You Will Know Me {+ Giveaway}

Edgar Award-winning author Megan Abbott joins us today to talk about her recently released novel, YOU WILL KNOW ME (July 26th; Little, Brown & Company; Hardcover; $26).

It’s a delight to have Megan here today as she answers some questions about her writing. In addition, thanks to Megan and the lovely Meg at TandemLiterary, I have a copy of YOU WILL KNOW ME to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details.

With starred reviews from all four of the trades and early raves from Paula Hawkins, Mary Kubica, and Laura Lippman, YOU WILL KNOW ME is poised to be one of the most talked-about books of the summer. With a plot set in the uber-competitive, high stakes world of elite gymnastics, this book could not be better timed as the Olympics are about to kick off in Rio.

With YOU WILL KNOW ME, Megan directs her focus on the mother of an extraordinary teenage girl, and shows us, yet again, that the unseen lives of women are often more fraught, ferocious, and conflicted than we might have previously dared imagine. You’ll immediately be drawn into the dark, fascinating world Megan has so beautifully crafted. No other author brings to sparkling life this phenomenon of families with high-achievers and what the rise of female athletes might say, more largely, about the nature—and spectacle—of female ambition.

The audacious new novel about family and ambition from “one of the best living mystery writers” (Grantland) and bestselling, award-winning author of The Fever, Megan Abbott.

          How far will you go to achieve a dream? That’s the question a celebrated coach poses to Katie and Eric Knox after he sees their daughter Devon, a gymnastics prodigy and Olympic hopeful, compete. For the Knoxes there are no limits — until a violent death rocks their close-knit gymnastics community and everything they have worked so hard for is suddenly at risk.

As rumors swirl among the other parents, Katie tries frantically to hold her family together while also finding herself irresistibly drawn to the crime itself. What she uncovers — about her daughter’s fears, her own marriage, and herself — forces Katie to consider whether there’s any price she isn’t willing to pay to achieve Devon’s dream.

From a writer with “exceptional gifts for making nerves jangle and skin crawl” (Janet Maslin), YOU WILL KNOW ME is a breathless rollercoaster of a novel about the desperate limits of parental sacrifice, furtive desire, and the staggering force of ambition.

Please join me in giving a warm welcome to Megan as she talks about her latest book and her writing. Welcome, Megan.

What was the inspiration for You Will Know Me?

Megan:

I’ve always been interested in families of prodigies. How power operates in those families, how ambition does. Then, during the London Olympics four years ago, I saw this video of the parents of American gymnast Aly Raisman watching their daughter’s uneven bar routine and it kind of blew me away. They were so invested in it, so connected to her. They moved as she moved. They knew every beat of the performance. The footage went viral and the response to it was tricky. Some people found it funny, others found it problematic and there was some finger pointing. I think we all struggle with how invested parents should be in their children’s development, but with exceptionally talented children, all that is thrown into high relief.

I could just feel the book taking shape after that. How does that kind of intense focus on a child’s talent affect a marriage, for instance? What about siblings? And families in general fascinate me—the place of the greatest darkness and the greatest light.

You are known for writing shockingly accurate portrayals of teen angst and an uncanny ability to get inside the heads of teen girls. Why are you so drawn to this subject matter?

Megan:

In some ways because teen girls are still so often dismissed or condescended to. But every woman I know is haunted in some ways by their teen years, by the choices they made then and the way they crafted their identity and developed their sense of self.

And, as a writer, it’s such rich terrain. Everything is in such high relief during those years. All the big emotions of life seem to storm through us every day. When I remember myself at that age, it was like my nerve endings were all exposed. It’s when you’re both at your most curious (and, potentially, risk-taking) and also at your most vulnerable—especially to disillusionment. And when you’re a mom, like the main character in You Will Know Me, you’re in some ways living through it all again through your daughter, which is incredibly complicated.

YOU WILL KNOW ME is a bit of a departure in that it focuses more on the parents’ perspective. Why did you choose to shift gears in this way?

