Tuesday, November 18, 2025

Q&A with Reyna Marder Gentin

 

Photo by Stephen Friedgood

 

 

 

Reyna Marder Gentin is the author of the new novel Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away. Her other books include Unreasonable Doubts. She is a former criminal defense attorney, and she lives in Westchester County, New York. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Jessica Harmon Has Stepped Away, and how did you create your characters Jessica and Cynthia?

 

A: I’ve always been drawn to the stories we don’t fully know—about ourselves and about the people we love.

 

Before I turned to writing, I worked for many years as an appellate attorney representing people convicted of felonies. It was fascinating work, but one of the most frustrating aspects was how limited the narrative was—I often knew what my client had done, but not who they were.

 

I didn’t know about their childhoods, their dreams, or what led them to that moment. Fiction gave me a way to fill in those gaps.

 

In this novel, I wanted to explore the power of secrets and how the stories we tell—and don’t tell—shape our relationships.

 

Cynthia, the mother, has hidden a critical part of her past from her daughter, Jessica. Her motives are complicated, but the result is that Jessica both yearns for her mother’s approval and blames her for her own lack of self-esteem and direction.

 

I made them both writers to heighten the tension: Jessica wants to write but feels paralyzed by her mother’s towering success and the way she has never encouraged her.  

 

I hope I’ve created a compelling mother-daughter dynamic, where the reader is drawn into watching how each woman comes to understand her own story—and how Jessica begins to rewrite hers.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them?

 

A: Jessica and her mother have a strained and emotionally distant relationship. They don’t interact often, and when they do, Jessica finds her mother to be cold and self-absorbed.

 

Cynthia has never shown much interest in Jessica’s writing, her friends, or her romantic life, and she’s always given vague, evasive answers about Jessica’s father. Cynthia has long prioritized her career, colleagues, and students over her own daughter.

 

Still, Jessica continues to long for her mother’s approval. So when Cynthia invites her on a book tour, Jessica agrees—seeing it as a last chance to connect. But when Cynthia suffers a medical crisis during the trip, the power dynamic between them begins to shift in unexpected ways.

 

Q: The writer Allison Pataki said of the book that it “explores the complicated intersection of family secrets across the past and present, and the ways in which mothers and daughters might deceive one another--and themselves.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it’s a very perceptive description because it gets at the complexity of what is going on in the relationship.

 

There are Cynthia’s outright deceptions that impinge on Jessica’s ability to trust her, even though Jessica only has an intuition that she isn’t being told the whole truth. Cynthia has built her whole adult life around a set of untruths that affect her ability to create meaningful connections with not only Jessica, but others as well.

 

And Jessica’s more nuanced unwillingness to face some of her own shortcomings and her tendency to view herself as a victim are the legacy of the secrets that underlie the relationship.

 

Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: While I was writing the book, an acquaintance of mine lost an adult child in an accident. A friend of mine was spending a lot of time trying to comfort this acquaintance, and I worried about the toll it was taking. When I asked my friend how she was holding up, she said something that really stuck with me: “Sometimes you have to step away from someone else’s grief.”

 

I thought the line about “stepping away” fit the novel so well that I gave it to one of the characters to say as advice to Jessica. The title captures that moment—but it also suggests something broader.

 

Jessica needs to step away from Cynthia’s grief, but she may also need to step away from other parts of her life to move forward. And “stepping away” has another connotation; it doesn’t have to be permanent.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I love writing short stories, and for a long time, I’ve wanted to put together a collection of linked stories. I’m getting close to finishing a first draft of one now. It’s called Open Twenty-Four Hours, and it centers on a diner on Long Island in 1984.

 

The main character, who appears in many of the stories, is Kiki—a 21-year-old waitress working the overnight shift. Other stories revolve around the other staff, their families, and the customers who come through the doors. The inspiration came from Scobee’s, the diner where I spent a lot of time as a teenager.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Just a quick note that this mother/daughter relationship is purely fictional! My two sisters and I were very close to our mother, who passed away in 2010. And my daughter and I have a wonderful relationship as well.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Reyna Marder Gentin. 

