Introducing Encore - a new monthly feature on Binge Reading - and Deborah Challinor, a top selling New Zealand historical fiction author and her latest book The Leonard Sisters,

This is where we talk to authors who have already been on the show about their latest book...

Nurse Rowie Leonard is pro war. Her younger sister, Jo is a protestor and they're both in Vietnam. Rowie is serving a 12 month tour of duty supporting the troops, serving overseas.

Jo is a folk singer and a fervent anti-war protestor who falls in love with a soldier and goes to Vietnam with a rock band, entertaining troops. As the sisters grapple with love. loss, and the stresses and sorrows of war, each will be forced to confront and question everything they've believed in.

The Leonard Sisters is the fourth book and concluding book in the popular The Restless Years series, a story about two sisters and the Vietnam war years of the late sixties.

The Binge Reading interview with Deborah on Book #3 in the series, The Jacaranda Tree, can be found here: https://thejoysofbingereading.com/deborah-challinor-best-selling-sagas/

LISTEN TO DEBORAH ON BINGE READING EPISODE

This Encore episode was first published on Binge Reading on Patreon as exclusive bonus content for Patreon supporters and is then made available to everyone two weeks later.

You can help support the show and get early release Encore episodes by supporting us for less than the cost of a cup of coffee a month on Binge Reading on Patreon.

SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREON

Introducing The Leonard Sisters

Jenny Wheeler: Welcome to the show. Deborah. It's fantastic to have you with us. Tell us a bit about your interest in the Vietnam war, because you did also do a PhD thesis on it quite a few years ago didn't you? How did you get into it initially?

Deborah Challinor: I did my Ph.D in the nineties, and I've been interested in Vietnam since I went to university and I've first went to uni in the seventies.

I won’t say I tailored my studies towards Vietnam, but I did start thinking about doing some research towards Vietnam when I saw a documentary while I was at uni called Hearts and Minds, which was American, and it looked at all sorts of aspects of Vietnam from an American point of view and a Vietnamese point of view.

And it really started me thinking about the New Zealand contribution. And when I got to my master's, I wanted to do some research on the New Zealand contribution, but I got put off doing that and I put that aside until I got to my PhD.

But there was really not much at all, in terms of research, done in New Zealand and that just spurred me on to do some original research of my own. And that's how I got into it.

Academic research that sparked novel

Jenny Wheeler: Yes. Obviously, a history thesis is a very different proposition from a novel, and this is a very engrossing family story of the way that the war impacted on individuals and their emotional responses to it.

Jo, one of the sisters is an anti-war protestor who actually at the beginning has quite a black and white idea about right and wrong and almost villainizes as the soldiers who are going there.

She blames them, for being willing to take part in a conflict, even if they're professional soldiers, because in New Zealand, only volunteers went, nobody was actually drafted there.

Rowie was a military nurse. Who is about to take up a year-long post in a military hospital there. So they're very much on opposite sides of the fence aren't they?

It must have been interesting for you to set up those two opposite poles, right at the start of the story.

Deborah Challinor: It was, and I did that deliberately, so readers could have that contrast. And also against that, there are two other reasonably central characters who are soldiers, that’s Eddie and Sam, and they are cousins. They're in Victor 4 company and they're connected in a way to Rowie and Jo.

Katherine Howe is a New York Times bestselling historian and novelist and together with American journalist and author Anderson Cooper she co-authored Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. She talks about the project, how it came together, and her own bestselling fiction on this week’s Joys of Binge Reading.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and today on Binge Reading Katherine Howe talks about working with Anderson to write one of the Washington Post's Notable Works of Nonfiction for 2021.

We’ve got our usual free books offer. This week it’s a group of authors offering clean and wholesome holiday romance. You can check it out on The Joys of Binge Reading website for the links or subscribe to our newsletter so it lands in your mailbox with the links there ready for you to click. Don’t forget exclusive bonus content on Binge Reading on Patreon, including the Getting-to-Know-You Five Quickfire questions from Katherine on www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading.