Megan:

My last book, The Fever, had three viewpoints, one of whom was the father of two teens, and I really loved it. Exploring the gap between how parents view their teens and how teens view themselves, and vice versa. But it seemed thrillingly different in the case of You Will Know Me. Katie, the protagonist, is so close to her daughter, Devon, because of the way the family has circled itself around Devon’s extraordinary talent. And that closeness fascinates me.

At what point does your child become a stranger to you? Because all children need to break apart from you to become themselves, but is it slower to happen in the case of a prodigy? A case when the parent, like Katie, is so tied up in her daughter’s everyday life?

What research did you do into the world of uber-competitive youth gymnastics when writing YOU WILL KNOW ME?

Megan:

Gymnast memoirs were a huge help. I read almost every one I could get my hands on. Both the flag-waving sports ones and the tougher ones too, the exposés. The one that had the biggest impact for me was Nadia Comaneci’s Letters to a Young Gymnast, which is a brilliant book on many levels (foremost her strong voice), and is such a keen distillation of what seems a pure, fire-hardened ambition. I also talked to former gymnasts and had one of them read the manuscript.

And, I confess, watching a lot of YouTube, and diving into online chat rooms, especially those devoted to parents of gymnasts. But the book’s title comes from Nadia, who tells her reader, “I don’t know you, but you will know me.” What could be more enticing to a reader?

What did you learn about this world that surprised you?

Megan:

Everything! I became very fixated on the mental control and struggles the gymnasts faced. How much it is a head game. And then the sport’s impact on girls’ developing bodies. It is not a universal experience, but for many girls it halts their adolescence in certain ways, or it threatens to, and this prospect fascinated me and worked its way into the novel. Your body is both your greatest gift and your worst enemy. Maybe we all feel that, in a way.

Have any gymnasts or parents of youth athletes read and responded to YOU WILL KNOW ME yet?

Megan:

I’ve had a few early gymnast readers who’ve been very supportive. In particular, they’ve responded to the parent-booster culture in the book, the way parents invest in a gym and insert themselves into gym politics. The hothouse environment that the parent viewing area can take on. Or, “gym drama,” as it’s called. Which seems to have all the hallmarks of a great reality TV show, or a Shakespearean play.

After being so close to this world while researching and writing YOU WILL KNOW ME, will you view the Olympics in Rio this year through a different lens?

Megan:

I love watching gymnastics and this book reflects a love of, and immense respect for, the sport and the art. But in the end, I think the book is more about family and parent love than gymnastics, so probably my eyes will be more on the families than in past years. More on what it takes for a family to help make an Olympic medalist.

You’re working on TV scripts for your novels DARE ME (for HBO) and THE FEVER (for TNT). What is it like to adapt your own work for the small screen?

Megan:

As much as people like to say that TV is the new novel, the two are so very different. By the time you sell it, it’s changed so much from the book—the world has gotten so much larger, you’ve had to create ways to make the story possibilities expand indefinitely—you lose all vanity about your own book. Instead, it’s something entirely new. But the biggest difference is how collaborative it is. Writing a novel, until the last stretch, is utterly solitary. Writing for TV is a cacophony of voices. Sometimes noisy, but never, ever lonely!

You recently joined the writing staff of David Simon’s (“The Wire”) new HBO drama “The Deuce.” How does that work differ from writing a novel? How did your career in fiction inform your work in the writers’ room? When can we see “The Deuce?”

Megan:

Different in every way. I’d say apples and oranges, but maybe it’s more like apples and a large, cunning mountain lion! As collaborative as developing your work for TV is, being on staff for a show in production is a thousand times more so. You’re there to help in every way you can to bring the showrunners’ ideas to life. I think there are so many crime novelists writing for TV now because we bring a certain facility with plotting, but in the end what’s most exciting in the writers’ room is how different everyone is, how differently we see the world, and yet how we all value the same things: character, story, meaning.

And “The Deuce,” which stars James Franco and Maggie Gyllenhaal, will be on HBO next year. I’ve seen the pilot, and it’s incredible.

Do you have time to work on another book with all of your TV project in the works? What’s next and when from Megan Abbott?

