Hi, Alexandra! Welcome back! It’s been five years since we last spoke for the release of Who Is Maud Dixon?, so how have you been?

Well, the last time we spoke it was the height of Covid, so I suppose that in comparison things are pretty good!

Your latest novel, The Fine Art of Lying, is out May 5^th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

I’ll do it in three: Art, sex, murder.

What can readers expect?

The book is about Clare Bast, a young wife and mother in Manhattan, who meets a sexy French art dealer who shares her interest in an enigmatic mid-century painter. Beyond that, I hope everything that happens is entirely unexpected!

Where did the inspiration for The Fine Art of Lying come from?

It came from my own experiences with motherhood and from my own love of art.

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

I love writing over-the-top characters. In the case of my first book, that was Helen. In The Fine Art of Lying, it would have to be Clare’s mother-in-law, Dorothy Bast, and a socialite named Tasha Wolfe.

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

Oh, just the usual: procrastination, self-doubt, laziness. I overcame them through some combination of coffee and internet-blocking software.

Were there any key lessons you learned from writing and publishing your debut that helped with The Fine Art of Lying?

I learned that once you have a full draft, it’s exceedingly easy to go back and add additional scenes or chapters to the beginning. This is great for adding little hints or bread crumbs for the reader that I wouldn’t have thought of the first time through.

What’s next for you?

I currently have two ideas for my next book, and I’m trying to decide which one to pursue. But they both involve the art world.

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

I can’t wait for the new Elizabeth Strout, Ben Lerner and Maria Semple books.

Will you be picking up The Fine Art of Lying? Tell us in the comments below!

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Releasing on May 21st, Perfume & Pain is a controversial Los Angeles author attempts to revive her career and finally find true love in this hilarious nod to 1950s lesbian pulp fiction.

They tell you in Creative Writing 101 to never write about a writer. Because writing is boring and interior and we want our characters to be active and alive. But I’ve always ignored this advice. I love books starring writers or creative people generally. Artists are messy and funny and mean to themselves in a way that makes them compelling protagonists. I made my most recent protagonist a novelist for this reason and others, including wanting to explore the challenges in managing the expectation to be messy and unhinged on the page and polished and inoffensive off of it. And so Astrid was born—my hotter, blonder, more successful alter ego writing books that the chaotic TikTok girlies love but who is unable to promote her work without offending people. Below are some of my favorite novels that also grapple with the various conflicts inherent to making up stories for a living.

Leave Society by Tao Lin

In Leave Society, a novelist who resembles Tao Lin leaves Manhattan to visit his parents in Taipei for ten weeks. In Tapei, the protagonist Li tells his doctor he writes novels. “Knows about everything, then?” the doctor says. “I write novel so I know nothing,” responds Li, who is on a quarter tab of LSD. Both bickering and bonding with his parents in between drafts of his new book and various microdoses, Li contends with optimism, despair, and the idea of leaving society.

The Book of Ayn by Lexi Freiman

I easily connected with this novel about a self-centered and recently canceled novelist named Anna. Inspired by Ayn Rand’s theory of radical selfishness, Anna flees the New York literary scene for Los Angeles, a city where “magic happened to people who absolutely didn’t deserve it.” In Hollywood, she writes an animated TV show starring “Ayn Ram.” But family tragedy brings her back to New York, where she’s offered to kill her ego at a strange commune on the Greek island of Lesbos. There, Anna finds herself abandoning selfishness for community, ultimately reshaping her perspective and offering a new way to live.

Who Is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews

In this comedic thriller, struggling writer Florence lands a job assisting reclusive author Maud Dixon (who I saw as a Donna Tartt meets Elena Ferrante). Working for Maud takes Florence to a Moroccan villa, where Maud’s new novel is set. It’s all vibrant streets and wind-swept beaches until Florence wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there. This one kept me up all night.

The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz

In a book Stephen King rightly called “insanely readable,” a struggling novelist steals a plot idea from his student after the student dies—resulting in massive commercial success that ultimately endangers his life. As the novelist tries to track down an anonymous person troll accusing him of theft, he finds out the real story behind his former student’s plot, and who stole what from whom. The reveals kept coming until the final page.

