Three self-made women gamble with love, sex and their careers in Meredith Berlin's debut novel

by Donna Huber

Sex and the City was a much-talked-about television show when it debuted in the late 1990s. Three women were making their mark on New York City while navigating careers, love, and friendship. If you were a fan of the television show then you don't want to miss Meredith Berlin's debut novel which delves into the lives of three best friends in their 40s. They are glamourous, self-made women who are willing to gamble everything for one charismatic man captivates who captivates them all.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

Q&A with Brian Lebeau, author of A Disturbing Nature

Learn more about the new serial killer thriller A Disturbing Nature with author Brian Lebeau's interview.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev ~ a Review & Interview

by Susan Roberts

Ayesha Shetty lost her brother seven years ago.  Now it's just her and her mother keeping their restaurant profitable.  After the funeral, she decided to throw away her plans for her life and do everything she can to make her mother happy. She gave up her dreams, her independence and the man she loved so she could devote herself to her mother and take her brother's role at the restaurant. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

Q&A with Clark Rich Burbidge, author of StarPassage: Cyber Plague

Clark Burbidge was born and raised in the high mountain valleys of the Rockies. He earned an MBA from the University of Southern California and a BS from the University of Utah. Clark and his wife, Leah, live near Salt Lake City, Utah, where they enjoy their blended family of 10 children and nine grandchildren.

Clark's award-winning works include the StarPassage series, Giants in the Land trilogy, the acclaimed Christmas book A Piece of Silver: A Story of Christ, and a nonfiction work, Living in the Family Blender: 10 Principles of a Successful Blended Family.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

You're Pulling My Leg! by Allen Wolf ~ a Review & Interview

by MK French

You're Pulling My Leg! and its junior version involves bluffing your way through stories, and other plays have to vote if the story is true or not. Stories that have to be told are prompted by cards within each book. Guess correctly and earn a point, but make a mistake about whether the story is true or not and you lose a point. The first to twenty-one points wins. These are family games that you can play with extended family members over the holidays. In the times of COVID-19, it can easily be translated to virtual get togethers, too.

A Q&A with Andrew Altschul, author of The Gringa

A Conversation with Gregory Erich Phillips, author of Love of Finished Years and The Exile

Be sure to read MK French's review of Love of Finished Years. She'll be reviewing his upcoming novel The Exile in April. For now, enjoy thi interview with Gregory Erich Phillips.

Meet Ana from An Unexpected Escapade by Kandi J. Wyatt

This middle-grades fantasy is releasing on April 9th! Pre-order now for just 99 cents!

Today, we get to know Ana, one of the characters in this new book from Kandi J. West. Keep reading after the interview to enter the giveaway.

An Interview with Kathy Curto

Kathy Curto is the author of NOT FOR NOTHING: Glimpses Into a Jersey Girlhood. Be sure to read MK French's review.

Interview with Diane May, author of EVO

by MK French

Recently, I reviewed the crime thriller Evo by Diane May. She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions about her debut novel.

Q&A with Jeff Henrikson, Author of A PRAYER FOR PEACE Series

Jeff Henrikson recently released the third book in his sword & sorcery series A Prayer for Peace. Learn more about his new book Do the Gods Give Us Hope? in this interview.

Q&A with Elizabeth Hutchinson Bernard, Author of Temptation Rag

Elizabeth Hutchinson Bernard is celebrating the release of her new historical novel this week. She was kind of nice to give an interview to let you know more about her and her novel Temptation Rag.

Interview with Cynthia Robinson, author of BIRDS OF WONDER

Cynthia Robinson's debut novel Birds of Wonder hits shelves on February 20. Today, Cynthia shares a bit about her new crime novel and her writing in general.

Interview with Elise Juska

Today we welcome author Elise Juska as she discusses her novel The Blessings. It looks like it would make a great book to read over Thanksgiving.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. 

How did you come up with the characters for this novel? Is THE BLESSINGS in any way autobiographical? 