Where to find Katherine Howe:

Website: http://www.katherinehowe.com

Twitter: @katherinebhowe

Instagram: @katherinebhowe

Links for this episode:

Alva Vanderbilt /Belmont/Vanderbilt: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alva_BelmontSalem Witch trials: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-brief-history-of-the-salem-witch-trials-175162489/Edith Wharton: https://www.edithwharton.org/discover/edith-wharton/Edith Wharton novels:The Age of Innocence: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/53835.The_Age_of_InnocenceThe House of Mirth: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17728.The_House_of_MirthEthan Frome: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5246.Ethan_Frome

As usual all our links for this episode can be found on the website the Joys of Binge Reading.com

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

But now here's Katherine.

Introducing author Katherine Howe

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Katherine, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Katherine Howe - historian and novelist

Katherine Howe: Thank you so much for having me, Jenny. I'm delighted to join you.

Jenny Wheeler: You are a New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction in your own right, but recently you've also co-authored one of the prominent books of the year and that's Anderson Cooper's family story, Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty. Is this your first co-authoring project?

Katherine Howe: It is. I did a little bit of co-authoring of a screenplay with another friend, and I've taught writing for many years, so I was accustomed to a collaborative approach to writing, but this is the first time it's actually come to the world in book form. It was a really exciting project to do.

Jenny Wheeler: How did it come about that you got enlisted for the project?

Katherine Howe: We knew that Anderson was going to be working on a book and it was going to be a history book. Of course, he is a celebrated author in his own right. For your audience in New Zealand who might not know him as well as we do in the US, he is a broadcast journalist on CNN, which is one of our big cable news networks.

He also does many other things. He does the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square and things like that. He is a prominent person, and he had written a couple of memoirs. He did a memoir of his own, and he did a co-author project with his mother.

Collaborating with Anderson Cooper

His mother was Gloria Vanderbilt. So, he knew he wanted to do a history book, but I think he was looking for someone who had more experience writing history, because writing history is a little bit different from writing memoir. We were fortunate that our various representative put us in touch with each other.

It was very exciting because we found in the course of preparatory conversations that we had ...

Erika Robuck’s heart-stopping new World War II drama, Sisters of Night and Fog, was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by BuzzFeed, BookBub, Book Trib and more! It tells the story of two very different women with a common cause.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading today, international bestselling author Erika Robuck talks about her spell binding historical fiction, based on the extraordinary true stories of an American socialite and a British secret agent whose stunning acts of courage collide in the darkest hours of World War II.

We’ve got free books to give away, this week Mary Crawford’s Until The Stars Fall From the Sky – a clean and wholesome romance with a fiery heroine and an unlikely hero that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Books and an E reader to be won

get free romance

Plus win a bundle of Cozy Mysteries 50+ books (including Poisoned Legacy, #1 in the Of Gold & Blood series) and a brand new E-Reader - Total Value $550

ENTER BOOKSWEEPS TO WIN

And don’t forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month you can get exclusive bonus content – like hearing Erika’s answers to the Five Quickfire Questions – by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter.

We’ve got a new feature starting on Patreon this month – Encore – shorter interviews with favorite authors, people who have already been on the podcast talking about their latest book. Encore will be previewed for Patreon supporters and then released on the free to air broadcast feed two weeks later. We will do these monthly and see how we go.

Encore on Binge Reading - This month Deborah Challinor talks about The Leonard Girls

support binge reading on patreon

First up is Kiwi bestselling historical fiction author Deborah Challinor who talks about her new book The Leonard Girls, a story about two sisters and the Vietnam war years of the late sixties. Nurse Rowie Leonard is pro war. Her younger sister Jo is a protestor and they're both in Vietnam.  As the sisters grapple with love, loss and the stresses and sorrows of war, each will be forced to confront and question everything they've believed in. 