Apartment by Teddy Wayne

Like The Plot, Teddy Wayne’s Apartment is a literary thriller about literature. It’s 1996 and the unnamed narrator attends Columbia’s MFA program on his father’s dime while living in an illegal sublet. Feeling guilty about his luck, he offers his spare bedroom to Billy, a charismatic, working-class writer from the Midwest. The narrator is envious of Billy’s talent while Billy is resentful of the narrator’s privilege, resulting in a tense friendship that culminates in a climax that made me gasp.

The Valley (a void) by Vanessa Roveto

Tragedy brings disgraced poetry professor Victoria from Iowa back home to the San Fernando Valley—a place people avoid as well as a literal geographic void. There, Victoria integrates every character she encounters, absorbing then dispersing them into the landscape, the Uncanny Valley, warping time and naturalizing dreams. The narrative watches Victoria split and then recompose; the selves reunite in a strangely erotic climax. David Lynch wishes he wrote this book.

Why Did I Ever? by Mary Robison

Money Brenton is a script doctor and single mother struggling to stay both employed and sane. Consisting of 536 very short chapters, the novel was born out of Robison’s attempt to cure her writer’s block by writing small sections of text on thousands of index cards. Later, these sections were assembled to form the novel’s mysterious sequence, now heralded for its influential form.

All Fours by Miranda July

Miranda July’s latest stars a “semi-famous artist” the nature of whose work is never precisely revealed, although she does reveal, “a whiskey company had licensed a sentence I’d written years ago for a global print campaign,” so I’m calling her a writer. This writer-slash-artist embarks on a cross-country drive only to stop at a motel just one town over, where she finds a less literal form of freedom. All Fours explores niche celebrity, female sexuality, and perimenopause with Miranda July’s trademark quirky and tender-hearted wit.

 

The post Eight Novels Starring Writers appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We had the pleasure of chatting with debut author Alexandra Andrews all about Who Is Maud Dixon?, book recommendations, writing, and more!

Hi, Alexandra! Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m a lifelong New Yorker, and I just published my first book. I spent almost fifteen years wanting to be a writer while actually writing very little, which, it turns out, is not the best way to become a wildly successful novelist. (Who knew?) I finally set out to write this novel in my early thirties while pregnant with my first child, and all that pent-up frustration became the premise of my plot. Who Is Maud Dixon? is about a young outsider in the New York literary world who is convinced she’s destined to become a famous writer. When she lands a job as the assistant to the world-famous novelist Maud Dixon, she decides to take a shortcut and steal her life.

After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?

My goal is to loosen up a bit. I had my second child last March—at the very moment New York shut down actually—and I spent much of 2020 in a state of panic. Being stressed out didn’t really help anything or anyone, and it almost certainly made me a worse parent. So I’m trying to chill. Does anyone know how you actually do that?

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

• The first book I remember reading: The Borrowers
• The one that made me want to become an author: Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion
• The one that I can’t stop thinking about: A Confession by Tolstoy

Your debut novel, Who Is Maud Dixon?, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Assistant steals famous author’s life.

What can readers expect?

Thwarted ambition, power struggles, and snappy dialogue. Plus an untimely death or two.

Can you tell us about any challenges you faced and how you were able to overcome them?

I was beset by self-doubt when I set out to become a writer. I would reread my drafts and be so disgusted by them I’d just give up. I was finally able to finish Who Is Maud Dixon? because I didn’t let myself look at anything I’d already written. I just kept moving forward. Then, at some point, I had finally accrued enough pages that I knew I wouldn’t throw them out. That’s when I went back and made edits. And on a more practical level, my computer was stolen from my apartment one night while I slept, and I lost my most recent draft. So having to rewrite it all was kind of a bummer.

What is your writing process like?

I procrastinate, procrastinate some more, finally write up a scene, decide to change my entire plot, do needless research, write another scene, switch back to the first plot, and spent the rest of the day napping.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

I can’t remember receiving any specific writing advice, but I do have certain tenets I try to stick to: Be clear, be brief, don’t use too many metaphors, keep the action moving… the usual suspects.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on my next novel, which involves doing a lot of crossword puzzles while not writing a novel.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

Without even pretending to have an organizing principle: Every book by Peter Cameron; The Index of Self-Destructive Acts by Christopher Beha; Lost in Thought: The Hidden Pleasures of an Intellectual Life by Zena Hitz; Muriel Spark’s short stories; Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard, Uncanny Valley by Anna Wiener, Second Place by Rachel Cusk (not that she needs me to get her name out there…)

Will you be picking up Who Is Maud Dixon? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Alexandra Andrews, Author of ‘Who Is Maud Dixon?’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

After whatever that last year was, we’re certainly hoping that 2021 will be a significant improvement! Just like every single industry, the publishing industry faced its own challenges with many 2020 releases delayed by months or even years in some cases and it caused much concern for authors with either recent or upcoming releases.

