Q&A with Elise Hart Kipness

 

 

 

Elise Hart Kipness is the author of the new novel Dangerous Play. It's a sequel to her novel Lights Out. A former TV sports reporter, she lives in Stamford, Connecticut, and Key West, Florida.

 

Q: Dangerous Play is your second novel featuring your protagonist Kate Green. Do you think she’s changed from one book to the next?

 

A: I’d like to think that Kate’s matured in this book. Despite the fact that she’s been burned in Lights Out, she still opens herself up to other relationships that she’s previously closed herself off to.

 

She’s also willing to confront her past and revisit some serious events that happened during her time playing soccer as a teenager. 

 

Q: What inspired the plot of Dangerous Play?

 

A: I always wanted to write about soccer. In addition to being a sports reporter, I’m also a soccer mom, so I came to the story from two angles. I also wanted to explore pressures athletes might encounter, especially as teens. I thought this setting was a great opportunity to do that. 

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Kate and her father, Liam?

 

A: I’ve had a really fun time developing the relationship between Kate and her father. In describing it, the first word that comes to mind is complicated. They love each other but they are grappling with how much they can trust one another. In the second book, I made a point of digging deeper into this storyline. 

 

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

 

A: My first goal is always that readers enjoy the book. I also wanted to explore some issues that are important to me.

 

In Dangerous Play, I take a deep dive into the pressures surrounding youth sports. While the plot is fictionalized, I think it’s important to look at this topic and think about it.

 

As a former reporter, I’m also worried about the impact of social media on the way information is disseminated. I explore that topic through a false post that creates a deadly situation. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on the third book in the Kate Green series. I can share the title–it’s Close Call, and it takes place at the U.S. Open, focusing on tennis.

 

Q: Anything else we should know? 

 

A: These last few months have been amazing! I’ve been traveling all over the country for book events and getting to meet so many wonderful people. I’m so grateful to see readers connecting to Dangerous Play and the Kate Green series. And, bonus—I’m getting some really fun photos to share on Instagram and Facebook. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elise Hart Kipness.

Q&A with Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

 

 

Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. is the author of the new story collection Sacred Folks. His other books include Sacred City.

 

Q: Over how long a period did you write the stories in your new collection?

 

A: I think the stories can cook along for a lifetime, but as far as getting these ones down, I would say about a year and half to two years.

 

Q: This is the third volume in your story cycle--how would you describe the relationship among the three books?

 

A: This third book takes place mostly in the narrator’s late teens and early 20s — the books begin when he’s about 13 or so and progress from there, showing an increasing sophistication in language and storytelling.

 

Q: The writer Tommy Orange said of the book, “I love the way Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. writes about urban Native lives in Chicago. There is something so familiar about the lives he writes about, and what he is doing with language is so new and unexpected. He writes the city beautifully.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I really appreciate what Tommy had to say about my writing and books. We both work on trying to portray Urban Native lives and each understand what the other is trying to do and say. That means a lot to me. He’s so generous.

 

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

 

A: Sacred Folks is meant to signify the preciousness of certain lives that largely go unexamined and unspoken, untold. That includes everyone here in the book.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently in edits for my first “traditional” novel, The El, which will be published by Vintage/Penguin Random House in 2025. I’m also working on a historical fiction as well as something with the two characters from my story in Never Whistle at Night. Oh, and speaking of, we’re putting together a follow up to that anthology entitled Never Whistle at Night Part II: Back for Blood.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I post about books and films and other things that I at least find interesting on FB/IG/Bluesky at TVAyyyy. 

 

Additional work by me can be found at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Theodore-C.-Van-Alst-Jr./author/B00PGILJSS

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Nov. 2

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Nov. 2, 1951: Thomas Mallon born.

Q&A with J.T. Ellison

 

 

 

J.T. Ellison is the author of the new novel A Very Bad Thing. Her many other books include It's One of Us. She lives in Nashville.

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Very Bad Thing, and was your character Columbia Jones based on a particular writer?

 

A: Ironically, it was a conversation with one of my dear friends, bookseller Barbara Peters, owner of the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale. We were talking about Agatha Christie, and she told me she’d visited her house once.

 

Her description of the interior was fascinating, and a story idea hit me like a lightning bolt—a young woman inheriting the home of an author who’d died under mysterious circumstances.

 

As happens with nascent ideas, they grow and change and morph, and the end result doesn’t resemble this original idea in anything but spirit. Happily, though, I’m using those first concepts to write another story.

 

The way I view Columbia: she is an amalgamation of every bestselling household name—the blockbuster authors whose fan bases are limitless—rolled into one.

 

She is beloved, respected, inspirational. She is the author we all dream of becoming, one who transcends the act of publishing to become an icon. We all buy her books, we talk about them with our friends, we watch the movie adaptations. Columbia is a full-blown publishing legend.

 

Q: The writer Heather Gudenkauf said of the book, “In A Very Bad Thing, Ellison delves into the complex nature of mother-daughter relationships, the price of fame, and the danger of long-held secrets in this addictive, impossible-to-put-down thriller.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think it’s perfectly said, and I’m so honored that Heather both offered her endorsement and so succinctly identified what the story is about.

