Sarah Addison Allen’s debut novel Garden Spells was one of my all-time favorte books. I was pleased to find that her sophomore effort, The Sugar Queen, was equally delicious and her characters just as memorable as they were colorful. There’s Josey, the rich girl with a closet full of romance novels, a secret cache of sweets, and a squatter-cum-fairy-godmother named Della…
Who wouldn’t want to know more about a man who visits you every day and hangs out in your kitchen? This month, I cozied happily up to Stephan Pastis, fellow Greek and supertalented creator of the irreverently hilarious comic strip Pearls Before Swine. I had the hardest time trying to find a conference room in which to interview Stephan–it’s…
Shannon Butcher’s contemporary romance novel No Regrets debuted last winter. Its follow-up, the sexy thriller No Control , has just released, and it is already a favorite in the Secret Inner Circle of Ingram’s genre book club. Join me as I talk to Shannon about the Delta Force, chasing tornadoes, and life with her husband, author Jim Butcher (The…
In 1985, Robin McKinley won the Newbery Medal for her novel The Hero and the Crown. In just a few decades, she has traversed the world of legends from fairy tales to elementals to vampires. In her latest novel, Dragonhaven, she explores–you guessed it–dragons. Ever a lover of girls with swords and magic that turns beasts into princes, Genre…
If you like to sleep at night, stay away from this book! Jeff Carlson’s pulse-pounding debut novel, Plague Year, has turned the world of science-fiction thrillers completely upside down. The undaunted and unafraid Genre Chick Alethea Kontis dons her hazmat gear and gets extreme with the Bionic Man. *********************** Alethea Kontis: Plague Year has one of the most terrifying…
She looks like a superhero, she travels all over the world, and her books will seep into your subconscious and make you wonder about your wildest dreams. Meet Genre Chick Alethea Kontis’s new best friend, urban fantasist C.E. Murphy–author of Coyote Dreams (The Walker Papers). **************************** I met Catie Murphy on a bus. We were both staying in the…
Lettuce, milk, bread, cereal…boys? Yes indeed–that’s what’s on the grocery list of Dafina author Nia Stephens in her new young adult series Boy Shopping. Genre Chick Alethea Kontis met Nia at the mall to ask her about this unique, modern, choose-your-own-adventure series–and to try on some fabulous shoes. ************** Nashville’s Nia Stephens and I stroll down the shiny wood…
Who is your favorite author, really? Being a writer can sometimes be better than the Witness Protection Program (or an Internet chatroom). Nora Roberts or J.D. Robb; Jayne Castle, Amanda Quick, or Jane Ann Krentz; Lemony Snicket or Daniel Handler–readers know that a fantastic book by any other name would be just as many hours of entertainment. After thoroughly…
This month, Genre Chick Alethea Kontis gets past the nerd gate of subculture slang and learns to grok everything from Basic Faire Accent to Ciazarn. Our professor today is Luc Reid, award-winning author of the chunky, entertaining reference book Talk the Talk: The Slang of 65 American Subcultures. ************************** Alethea Kontis: How long did it take to write Talk…
Fairy Tales of Arilland that have been translated into…
Fairy Tales of Arilland that have been translated into…
Fairy Tales of Arilland that have been translated into…