As usual all the links to things mentioned in the podcast are available in the show notes for this episode on the website www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

Links for this episode

Nacht Und Nebel: https://wordhistories.net/2020/12/09/nacht-und-nebel/

Virginia d’Albert Lake: https://francetoday.com/culture/remembrance/an-american-heroine/

Violet Szabo:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/behind-enemy-lines-with-violette-szabo-1896571/

Erika Robuck book links:

Hemingway’s Girl: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/13485500-hemingway-s-girlThe Invisible Woman: http://www.erikarobuck.com/The-Invisible-Woman.htmlCarve Her Name with Pride (1958 movie about Violet Szabo)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carve_Her_Name_with_PrideSpecial Operations Executive (SOE): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_Operations_ExecutivePaula McLain:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/290189.Paula_McLain

What Erika’s Reading:

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55711683-the-forest-of-vanishing-stars

The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56922702-the-last-checkmate

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/634184/that-summer-in-berlin-by-lecia-cornwall/

A Dress of Violet Taffeta by Tessa Arlen:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/677123/a-dress-of-violet-taffeta-by-tessa-arlen/

Where to find Erika

Website: http://www.erikarobuck.com/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @erobuckauthor

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-robuck-78906211/

You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/erobuck

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ErikaRobuck

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation,

Elissa Sussman’s hilarious break out rom com, Funny You Should Ask, is a witty romance built around the whole question and dynamic of celebrity journalism. Ten years ago, Chani interviewed Hollywood star Gabe. He was at that time the next James Bond, and the story she wrote about him then has haunted her career ever since. 

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and in Binge Reading today Elissa talks about setting up her James Bond character in Funny You Should Ask, the particular challenges faced by women pursuing careers in Hollywood, and her own remarkable experiences managing big film animation projects including The Croods, Hotel Transylvania and Tangled for some of the top studios.

In our free giveaway a group of author friends have got together for another historical romance book offer. Take your pick from a wide choice in historical romance for summer.

GET FREE HISTORIC ROMANCE

Links in the Binge Reading show notes for this episode, as for all of the other content of this episode.

And don’t forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month, you can get exclusive bonus content – like hearing Elissa’s answers to the Five Quickfire Questions – by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter. We’ve got a new feature starting on Patreon this month, Encore, once a month short chats with authors who’ve already been on the show, talking about their latest exciting release. 

support binge reading on patreon

First up in the second week of June is popular international author Gill Paul talking about The Collector’s Daughter, her new dual timeline novel about the fascinating life of Lady Evelyn Herbert. She was the English aristocrat who made history by being part of the first ever global media sensation – the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb – as well as enjoying the cachet having grown up at Highclere, the majestic manor house that is the location for the Downton Abbey TV series.

(Editor note: - Sorry Gill will be next month – next week it’s Deborah Challinor with The Leonard Sisters – a 1960 Vietnam War story about two sisters who both go to Vietnam  - one of them a war protestor, the other a military nurse on active duty.)

Links for this episode

Kate Spencer: In A New York Minute:  https://www.katespencerwrites.com/Julie Ann Long: Historical romance author: http://julieannelong.com/Bird of California by Katie Cotugno: https://www.amazon.com/Birds-California-Novel-Katie-Cotugno-ebook/dp/B09G6RJKH4Alisha Rai: http://www.alisharai.com/

Where to find Elissa Sussman:

Website: https://elissasussman.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/elissa_sussman/What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.But now, here's Elissa.

Introducing author Elissa Sussman

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there, Elissa, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us today.

Elissa Sussman: Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.

Jenny Wheeler: You wrote three teen novels, but then you got into what they are calling your breakout hit, your first adult novel, Funny You Should Ask. It's a witty romance built around the whole dynamic of celebrity journalism. How did you make that leap from the earlier teen novels to this adult novel that's being so widely acclaimed?

