Camille Pagán has us begging for more...plus a book giveaway

 

Credit: Liv in the Moment
Photography

We're excited to have Camille Pagán back at CLC today to talk about her latest novel, Dog Person, which will be available next week! Melissa enjoys Camille's novels and says that Dog Person is one of her best. Check out her review. We enjoyed chatting with Camille and hope you will have fun reading our interview. Thanks to Random House, we have one copy to give away!

Camille Pagán is the bestselling author of numerous novels about love and life’s what-ifs, including Good for You and Life and Other Near-Death Experiences. She has written for The New York Times, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parade, Real Simple, Time, and many others. When she’s not working on her next story, you’ll find Camille talking shop with writers, hanging out with her two kids, or trying to convince her husband they should adopt yet another animal. She and her family live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and spend as much time in Puerto Rico as possible.

Visit Camille online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:

Harold may be an aging mutt—but Amelia May, the romance novelist who adopted him, taught him a thing or two about the human heart before she died. And she left Harold with a final task: to help her partner, Miguel, find love again.

Trouble is, the grief-ridden recluse rarely goes out, not even to the bookstore he and Amelia owned together. Now it’s in danger of going under, and when a renowned author doesn’t show up for his event, it pushes the store’s already precarious finances into the red. In a final attempt to save the bookstore, Miguel and Harold set out to find the no-show and insist he fulfill his obligation. But instead they’re greeted by Fiona, his sunny yet secretive sister.

Fiona is intent on protecting her brother’s privacy—and to Harold’s horror, she doesn’t like dogs. But her precocious eleven-year-old daughter, who’s also named Amelia, immediately befriends Harold . . . and he can’t help but wonder if his Amelia was right when she said there are no coincidences in life.

Harold is quickly running out of time to accomplish his mission, but if he can just convince his infuriatingly stubborn person to let Fiona in, he’s certain Miguel will find something far more important than a missing author: his own happy ending.

Uplifting, smartly observed, and hilariously insightful, Dog Person is as undeniably charming as its beloved narrator, Harold, and offers a much-needed reminder that while not all love is unconditional, it is still always worthwhile. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Tender, heartwarming and true, Dog Person captures the devoted, unconditional love of a dog for their human and a human for their dog, and all the ways that love can both break us apart and put us back together.”

—Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times bestselling author of The Rewind

“Not since A Dog’s Purpose have I been so besotted by a novel’s canine. Just like a good dog, Harold and this beautiful book will break your heart open and mend it all at once.”

—Colleen Oakley, USA Today bestselling author of Jane and Dan at the End of the World

“Dog Person by Camille Pagán broke me in the best possible way. It’s a story that understands that a happy ending can hold sadness, too, and that moving on isn’t the same as letting go. Harold is an incredible narrator—tender, sharp, and unforgettable—the best animal voice since Marcellus the octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures. A beautiful reminder that broken hearts can learn to love again.”

—Ali Brady, USA Today bestselling author of Battle of the Bookstores

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
My favorite compliment will always be, “I read your book at the exact right time.” There’s nothing better than finding a story that speaks to whatever you’re currently going through in life. Honestly, that’s why I write. 
 
What were the biggest rewards and challenges with writing Dog Person? 
The biggest challenge was the ultimate reward—which was tapping into the psyche of a dog (to the best of my very human ability!) to explore how love helps us recover from loss. I wrote this novel after losing someone very close to me, and that was such a healing experience. 
 
If Dog Person was made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
A lot of Noah Kahan; I listened to "Forever" on repeat as I was writing and editing Dog Person. Throw in a little Julieta Venegas, Etta James’ "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man,” and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and you’ve got the perfect mood music for my novel.  
 
What is the last movie you saw that you would recommend? 
The Life List, which was adapted from Lori Nelson Spielman’s novel. Lori’s an old writing friend of mine—we’re actually doing an event together in April—and it was such a thrill to see her wonderful, heartwarming story on the big screen in a way that truly did it justice.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it?
If you’re giving me a choice, I’m going to have to pick Cher! She has that perfect mix of sarcasm and warmth that reflects my writing … and yes, the way I look at life. 
 
If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’m at my desk in Ann Arbor as I write this, so I’d take you over to one of my favorite local indie bookstores, Literati. Then we’d go have an amazing sandwich at Zingerman’s deli and drinks at York, which is where you’ll usually find me with friends on a Friday evening. 

Thanks to Camille for visiting with us and to Random House for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends April 5th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Last Woman of Warsaw

By Jami Denison

Jews murdered at synagogues and festivals. Jewish students harassed in schools and universities. Jewish businesses boycotted. Jewish customers kicked out of stores and restaurants. Jews being put on lists. Jews wondering if it’s time to leave their country. 1930s Germany? No. It’s happening now in Western democracies. Antisemitism has always been an early warning sign that something is really wrong in a nation. Countries that harm their Jewish population often go onto deeper horrors.

Non-fiction author Judy Batalion paints a picture of pre-World War II Poland in her debut novel, The Last Woman of Warsaw. Two young Jewish women struggle for independence as the clouds of antisemitism gather. Will they be able to protect themselves before it’s too late?

It’s 1938, and Fanny Zelshinsky, only daughter of a rich divorcee, is newly engaged. But she cares more about changing her college major from French to fine arts, and entering a photography show that would showcase her fashion photos. When her favorite professor Wanda Petrovsky disappears before she can approve Fanny’s transfer, Fanny becomes desperate to find her.