But with every year, there’s also the improvement when it comes to diversity and whilst it still unfortunately takes devastating events to invoke some kind of change or even discussion, there’s great change heading our way with 2021 releases (and even 2022 and 2023 based on book announcements made thus far).

The year promises for more #ownvoices authors to be heard with stories of fierce Black characters taking the lead role (and also killing it on their covers), queer characters and their journeys offering hope, characters embracing their bodies and their culture, and so much more. Then there’s the continuing shift in perception on genres, including romance and YA, with some incredibly great stories and offering a new take on the genres altogether.

To be honest, it’s quite exciting and refreshing, and we at The Nerd Daily can’t wait to see what comes next and cover 2021 releases!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite January to June 2021 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

Want more 2021 releases? Check out our lists for  2021 Queer Book Releases, 2021 Fantasy & Sci-Fi Book Releases, 2021 Romance Book Releases, 2021 YA Book Releases, and 2021 Queer SFF Book Releases.

JANUARY

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An alien artifact turns a young girl into Death’s adopted daughter in Remote Control, a thrilling sci-fi tale of community and female empowerment from Nebula and Hugo Award-winner Nnedi Okorafor

Be Dazzled by Ryan La Sala
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Project Runway goes to Comic Con in an epic queer love story about creativity, passion, and finding the courage to be your most authentic self.

Lore by Alexandra Bracken
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Darkest Minds comes a sweepingly ambitious, high-octane tale of power, destiny, love and redemption.

The Push by Ashley Audrain
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Hugo award-nominated author Stina Leicht has created a take on space opera for fans of The Mandalorian and Cowboy Bebop in this high-stakes adventure.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins’s The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon
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Public radio co-hosts navigate mixed signals in Rachel Lynn Solomon’s sparkling romantic comedy debut.

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
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A spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

FEBRUARY

Fat Chance, Charlie Vega by Crystal Maldonado
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A sensitive, funny, and painful coming-of-age story with a wry voice and tons of chisme, Fat Chance, Charlie Vega tackles our relationships to our parents, our bodies, our cultures, and ourselves.

A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

What is a Victorian lady’s formula for love? Mix one brilliant noblewoman and her enigmatic protection officer. Add in a measure of danger and attraction. Heat over the warmth of humour and friendship, and the result is more than simple chemistry—it’s elemental.

The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

The Project by Courtney Summers
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Courtney Summers, the New York Times bestselling author of the 2019 Edgar Award Winner and breakout hit, Sadie, comes a sensational follow-up―another pulls-no-punches thriller about an aspiring young journalist determined to save her sister from a cult.

The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey
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The Echo Wife is a non-stop thrill ride, perfect for readers of Big Little Lies and enthusiasts of Killing Eve and Westworld­.

The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
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In this world, girls are outcasts by blood and warriors by choice. Get ready for battle. The start of a bold and immersive fantasy series for fans of Children of Blood and Bone and Black Panther.

A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
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Sarah J. Maas’s sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre’s fiery sister, Nesta.

Do No Harm by Christina McDonald
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From the USA TODAY bestselling author of Behind Every Lie and The Night Olivia Fell comes an unforgettable and heart-wrenching novel about the lengths one woman will go to save her son.

MARCH

Can’t Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
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Steven Salvatore’s debut Can’t Take That Away is about Carey Parker, a genderqueer teen who dreams of being a diva like their hero Mariah Carey. When they are cast as the female lead in the school musical, they must fight against discrimination and injustice from their closed-minded school administration. 

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert
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In Act Your Age, Eve Brown the flightiest Brown sister crashes into the life of an uptight B&B owner and has him falling hard—literally.

The Unbroken by C.L. Clark
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In an epic political fantasy unlike any other, two women clash in a world full of rebellion, espionage, and military might on the far outreaches of a crumbling desert empire.

The Cost of Knowing by Brittney Morris
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Dear Martin meets They Both Die at the End in this gripping, evocative novel about a Black teen who has the power to see into the future, whose life turns upside down when he foresees his younger brother’s imminent death, from the acclaimed author of SLAY.

