Q&A with Susan Mallery, The Sister Effect

What inspired you to write about sisters? And do you have a sister story to share?

I think I’m inspired to write about sisters precisely because I don’t have any of my own. I’m an only child. My parents were onlies, too, so I didn’t even have any cousins growing up. But I did have a good friend who came from a big family, and I absolutely adored going over to her house. It was so delightfully loud! So beautifully chaotic! (Maybe part of the reason I loved it so much was that I could leave and go home whenever I wanted. My friend envied the quiet and the privacy at my house.)

I wrote The Sister Effect because I wanted to explore the idea of two sisters who experience the same event—going side by side through childhood—but who perceive it differently. And their different perceptions create a ripple effect through the years that sends their lives in different directions. When Finley and Sloane were young, their mother and grandfather got into a custody battle for them. The court decided in Mom’s favor after Finley told the judge she didn’t want to lose her mom, so grandpa turned his backs on the girls. Can you imagine how traumatic that would be? They loved him, and they thought he loved them, too, but he reacted out of his own pain rather than out of thinking of what was best for them. Finley became terrified to trust her heart to anyone again. Sloane turned into the wild child of the family, larger than life on the outside to disguise her pain.

As The Sister Effect starts, the sisters are in their thirties and estranged. But they both deeply love Sloane’s young daughter, and their love for that little girl will open their hearts to one another so they can become true sisters once again. This book is painful and funny and uplifting, with so many juicy topics for bookclubs to dig into. I hope you’ll love The Sister Effect as much as I loved writing it.

Although I don’t have a sister story of my own to share, I did invite some of my favorite writers to share a True Story of Sisterhood. You can read them at https://sistereffect.susanmallery.com. There, you’ll find heartwarming stories of sisterhood from Maisey Yates, Carolyn Brown, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Mariah Stewart, Christine Rimmer, Alexis Morgan, Debbie Mason, Robyn Carr, Lori Foster, Brenda Novak, and Christina Dodd—plus some wonderful stories shared by my readers. It’s a true celebration of sisterhood, both biological and sisters of the heart!

What is the biggest challenge you face when you start writing a new book?

Because I’ve written so many books, my biggest challenge is to find fresh stories to tell and fresh ways to tell them. I try to make each book a little better than the one before. In The Sister Effect, I deal with a topic that I’ve never written about—I’ll let you read the book to find out what that is—and it was an exciting challenge because it was so new to me. I’m also incredibly nervous about this book, which is a good sign. I have found over the years that the books that make me the most nervous are the ones that readers love the best, because my nerves are a sign that I stretched myself as a storyteller.

If you were not an author, what other profession would you choose to be a part of and why? 

I have a powerful imagination, but it’s really hard for me to imagine being anything other than a writer. I was published just months after I graduated college, and I’ve never had another job. However, I graduated in accounting, so I suppose I would probably be an unfulfilled accountant. 

Does this book include any favorite recipes as some of your other books do?

Just one—but it’s a total wow! When I was writing The Sister Effect, I imagined a decadent breakfast that Sloane might serve at her restaurant, Life’s a Yolk. I called it Cinnamon Custard Yum-Yum and described it in the book as a cross between French toast and bread pudding. But it only existed in my imagination. . . until, in a case of life imitating art, I created a recipe to go with my imaginary recipe title. It. Is. Fabulous. Yum Yum Yum Yum YUM! The recipe is included with the book club discussion guide at the end of the book. Enjoy!

Q&A with Cort Casady, Not Your Father's America

What made you decide to write a book about your experience as a father?

After I became a father, I initially thought about writing an open letter to our sons. I wanted to give them a sense of what we went through to have them and raise them as well as some perspective on the America they were being born into, beyond the obvious “before there was Google.”

What I finally decided to write, as I explain in the preface, is a book that combines two passions, serves two masters and weaves together two decidedly different narratives.

One is a narrative about what it's like to be hit by the “baby bus” and have three kids at once. The other is a series of reflections along the way, as the boys go from being infants to toddlers to adolescents and young adults. About the America my father grew up in, the America I came up in, and the America our sons are inheriting.