In some ways, yes. I grew up in a large, close extended family based in Northeast Philadelphia, so the rhythms and dynamics of that kind of family—lots of first cousins, lots of well-worn traditions—are very familiar to me. The central loss in the Blessing family, the death of a young uncle, resonates for me personally too. In my family, two uncles died quite young; both left behind small children. So that particular absence—and the way the family shifts to accommodate it—is one that has shaped my own family over time, and something I've tried to write about for years.

Thinking about specific characters and considering from whose points of view to tell the story, I was conscious of exploring different facets of big family life. None of the characters is strictly autobiographical, but some are inflected by members of my own family. Helen was influenced to some degree by my grandmother. Abby, the college-bound niece in the opening chapter, is me-like. Others, like the troubled nephew Stephen, are completely fictional (though my real-life male cousins are now routinely asked: “are you the bad kid?”).

What are you working on now? Where did the idea come from? 

The new novel originated in a specific moment, watching the news after the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech. I was watching an interview with an English professor who had taught the shooter and tried to alert authorities to the violent material in his work. As a teacher myself—I’ve taught creative writing at the college level for about twenty years—I've long been afraid of this scenario: a student writes a troubling paper, that trouble goes undetected, and something terrible happens. It’s a fear I imagine many teachers—especially writing teachers, especially in this contemporary moment—can relate to, and a story I feel compelled to write. In the novel’s opening pages, an English professor learns that the gunman in a shooting at her local mall is her former student. From there, the story traces the ripple effect of this event on the teacher and her family after she digs up an old essay by this student and discovers hints of his violent nature that she may have missed.

How has teaching writing informed your own work?

One of the things I value about teaching writing is that it gives me the opportunity to articulate what I believe about fiction, what I love about fiction, then go back to my own desk and try to live up to those ideals. In that way, to teach is to constantly remind myself what matters most to me about what I do and why I do it.

More specifically, and recently, there’s a simple prompt I sometimes offer my beginning writing students if they’re stuck for story ideas, which is to just ask the question: "what if?" Take some kernel of fear or guilt, some small true observation or experience, and ask: what if it were bigger? more meaningful? more irrevocable? See what happens if you exploit it, enlarge it, give it more weight. I wasn’t thinking consciously of this when I started my new novel, but in hindsight, I feel that I applied the "what if?" treatment to one of my own fears.

What is your writing process like? How do you find the time?

I’ve always been a disciplined writer, though it doesn’t feel like discipline to me; writing is the thing I’ve always most wanted to be doing. During the academic year (I direct the undergraduate Creative Writing program at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia) I tend to focus on revising, then devote summers to generating new work. For the last ten years or so, I’ve spent those summers up in Maine, alone, writing in a little cottage in the woods. I like to write early in the morning before the rest of the world is awake, and keep at it for as many hours as the day allows.

Since the birth of my son eight months ago, my schedule is quite different, but I’ve learned a few things about myself as a writer: I’m more flexible about my writing conditions than I imagined; given less time to write, I’m actually even more focused while doing it; and it is possible to work on a novel by reaching across a sleeping baby and typing on a laptop propped on one’s knees.

Do you have any recommendations of recent novels you particularly enjoyed?

I just devoured the new Anne Enright, The Green Road, about a complicated Irish family. Enright’s novels feel so lived in, the sentences so graceful and lovely yet unsentimental and sometimes devastating at the same time. Staying with the complicated-family theme, I also recently enjoyed Maile Meloy’s Liars and Saints and Akhil Sharma’s Family Life.

Buy The Blessings at Amazon

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

10 Questions with Allan Topol, author of WASHINGTON POWER PLAY

Washington Power Play is Allan Topol’s 13th novel of international intrigue. Two of them, Spy Dance and Enemy My Enemy, were national bestsellers. His novels have been translated into Japanese, Portuguese and Hebrew. One was optioned and three are in development for movies. More recently, many of his books focused on his Craig Page series, including The Argentine Triangle, The Russian Endgame, Spanish Revenge, China Gambit and Italian Divide.

