Libsyn Directory

Brisa Carleton: Last Call at the Savoy

Release Date: 11/15/2025

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Brisa Carleton joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her debut novel, LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. The inspiration for the book came when Brisa was visiting The Savoy Hotel in London more than a decade ago. She saw a footnote about Ada Coleman in a cocktail menu and was surprised that so little information existed about her. Ada was a prominent mixologist at the hotel from 1903 to 1925, and she invented many cocktails, including the “Hanky Panky.” Brisa discusses writing a dual timeline for the book: the historical story about Ada and the modern one...

Alex DeMille: The Tin Men

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Alex DeMille joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss THE TIN MEN, the third installment in the Scott Brodie & Maggie Taylor series, which he wrote with his father, Nelson DeMille. Set at a fictional military base in the Mojave Desert, the book explores autonomous weapons and AI in warfare. Alex explains what drew him to set a thriller in the American Southwest and fills us in on the research trip that he took there. He talks about the themes of humanity versus technology in warfare, which he and Nelson wanted to address. Alex also shares his personal reflections on completing the book while...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Paula Hawkins

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Paula Hawkins joined us for October’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss her most recent thriller, THE BLUE HOUR, a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. Readers asked questions before and during the program, and we covered a lot of details, including the meaning of the book’s title. Paula shares her love of art and how much she enjoys visiting museums as she travels. THE BLUE HOUR got its start when she was on a vacation; she saw a remote island and thought about what could happen in a place like that. Paula explains how she creates her characters...

Lily King: Heart the Lover

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Lily King joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her latest novel, the instant New York Times bestseller HEART THE LOVER, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection. Lily shares that she was working on a political murder mystery that came to a grinding halt when she got a manuscript from Ann Patchett, which led her to write college scenes that were the start of HEART THE LOVER. She talks about a significant plot point that was changed in the manuscript about 12 days before the book was submitted, as well as the long path to getting the right cover. She also touches on how this book is a...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: Amy Neff

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Amy Neff joined us for September’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss her debut novel, THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST, a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. Amy worked on this book for more than a decade, starting with writing in a notebook in Central Park when she was in her 20s. She talks about her own extended family and how their beach vacations (where picnics were held in the garage) influenced her writing about a long marriage, though she is only in her late 30s. Amy also shares that she developed the chapters with the three children later in the...

Virginia Evans: The Correspondent

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Virginia Evans joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her debut novel, THE CORRESPONDENT. Virginia always saw the book as having an epistolary format, and she wrote it as readers are seeing it, with one letter after another. Carol thought this style worked for the storytelling as it allowed for pacing and for different aspects of Sybil’s life, and the world as she knows it now, to be explored. Virginia loved that Carol picked up on one detail that no one else has mentioned in an interview or a review. Carol listened to the audiobook recording, which features a 13-person ensemble cast, and...

Hank Phillippi Ryan: All This Could be Yours

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Hank Phillippi Ryan joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about her latest thriller, ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS. This Bookreporter Bets On selection follows Tessa Calloway, a debut author on a book tour who discovers she may have a stalker. The idea for the book came from Hank’s own experiences on book tours, including the realization that her public schedule and locations potentially could be misused for harmful purposes. Hank discusses the creative process behind the novel, including how Annabelle's voice unexpectedly emerged while she was writing and became integral to the plot. She also shares...

Sharon Kurtzman: The Lost Baker of Vienna

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Sharon Kurtzman joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her debut novel, THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA, which is inspired by her mother, aunt and grandmother's experiences as Holocaust survivors. The book, which is a Bookreporter Bets On selection, follows two timelines. In 1946 Vienna, Chana Rosenzweig navigates a dangerous love triangle while working in a hotel kitchen and pursuing her passion for baking. In 2018, Zoe Rosenzweig, a food writer, becomes obsessed with uncovering her family's history. Sharon talks about her research on post-war Vienna, where she learned that the city was divided...

Francesca Serritella: Full Bloom

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Francesca Serritella joins Carol Fitzgerald to discuss her second novel, FULL BLOOM, following GHOSTS OF HARVARD. The book’s protagonist is gifted a bespoke perfume, which makes her irresistible. Francesca talks about her fragrance research, which she conducted in Grasse, France, as well as her lifelong love of perfume. She also shares how she views women who are living life on their own terms --- and loving it. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Bruce Holsinger: Megan Abbott: Kaira Rouda: Jeanine Cummins: Julie Clark: Lori Foster: ...

“Bookaccino Live” Book Group: J. Courtney Sullivan

Bookreporter Talks To

J. Courtney Sullivan joined us for July’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group to discuss her novel, THE CLIFFS, a Reese’s Book Club pick and a Bookreporter Bets On selection that is now available in paperback. Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Bruce Holsinger: Megan Abbott: Kaira Rouda: Jeanine Cummins: Julie Clark: Lori Foster: Chris Pavone: Janet Skeslien Charles: Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events: Fiona Davis: Beatriz Williams: Marjan Kamali: Anna Quindlen: Lisa Wingate: Ashley...

More Episodes

Brisa discusses writing a dual timeline for the book: the historical story about Ada and the modern one featuring Cinnamon Scott, an aspiring New York writer who travels to London to help her pregnant sister, Rosemary, at The Savoy. An award-winning Broadway producer with three Tony wins to her credit, Brisa also talks about her role as a producer and how it differs from being a writer.

Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews:

Alex DeMille: https://youtu.be/EstkI7Caul8

Lily King: https://youtu.be/ir_IaUnaru4

Virginia Evans: https://youtu.be/6FtYT5KRW2Q

Hank Phillippi Ryan: https://youtu.be/7O3gIC1IJN4

Sharon Kurtzman: https://youtu.be/CMCnGJitKMY

Francesca Serritella: https://youtu.be/XmmvtzilXg0

Bruce Holsinger: https://youtu.be/KukE7DscmsY

Megan Abbott: https://youtu.be/IXRkJuh3_eU

Kaira Rouda: https://youtu.be/0P_bOFWTFQ8

Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events:

Paula Hawkins: https://youtu.be/nxakmJRaKaY