now you see her...
Bestselling author of historical fiction and the Five Queendoms epic fantasy series (SCORPICA, ARCA, SESTIA).
I love being interviewed by other authors, and I recently had the opportunity to answer seven questions from Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of THE COMPANION, as part of her “7 Authors 7 Questions 7 Days” series. In the process, I talked about my writing process, the themes I find myself revisiting (“Power, love, ambition, regret. You know, the fun stuff.”) and the theme songs I crank up to pump myself up for a writing session.
Click here to read it all!
The University of Iowa’s MFA program is the gold standard for graduate-level fiction writing, and since I grew up in Iowa, I was never not aware of that fact. I didn’t get my MFA there—I totally would have, except that they didn’t accept my application—but for several summers in a row I attended workshops at their Summer Writing Festival, and got to learn craft from some really fabulous teachers, like Gordon Mennenga and Sands Hall.
It was at one of those workshops (mumbletymumble years ago) that I met Robb Cadigan. Over the many years we’ve stayed in touch, our writing lives have evolved in different and wonderful ways. Not only did Robb publish the incredibly successful PHOENIXVILLE RISING, he’s now one of the owners of a wonderful independent bookshop, Reads & Company. (Speaking of Bookshop, Reads & Company now uses the Bookshop.org e-commerce platform, which you can and should use to buy allllll the books.)
The bio business: A former advertising copywriter and television executive, Robb Cadigan lives with his wife and two children in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Before becoming a full-time writer, Cadigan shucked oysters, drove a forklift, waited tables, sold clothes, edited TV Guide, and wrote advertisements for products as diverse as shoes, watches, and vacuum cleaners. For thirteen years, he was a marketing and television executive for QVC and helped develop the retailer into the world’s most profitable TV channel.
For his #read99women recommendation, Robb enthusiastically chose LADY IN THE LAKE by Laura Lippman. He says, “I first picked up a Laura Lippman novel some twenty+ years ago simply because she was writing about my hometown. With that debut (BALTIMORE BLUES) and each subsequent release, I became an unabashed Laura Lippman fanboy.
As a reader, I devour everything Laura Lippman writes — and I could not put down her latest novel, LADY IN THE LAKE.
As a writer, I marvel at the way she crafts a story, never rests on her laurels (pretty much every crime-writing award in the universe), and challenges herself with each new work.
As her student, I have been blessed by her guidance, wisdom, and mentorship.
And now, as a bookseller, there’s nothing quite like placing a novel into the right reader’s hands and saying ‘It’s Lippman—you’ll love it!’ ... and they do.
LADY IN THE LAKE is a wonder of structure and point of view and suspenseful crime writing with Laura’s characteristic sensitivity and skill. A landmark work of a singular storyteller firing on all cylinders. And one hell of a tale, exceptionally well told. A New York Times and Indie Bookstores bestseller, LADY IN THE LAKE has a featured spot on the ‘Staff Picks’ shelf here at Reads & Company. (PS: watch for Laura’s first nonfiction collection of essays, coming this summer. I’ve read MY LIFE AS A VILLAINESS and I can’t wait until you do too. ‘It’s Lippman—you’ll love it!’)”
In so many ways—large and small—life is not what it was a few months ago. For authors launching a new book, it’s an unprecedented challenge. Some launches are delayed, others proceed on the original schedule. But given that launching a new book is stressful anyway, no matter what happens, authors are at a definite disadvantage launching in these extraordinary conditions.
Which is why I’m glad to be able to call attention to especially exciting new releases like Lauren Francis-Sharma’s upcoming historical novel BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE, forthcoming from Grove Atlantic Press on May 12, 2020. As Laila Lalami puts it, “BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE is an epic novel that recreates the hybrid history of Native and African peoples during the era of American exploration and expansion. Lauren Francis-Sharma’s care for her characters and skill with her subject shine through every page.” You can find out more about it here.
Lauren Francis-Sharma is the author of BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE (May, 2020) and ‘TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY, which debuted in 2014 and was short-listed for the William Saroyan International Prize, awarded the Honor Fiction Prize by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. ‘TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY was also chosen as an O, The Oprah Magazine Summer Reading Pick and lauded by the New York Times, USA Today, Essence Magazine, and People Magazine amongst other publications.
Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in African-American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Lauren is the owner of DC Writers Room, a co-working space dedicated to both published and aspiring writers. She is also the Assistant Director of Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College and a MacDowell Fellow. Lauren lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children and she is always working on another book.
