Bookreporter Talks To

Charmaine Wilkerson, an award-winning short fiction writer, talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her debut novel, Black Cake, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection and a Today Show Read With Jenna book.

After their mother's death, Byron and Benny are left a voice recording from their mother and a black cake that is not to be eaten until they finish listening. The children are taken on a journey into their mysterious family history.

Charmaine talks to Carol about how she approached the novel with small snippets of ideas, which came together to weave a larger story. They discuss her characters - how she discovered them and where she took them. And yes, they talk about the preparation of a black cake.

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/black-cake

More Bookreporter Talks To:
The Overnight Guest: https://youtu.be/Ntk48vRRPgw
The Other Family: https://youtu.be/LRXLFF-Vh18
The Cage: https://youtu.be/Ef9yeUqu418

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

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Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Bonnie Kistler talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her newest psychological thriller, The Cage, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection.

In the novel, two colleagues from a fashion conglomerate enter an elevator together, but only one survives the trip to the lobby. What happened behind those closed doors -- and why -- forms the backbone for the rest of the book.

Bonnie shares her process for writing thrillers, noting that she spends time making promises in the beginning so that the rest of the story works like dominoes. Bonnie and Carol talked about their feelings of elevators; something that Bonnie also wrote a piece about elevators on her website; which you can read in the link below.

https://bonniekistler.com/2022/01/

Book Discussed in this Episode:

The Cage by Bonnie Kistler https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-cage-by-bonnie-kistler

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Road of Bones: https://youtu.be/vvL7QtrEpuc
The Overnight Guest: https://youtu.be/Ntk48vRRPgw
The Other Family: https://youtu.be/LRXLFF-Vh18

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Wendy Corsi Staub talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her new standalone suspense novel, The Other Family, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Wendy has written more than ninety book, including five suspense trilogies.

In The Other Family, a family moves into a rental home in Brooklyn that's been vacant for 25 years and was the site of an unresolved homicide case. Someone is watching the house, which keeps members of the family on edge. Wendy talks to Carol about freeing herself with a standalone book this time around. They discuss a Victorian era tradition that seems macabre to us today.

Wendy walks viewers and listeners through the difference between suspense, thrillers and mysteries --- and this alone is worth listening for. And yes, she also left clues about what she's working on next.

Books Discussed in this Episode:

The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-other-family-by-wendy-corsi-staub

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Greenwich Park: https://youtu.be/Bap1OcX7rIE
Road of Bones: https://youtu.be/vvL7QtrEpuc
The Overnight Guest: https://youtu.be/Ntk48vRRPgw

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Heather Gudenkauf joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest, The Overnight Guest, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Heather is the New York Times bestselling of nine novels; Carol discovered her with her debut novel, The Weight of Silence.

The Overnight Guest has a chilling setting figuratively and literally. Wylie, a true crime writer, is snowed in while she writes her book in a house where, decades earlier, two people were murdered and a young girl disappeared. As a blizzard swirls outside, she finds a child in the snow. Wylie realizes the story she is writing may not end up the way she thinks. Heather shares the wild story of how this idea came to her. She also talks about the challenges in writing dual timelines, especially when it was so key to the backstory get right. She walks us through how she begins with handwritten copy, and how she then works with her editor to hone the writing.

Books Discussed in this Episode:
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-overnight-guest

More Bookreporter Talks To:
The Maid: https://youtu.be/Cfu37sZWzBA
Greenwich Park: https://youtu.be/Bap1OcX7rIE
Road of Bones: https://youtu.be/vvL7QtrEpuc

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here:
http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Christopher Golden talks to Austin Ruh about his latest horror novel, Road of Bones. Christopher is the New York Times bestselling and Bram Stoker award-winning author of Ararat, Snowblind, Dead Ringers, and Of Saints and Shadows, along with many other books and media.

Road of Bones follows two National Geographic filmmakers, Teig and Prentiss, as they travel into the farthest reaches of Siberia. There's a historical aspect to this novel. The road was the place more than hundreds of thousands of people were sent to die as prisoners. Now Teig and Prentiss must survive the cold and uncover long forgotten folklore in this unfamiliar land. It may be more real than they expected, and they may have to survive it.

Christopher talks to Austin about the values of horror as therapy for readers. He discusses how he wrote this novel with the intention that anyone could enjoy it, and how this was the perfect setting for something so thrilling. He also announces something big that's coming up next.

Books Discussed in this Episode:

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/road-of-bones

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Olga Dies Dreaming: https://youtu.be/h71ib3s0ULA
The Maid: https://youtu.be/Cfu37sZWzBA
Greenwich Park: https://youtu.be/Bap1OcX7rIE

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Katherine Faulkner talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her debut novel, Greenwich Park, the plot of which came to Katherine when she was in a prenatal class. She looked at the other women and realized they were all pregnant, and there was a feeling they all should be friends. Greenwich Park begins with Helen and her strange encounter in her prenatal class where she meets Rachel, who has latched on to Helen. At first, Helen appreciates the companionship, but as time goes on Rachel becomes more erratic, and Helen begins to feel she needs to find some way to escape this irrational creature.

Katherine talks to Carol about the friends we make at early stages of our lives and the difficulty of making new ones later. That became the perfect start to a thriller. Carol and Katherine swap some tales from their own prenatal classes -- ones that still make them laugh. They also talk about Katherine's work as an award-winning journalist and investigative reporter, and the inspiration that comes from interviewing people from all walks of life.