Megan:

Somehow, I do! I have a new novel in the works called Give Me Your Hand, which will come out in 2018, I think. It’s about two ambitious female scientists who share a secret from their past. Very Hitchcock-inspired, this one.

Megan, thanks for joining us and sharing this insight into your book. You are definitely one busy lady.

Author Megan Abbott

Megan Abbott is the Edgar®-winning author of the novels Queenpin, The Song Is You, Die a Little, Bury Me Deep, The End of Everything, Dare Me, and The Fever, which was chosen as one of the Best Books of the Summer by the New York Times, People Magazine and Entertainment Weekly and one of the Best Books of the Year by Amazon, National Public Radio, the Boston Globe and the Los Angeles Times.

Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Salon, the Guardian, Wall Street Journal, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, The Believer and the Los Angeles Review of Books.

Born in the Detroit area, she graduated from the University of Michigan and received her Ph.D. in English and American literature from New York University. She has taught at NYU, the State University of New York and the New School University. In 2013-14, she served as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at Ole Miss.

She is also the author of a nonfiction book, The Street Was Mine: White Masculinity in Hardboiled Fiction and Film Noir, and the editor of A Hell of a Woman, an anthology of female crime fiction. She has been nominated for many awards, including three Edgar® Awards, Hammett Prize, the Shirley Jackson Prize, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Folio Prize.

Advance praise for YOU WILL KNOW ME:

“Almost unbearably tense, chilling and addictive, YOU WILL KNOW ME deftly transports the reader to the hyper-competitive arena of gymnastics where the dreams and aspirations of not just families but entire communities rest on the slender shoulders of one teenage girl. Exceptional.” — Paula Hawkins, author of the #1 bestseller The Girl on the Train

“Abbott has a knack for dissecting the dark, beating heart of the most all-American activity...It’s vivid, troubling, and powerful—and Abbott totally sticks the landing.” — Booklist, STARRED Review

“Abbott proves herself a master of fingernails-digging- into-your-palms suspense.” – Kirkus, STARRED Review

“In true Abbott style, nothing is predictable here; the plot consistently confounds expectations with its clever twists and turns. Admirers of Patricia Highsmith, Laura Lippman, and Kimberly Pauley are in for a treat.” — Library Journal, STARRED Review

“Thriller Award-winner Abbott (The Fever) takes a piercing look at what one family will sacrifice in the name of making their daughter a champion...Abbott keenly examines the pressures put on girls’ bodies and the fierce, often misguided love parents have for their children.” —Publishers Weekly, STARRED Boxed Review

YOU WILL KNOW ME Tour Dates:

8/1: Brookline Booksmith, Boston, MA—7:00pm

8/2: Book People, Austin, TX—7:00pm

8/3: Murder by the Book, Houston, TX –6:30pm

8/4: Square Books, Oxford, MS—5:00pm

8/9: Book Passage Corte, Madera, CA—1:00pm

8/9: Books Inc. Opera Plaza, San Francisco, CA – 7:00pm

8/10: Book Carnival, Orange, CA—7:30pm

8/11: Skylight Books, Los Angeles, CA—7:30pm

8/20: Mississippi Book Festival, Jackson, MS

9/15-9/18: Bouchercon 2016, New Orleans, LA

Thanks to Megan and Meg at Tandem Literary, I have a copy of YOU WILL KNOW ME to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, Aug. 9.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. How far would you go to achieve a dream or the dream of your child? Do you think parents of young athletes sometimes push their children too much?

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The Secrets She Kept {+ Giveaway}

I’m excited today to welcome New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Brenda Novak here today to talk about her latest romantic suspense novel, THE SECRETS SHE KEPT, the second installment in her Fairham Island Series.

THE SECRETS SHE KEPT (released July 26^th, Trade Paperback Original, MIRA Books, $15.99) is the thrilling, emotional, intense follow-up to Brenda's highly acclaimed THE SECRET SISTER, a book the San Francisco Book Review called, “the best romantic thriller I’ve read.” To celebrate the release, Brenda joins us to answer some questions about her writing. In addition, thanks to Brenda and the lovely Meg at Tandem Literary, I have both books to giveaway to one lucky winner. Please see the end of the post for more details.