The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Huntress and The Alice Network returns with another heart-stopping World War II story of three female code breakers at Bletchley Park and the spy they must root out after the war is over.

Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

The Bone Maker by Sarah Beth Durst
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From award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst, a standalone epic fantasy set in a brand-new world of towering mountains and sparkling cities, in which a band of ageing warriors have a second chance to defeat dark magic and avenge a haunting loss.

Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For readers of The Silent Patient – a taut, twisty, character-driven suspense novel about a famous novelist and a small-town striver locked in a struggle for fortune and fame

APRIL

First, Become Ashes by K.M. Szpara
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K. M. Szpara follows Docile, one of the most anticipated science fiction novels of 2020, with First, Become Ashes, a fantastic standalone adventure that blends pain and pleasure and will make readers question what is real, and what is magical.

Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the USA Today  bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine comes the clever, funny, and unforgettable story of a muscular, tattooed man hired as an assistant to two old women—under the watchful eye of a beautiful retirement home manager.

Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author and rom-com queen Becky Albertalli comes a buoyant new novel about daring to step out of the shadows and into the spotlight in love, life, and, yes, theater.

The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Naomi and Ethan will test the boundaries of love in this provocative romance from the author of the ground-breaking debut, The Roommate.

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
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A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night.

Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper, the first book in the Jane Austen Murder Mysteries series is a clever retelling of Pride and Prejudice that reimagines the iconic settings, characters, and romances in a thrilling and high-stakes whodunit.

Witches Steeped in Gold by Ciannon Smart
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Deadly, fierce, magnetically addictive: this Jamaican-inspired fantasy debut is a thrilling journey where dangerous magic reigns supreme and betrayal lurks beneath every word. 

Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
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The New York Times bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Never Have I Ever builds on her success with this addictive novel of domestic suspense in which a mother must decide how far she is willing to go to protect her child and the life she loves—a chilling and thoughtful tale of power, privilege, lies, revenge, and the choices we make, ones that transform our lives in unforeseen ways.

MAY

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Daisy Jones & The Six . . . Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Hurricane Summer by Asha Bromfield
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In this sweeping debut, actress Asha Bromfield takes readers to the heart of Jamaica, and into the soul of a girl coming to terms with her family, and herself, set against the backdrop of a hurricane.

A Special Place for Women by Laura Hankin
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It’s a club like no other. Only the most important women receive an invitation. But one daring young reporter is about to infiltrate this female-run secret society, whose beguiling members are caught up in a dark and treacherous business.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
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A lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this incredible new science-based thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian.

Son of the Storm by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
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From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, the first book in the Nameless Republic trilogy is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forbidden magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.

In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland
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A pansexual bloodmage reluctantly teams up with an undead spirit to start a rebellion among the living and the dead, in this dark YA fantasy by A.M. Strickland, author of Beyond the Black Door, whom Richard Kadrey calls “a storyteller of both grace and power.”

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
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The Hunting Wives share more than target practice, martinis, and bad behaviour in this novel of obsession, seduction, and murder.

Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
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Irresistibly action-packed and full of lethal surprises, this stunning new fantasy series from Victoria Aveyard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Red Queen series, begins where hope is lost and asks: When the heroes have fallen, who will take up the sword?

JUNE

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
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Casey McQuiston’s One Last Stop is a magical, sexy, big-hearted romance where the impossible becomes possible as August does everything in her power to save the girl lost in time.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
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Nghi Vo’s debut novel The Chosen and the Beautiful reinvents this classic of the American canon as a coming-of-age story full of magic, mystery, and glittering excess, and introduces a major new literary voice.

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
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A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic. The problem is, she’s never been in love—she’ll have to find the perfect guy before she can kill him.

Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia
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The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home…

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
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Tasha Suri’s The Jasmine Throne begins the powerful Burning Kingdoms trilogy, in which two women–a long-imprisoned princess and a maidservant in possession of forbidden magic–come together to rewrite the fate of an empire.

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
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Get Out meets The Devil Wears Prada in this electric debut about the tension that unfurls when two young Black women meet against the starkly white backdrop of New York City book publishing.

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
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A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times bestselling author of Her Last Flight returns with a gripping and profoundly human story of Cold War espionage and family devotion.

What 2021 book releases are you excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post The Most Anticipated 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.