Hi, LJ! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m a working mom of two that has always had the dream of writing for a living.  Ary’s story, in particular. I have a degree in English that I sought with the intention of eventually becoming an author.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

In my 8th grade English class during a creative writing unit. I had the best teacher, Mrs. M! I remember how encouraged I felt when she was wowed by my writing (whether it was actually good or not, I don’t know), but that was my spark. Before that, I was already a very avid reader of YA Fantasy in particular.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: BOB Books
• The one that made you want to become an author: Junie B Jones
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Older by Jennifer Hartmann

The Incendiary is the second installment in your Selvaren series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Traumatic, romantic, rollercoaster, transformative, backstory

For readers who haven’t picked up The Silversmith, what can readers expect?

The Silversmith is the first installment of Ary’s journey, and she starts in a low place. Confused, lost, and surrounded by secrets. The Silversmith is really her origin story–how and from where she gets the fuel to mold herself into the queen and leader she’s going to be. And of course, there is a LOT of yearning from our very intense, touch-her-and-die, morally gray MMC, Smyth.

And for those who have, what’s to come in The Incendiary?

The Incendiary is action-packed with Ary much stronger and coming into her own. There are some devastating secrets revealed along with heartbreaking backstory and loss. And we meet some new characters–some lovable, some polarizing.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

I love writing all of my characters, but writing Smyth’s POV in The Incendiary was very special. It’s very rewarding as a writer to be able to shed light on a character we already know, and show why they are the way that they are. At the same time, Ary is so resilient and empowered in this book, despite a lot of trauma and hardships thrown her way. It was a hard journey for her to get where she is at in The Incendiary, and writing her as someone who is learning to thrive is beautiful.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?

Some challenges I can’t say because of spoilers. I could have spent forever in some of the scenes in The Incendiary, particularly some in the past, which would have made the book way longer. I’m emotionally attached to some of those scenes, so trimming was sometimes a challenge. But I have an amazing editor and team that are very easy to work with, and with their help I was able to make The Incendiary the best it could be.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently editing my third book. Then, I need to take a little bit of a break (but not too long) before I dive into book four of The Selvaren!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’m looking forward to Dead Things by Jennifer Hartmann, The Wildborn by Perri Torrani, Because I Killed Him by Edith Birde, ACOTAR 6 & 7, a bunch of contemporary romances on my list, and many more!

One of my favorite reads this year was Waking Olivia by Elizabeth O’Roark.

Will you be picking up The Incendiary? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: LJ Claren, Author of ‘The Incendiary’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Ann! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello! My name’s Ann and I enjoy origami, reading (of course!) and video games. I also spent a summer of university working as a bookbinder, which involved sewing together pages, cutting into expensive leather, and quite literally hammering books into shape. It was a fun and educational time!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

From a young age, I’ve always loved stories. My dad is blind and had a lot of audio books sent to him from one the RNIB (a charity for the blind and partially sighted). One of my first memories is sitting close to the shared wall between our bedrooms so that I could listen to those books. I was instantly enchanted and I’ve wanted to be an author ever since.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Animals of Farthing Wood
• The one that made you want to become an author: His Dark Materials
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: A Face Like Glass

Your latest novel, Between Ghosts and Gods, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Fantastical, mysterious, full of heart.

What can readers expect?

A spooky but heartfelt adventure featuring a ghost girl, a human boy, and one very snarky cat as they find themselves caught up in a conspiracy that will rock both heaven and hell. A dizzying world in which danger lurks around every corner and everyone and everything wants to kill you. A subtle, slow-burn romance between a girl who yearns to live again and a boy who uses bravado to mask his fear of abandonment.

Where did the inspiration for Between Ghosts and Gods come from?

A lot of inspiration came from folklore and myths that I grew up with. I find underworlds in general fascinating, and I love all sorts of myths and legends associated with the underworld. When I was a child, I watched a TV adaptation of Journey to the West and loved it. The characters met all sorts of weird and wonderful demons that in some way I think inspired the demons of Between Ghosts and Gods.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really loved writing all of Ruo’s interactions. Ruo is a living curse in the form of a cat and they act like both the embodiment of pure human resentment and a petulant house cat. My favourite Ruo scene is when Kasu and Arun have to break into a gambling parlour. The pair are sneaking around, trying to be quiet, when they enter a sort of storeroom full of bottles. In typical cat behaviour, Ruo jumps onto a shelf and starts nudging one of the bottles towards the edge. Kasu is like: ‘no, don’t you dare!’ and Ruo simply looks her in the eye and nudges the bottle forward even more!

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

A big challenge was writing Arun’s POV. Originally, the entire book was written from Kasu’s eyes, but my publisher suggested that we needed to get into Arun’s head a bit more. (And they were right!) Writing Arun’s thoughts was a bit of a challenge. As a prince born with a silver spoon in his mouth, we’re nothing alike, but getting into the heads of different people and understanding how they tick is great fun.