In addition to his fiction writing, Allan Topol co-authored a two-volume legal treatise entitled Superfund Law and Procedure. A graduate of Yale University Law School, he is a partner in a major Washington law firm, and has traveled extensively researching locations for his novels. He wrote a weekly column for Military.com and has published articles in numerous periodicals including the New York Times, Washington Post, and Yale Law Journal. He also has blogged for Huffington Post. For more information, visit www.allantopol.com.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

How is WASHINGTON POWER PLAY timely in today's political world?

May 2017; SelectBooks; 978-1590794258
ebook, print (320); political thriller

Washington Power Play deals with an effort by the Chinese government to influence a US presidential election. Right now, no topic could be more timely than a foreign government's attempt to influence a US presidential election. The lead story in the media day after day is whether Russia influenced the election of President Trump.  Two years ago when I wrote Washington Power Play, dealing with China's effort to control the election of the US president, I had no idea that my book, when published, would be so timely.

How did you decide to write about a plot initiated by a foreign government to support a candidate for President of the United States?

I am and have been an attorney in Washington and a partner in one of the most influential law firms in this city. Though I have never held a position in government, I have been on the fringe of our nation's political process.  In this position, I have observed how vulnerable our presidential election process is to outside manipulation by those with large amounts of money who want to elect a president who will support their agenda. Starting with this fact, it was a relatively small leap to ask what if the Chinese government wanted to manipulate the election to put someone in the White House who would support their agenda. That is the premise of Washington Power Play.

Does it mirror what is being discussed about Russia today and President Trump?

Washington Power Play goes one step beyond what is being discussed about President Trump and Russia in the media. In Washington Power Play, the foreign government involved, namely China, has selected the individual, General Cartwright, an American military hero, who they would like to be US president, encouraged him to run, and arranged financing for his campaign.  Cartwright, a complex character, does not view himself as a traitor.  Rather, he is convinced that he is advancing an agenda in co-ordination with the Chinese which he believes is in the best interests of the US.

Why did you choose to write about China?

As the twenty-first century is evolving, China has emerged as the primary rival of the United States economically, militarily, and diplomatically. The Economist wrote on April 1, 2017, that China is challenging the US for the world leadership it has exercised since the end of World War II. In this effort, the Chinese have launched wide-ranging spy efforts in the United States. Two examples were uncovered recently.  One involved a high-level career official with the State Department who accepted cash and gifts for many years to pass classified US political and economic information to the Chinese.  The other involved an American energy engineer procuring nuclear know-how for the Chinese.  These are only two examples of real-life Chinese espionage in the US which is a critical part of Washington Power Play.

How do you research topics for your book?

I read a great deal about history and geopolitical events throughout the world. I also travel to foreign locations to obtain background for my novels. I have been to China, France, Israel, Italy, Spain, Argentina, and Japan, among other countries researching my novels.  Also, the internet is a wonderful source of information that enhances research.

For Washington Power Play, I not only visited China, but immersed myself in China political, military and strategic matters both in books and on the internet. I spoke with people possessing China expertise.  In addition, I read biographies of Chinese leaders such as Deng and Mao to understand what was motivating them as they led the Chinese effort to surpass the US.

What is your background in understanding power in the Beltway?

For more than thirty years I have been a partner in one of Washington's most influential law firms.  In my work, I have argued in the Supreme Court and many lower courts. I have dealt with numerous governmental agencies. I have spent time and worked with individuals holding positions at the highest levels of the US government and some foreign governments as well as those in the media.  From this close contact and involvement, I have observed the exercise of power inside the Beltway. I have watched the unfolding of the never-ending crises, including infighting, struggles for power, the pursuit of personal agendas, corruption, and sexual scandals that grip Washington in every Administration.  All of this was very helpful in writing Washington Power Play.

What motivates you to write as this is now your thirteenth book of international intrigue?

I write novels because I care deeply about geopolitical affairs. Fiction is a very effective vehicle to convey ideas about geopolitical issues.  My goal is to entertain readers with page-turning suspenseful novels, with strong characters, male and female, like Kelly Cameron, the protagonist of Washington Power Play. At the same time, I want to educate readers, not with characters who lecture but with the unfolding story.