Elissa Sussman: Thank you. It’s funny because it feels like a very natural progression. In some ways I'm like, why did it take me so long to write a romance and an adult romance at that? I grew up reading romance, loving romance. Since middle school, I was a huge romance reader, getting books from the library constantly.

Then during a lull in work, when I was writing YA fiction, I got an opportunity to ghost write adult romance books, and it reminded me of how much fun I had reading it as a teenager and how much I missed it. It was like getting paid to go to romance writing boot camp....

Ella Carey and her epic heartbreaking World War I story, The Girl From Paris, kick off the show this week, taking us from war-torn Paris of the First World War to the fabulous fashion scene of 1920s New York.

Seamstress Vianne believes she's lost her sister in the war. She sees the rubble surrounding her and has the evidence of her own eyes, but when she gets to New York she's forced to face a new reality.

Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler and in Binge Reading today Ella talks about the remarkable couturier scene in 1920s New York, her Daughters of New York series, and her lifelong passion for all things French.

We've got another free giveaway. As you know, we do this every week. This week it’s the Chocolate Magic Mystery Box series, seven cozy mysteries by author Olivia Swift.

YES TO CHOCOLATE BOX MYSTERIES

Create your own magical moment. Grab a coffee and some chocolate while you dive into seven cozy mysteries.

Yes to Chocolate Box Mysteries

And don't forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month you can get exclusive bonus content – like hearing Ella’s answers to the five quickfire questions – by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter.

We've got a new feature starting on Patreon this month, Encore, a monthly chat with authors who have already been on the show, talking about their latest exciting release.

It's shorter than a normal episode, 15-20 minutes. First up in the second week of June is popular international author Gill Paul talking about The Collector’s Daughter, her new dual timeline novel about the English aristocrat Lady Eve Herbert – famous not only because she was born and grew up in Highclere, the manor house that features in Downton Abbey, but she was also part of the first ever global media sensation, the uncovering of Tutankhamun’s tomb in Egypt in the 1920s.

SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREON

As usual, the links to everything we've talked about in this show can be found on the Binge Reading website.

Links to this episode:

Ella Carey Books:Paris Time Capsule: https://www.ellacarey.com/library/paris-time-capsule/House From The Lake: https://www.ellacarey.com/library/the-house-by-the-lake/From A Paris Balcony:  https://www.ellacarey.com/library/from-a-paris-balcony/

Daughters of New York series: https://www.ellacarey.com/library/a-new-york-secret/https://www.ellacarey.com/library/the-lost-girl-of-berlin/https://www.ellacarey.com/library/the-girl-from-paris/https://www.ellacarey.com/library/the-lost-sister-of-fifth-avenue/Maid by Nita Prose  https://www.amazon.com/Maid-Novel-Nita-Prose/dp/0593356152Belle Epoch artist Giovanni Boldini  https://www.wikiart.org/en/giovanni-boldiniBelle Epoch courtesan: Marthe de Florian https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthe_de_FlorianThe Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: https://www.amazon.com/A-Thursday-Murder-Club-Mystery-3-book-series/dp/B08RDVHNTBAlexander McCall Smith: https://www.alexandermccallsmith.co.uk/Rhys Bowen:  https://rhysbowen.com/(Enduring Storyteller - Rhys on Joys of Binge Reading)https://thejoysofbingereading.com/rhys-bowen-2/AND A (Royal) Wedding and Four Funerals:https://thejoysofbingereading.com/rhys-bowen/Fiona Valpy: https://www.fionavalpy.com/(French For Always- Fiona on Joys of Binge Reading) https://thejoysofbingereading.com/fiona-valpy-ww-ii-drama/

Encore over the next few weeks:

The Collector's Daughter: from Gill Paul and The Leonard Girls: from Deborah Challinor

Where to find Ella Carey

Website: https://www.ellacarey.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellacareyauthor/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ella_CareyPinterest: @ellacarey54Bookouture: https://www.bookouture.com/

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

But that's enough of the housekeeping. Here's Ella.

