Alison Gaylin joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, The Collective, which looks at a collision of grief, obsession, and rage amongst a group of women who have lost their children at the hands of murderers. Camille, who tragically lost her daughter, is approached by a woman who says, “I know who you are. I know how you feel.” From there, she senses a kinship with the people in The Collective. Camille tries to decide if the woman of The Collective are truly avenging angels or monsters. Alison shares how she researched this dark topic, including her view on the dark web. She talks about ramping up the tension, confessing to scaring herself a few times as she wrote. They also talk about monsters, both real and imagined. The ending is one that Carol did not see coming. Did Alison? Book Discussed in This Episode: The Collective by Alison Gaylin https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-collective-by-alison-gaylin More Bookreporter Talks To: Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM Everything We Didn't Say: https://youtu.be/UyjRqnyTrLc Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Nicole Baart joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, Everything We Didn't Say, which is the #1 Book of the Month Club selection for October and a Bookreporter Bets On pick. Everything We Didn't Say is set in small town in Iowa and is told in dual time periods. The earlier time period follows siblings Juniper and Jonathan, who grow up on a small farm. Juniper leaves when she's 19, shortly after a neighboring farm couple are murdered. For years, Jonathan has been a prime suspect. Now Juniper is back to defend him, and a true-crime podcaster is hot on the trail of the unsolved mystery. The story is a slow burn that gets more and more intense as the pages flip, and Carol talks about how she did not see the ending coming. Nicole loves true-crime podcasts and talks about their influence on her. She shares what attracts her to writing about small towns, as well as her inspiration for the story. She talks about her nonprofit organization, One Body One Hope, its mission, and how it impacted her life. And we get to hear a little about what she's working on next. Book Discussed in This Episode: Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/everything-we-didnt-say More Bookreporter Talks To: Maid by Stephanie Land: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM Smile: The Story of a Face: https://youtu.be/n9JnKtcWr0k The Secret of Snow: https://youtu.be/f0jf_yN0iJM Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Wade Rouse joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about The Secret of Snow, his latest novel written under his pen name, Viola Shipman. Set in Northern Michigan, it’s the story of a Palm Springs meteorologist who heads back to her frigid hometown after she is replaced by a virtual meteorologist that will never age, gain weight, or renegotiate its contract. Now she has to confront her past --- and try to move forward in the town she ran from years ago. Wade talks about how deeply personal this book was for him. They discuss Ginger Zee, the history of snowmen, winter sports, and Wade’s snowbird life in Palm Springs. He also talks about what’s next for him in fiction writing as Viola Shipman -- The Edge of Summer coming July 2022 -- and in nonfiction with a new memoir, Magic Season: A Son's Story, coming in May 2022. Book discussed in this episode: The Secret of Snow by Viola Shipman https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-secret-of-snow More Bookreporter Talks To: Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ Maid: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM Smile: The Story of a Face: https://youtu.be/n9JnKtcWr0k Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Sarah Ruhl is a playwright, essayist, and poet, as well as a two time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award nominee. Sarah joins Carol Fitzgerald and Austin Ruh to discuss her memoir, Smile: The Story of a Face. Smile is the story of Sarah Ruhl's decade long journey with Bell's palsy, as well as her experiences as a mother and artist. After surviving a high-risk pregnancy, half of her face is left paralyzed. She's told that most patients recover within a few days, but Sarah's face doesn't go back to normal. Her life is roses to the public, with a play going up on Broadway and her family growing, but she struggles with happiness, both in what others can see on her face and what she reflects on internally. Sarah talks to Carol and Austin about how people feel emotion, and especially in how external expressions have the power to control our own feelings. She discusses beauty, symmetry, and expression. Then about her writing, how her story grew into a memoir, how certain writing projects are handled differently, and a bit about what she's working on next. Book discussed in this episode: Smile: The Story of a Face by Sarah Ruhl https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/smile-the-story-of-a-face More Bookreporter Talks To: The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ Maid: https://youtu.be/TlsUW9ZbbbM Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com

Stephanie Land is the author of the New York Times bestseller, Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive, which is now a successful Netflix series. Carol Fitzgerald had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie in two pre-publication interviews in 2019, when Maid was selected as a Bookreporter Bets On Selection. Netflix recently released a brilliant 10-part series called Maid with Margaret Qualley based on the book, which is back on the bestseller list. Before the book, Stephanie Land wrote a piece on Vox that went viral, and that led literary agents to ask for book on the topic. She discusses her meetings with the producers and writers of the Netflix show, where she shared both memories and photos, and she talks about scenes that still resonate with her. Stephanie and Carol talk about elements that enhanced the show that weren't in the book. They catch up on where she is now in life and what she's writing next. Books discussed in this episode: Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother's Will to Survive by Stephanie Land https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/maid-hard-work-low-pay-and-a-mothers-will-to-survive Watch the Netflix show: https://www.netflix.com/title/81166770 More Bookreporter Talks To: You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64 The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk Last Girl Ghosted: https://youtu.be/rv8j5gSQXFQ Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Lisa Unger joins Carol to talk about her new novel, Last Girl Ghosted, which is her 19th book. Last Girl Ghosted begins with a story many young people in the dating scene may be familiar with. A young woman meets the “perfect guy” on a dating app. They go on a date, then another, and she falls head over heels for him. But then he disappears, and she's left ghosted. It's as if he never existed at all, no social media or working phone. That’s what happens to Wren, but soon she