Grocer’s daughter Zosia Dror has left her shtetl for Warsaw in hopes of securing a visa to move to British Mandate for Palestine and play a part in securing the Jewish homeland there. But when the movement’s leader, Wanda Petrovsky, disappears, Zosia is torn between staying in Warsaw, returning to her family, or finding another way to create Eretz Israel. 

The women are polar opposites—Fanny fearless and outspoken, Zosia insecure and doubtful—and at first they clash as they seek to find Wanda. But as they keep running into each other, eventually they realize they’ll need each other to help their mentor—and for whatever else is coming. 

The Last Woman of Warsaw is unlike most books of the time period, which emphasize the danger the Jews are facing and usually conclude after the end of World War II. This novel is a slow burn, and Fanny in particular is so consumed with her photography and wanting to avoid her marriage that she barely notices the storm clouds. And while Zosia realizes danger is in the air, she’s so caught up in the politics of the movement—trying to figure out who’s really working to create a Jewish homeland and who only wants a ticket to Tel Aviv—and her crush on a co-worker that she’s not on high alert.

The city of Warsaw itself is also a character, teeming with art and fashion and positioning itself as the Paris of eastern Europe. Its Jews make up a hefty percentage of its citizens, and they work in important professions as financiers, university professors, lawyers. Jewish leaders are well aware of Hitler and his threats, but they don’t believe anything like that could happen in a place like Warsaw. 

Some chapters were a bit too “inside baseball” for me—I don’t know enough about the difference between socialism and communism to follow those debates—and at times, the dialogue was a bit preachy and unrealistic. But overall, the author sends a very powerful message about people who happen to be Jewish trying to live their lives while dark forces assemble against them.

In the 1930s and 40s, European Jews watched as waves of antisemitism crashed over their countries. The lucky ones got out early; others were trapped by quotas and murdered in concentration camps. After the war, Jews were left homeless and stateless until the founding of Israel. And now, two and a half years after Hamas attacked Israel, Jews around the world are again wondering if their countries are too dangerous for them to stay. Ironically, Israel, which has been almost under perpetual attack since its founding, may be the safest place for them to go. 

If it could happen in Warsaw in 1939, it could happen in London in 2026. 

Thanks to Dutton for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Judy Batalion:

The Light of Days

White Walls

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Book Review: Yours Always

By Sara Steven

Talia Danvers is an engineer for a high-end dating app who hasn’t managed to code her own love life. Then she reconnects with Townsend the one who got away.

Or, more accurately, the one who left her for someone else. But Townsend swears he’s a changed man, and Talia wants to believe him. Even if he is the prime suspect in the disappearance of Amanda Reade, the same woman who broke them up in the first place.

In cases like these, it’s always the boyfriend. That’s what Amanda’s sister Kaitlyn thinks. So does Talia’s colleague Meera Ratnam—and she’ll risk everything to convince Talia that she’s making a deadly mistake.

Then Talia starts receiving menacing texts from Amanda. Suddenly, no one knows what to believe. Is Townsend guilty? Is Amanda alive? Or is someone playing games? (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Yours Always was a wild ride. One minute, I felt certain as to what is going on and who to be wary of, but in the next minute, everything I thought I knew would get upended, and it felt like I was right back to where I’d started! 

The viewpoints given to the reader are provided by Talia, Townsend, Kaitlyn and Meera–and just like what one can come to expect from human nature, truth is severely objective. There are even moments of clarity from Amanda, Kaitlyn’s missing sister, and there is a lot of back and forth as to whether she is alive and well and hiding out, a characteristic she’s prone to do, or whether she’s missing and has been harmed. No one really knows for certain, with the major build-up leading up to the ultimate truth.

The viewpoints flowed effortlessly. I never felt lost or like I didn’t know what was happening, other than when I thought I knew for certain what was really going on behind the scenes for Amanda. In the end, the scenarios reminded me of the film He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not. For the first half of the movie, the viewer gets to see the perspective from one character’s point of view, and then the second half, it’s from the other main character’s perspective, and only then is true clarity achieved. It felt a lot like that for me with Yours Always, which only added nicely to the build-up for everyone involved. 

My favorite character was Meera. It’s like she was the voice of reason within a sea of chaos, even when no one wants to listen or believe. I thought it was interesting how her involvement with everyone is slowly revealed over chapters, with a lot of unexpected results. This was a true psychological thriller, a five-star experience for me!

Thanks to MB Communications for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Corinne Sullivan: Indecent

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Up to no good with Deborah Levison (in the best way)...plus a book giveaway

We're excited to have Deborah Levison here today to talk about A Novel Crime, which releases next week! The story sounds like a lot of fun and it's getting rave reviews. We enjoyed getting to know Deborah and reading her answers to our questions. Deborah has TWO copies of her latest novel to give away!

Deborah Levison’s life has two parts: the first in Canada, where she attended the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, and the second in Connecticut, with three children, two doodles, and one husband. 

She's an award-winning writer, published in national and international media, and is the recipient of the State of Connecticut Martin Luther King 2024 “Courage Like Coretta Award” for raising awareness of world atrocities through her writing and speaking.

Her first book, THE CRATE, is a nonfiction, true crime story about a murder that involved her family. A NEST OF SNAKES followed, inspired by real-life lawsuits against elite New England private schools. A NOVEL CRIME, her latest, is about a desperate romance writer whose chance encounter with a glamorous celebrity novelist sends her down a rabbit hole of mayhem.

Debbie’s dream of storytelling began one summer night by a camp bonfire as she listened to a ghost story: The Monkey's Paw. The memory still makes her shiver. 