Q&A with Namrata Patel

 

Photo credit: Leila Bailey-Stewart Photography

 

 

Namrata Patel is the author of the new novel Your Next Life Is Now. Her other books include The Curious Secrets of Yesterday. She lives in Boston. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Your Next Life Is Now, and how did you create your characters Nikki and Tara?

 

A: Honestly, getting older. Like many women, as I age, I am more reflective. I think about my past in the context of the present.

 

Life as an Indian American was exponentially different 30 years ago when there was little to no representation or model. Back then, most of us referred to ourselves as East-West mix, basically Indian in our home and American outside of it.

 

We were raised by parents who were focused on survival. There was a scarcity mindset for most of us, so we sought security and the way we internalized it was to embrace the ideologies and culture that we learned from our parents.

 

When it came to education, we invented the stereotype of doctors, pharmacists, and IT professionals. Achievement and earning potential was our safety.

 

There was also a component of guilt. We saw our parents struggle and sacrifice. To honor that and them, we chose their path more often than our own. 


This was particularly felt by women who were trained to be dutiful wives just like our mothers and grandmothers. Alongside that, we were also pushed to become highly educated. This created cognitive dissonance for many women. Do we do as it was expected, marry the suitable boy? Or do we forge our path and choose career and romance? 

 

Of course, there was a blurring of these opposing paths, but for this novel I wanted to explore the choices Indian American women can make now vs. three decades ago and the rapid acceleration of assimilation into Western culture that give these women choice in different ways. 

 

Tara, at almost 60, chose an arranged marriage because of family and cultural expectations. Her married life felt too restrictive, and she encouraged her daughter Nikki to choose independence. When Nikki gets engaged, it catapults both women into the unknown. 


It’s a dual POV examination of intergenerational tensions that show how each woman navigates their understanding of one another. 

 

Q: How would you describe their relationship?

 

A: Complicated. These two are mother-daughter who have never understood each other. Moreover, they do not communicate well.

 

In Western culture we take the ability to “have a conversation” as required. There are many readers who put down a book because “this could have all been resolved if the characters just talked to one another.”

 

True, but also, for immersive storytelling, I try to show that these characters are a byproduct of their lived experiences. And because of that, it makes having a simple conversation about wants, desires, or even feelings, hard.

 

Then there is a cultural component. In Indian culture, which is as strong even among those that live dual-identity lives, our values are derived by our actions and accomplishments, not our feelings. We are not taught to understand our internal lives. That is changing as the younger generations push back against this way of being. 

 

In this novel, Tara has spent most of Nikki’s life trying to live through her daughter, which put pressure on Nikki to appease her mother. They have never spent time together as women or adults until now.

 

It’s an uneasy relationship laced with fear of disappointment from Nikki and coldness from Tara. Their goals are different and the story is about what one learns from the other and how that will shape their life going forward. 

 

Q: This is a road trip novel—do you have any other favorite road trip novels?

 

A: It’s interesting. Road trip novels were huge about a decade ago. I think with the pandemic, there was a lull. What I love about these types of stories is how being in close proximity can help us discover a side of one another that is often not possible when you’re in the same place. The constantly changing setting almost demands new and different conversations. 

 

I read a lot of travel writing and travel memoirs that allow me to live vicariously, but in fiction, a few stand out. The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn, The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balil Kaur Jaswal, and The Wangs vs. The World by Jade Chang come to mind. 

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I always like for readers to see themselves in the book, relate to the tensions and actions the characters make, and leave the story with a nugget or two that makes them wonder. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Currently, I’m working on my fifth novel. It’s about a woman who questions her sanity when she starts having memories that belong to a friend who recently died. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m excited for readers to check out Your Next Life is Now.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Namrata Patel. 

Q&A with T. Kingfisher

 


 

T. Kingfisher is the author of the new novel Snake-Eater. Her other books include What Feasts at Night. She lives in New Mexico, and she also writes under the name Ursula Vernon. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Snake-Eater, and how did you create your character Selena?

 

A: I had always wanted to write a book in a desert setting, which isn’t common in fantasy novels. I started Snake-Eater years ago but got only so far and no farther. It wasn’t until I learned about roadrunners being terrifying little monsters that the rest of the story clicked into place. 

  

Q: What inspired the world in which the novel is set?