What’s next for you?

My debut adult novel, Eternity In Three Acts, is out next year. It’s an adult fantasy featuring unravelling time, an epic journey, and the tragic love between a religious sacrifice and the man who is supposed to guide him to his death.

Of course, I would love to write more stories in the Between Ghosts and Gods universe. Perhaps a story set in the heavens this time.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I recently finished and thoroughly enjoyed When The Blue Moon Wakes by Liana Kim Skrzypczak, which is the first in an epic trilogy. I could hardly put it down!

I’m also currently reading Jihyun Yun’s Good Creature, in which the protagonist ends up wed to a possibly vengeful ghost groom. It’s creepy, gripping, with an impeccable sense of looming dread.

Will you be picking up Between Ghosts and Gods? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Ann Sei Lin, Author of ‘Between Ghosts and Gods’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Emily! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Well, before I was an author, I was a public defender. And before I was a public defender, I was a kid who needed to be defended herself! So my perspective on the legal system was formed from a few different angles—the result being that, as a lawyer, I’ve always been very interested in how I can help people not only walk away from the criminal court system with their present (and future) intact, but how I can help address any underlying problems—or fallout—that arises from a court case. Because of that interest, about nine years ago I co-founded a nonprofit called Partners for Justice, which puts people (regular people, not lawyers) to work inside public defender offices, helping low-income families with housing, employment, educational access, benefits, mental health or substance use treatment, transportation, and more. I’m really proud to say that since 2018, we estimate this work has eliminated over 12,000 years of incarceration, because when we help people get on their feet and then tell judges and prosecutors about how well they’re doing, those people become much less likely to get a prison or jail sentence!

Beyond ending mass incarceration and helping people get fresh chances, I’m also passionate about making stuff—everything from building my daughter’s tree house (from design to construction, no kits!) to making her stuffed animals and baking bread. I guess all of my pursuits are a form of making things, now that I think about it—from making toys to making massive national systems of liberation.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I have always been a big reader. I don’t have any siblings, and my family traveled a lot and spent long periods in very rural places while I was growing up, so I spent about 35% of my waking hours in the real world and 65% inside novels. I’ve always loved writing—from a short novel (very short) that I wrote with the encouragement of my third-grade teacher Mrs. Naughton, to my college thesis, which was a collection of plays and poems based on mathematical formulas (very marketable topic, later published as my first book Do The Math, which I think sold six copies). After college, I supported myself with a hodgepodge of writing jobs, but later, as a lawyer, I was able to see a different facet of storytelling: the capacity of story to change minds, move hearts, and bring people home.

As a lawyer, one is always telling a story. Arguments never happen in the abstract, they are about a person, a set of facts, an incident, or a moment—a pivotal moment, where an act of mercy can change a life. For me, this manifested most directly as bail arguments, where the way one describes the story of a life either will or will not be enough to make a judge grant that person their liberty—and one is never telling just one story, but five or ten or twenty such stories in a row. The use of detail (Mr. Fredrickson is a good bet to return to court because he takes his mom to dialysis two days a week, and if he wasn’t good at showing up for things, she could quite literally die) or of thematic connection (Mrs. Suarez opens the store where she works six days a week, and is so trusted by her boss that she has the keys to the shop and the code to the safe—so shouldn’t we trust her, too?) and of course interesting story arcs and angles can make the difference between a judge automatically sending people to Rikers Island or closely paying attention and reuniting families.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Secret Garden, which my dad read to me
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Hounds of the Morrigan, by Pat O’Shea.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Cemetery of Books Quartet by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Your latest novel, Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Twisty, fun, righteous, brave, mystery.

Where did the inspiration for Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt come from?

Really, from two different sources: my work as a lawyer, and my life as a mom. As a lawyer, I know that kids are horrifyingly unprotected in our legal system. Millions of children go to schools with no nurse, social worker, or counselor, just police to solve conflicts. Hundreds of thousands of kids are stopped by police annually. Nine out of ten children waive their rights if stopped. When we look at wrongful convictions of kids 14 and under, over 80% of them falsely confessed to crimes, because police interrogation techniques are designed to produce compliance (not necessarily truth, mind you, but compliance) in adults, and are devastatingly over-effective on kids. To the extent that parents are having conversations with their kids about these issues, they tend to be about surviving a police encounter, rather than including guidance on “legal first aid” — how to protect yourself and your friends. So at the outset, I wanted to write something that would empower kids, and give them the knowledge—and confidence—they need to understand and safely use their rights.