 

It’s sometimes hard to define a story for yourself, so seeing another’s description really makes you sit up and say wow, that it’s exactly. She’s hit on the three most important themes of the story, exactly what I wanted the reader to be thinking about as when they pick up the book. 

 

Heather’s an amazing author in her own right; I highly recommend everyone reading grab her latest, Everyone Is Watching. It’s great!

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Columbia and her daughter, Darian?

 

A: Fraught. Complicated. A true mother/daughter relationship. They love each other so completely that they allow for tension to rise between them because they know that no matter what, they can’t destroy their love.

 

Everything Columbia’s done, she’s done for Darian, but Darian only knows what Columbia’s allowed her to see. She is her right hand, so of course, working for her mother creates another layer of this complicated dynamic. But Darian is devoted to Columbia and will do anything to protect her. It was fun to play with those tensions throughout the story.

 

Q: In the book’s author's note, you write, “I don't like killing people.” How do you manage to kill off your characters, and what was it like to write the murder of Columbia Jones?

 

A: I had a terrible time with this story for a couple of reasons—one is a major spoiler I can’t discuss, but the other was the idea of losing Columbia. I knew she had to be murdered in the opening pages because that’s what creates the plot. But I was very, very attached to her.

 

I think being an author in this world is part of it, the idea that we curate our lives for our readers plays into it too, but just the idea in general of losing anyone to violence made me hesitant.

 

And she’s such a cool character. She’s overcome so much, found her power, and risen up in the world, only to be struck down in her prime… that’s a nightmare.

 

I wanted to get to know her more, not just through the eyes of those surrounding her, so I ended up adding some chapters from her POV during revision, and I think that made the book work much better. The reader gets to understand why I’m so attached to her. She’s a magnificent creature.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: As it happens, I’ve just begun revising my 2025 novel. It’s the story of two sisters: one with a dark past who goes missing from a writer’s retreat, and her much younger sibling, who will do anything to find her—and not for the reasons you might think.

 

It’s twisty and chock full of dark secrets and explores the way our lives can be altered in a heartbeat. I probably need Heather to read it and give me a better view of it—ha!

 

I’ve also been doing a live writing exercise about the 2025 book on my blog, delving into what turns out to be the 22 Steps to writing and publishing a novel. I hope to turn this into a nonfiction craft book of its own. (https://jtellison.substack.com)

 

A few more projects, including two books under my Joss Walker pen name and the continuation of a short story releasing later this year, are waiting impatiently for my attention.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m just so excited for people to read A Very Bad Thing! Come find me on the socials—I’m @thrillerchick—if you love it!

 

Thank you so much for having me!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Sariah Wilson

 

 

 

Sariah Wilson is the author of the new novel A Tribute of Fire. Her many other novels include Hypnotized by Love. She lives in Utah.

 

Q: What inspired you to write A Tribute of Fire, and how did you create your character Lia?

 

A: I was writing a rom com about a girl next door type dating a movie star and there was going to be a line about her saying she felt like Cassandra, the prophetess from Greek mythology, who spoke the truth/saw the future but wasn’t ever believed.

 

I wanted to make sure I was using the reference correctly, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. There was a paragraph about what happened to Cassandra after the Trojan War. Cassandra (a princess of Troy) sought sanctuary in Athena’s temple.

 

A man named Ajax the Lesser followed her there and dragged her out of the temple and violated her. In retribution for his actions, Athena demanded that his nation, Locris, send two maidens every year to serve in her temple, but “only if they made it there alive.”

 

That led me to look up more about the Locrian maidens (the tribute was a real event that went on for a thousand years), and the wheels in my brain started spinning!

 

Lia was going to try and save her nation and stop the tribute, so I knew she had to be in a position where she could devote herself to training and had the resources to do so, and be someone who felt strongly about saving Locris. She had to be strong, loyal, and brave. Honestly, she kind of wrote herself in my head.

Q: What relationship do you see between your novel and ancient Greek mythology?

 

A: I consider it to be an alternate universe. I graduated with a degree in history so a lot of this book is rooted in actual ancient Greek history and culture based on my research (I’m on a first name basis with some professors of classical antiquity now!).

 

But there are lots of things that I’ve done that don’t come from Greek mythology or history at all. I’ve tried to put my own unique twist on it!

Q: This is your first novel in the romantasy genre--why did you decide to move into this arena, and how would you compare it with writing romance?

 

A: My parents were avid readers. My mother used to get subscription Harlequins by the truckload and my dad loved fantasy. So those were the two genres I grew up reading and I loved them both.

 

When I started writing professionally I knew I would be writing romance as people falling in love is what interested me the most. At the time there wasn’t a great deal of romance in fantasy books. Whenever I would do an interview and was asked what other genre I would write besides romance, I always said fantasy.

 

So when romantasy became a big hit, I was giddy! Here was my chance to combine my two great genre loves!

 

I typically write romantic comedies and there is a lot of work that goes into those. I have to structure them a specific way and make sure the jokes are landing (and that I haven’t already told the joke before in a different book). It’s harder.

 

But writing this romantasy? It didn’t feel even like work. It just flowed out of me so quickly and easily.