Visit Deborah online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:

She wanted to write the perfect novel. Instead, she became the perfect villain.

Struggling romance writer and recent divorcée Marcy Jo Codburn feels like a failure. She’s green with author envy and longing for a book deal, a launch party with cupcakes, and the admiration of her daughter. But her dream of literary success is fading faster than her beige hair dye. When she witnesses celebrated author Francesca Barber in a compromising position, Marcy sees her chance. Transforming into Summer Branigan, her bolder, blonder pen name, she leverages Francesca’s secret to secure the ultimate coauthor.

As their collaboration spirals from Marcy’s modest Connecticut home to Francesca’s lavish Hamptons estate, both women discover that in the cutthroat world of publishing, every story has its price. With looming deadlines, a kidnapping plot gone awry, and more than one fraud to hide, their twisted partnership careens toward a surprise ending neither could have written.

In this darkly comic page-turner, critically acclaimed author Deborah Levison skewers the publishing industry with razor-sharp wit. A Novel Crime asks just how far an aspiring writer will go to see her name on a book jacket—and what happens when the stories we tell start to write themselves. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“Uproariously funny, exquisitely unputdownable, and ingeniously plotted with a heroine you’ll be rooting for every step of her wildly hilarious journey, Deborah Levison’s A Novel Crime is the perfect delicious escape!” 

—May Cobb, bestselling author of The Hunting Wives

“Wickedly hilarious and utterly compelling, A Novel Crime is a delight. A refreshingly bold, highly addictive, and uproarious suspense that showcases Deborah Levison’s phenomenal talent and warns us all how quickly we can cross the line from fantasy into a nightmare.” 

—Samantha M. Bailey, USA Today and #1 internationally bestselling author of Hello, Juliet

“A Novel Crime is a fast, funny, utterly unputdownable romp through the wild world of publishing—where ambition meets chaos, and nothing goes according to plan. Levison packs this novel with jaw-dropping twists, a mind-blowing plot, and an ending you’ll be texting your friends about.” 

—Elise Hart Kipness, USA Today bestselling author of Close Call

What is a favorite compliment you received on your writing?
Since A Novel Crime is meant to be funny, I love that one reader said in a review she laughed so hard she had to use an inhaler. Not that I would wish respiratory distress on anyone… but a little wheeze here and there is kind of flattering, right? 

Before that, The Jerusalem Post called my true crime book, The Crate, “exquisite” and “a brilliant story” that “should be used in classrooms;” and one bookstagrammer posted that my first novel, A Nest of Snakes, was a “bloody masterpiece.” I try to remind myself of compliments like these on days when it seems like everything is going wrong.

What is something new you learned while writing A Novel Crime?
To get inside the head of the bad girl. In my first book, I recounted the discovery and investigation of a gruesome crime – a murder that involved my family –from our point of view, not the murderer’s, of course. In my second book, the main character was a middle-aged man who’d suffered physical and sexual abuse at an elite New England private school. Again: I wrote from the victim’s point of view, not the abusers’. 

But A Novel Crime tracks the downward spiral of a desperate woman who goes down a rabbit hole of mayhem and is deluded enough to justify her reprehensible actions, all of which was so much fun to write.

If A Novel Crime was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Thank you for this question—hopefully we’re sending good juju into the movie-verse! 

There are four female leads plus a whole supporting cast. Marcy Jo Codburn, around whom the story revolves, morphs from blah beige romance novelist wannabe to off-the-rails criminal mastermind. I can totally see Elizabeth Banks or Kristen Bell in this role, and I imagine Angourie Rice, from The Last Thing He Told Me, as Marcy’s studious, judgmental daughter, Beatrice. 

Then we have the glamorous celebrity author Francesca Barber, portrayed by Rose Byrne. Or maybe Amanda Peet? Unsure. However, I am sure that Francesca’s stunning young daughter, Hollywood It-Girl Aspen Barber, should be played by Sara Waisglass, who stars as Maxine in Ginny & Georgia. Sara’s a Toronto girl with a ton of acting credentials under her belt. Her parents also happen to be dear friends of mine… but no favoritism here, I swear.

For the part of Tabi Benlolo, the smoldering, sexy, Brazilian boytoy, I can’t quite think of the right actor off the top of my head, so I will be holding private auditions.

What is the last book you read that you would recommend?
Argh, that’s like having to pick your favorite child. It depends on the day, and even then, I wouldn’t want to hurt the others’ feelings. I’ve recently read so many great books by thriller-author friends of mine it’s hard to choose, so I will go off-genre and recommend Circe. Madeline Miller’s writing is so rich and lyrical, some of her prose is permanently seared into my brain (“his mouth stretched around his laughter” and “humbling women seems to be a chief pastime of the gods.”) Song of Achilles is up next. 

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 

For publicity’s sake I know I should answer with someone chic and popular like Julia Roberts (except whenever I hear Julia speak, I think of her voicing Charlotte in Charlotte’s Web, and I really, really, really hate spiders, so she’s out.) Also, Steve Carrell immediately comes to mind, probably because I think of myself as cringy and awkward, a female Michael Scott. But let’s go with Zsa Zsa Gabor. My inner monologue has a thick Hungarian accent, and secretly I think I could pull off a feather boa.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’m in Toronto as I write this, and there are endless options for sightseeing, dining, major league sports, and nightlife. It’s the fourth largest city in North America but has ten million trees (a fifth of its area is parkland!) so it’s charming as well as urban. It’s also incredibly diverse: take a walk down any street and you’ll hear dozens of different languages. Do I sound like a tour guide?