How has your experience in the entertainment industry helped you — or hindered you — when it comes to writing books?

My experience as a working writer, first as a freelance magazine writer, then as a staff writer in television, prepared me to be an author. I first learned that I could write in college. When I finished writing my thesis, by myself over the Christmas holiday break in my senior year, I realized I could write and, more importantly, finish what I was writing.  That, and a good outline, enabled me to complete the first book I wrote, for singer John Davidson.

The book is very personal: How did you decide what details you would include and what topics were off-limits?

Fortunately, there weren't a lot of details I couldn't include in the book. Barbara read each draft, so I felt confident there wasn't anything inappropriate in the book. In writing about our sons' experiences with a bad coach in high school, I decided not to go into too much detail. It was such a disturbing time; it could almost be a book on its own, a book I have no desire to write, by the way.

What do your family members think about you writing the book?

Barbara read virtually every draft of the book as I was writing it. She corroborated memories, corrected facts, and typos, and encouraged me frequently throughout the process. Our sons encouraged me throughout the process of writing and getting the book published as well. Having shared notes and journal entries with them before I started writing in earnest, they had a pretty good idea of what Dad was going to write.  All three have fully supported the project and believe it’s a story worth chronicling. They’ve been very complimentary.

What do you hope readers gain from this book?

I hope readers will take away what we learned raising triplets: Don't panic; take it one day at a time; stay committed; and don't give up. I also hope they’ll be reminded that we have a lot of work to do as a country to live up to the promise of America, a promise I fervently hope our children will experience. I also hope readers will take seriously what we all must do to meet the climate crisis. The clock is ticking.

What projects are you working on that people can look forward to?

I’m developing a feature-length documentary film. 100% Possible: The Battle for the World’s Energy Future is about a series of science-based plans to power America and more than 100 other countries with electricity generated solely by wind, water, and the sun. Developed by a group of scientists led by Stanford University climate professor Mark Jacobson, the plans will be presented to the general public for the first time in this groundbreaking film. A positive, solutions-driven documentary, the film will document how clean, renewable energy will slow global warming, deliver environmental justice, and create millions of jobs worldwide. 

You can grab a copy of the book on Amazon or Bookshop.org

About the Author

Born in McAllen, Texas, Cort Casady grew up in El Cajon, California, near San Diego. After graduating from Harvard with an honors degree in government, Casady moved to Los Angeles to pursue his career in the entertainment business. He and his wife, Barbara raised their triplet sons in Manhattan Beach, California. They now live on the Palos Verdes Peninsula south of L.A.

Cort Casady has won two Emmy Awards and three NAACP Image Awards for his work as a television and documentary writer-producer. He won his first Emmy for “New York at Night Starring Clint Holmes,” and his second for the “American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Mel Brooks” (2014).  His numerous credits include creating the original story and characters for the television mini-series, “Kenny Rogers as The Gambler,” helping to format and launch the long-running reality competition series, “Star Search” with Ed McMahon, and co-creating television’s first weekly environmental series “Earthbeat”, which aired as “Network Earth” on TBS for five years.

Q&A with Michelle Gable, The Lipstick Bureau

How did you learn about Barbara Lauwers? How did you come to discover this piece of history?

I don’t remember when or how I first heard about Barbara, she was just in my file of “interesting people to eventually write about” when it came time for book #6. Most likely, she was in a listicle along the lines of “fascinating women from history you don’t know about.” Whatever the case, she made my file because of her intriguing role in the OSS (precursor to the CIA) and the misinformation campaigns she participated in. The website https://www.psywarrior.com/ has photographs of many of their campaigns, and that sucked me right in. 

Why do you believe there continues to be a fascination for writers exploring and writing WWII novels for readers? Why are readers so interested?

I think people are drawn to WWII stories because there are so many different countries and continents involved, and therefore thousands of angles. For Americans in particular, though we were involved in the war, it was not fought on our shores, so I think there’s a yearning to know what it was like to live with war on a more day-to-day basis. 100 million were deployed and there are millions of stories of ordinary people showing heroism when facing the worst. 

