Novelist Spotlight

In the spotlight is Nathaniel Popkin, author of the new novel Partly Strong, Partly Broken. Set in suburban New Jersey during the fall of 2023 and told through the eyes of a passionate, inclusivity-minded Rabbi, the novel unfolds in the shadow of Hamas’ gruesome attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's subsequent devastation of Gaza. Partly Strong, Partly Broken is Popkin’s fourth novel and...

In the spotlight is Jayne Ann Krentz, who has written more than 100 novels under three different pen names. Jayne Ann Krentz writes contemporary romantic/suspense. She uses the pseudonym Amanda Quick for her novels of historical romantic/suspense. And Jayne Castle (her birth name) is reserved these days for her stories of futuristic/paranormal suspense/romance. And she’s out with a new novel title...

In the spotlight is famed British novelist Graham Greene, as remembered by novelist Thomas Waugh, who also writes historical novels under the name Richard Foreman, who has worked as a literary consultant and publicist to a number of bestselling authors, including William Dalrymple, Simon Sebag Montefiore and Kate Williams. In 2012 he co-founded Endeavour Press, a U.K.-based independent digital pub...

In the spotlight is Diane Winston, author of the recent report headlined “From bodice rippers to romantasy, romance novels are dominating the book market — and rewriting women’s sexual power.” She is also a professor at the USCAnnenberg School of Communication and Journalism.    Winston has authored and edited numerous books on the connection between religion, media, American history and politics....

In the spotlight is Canadian novelist Jane Bow, who grew up in Canada, the United States, Spain, England and Czechia. Three of her four novels have been award finalists in Canada, the United States and Britain. Bow has also written for literary journals, Chatelaine Magazine and CBC radio, and has presented her work internationally. Bow, who lives in Victoria, Canada, is out with a new novel titled...

In the spotlight is Carla Kaplan and her biography of Jessica “Decca” Mitford, titled Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford . Kaplan is an award-winning professor and writer who holds the Stanton and Elisabeth Davis Distinguished Professorship in American Literature at Northeastern University. She has also taught at the University of Southern California and at Yale. Kaplan is th...

In the spotlight is repeat guest Tyson Cornell, the founder and publisher of Rare Bird Books, an independent press committed to bold, boundary-pushing storytelling. He has more than two decades of experience in publishing, bookselling and author advocacy, and has championed hundreds of acclaimed titles across fiction, nonfiction and music.    Learn more about Rare Bird Books here : https://rarebir...

In the spotlight is Melissa Fraterrigo, the author of the memoir-in-essays titled “The Perils of Girlhood.” She has also written the novel “Glory Days,” as well as the short story collection “The Longest Pregnancy.”  Her fiction and nonfiction have appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies from Shenandoah and The Massachusetts Review to   storySouth and Notre Dame Review . She has bee...

In the spotlight is Jesse Kavadlo, author of “Rock of Pages,” a book inspired by his decades of work as a professor of literature and as a musician. In “Rock of Pages,” Kavadlo analyzes the ways in which 1980s heavy metal aligns with and develops many of the themes prevalent in the canon of literature. In doing so, the book examines some of the contexts of 1980s heavy metal, including the Cold War...

In the spotlight is Christopher Bodmann, who has always been captivated by the power of storytelling and his belief that stories exist to inspire, drive action and ignite passion. He uses fantasy elements to address real-world issues that middle-grade readers might face, aiming to create a meaningful connection to their lives. He is particularly passionate about encouraging middle-grade boys to be...

In the spotlight is multi-award-winning Canadian author Douglas Smith. He writes novels, short stories and nonfiction, having published his work in more than 200 short fiction publications in 36 countries and 27 languages — writing about fantasy, science fiction and the indefinable. Among his nonfiction books is one titled Playing the Short Game: How to Market & Sell Short Fiction .    Learn m...

Lisa Endo Cooper and Bremond Berry MacDougall met on the first day of seventh grade and quickly discovered their shared love for books. Decades later, they founded Quite Literally Books, a women-owned small heritage press reprinting forgotten books by American women authors to share with new generations of lit lovers. As publishers, they are dedicated to creating new editions of ought-to-be in pri...