Lauren Francis-Sharma
For her #read99women recommendation, Lauren chose FRYING PLAINTAIN by the Canadian debut novelist Zalika Reid-Benta. Her take:
“FRYING PLAINTAIN is a deep dive into the life of a first-generation Jamaican girl. Reid-Benta brilliantly captures the aching shame of her protagonist, Kara, born and raised in Canada, who is decidedly not Caribbean enough for her family and her cadre of sophisticated Caribbean-accented friends. When we first meet Kara, she is on her inaugural trip to sunny Jamaica, horrified by the casual wringing of chicken necks and the frozen pig head she finds in her auntie's icebox. For her shock, Kara is deemed ‘a soft chile’ by her frigid mother and stubborn grandmother, and when back in Canada, we watch as Kara tries to steady herself in that dangerous land between childhood and an adulthood she doesn't yet understand. When we meet Kara as an older teen, we find that the once sensitive and chatty Kara has become almost unfeeling owing to the unbearable weight of her mother and grandmother's expectations, as well as by the discord of an all too familiar ‘island-flavored’ family dysfunction. Crushes on boys, ‘mean girl’ dramas, and mother-daughter conflicts fill the pages of this satisfying debut novel. What I loved most about this book, however, was its casual and matter-of-fact exploration of the life of a normal Caribbean-Canadian teenager's life--as if this happens every day. (Let me tell you, it does not!)
This short and punchy novel was a treat that left me feeling excited to share it as a read-along with my teenagers.”
Since we can’t see people in person these days, seeing people online has become the best thing going, and last night’s virtual panel of historical fiction authors really made my week! We had a great audience of enthusiastic participants, lots of shared wisdom from the panelists, and some trivia contests and giveaways to make it all extra enjoyable.
Our reason for gathering was to celebrate the release of Tracey Enerson Wood’s THE ENGINEER’S WIFE, her debut historical novel. This wonderful book shares the story of Emily Roebling Warren, who was instrumental in building the Brooklyn Bridge. If you don’t know her story, you should!
Tracey Enerson Wood has always had a writing bug. While working as a Registered Nurse, starting her own Interior Design company, raising two children, and bouncing around the world as a military wife, she indulged in her passion as a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Other passions include food and cooking, and honoring military heroes. Her co-authored anthology/cookbook Homefront Cooking, American Veterans share Recipes, Wit, and Wisdom, was released by Skyhorse Publishing in May 2018, and all authors’ profits will be donated to organizations that support veterans. A New Jersey native, she now lives with her family in Florida and Germany.
Tracey Enerson Wood
Tracey’s #read99women recommendation is THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson. Why this book? It “brings to vivid life the women who rode horseback through poverty stricken and desperate places, where prejudice and persecution ruled, in order to bring books and other resources to a population starved for them.”
You can read Tracey’s full review in this article on PopSugar—along with her picks for seven other books that highlight women’s history.
Very exciting event tonight! If you write historical fiction, or if you read it and are curious how it gets written, Sourcebooks is hosting a great online panel with Marie Benedict (THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM), Susanna Kearsley (BELLEWETHER), Tracey Enerson Wood (THE ENGINEER’S WIFE, out today!) and yours truly. Voila a delightful graphic with our smiling faces:
Here’s a landing page with more information, or details in the form of a Facebook event.
Hope you can join us!
Angie Kim’s debut novel MIRACLE CREEK was one of the best-reviewed books of 2019, and if you (or your book club) have been waiting for the paperback, today’s your lucky day! Snap it up. (Most independent bookstores are still offering online shopping and shipping to wherever you are — keep supporting them during these challenging times!)
Angie Kim is the author of the national bestseller MIRACLE CREEK, named a “Best Book of the Year” by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus, Real Simple, Library Journal, The Today Show, Amazon, and Hudson Booksellers, and a Good Morning America Hot Summer Read. Kim is one of Variety Magazine’s “10 Storytellers to Watch,” and has written for Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Salon, and Slate. She moved from Seoul, Korea, to Baltimore as a preteen, and attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. A former trial lawyer, she now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons, and is at work on her next novel.
Angie Kim
Angie’s #read99women recommendation is THE STARLESS SEA, Erin Morgenstern’s much-anticipated followup to megahit THE NIGHT CIRCUS. You can read her full review here on Goodreads, but here are the highlights that’ll make you want to scoop this one up:
“I could not put it down, as there were so many characters I loved, whose fates I needed to know, and when I finished, I turned immediately back to the first page so I wouldn’t have to leave this magical world.
It's hard to say what it's about because it's about so many things. But more than anything, it's about stories. It's about the power of telling stories, of reading stories, taking part in stories, and protecting them at all costs. It's about how stories can transcend time and space.”
Today’s guest has a brand-new book out, with one of my favorite historical fiction covers in recent memory. You know how so many of the women on the covers of historical novels are turned away from the viewer? THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY is facing us head on, and she makes an impact. (You can see her for yourself by clicking over to Amy’s site here.)