What's the best advice you received about writing that you still use?

The best advice is: make your novel a page-turner, make your readers want to know what happens next, and create compelling characters. To achieve this, I recommend that you start with a three-sentence synopsis of your story.  Then prepare a detailed outline, scene by scene.  Mine are typically 40 or 50 pages.  When you write, you may not follow this outline precisely, but it is critical to have the blueprint.  You would not build a house without detailed plans. Once you have the outline, prepare profiles of your three or four main characters, what they look like, their backgrounds, personalities, and strengths and weaknesses. Make them compelling.  You must get to know them yourself.  When you have done all of these things, you can begin to write.  Also, write your first draft in a white heat---straight through to the end. Do not revise until you have completed the first draft.

How did you choose your characters names?

For the names of the Chinese characters in Washington Power Play, when I was at the Aspen Music Festival, I studied the names of the Chinese musicians in the programs for various events.  For foreign names, I use history books about the country as a source.  More generally, I try to pick names which seem to me like the characters they represent.  Occasionally, I use the name of someone I know.  For example, in Spy Dance, I used Sagit for the name of my main Israeli intelligence agent. Sagit was the name of a good friend of my daughter in school; her father had been a military hero.

Any more books on the horizon? Where will it take place?

My next, fourteenth novel, will again feature Craig Page and Elizabeth Crowder as the protagonists.  They were the lead characters in five of my prior novels but did not appear in Washington Power Play. That next novel will be focused on Hungary and much of the book will take place in Budapest which I visited last fall. Part of the action will also take place in Paris, Tel Aviv, Moscow, and Washington. After that, I am developing a story that revolves around Iran.

Buy Washington Power Play at Amazon


Meet Allan Topol in person at one of his upcoming book signing events:

Saturday, November 4
International Spy Museum 800 F Street, NW, Wash DC
11-4 p.m.

Saturday, November 11
Barnes & Noble Phil., PA, Rittenhouse Square
11-3 p.m.

Saturday, December 2
Barnes & Noble Ellicott City, MD
11-3 p.m.

Wednesday, November 29
University Club Washington, D.C.
6-8 p.m.

Sunday, December 3
Barnes & Noble Tysons Corner, VA
11-3 p.m.

Monday, December 10
Barnes & Noble Calabasas, CA
Noon-3 p.m.

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Review & Interview: Pop-Out Girl by Irene Woodbury

Review by Susan Roberts

June 2017; SynergEbooks; 978-0744323344
ebook, print (230 pages); women's fiction

When I first saw the cover of Pop-Out Girl, I wasn't sure that I would enjoy it but this is a book that you can't judge by seeing the cover.  The book was well written and a lot of fun to read.  I want to thank the author for a copy of this book to read and review.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. From Jen and her quest to find love to her mom Brandi who has tried her best to raise Jen in the glitter of Las Vegas.

I liked the way that the author told the story with five main chapters that each covered the story of two of the characters both past and present. That made it possible to get the entire story on each character and their interaction with each other. For example, one chapter was Brandi and Matt and it told the story of their ill fated love for each other.

Pop-Out Girl was fun to read and well written and even though I couldn't identify with any of the characters, I enjoyed reading about them and understanding why they each turned out the way that they did.

The story is dramatic and fast paced and starts right from page one when Zane kidnaps Jen and forces her to marry him. Trust me, there was never a dull moment in this book. I highly recommend it if you enjoy reading fast paced and dramatic stories.

Buy Pop-Out Girl at Amazon

The Interview

I sent some questions to the author and she graciously returned her answers so that could learn more about her and her writing process.

Was this your first book?

This is my third novel. The first one was a humor book, the second, dramatic. All three have been primarily set in Las Vegas. I love the constant interplay of reality, fantasy, and illusion. It’s a very compelling energy that stimulates creativity.

Where did you get the idea for the book?  