finds she is not the only woman this guy ghosted. There’s something else going on --- all of the other women who dated him have gone missing. Lisa talks to Carol about the ways apps have changed dating life, and what that means for those entering the dating world. She also talks about how she developed this story and its characters, as well as what she has on tap next, even as she does this tour. Books discussed in this episode: Last Girl Ghosted by Lisa Unger https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/last-girl-ghosted More Bookreporter Talks To: In Every Mirror She's Black: https://youtu.be/QwMDl_RZ4LA You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64 The Night She Disappeared: https://youtu.be/053PmMGI1wk Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Lisa Jewell, the New York Times bestselling author, talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her newest thriller, The Night She Disappeared, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. As The Night She Disappeared opens, a young, suburban couple has been missing for a year. A mystery writer moves in near the estate where the disappearance took place and, on a walk one day, she comes across a note that reads, "Dig Here." From that one clue, the unsolved case gets opened up again. Lisa talks about her inspiration, where her writing of the story started, and how she unfolded the story from there. Lisa also shares how her looming deadline during the pandemic upended her writing routine. She shares a bit about her next book, which will be a sequel! Books discussed in this episode: The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/the-night-she-disappeared-by-lisa-jewell/about More Bookreporter Talks To: Clark and Division: https://youtu.be/K_FH3j4ctcU In Every Mirror She's Black: https://youtu.be/QwMDl_RZ4LA You Belong Here Now: https://youtu.be/WrWalnHCZ64 Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Dianna Rostad talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her debut novel, You Belong Here Now, which received this praise from William Kent Krueger: “I love this book, and I guarantee you won’t find a better debut novel anywhere.” You Belong Here Now is about three orphans who journey west from New York City on one of the infamous orphan trains. On the train, the orphans come up with a plan to jump off in Montana to seek a life all their own. They find themselves on a ranch on Montana where they quickly work to adapt to ranch life. The two older boys work as ranch hands under the doubtful eye of a young woman whose family owns the ranch. She worries that the arrival of these orphans will get in the way of her plan to someday run the family property. Along the way, the orphans and the ranch family blend in a way that brings healing for all of them. Dianna, who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, talks to Carol about how the place inspired her. Her family has a long history in Montana, and her father was a huge influence on the book. Books discussed in this episode: You Belong Here Now by Dianna Rostad https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/you-belong-here-now/about More Bookreporter Talks To: Damnation Spring: https://youtu.be/QlEcbVNmpCs Clark and Division: https://youtu.be/K_FH3j4ctcU In Every Mirror She's Black: https://youtu.be/QwMDl_RZ4LA Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her debut novel, In Every Mirror She's Black. Lolá was born in Nigeria and lived in the States for a long time before moving to Sweden. She is an award winning author, speaker, and photographer who has traveled the globe for her work. In Every Mirror She's Black is told through the perspectives of three women. Kemi Adeyemi, is a marketing executive living in the United States, who is hired by a major Sweden marketing company to help them with their diversity efforts with branding. The company is recovering from a brutal faux paux. Brittany-Rae Johnson is a former model now working as a flight attendant, and she is charmed by the owner of the Swedish marketing company. The third woman, Muna Saheed, is a refugee seeking residency in Sweden. She works at a cleaning company and one of their clients is the forestated marketing company. Each of the women is black, and that is what people see first. But from there, each is perceived differently according to her station in life. Lolá talks to Carol about the ways in which Swedish racism differs from the racism commonly discussed in America. She explains how she decided to use her characters to show this through their actions and reactions in ways that are both believable and realistic. They discuss some of the challenges Sweden still has left to overcome, and what we can all take away from them. This is the kind of book that can spur a terrific book club discussion. Books discussed in this episode: In Every Mirror She's Black by Lolá Ákínmádé Åkerström https://www.bookreporter.com/features/fiction-author-spotlight/in-every-mirror-shes-black More Bookreporter Talks To: Lightning Strike: https://youtu.be/Ylo8rzowHzM Clark and Division: https://youtu.be/K_FH3j4ctcU Damnation Spring: https://youtu.be/QlEcbVNmpCs Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald

Naomi Hirahara, the Edgar Award-winning author of the Mas Arai series, talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her latest historical mystery novel, Clark and Division, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Clark and Division tells the story of the Ito family who was detained first at Manzanar in California and then to Chicago in 1944 as Japanese Americans were moved by the government after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The oldest daughter, Rose, had gone on ahead of the family to Chicago, and they were eager to reconnect with her. But the day before the family arrives, Rose is killed in a subway accident, which is ruled a suicide. Aki doesn't believe that about her older sister Rose, and she embarks on a quest to unravel the truth about her death. Naomi talks to Carol about the research she did to tell this story, and how her nonfiction research on Japanese Americans inspires her fiction. She talks about her trip to Chicago, where she walked the streets of Clark and Division to absorb details shared in her writing. Clark and Division is so much different than most World War II historical novels, and they discuss how it would be perfect for book club discussions. Book Discussed in this Episode: Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara https://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/clark-and-division More Bookreporter Talks To: The Paper Palace: https://youtu.be/jYhiuOz7X3Q Lightning Strike: https://youtu.be/Ylo8rzowHzM Damnation Spring: https://youtu.be/QlEcbVNmpCs Check out our Bookaccino Book Club live events! Julie Clark: https://youtu.be/8AjJHRttMpU William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/dX-mHWLmv5k Sign up for the weekly Bookreporter.com newsletter here: http://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/bookreporter-weekly-newsletter-subscribe FOLLOW US Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Photography Credit: Greg Fitzgerald