Thoughts from a Page Podcast

In this interview, George and I discuss The Kingdoms of Savannah, his stunning book cover and how it came into being, the 25th anniversary of The Moth, his writing process, the number one thing he likes to hear from readers, his ties to Savannah, the unique inspiration for Morgana, and much more. George’s recommended read is: Always Crashing in the Same Car by Matthew Specktor. Support the podcast...

In this interview, Jane and I discuss A Shoe Story, her writing process, choosing the shoes for each chapter of this novel, how her book was selected by Elin Hilderbrand for her July Literati Book Club selection, getting thrown out of an Upper East Side Mom's group, looking forward versus focusing on the past, leaning into the shoe angle for marketing this book, and much more. Jane's recommended r...

In this interview, Lucy and I discuss One of the Girls, exploring the dynamics of a bachelorette party, creating her own fictional Greek island, the easiest and hardest characters to write, including periodic Greek chorus interludes, the difficulty in getting her UK cover correct, and much more. Lucy’s recommended reads are: Saltwater in the Blood by Easkey Britton The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowl...

In this interview, Eleanor and I discuss Any Other Family, writing a book centered around adoption and the issues the process raises, crafting character-driven stories focused on why people act the way they do, using the Enneagram types to help flesh out characters, weaving humor into her novels, why she is not on social media, and much more. Eleanor's recommended reads are: Tell Me Everything: Th...

In this interview, Anna and I discuss Bookclubs and how the company was launched, the company's various resources available for book clubs and individual readers, how the pandemic led to the growth of online book clubs, how Bookclubs' business model works and keeping the site free for users, keeping up with changes in technology, and much more. Anna's recommended reads are: Violeta by Isabel Allen...

In this Behind the Scenes interview, Jon provides an inside look at his job as a literary scout, how he got started and why he launched his own company, celebrity book club selection, the way the streaming industry has changed his job, the impact of Netflix on foreign markets, and much more. Jon's recommended reads are: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan True Biz by Sara Novic Support th...

In this episode, Kelly and I chat about our favorite books that published in April through June of 2022. Kelly’s top 10 reads: Cover Story by Susan Rigetti Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins Valdez The Unknown Beloved by Amy Harmon Every Summer After by Carley Fortune Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay  Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan The Local by Joey Ha...

In this interview, Margarita and I discuss Acts of Violet, melding her love of stories about unresolved disappearances and those set in the showbiz world, exploring why the world of magic is so male-dominated, writing in a multi-media format and helping design the interior of the book, how the title and cover came about, and much more. Margarita's recommended reads are: Jobs for Girls with Artisti...

In this interview, Piper and I discuss By Her Own Design, telling Ann Lowe's little-known story, how she went about filling in the gaps of Ann's life, writing biographical historical fiction, why Jackie Kennedy Onassis remains so popular, how historical fiction teaches while also telling a story, and much more. Piper's recommended reads are: Jackie and Me by Louis Bayard Sister Mother Warrior by V...

In this interview, Geraldine and I discuss Horse, how she learned about the horse Lexington, her research and visiting the Smithsonian's Museum Support Center, how popular horse racing was in the 1800s, tackling 3 timelines, the significance of the title, and much more. Geraldine's recommended reads are: Overstory by Richard Powers Worn: A People's History of Clothing by Sofi Thanhauser Support th...

In this interview, Julie and I discuss The Lies I Tell, why con artist stories are so popular right now and creating a female con artist who uses gender stereotypes to her advantage, writing dual timeline stories, the nod to her characters from The Last Flight, the hardest character to write in this book, how to get an additional chapter for The Last Flight when purchasing The Lies I Tell, and muc...

In this interview, Joey and I discuss The Local, how Marshall, Texas came to be the patent lawsuit capital of the U.S., how he learned about Marshall and decided to write this book, writing a book versus writing for the screen, his fabulous book cover, and much more. Joey’s recommended reads are: Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon Trial by Don M. Mankiewicz The Paris Bookseller by Kerri Maher Support the po...

In this interview, Alison, Bradeigh and I discuss The Beach Trap, how they came up with the name Ali Brady and why they chose to write under a pen name versus their own names, creating their own take on The Parent Trap, the way they approach writing together, their great cover, what's next for them, and much more. Bradeigh's recommended reads are: The Bodyguard by Katherine Center The Unsinkable G...