I was in Las Vegas working on my second novel and one night as I was standing on a corner about to cross, I got an idea for a novel about a man who comes here on business, meets a showgirl, and forms a friendly relationship with her--without knowing she’s his biological child from his first love that he was engaged to. The showgirl becomes involved with a colleague of his. Complications ensue after she discovers who her real father is. That was the basis for Pop-Out Girl.

Do you live in Las Vegas? or have you visited it?

I have never lived in Las Vegas, but every winter, for the past 10 years, my husband and I have spent a couple of months there working on books as we escape the cold weather in Denver.

I was a travel writer for five years. That’s how I fell in love with Las Vegas. Not as a tourist, but as a writer working stories that excited me. That evolved into writing novels set there.

When you go to Vegas, do you play the slot machines (I always lose!) or just go to shows? 

I go to shows occasionally, but I always play the slots. After a long, hard day in front of a computer, a slot can take your mind off everything. I always say:  It’s cheaper than therapy. Let’s hope so. I have never left Vegas a winner. Never. I have days when I win and days when I lose, but by the end of the trip, I’m always in the red. It’s ridiculous.

How long have you wanted to be an author?  

I spent my twenties reading the novels of Henry James and Edith Wharton. They were literary gods to me. It was a fantasy, but I never dreamt I would be able to write novels of my own. I think it was always a hope, a dream—since childhood. I was an observer.

About the Book

When Zane Hollister returns home to Las Vegas after two years in prison and discovers his showgirl-lover is with another guy, he goes ballistic. After stalking and taunting the couple for months, his toxic jealousy takes a darker turn. To wipe out new boyfriend Colton, Zane masterminds a devilish zip line accident and a terrifying car crash. When those fail, he resorts to kidnapping Jen and forcing her to marry him. And it gets even worse when Zane shoots Colton’s boss, Matt, by mistake as he aims for Colton in a horrific drive-by shooting.

With Matt lingering in a coma, Jen’s cocktail-waitress mother, Brandi, absorbs a seismic shock of her own. After hearing Matt’s name on the local news, she realizes he’s her first love of decades past—and Jen’s real father.

Will Matt emerge from his coma to reunite with Brandi and Jen? Do the cops nab Zane, who’s hiding out in Hawaii? And can Jen and Colton’s love survive Zane’s lethal jealousy?

There’s a happy ending for some, but not for all, in Pop-Out Girl.

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling.  She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their family and friends.  She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with her on Facebook.

Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Interview with H.G. McKinnis, Author of A Justified Bitch

Today, we welcome H.G. McKinnis, author of A Justified Bitch. 

You live in Las Vegas, and that’s also where your book is set. Why do you think this city provides such a rich backdrop for storytelling.

For starters, Las Vegas is a 24-hour town. Where else can you golf or go bowling at two in the morning and follow it up with a meal at a nice restaurant before sunrise?  Another amazing feature is that, as a resident, I don’t really have to travel. The whole world comes here – not only to gamble and drop inhibitions, but to conduct business, get married, and go to school. For a relatively young city, Las Vegas has a rich, fascinating history. Who would have thought that a tiny Mormon fort surrounded by desert would grow into a metropolis of two million in just over a century? Add in mobsters, showgirls, and nuclear physicists testing bombs, and you get a history that’s any novelist’s dream. I’ll never run out of stories.


Amazon affiliate links are used on this site.

August 2017; Imbrifex; 978-0997236958
ebook, audio, print (311 pages); thriller

Without giving too much away, what would you say is the main conflict in A Justified Bitch?

Helen’s overabundance of cats and ever-increasing hoard have reached critical levels, but her family—out of town and busy with their lives—are unaware of the growing complexities of her situation. When Helen is entangled in a murder investigation, the family can no longer look the other way. As they struggle to rescue Helen, they must reexamine their own relationships and identities.


Most books that really connect with readers speak to some universal truths. What universal truths are illustrated or discussed in your book?

Siblings are a pain in the ass!

Seriously, familial relationships are complex and demanding. They also shape our identities.