Lynn Hightower is a New York Times best-selling author whose latest thriller has been described by Lee Child as a spooky suspenseful masterpiece that's super recommended.

Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and Lynn’s long awaited new supernatural thriller, The Enlightenment Project, combines cutting-edge science with demonic possession. Noah Archer is a renowned neurosurgeon with an impressive success record and a dark secret. It's a not-to-be-missed read.

As usual, we've got a free book to give away. One of Sylvia Price’s cozy mysteries, set in Canada's picturesque Cape Breton Island, it’s perfect for those who enjoy new beginnings and countryside landscapes. Details are in the show notes for this episode on www.thejoysofbingereading.com.

DOWNLOAD BOOK

Link at: Download here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/xrhpw7zcpq

And don't forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month, you can get exclusive bonus content, like hearing Lynn’s answers to the Five Quickfire Questions, by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter.

We've got a new feature starting on Patreon in June. Encore is a once a month short chat with authors who've already been on the show, talking about their latest book.

First up in June is popular historical fiction author Deborah Challinor, talking about The Leonard Girls a story of two sisters going off to the Vietnam War in the late 60s. One is a nurse, one a protestor....And the experiences they have there will change heir perspective forever. Details at patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading.  

SUPPORT BINGE READING ON PATREON

Links mentioned in this episode:

Deborah Challinor: The Leonard Girls; https://www.harpercollins.co.nz/9781775541813/the-leonard-girls/

M Scott Peck: The Road Less Travelled: http://www.mscottpeck.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3061.M_Scott_PeckThe Exorcist: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070047/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: https://psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsmStanford Medical Center: https://stanfordhealthcare.org/

Santeria: https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/santeria/beliefs/orishas.shtmlThe God Helmet: (Persinger Helmet) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_helmetMichael Persinger Professor of Psychology: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_PersingerTony Hillerman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_HillermanJonathan Kellerman: https://www.jonathankellerman.com/Wendell Berry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendell_BerryGeorgette Heyer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgette_HeyerRachel Ingalls, Binstead Safari: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1055079Robert Goddard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Goddard_(novelist)PD James:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._D._JamesAnne Tyler:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_TylerDiane Johnson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_JohnsonBrianne Moore:  https://www.briannemooreauthor.com/Reginald Hill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_HillMartin Cruz Smith:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Cruz_SmithJohn Le Carre, Silverview: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58133677-silverviewCarlos Ruiz Zafron:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Ruiz_Zaf%C3%B3n#Novelshttps://www.carlosruizzafon.co.uk/Lena Padget series:  https://www.lynnhightower.com/lynn-hightower-books/lena-padget-series/Satan’s Lamb’s: Lena Padget Book OneSonora Blair series: https://www.lynnhightower.com/lynn-hightower-books/sonora-blair-series/Flashpoint: Sonora Blair Book One:  https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/268486 David Silver Elaki series: https://www.lynnhightower.com/lynn-hightower-books/david-silver-elaki-series/

Where to find Lynn Hightower:

Website: https://www.lynnhightower.com/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/156659.Lynn_Hightower

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.

Regency romance queen Stephanie Laurens has been in the top 100 Romance of the Year lists many times over. She is one of the most successful and popular romance novelists of all time, with over 80 works of historical romance, including 40 New York Times bestsellers.

Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading today Stephanie talks about switching from cancer research to romance and the changing tastes of romance readers.

