Day Drinking With Authors

The Book: The Chick MagnetThe Drink: Hard Iced Tea (made by throwing a few tea bags in some booze - the way you should have been doing it all this time) Favorite Line: "When this tension broke, when the storm came, if it came, it was going to curl her toes, her hair. It might level the house. Level the two of them."I've been a fan of Emma Barry's work since her politics-set romances that have always scratched my Josh and Donna from The West Wing itch. She can be counted upon for excellen...

The book: The Vibrant YearsThe drink: I honestly, can not even remember...Favorite line: “Some accidents were actually beautiful.”Oh my gosh! Sonali and I sat down BEFORE the holidays and then life completely got in the way. If you haven't picked up Sonali's fabulous multi-generational story DO IT NOW! Sonali is one of the most enthusiastic, wise and effervescent people I know. Spending time with her just feels good. And The Vibrant Years is a reflection of that. We talk about t...

The Book: Once Upon A DecemberThe drink: Mulled wine but really a third cup of coffeeFavorite Line: Christmas wasn't a place or a season or a time. Christmas was a state of mind. Amy writes what I call modern, midwestern folk lore. The combination of her Milwaukee setting, earnest and good people, delicious food and magic is absolute catnip! This is a fabulous, timeless Holiday Romance. She's also one of those people who - you might have never met - but it feels like y...

The book: The Christmas ClashThe drink: Holiday MulesFavorite Line: Chloe can't stand Peter Li and his smug, perfect faceWell, despite not having a holiday mule (for reasons I get into during my chat with Suzanne) I confess to some very embarrassing mall activities. (Clowning? What?) But The Christmas Clash is a fantastic YA Holiday romance that has some Romeo and Juliet vibes. Suzanne has done a lot of stand-up Comedy and we talk about how that informs her writing. One of t...

Daphne stops by with a glass of Posset (which is essentially boiled milk and wine with spices) to discuss her swashbuckling new release The Pirate's Wife, about the life and times of Sarah Kidd. Sarah was the beloved wife of notorious pirate - Captain Kidd. This is a fascinating book that brings to life a woman that's largely been forgotten to history and overshadowed by the mythology that surrounds her husband. Daphne discusses how she uses newly-discovered, primary source ...

The Book: Miss Del RioThe Drink: Pisco Sours - with a bonus recipe demonstration from Bárbara.Miss Del Rio is a fascinating historical novel about a fascinating woman. For readers looking for a setting that isn't World War II Europe, I think you will find this one highly satisfying. Bárbara pulls off a neat magic trick using the POV of a fictional character to tell the story of a real person and to create a deeper, richer sense of the class struggles that created the revolution. &...

The Book: The Witches of Moonshyne ManorThe Drink: Gin MartiniMy favorite line: Why were we taught to fear witches and not the men who burned them?A reviewer called this a Golden Girls meets Practical Magic - and they are not wrong. The sisterhood who live in Moonshyne Manor are funny, wise, slightly diabolical, passionate and more than a few of them are keeping some secrets. The pages turn themselves. Bianca's writing is much like the women - in turns funny, wise and diabolical. ...

The Book: The Witch and The TsarThe drink: Kvass (a drink made with fermented rye bread, we didn't actually drink this, though Olesya says it's delicious)Best line: He will be the greatest ruler that Russia has ever seen. Or he will tear her apart. Combining Russian folklore and history - Olesya's DEBUT novel is a a stunner. That's right - it's a debut! A feminist retelling of Baba Yaga - turning the witch into a sympathetic woman fighting for her country - makes for an ambitious ...

The book: The Thread CollectorsThe author: Shaunna J Edwards and Alyson RichmanThe drink: New Orlean's own Sazerac This is the recipe I used and it's spicy and delicious and packs a serious punch. Best line in the book: "As everyone around her knew, there were so many ways to not be free.”This is a very original story and beautifully told. And like any good historical novel - I learned a lot. Let's not get into boat schedules down the Mississippi. :) However in this intervie...

The book: Killers of A Certain AgeThe author: Deanna RaybournBest line from the book: "It's a bad week for clowns..."Drink: If I had my act together it would have been Killer Bee's - the top secret rum punch from Sunshine's In Nevis. Here's a recipe that we didn't make. Because I didn't have my act to together...Welcome back to Day Drinking. I couldn't have asked for a better book to get back into the swing of things. An Instant New York Times Bestseller - Killers of a Certain Age - is ...