The things that happen in families are always surprising and sometimes shocking!

The rich and powerful Josephine Lazarow, matriarch of Fairham Island, is dead. The police say it’s suicide, but Keith, her estranged son, doesn't believe it.

Keith bears scars—both physical and emotional—from his childhood, but he’s worked hard to overcome the past. After walking away from his mother and her controlling ways five years ago, he's built a new life in LA. He's also accumulated a fortune of his own. But as soon as he learns of his mother's death, he returns to Fairham. He feels he owes it to his grandfather to put the family empire together again—and he's determined to find his mother's killer.

Problem is…coming home to Fairham puts him back in contact with Nancy Dellinger, the woman he hurt so badly when he left before. And digging that deep into his mother's final days and hours entails a very real risk.

Because the person who killed her could be someone he loves…

Please join me in giving a warm welcome Brenda as she graciously answers some questions for me. Welcome, Brenda.

What inspired you to write a romantic thriller?

Brenda:

I'm not sure you can call THE SECRETS SHE KEPT a romantic thriller. It's more of a women's fiction novel with romantic elements. But I do have a romantic thriller coming out next month titled HER DARKEST NIGHTMARE. I decided to write that because I have always been fascinated by psychopaths. I have so many questions about them! I want to know why kill, how they can do so without compunction, why they feel no remorse, how the people who love them cope with their behavior (and most often miss the fact that they are out murdering people), how to detect a psychopath before he/she becomes dangerous, etc. Creating a psychiatrist like Evelyn Talbot who studies such people gave me a chance to study them, too.

 Do you have an ideal writing environment and/or a favorite time to write?

Brenda:

I usually write in my room. My kids call it my "cave." I have a "retreat" with a desk on one side, but I often write on my new walking desk (it's healthier), which is right in the middle of the room, or even in my bed (to change things up). I work (write) every day--just like other people who get up and go to a day job. I'm not like those night owl writers who can write through the night. I need my sleep! LOL

How do you stay motivated to write and edit?

Brenda:

I love what I do. I think it's as simple as that. Each new book is a fresh challenge. I'm always in competition with myself, trying to create a better and better book. It's the search for the best book in me that keeps me going. (That and it's nice to have money to pay the bills! LOL)

What type of software do you use to write and edit your manuscripts or do you write in longhand?

Brenda:

I use Microsoft Word. I can't even imagine trying to write a 400+ page manuscript (like most of mine are) longhand. Wow! That would be a tremendous amount of work. Fortunately, I'm a fast typist and enjoy using a keyboard.

What projects are you currently working on?

Brenda:

I'm starting a brand new small town contemporary series (like my popular Whiskey Creek series) in a fictional town called Silver Springs (located just 90 minutes north of LA). I'll have four Silver Springs books out next year. I'm also writing another Evelyn Talbot novel (the psychiatrist who studies serial killers in a remote facility in Alaska series).

Brenda, thanks for joining us and answering my questions. I do enjoy the romantic elements you’ve included in THE SECRETS SHE KEPT.

Author Brenda Novak

Brenda Novak is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author that has written more than fifty books, with more than four million copies in print. This four-time RITA® Award nominee has won many awards, including the National Readers’ Choice, the Booksellers’ Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion.

She also runs an annual online auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date she’s raised $2.7 million.

◊ THE SECRETS SHE KEPT by Brenda Novak

◊ Series: Fairham Island Series, Book #2

◊ Trade Paperback Original: 400 pages

◊ Genre: Women’s Fiction

◊ Publisher: MIRA Books (July 26, 2016)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 0778319067

◊ ISBN-13: 978-0778319061

This is a story that pulls you in with the first few pages. From there, you’re on a roller coaster ride of emotions until the surprised ending.

The characters are well-developed and realistic. The author has given the characters traits, faults and hardships readers can empathize with. The secondary characters add depth to the story.