As usual, we've got free books to give away. This week it’s a range of historic adventures. Check them out here: https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/GBTyjjv9LFfGQ1X5JI9vA

GET FREE BOOKS

And don't forget, you can get exclusive bonus content, like hearing Stephanie's answers to the Getting To Know You, Five Quickfire Questions, by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter. For the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month, you can get special bonus content, including a new one starting next month, Encore, where authors who have already been on the podcast talk about their latest book. It's a shorter episode, quick to get through and exclusive to Patreon.

support binge reading on patreon

Links for this episode: 

The Legend of Nimway Hall:

http://www.stephanielaurens.com/series/the-legend-of-nimway-hall/

Devon Monk: https://www.devonmonk.com/

Sam Quinn series: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/k/seana-kelly/sam-quinn/

Faith Hunter:  http://www.faithhunter.net/wp/

CS Harris:  Sebastian St Cyr series  https://csharris.net/sebastian.php

Where to find Stephanie Laurens:

Website: http://www.stephanielaurens.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStephanieLaurens

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9241.Stephanie_Laurens

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/stephanie-laurens

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

But now, here’s Stephanie.

Introducing Stephanie Laurens

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there, Stephanie and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Stephanie Laurens Romance Bestseller

Stephanie Laurens: Thank you. It's lovely to be here.

Jenny Wheeler: I am in awe or of having the chance to talk to you because you are one of the legends of romance publishing.

You have been working since the early 90’s, you’ve got more than 80 books now published and many accolades including landing in the top 100 Romance of the Year many times. You have an international army of fans, so tell me about how you got into this career. Give us a little bit of a helicopter view of all of those years.

Stephanie Laurens: Okay. I got into writing romances because I literally ran out of Regency romances to read. At that time, back in the late 80’s, it was 1989, I used to read Regency romances because I was working as a scientist and writing scientific grants and reviewing scientific grants and papers and stuff like that. It was all very, very dry as you can imagine, so I liked to be able to read at night. After I put the kids to sleep, I would read.

At that time in Australia there were only two Regency romances brought in a month by Mills & Boon and that was nowhere near enough. I had already gone through a lot of the libraries and what Regency romances they stocked, and so in order to keep myself occupied I started writing one. I assumed that I would never get to the end because you know how you start projects. I always have projects lying around for literally years, incomplete.

A hard beginning in Regency romance

But, lo and behold, I found that because I wanted to find out what happened I got to the end of the book, so I actually wrote a book. I read it over again and I thought, this is not bad, and so I started to write around, to find out where to send it. It was my mother who told me, send it here.

Catherine Lea is a thriller writer whose latest book, The Water’s Dead, is New Zealand's answer to Vera Stanhope. It's the first in a new Kiwi crime series, a thriller with surprising twists.

Hi there, I'm your host Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading today Catherine talks about her new character, Detective Inspector Nyree Bradshaw and her race against time to solve a murder where everyone has something to hide and no one is telling the truth. If she fails, it's likely a child dies. It's the first in a new series.

We've got our usual free book offer for listeners... this week its historical fiction you can check out here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/freehistoricalfiction/7c9k9s2u28

GET FREE HISTORICAL FICTION

Or on our Binge Reading Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/JennyAtBingeReading)

And don't forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month you can get exclusive bonus content, like hearing Catherine's answers to the five quick five questions, by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter.

It would be great to have a few more people on board supporting the show with the weekly costs.

support binge reading on patreon

Links to information mentioned in the show:

Ann Cleeves: https://www.anncleeves.com/

Ruth Rendell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Rendell

Ngaire Dawn Porter: https://www.nzonscreen.com/profile/nyree-dawn-porter/biography

Elizabeth McClaine Mystery series: https://www.authorcatherinelea.com/books

The Dry by Jane Harper: https://janeharper.com.au/books/the-dry

Ed McBain: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21318.Ed_McBain

Chris Hammer: Scrublands, https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/books/fiction/crime-mystery/Scrublands-Chris-Hammer-9781760632984

Where to find Catherine Lea: 

Website: https://www.authorcatherinelea.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author-Catherine-Lea-1138506476177298/Twitter: @CatherineLeaNZBookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/catherine-lea

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to important mentions.

But now, here’s Catherine.

Introducing thriller author Catherine Lea

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there, Catherine and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Catherine Lea: Thank you so much for having me. It's great to be there with you.

