Deanna Fei

Deanna Fei is the author of the award-winning novel A Thread of Sky. A graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Fei has received a Fulbright Grant and a New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times, Slate, Huffington Post, and other publications.

Fei's new memoir is Girl in Glass: How My "Distressed Baby" Defied the Odds, Shamed a CEO, and Taught Me the Essence of Love, Heartbreak, and Miracles.

From her Q & A with Wesley Yiin at Salon:

You discussed earlier that the book helps you tell the origin story for your daughter. But there are parts of the book that expose some very dark and honest emotions that surround the birth of your daughter. I’m sure there will be a time when your daughter will want to read the book, and some of those passages may not be pleasant to read. How do you hope to frame the story to her? Do you see any challenges in talking to her about the book, and if so, how will you overcome them?

There were many, many moments in the writing — especially when I had to leave her with my husband or a babysitter to go and write the book — that I did feel like I was betraying the deepest darkest secrets between her and me in order to capture the reality that we live through. For me, there was no point in telling her story unless I was going to tell the full truth. I think there are so many platitudes surrounding the talk about premature babies or the way we like to simplify the messy process of bringing new life into the world, in terms of these charts and checklists and images of the perfect baby. For me, what was most beautiful and important about her story was the fact that her journey, in some ways, defied every cliché that you could possibly ascribe to it. But it also confirmed, in some ways, everything that we might want from a feel-good, inspirational story.

I think that ultimately, this question of “How much is a human life ultimately worth?” is a terrifying way to assess someone’s existence. But because of how she was born, that was the question hanging over her from the start. I think that, ultimately, she will understand that every challenge that she faced was part of her journey. I’m the kind of person that hates the word “miracle.” The last thing that I expected was for her story to be this kind of a happy ending, and yet I can’t take that away from her. She earned that label, and I have to give it to her. Right now, she’s two and a half, and she’s just proud of herself for everything that she does on any given day. She’s so proud when she throws a terrible tantrum. She’s proud for stealing a toy or cookie from her big brother. When she saw the cover of the book for the first time, she said, “Hey, that’s me!” She was thrilled! I want her to know everything she overcame to be who she is today.

At the same time, I want to recognize, yes, in many ways, she’s a...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Deanna Fei's website.

The Page 99 Test: Girl in Glass.

--Marshal Zeringue

Cara Black

Cara Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 15 books in the Private Investigator Aimée Leduc series, which is set in Paris. Murder on the Champ de Mars is the latest installment. Black has received multiple nominations for the Anthony and Macavity Awards, a Washington Post Book World Book of the Year citation, the Médaille de la Ville de Paris—the Paris City Medal, which is awarded in recognition of contribution to international culture—and invitations to be the Guest of Honor at conferences such as the Paris Polar Crime Festival and Left Coast Crime. With more than 400,000 books in print, the Aimée Leduc series has been translated into German, Norwegian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew.

From Black's Q & A with Janet Hulstrand at the Writing from the Heart, Reading for the Road blog:

JH: Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Cara. First, for readers not familiar with your work, can you explain just a little bit about how Aimée Leduc–the fashionably-attired, intrepid Parisian private investigator who is the heroine of your novels–came into being?

CB: Aimée Leduc was born from my love affair with Paris and my desire to be a Parisienne. I think a lot of us have an inner French girl, or think we do – at least in my case – struggling to get out. I had a story to tell in my first book, Murder in the Marais, but I needed a woman who would be strong, feisty, vulnerable, good with computers, fashionable, and who would solve crimes wearing high heels. She’d have a lot of traits that I saw in my Parisienne friends: she would be loyal, fashion-conscious, would have a well-mannered dog–unlike mine. She’d know how to order haute cuisine, yet would pull no punches with a corrupt flic [a French policeman]. She also needed to be an outsider, because I knew I couldn’t write as a Frenchwoman. I can’t even tie my scarf the right way :-) So she grew up half-American, half-French.

JH: You’re going systematically through all the arrondissements of Paris, with each new mystery being set in a different one. How and why did you choose to focus on the 7th arrondissement for your latest novel, Murder on the Champ de Mars?

CB: The 7th arrondissement is a very special part of Paris – almost a different world – home to the upper echelon of the social strata, full of the elite from government, expats, wealthy folks, and a closed society of the old ancien régime families. It’s well known for all the Ministries and the established, tight-knit groups who live and work there. It intimidated me. But it also...[read on]

Visit Cara Black's website.

The Page 69 Test: Murder at the Lanterne Rouge.

My Book, the Movie: Murder at the Lanterne Rouge.

The Page 69 Test: Murder below Montparnasse.

The Page 69 Test: Murder in Pigalle.

My Book, The Movie: Murder in Pigalle.

My Book, The Movie: Murder on the Champ de Mars.

Writers Read: Cara Black (March 2015).

--Marshal Zeringue

Mary Kubica

Mary Kubica is the international bestselling author of The Good Girl (2014) and Pretty Baby (2015). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in History and American Literature. She lives outside of Chicago with her husband and two children and enjoys photography, gardening, and caring for the animals at a local shelter.