As a mom, I have a fourth grader who devours books and spends the vast majority of her time ignoring me and reading. So of course my mind turned to her—could I write something that she’d love? That her friends would love? That would not just empower them, but give them good models of how to encounter accusation with all of one’s critical thinking skills active and sharp? So Andromeda is my attempt to empower kids, but also to create a devourable series, and an immersive world that builds independent thinking and empathy.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I love all of these characters enormously. Many carry elements I’ve borrowed from people in my own life—only the good stuff, really, because bad traits are easy to make up, but the good stuff can be so specific and surprising, I love borrowing it from people I love and admire. But also, within this writing, these characters have taken on a life of their own. They live quite vividly in my mind—I love thinking about how Fernando Diaz might react to some unfolding legal horror in our modern world, or how Angie would adopt the most cutting-edge gen Alpha slang. Actually, Angie deserves a shout-out: she has a modest role in this book, but in the second book, out next year, Angie really gets to shine and be her fully, hysterically funny self.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge is trying to pack too many legal-nerd rabbit holes into a book. I’m always tempted by the weird history of money bail (totally the fault of the French, damn those Norman invaders) or Clara Shortridge Foltz (absolute legend of public defense, arguing for a defense system decades before men got all the credit for it, also auramaxxing massively puffed shoulder dresses) but it’s healthy for me to be restrained. Luckily, I have a brilliant editor—Ginee Seo at Ten Speed Press—who reins me in and sends me sweet little comments that convince me to cut my worst digressions.

What’s next for you?

Andromeda Diaz For the Defense comes out next year, and we’re really amping up the stakes—in the second book of the series, a little girl is actually incarcerated in juvenile detention, and Andromeda and Danny have to fight to get her out. It’s allowed me to write one of the characters I’ve most enjoyed: Hazel Henneman, the kind of trial beast public defender we all admire, but who also isn’t afraid to color outside the lines. But beyond the fun of writing Hazel, it’s also enabled me to convey the realities of juvenile detention in America, which isn’t depicted enough. We are a country that disappears children, and I want to bring them back into the forefront so we can hear directly from them and take part in their stories.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’m really excited to read The Nerd Reich, actually. The world is careening faster than we realize into something unrecognizable, and I think it’s our responsibility as the citizens of this era in history to try to stay ahead of these technologically-driven radical transformations of society. I also just read Gene Ludwig’s brilliant Mismeasurement of America, and I found it to be both compellingly readable and precise and also really earth-shattering in how it changes our understanding of national economic measures. Basically it helps explain why the official numbers we put out don’t capture how wretched everyone is feeling—it’s because the numbers are ridiculously conceived and outright wrong.

Will you be picking up Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt? Tell us in the comments below!

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The post Q&A: Emily Galvin Almanza, Author of ‘Andromeda Diaz and the Reasonable Doubt’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Cethan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hello, I’m Cethan Leahy. I’m a writer and occasional filmmaker from Cork City, Ireland. I write YA, most likely of the supernatural kind.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve enjoyed writing since school (I wrote many a emo short story – one I even put into my first book Tuesdays are Just as Bad) but it wasn’t till my twenties when I really gave writing in earnest a shot. I always enjoyed reading reviews and pulling apart how stories work, so my work is always at least interested in how we tell stories as well the story itself.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The first book I remember reading by myself at least was Badjelly the Witch and Dip the Puppy by Spike Milligan. It was two stories in one – a mean witch who turned policemen into sausage trees and a piano playing dog looking for his siblings. It was surreal comedy for kids but the thing I remembered most from it was that it was completely handwritten – which I then thought every book would be like that! (It’s good that isn’t the case because my own writing is indecipherable).
• The one that made you want to become an author: Even though his books were perhaps the worst advertisement for the lifestyle, I always remember reading Stephen King at a young age and being stuck by how much detail he put in about writing and storytelling – Misery in particular is filled with good writing advice – he made it sound all oddly appealing, haunted hotels and crazed fans aside.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: I love folklore and mythology so will read any collection of it (in fact Dead Teenager Movie includes a few references to the Morrigan, an important figure from Irish myth) and Why the Moon Travels by Oein DeBhairduin is one I’ve gone back to a lot in recent years. A collection of stories from the Irish Traveller oral tradition, it’s a fun and fascinating collection with lots of spooky tales that would make some great movies or novels to themselves.

Your latest novel, Dead Teenager Movie, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Horror Nerd Trapped in Horror

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There are a lot of twists and turns in the plot so I don’t want to give anything away but early in the novel, I have a chapter in the format of a True Crime podcast. It’s one of those cheesier ones so it was great fun to switch to the lurid tone of narration.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

The biggest challenge was logistics – keeping track of which character was where and who had which weapons. Since the book takes place over one night in a small location with quite a few characters, if I changed one thing, that would have a ripple effect throughout the text where I had to check if it affected anything else. I kept diagrams and at one point I made a little map. They aren’t just for fantasy novels any more!   

What’s next for you?

Much like Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees, I’m saying nothing but I will return.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’m doing a PhD at the moment so a lot of my reading this year has been esoteric mathematical theories from the 19th century but I recently enjoyed Fair Play by Louise Hegarty and Strange Buildings by Uketsu. Up next I have Local Gods by Melinda Salisbury and Between Ghosts and Gods on my list!

