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Episode 105: Interview with author Louise Kennedy for her debut novel, Trespasses

October 26, 2022Author Interviewbook discussions, historical fiction, Louise Kennedy, Northern Ireland, penguin random house, Riverhead Books, Staff Pick, The Troublestopshelfatmerricklibrary

I had the absolute pleasure of hosting author Louise Kennedy for her debut novel, Trespasses. Set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, Trespasses is a shattering novel about a young woman caught between allegiance to community and a dangerous passion.

We talk about the inspiration for Trespasses, a possible movie treatment, her award-winning short stories, and yes, her glorious orange cake. Thank you so much for joining me Louise, I loved every minute!

Luisa Smith of Book Passage says that Trespasses is, “the knockout debut of the fall season – a gritty depiction of Northern Ireland during the period known as The Troubles. Kennedy does a masterful job of bringing this period to life.” Do not miss this book!

Louise Kennedy recommends: My Fourth Time, We Drowned: Seeking Refuge on the World’s Deadliest Migration Routeby Sally Hayden; These Days by Lucy Caldwell (has not yet been published in the US).

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Episode 104: Interview with Alice Elliott Dark author of Fellowship Point

October 21, 2022Author InterviewAlice Eliott Dark, Fellowship Point, In the Gloaming, land preservation, Maine, Mary Sue Rucci Books, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Simon and Schustertopshelfatmerricklibrary

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark is the masterful story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories and buried secrets, tested in the twilight of their lives, set across the arc of the 20th century, and it is magnificent.

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve fallen so hard for a book. Fellowship Point is about many things: friendship, secrets, legacy, love, family—but the true magic here is in the writing…” ~ Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

Fellowship Point: this book, this book! It was such a joy to read and this conversation is fantastic. I cannot thank Alice enough.

Alice Elliott Dark recommends: The Complicities by Stacey D’ Erasmo; Which Side Are You On by Ryan Lee Wong; Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach

Follow Alice Elliott Dark on Instagram: @aliceelliottdark

Place you holds here for all Alice Elliott Dark titles.

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Episode 103: Interview with Bobby Finger debut author of The Old Place

September 19, 2022Author InterviewBobby Finger, G. P. Putnam, LGBTQ, penguin random house, Texas, The Old Place, Who? Weeklytopshelfatmerricklibrary

The Old Place by Bobby Finger is a bighearted, moving debut about a wry, retired schoolteacher whose decade-old secret threatens to come to light and send shock waves through her small Texas town and I loved every page. Emma Straub says, “I loved being…in the heads of some wonderfully tangy old Texan ladies.”

For this episode, we talk about places in our lives: new places and the old places. The people that stay and the people that go, the choices people make, the secrets they keep, and how these characters try to live with those decisions. The Old Place is book club gold, so don’t miss this incredible conversation with Bobby Finger. Thank you so much Bobby!

Bobby Finger recommends: Perish by LaToya Washington; The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty.

Follow Bobby Finger on Instagram & Twitter: @bobbyfinger and listen to his podcast, Who? Weekly right here.

Place your hold for THE OLD PLACE.

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Episode 102: Interview with Bruce Holsinger author of The Displacements

August 8, 2022Author InterviewAuthor Interview, Book Discussion, Bruce Holsinger, Contemporary Fiction, Florida, Hurricanes, penguin random house, Readers Advisory, Riverhead Books, Staff Pick, Texastopshelfatmerricklibrary

“Hypnotic.” ~ NYT

“Cinematic.” ~ USA Today

“A gripping, full-throttle page turner.” ~ Miranda Cowley Heller

The Displacements by Bruce Holsinger is an adrenaline-fueled story of lives upended and transformed by an unprecedented catastrophe. Holsinger weaves the story of a well-to-do family around a catastrophic hurricane that strips them of their privilege and exposes their humanity.

This episode we talk about how The Displacements shatters the complacency of every day life, we get into the mechanics of writing suspense, the book cover, and more. Thank you so much Bruce!

Bruce Holsinger recommends: Appleseed by Matt Bell; How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue; The Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet; How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Reserve the books of Bruce Holsinger here.