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

 

A: I hope they have a good time and enjoy themselves—to forget about the struggles of their real lives for a few hours and get lost in my world.

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m doing the edits for the second book in this series and after that’s finished, I will need to write the third book.

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: A Tribute of Fire goes on sale 11/1/24!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Margaret Dulaney

 

 

 

Margaret Dulaney is the author of the new book Whippoorwill Willingly. Her other books include To Hear the Forest Sing. She lives in Pennsylvania.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Whippoorwill Willingly?

 

A: I have been writing nonfiction essays around mystical themes for 20 years now, many of which I offer as spoken word pieces on my website, Listenwell.org, where I have been offering one recorded essay a month for the past 15 years. Having this platform has allowed me to publish three books of my writings.

 

I was busily working on my fourth nonfiction book when the pandemic rolled across the globe, and I looked up and thought, I want to write something all uplifting! I want to take my audience to a beautiful lake filled with healing waters, introduce them to kindred spirits, give them animals to love, and ancient forests to walk through. I want to wash their cares away!

 

It was then that Whippoorwill Willingly started to tell me her story. I listened.

 

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

 

A: I followed along, almost as if taking dictation. I did not know where the story was going, but every time I quieted and sat with a pencil in hand (my first draft was written by hand) Whippoorwill’s voice would take up where it left off the day before. This book was a pure joy to write.

Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I learned that in India the attendees of funerals, or ash scatterings, wear white. I thought that was lovely.

 

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

 

A: I hope readers will feel the same pervasive peace that I felt while writing the book. I would love for them to feel as if they had plunged themselves in the healing waters of the mystical lake along with Whippoorwill. It would be quite an achievement if the audience loved their time in Whippoorwill’s world even half as well as I did.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am always working on my nonfiction, reading and musing. Since I write a piece every month for ListenWell, I keep my pen moving most mornings. It never feels a chore, but something that I look forward to every day. I will say that this ease of picking up the pen every morning took many years to be a reliable friend.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Perhaps I should explain what I mean by mysticism. I was raised on mysticism with a grandmother who followed the teachings of the mystic Rudolf Steiner.

 

His child-friendly views of the world behind the natural world are still with me. His belief that every living being on earth has a spirit has brightened my days. I believe in the power of the natural world to heal, and connect us to all conscious beings.

 

Steiner would tell us that even blades of grass, even stones (however dense) have a degree of consciousness. He also spoke of a hierarchy of beings that were responsible for the care of nature, which care includes the care of the individual human. In Whippoorwill Willingly I call these beings the Bright Ones.

 

I went on from childhood to read the writings of many of the great mystics across time, from east to west, and have bundled up what I have gathered in a book for young people. I consider Whippoorwill Willingly to be written for child philosophers and child-like elders.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Donna B. McKinney

 

 

 

Donna B. McKinney is the author of the new children's picture book Tiny Tern Takes Flight. Her many other books include Lights On!. She lives in North Carolina.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Tiny Tern Takes Flight?

 

A: I love migration stories! I think it's amazing that animals just “know” how to travel these great distances. So I started doing some research into animal migration. These migration journeys take place in oceans, through the air, over mountains, and even from North Pole to South Pole, in the case of the Arctic tern.

 

I was drawn to the Arctic tern because scientists say its migration to be the longest recorded round-trip of any migrating animal. The Arctic tern holds the Guinness World Record for “longest migration by a bird.”

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: The internet provided a wealth of information while I was researching and writing the book. Organizations like the National Audubon Society, National Geographic, National Wildlife Federation, Public Broadcasting Service, and American Oceans are rich sources of information, photos, and videos about the Arctic tern.

 

A little later in the editing process Dr. Iain J. Stenhouse, Marine Bird Program Director at the Biodiversity Research Institute provided some expert feedback on the book.

 

In my research, I was surprised to learn that the Arctic tern sees more daylight than any other creature on Earth! They are always chasing the summer sunlight.

Q: What do you think Fiona Osbaldstone’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: Fiona Osbaldstone’s art truly brings the story to life. In the early reviews for the book, I’m seeing so many comments about the art – readers are loving it! Her attention to detail in the illustrations makes the book not only beautiful, but also accurate. I truly appreciate her work in helping to tell the story.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from Tiny Tern Takes Flight?

 

A: I think about what kids might take away from Tiny Tern Takes Flight in two ways.

 

First of all, the obvious lesson is that they might have a better understanding of the Arctic tern and its amazing journey.

 

But I also hope that kids who read this book might think about bigger ideas like sticking with a task, even when there are challenges – about being resilient and adapting to changing situations. These kinds of life lessons that the Arctic tern models are important for all of us, even grown-up kids like me.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m working on a cumulative tale (like “The House that Jack Built”) about bowerbirds and the magnificent structures they build to attract a mate. I’m hoping it finds a publisher home soon.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Here’s a fun factoid. If you add together all the miles an Arctic tern flies in its lifetime, it’s the same distance as if it flew to the moon and back three times. These tiny but tough birds are amazing!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Donna B. McKinney.

Nov. 1

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

Nov. 1, 1871: Stephen Crane born.