Category Archives: Author Interview

E115: Interview with Cheryl A. Head, author of Time’s Undoing

February 27, 2023Author InterviewAlabama, Cheryl A. Head, Crime, dutton press, Mystery, Mystery Series, penguin random house, Thriller, Time's Undoingtopshelfatmerricklibrary

“Times Undoing is a harrowing yet beautiful journey into the heart of darkness that beats in the center of the American Experience. A tour de force.” —S.A. Cosby, NYT bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland

Totally star-struck to have interviewed Cheryl A. Head for this episode and she was kind enough to let me wax rhapsodic about all her books, especially Time’s Undoing. For E115, Cheryl explained how Time’s Undoing was inspired by her own family history, and what it was like to write in the voice of her grandfather. We also talk about her fantastic Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Series, and what Cheryl is working on next. Cheryl A. Head has some marvelous things to share on that topic, so give a listen to find out what’s next for her. Thank you so much for sharing your story in Time’s Undoing, Cheryl!

Cheryl A. Head recommends: Shutter by Ramona Emerson. Authors noted: Wanda M. Morris; Denny S. Bryce; Sadeqa Johnson.

Follow Cheryl on Twitter: @cheaddc and Instagram: @cheadwrites

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E114: Interview with Deepti Kapoor, author of Age of Vice

February 24, 2023Author Interviewage of vice, Crime, debut, deepti kapoor, delhi, family saga, india, Thrillertopshelfatmerricklibrary

Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice, a stunner by Deepti Kapoor is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best. Age of Vice has already been optioned as a series by FX with Deepti Kapoor and her husband sharing screenwriting duties as they work together on the TV pilot. Age of Vice is the first in a trilogy about the Wadia crime family and I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the second installment! What a wonderful interview, thank you so much Deepti!

Follow Deepti Kapoor on Instagram: @deeptikp

Deepti Kapoor recommends: Cremation by Rafael Chirbes; Ice by Anna Kavan; Masahisa Fukase Retrospective – Editions Xavier Barral

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E113: They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

February 16, 2023Author InterviewAuthor Interview, ballet, blind sight, Book Discussion, Doubleday, family relationships, Friday Reads, greenwich village, meg howrey, Readers Advisory, Staff Pick, the cranes dance, the wanderers, they're going to love youtopshelfatmerricklibrary

“They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey is my idea of a perfect book. It is about art, life, death, love, and family and it is beautifully and sharply written. I cried several times while reading it, and was sorry to let it go when I was done. I cannot recommend it enough.” —Jami Attenberg, NYT bestselling author of The Middlesteins and All This Could Be Yours.

I will read anything Jami Attenberg tells me to and what I agree with wholeheartedly is that you’re all going to love They’re Going to Love You by the brilliant Meg Howrey. We talk about family bonds, family secrets, recording the audio book, what she’s working on next and so much more. I cannot thank Meg Howrey enough for joining me – it’s a wonderful interview!

Meg Howrey recommends: How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz; The Hero of this Book by Elizabeth McCracken; A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

Read the wonderful books by Meg Howrey here. Follow Meg Howrey on Twitter and Instagram: @meghowrey

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E112: Interview with Rachel Koller Croft, author of Stone Cold Fox

February 14, 2023Author Interviewberkley publishing, Contemporary Fiction, debut author, debut thriller, Katey Sagal, mother daughter relationships, penguin random house, Rachel koller croft, Stone Cold Fox, Torn Heartstopshelfatmerricklibrary

Three words for you all: STONE COLD FOX. STONE COLD FOX is a perfectly wicked debut thriller about an ambitious woman who, after a lifetime of conning alongside her mother, wants to leave her dark past behind and marry the heir to one of the country’s wealthiest families.

Writers Guild of America nominee and debut author Rachel Koller Croft sat down with me for this episode and we had a blast talking about “foxes”, writing the amazing character of Bea, her love for libraries, screenwriting and more! Rachel Koller Croft’s unputdownable debut STONE COLD FOX hits shelves on February 14. Book clubs? Start your engines!

Rachel Koller Croft recommends: The Shards by Brett Easton Ellis; Love Pamela by Pamela Anderson; She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb; Cheat Day by Liv Stratman. Don’t miss Rachel’s terrific movie: Torn Hearts starring Katey Sagal!

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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