Will you be picking up Dead Teenager Movie? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Cethan Leahy, Author of ‘Dead Teenager Movie’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Lucy! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi! There’s nothing like this question to make you realise you’re in fact a very boring person… The most interesting thing about me is definitely that I’m a cosy fantasy writer, and a lover of all things witchy and magical. I live in London with my husband (we’re having our first baby in a matter of days!) along with our very drooly cat, Flo. I live for the -ber months, I am always over-caffeinated, and I am a big believer in the power of a little sweet treat.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

Being a bookworm has been a fundamental part of my identity since I was old enough to listen to a story. I can’t remember life without reading or writing at the heart of it, it’s just always been what I do in one way or another. Going to the library was pretty much the main activity of my childhood, I would tear through anything I could get my hands on, and that turned into writing my own strange sequels and rewrites of my favourite books as a kid. Writing has been my job in one way or another since I left university, I was never really going to do anything else!

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Story of Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Most recently, Fruit Fly by Josh Silver. So gripping, I was hooked!

Disenchanted is third novel in your Rewitched series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Witchy Shrek, fairy tale chaos…

For those who haven’t picked up Rewitched and Uncharmed, what can readers expect?

All of my books are a heartfelt, nostalgic tribute to my lifelong love for the 90s witches that I grew up with, along with everything I love about autumn time. In all three of the books, I think readers can expect the cosiest of pumpkin-spiced witchy vibes, along with comforting reminders to prioritise their own magic, and a cat. There’s pretty much always a cat.

And for readers who have, what’s to come in Disenchanted?

Disenchanted takes place after the events of Uncharmed and Rewitched (although they are all standalone and can be read in any order!) This time we meet Sage Hemlock, a witch who turned her back on magic after it betrayed her as a teenager. She’s thrown herself into academics and working in her local small town museum, but one day a mysterious delivery activates a curse which suddenly brings magic back into her life. There’s a beanstalk in her back garden, her sister is travelling by pumpkin, and her best friend Casimir looks suspiciously like a handsome prince… Fairy tales have come to life, and Sage must confront the magic that she’s been running from to solve the mysteries and save her loved ones. It’s a little different from my first two stories (some say darker…), but Disenchanted has the same reminder at its heart to prioritise magic, joy and whimsy as much as you can.

Where did the inspiration for Disenchanted’s story come from?

After writing Uncharmed, which is all about a perfectionist, people-pleasing, sugary sweet witch, I was keen to write a character who was much less typically loveable. I was so taken by the idea of a cantankerous, grumpy, reluctant witch accidentally surrounding herself with ridiculously cliche magic – and being absolutely furious about the whole debacle. The early, nostalgic pitch to my editor was ‘witchy Shrek’, which is probably not that far off the final product!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

All of the fairy tale scenes were so fun to write, it was basically a chance to grab all of my favourite princess stories and cherry-pick the most magical parts that remind me of being a kid. I particularly loved writing the moment when Casimir gains his Handsome Prince costume, he is a completely ridiculous character and I always have a real soft spot for a golden retriever love interest. The priority with Disenchanted was always to just sprinkle as much whimsy as possible throughout, and it was a joy to have the perfect excuse to do that.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

My biggest challenge every single time is without a doubt the ‘I can’t do this’ mindset. I have to battle it each day that I sit at my desk and try to get some words (any words!) down on a page. I convince myself that all previous books were a total fluke, and I’ll never be able to make it to The End again. I wish I had solid advice to overcome it quickly, but it’s pretty much just a case of mercilessly chipping away at the word count, forcing myself to keep going despite the imposter syndrome, and hoping that today will be a precious ‘flow state’ day! I guess the love of writing just wins out every time.

What’s next for you?

I’m not sure how much I’m allowed to say just yet, but it’s probably not too much of a surprise to hear that I’m brewing up a little bit more magic behind the scenes. And also having a baby, so it’ll be an interesting juggling act!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

My most anticipated reads for the rest of the year are probably Victoria Aveyard’s Tempest and BK Borison’s Grim Tidings. Bring on the fantasy characters, warm blankets, rainy evenings and cosy sofa time!

Will you be picking up Disenchanted? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Lucy Jane Wood, Author of ‘Disenchanted’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Barbara! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m an Australian author, I live in New South Wales, I like coffee, hanging out with friends, and sometimes I remember to put on sunscreen.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve been writing since I was nine years old and believe it’s probably too late to break the habit now.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
• The one that made you want to become an author: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle.

Your latest novel, She’s a Doll, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

A doll murders her murderer.

What can readers expect?

A doll murdering her murderer… but also I talk a lot about grief, anger, trauma, and friendship. The real heart and soul of the story is the friendship between Lucy (the woman turned vengeful spirit turned haunted doll) and her (still living) friend Nicola. Nicola wasn’t murdered, but she was attacked by the same man.