Can you tell readers how your personal background and experience informed your writing for A Justified Bitch?

I’ve lived in Las Vegas all my life and have answered the siren call of swap meets and thrift stores since I was a teenager. Because Las Vegas has a diverse and transient population, treasure hunting at bargain venues is always extra-rewarding.

Losing my husband has given me insight into the mental gymnastics needed to keep the pain at bay. I’m no Helen, but I have no trouble understanding how hoarding helped her cope with her loss.


Why did you choose to write about a hoarder?

I’ve met a number of hoarders in my life. I noticed early on that they all had interesting and complex back stories. Many people are unaware of the hoarders in their own lives. Ashamed, hoarders hide their condition to avoid embarrassment.


Is it possible to have a normal life in Las Vegas?

You’re asking a fish to describe water! I’ve lived here most of my life. I feel comfortable, productive, and… normal. And so do all the other nude dressers I’ve worked with!


In A Justified Bitch, we notice the characters going through financial hardship and the toll it takes on them. In your opinion, how does the economy affect the lives of everyday people?

An entrepreneurial spirit and willingness to work hard are hallmarks of many Las Vegans. The glamor of the city is a show we put on for tourists, and it takes legions of committed and diligent people to produce the experience visitors expect. When the economy sours and jobs dry up, we all have a choice: double down or leave town. It makes me proud that the prevailing attitude among true Las Vegans is: work harder.

Buy A Justified Bitch at Amazon

About the Author:

A life-long resident of Las Vegas and alumna of the University of Nevada, H.G. McKinnis knows her city as only a local can. By night she fluffs feathers and attaches rhinestones to the exotic wardrobes of the most glamorous venues on the strip, by day McKinnis writes about the often hardscrabble lives of her fellow desert denizens and the unlikely city they inhabit. A Justified Bitch, a twisted tale of insanity, murder, and redemption, is her first novel.

Learn more about H.G. McKinnis at AJustifiedBitch.com, on Twitter, Facebook and at Imbrifex Books.


Get even more book news in your inbox, sign up today! Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Interview with Author Sherri Smith (@SL_Smith_)

by Donna Huber

On Monday, I chatted with Sherri Smith about her new release FOLLOW ME DOWN which came out Tuesday, Learn about exciting release day parties when you have small children, Sherri's passion for vanities, her favorite HGTV shows and more.


Hi, Sherri. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Hi! Well, I live in Winnipeg Manitoba with my family (and large extended family), where I question my sanity every winter. Moving never wins out, because I know where everything is, and not wanting to leave your house several months out of the year is a great way to keep you in your chair writing.


Tomorrow (Tuesday, March 21) is a big day for you as your new thriller FOLLOW ME DOWN comes out. Do you have any fun plans to mark the day?

Well, that all depends if we’re able to get another babysitter since ours just canceled. If not, we’ll be heading out to a place where the tables are decked out with coloring mats, three primary color crayons and picking out a toy at the end from a germy treasure chest is the main event.  I’m thinking Boston Pizza just before 5 pm? There better be a good drink special!

That sounds like fun, but then again I spent my weekend with my parents at a charity thrift sale. So I'm all into spending time with family.


I love stories with great characters. Who is your favorite character in FOLLOW ME DOWN? Why?

Well, I’d have to say Mia of course. I love how flawed she is, how her gummy brain works, how she can twist things to suit whatever she’s chasing down. I admire her loyalty and how she keeps her snarky humor going because I think it’s true of how a lot of people cope with their dark childhoods.


How did this story come about? What was your approach to writing FOLLOW ME DOWN? Do you have any writing rituals?

Follow Me Down started with an image of a semi-rundown apartment block with a rusty looking pool in the back. There’s a teen girl in the pool, floating on an air mattress. She has that look girls this age can have, a kind of mournful sadness. I kept wondering, who is this girl? Why is she so sad? Who did she lose? Does she belong there or not?

From there, a plot and characters eventually swirled together through sheer will.