To answer your question, though, I’d take you to the CN Tower, the tallest free-standing structure in the western hemisphere—and I’d make you do the Edge Walk, this insane thing where you put on a harness and frolic around this narrow metal grate at the top of the tower, over a thousand feet above the Earth. People literally lean out over the edge! I feel queasy just looking at the videos on YouTube. And no, I won’t go up there with you. Ever. 

Thanks to Deborah for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends March 31st at midnight EST.

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Book Review: Finding Dorothy

By Melissa Amster

Hollywood, 1938: As soon as she learns that M-G-M is adapting her late husband’s masterpiece for the screen, seventy-seven-year-old Maud Gage Baum sets about trying to finagle her way onto the set. Nineteen years after Frank’s passing, Maud is the only person who can help the producers stay true to the spirit of the book—because she’s the only one left who knows its secrets.

But the moment she hears Judy Garland rehearsing the first notes of “Over the Rainbow,” Maud recognizes the yearning that defined her own life story, from her youth as a suffragette’s daughter to her coming of age as one of the first women in the Ivy League, from her blossoming romance with Frank to the hardscrabble prairie years that inspired The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Judy reminds Maud of a young girl she cared for and tried to help in South Dakota, a dreamer who never got her happy ending. Now, with the young actress under pressure from the studio as well as her ambitious stage mother, Maud resolves to protect her—the way she tried so hard to protect the real Dorothy.

The author of two New York Times bestselling nonfiction books, The Eighty-Dollar Champion and The Perfect Horse, Elizabeth Letts is a master at discovering and researching a rich historical story and transforming it into a page-turner. Finding Dorothy is the result of Letts’s journey into the amazing lives of Frank and Maud Baum. Written as fiction but based closely on the truth, Elizabeth Letts’s new book tells a story of love, loss, inspiration, and perseverance, set in America’s heartland. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I had been wanting to read Finding Dorothy for quite some time and never got a chance to until now. I am so glad I read it as it was really interesting and well-told. I enjoyed learning about Maud Baum's life and her connection with The Wizard of Oz. There is even some relevance to present-day issues.

My exposure to The Wizard of Oz was through the movie and I will admit I never read the books. I didn't know anything about L. Frank Baum's life, so I was fascinated to learn more about him through this story, even though the main focus was on Maud. She was a captivating woman and I appreciated getting the chance to know more about her. I didn't even know that her mother was a famous suffragette in the late 1800s: Matilda Gage. 

Maud went through a lot in her life and we only really learn about everything up until Frank becomes a famous author for his Wizard of Oz book series. After that, we don't see Maud again until she visits the set of the movie in 1939 and befriends Judy Garland. Throughout the novel, we learn all about Maud's background from when she was a kid to when she goes to college and meets Frank soon after, to her life as a mother and moving to the Dakota Territory with her family. She and Frank endure some hardships and heartbreaks in their lives but they find a way to get through them in order for Frank to become successful. (These hardships are included in the trigger warnings below.) I loved how Maud really put herself out there to make sure the movie was done the right way and also how she tries to stand up for Judy, especially after some concerning situations. 

Overall, this was a really engaging story and I enjoyed discussing it with my book club recently. I didn't really have any casting ideas, but I'd love to see Kathy Bates as Maud in the 1939 scenes.

More by Elizabeth Letts:
The Eighty-Dollar Champion 
Fallen for France

The Ride of Her Life

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TW: Childbirth complications, miscarriage, death of infant, abortion, death of parents, inappropriate behavior of an adult towards a minor, an animal gets killed early in the story, poverty

Sally Kilpatrick brings the charm (and some petty fun)

We're pleased to welcome Sally Kilpatrick to CLC today. Her latest novel, Little Miss Petty, sounds like all sorts of fun. We're on board with helping wronged women deliver karma! Sally is here to talk about her novel and some other fun things and we enjoyed hearing what she had to say. We hope you will too!

Sally Kilpatrick is the USA Today bestselling author of eight novels and counting. She has won multiple awards, including the Georgia Author of the Year, the Maggie Award of Excellence, the Booksellers’ Best, and the Nancy Knight Mentorship Award. She lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, two kids, and two cats.

Visit Sally online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram * TikTok * BlueSky

Synopsis:

When Stella Stark discovers that her boyfriend is cheating, she also discovers that thirty-nine isn’t too old for petty revenge. Can we say…glitter bomb? She’s lost both her job and her home―why not broaden her professional horizons as Little Miss Petty, helping wronged women achieve karmic justice? Frankly, the demand is too great to ignore. New friends rally around her: Havisham, a bar owner with a soft spot under her gruff exterior, and Salcedo, a college student with marketing savvy. 

There’s just one hiccup: Getting revenge on the cheating soon-to-be ex-husband of her best-paying client is supposed to be easy. After all, he’s her neighbor. But something isn’t adding up. Malone is not only intriguingly handsome, but he’s also a good listener, sympathetic, and adores kittens. He may look like the ex, but he isn’t acting like him. And how can Stella, a woman on the rebound, be even remotely tempted by the pizza-with-benefits relationship he suggests? That would be so bad for business. 

There’s so much for Stella to learn―about karma, the charmer across the breezeway she’s falling for, and most importantly, herself. Love, revenge, and second chances―they all come with a little risk. And a twist.

“Smart, hilarious, and surprisingly poignant, Little Miss Petty is the cozy revenge fantasy I didn’t know I needed. I’d follow Stella Stark anywhere…especially to Waffle House.” 