Amy Sue Nathan’s new novel THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY is now available from Lake Union Press. LEFT TO CHANCE, THE GLASS WIVES, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR were published by St. Martin’s Press, and available at your favorite online or brick-and-mortar bookstore. She’s been blogging since 2006, and launched the Women’s Fiction Writers blog in March 2011. She teaches writing workshops and freelance as a fiction editor and writing coach and is trained in the Story Genius method. Her stories and essays have appeared in print and online in over two dozen publications such as The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, Writer’s Digest, Huffington Post, and online in New York Times and Washington Post blogs.
Amy Sue Nathan
Amy’s #read99women recommendation is MR. AND MRS. AMERICAN PIE by Juliet McDaniel, “an often-hilarious and always-poignant portrait of the late sixties where the main character, Maxine, is faced with building a life away from posh Palm Springs, which is where she is finally able to learn her true value. This book sheds glowing light on unconventional families and being true to oneself at a time when many still thought both were bad ideas. But not Maxine!”
I am super excited to welcome longtime Iowan and all-around delightful human Tracey Kelley to #read99women today!
The official bio: Tracey L. Kelley shares stories, teaches yoga, and helps people listen. Her award-winning writing appears in a variety of forms, including essay, short story, online, magazine, broadcast, and podcast. She's the author of the 2019 release, one moment of a single day: essays with photographer Lynne A. Kasey; a developmental editor for other people's projects; and a facilitator of interpersonal communication workshops.
(one moment of a single day is a wonderful book for these times, by the way, full of images and words that pull your focus inward and expand your mind outward at the same time. More about it here.)
Tracey L. Kelley
Tracey’s recommendation for #read99women is Notes from No Man's Land: American Essays by Eula Biss.
Why this book? "It's her gentle, unwavering voice that greets you with the sharpest of imagery. It's her worldly perspective, pointing to the national atrocities of race, societal misconceptions, and continual struggle for understanding not with judgment, but with purpose. Ten years on, this book is as relevant as when it debuted. Layers of history, intriguing facts, and succulent phrasing remind us why, in the sea of all the words we can read, we must make time to take hold of culturally-significant non-fiction such as this, because we're all the better for it. Biss is an accomplished author and educator, and founding editor of Essay Press. Instead of yelling into the void, she uses these skills to help us all aspire to a new level of conscious awareness in the society we have the power to create."
Independent bookstores really need help during this crisis, and well, lots of us really need books. Most bookstores are closed to the public but still taking online orders and shipping — and a certain online retailer has stated that they’re “deprioritizing” sending books since they’re busy shipping cleaning supplies, food, and other personal needs — so it’s an especially good time to order from those independent bookstores, either your local store or another.
I’m supporting some of my favorite stores (OMG there are so many) by hosting giveaways, and this week, I’m giving away two books on Facebook. You just pick one of my books and one other of your choice, comment on this Facebook post, and on Sunday I’m drawing a winner. Then those books get shipped from A Likely Story in Sykesville, Maryland, and magic happens!
Good luck and happy reading!
My hat trick of Iowan #read99women guests continues! Thrilled to welcome Heather Gudenkauf to the blog today to share her recommendation. I first fell in love with Heather’s work after listening to the audiobook of NOT A SOUND, read by Julia Whelan. What a fabulous thriller. I’m equally excited for her upcoming novel THIS IS HOW I LIED, coming in May.
Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE, THESE THINGS HIDDEN, NOT A SOUND, and BEFORE SHE WAS FOUND.
Heather was born in Wagner, South Dakota, the youngest of six children. At the age of three, her family moved to Iowa, where she grew up. Having been born with a profound unilateral hearing loss (there were many evenings when Heather and her father made a trip to the bus barn to look around the school bus for her hearing aids that she often conveniently would forget on the seat beside her), Heather tended to use books as a retreat, would climb into the toy box that her father’s students from Rosebud made for the family with a pillow, blanket, and flashlight, close the lid, and escape the world around her. Heather became a voracious reader and the seed of becoming a writer was planted. Heather Gudenkauf graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in elementary education, has spent her career working with students of all ages and continues to work in education as a Title I Reading Coordinator. Heather lives in Iowa with her family and a very spoiled German Shorthaired Pointer named Lolo.
Heather Gudenkauf
Heather’s #read99women pick is WESTERING WOMEN by Sandra Dallas. You can read the whole review on BookBub, and here are some highlights: “WESTERING WOMEN is a testament to the power of friendship, forgiveness, and the discovery of unknown and untapped resilience and strength. This novel will leave the reader bereft for those left behind and cheering for those who survive the journey.”