 

A: I spent four years in Arizona as a kid and imprinted hard on the desert there. Even though I moved away and traveled all over the country, it was always the landscape of my heart. I finally moved to New Mexico recently, and that was really the catalyst to finish writing it. 

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: Honestly, I never have any idea, beyond a broad outline of “the good guys win.” I admire people who have a clear outline and can work from that—I just kinda start and plow forward and find out what happens along the way. 

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: Mostly I hope they enjoy it! Life being what it is, I want my readers to have an escape for a little while and to go somewhere where people are generally kind and trying their best.

 

If some readers see themselves in Selena and come away feeling validated or understood, that’s wonderful, but mostly I write so that my readers have somewhere to go for a little while. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Too many projects! The fifth paladin book, a weird little story about an angel and devil solving a murder, some other books…there’s a lot!

 

Q: Anything else we should know? 

 

A: Roadrunners are absolutely nothing like they are in the cartoons with the coyote.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with T.E. Milburn

 


 

 

T.E. Milburn is the author of the new children's book Magic in the Mountains: A Christmas Trilogy.  

 

Q: What inspired you to write Magic in the Mountains: A Christmas Trilogy?

 

A: On the surface, the Trilogy was inspired by a creative writing lesson I had with my sons. We brainstormed some story ideas, and I found the process so enjoyable that I decided to develop the first book in the series.

 

On a deeper level, though, I would say that Narnia significantly influenced my writing. The Chronicles of Narnia were the first books that truly transported me to another world, and the idea of children becoming heroes captivated me.

 

These stories shaped my love of reading, but it wasn’t until we recently listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe during a road trip that I realized just how much Narnia had impacted my writing. I hadn’t read the books since childhood, but the influence was undeniable.

 

Q: Do you know how your novels will end before you start writing them, or do you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I never know what’s going to happen until I start writing. Sometimes I wish I could create an outline and have a clear vision of where things are headed, but my brain doesn’t work that way. The ideas tend to flow out as I begin writing, and I often find myself surprised by the unexpected turns they take.

 

Q: How did you create your characters Alex and Noah James?

 

A: Alex and Noah James were inspired by the bond I observed developing between my sons, who were 4 and 8 years old when I began writing. They shared such a sweet relationship, and I really wanted to capture that special connection in my story.

 

Although they definitely argue more now that they are older, they are still best buddies who look out for each other.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the trilogy?

 

A: I want readers to be fully immersed in the magic of the Christmas season, whether it's a child reading independently or a family enjoying the book together. My hope is that for a little while, they are transported into a world of wonder.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am currently working on the next book in the Nessa Knightly and the Gnomes chapter book series. I refer to these books as “STEM-sprinkled adventures” because they blend science with fun and exciting stories. I have started two different projects: one focuses on states of matter, while the other explores animal classification.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with T.E. Milburn. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win one of five signed paperback copies of Magic in the Mountains: A Christmas Trilogy! One grand-prize winner will score a signed hardcover, a cuddly Arnan the polar bear plush, a mini crystal necklace, a holiday hot-cocoa mug with a hot chocolate bomb, and a special bookmark. 

Nov. 18

 


 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Nov. 18, 1939: Margaret Atwood born.

Monday, November 17, 2025

Q&A with Daniel Hurst

 


 

 

Daniel Hurst is the author of the novel The Doctor's Wife. His other books include Til Death Do Us Part. He is based in the UK. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Doctor’s Wife, and how did you create your characters Fern and Drew Devlin?

 

A: Whilst visiting Bowness-on-Solway, a remote part of Northern England on the border with Scotland, I had the idea for a couple who moved to a place like that from the city. I wanted the husband to have a secret reason for why he decided to make them move there, and the wife to seem like she was the naïve partner, when actually she wasn’t.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between them?

 

A: Both of them are extremely clever and calculating and both feel like they are always one step ahead of the other. They used to make the perfect couple, him with his upstanding job and her being the glamorous wife, but behind their perfect facade, secrets and shocks lurk…

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I had a vague idea, but am always open to exploring new possibilities within the story as I write it. All I knew was that I wanted some twists and turns as the story unfolded, to keep the reader, and the characters, guessing!