From Kubica's Q & A with Caroline Leavitt:

I always want to know what sparks a book? What question was haunting you that propelled you into this particular story?

I began writing Pretty Baby shortly after I sold my debut novel, The Good Girl, to MIRA in a two-book deal. I’d love to say there was some great inspiration for the book, but what I remember is this: being slightly terrified by the prospect of writing a second novel, and not feeling convinced I could do it. I spent a tense afternoon trying to no avail to summon an idea (any idea!), when suddenly an image of a young, homeless girl popped into my mind. She was standing in the rain, and, in her arms, there was a baby. I had no idea who she was or what her story would be, but whatever it was, I knew this girl was at the core of my second novel.

The basic premise of your novel is so fascinating--a woman tries to do the right thing, and it ends up becoming a tense psychological nightmare. There’s a whole web of lies and denials. Why do you think that what was Heidi’s greatest strength becomes her weakness--and do you think this is often the case?

Heidi is a wonderful, compassionate woman. She will do anything for anybody, regardless of whether or not it’s the best decision to make, and...[read on]

Visit Mary Kubica's website.

Writers Read: Mary Kubica.

--Marshal Zeringue

Annie Liontas

Annie Liontas' debut novel, Let Me Explain You, was selected by the ABA as an Indies Introduce Debut and Indies Next. She is the co-editor of the anthology A Manner of Being: Writers on their Mentors and the recipient of a grant from the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund.

From the author's Q & A with James McDonald for Out:

Out: How did this novel emerge? Where was the impetus?

Annie Liontas: You know, it sort of came like lightning one day. This man is going to die, and he wants to tell his daughters and his ex-wife how they are failing at life. That part came suddenly, the rest of it was pretty grueling. I had to figure out the voices of these people, who was going to take up more space in the book—it all got pretty complicated. But I'm gay, and I knew immediately that one of the daughters was going to be, too, that that would be one of the issues in the book. Greek culture is very patriarchal, as I've experienced. My father did have difficulty with my sexuality in the beginning... You know, lesbianism is in direct opposition to patriarchy, so I just knew that had to be incorporated.

Overall, what are Greek attitudes toward being gay these days?

Things are definitely changing, but it's all closely tied to gender expectations. It's a culture where women are meant to be mothers and wives. They're educated, but they're still expected to come home and be mothers. The last time I was in Athens, I remember there was a gay bar, so there's been a shift. But I haven't really been able to...[read on]

Visit Annie Liontas's website.

The Page 69 Test: Let Me Explain You.

My Book, The Movie: Let Me Explain You.

--Marshal Zeringue

Louis Sachar

Louis Sachar's latest novel is Fuzzy Mud.

From his Q & A at the Guardian:

Are you a fast reader? How many books do you think you could read in a day?

I am not a fast reader. To me, that’s like asking if you can eat a big piece of cake in three seconds. That’s not the point of cake, or of books. I like to take my time to fully enjoy each.

We are very excited about your new book Fuzzy Mud and love it! What excited you most about your new book?

I like Tamaya a lot. She’s not your typical spunky, sassy, kind of main character. She’s the kind of kid that people might overlook, but inside, she’s stronger and braver than the other more extroverted people around her.

Do you have a favourite genre of fiction now or when you were younger?

I liked sports stories and stories about...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue

Martine Bailey

Martine Bailey’s first historical novel, An Appetite for Violets, is a gastronomic mystery tale set in 18th century Europe. Written as a book of recipes, it takes a young cook on a murderous trip from England to Italy. Bailey lives in Chester, England and as an amateur cook, won the Merchant Gourmet Recipe Challenge and was a former UK Dessert Champion.

From her Q & A at Psychologies:

Can you tell us about the inspiration behind the story - Erddig Hall in Chester? And about your passion for food and historical cookery?

The idea for An Appetite for Violets came to me in the beautiful 18th-century kitchen of the National Trust property, Erddig Hall. I picked up a few hand-written recipes for roast venison and almond pudding and felt they brought the past vividly to life. I pictured a clever young cook working at the scrubbed table, who would be wrenched from her comfortable life and use her talents to survive. I wanted to evoke a world of lost recipes, an account of a journey to foreign lands spiced with plot twists and murder.

I originally started baking to save money and feed my son, making traditional specialities like Bakewell Tart, gingerbread and fruitcakes. Then one day, I entered a Merchant Gourmet contest with a Spanish dish for a Smoky Asturian Stew. I was amazed to win; the prize was a cookery course in Provence, France. One thing led to another and...[read on]

My Book, The Movie: An Appetite for Violets.

The Page 69 Test: An Appetite for Violets.

--Marshal Zeringue

Kathleen DuVal

Kathleen DuVal is the author of Independence Lost: Lives on the Edge of the American Revolution.

From her Q & a with Deborah Kalb:

Q: You write, “This book focuses on the Gulf Coast, from Florida to Louisiana, because of the astounding number of competing interests that came into conflict there.” What were some of the most important interests?

A: In the battles on the Gulf Coast, the British fought against the Spanish empire, not against the rebelling American colonists. The king of Spain hoped to take advantage of the American rebellion to attack Britain and seize some of its North American colonies for the Spanish empire.