They’re absurd, and get a little toothy at times, but they do love each other, and it’s by working together that they get the justice they both deserve. A buddy horror comedy with a sprinkle of queerness on top.

Where did the inspiration for She’s a Doll come from?

A tangle of different things. I’ve written about vengeful spirits before, back in 2020 when I was writing my interactive fiction game Blood Moon, and again in the unreleased sequel Thicker Than which has a demo online. This taught me that I love writing angry ghosts. I don’t know why. I just think they’re really fun. Also, so justified. You want to murder your murderer? Iconic. No notes. Pop off, ghoulish queen.

Back in late 2023, when I was pulling this idea out of the soup of my brain, I knew I wanted to reprise ghosts, to talk about grief and anger and lost time in a silly, spooky way. I’d also recently read How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix and remember telling a friend that it was hard not to cheer on a haunted toy because that’s one hell of a short straw, and I always want to root for the underdog.

All of these things came together and I wrote what ended up being chapter six by hand in a coffee shop. Then I kept writing, and over that summer, this book was born.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Lucy was a very fun character to write. Her motivations (bloody murder) were clear and she never deviated from that goal, even when it created problems for her. Those sorts of characters are my favourite. She’s messy, she’s fallible, and yet she has so much will. I loved spending time with Lucy, and I hope readers do too.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Insecurity, same as always. It’s hard sometimes, when you’re drafting something, seeing it in its rawest, ugliest, most unfinished form, and trying to convince yourself that it’ll become something good, just so long as you keep working on it. Everything I’ve ever written has come with moments of insecurity and doubt. Is this any good? What am I doing? What even are words? Working on through those moments is always hard, but always worth it in the end.

What’s next for you?

A zombie tradwide Youtuber eats her husband’s brains on livestream. It’s a novella. We’re calling it The Secret Lives of Zombie Wives and it’s coming out in February with Tor Nightfire. It’s gooey, goofy fun and I love it so much.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I just found out Tananarive Due is releasing a new book this month and I’m so excited. The Reformatory is one of my favourite books of all time and I’m frothing at the mouth to get my hands on Mazywood. If the mail worker tries any of this ‘we tried to deliver your parcel and you weren’t home’ bull, I may commit crime.

Will you be picking up She’s a Doll? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Barbara Truelove, Author of ‘She’s A Doll’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

You can also check out her playlist for the novel here.

Hi, Linda! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I began my career as a magazine writer; at the time when I was in my MA program in journalism, we were studying the “new journalism” of Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese. So, even then, we were looking at incorporating fictional devices into our reporting. I wrote for regional and national publications in those early years, but wore many hats through the years, spending a good deal of time in public service focused on education and the arts. I began studying the craft of fiction in 2008, mostly short form fiction, and began writing my first novel, Tasa’s Song, in 2011, which was published in 2016. A Ritchie Boy came out in 2020, Bessie in 2023. And I founded and operate an independent bookstore in the Central Ohio area, Gramercy Books, now in its tenth year. My life is filled with family and friends, my work as a bookseller and my writing, music, and long distance road cycling, the latter I’ve been doing for the past eighteen years, raising money for cancer research.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve loved reading books from a young age—The Velveteen Rabbit, Charlotte’s Web, The Diary of Anne Frank, and the entire Nancy Drew series are at the top of my early reading. I always loved writing—I used to write a lot of letters back when there was no internet—but my formal writing began in graduate school at Ohio State University where I earned my Masters degree in 1978.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Green Eggs and Ham, The Velveteen Rabbit
• The one that made you want to become an author: There wasn’t one book that triggered my desire to be an author. It was a desire to revisit history by telling a human story, inspired by and curious about real life people or situations.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

Your latest novel, World News from Waverley High, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Engaging, music-filled, reflective, relevant, hopeful.

What can readers expect?

Readers will be immersed in a consequential era, the late Sixties, from the lens of high school students trying to make sense of what one reader called “that astounding, magnetic, musical, and tumultuous time that changed American history forever.”

Where did the inspiration for World News from Waverley High come from?

The inspiration came from a time and a place that I experienced: Ohio. 1969 to 1970. An urban high school like the one I attended. I thought about the stark contrast between being a teenager and navigating those hallways back then and all that was pressing in on us from the outside—the Vietnam War, racial tension, environmental destruction.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I loved populating my fictional high school and then letting the students interact with each other and the world around them. I enjoyed inhabiting this significant moment in history and experiencing, as they did, a world without an internet or social media, a world when the media landscape was simpler and less fragmented, when people relied on three television networks, daily newspapers and a handful of national magazines. There were many moments in the writing that I enjoyed—just reliving teenage years with a wiser and deeper perspective was lots of fun.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

This story flowed once I began writing. I always begin with some initial idea that piques my curiosity. I begin to turn it over and over in my head, working out ways to structure it, considering the point of view telling the story. My previous novels were inspired by a real person living during a historical period. This novel was inspired by a time and a place so the initial challenge was who would tell the story and would it be told in the present or by someone looking back. Once I determined my narrator in her first person voice talking from a present place, I was on my way.