—Valerie Bowman, international bestselling author

What is a favorite compliment you have received on your writing?
Anytime someone says, “I couldn’t put it down” or “I laughed out loud,” I practically glow. My favorite, however, has to be a reviewer’s comment on my fourth novel, Bless Her Heart: “…a little bit Flannery O’ Connor, a little bit Fannie Flagg, but most delightfully and originally Sally Kilpatrick.” As an English major born and raised in the South, I’m not sure it gets any better than that.

How is Stella similar to or different from you?
Both Stella and I are sarcastic and use humor as a defense mechanism. Both she and I live—or lived—in Marietta, Georgia. Beyond that, we differ greatly. She had a difficult childhood and is about ten years younger than I am. I am a mother; she is not. She also has a bravado that I envy even if we both have a soft underbelly.

If Little Miss Petty were made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Oh hi! I’ve done this because I always make a Pinterest board for my novels so I can refer back to the people I cast when I forget eye or hair color. Stella would be a shorter, curvier Kate Beckinsale. Malone is Chris Evans with a beard—think Winter Soldier Captain America but not as serious. I see Havisham as Rita Moreno and Salcedo as post-Wizards of Waverly Place Selena Gomez. Here’s my Pinterest board, which does include a few extra characters who didn’t make it to the final version: https://www.pinterest.com/superwritermom/little-miss-petty/

What is something you are petty about?
Wow. Let me narrow it down to something manageable so I don’t have to write another novel. Much of my pettiness centers around people who are jerks while driving. For example, don’t sit behind me waiting for me to leave a parking spot. Honk at me, and I will change my address and live in that parking spot. Speaking of, you sure as heck better not honk at me while I’m determining if it’s safe to turn right on red. If I can’t see, I’m not going. If you honk, I’m probably not going even if it’s clear to Kansas. 

Oh, and there was the time a Cracker Barrel manager attempted to stare me down. All he had to do was apologize for the fact that it took forty-five minutes to get food to our table while I tried to deal with a hangry toddler and restless senior citizens while also navigating anemia and morning sickness. That’s all he had to do, but he wanted to double down and try to intimidate the little lady. Needless to say, we got that meal for free because I didn’t flinch. How he thought he could scare someone who taught over a hundred teenagers each day, I’ll never know.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
This is a tough one. I’m not sure I’ve earned Julie Andrews or Morgan Freeman, although they would be top candidates for anyone. I’m feeling like Parker Posey in the vein of White Lotus or maybe even Holly Hunter would bring the sort of wry, bless-her-heart commentary that my shenanigans deserve. 

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?

If I were still in Marietta, then I’d take you around the square and show you some of the places that inspired Little Miss Petty as well as the Big Chicken because, duh. How often do you get to see a Big Chicken? 

Now that I’m living just outside Los Angeles, there are so many places we could go. The Angeles Crest Highway is a lovely drive, and Descanso Gardens is just down the street. I’m also close to Warner Brothers and Universal for either studio tours or theme park entertainment. We’re marginally close to Disneyland or we could brave the Hollywood Walk of Fame. There’s Griffith Park, the Observatory, LACHMA, and the Academy Museum. Or we can just eat our way through town: Porto’s, Damon’s, Smoke House, Broken Compass, and so many more. I didn’t even get to the beach. Can you tell I’m excited to explore my new home?

Thanks to Sally for chatting with us and to Kaye Publicity for coordinating the interview.

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Book Review: The Astral Library

 

By Melissa Amster

Alexandria “Alix” Watson has learned one lesson from her barren childhood in the foster-care system: unlike people, books will never let you down. Working three dead-end jobs to make ends meet and knowing college is a pipe dream, Alix takes nightly refuge in the high-vaulted reading room at the Boston Public Library, escaping into her favorite fantasy novels and dreaming of far-off lands. Until the day she stumbles through a hidden door and meets the Librarian: the ageless, acerbic guardian of a hidden library where the desperate and the lost escape to new lives...inside their favorite books.

The Librarian takes a dazzled Alix under her wing, but before she can escape into the pages of her new life, a shadowy enemy emerges to threaten everyone the Astral Library has ever helped protect. Aided by a dashing costume-shop owner, Alix and the Librarian flee through the Regency drawing rooms of Jane Austen to the back alleys of Sherlock Holmes and the champagne-soaked parties of The Great Gatsby as danger draws inexorably closer. But who does their enemy really wish to destroy—Alix, the Librarian, or the Library itself? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I know Kate Quinn best for her historical fiction novels. So I didn't know what to expect from a fantasy novel, but I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this story and was absorbed every time I picked it up. 

While there are some similarities to The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer (releasing in April), it is also unique in many ways. Both novels have a female character in her late twenties who doesn't have parents, the ability to jump into books and be part of the story, a scene involving The Great Gatsby, and  a mystery at the center, but everything else is different. While the characters in The Book Witch can control parts of the books they jump into, the characters in The Astral Library are inside books for a different reason altogether and are considered non-playing characters. 

Alix was a sympathetic character and I was stressed out for her both in the real world and in the Astral Library. There was a lot at stake for her in both places. I really liked Beau a lot too and his dress designs sounded amazing. I wish there were pictures in the book so we could see his dresses! 

For this novel, you need to suspend disbelief, but isn't that true for any fantasy? There were some elements of danger, which kept me turning the pages in hopes that Alix and the Librarian would be okay. I also didn't know what was going to happen from one moment to the next, so it never felt predictable. I really liked the purpose of this library and what it did for people who needed it.