Many women were part of the OSS. Did they experience sexism?

The sexism was outrageous! Many of the quotes I included in the book were actually said. Like Niki (the Barbara character) being told to sew her travel documents into her girdle, and the trainers telling the women not to mess this up.

When I started out in corporate America in the late 90s, sexism was rampant enough that we more or less accepted it as part of our jobs. I can only imagine (and tried to do this in the book!) how much worse it was in the 40s, amidst the stress of war, when men were away from their families. 

Did many women join these groups to escape difficult marriages?

It’s possible! Many husbands were sent to fight, so I think a lot of women wanted to contribute. Stateside, women were being asked to chip in and many unmarried women viewed it as a more interesting way to help versus working in a missile factory or something along those lines. 

What specifically stood out in the time and place of Rome during WWII?

Rome is my favorite city so I was excited to set another book there! I also found it a fascinating time…after the city was liberated from the Nazis, and before the war was over. Also the fact Italy changed alliances partway through the war, and half the country was still under Axis control, heightened the tensions in the city, and people were extremely suspicious, all around. 

What challenged you about writing THE LIPSTICK BUREAU?

I try very hard to keep as close to real facts as possible, building fiction around the truth. This can be very limiting, and so it’s always a challenge for me to remember I’m telling a story, not writing a biography. It’s a big reason I changed Barbara’s name–so I could go a little more “rogue.”

A smaller challenge was finding out what was happening in Niki’s hometown in Czechoslovakia during the war. As in the novel, no news was getting out. Also, I use a lot of first-hand accounts and government records in my research, and many of these were destroyed in the war. Not that I can read Czech, but I’ve definitely had records translated in the past. 

Which character do you most relate to and why?

There was no character I related to outright, but I appreciated Niki’s gumption and how she wanted to prove herself on her own terms. 

What are you hoping readers will come away with after they've read THE LIPSTICK BUREAU?

As always, I want people to get swept up in the story but also learn something new along the way. 

What research did you do to bring the history to life in this fiction?

Anything I could get my hands on. Several OSS women wrote memoirs, and I read these, along with interviews, biographies of the major OSS players, and thousands of internal memos and documents (some of which are included in the novel), including all of Allen Dulles’s wartime intelligence reports (this was pretty boring!) I read the Stars & Stripes newspapers published during this time (fun fact: my dad wrote for Stars & Stripes in Vietnam), among other things. My favorite was a biography of Saul Steinberg (the inspiration for Ezra) by Deirdre Bair.   

How do you think this conversation into the use of misinformation plays in today's politics?

In real life as in the novel, the OSS used Hitler’s own rules for propaganda/misinformation when creating theirs. There were three key strategies: 1) the disinformation must be easy to comprehend (not too highbrow), 2) it must be addressed to the masses (NOT the intellectuals), and 3) it should hit on emotions, not logic or fact. These are very effective strategies, as we’ve seen, and it’s been reported that Trump has also specifically followed Hitler’s rulebook for spreading disinformation. The OSS folks were the “good guys” and would say they were doing this for a greater purpose (e.g. ending the war), and the ends justify the means. And maybe it does, but perhaps Trump believes the same thing? 

What are you working on next?

A book set in the 1960s Jet Set, about a failed San Francisco debutante who becomes assistant to beloved society photographer Slim Aarons as a way to social climb her way to a rich husband, but is instead drawn into the complicated inner circle of young Palm Beach socialites, and to the star at its center, heiress and rising fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer.

My Top Ten Tools for Writing Fantasy by Christina Bauer

As part of the launch tour for my new book, Lady Reaper, the folks at What is That Book About asked me to share a blog post on any topic. I’m choosing a top ten list because FUN! So, without further ado, here goes:

One. A Funky Name Generator

After writing fantasy, I no desire to name anything ever again. But this site helps.
https://www.behindthename.com/random/ 

Two. A Word Associator

What are fifty terms that relate to the concept of the moon? You never know when you need this kind of information until you do. Here’s the site:

https://wordassociations.net/en/words-associated-with/Moon 

Three. A Translator

Translate any document, any length, in seconds. It’s scary.