What do you hope readers might take away from World News from Waverley High?

I hope readers gain perspective from my novel, and hope. The era I wrote about was filled with anti-Vietnam anger in America. Protests over that war, movements for racial justice, and shifting social norms all collided. By looking back on this moment in our history, I hope readers can see parallels, those earthquakes in our culture, and that we got through them. Certainly the culture and technology are different today, but the novel reflects how cycles of protest, reform, and renewal continue.

What’s next for you?

Several ideas are brewing, but nothing I’m ready to commit to and talk about yet!

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I’m a bookseller so I read A LOT! Just in the last two months, among the books I’ve read I’ve really enjoyed Whistler by Ann Patchett, Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout, I See You Called in Dead by John Kenney, Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison, and Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead. I just picked up the latest Chris Bojalian novel, The Amateur and I also want to read Emma Cline’s just released novel, Switzy. My nightstand has two stacks of TBRs but there’s not enough time. The recent Emily Wilson translation of Homer’s The Odyssey is on the top of one of those piles.

Will you be picking up World News from Waverley High? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Linda Kass, Author of ‘World News from Waverley High’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Nothings brings family together like attempted murder.

There are three things Jayshree Devi can count on happening at her annual family reunion: 1) her cousins will forget she exists, 2) her aunts will try to set her up, and 3) her uncles will get into a fight. What she doesn’t expect? An accident that lands her grandmother in a coma, throwing the family—and their matriarch’s sizeable fortune—into chaos.

When Jay discovers Grand Mom’s “accident” might not have been so accidental after all, she’ll have to dig through decades of secrets to find the truth. With the help of her (annoyingly perky) cousins and one of their (annoyingly hot) friends, Jay finds herself knee-deep in a mystery that’s even more tangled than her family tree.

But the closer Jay gets to answers, the closer she gets to finding her place amongst the relatives who once felt so distant. With Grand Mom’s life and fortune hanging in the balance, can Jay save her family and maybe hook up with a hottie while she’s at it?

Dinesh Thiru is a writer and stay-at-home dad currently living in Barcelona. He grew up in North Carolina, married his college sweetheart, and spent over a decade in San Francisco. Dinesh is half-Indian, half-white. He loves the ocean. He used to have other interests, but he swapped them for kids. Those kids are eight, five, and a dog.

We asked Dinesh about his familial inspiration behind My Killer Family Reunion, some of his favorite Indian food, writing BIPOC stories, and what readers hope to take away from his new book.

You open the story by saying every big Indian family wants to kill Grand Mom. Can you dive into how this opening came to be? What are some of your personal connections to this that may have inspired you?

Well, I wouldn’t say EVERY big Indian family. It just so happens that THIS big Indian family (which is inspired by my family!) wants to kill Grand Mom.

So where did that absurd idea come from? A few of my inspirations:

The “unkillable” matriarch — My Indian grandmother lived to 103. She was an absolute force in our family, commanding her entire household from a single plastic chair in the main room. She lived this huge life—reading poetry to Gandhi, surviving decades in extreme poverty—and I’m so proud to add the smallest part to her legacy.

The morbid humor — My white grandmother, Grandma Edie, used to joke that she’d like to be cremated, stored in a carton of Edy’s ice cream, and kept in our freezer forever. Instead, my mother spread her ashes at the beach, only for grandma to be blown back in my mom’s face and all over her clothes! I’ll never forget my mother calling me, hysterically laughing as she recounted the day.

The inheritance drama — My Indian great-grandfather was one of the wealthiest men in Bangalore, India in the 1930s. But he had a falling out with his family, and he cut his 12 kids from his will! He gave all the money to charity, which I think is amazing, but the family lost it. Needless to say, the inheritance drama in my family is real!

Are there any pieces of your own family that may have inspired this fictional family? If not, what are some parts that draw you to this family?

So many! Beyond what I shared above, here are a few more:

The house — Is it a good idea to exactly replicate your aunt’s house and plan murders there? Sure, you feared her creepy basement and its plush white carpet, but is this the way to process? Will she ever let you into her home again?? These questions are not answered.

The coat-closet hookup — Facts: My cousin once hooked up with her boyfriend, in a closet, at a family reunion. The aunties totally busted them. And now that’s the opening scene in my book!

Jayshree as a middle cousin — I remember having the distinct realization that my older cousins were partying in the basement, and I wasn’t invited. I’m more of a loud mouth, so I wasn’t finding my voice like Jayshree, but her experience as a biracial, lost-in-the-middle cousin—that’s me. Hernando’s entrance — The arrival of our love interest is based on the first time my wife (then girlfriend) came to a family reunion. My aunties took it super seriously and held a pooja in the doorway to bless her. They waved a silver platter, sang Tamil prayers, and my cousins died of laughter in the background.

