"Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Charmaine Wilkerson-Black Cake
Release Date: 12/09/2022
Sharon Virts: The Grays of Truth
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Carol Fitzgerald talks to Sharon Virts about her latest historical mystery, THE GRAYS OF TRUTH. This Bookreporter Bets On selection was inspired by true events involving one of Baltimore’s most powerful families. Sharon discusses why the Reconstruction era is such a poignant time in American history. She also explains the challenges of creating Jane, her protagonist, and the Edgar Allan Poe quotes that lead off sections of the book. In addition to giving us hints about what is next for her, Sharon talks about the work of the Selma Farm Foundation, as well as the large online book club that...
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Paula Hawkins: The Blue Hour
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Paula Hawkins joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, THE BLUE HOUR, which is November’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She discusses her inspiration for the book’s setting, which she had when she was on vacation, as well as her love of art. The characters and the way they move in and out of each other’s lives is key to the storylines, and she explains how their roles changed as the book went on. Paula also shares where the title came from and what she loves about the cover. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews:...
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Bookaccino Book Club: Amanda Peters
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Amanda Peters joined us for October’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss THE BERRY PICKERS, which was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize winner and was awarded the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. It also was a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Amanda talks about her inspiration for the novel, which involved a trip to Maine with her father to show her where his family who was part of the Mi'kmaq tribe came from. She shares that the story was first written in only one voice and explains when she made the decision to change that. The audience questions flew...
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Susan Rieger: Like Mother, Like Mother
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Susan Rieger joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest novel, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. She shares what drove her to write this book and why it is structured as a mystery, with the feel of literary Russian nesting dolls. Susan also reveals which was her favorite character to write and discusses the use of genealogy, as well as DNA. And she talks about what it was like to start writing fiction late in life. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Jean Hanff Korelitz: Laura Dave: Chris Whitaker: T.J. Newman: Dawn...
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Jean Hanff Korelitz: The Sequel
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Jean Hanff Korelitz joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest book, THE SEQUEL, the appropriately titled follow-up to THE PLOT. In it, Anna, the widow of Jacob Finch Bonner, is enjoying the riches of being a literary widow and has written a debut novel called THE AFTERWORD. But, ah, Anna has a secret to hide. Jean shares the fun she had layering wry humor into the book, as well as how she satirizes the publishing industry in juicy detail. Yes, there is film news talk, as well as what’s next for Jean. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Shelley Read:...
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Bookaccino Book Club: Shelley Read
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Shelley Read was our guest for September’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group. As this was a book group-style program, we did talk spoilers. Four audience members joined us to ask her questions, all of which looked at GO AS A RIVER from different angles. Shelley shared her inspiration for the book and how she created her characters. She talked about prejudice and how it influenced her work. As a fifth-generation Coloradan, she explained how that history in her family gave her a perspective on her writing. The conversation was insightful, and readers clearly were passionate about this book. Our...
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Laura Dave: The Night We Lost Him
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Laura Dave talks to Carol Fitzgerald about her latest novel, THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. At the heart of this story is a secret that has been hidden for years — one that may have caused the death of Liam Noone, a successful hotel magnate. Nora, his daughter from one of his marriages, is convinced by Sam, his son from another marriage, to join together to see if his death was accidental or something more sinister. Laura talks about Liam’s unique hotel properties and what inspired them, and how research finds its way into her writing. She...
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Chris Whitaker: All The Colors of The Dark
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Chris Whitaker joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about his New York Times bestseller, ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Chris explains how he developed the book by spending a year writing just dialogue to get a feel for his characters, Patch and Saint. Once he had a good grasp of their voices, he could write around that. Chris went through trauma in his youth that overshadowed his life, and it fueled his writing here. He shares how he researches the locations that he uses in his novels and talks about the joy of having Edoardo Ballerini as a narrator for...
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T.J. Newman: Worst Case Scenario
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T.J. Newman joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about WORST CASE SCENARIO, her third thriller to be a Bookreporter Bets On selection (following FALLING and DROWNING). T.J. shares how she came up with the idea for this book and the research that was required (including a detail that Carol saw to be totally plausible). She discusses her character development and why she feels Joe Morton is the perfect narrator for the audiobook. We also hear about T.J.’s close relationship with her agent and how they work together. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Dawn Tripp: Amy...
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Dawn Tripp: Jackie
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Dawn Tripp joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her book, JACKIE, a Bookreporter Bets On pick that novelizes the life of the legendary Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. A rare photograph, which became the cover of the book, inspired Dawn’s writing as much as the reading that she did. Along with books about Jackie, she read books that had been some of Jackie’s favorites. Carol and Dawn point out that while Jackie had always been looked upon as a style icon, her contributions were so much broader. They commiserate about how Jackie defined her style early --- and from there...
info_outlineCharmaine Wilkerson joined Carol Fitzgerald for a "Bookaccino Live" Book Group discussion about her debut novel, BLACK CAKE. Three readers shared questions on screen, and then there were numerous audience questions. Charmaine explained how she writes in bursts, and that her writing can sometimes appear in brief on the page, while at other times more is explored. She talked about her characters, her background that inspired the story…and, yes, black cake! There was also discussion about the cover and the additional materials in the paperback edition.
Check out our past "Bookaccino Live" Book Group events!
Joyce Maynard: https://youtu.be/atXP9_gxGU8
Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray: https://youtu.be/rYelwWiTJbE
Janet Skeslien Charles: https://youtu.be/47Sx9DtcAkA
Miranda Cowley Heller: https://youtu.be/gVlKvApDO8M
More “Bookreporter Talks To”:
Clare Mackintosh: https://youtu.be/yxU_npofftw
Jamie Fiore Higgins: https://youtu.be/bz6tTCLmxlE
Thrity Umrigar: https://youtu.be/295H-VzRJeU
Alli Frank and Asha Youmans: https://youtu.be/4kvcZ6nqoo4
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Art Credit: Greg Fitzgerald
Edited by Jordan Hickman