https://translate.google.com/?sl=auto&tl=en&op=docs

Four. An Artist Collective

I like Fiverr for cover art

https://www.fiverr.com/?source=top_nav

Five. A List of Unusual Words

Again, you don’t need it until you do. Great for naming odd places or people. 

https://phrontistery.info/z.html

Six. Another (Less Wacky) Name Generator

Because boring characters need names, too. 

https://nameberry.com/

Seven. Another (Less thorough) Translator

I like to align cultures to a language base. It helps when naming places and objects.

https://translate.google.com/

Eight. A Grammar Checker

Grammarly, baby!

https://app.grammarly.com

Nine. Visual Inspiration

Nothing tops Pinterest.

www.pinterest.com

Ten. My site

Because shameless self-promotion is HOT!

www.christinabauerauthor.com

Behind the Benefits of Journals by Mariëlle S. Smith, 365 Days of Gratitude Journal

Do you find journals help people in their daily life?

I believe journaling can be utterly transformative, depending on the shape our journaling practices take. 

It’s one thing to just write down our daily thoughts, worries, or gratitudes—and that’s already a helpful thing in itself. Picking up those daily thoughts, worries, or gratitudes once in a while to reflect on what we’ve written down earlier, that’s when journaling has the potential to change lives.

Taking the time to ponder what those entries are telling us is how we figure out not just patterns of behaviour but also why certain patterns keep showing up. It allows us to get to the bottom of what’s going on in our lives, which is where we need to arrive at if we want real change to occur.

And a lot of us don’t. Not really. That’s why so many of us feel reluctant to give it a real try, to fully commit to the practice. It’s why I was anti journaling for years before I finally gave it an honest go. 

Let me tell you the story of how I got to that point. If you own a copy of my 52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner, you’ve heard this one before. 

When I wrote the introduction to that journal, which was the first journal I ever published, I was sitting at my desk in my sea-view apartment on the coast of Cyprus, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. In the meantime, I’ve moved to a bigger apartment, and I’m writing these words sitting on my new veranda, looking at the hills that surround that same coastal village. 

Every day, I get to do what I love—I write, and, as an editor and writing coach, I help other writers do the same. I have the most supportive partner and a community that believes in me a hundred per cent. To top it off, I’ve published twenty books in six languages since I started journaling.

You guessed it right: my life wasn’t always like this. In fact, five years ago, it looked nothing like it.

About a decade ago, when I first began to realise something wasn’t quite right about the way I was living my life, I took up yoga, hoping it would return me to myself enough to figure out what was wrong and how to change it. 

With every new teacher I encountered, the same questions came up: How was my meditation practice? My breathing? Did I do any journaling? 

No. No, I did not. No meditation, no journaling, and, let’s face it, I wasn’t breathing properly either.

I’ve embraced many yogic principles since I started doing yoga, but anything to do with sitting still, being mindful, and allowing thoughts to surface? That I avoided at all costs.

There’s always a reason why we avoid things, and my reason was that I was afraid to uncover the truth about why I wasn’t happy. With myself, my day job, my relationship at the time, my writing, how my freelance business was doing. 

I kept telling myself I was content, and that being content was good enough. It took me years to figure out I wasn’t even that: I was uncomfortably numb. I was at a The National concert with a friend in 2017 when I suddenly felt so alive, listening to one of my favourite bands while being surrounded by such an energetic crowd, it hit me how dead inside I felt on other days.

That concert became my turning point. I bought a brand-new journal and started writing. I had journaled before in my life, years ago, and it had always felt like such a useless exercise. What’s the point of putting pen to paper if it doesn’t change anything?

They say writing it down—like saying it aloud—makes it real, but we underestimate how easy it is to forget what we’ve spelled out. Especially when there’s something at stake, like us being afraid to leave our uncomfortable comfort zones or face some cringeworthy truths about ourselves.

Having become aware that just writing my worries down wasn’t going to help me—it hadn’t before—I decided to free write every morning, reflect on what came up, and then write about that. 