There are quite a few mentions of Indian cuisine in My Killer Family Reunion. What is your favorite Indian sweet and snack? What are some stories connected to them?

Can I pivot this to my favorite Indian food? I’m more of a savory person, but I specifically placed my aunt’s rasam into the book as this is one of my family’s most treasured dishes. It’s a spiced-tomato broth with cumin, tamarind, mustard seeds, dal, cilantro, and twenty other spices. The thing is an actual elixir, and we slurp it up after every meal.

In the Acknowledgments, you talk about how you had many family reunions that inspired parts of the book. What are some memorable stories that didn’t make that cut that you’d like to tell readers?

You’re really giving me free licence! Many of my favorite family stories involve performances (see below). We don’t have any in this book, but fear not—this is all Sequel MaterialTM.

• At my cousin’s wedding, we re-wrote the lyrics to Afroman’s Because I Got High, reenacting my cousin’s life story for 300 conservative Indians.
• At my other cousin’s wedding, we sang the Nelly hook “Must Be the Money!” to explain why my cousin married into her husband’s rich family.
• At my father’s 70th birthday, I re-wrote the Gettysburg Address to commemorate his life: “Two score and ten years ago, my poor father set foot upon this continent, in desperation, seeking a degree in computer science, and fearful of the proposition that he may add up to nothing at all.”

What do you hope readers take away from My Killer Family Reunion?

Honestly, I hope readers just have a ton of fun with the wildly dysfunctional, but highly lovable Devi family. This book is a love letter to my own family, and personally, I think they’re pretty great.

Legal disclaimer: All characters are fictional, any resemblances of murder suspects to my actual family members are ENTIRELY coincidental.

In a world that is striving towards telling more BIPOC stories, what is something that you’ve learned about yourself when you were drafting and now that this book has been published?

Wonderful question! I’m half-Indian, half-white (like Jayshree), and growing up I had lots of experiences that made me feel like I didn’t belong. For example: I’m Indian, but I feel like a tourist in India. Or as a kid, when we’d go to a restaurant, the host often looked at my family and asked, “Are you all together?”

Writing this book was a beautiful way to get behind those emotions. Feelings that Jayshree has like, “I’m Indian, but not quite Indian enough” are real feelings for me (even as an adult!), and I hope that other biracial readers or even other American-born Indians will connect with Jayshree’s emotions, and recognize for themselves that—we are all enough, exactly as we are.

Will you be picking up My Killer Family Reunion? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Dinesh Thiru, Author of ‘My Killer Family Reunion’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Hazel! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Of course! I’m actually one of your readers too, so this interview is extra exciting for me!

I grew up in Canada near the Rocky Mountains, but spent a lot of my childhood and adolescence on the water. Speed boats, houseboats, sailboats. Being near water is something I still crave. I’ve lived in Canada and the US over the years, and have settled back where I started, near the mountains.

I unabashedly love Taco Bell, I’m working on my tarot reading skills, and I almost always have a podcast or an audiobook playing…because who wants to be alone with their thoughts?

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I’ve been writing stories my whole life. When I was in kindergarten, my teacher sent me to the principal’s office, not because I was in trouble, but because she wanted me to show them my stories. As I got older, I continued writing, though I did it in secret. It wasn’t until I was pregnant with my first child that I got brave enough to pursue writing as a career. I love my job, I love the work. Even on the days when I’m crying about it.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: It was one of those Golden books, I think? The Disney version of Cinderella. When I was three or four, I memorized it and then pretended I was reading it myself.
• The one that made you want to become an author: There is an entire generation of authors who are writing and creating because of Twilight and I’m part of that generation!
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Lost Girls by Sonia Hartl is one of the best vampire books I’ve ever read. It’s full of heart while still being shockingly funny. The idea of being turned into a vampire in the 80’s when your hair is crimped and now you’re stuck with that style forever? Genius.

Your debut novel, Roses & Ruin, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

You’re lost, then found, forever.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect longing and angst (two of my favorite things in a romance) and a twist that turns this vampire novel and Rose, the protagonist, upside down.

Where did the inspiration for Roses & Ruin come from?

I’ve been wanting to write a vampire novel for years. The question of ‘what would you do with forever?’ is one I think about often. But I had to wait until I had something new to offer. One day I was telling a friend about one of my favorite books, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V.E. Schwab, and I had an epiphany. I can’t say what that epiphany was though! No spoilers!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

The scenes between Hayden and Rose, where she can’t deny their chemistry, but doesn’t understand it yet? That was particularly satisfying. I love knowing things my characters don’t yet and making them suffer just a little.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

Absolutely. There were days when the words weren’t doing what I needed them to do. When I was panicking, two of my dearest friends sent me songs and collages to inspire me. Writing is rarely a completely solitary act.

This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?