In the spotlight is Nick Berg, an Iranian American author whose life and writing has been marked by cultural conflict and the search for purpose. Born in Tehran to an Iranian mother and an American father, he grew up amid Iran’s rich cultural heritage and the intense political upheavals of the region.  Those formative experiences influenced Nick Berg’s worldview in profound ways, inspiring him to...

In the spotlight is Bob Johnson, award-winning short story writer, a graduate of the lowa Writers’ Workshop, and author of the new short story collection titled “The Continental Divide,” for which he has received immense praise. His short stories have been published by literary journals including The Common, Philadelphia Stories, The Barcelona Review and elsewhere. His story “The Continental Divid...

In the spotlight is Judith Valente and her new book The Italian Soul: How to Savor the Full Joys of Life . Valente — a journalist, poet and the author of six spirituality titles and three poetry collections — worked previously as an on-air correspondent covering faith and values for PBS and was also a staff writer at The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal and was twice a finalist for the...

In the spotlight is Vauhini Vara — writer, journalist, editor, fiction writer, essayist and playwright. Her debut novel, The Immortal King Rao , was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. Her story collection, This is Salvaged, was longlisted for The Story Prize and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. A nonfiction book, Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age, was published earlier this y...

In the spotlight are book publicists and Tandem Literary business partners Gretchen Koss and Meg Walker, who have more than 40 years of combined experienced in the business. They have represented authors ranging from Elmore Leonard and Terry McMillan to Suze Orman, Mary Karr and Lance Armstrong.    We discuss:     >> What book publicists do  >> How to choose the right publicist  >&g...

In the spotlight is Jim Gregory, who publishes under the byline Dr. James R. Gregory and has 40 years of experience in advertising and branding, and he is an expert on corporate brand management. After successfully exiting the business, he embarked on a new direction — writing fiction. He soon discovered his favorite strategy was writing short reads in the form of novellas, stories that can be enj...

In the spotlight is Janice Deal, the author of two novels titled THE BLUE DOOR and THE SOUND OF RABBITS, and two short story collections titled THE DECLINE OF PIGEONS, and a linked collection titled STRANGE ATTRACTORS.   THE DECLINE OF PIGEONS was a was a Flannery O’Connor Award finalist, and THE SOUND OF RABBITS was a finalist for both the Many Voices Project annual competition, and the Black Law...

In the spotlight is Tracy Clark, a Chicago native and the author of the award-winning Cass Raines Chicago Mystery series, featuring ex-cop turned private investigator Cassandra Raines, and the detective Harriet Foster series, featuring Harriet Foster, a homicide detective with the Chicago Police Department. Two tough, smart, African American female characters working the mean streets of the Windy...

In the spotlight is Christine Estima — playwright, novelist, a performer. Her debut novel, “Letters to Kafka” is scheduled for release in September, and was preceded by her debut book, “The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society,” named one of the best books of 2023 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corp.    We discuss:    >> Milena Jesenská, the Czech writer and translator of Franz Kafka novels  >&...

In the spotlight is Hank Quense, whose latest book is titled “The Author’s AI Tool Kit: From Concept to Publication.” Quense’s fiction works include the Gundarland series, the Princess Moxie series, and the soon-to-be-published Zaftan series. His non-fiction books include titles such as “How to Self-Publish and Market a Book, “Book Marketing Fundamentals, “Business Basics for Authors,” and “Creati...

In the spotlight is Melissa Edwards, literary agent and executive vice president at Stonesong, the New York-based literary agency. She also acts as a contract consultant for authors and agents under the business MLE Consulting.  We discuss:  >> Traditional versus self-publishing  >> Handling incoming manuscripts  >> Importance of the query letter  >> Standard agent/author a...

In the spotlight is Ruby Peru who, studied under Kurt Vonnegut during the 1980s, and David Foster Wallace during the 1990s, and today ghostwrites memoirs, as well as offering developmental editing services. She has also written a novel titled “Bits of String too Small to Save,” among other books.    We discuss:    >> The distinction between memoirs and autobiographies  >> Ruby Peru’s g...

In the spotlight is Kevin Moore, author of “The Book of Souls,” a mystical ghost story and the first in a series of books featuring protagonist Jack Kelly and his paranormal abilities. The sequel to that book is “The Book of Demons” (think Harry Potter meets The Exorcist). Moore will continue the Jack Kelly paranormal saga with a third book released later this year. His play, “Conversations from t...