Books Discussed in this Episode:

Greenwich Park by Katherine Faulkner https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/greenwich-park

More Bookreporter Talks To:
The Starless Crown: https://youtu.be/3sdpFPTOU3M
Olga Dies Dreaming: https://youtu.be/h71ib3s0ULA
The Maid: https://youtu.be/Cfu37sZWzBA

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here:
http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Nita Prose talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her debut novel, The Maid, which is Good Morning America’s Book Club Pick for January, as well as a Bookreporter Bets On selection.

The Maid is the story of Molly, a socially challenged hotel maid who prides herself on delivering top service to the guests at the Regency Grand Hotel. One day she comes upon a wealthy hotel guest, who is dead in his bed. All fingers point towards Molly as his killer, and she works to unravel this mystery of what happened to Mr. Black to free herself as a suspect.

Nita shares how she came upon the idea for this book, and how those scribbled notes became the prologue. She shares how her day job as the Editorial Director of a Canadian publishing house influenced her. She shared how sometimes pushing your characters into small settings makes them bigger personalities. They talk about the quote at the end of the book, which Carol already has hanging on her office wall.

Nita was also interviewed on Good Morning America, which you can see here:
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/culture/video/nita-prose-author-maid-shares-idea-book-82240719

Books Discussed in this Episode:

The Maid by Nita Prose
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-maid

More Bookreporter Talks To:

The Attic on Queen Street: https://youtu.be/a_S6PfaSXtE
The Starless Crown: https://youtu.be/3sdpFPTOU3M
Olga Dies Dreaming: https://youtu.be/h71ib3s0ULA

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here:
http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Xochitl Gonzalez talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection.

In the novel, Olga is a wedding planner for New York socialite types and deftly handles all of their quirks and high-end dreams. Her brother is a politician in Brooklyn, who strives to represent the Puerto Rican community. While they both appear to be in control of their own lives, these appearances are deceiving. Both are haunted by their absent mother, who was a revolutionary in Puerto Rico. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, their lives collide with their mother again.

Xochitl talks about how her life and writing have been influenced by growing up in Brooklyn. She remembers the area before it was the more gentrified place it is now, and those memories infuse her writing. They discuss her writing of the book, which started at the Iowa Writers Workshop and was once conceived as a memoir. She also wrote the Hulu pilot script for Olga Dies Dreaming and shares her writing process for that, as well as what it was like being on set with the cast and crew.

Books Discussed in This Episode:

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/olga-dies-dreaming

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bookreporter-talks-to/id1478026194

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc
The Attic on Queen Street: https://youtu.be/a_S6PfaSXtE
The Starless Crown: https://youtu.be/3sdpFPTOU3M

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

New York Times bestselling novelist James Rollins talks to Austin Ruh about his latest fantasy novel, The Starless Crown, the start of his new Moon Fall series. Best known for his Sigma Force thriller series, James has written across genres, including thrillers, sci fi, and now fantasy.

The Starless Crown follows three characters in a world that has stopped turning on its axis. When a blind girl, Nyx, foresees the end of the world, the kingdom attempts to kill her before she can speak out. The prince of this kingdom, who was unknowingly sent to his death, helps her escape. Meanwhile, a thief escapes from prison chains with what may be the answer to the end of times.

James talks to Austin about bringing what he learned from thrillers to the fantasy genre. They discuss his path to becoming a writer, inspirations for his world building, and the collaboration that took place to make this fantasy world a reality.

Book Discussed in this Episode:
The Starless Crown by James Rollins
https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-starless-crown

More Bookreporter Talks To:
Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM
Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc
The Attic on Queen Street: https://youtu.be/a_S6PfaSXtE

Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events!
William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k
Jim DeFede: https://youtu.be/y2im_W_wGsw

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here:
http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe

FOLLOW US
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Welcome to our End-of-Year video where Carol Fitzgerald talks about all 44 of the books that she selected as Bookreporter "Bets On" selections in 2021! You can read more about the books and enter to WIN ALL 44 of these books by Friday, January 7th in the End-of-Year contest:

https://www.bookreporter.com/features/end-of-the-year-celebration/end-of-the-year-contest-2021

Here are some other useful links:
Find Our Podcast Here: https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/bookreporter-talks-to-919758
Subscribe on Our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8i9fX1kw_etTti4i0Rc9A

BOOKS DISCUSSED:
We've listed the books discussed below. Throughout 2021, we interviewed many of these authors for our "Bookreporter Talks To" video/podcast series.

Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin
Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara
Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson
Eternal by Lisa Scottoline
Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart
Falling by T.J. Newman
The Fiancee by Kate White
Find You First by Linwood Barclay
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
Going There by Katie Couric
The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth
The Husbands by Chandler Baker
In Every Mirror She's Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström
The Last Commandment: An Austin Grant of Scotland Yard Novel by Scott Shepherd
The Last Green Valley by Mark Sullivan
The Last Mona Lisa by Jonathan Santlofer
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Masque of Honor: A Historical Novel of the American South by Sharon Virts
Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
Of Women and Salt by Gabriela Garcia
The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter
The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Power Couple by Alex Berenson
The Push by Ashley Audrain
Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney
A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi
The Survivors by Jane Harper
We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker
What Could Be Saved by Liese O'Halloran Schwarz
Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
You Belong Here by Dianna Rostad

Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe/

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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter
Website: https://www.bookreporter.com