Category: Writing

Ep. 123: Julie Clark on Female Con Artists and Crafting a Thriller You’ll Want to Binge Read

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Bestselling author Julie Clark is back on the podcast this week to discuss The Lies I Tell, a new domestic thriller that will have you up all night reading.

 

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“A gripping, immersive, downright triumphant revenge thriller…this book is so incredibly engaging and immersive, and I loved following the dangerous dance that develops between these two women. Driven by two complex, vividly-crafted female protagonists, The Lies I Tell draws readers into a thrilling web of deceit and revenge.”

— Crime by the Book

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Julie Clark is the New York Times bestselling author of The Lies I Tell and The Last Flight, both of which were also #1 international bestsellers and have been translated into more than twenty-five languages. She lives in Los Angeles with her family and a goldendoodle with poor impulse control. Learn more: https://julieclarkauthor.com/

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 122: Sue Mell on Provenance, Bookends, and a Winding Journey to Publication

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Sue Mell is on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel, Provenance. Winner of the Madville Publishing 2021 Blue Moon Novel Award, Provenance is a story of hope in ruin. 

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“A carefully crafted, impressively intriguing, and fully engaging contemporary novel that will have a special appeal to readers interested in family life fiction, “Provenance” by the gifted author Sue Mell is especially and unreservedly recommended.” –Midwest Book Review

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

About the Author:

Sue Mell is a writer from Queens, NY. She earned her MFA from Warren Wilson College and was a 2020 BookEnds fellow at SUNY Stony Brook Southampton. Her collection of micro essays, Giving Care, was a semi-finalist for the Digging Press 2020 Chapbook Prize. Other work has appeared in Brilliant Flash Fiction, Cleaver Magazine, Digging Through the Fat, Jellyfish Review, and more. Find her at suemellwrites.com and on Twitter @suemell2017

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 121: Author, Actor, and Activist Maulik Pancholy on Writing Timely, Moving Middle Grade

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This week, I’m excited to share an interview with author, actor, and activist Maulik Pancholy. Pancholy’s debut middle grade novel, The Best At It, was a Stonewall Honor Award winner and is in development for television at HBO Max. His second novel, Nikhil Out Loud is available now and is a Junior Library Guild gold selection.

 

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“Pancholy’s sophomore effort is a layered coming-of-age tale, melding puberty’s woes with familial expectations and grief…. The sweet, peck-on-the-cheek–level romance is delightfully middle school—as is the squeeworthy joy alongside more difficult moments. A timely affirmation that hate has no place in school.”

— ★ Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Maulik Pancholy is an award-winning actor whose career has spanned hit television shows (Only Murders in the Building and 30 Rock), animated favorites (Phineas and Ferb, Sanjay and Craig, and Mira, Royal Detective), the Broadway stage, and films. He served on President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and he is the cofounder of the antibullying campaign Act To Change. Maulik lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his husband, Ryan, and their dog, Arlo. His debut novel, The Best at It, was a Stonewall Honor Award winner. Learn more: https://www.maulikpancholy.com/

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 120: David Yoon on Crafting a Post-Apocalyptic Page Turner in City of Orange

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This week David Yoon is on the podcast to discuss City of Orange, about a man who wakes up in an unknown landscape, injured and alone. Harrowing and haunting but also humorous in the face of the unfathomable, this is a novel about reassembling the things that make us who we are and finding our way home again.

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“Very few postapocalyptic novels have the literary qualities of this one. City of Orange belongs in a very narrow category, alongside Emily St. John’s Station Eleven, Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend and Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Like all the best authors in the genre, David Yoon is willing to ask what ‘the End of the World’ really means — and provide the reader with a thoughtful, heartfelt answer.” – San Francisco Chronicle

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

David Yoon is the New York Times bestselling author of Frankly in Love, Super Fake Love Song, and for adult readers, Version Zero and City of Orange. He’s a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor book recipient. He’s co-publisher of Joy Revolution, a Random House young adult imprint dedicated to love stories starring people of color. He’s also co-founder of Yooniverse Media, which currently has a first look deal with Anonymous Content for film/TV development. David grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Nicola (NICK-olah) Yoon, and their daughter. Find out more at https://www.davidyoon.com

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 119: Elly Swartz on Writing Heartfelt Stories for Tweens with Mental Health Themes

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Today my guest is Elly Swartz, author of the new middle grade novel, Dear Student, about a girl with social anxiety who becomes the secret voice of her middle school’s advice column.  

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“Tweens won’t be able to put down this heartfelt story with a fresh plot, vibrant characters, and even a recipe for whoopie pies.”—Parents magazine

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Elly Swartz grew up in Yardley, Pennsylvania. She studied psychology at Boston University and received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. Elly lives in Massachusetts and is happily married with two grown sons, a beagle named Lucy, and a pup named Baxter Bean. Finding Perfect, called “a clear, moving portrayal of obsessive-compulsive disorder” by Publishers Weekly, was her debut novel. She is also the author of Smart Cookie and Give and Take.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://ellyswartz.com/

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep. 118: Namrata Patel on Capturing Boston Through the Seasons, Found Families and Unforgettable Characters

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 Today my guest is Namrata Patel, author of The Candid Life of Meena Dave, about a photojournalist whose solitary  life is turned upside down when she unexpectedly inherits an apartment in a Victorian brownstone in historic Back Bay, Boston.