Catherine Lea - Page-turning thriller writer

Jenny Wheeler: It's wonderful, almost a novelty to have a fellow New Zealander. I don't deliberately choose or not choose Kiwis. I choose people who fit the books we're doing, but it's lovely to have somebody who's writing those books in New Zealand. 

Catherine Lea: Thank you. That's why I decided to write the books in New Zealand. I've got some set in the States. When I started writing – I put my first book out in 2013 – somebody said, don't set them in New Zealand for goodness sake, nobody will ever read them. Set them in the States. So that's what I did.

And of course, then the process began. I decided to set a politically based thriller and boy, their politics are quite different to ours. It was such a lot of research. I thought, you know what? I know far more about New Zealand. We have got such an amazing country, such diverse cultures, so much flavor, so much brilliance and the country is so beautiful. Why not set them here?

Jenny Wheeler: To backtrack a bit, you write thrillers with heart, as your website says, and you have done several international page-turners. We will get to those a little later on because they are worth talking about, but your latest book, the one we're focusing on because it has just come out, is called The Water’s Dead. It's a police procedural set in the far north of New Zealand where you live.

Writing a police procedural a new game

That is a bit of a change for you, and it’s good to get in right at the beginning and talk a little bit about why you it made that.

Today on The Joys of Binge Reading Meg Waite Clayton, international bestselling author of The Last Train to London, returns with another haunting wartime story–The Postmistress of Paris.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler and on Binge Reading this week, Meg talks about her latest acclaimed wartime story set in the early days of the Nazi Occupation of France. It’s a haunting love story of high stakes danger and incomparable courage, based on the true story of a young American heiress who helped artists hunted by the Nazis escape war torn France.

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As usual, we’ve got free books for you–a selection of historical romance - a group promo from 50 top authors, plus a four-book French mystery box set from Lise McLendon–Books 1–4 in her popular Bennett sisters series

HISTORIC ROMANCE FOR FREE

Download free books here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/freehistoricalromancemay/2drvxuczu

And Lise McLendon four-book French mystery box set from Lise McLendon–Books 1–4 in her popular Bennett sisters series here: https://amzn.to/383Egji

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And don’t forget you can get exclusive bonus content – like hearing Meg’s answers to the Getting-to-Know-You Five Quickfire Questions – by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month. Details at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading

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Links for this episode can be found at:

Links to this episode can be found at:

Mary Jayne Gold: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-evanston-heiress-inspires-novel-tt-1130-20211130-n36mbdjpnvbqhd27acvs253aka-story.html

Mary Jayne Gold:  Oral History interview at the Holocaust memorial Museum site.:  https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn513492

Crossroads Marseilles, 1940: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1245926.Crossroads_Marseilles_1940

Varian Fry: https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/varian-fry

The Last Train To London: https://www.megwaiteclayton.com/books/the-last-train-to-london/

The Writer’s Lab: https://thewriterslab.nyc/

Thrifty Umrigar Honor: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/56271394

Karen Joy Fowler: Booth https://www.karenjoyfowler.com/

Purchasing Meg’s books in Australia and New Zealand:

And elsewhere: Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1102395.Meg_Waite_Clayton

Where to find Meg Waite Clayton:

Website: https://www.megwaiteclayton.com/Email: https://www.megwaiteclayton.com/contact/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/novelistmegTwitter:  https://twitter.com/MegWClayton

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.But now, here’s Meg, 

Introducing author Meg Waite Clayton

Best selling international author of historic fiction Meg Waite Clayton

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Meg, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Meg Waite Clayton: Jenny, it’s so delightful to be here. Thank you for sharing your time with me.

Jenny Wheeler: This latest book you've recently published, The Postmistress of Paris, has received the most amazing reception. You've got a whole host of international reviewers who are all eagerly anticipating it and hyping it up before it even hits the stands. That's a wonderful place to be in, but you did have quite a good apprenticeship to get there, didn't you?