In this interview, Annabel and I discuss Nora Goes Off Script, how Nora is resonating with so many readers, the great reception the book is getting on Bookstagram, how titles send signals to readers about a book's genre, the difference in writing YA and nonfiction verses adult fiction, and much more. Annabel's recommended reads are: The Matchmaker's Gift by Lynda Cohen Loigman The Frederick Sister...

In this interview, Clare and I discuss Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, the inspiration for the story and Iona, her fascination with intergenerational relationships, designing the plot around the train stops on the Waterloo/Hampton Court line, how both the cover and title are different for the U.S. and the U.K. editions, and much more. Clare's recommended read is Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie...

In this interview, Elina provides an inside look at designing a book's interior including the fonts, spacing, title page, spine dye, formatting, endpapers, and more, what the job entails and how she got started, juggling the page count with everything that has to be included, and much more. Elina's recommended reads are: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Baking at the 20th Century Cafe by Michel...

In this interview, Marie and I discuss The Evening Hero, humanizing her main character, her trip to North Korea that rounded out details for the book, what surprised her the most when writing this book, the complicated process of finding a title, and much more. Marie's recommended reads are: Virology by Joseph Osmundson Devil House by John Darnielle Made in Korea by Jeremy Holt Support the podcast...

In this interview, Amy and I discuss The Honeybee Emeralds, the inspiration for the fictional necklace in the book, avoiding information dumps, the unique situation of living as an expat in a foreign country, her favorite and least favorite characters to write, and much more. Amy's recommended reads are: Cheat Day by Liv Stratman Dave Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti Shit Cassandra Saw by...

In this interview, Chanel and I discuss Our Last Days in Barcelona, writing a dual timeline story, how readers wanted to learn Isabel's story, why writing historical fiction starts with research, the connection between all of her book titles, and much more. Chanel's recommended reads are: The Winter Orphans by Kristen Beck Sister Mother Warrior by Vanessa Riley Support the podcast by becoming a Pa...

In this interview, Joy and I discuss The Grand Design, why she decided to write about the Greenbrier and Dorothy Draper, the Greenbrier's rich history and political connections, understanding how Dorothy Draper went from heiress to interior designer, her gorgeous cover and recently recreating it, and much more. Joy's recommended reads are: Sisters of Night and Fog by Erika Robuck The Mozart Code b...

In this interview, we discuss The Surgeon's Daughter, writing together as a duo and what that process is like for them, setting their books in the real scientific world with fictional characters, how surgery used to be a man's world, the advent of the caesarean section and anesthesia, and much more. Their recommended reads are: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik The Doctors Blackwell by Janice P. N...

In this interview, Natalie and I discuss Bloomsbury Girls, why she chose to set her novel in a bookstore, the bookstores that inspired her fictional Bloomsbury Books, how the 51 Rules for the bookstore came about, her legal background and how it informs her writing, including famous literary figures as cameos in the story, and much more. Natalie's recommended reads are: In the Face of the Sun by D...

In this episode, Elizabeth and I chat about some great titles for book clubs. Elizabeth’s picks: The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh The Anomaly by Herve Le Tellier Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez Any Other Family by Eleanor Brown The Kitchen Counter Cooking School by Kathleen Flinn When All Is Said by Anne Griffin Mudbound by Hillary Jordan Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri Someone We...

In this interview, David and I discuss The Movement Made Us, his father's role in the Civil Rights Movement, getting his father's story down and how the format of the book came about, the hardest part of writing the book, what surprised him the most about it, how the cover came about, and much more. David's recommended reads are: South to America by Imani Perry Shine Bright by Danyel Smith Support...

Mary and Pamela join me to discuss their recommended reads for Summer 2022. Mary's selections: It All Comes Down to This by Therese Anne Fowler Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine Blood Orange Night by Melissa Bond Tracy Flick Can't Win by Tom Perotta The Ski Jumpers by Peter Geye Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark Dirtbag Massachusetts by Isaac Fitzgerald The Displacements by Bruce Holsing...