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“Full of lively characters who will win readers’ hearts and keep them thinking long after the book is finished, this book is a genuine, charming debut. Long-buried secrets and a journey of self-discovery will keep the pages turning.” – Booklist

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Namrata Patel is an Indian-American writer who lives in Boston. Her writing examines diaspora, dual-cultural identity among Indian-Americans and explores this dynamic while also touching on both—the family’s we’re born with and those we choose. Namrata has lived in India, Spokane, London, and New York City. 

You can find out more about her books at her website nampatel.com

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 117: Kathleen West – Olympic Dreams to Hockey Mom Anxiety in Home or Away

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 Today my guest is Kathleen West, author of Home or Away, an incisive look at toxic friendships, old alliances, and over competitive parenting in organized youth and elite hockey as two former Olympic hopeful pass along their love of the game-and the rest of their baggage-to the next generation.

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“A gloriously entertaining plunge into the ultra-competitive world of youth sports and the lengths we go to for the kids and game we love.”—New York Times bestselling author KJ Dell’Antonia

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Kathleen West is a veteran school teacher. She graduated with a degree in English from Macalester College and holds a master’s degree in literacy education from the University of Minnesota. She lives in Minneapolis with her A+ human family and two B- dogs.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://www.kathleenwestbooks.com/.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 116: Julia Kelly on Capturing the End of One Era for the Queen and British High Society

Posted in History, Research, WritingLeave a comment

Today Julia Kelly is on the podcast to discuss her historical novel, The Last Dance of the Debutante, a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

We recorded this conversation before the Queen’s passing. It’s fascinating to hear more about the ending of one era for England in the 1950s as we witness another time of change today.

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“Julia Kelly elegantly brings to life the last official presentation of debutantes at court with her exquisitely researched and beautiful written detail in The Last Dance of the Debutante. This story was so decadent, I wanted to don silk and crinoline and read it with a glass of champagne.”  —Madeline Martin, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Julia Kelly is the international bestselling author of historical women’s fiction books about the extraordinary stories of the past. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. She has also written historical romance. In addition to writing, she’s been an Emmy-nominated producer, journalist, marketing professional, and (for one summer) a tea waitress. Julia called Los Angeles, Iowa, and New York City home before settling in London.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://www.juliakellywrites.com/.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 115: Amy Tector on Archival Secrets and Sweeping Readers Away to Paris

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Amy Tector is on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel, The Honeybee Emeralds. We chatted about capturing expat life and Parisian destinations, how to have a successful critique group (Amy’s is twenty years in and counting!), her most exciting discoveries as an archivist, and much more.

 

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“Debut novelist Tector captures European life and her characters beautifully as she interweaves the perspectives of four women seeking fulfillment and success in this satisfying adventure. Keep an eye on this author.” —Booklist

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

Amy Tector was born and raised in the rolling hills of Quebec’s Eastern Townships. She has worked in archives for the past twenty years and has found some pretty amazing things, including lost letters, mysterious notes, and even a whale’s ear. Amy spent many years as an expat, living in Brussels and in The Hague, where she worked for the International Criminal Tribunal for War Crimes in Yugoslavia. She lives in Ottawa, Canada, with her daughter, dog, and husband.

You can find out more about her books at her website https://www.amytector.com/. 

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.

Ep 114: Sarah McCoy on Mustique Island’s  Glamour, Royalty, Secrets, and Scandal

Posted in History, Summer Reading, WritingLeave a comment

Sarah McCoy is back on the podcast this week to discuss her new novel Mustique Island, a compulsive, sun-splashed voyage of self-discovery with a wealthy divorcee and her two headstrong daughters in 1970s Mustique, the world’s most exclusive private island, where Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger were regulars and long-held secrets are the buried treasures.

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“Glamorous, scandalous, and wholly immersive in a way that will keep you turning pages long after the sun has set, Mustique Island is a captivating story of mothers and daughters told with adventurous spirit and heart. Toss this in your beach bag and your summer reading is set.”
—Steven Rowley, bestselling author of The Guncle  

 

 

You can also listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app.

 

About the Author:

SARAH McCOY is the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of the novels MUSTIQUE ISLAND; MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES; THE MAPMAKER’S CHILDREN; THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee; THE TIME IT SNOWED IN PUERTO RICO (Random House); “The Branch of Hazel: a novella” in GRAND CENTRAL; and LE SOUFFLE DES FEUILLES ET DES PROMESSES, a French exclusive title.

Sarah’s work has been featured in Real Simple, The Millions, Your Health Monthly, Huffington Post, Read It Forward, Writer Unboxed, and other publications. She hosted the NPR WSNC Radio monthly program “Bookmarked with Sarah McCoy” and is a Board Member for the literary nonprofit Bookmarks. She taught English writing at Old Dominion University and at the University of Texas at El Paso.

She lives with her husband, an orthopedic sports surgeon, and their fur children Gilly Pup and Tutu Cat in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

You can find out more about her books at her website www.sarahmccoy.com or reach her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @SarahMMcCoy.

 

Browse Books Mentioned On This Episode:

Looking for a book mentioned on the podcast? Want to browse books by past guests? Visit A Bookish Home Podcast’s Bookshop.org page.

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Happy Reading and Listening,

Laura Szaro Kopinski

ABookishHome.com

*A Bookish Home is now an affiliate of Bookshop.org. At no extra cost to you, we receive a small commission if you purchase something through the Bookshop.org links provided.