Meg Waite Clayton: I did. This is novel number eight. Here in the United States, it’s the first one that's been reviewed by the New York Times, so that's my long apprenticeship. But I wouldn't have it any other way. It's been a lovely run and a lovely career and I feel like it keeps growing in a lovely way.

Jenny Wheeler: That’s wonderful. The central character of the Postmistress is Nanée. She is a wealthy American who stays on in France after war is declared in 1939,

Bestselling and award-winning master of romantic suspense Lynette Eason talks about her new book, Life Flight, the first in the high-octane adventure series Extreme Measures.

Hi there, I’m your host Jenny Wheeler, and on Binge Reading this week Lynette talks about the secret of putting her military and emergency first responder heroes in the worst possible situations and seeing them beat the odds.

Free Books Giveaway

As usual, we’ve got free books to give away, this time a selection of books from a group of authors with the theme of Wartime Romance and a Gothic Victorian whimsy.

You can access the Wartime Romances offer here:

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/JTQcSCG

FREE WARTIME ROMANCE

Magic exists where we cannot see.......

Kenneth A. Baldwin's Gothic Victorian whimsy The Crimson Inkwell:

Critics say: "A magical fanfare of a woman who knows her mind and sparkling romance, The Crimson Inkwell is a modern, gothic Victorian delight." -Charlotte Zang, Reedsy

Download the free offer here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/5gfrnef7dw?tid=nss3358dge

DOWNLOAD FREE BOOK

And don’t forget, for the cost of less than a cup of coffee a month you can get exclusive bonus content – like hearing Lynette’s answers to the Five Quickfire Questions – by becoming a Binge Reading on Patreon supporter. Details at www.patreon.com/thejoysofbingereading

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Links mentioned in this episode

Links to websites mentioned in this episode: Terri Blackstock: http://terriblackstock.com/

Colleen Coble: https://colleencoble.com/

Dee Henderson: http://www.deehenderson.com/ and Danger In The Shadows: https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Shadows-Prequel-OMalley-Henderson/dp/1414310552

Jaime Wright: https://www.jaimewrightbooks.com/

Natalie Walters: https://www.nataliewalterswriter.com/

  Carrie Stuart Parks: http://www.carriestuartparks.com/ 

James Patterson: https://www.jamespatterson.com/

Deborah Raney: https://deborahraney.com/

Karen Kingsbury: https://www.karenkingsbury.com/

Where to find Lynette Eason:

Website: https://lynetteeason.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lynette.eason

Twitter: http://twitter.com/lynetteeason

What follows is a "near as" transcript of our conversation, not word for word but pretty close to it, with links to the show notes in The Joys of Binge Reading.com for important mentions.

But now, here’s Lynette.

Introducing author Lynette Eason

Jenny Wheeler: Hello there Lynette, and welcome to the show. It's great to have you with us.

Lynette Eason: Thank you. I'm glad to be here.

Lynette Eason: Best selling romantic suspense author

Jenny Wheeler: You are a bestselling and award-winning author with more than fifty books to your credit, which is fantastic. You work with several different series and different publishers, so you’ve got your hands full.

The series are generally adventure with suspense and romance built into them, and a lot of formerly military heroes or people who are in the helping professions, the rescue professions. When you started out with your first books, was this how you started or did that gradually develop as you went along?

Lynette Eason: I started with a romantic suspense genre and then stuck with it ever since. That was what I was interested in writing, and I didn't see any reason to write anything else.

Jenny Wheeler: How did you get started? Was there a kind of epiphany moment when you thought, I've just got to get that book written? Was it something you'd always wanted to do or was it something you fell into?

Lynette Eason: There was an epiphany moment. When I was growing up, I always loved to read suspense like the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, Alfred Hitchcock and Agatha Christie. I loved all of that stuff. As far as trying to write, I tried to write a book when I was in the eighth grade and gave up because it was too hard.