Besides the two main competitors, there were countless smaller groups with their own reasons for fighting in the war or trying to stay out of it.

There were European colonists who had come to North America seeking land and prosperity from their homes in England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, France, Spain, the German provinces, and other parts of North America.

There were enslaved and free people of African descent. And there were American Indian nations who were still in control of most of the North American interior and did not want...[read on]

--Marshal Zeringue

Susan Spann

Susan Spann is a transactional attorney focusing on publishing law and a former law school professor. She has a deep interest in Asian culture and has studied Mandarin and Japanese. Her hobbies include Asian cooking, fencing, knife and shuriken throwing, traditional archery, martial arts, rock climbing, and horseback riding.

Spann's novels include Blade of the Samurai and Flask of the Drunken Master.

From her 2014 Examiner Q & A:

1. If you could go back in time and be any figure from history, who would it be?

Bucephalus – the beloved horse of Alexander the Great. I’d get to see plenty of history, be cared for like a king … and it wouldn’t bother me that they hadn’t yet invented indoor toilets.

2. What year in history would you have liked to live in?

One that involves indoor plumbing. I love medieval history, but I’m not a big fan of the chamber pot.

3. You're having a dinner party and you can invite 5 people from history, who would they be?

Assuming I’m also permitted translators: Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Genghis Khan, Sir Edmund Hillary, Joan of Arc, and...[read on]

Visit Susan Spann's website.

My Book, The Movie: Blade of the Samurai.

Writers Read: Susan Spann.

The Page 69 Test: Blade of the Samurai.

--Marshal Zeringue

Bill Crider

Bill Crider's new Dan Rhodes Mystery is Between the Living and the Dead.

From his Q & A with Ben Boulden at Gravetapping:

Too Late to Die (1986), which introduced Sheriff Dan Rhodes, was the first book you published under your own name. There are now 22 entries in the series. When you devised Sheriff Rhodes did you intend it to be a series, or was it an “accidental” series?

When Ruth Cavin, then an editor at Walker, bought the first Dan Rhodes novel, I received a letter (some of your younger readers might have to google that term) from her saying how much she liked the book and that she was buying it. She concluded with, “You are working on a sequel, aren’t you?” While I hadn’t planned on doing a series because I didn’t know that anyone would ever buy the first book, I wrote her back and told her that of course I was working on a sequel and that I’d send it to her as soon as it was done. I never dreamed that I’d still be writing about the sheriff 30 years later, though.

Have you been surprised by the length and success of the Sheriff Dan Rhodes series?

Absolutely surprised. As I mentioned above, I had no expectation that there would be a second book, much less more than 20. I don’t know how much success the series has had. It sneaked into paperback a few times, but it never made any bestseller lists. Ebooks have given it a real boost, though, and now that Crossroad Press has made all the early books available, the series is doing very well, indeed.

Are there any specific rewards or pitfalls that come from writing a long term series?

There’s a considerable reward in being able to write about characters you enjoy. Writing about Blacklin County is like visiting a real place for me, and I enjoy every trip I take there. I suppose the pitfalls are....[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Bill Crider's website and blog.

Read the Page 69 Test entries for Crider's A Mammoth Murder, Murder Among the OWLS, Of All Sad Words, Murder in Four Parts, Murder in the Air, The Wild Hog Murders, Murder of a Beauty Shop Queen, Compound Murder, and Half in Love with Artful Death.

Learn about Crider's choice of actors to portray Dan Rhodes and Seepy Benton on the big screen.

--Marshal Zeringue

Louisa Treger

Born in London, Louisa Treger began her career as a classical violinist. She studied at the Royal College of Music and the Guildhall School of Music, and worked as a freelance orchestral player and teacher.

Treger subsequently turned to literature, gaining a First Class degree and a PhD in English at University College London, where she focused on early twentieth century women’s writing. Married with three children, she lives in London.

Treger's new book, her first novel, is The Lodger.

From the author's Q & A with Amy Shearn at Electric Lit:

AS: Like me, you first discovered Dorothy Richardson while researching Virginia Woolf, who considered the now-forgotten Richardson an innovator of modernism. What made you actually seek out her novel Pilgrimage, and what struck you most about her writing?

LT: I sought out Pilgrimage because it seemed Dorothy Richardson was someone little-known, who had tried to do something extraordinary. It was her originality and courage that struck me the most. Her aim, in her words, was to “produce a feminine equivalent of the current masculine realism.” She was fearless about smashing narrative conventions like plot, structure and narrator, and she created a new, fluid way of writing that rendered the texture of a woman’s consciousness as it records life’s impressions; life’s minute to minute quality.

Dorothy’s desire to fix experience in words as vividly as it is lived particularly resonated with me. As she says in The Lodger: ‘How could she catch that moment; how to make the words come alive on paper, exactly as they were lived, directly from the center of consciousness?’ That’s what...[read on]

Visit Louisa Treger's website.

The Page 69 Test: The Lodger.

My Book, The Movie: The Lodger.

Writers Read: Louisa Treger.

Coffee with a Canine: Louisa Treger & Monty.

--Marshal Zeringue