Anyone who loves books and libraries is in for a treat with this novel! And if Kate ever wants to write a sequel for it, I'm totally going to read that too.

Movie casting suggestions:

Alix: Shannon Purser

Beau: Anthony Keyvan

(Trigger warnings at the bottom of this post.)

Thanks to William Morrow for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kate Quinn:
The Briar Club
The Alice Network
The Rose Code

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TW: Parental abandonment. Some violence. Poverty. Mentions of domestic abuse (from spouse, parents, siblings).

Book Review: Twinkle of Doubt

By Sara Steven

**May contain spoilers for Shooting Stars Above, but can be read on its own.**

Tess Lee is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist whose inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Miller is a federal agent who has spent decades working in counterterrorism—a violent world that has left an inevitable residue on his psyche.

Two years into their marriage, as Tess and Jack both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them profound happiness. When an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, however, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness?

In Twinkle of Doubt, the second Celestial Bodies Romance, Tess, Jack, and their chosen family explore the nature of doubt and the struggle to feel worthy of love. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon)

For most of the book, the relationship between Tess and Jack felt very copacetic. Despite how different the two characters are, there is deep love and affection for one another, and sublime happiness. But in the last quarter of the book, a huge shift happens, where Tess’s life is in danger, and Jack feels like he needs to figure out how to protect his wife at all cost. 

No one knows where the threats are coming from, not at first. Jack can’t help but assume it’s something he’s done in his past to cause so many problems, which only adds more pressure and tension. Soon enough, the copacetic relationship between Tess and Jack starts to unravel, with more and more backstory revealed regarding Tess’s past. 

Tess has to make some very tough decisions, in order to save herself. And Jack has to make some tough decisions regarding those choices, introducing a whole other layer of chaos into their world. I wasn't sure what would happen, if Tess would be safe, or if Jack would lose it. I liked how the story got away from the perfection and ease that the reader is introduced to in the beginning, and the cracks and crevices become the highlighted areas, which added some much needed friction.

Even in a surreal world, bad things can happen, and I got to see that in abundance. Seeing if this epic love story can survive the bad was an interesting discovery, balancing on the trust and honesty given between two seemingly perfect characters which are anything but. Twinkle of Doubt was an intense, powerful experience!

Thanks to BookSparks for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Patricia Leavy:

Shooting Stars Above (Celestial Bodies, book 1)

The Location Shoot (Red Carpet Romance, book 1)

Hollyland

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Monica Comas cooks up a delicious story...plus a book giveaway

Credit: Dorothy Shi
Photography

We're excited to welcome Monica Comas to CLC today! Her debut novel, Recipe for Joy, sounds like a beautiful and heartfelt story. And it's perfect for foodies. Thanks to BookSparks, we have TWO copies to give away!

Monica Comas was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from The Ohio State University and a master’s in journalism from New York University. She’s worked as a newspaper reporter, a journalist covering stocks and the economy, and a financial editor. But fiction has always been her true love. Monica lives in New York with her husband, John, and their tiny shih tzu, Poirot. 

Visit Monica online:
Website * Facebook * Instagram

Synopsis:
A grieving woman finds healing and purpose through her late grandmother’s cherished recipes in a poignant and hopeful novel about rediscovering the comfort of family in the most trying of times.

Belle Sutton is a little lost these days.

She has a stalled career, a New York apartment she can’t afford, and her sister, Lexie, is more estranged with each passing year. Belle’s one true consolation is her beloved grandmother, who’s powered through her own broken family ties with a tenacious zest for life and a passion for cooking. But when her grandmother suddenly passes away, a grieving Belle feels her only connection to the past is gone forever.

That’s when Belle receives a series of letters, along with a cookbook, photographs of Belle and Lexie when they were young and happy, and her grandmother’s last wish that the sisters mend severed ties before it’s too late. For the love of Gran, a challenge is met that sets Belle and Lexie on a journey of hope, reconciliation, surprising discoveries, and the nourishing power of family, forgiveness, and tradition. All they have to do is follow the directions.

“Comas gives us characters so real, you’ll want to invite them to your own kitchen table.” 
—Lori Foster, New York Times bestselling author

“With a pinch of memory and a dash of love, Comas’s debut is a novel to savor. An absolute joy to read.”
 —Rochelle Weinstein, bestselling author of We Are Made of Stars

“Recipe for Joy is an old-fashioned, hopeful hug of a novel, complete with recipes that are sweet to the tooth and nourishing to the soul.” 
—Karen Dukess, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Book Party

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
The road to publication has been twisty and long, but I have to say, it’s also been wonderful and filled with the loveliest people who’ve become dear friends. 

How is Belle similar to or different from you?
I would say she’s quite similar to me. I used kernels of how I’d felt at different points in my life—grieving, feeling lost and inadequate—and then inflated them to be much larger and thornier. I think authors draw from their own lives quite a bit for inspiration…but then we have to change things, mold them or exaggerate to form something new. There are gentler aspects of me found in Belle as well…loving to cook, appreciating yardwork, adoring the snow, having to wear running recovery sandals (which are really quite comfy!). But I think most of all, I’ve been blessed to have wonderful relationships in my life…and Belle has that as well. 

If Recipe for Joy was made into a movie, who would you cast in the leading roles?
Oh, my goodness, to be clear: If that dream ever came to pass, I would be thrilled with whomever brought Recipe for Joy’s characters to life! And if Reese Witherspoon was cast as Belle and Rose Byrne as her younger sister, Lexie, I would cry an ocean of happy tears.