Moving at a steady pace, the story flows smoothly with twists to keep you wondering. THE SECRETS SHE KEPT is a stand-alone book even though it’s the second installment in the series. New readers aren’t left in the dark.

The author takes intense emotional issues and combines them with a touch of romance for a well-balanced story. Readers will feel the emotions as the characters face their past and present. The mystery will keep you on the edge of your seat. Filled with family drama and mystery, this is a must read book. Once you start reading, you won’t be able to let go.

The Secrets She Kept by Brenda Novak, Fairham Island Series (Book #2), MIRA Books, @2016, ISBN: 978-0778319061, Trade Paperback Original, 400 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks to the amazing author and the lovely Meg at Tandem Literary, I have one print copy of THE SECRETS SHE KEPT and THE SECRET SISTER to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Friday, Aug. 5. This means one winner gets both books!

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy books that have emotionally intense issues included? What about books with hidden agendas?

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The Weekenders {+ Giveaway}

◊ THE WEEKENDERS: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews

◊ Hardcover: 464 pages

◊ Genre: Women’s Fiction

◊ Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (May 17, 2016)

◊ Language: English

◊ ISBN-10: 1250065941

◊ ISBN-13: 978-1250065940

SYNOPSIS:

Some people stay all summer long on the idyllic island of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Others come only for the weekends-and the mix between the regulars and “the weekenders” can sometimes make the sparks fly. Riley Griggs has a season of good times with friends and family ahead of her on Belle Isle when things take an unexpected turn. While waiting for her husband to arrive on the ferry one Friday afternoon, Riley is confronted by a process server who thrusts papers into her hand. And her husband is nowhere to be found.

So she turns to her island friends for help and support, but it turns out that each of them has their own secrets, and the clock is ticking as the mystery deepens...in a murderous way. Cocktail parties aside, Riley must find a way to investigate the secrets of Belle Island, the husband she might not really know, and the summer that could change everything.

Told with Mary Kay Andrews’ trademark blend of humor and warmth, and with characters and a setting that you can’t help but fall for, The Weekenders is the perfect summer escape.

From the first few pages of a Mary Kay Andrews novel you know you’re in for a rip-roaring good time combined with a little heartache and lots of hope.

With her sweet Southern flare, Andrews quickly pulls you into the chaos that is her characters’ lives. You can feel their pain and joy, highs and lows while reflecting on your own life. Andrews’ protagonist Riley Griggs is a strong, independent woman who has lost herself while tending to her family. Readers can relate to her as she finds her way back.

The summer vacation setting comes alive through intense descriptions. The close knit Southern atmosphere shines as the unique characters make you laugh.

THE WEEKENDERS is a story of hope and starting over. It’s about facing life as it comes and taking on the challenges. This is a tantalizing read you won’t be able to put down as those you read about feel more like new friends than characters in a book.

The Weekenders: A Novel by Mary Kay Andrews, St. Martin’s Press, @2016, ISBN: 978-1250065940, Hardcover, 464 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me as part of the author’s virtual book tour in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks to the lovely Meg and the wonderful folks at Tandem Literary, I have a print copy of THE WEEKENDERS by Mary Kay Andrews to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Friday, June 3.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for dropping by today. I hope I’ve tempted you to check out this fascinating new novel by Mary Kay Andrews. Do you have a favorite ‘go-to’ author that you read to begin your summer fun? What book do you have currently that you would take to the beach with you for an afternoon of relaxing read time?

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Beach Town Goody Bag Giveaway

With the crazy weather we’ve been experiencing across the U.S. you never know if it’s going to be hot or cold, dry or wet, sunny or snowing. But don’t despair, you can always find the perfect location when you lose yourself in a good book.

With that in mind I’m thrilled to be able to host a Beach Town Goody Bag giveaway today featuring the lovable and talented New York Times bestselling author Mary Kay Andrews. The giveaway is in celebration of the author’s mass market paperback edition of SPRING FEVER that hit stores March 1^st and the trade paperback edition of BEACH TOWN which hit stores May 3^rd. The goody bag comes complete with two books and chock full of other swag.