There have been equal parts tears and celebrations on this road! As we all know, some of the best things in life are worth fighting for. I’m a tenacious (some say stubborn) person and with every setback, I only became more determined. The rejections and the struggles made me double-down. I try to remember that just because what I’m working towards hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen at all, it just means it hasn’t happened yet. That word, yet, has gotten me through a lot of dark days.

What’s next for you?

I’m a chaotic reader (I’ll read several books at once) and a chaotic writer. I’ve currently got a handful of projects I’m eyeing and picking away at that excite me. We’ll see which one takes off! That said, my heart remains with Hayden and Rose and I still have my toes dipped in their world.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

I just read She’s a Doll by Barbara Truelove. It was wild and wonderful and I couldn’t put it down. I’ve also recently discovered an indie author named Tanvier Peart, who I absolutely love. Her books are very spicy and I’m obsessed with every character she’s written. I’ve been looking forward to Joy McCullough’s memoir, Suffer a Witch, for ages and am so excited to dive in. She’s an incredible writer.

Will you be picking up Roses & Ruin? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Hazel Cross, Author of ‘Roses & Ruin’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi, Riley! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I am the author of survivalist thrillers The Chilling and The Wreck. I was born and raised in north-west Tasmania, I am now a full-time academic, and I love deadlines—I love the whooshing noise they make as I tick off my unrealistic to-do list.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

My floreat—the absolute peak of my writing career—was Grade 6, when (in my memory) we were allowed to do nothing but write stories all day, and chase each other in the playground. I produced my first book that year when I was 12. It was called A Decent Murder, about a high-society dinner that ends in a shocking, horrific killing. I like to think it was inspired by Agatha Christie, but I think it was influenced by Murder She Wrote, because I watched a lot of TV. A lot of TV.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Hm, it was a board book with a bunny saying “Want to know a secret? Promise not to tell?” The memory is so vague and so strange, I’m pretty sure I’m making it up. I was five years old.
• The one that made you want to become an author: Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien. Dark, menacing, and apocalyptic—the perfect “thriller awakening” for a 12-year-old brought up on bunny books.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: John Wyndham’s The Day of the Triffids. Love that opening scene of waking in an abandoned hospital and finding the world has gone to ruin.

Your latest novel, The Wreck, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Better. Than. Murder. She. Wrote.

What can readers expect?

Readers can expect a gripping mystery with oodles of intrigue and suspense. The main narrative of The Wreck takes place in 1997, when a group of adventurers sets sail to a remote island in Bass Strait, in search of a plane wreck. They are hoping to discover what happened to fictional pilot, Donovan “Van” Spector, whose aircraft vanished in mysterious circumstances twenty years earlier. When the characters become stranded, they confront a terrifying reality: the island is wild and inhospitable, no one is coming to their rescue, and there is a sinister presence in the shadows. As they try to unravel the Spector mystery, they go missing one by one … It’s Lost meets The X Files. (Did I mention I watch a lot of TV?)

Where did the inspiration for The Wreck come from?

In October 1978, a young pilot called Frederick Valentich disappeared over Bass Strait after reporting being chased by a strange aircraft that was “not an aircraft”. This tragic tale has been part of my family lore for decades, because our flight to Wynyard that same night was delayed due to Frederick’s disappearance. My book isn’t about Valentich, so much as what happens to the characters who investigate Spector’s fictional plane wreck. It’s about what happens to good people in a hostile environment: in the vicious struggle to survive, how do people maintain selflessness and kindness toward others? It’s a UFO mystery and a survivalist thriller, but also a tale about how people cope with adversity … and with each other.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

There’s a character called Malin, who is deeply passive aggressive. She was disturbingly easy to write, probably because she’s an expression of my own worst nature.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

An editor suggested that I cut a male character out of the book. I completely agreed with the suggestion, because the character was superfluous. But something terrible happened to this character that was pivotal for the unfolding of the plot. So I had to think of a way of seamlessly bringing in that terrible thing, by inflicting it on someone else. To meet the challenge, I did what I usually do: I went to bed and let my unconscious solve the problem. I’ve found this is a great trick for writing: sleep on it, baby! That’s why I get up and write in the mornings. Sadly, in academic life that usually means writing a tedious and difficult email.

What’s next for you?

I am currently doing edits on another thriller in the “Tasmanian gothic” genre. I would love to write a dystopian thriller one day (a la John Wyndham), and maybe dust off A Decent Murder … an early-80s whodunnit anyone?

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?

Next on my list is Cold River by Margaret Hickey, a master of the thriller genre. I’ll be forever grateful to Margaret for writing a lovely endorsement for The Chilling—I still feel really stoked about that.

So far this year, I’ve absolutely loved The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan—it’s rich, mesmerising, and (unexpectedly) dry and funny.

I am currently enjoying Ghost Cities by Siang Lu—it’s rich, mesmerising, and (not unexpectedly) dry and funny.

Will you be picking up The Wreck? Tell us in the comments below!

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