What is one of your go-to-recipes?
Every week without fail, I make something I call Vegetarian Chompy Chomps. It’s basically a health bowl, for lack of a better description, with a little choose your own adventure thrown in! I sauté onions and herbs, add some sort of cooked grain (brown rice, farro, or bulgur wheat, for example), add in a bean (chick peas are my favorite), and greens (kale, broccoli, broccoli rabe, or spinach), and sauté it all together. Usually, I finish it all with lots of lemon. Sometimes there’s quinoa. Other times, edamame. Olives and sundried tomatoes have been known to make appearances. It changes from season to season. But it’s always delicious and super healthy.

If your life was a TV series, which celebrity would you want to narrate it? 
Oh my gosh, that’s such a hard question to answer! I’m have to go with an absolute icon: Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

If we were to visit you right now, what are some places you would take us to see?
I’d love to show you to Central Park, which is the gem of New York City. We’d walk along the extensive pathway system with coffee (or tea, if that’s your preference!). The park is such a special place, and the paths are amazing. There are 58 miles of pathways in the 843-acre park, so every time you go, the experience can be as different as you want. You can change it up and explore a new part of the park, or walk along a familiar path, which feels like returning to an old friend. Not only is the park a gorgeous spot where everyone can exhale and enjoy nature, it’s some of the best people watching you’ll get in the city.

After strolling The Ramble, seeing Cleopatra’s Needle and the Shakespeare Garden—oh! And the Conservatory Garden, the park’s formal garden, which isn’t to be missed!—we’d have a picnic in Sheep Meadow. And since the Metropolitan Museum of Art actually backs up onto the park, taking in some of the Met’s extensive collection would be the perfect endnote to the afternoon.

Thanks to Monica for visiting with us and to BookSparks for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends March 24th at midnight EST.

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Sara and Melissa...Recommend Life-Changing Movies

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now starting our seventh year!

This month, we are sharing our recommendations for life-changing movies that younger generations should watch. We were inspired by this post from last fall. Even though we're closer to 50, we still have seen a lot of movies that are worth recommending. We'd love to hear your recommendations too!

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. 😊 We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Sara Steven:

I love recommending movies to my kids. It’s part nostalgia and shared experience for me. It’s hit or miss if they end up liking my suggestions or not, and there have been times it’s backfired too; like the time I wanted my oldest to watch Sixteen Candles when they were a preteen, completely forgetting that there is nudity the first fifteen minutes in. Lesson learned! 

Note from Melissa: When I first showed that movie to my kids, I forgot there was nudity and they called me out on it. 😅

The article we’re basing this post on cites movies that are “life-changing,” and while I’m not sure my list fulfills that requirement, I think the movies were life-changing for me when I first watched them. I stand by my 27 choices and my kids have seen a lot of what’s on my list already. 

27. The Exorcist

I first saw this movie when I was about 10 years old–I couldn’t sleep in my bed for a whole week afterwards because I was too afraid to.

26. The Sound of Music

25. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy

Courtesy of YouTube

Note from Melissa: I got you an "I love lamp" shirt because of that movie. 😂

24. Juno

There is a lot of depth and humanity within this movie; the ending felt like everything was just as it was meant to be.

23. Little Miss Sunshine

22. National Lampoon’s Animal House

I used to have a dating rule when I was a teen: if the person I was interested in didn’t know who Jon Belushi was, it was a hard pass. 

Courtesy of  The Many Rantings of John

21. The Shining

20. Save the Last Dance

19. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

My dad “made” me watch this when I was a kid, so I bestowed this on my own children.

18. Forrest Gump

Courtesy of IndieWire

17. Ikiru

I saw this movie as a required viewing for college just a few years ago. I recommend seeing at least one Kurosawa film in life.

16. The Sixth Sense

15. How The West Was Won

14. Enter the Dragon

13. Stand By Me

12. Labyrinth

When my children were small, I would sing “Magic Dance” to them–”You remind me of the babe/What babe/Babe with the power…”

11. Legally Blonde

10. Gigi

I loved the costumes! One of my biggest wishes in life is to own a dress like the one Gigi wears.

Courtesy of Pinterest

9. Heathers

8. Blazing Saddles

7. The Breakfast Club

6. Clueless

5. Mean Girls

4. The Devil Wears Prada

I don’t often re-watch movies, but this one I can watch multiple times. 

3. Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion

2. The Princess Bride

1. The Neverending Story

Melissa Amster:

I'm always trying to get my kids to see the movies I grew up with, but there are definitely some that they haven't seen yet and I've been wanting them to see these movies at some point. Others were moral imperatives and they have seen them already (or at least some of my kids have). To keep this list from going on forever, I'll narrow it down to ten. A couple were in the post linked above.

1. The Shawshank Redemption. Such a powerful and moving film. I'm always shocked when someone says they haven't seen it. 

2. Mr. Holland's Opus. The arts are so important and this movie is a testimony to that. I also appreciate that they explore hearing loss in relation to music.

3. Forrest Gump. Such a legendary film. A nice history lesson too! 

4. The Princess Bride. One of the best movies ever. Romantic, funny, adventurous, with villains we love to hate and so many quotable lines. 

Courtesy of Den of Geek

5. Back to the Future. This movie was my childhood. I was obsessed and even made coloring books about it and had my Barbies act it out. Such an epic time travel movie that everyone should see at least once!

6. The Karate Kid. So completely well done and it ages nicely too. I also love how Cobra Kai ties into the series, but the first one will always be my favorite. When I was a kid, I loved it so much that I had to see it a second time in the theater!