Here’s a list of what will be in the fabulous goody bag:

•                Copy of BEACH TOWN in trade paperback

•                Copy of SPRING FEVER in mass market paperback

•                Two different Mary Kay Andrews (MKA) bookmarks

•                A recipe card featuring two recipes from MKA’s kitchen

•                BEACH TOWN sunglasses

•                BEACH TOWN lip balm with SPF 15

Here’s a brief synopsis of BEACH TOWN:

Greer Hennessy is a struggling movie location scout. Her last location shoot ended in disaster when a film crew destroyed property on an avocado grove. And Greer ended up with the blame.

Now Greer has been given one more chance-a shot at finding the perfect undiscovered beach town for a big budget movie. She zeroes in on a sleepy Florida panhandle town. There’s one motel, a marina, a long stretch of pristine beach and an old fishing pier with a community casino—which will be perfect for the film’s climax—when the bad guys blow it up in an all-out assault on the townspeople.

Greer slips into town and is ecstatic to find the last unspoilt patch of the Florida gulf coast. She takes a room at the only motel in town, and starts working her charm. However, she finds a formidable obstacle in the town mayor, Eben Thinadeaux. Eben is a born-again environmentalist who’s seen huge damage done to the town by a huge paper company. The bay has only recently been re-born, a fishing industry has sprung up, and Eben has no intention of letting anybody screw with his town again. The only problem is that he finds Greer way too attractive for his own good, and knows that her motivation is in direct conflict with his.

Here’s a brief synopsis of SPRING FEVER:

Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless. They’ve been divorced for four years, she’s engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she’s ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history. She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia. 

But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she’s been given a second chance. Maybe everything happens for a reason. And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back. But there are secrets afoot in this small southern town. On the peaceful surface of Hideaway Lake, Annajane discovers that the past is never really gone. Even if there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness might be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy lake town might be in her future.

To make the summer even more fun, the author has a new book, THE WEEKENDERS, coming out May 17^th. Be sure to check back here May 26th as I’ll be sharing my thoughts on this tantalizing new release, as well as a wonderful giveaway.

Here’s a brief synopsis of THE WEEKENDERS:

Some people stay all summer long on the idyllic island of Belle Isle, North Carolina. Some people come only for the weekends—and it’s something they look forward to all week long. When Riley Griggs is waiting for her husband to arrive at the ferry one Friday afternoon, she is instead served with papers informing her that her island home is being foreclosed. To make matters worse, her husband is nowhere to be found.

She turns to her island friends for help and support, but each of them has their own secrets and the clock is ticking as the mystery deepens. Cocktail parties and crab boil aside, Riley must find a way to investigate the secrets of Belle Island, the husband she might not really know, and the summer that could change everything.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mary Kay Andrews is the New York Times bestselling author of BEACH TOWN, SAVE THE DATE, LADIES’ NIGHT, CHRISTMAS BLISS, SPRING FEVER, SUMMER RENTAL, THE FIXER UPPER, DEEP DISH, BLUE CHRISTMAS, SAVANNAH BREEZE, HISSY FIT, LITTLE BITTY LIES and SAVANNAH BLUES. Her 24th novel, THE WEEKENDERS is coming from St. Martin’s Press on May 17, 2016.

A former reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she wrote ten critically acclaimed mysteries, including the Callahan Garrity mystery series, under her “real” name, which is Kathy Hogan Trocheck. Her mysteries have been nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, Agatha and Macavity Awards.

A native of St. Petersburg, Florida (and a diplomate of the Maas Bros. Department Store School of Charm), she started her professional journalism career in Savannah, Georgia, where she covered the real-life murder trials which were the basis of MIDNIGHT IN THE GARDEN OF GOOD AND EVIL.

Married to her high school sweetheart, Tom, she has two adult children and two grandchildren. After a three-year hiatus in Raleigh, NC, she and her husband moved back to their old neighborhood in Atlanta. She also owns two restored beach cottages on Tybee Island, GA, both of which are named for fictional locations in her novels.