My writing approach is to write out a thousand worthless drafts until I get something I am happy with. So y’know ‘efficient,’ is NOT a nickname I go by.

I don’t really have any writing rituals because I have small children and I’m no longer allowed that luxury (unless you want to call short, frantic bursts of writing while hiding from them, a ritual?)

Basically, I wanted to write a book I’d want to read. That’s it.


I've read that you enjoy restoring furniture. What is your favorite piece you've done or are you working on a piece now? Do you have a favorite DIY television show (I personally love Fixer Upper)?

I mainly restore bedroom vanities. I love these old pieces, and I am always surprised that they ever fell out of popularity. You get to have all of your make-up in one spot, a stool and mirror so you can sit and gaze at yourself (hey, they’re called vanities for a reason,) there’s room to enjoy a glass of wine or two (so you think you look better than you do.) You get to feel connected to all the other women who sat there before you, probably worrying about the same things. I love them. They’re such romantic pieces.

My favorite vanity that I worked on was this old ornate piece from the turn (of the last) century that once belonged to a professional clown. This red make-up just kept bleeding through the stain I was using. It was so creepy but it turned out beautifully.

I can watch HGTV all day long. I love Property Brothers, House Hunters International (it makes me daydream,) Leave It to Bryan. I could go on!

I'm so looking for a vanity for my bedroom. (I've wanted one since I watched Downton Abbey). I found a lovely vanity stool at last year's thrift sale, but so far no dice on a vanity to go with it. Too bad you're in Canada otherwise you might have been able to hook me up. I could go one about furniture projects, but let's get back to your writing projects.


Do you have any new writing projects in the works that you can share with us?

I am currently writing another suspense novel. I don’t want to say too much about it at this point other than it takes place at a wellness retreat, involves psychotropic tea and murder.


Thank you for taking the time to chat with me today and good luck with the release of FOLLOW ME DOWN tomorrow.

Thank you so much having me!


If haven't already, be sure to read MK French's review of FOLLOW ME DOWN. Buy your copy at Amazon or enter the giveaway below.


About Sherri Smith

When not writing SHERRI SMITH spends time with her family and two rescue dogs, and restores vintage furniture that would otherwise be destined for the dump. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, where the long, cold winters nurture her dark side. FOLLOW ME DOWN is her first thriller. Visit her online at http://www.sherri-smith.com/, and on Twitter, @SL_Smith_.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Review: A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline #MondayBlogs

by Susan Roberts

February 2017; William Marrow; 978-0062356260
ebook & print (320 pages); historical fiction 

I loved this author's first book, Orphan Train, and couldn't wait to read her new book which published in late February.  A Piece of the World was different but as good as her first book.

This was a beautifully written book about someone who spent their entire life in one small piece of the world but left a legacy that has been seen all over the world.

Christina Olson was born and lived her entire life in a farmhouse in Cushing, Maine. When she was young, the house was full of her brothers, her parents and her grandmother. It was a working farm and there were always chores to be done and mischief to get into with her brothers. When she was about 10, she got very sick and was never able to walk well again. Even though her disease was never diagnosed in the book, it appeared to be some type of muscular weakness that progressively got worse. She loved school but when she got to 8th grade, her parents decided that it was time for her to stay home and help with the house. With no electricity or running water, her work was difficult and tedious.  The author describes all that she had to go through to keep the farm running.  Her mother was of little help and her father thought that it was her job to do the work.  All of her brothers except one found life outside the farm and moved away.  When Christina was much older and only she and her brother remained at the farmhouse, which was very run down. Andrew Wyeth, the famous American painter came to town to visit friends and decided that he wanted to paint at the farm house. He spent the next 20+ summers painting in Cushing Maine and the farmhouse and Christine become his muse. She becomes his model for his famous painting "Christina's World".

Andrew Wyeth, Museum of Modern Art, NY
image from Wikipedia

A Piece of the World is so well written and tells a story about someone that I never knew existed despite the fact that I have seen the painting. Christina's life was centered on her family and her farmhouse and her life of chores despite the constant pain she was in. She was a wonderful well-written character and one that I won't soon forget.