And so I did. Within the next twelve months, I quit my day job, ended my relationship, and moved countries to focus on my writing, editing, and coaching business and practice. 

Now, I’m not saying I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without my journaling, but I know one thing to be true: if I hadn’t bought that notebook the day after seeing The National and started journaling like I meant it, I wouldn’t have gotten where I am now this fast. 

So yes, I absolutely think journals can help people in their daily lives, because there’s nowhere for the truth to hide once we stop running from ourselves and start reflecting on what’s going on. That’s why all my journals, whether they’re for writing or gratitude, come with a reflection section. It’s the key to true transformation, I know that now.

If you are interested in getting a copy of her book, you can get your copy of 365 Days of Gratitude Journal on Amazon.

Author Information:

Mariëlle S. Smith is a writer, writing coach, and editor. She lives in Cyprus, where she organises private writer's retreats, is inspired 24/7, and feeds more stray cats than she can count.

Connect:

Website: https://mswordsmith.nl 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mswordsmith 

Blog: https://mswordsmith.nl/blog 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18455235.Mari_lle_S_Smith 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mariellessmith 

Other(s): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtnYOpjmj83mvMM2L348F1w

Q&A with Sheila Roberts, The Road to Christmas

I love the cover of your latest book, The Road to Christmas. What was the inspiration behind that and the story?

Interesting you should ask. The cover you see is very different than it was going to be originally. In fact, I was madly in love with that cover. It was simpler and, I thought, sophisticated. And it kept going the simple elegance of the book cover of my previous year's book, A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT. In the end, however, it was decided that what we had didn't look Christmassy enough so the art department went back to the drawing board and came up with this one. I've seen lots of positive comments about this cover, so it looks like the right choice was made. As to the inspiration behind the story, I wish I could say it was a romantic, picturesque road trip but it wasn't. I simply got the idea that it would be fun to write about a road trip. Road trips are always an adventure. You never know what's going to happen along the way... which makes that a perfect premise for a novel!

There is something special about multigenerational stories, can you introduce us to the characters in the book? What made you write them?

We have Max and Michell, on the verge of divorce and needed to find their way back to what they had. We have the grandparents, Warren and Hazel, who are determined to make the trip on their own. And I must say, their motel neighbors their first night out were inspired by the crazy neighbors we had a few years back when we stayed in Strassburg. Partying until the wee hours and importing a giant hookah - I can laugh about it now. I wasn't laughing at 2 in the morning!

Then we have sisters Audrey and Shyla - one needs a romance restart, the other is determined to give it to her. You can't go on a road trip and not meet a handsome hunk, right?

Do you have a character or experience in this book that was your favorite to write?

I wouldn't say she was my favorite - If I had a favorite, someone I'd enjoy hanging out with in real life it would be Shyla, the fun sister with the crazy sense of humor - but I felt very invested in Michelle because I think she's typical of many of us who have a hard time letting go and forgiving. I hope her journey will encourage readers who may be struggling with relationships.

Can you share a holiday tradition that you are looking forward to?

My family's annual Christmas Eve gathering. I've braved many a scary snowy road to be with them. Christmas carols, games, someone always reads the Christmas story from the family Bible. And then there's the food. Oh, the variety of Christmas cookies. I can hardly wait!

What can we look forward to next from you?

Next Christmas there will be another Christmas story coming. And this spring look for the next installment of my Moonlight Harbor series, MERMAID BEACH. I'm hoping readers will love The Mermaids as much as I do! Meanwhile, though, happy holidays to all!

You can get your copy of The Road to Christmas on Amazon | Audible | Bookshop.org

About Sheila Roberts

USA Today and Publishers Weekly best-selling author Sheila Roberts has written over fifty books under various names, ranging from romance to self-improvement. Over three million books have been sold to date. Her humor and heart have won her a legion of fans and her novels have been turned into movies for both the Lifetime and Hallmark channels. When she’s not out dancing with her husband or hanging out with her girlfriends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends and chocolate.

Her latest book is the women’s fiction/romance The Road to Christmas (Harlequin/Mira, September ’22)

Visit her website at http://www.sheilasplace.com. Connect with her at Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.