For more on Mary Kay and her books, visit her website and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Thanks to the lovely Meg at Tandem Literary, I have one Beach Town Goody Bag to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, May 18.

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends to make sure the notification email doesn’t end up there. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decided for whatever reason you don’t want to win (which is fine), once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy escaping to different locations through the wonderful pages of a book? If you were packing a goody bag right now, what one book would you include from your collection and what book would you include from your wish list?

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Not Black and White {+ Giveaway}

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It’s a pleasure today to welcome author G.A. Beller to Thoughts in Progress to talk about his recently release, NOT BLACK AND WHITE: From The Very Windy City to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Reminiscent of Joe Klein’s Primary Colors, NOT BLACK AND WHITE (G. Anton Publisher; hardcover; November 16, 2015) is a ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller that reads like a pulse-pounding movie. Catnip for political junkies of all stripes, G. A.’s debut novel will have pundits and pols buzzing in halls of power from Chicagoland to our nation’s capital and beyond, wondering what’s real, what’s made up, and who are the author’s sources.

Thanks to the lovely Meg at Tandem Literary:Publicity & Marketing, I have a print copy of this tantalizing thriller to giveaway. Please see the end of the post for more details on the giveaway.

NOT BLACK AND WHITE is a thinly veiled fictional account of the events that led to the election of our country’s first African-American president and the downfall and imprisonment of two consecutive Illinois governors together with several of their most trusted advisors and cohorts. Based on a firsthand account of the skullduggery and corruption that takes place in the campaign offices and proverbial smoke-filled back rooms where political decisions are made, NOT BLACK AND WHITE is a must-read this fall. G. A. will have some of the real-life Chicago-style politicians asking, “how did he know about that?”

Please join me in giving G.A. a warm welcome as he joins us to talk about his fascinating novel. Welcome, G.A.

What inspired you to write NOT BLACK AND WHITE?

G.A.:

I was introduced to someone familiar with one of the characters in NOT BLACK ANDWHITE. After a breakfast meeting, I was intrigued by the general concept of the story - the rise of the first African-American President and the downfall of two governors. Living in Chicago during the unfolding of these events, I had followed all the news coverage as these activities were exposed. I decided to research the many articles that had been written. The more I uncovered, the more I concluded that I should write this book as a novel. 

As a first time novelist, was the process as you had expected?

G.A.:

I must admit, as an aspiring writer, I grossly underestimated the commitment to the process. I thought many times I was finished telling the story, only to decide a broader storyline was needed and that a more entertaining approach to various scenarios would enhance the reader’s experience. However, after many rewrites, I feel satisfied that I told this story well.

What are the challenges of writing about politics?

G.A.:

Once I decided to write about the characters and events during this period in Chicago and Illinois politics, I realized this story had to be a fictionalized accounting of both. First of all, I did not know with any degree of certainty which events were factual. The newspaper and internet articles were, to some degree, based upon speculation, in my opinion. Therefore, I concluded that this story might be very entertaining with a loosely based accounting of the characters and events. 

How did you blend fact and fiction?

G.A.:

The portrayal of how the events played out was, in many cases, based upon my imagination. Much of what may be perceived as fact in NOT BLACK AND WHITE is derived from one’s own perspective. Of course we know many of the events led to certain obvious outcomes; however, the universal truth that underlies the story is exactly what I want to challenge the reader to conclude. If I achieved a balance of education and entertainment, I achieved my goals.

How did the Chicago setting influence the story?

G.A.:

Chicago politics has an image which has evolved far beyond this specific time in its history. This novel provided me the opportunity to incorporate the events surrounding a historic milestone in our nation. The fact that the rise of our first African-American president began in the setting of Chicago politics was paramount to my enthusiasm for telling this story. The downfall of two governors was a perfect complement to the president’s rise, in my opinion; therefore, Chicago could not have provided a more ideal setting. 

Did writing this book have any effect on your political leanings?

G.A.:

My political affiliation was not affected by the writing of this book. I do not affiliate with either party, and would like to see a truly credible candidate represent an independent third party. I strongly believe that both major parties are too extreme. The independent vote is critical for either party to win a presidential election. Additionally, it appears the size of that vote is growing, as more voters are becoming dissatisfied with the major party base and their political platforms. Hopefully someday the political process will offer an electable third party candidate to represent the independent voters.