Buy A Piece of the World at Amazon

Christian Baker Kline speaks about writing A Piece of the World:

Susan Roberts was born and raised in Michigan but after college decided that she wanted to live somewhere much warmer.  Susan lives in North Carolina when she isn't traveling.  She and her husband enjoy traveling, gardening and spending time with their grandson.  Susan reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction and thrillers. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.

Interview with Christine Brae, author of In This Life

Today is my birthday. We are also celebrating the 6th anniversary of Girl Who Reads. And what is a celebration without surprises? We are once again offering a mystery box giveaway! It will be filled with a book or two and other bookish goodies. I do hope you will enter.

Christine Brae, author of In This Life, is joining us today and has graciously offered an item for the mystery box.

In This Life follows the story of Anna Dillon, who wants to escape her busy life in New York City before she starts medical school in the spring. She ends up volunteering on a medical mission in Thailand with her best friend, Dante. There she meets the passionate and enigmatic Jude Grayson. They’re immediately drawn to him and they share a brief, but fervent affair.

Then Anna has to rush home for a medical emergency, and Jude promises that he’ll stay in touch. But he doesn’t, and Anna tries desperately to move on.

Five years later, and she’s married Dante, after giving up hope that Jude will ever return. And then one day, in a chance meeting, they come face to face again. then she learns the life-altering secret of why Jude never called, and why they can’t be together. But passion that ignited on that Thai beach never died, and it becomes impossible for them to stay apart.

1.) What inspired you to write In This Life?
I wrote In This Life at a time when I was searching for answers for the inexplicable things that had happened to me in the last two years. My books are a reflection of my emotions and feelings at various stages in my life. The stories may or may not be all fiction, but the emotions, thoughts, and words are real.

2.) What made you decide to set part of the book in Thailand?
I have a wonderful job that allows me to travel to many cool places. I try to take the reader with me with every book I write, by showing them parts of the world that they may have never visited. In This Life is about a girl who goes on a mission to help the less fortunate who suffered from a natural calamity. I chose this setting simply because it was where the tsunami happened in early 2000.

3.) In This Life was just optioned to become a movie? How does that feel?
Oh my gosh! I still can’t believe that it happened! I mean, how funny is it that someone reads your book by mistake, gets hooked, and contacts you about optioning it for film? And then, that person becomes your friend! Sometimes, I forget how famous Adrian and Emmanuelle really are. They are just so down to earth and real, it’s like finding a long lost friend and picking up where you leave off.

4.) Are there any secrets or details that you’re allowed to share? Will you be involved in the screenwriting process?
I’m just so fortunate that the actors who optioned the book are keeping me so involved and updated every step of the way! As everyone knows, it takes a very long time to make a movie. Adrian feels so strongly about keeping the essence of the story intact, that they have been in discussions with screenwriters for quite a while. I am happy to report that we should have a screenplay in the next few weeks.

5.) Aside from the movie option, is there anything else you’ve got planned for the future?
The movie option was the highlight of my 2016 year! I am so looking forward to the next phase of this process and seeing who will be cast as Jude and Dante! But I must tell you – I have a new book, Eight Goodbyes – which I just finished and am so proud to share with you this year. It’s a simple, not angsty, not tear-jerkery book that I really think you’ll enjoy. The movie and a new book and two book tours this year – I think I can tell you that I’ve got 2017 well covered.

About the Author:

Christine Brae is a full time career woman who thought she could write a book about her life and then run away as far as possible from it. She never imagined that her words would touch the hearts of so many women with the same story to tell. Christine is the author of The Light in the Wound, His Wounded Light (2013), Insipid (2014). Her new book, In This Life, released in 2016. Visit her website

Mystery Box Giveaway:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Get even more book news in your inbox by signing up for our newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mHTVL. Girl Who Reads is an Amazon advertising affiliate; a small commission is earned when purchases are made at Amazon using any Amazon links on this site. Thank you for supporting Girl Who Reads.