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope they wrestle with the idea of whether Fern is a victim or not, and whether she deserves sympathy or disdain. She’s a very multifaceted character and it’s hard to say whether you will be on her side, or Drew’s!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am writing a few short stories at the moment, which I plan to release at the end of the year. They are short, standalone psychological thrillers and the only thing I can say is that all of the stories have a huge twist at the end!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I originally intended for The Doctor’s Wife to be a standalone book, but due to its popularity in the UK, where it reached #1 in the Amazon Kindle Store upon release, the story has continued and now spans four books, soon to be five. My readers can’t seem to get enough of Fern and Drew!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Elizabeth Goodenough and Marilynn S. Olson

 

Goodenough

 

 

Elizabeth Goodenough and Marilynn S. Olson are the editors of the book What the Presidents Read: Childhood Stories and Family Favorites. Goodenough teaches at the University of Michigan, and Olson is a professor emerita at Texas State University. 

 

Q: What inspired you to create What the Presidents Read?

 

A: The idea hatched at the 2017 Children’s Literature Association conference in Tampa. After Marilynn Olson’s exciting talk on JFK and Billy Whiskers, Liz Goodenough approached her about collaborating on a book that would cover all of the presidents’ favorite books.

 

Q: How did you choose the material to include, and did you find anything that especially surprised you?

Olson
 

A: “What was your favorite book when you were a kid?,” a traditional question to ask American presidential candidates, has embedded many “favorites” in interview material and presidential memoirs. 

 

Letters and speeches also quote from stories presidents read as children: Aesop’s Fables often appears in this way. Some presidents advise children to read the books that were first valuable to them. Childhood books that presidents kept and wrote in as adults are also suggestive. 

 

LBJ’s name inscribed on the front of two early books changes from round elementary school letters to his later dashing presidential signature.

 

The book is organized around eight themes, so some presidents and first family members are represented more than once when they had “favorites” in more than one category. 

 

We divided chapters to identify youthful interests: history and geography; sports, games, play, and music; animal tales; oral recitations, speeches, plays heard or performed; instructive lessons valued later; newspapers and magazines (often more available than books); biographies and autobiographies of famous people; and fictional stories.

 

Everyone will have their own surprises. We loved thinking about Garfield trying to go to sea from rural Ohio because he had read the Jack Halyard story about a sailor boy. Fillmore may be forgotten as a president, but he established the first White House library in interesting ways.

 

Q: Do you see any particular trends as far as presidential reading is concerned?

 

A: For the presidents, a childhood book may represent a turn in the course of history. Their early reading can both reflect and instigate patterns and future trends.

 

Many presidential favorites are not current household names– some quite unknown to most people – but they were very popular in their culture. Rollin’s Ancient History, for example, explains how the founders, their families, and their fellow citizens thought about the world.

 

“Favorites” are a window into another time and electorate. Many presidents seemed to recognize early the things they’d need in the books they read.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: That presidents and first ladies were real people and quite possibly not the people that we thought we knew.  That we can ponder and compare what we ourselves were like and the books we read as we imagine their different beginnings.

 

The profound influence of childhood reading and the importance of literacy to a democracy.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

EG: Teaching “Children Under Fire: Narratives of Sustainability” at University of Michigan. Writing to pinpoint how during the 19th century fairy tales and bird figures combined in a mystical understanding of the child as a spiritual communicator. Publishing James Munro Leaf’s poetry and prose, A Revolution of One (Atmosphere Press 2026).

 

MO: Researching an internationally known children’s outdoor game mentioned in the 18th century “first” children’s book by John Newbery, but pictured centuries before and still played today -- and also the relation of the Billy Whiskers series to the Oz books – both travel adventures that were rivals in the first decade of the 20th century.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: We arranged the book to be a browse with “choose your own adventure” page numbers at the bottom of the presidential passages that can be pursued to know more about the story.

 

The book can bring life to history or English teaching: we are within a few days of posting a chronological list of presidents and First Families with notes and special links for quick reference on our website: whatthepresidentsread.net

 

We hope the book helps teachers (and readers who are not browsers at heart). We would love to hear how its reception works out.

 

In a polarized world, everyone has been a child. Studying this universal experience and representations of childhood can offer a way to understand difference as we strive to live together in peace.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb