Aug 13, 2018

We’ve never met, but somehow Jodi Thomas has written the story of my life in her latest novel, Tall, Dark and Texan. As long-time listeners will know, I grew up in the 1800s on Whispering Mountain in Texas. I was tall, dark and mostly silent, scaring off small children and even hardened criminals until I found the...

Aug 13, 2018

Romance is the top genre in fiction with more than $1.47 billion dollars in sales for 2007. The average romance reader is voracious and goes through 6-7 books per month. Within the genre, there are many specializations, including tonight’s topic: romance novels written by and for African-American readers. My guest is...

Aug 9, 2018

If you’ve ever thought about writing novels, you might want to think about envying YA novelist Sara Zarr’s career. Her first, best-selling, young adult title, Story of a Girl, was a finalist for the 2007 National Book Awards. Book two, just released this month, is Sweethearts. It has earned glowing reviews and --...

Aug 9, 2018

Writer Sara Zarr had an experience last night that any author would kill for – sitting in the audience at the Marriott Marquis Times Square in Manhattan, her first novel, Story of a Girl, a finalist for the 2007 National Book Award for young people’s literature. For a first-time fiction author, such a nomination is...

Jul 27, 2018

My over-the-backyard-fence neighbor and I have been exchanging books back and forth for years. As a result of this show, I have introduced him to several mystery authors published by the Hard Case Crime imprint. I think it is safe to say that we share a favorite among them—Max Allan Collins. I wasn’t sure of this...