What's next for you?

G.A.:

I established GABE Advisors, LLC. with the goal to identify and invest in talented writers, offering the financial resources to further their projects. GABE secured a trademark for Defining Karma™. It’s our vision to seek story submissions from aspiring or established writers surrounding the theme “defining karma.” The stories should be based upon true occurrences, which could be completed in novel form. I am currently co-authoring a Defining Karma™ story that will hopefully be released by the end of 2016 through G. Anton Publishing/Chicago. We are seeking more authors and projects that would advance our concept.

G.A., thanks so much for visiting with us today. It’s always fascinating to learn how a story comes about. GABE also sounds like an intriguing concept that will benefit writers and readers.

For those who aren’t familiar with G.A., here’s a bit of background on him.

Author G.A. Beller

G.A. Beller has lived in Chicago for over twenty-five years, and is a self-professed political junkie. Chicago’s history of political corruption and incompetence prompted him to research this specific era of rampant criminal behavior. Utilizing articles that appeared in the press and on the internet, Beller created a fictionalized accounting of the characters and events, depicting through his imagination how things might have played out. Inspired by true events, NOT BLACK AND WHITE leaves it to the reader to interpret fact from fiction.

G.A. has been an executive in the investment business for over thirty-five years. His mentor, and one of his closest friends, upon one of their first meetings, saw his initials on his leather briefcase and nicknamed him GABE. The name has stuck since his early twenties. 

For many years G.A. desired to find the time to write his own stories and to inspire others to write as well. In 2013, he established GABE Advisors, LLC to invest in and encourage literary projects in creative collaboration with other aspiring authors. He is currently co-authoring a second novel based upon the true story of a loving couple living in Southern California who see a television commercial soliciting sponsorship of needy children. The couple sponsors a young girl from India, and their decision leads to an unlikely story of love and a life-changing journey for all involved. The target publication date for this second novel is late 2016. This will be the first book to be published in the series known as DEFINING KARMA.™ 

For more on G.A. and his writing, visit his website and connect with him on Twitter and Facebook.

REVIEWS OF NOT BLACK AND WHITE:

"This book is the Primary Colors of the Obama administration. A gripping, fictionalized version of the corruption and politically-charged backroom deals that propelled a little-known state politician to the White House. With its riveting writing and unforgettable characters, NOT BLACK AND WHITE tops the list of political thrillers." -- Lori Andrews - Law Professor and Author of the Alex Blake Mystery Series

"Some of the people and dialogue may be fictitious, but the corruption known as the Chicago Way is all too real. This novel provides an inside look on how the deals are made and the laws are broken. It is a must read for anyone who cares about politics and government. --Dick Simpson - UIC Professor, co-author of Corrupt Illinois

"From the vantage point of a witness to the peculiarities of Chicago and Illinois politics spanning five decades, NOT BLACK AND WHITE, at first glance, could be dismissed as too unlikely to be plausible . . . until it quickly becomes apparent that this entertaining blend of fact and fiction, populated by greedy, power-driven scoundrels, mirrors recent history in many ways. -- Jack Guthman - Partner Emeritus, Taft Stettinius & Hollister, LLP

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Thanks to Meg, I have a print copy of NOT BLACK AND WHITE to giveaway. The giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. only and will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

To enter, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and following the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. A winner will be selected by the Rafflecopter widget and I’ll send an email with the subject line “Thoughts in Progress Not Black and White Giveaway.” The winner will have 72 hours to reply to the email or another winner will be selected. PLEASE be sure to check your spam folder from time to time after the giveaway ends. If you win and you’ve already won the book somewhere else or you just decide for whatever reason you don’t want to win, once again PLEASE let me know.

Thanks so much for stopping by today during G.A.’s visit. Do you enjoy stores that seems to be ripped from today’s headlines? Do you know of a true story that you think would make a fascinating bases for a novel?

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