Courtesy of LIFE

7. Beauty and the Beast. A few years ago, my in-laws told me they never saw this movie. I know this is a reverse generational thing, but I made sure they watched it the next time they visited. And they loved it! Anyway, there's a reason it was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar (instead of Best Animated Film). It was originally marketed as "the most beautiful love story ever told." I still love it and cry every time I watch. I also relate so much to Belle, and not just because I love to read. I just think it's something everyone should see as it reminds people that beauty is found within.

8. Life is Beautiful. Of all the Holocaust movies out there, this is the one I'm attached to the most. It's told in such a unique way, but it has such a huge impact at the same time. I found it to be way more powerful and emotional than Schindler's List. 

9. Waiting for Guffman. If you're looking for a good laugh, look no further. Being a theater person, I love this movie even more. I'm always recommending it to people. And now that Catherine O'Hara has passed away, it's one of those movies that pays homage to her comedic talent and somehow slipped under the radar vs. Home Alone or Beetlejuice.

Courtesy of IMDb

10. The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but more for the experience as you need to see it in a theater with everyone yelling lines and throwing things. Also, Tim Curry is fantastic. I'd also make them wait until they are 17 or 18 before seeing it. (I did that with my oldest and he's gone to see it with me thrice.)

Which life-changing movies would you recommend to younger generations?

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Book Review: The Hundred Man Plan

By Sara Steven

Ten years of a seemingly perfect marriage crumbles when an anonymous woman uncovers her husband's affair.

To add insult to injury, he blames his infidelity on her, calling her "frigid" and "a prude." To prove she's anything but, she embarks on a liberating sexual odyssey, embracing her desire and refusal to be defined by her ex-husband's hurtful words. She, along with her already sexually liberated best friend, hatch the ultimate to sleep with one hundred men.

As she sets forth on this contemporary heroine's journey, navigating the complexities of modern relationships and one-night stands, she begins to break free from the constraints of her past. Each encounter becomes a step towards reclaiming her identity and redefining her notions of love, intimacy and fulfillment. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

The protagonist in The Hundred Man Plan set out to do something that a lot of us have thought about–but never admit to thinking about: Hooking up with absolutely no strings attached. Spurned on by the utmost betrayal, she intends to prove her ex’s infidelity wrong. 

Each chapter is marked off by the individual (or in some cases, individuals) that she sleeps with, going into great detail about their encounters. Written like diary entries, I could really get inside the mind of the protagonist and could understand the liberation she feels in letting herself go and doing something that is ordinarily outside of her comfort zone and so out of character for her. She has a best friend who has sort of become the blueprint for her, but I felt the protagonist far surpasses her friend. At one point, the one who never wants to settle down is the one who is actively looking for love, as though the characters switch places, but it felt more like character growth to me. The best friend is learning to love, while the protagonist learns to let go of preconceived notions of how the world works. 

While I have thought about the freedom that might come from not having to answer to society’s standards or anyone else’s for that matter, and I hold no judgement for those who do, I could see just how liberating yet exhausting the search for justification becomes. The protagonist initially wants to prove to her ex (and to herself) that she really isn’t as vanilla as he claims her to be, but the real eye-opener is when she comes to realize that it doesn’t matter what he (or anyone else) thinks! That was pretty amazing, and the encounters she had were pretty steamy and satisfying, too. It was a fun read!

Thanks to Misty O'Hara for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Spotlight and Giveaway: The Book Tour

We're pleased to feature Emily Ohanjanian's debut rom-com, The Book Tour, today. This enemies-to-lovers story sounds like it will heat up the pages and we're excited for you to check it out. Thanks to Random House, we have one copy to give away!

Despite her popular podcast and sold-out speaking events, Ana Movilian still feels like she has to prove herself. To her family, who can't believe she quit med school to build an influencer career, and to literary snobs, who decry her buzzy self-help book. Happily, her upcoming book tour is the perfect chance to show the world just how bright her star can shine.

That is, until her beloved publicist resigns the night before their plane is set to take off, announcing that her replacement is none other than Ryan bleeping Grant.

Ryan specializes in highbrow, "important" books, and his perma-scowl in every interaction with Ana makes one thing clear: he does not get her book. Or her. He’s the last person who should be promoting her work, the last person she should be stuck with for two weeks . . . and the last person who should look that damn good in business casual.

As they travel from city to city, however, Ana's assumptions about Ryan take new shape. A decidedly more appealing shape. Soon, their growing attraction starts to feel like a ticking time bomb. But crossing that line could derail each of their careers faster than you can say "conflict of interest," and they both have bigger dreams at stake than the bestseller list. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

“As smart as it is steamy, this debut rom-com is fun, fresh, and fast-paced, and the sexiest book I’ve read this year. Loved it!”
— Chantel Guertin, bestselling author of It Happened One Christmas

“With a romance to root for and a witty, richly rendered peek into publishing, The Book Tour perfectly blends deft characterization with rom-com delight. Ana and Ryan’s story from between the covers to between the sheets is a tour de force and a book lover’s dream.”
— Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of The Roughest Draft

“Witty, warm, and wonderfully romantic, The Book Tour was an absolute delight from start to finish.”
— Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of Love at First Book

Emily Ohanjanians is a romance author and professional book editor based in Toronto. After many years working at a major publisher, she left her in-house job to establish a freelance editorial business and parlay her lifelong love of joyous, escapist, romantic stories into her own writing. Visit Emily at her website and on Instagram. (Photo and bio courtesy of Emily's website.)

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Giveaway ends March 22nd at midnight EST.

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