Q&A with Barb Rosenstock

 

 

 

Barb Rosenstock is the author of the new children's picture book Sea Without a Shore: Life in the Sargasso. Her many other books include The Noisy Paint Box. She lives near Chicago.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Sea Without a Shore?

 

A: I literally tripped on the idea for this book. We were on a family vacation in the Dominican Republic. While walking on the beach in the morning my feet got tangled on some seaweed. I had to sit down to pull it off my feet.

 

I’d never really looked at seaweed before and noticed that this seaweed had what I thought were “berries” on it. I searched “seaweed with berries,” on my phone, learned I had tripped on Sargassum seaweed, and that those “berries” were air floats, which made me curious about how this seaweed lived, why it was there, and what its purpose was…and that started more than a year of research.

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

 

A: I began with a good library search at home. That turned up only one old book on Sargassum and the Sargasso Sea, a ton of recent news stories on how Sargassum is overrunning beaches, and a Nat Geo article on the Sargasso Sea that really helped my overall understanding. That article was written by famed oceanographer Sylvia Earle, who wound up contributing to the book’s back matter!

 

I switched to reading science journals on the Sargasso and getting in touch with their authors. I was invited by Dr. Kerry Whittaker to a multi-day Sargasso symposium for students at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, which gave me access to folks from the Sargasso Sea Commission and scientists studying the Sargasso currently.

 

That research all wound up turning into a trip to Bermuda with Dr. Kerry, Dr. Robbie Smith, and illustrator Katherine Roy to see the Sargasso’s creatures in person. 

 

I was surprised to learn that seaweed are algae not plants, but more surprised that this specific species of Sargassum algae in the Sargasso Sea doesn’t have roots, seeds, or spores. 

 

So, it reproduces by fragmentation, or cloning! Sargassum seaweed clones itself out there in the middle of nowhere. A bit of it the size of your fingernail can turn into an acre-sized mat. That is just amazing to me, still.

 

Q: What do you think Katherine Roy’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: I think Katherine is a genius. My text is about a faraway place that is not accessible to many humans and all the strange creatures that live there. 

 

Katherine’s illustrations set that story first in a child’s community and then brings us out to the ocean community of the Sargasso, and then back in a way that’s intertwined.

 

She takes my ideas about the Sargasso’s life and its home in the weed and gives it a richness and context that I couldn’t have dreamed of. As I said, genius.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Youngsters will be sucked into this engaging, informative account of a most unusual ecosystem.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Well, if Kirkus said it, then it must be true, right? 😊 Actually, I’m quite grateful that the reviewer understood the book and gave it a starred review, because it’s certainly what Katherine, I, and the team at Norton were going for…the strange and yet fascinating story of life mid-ocean, and how our own lives on this beautiful planet relate to places we’ve never imagined.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have my first YA nonfiction book out next April, titled American Spirits, about three sisters before and during the American Civil War who became famous by talking to the dead.

 

That will be followed by Houdini’s Library, illustrated by Mar del Mar, which will come out in 2026 for the 100th anniversary of Houdini’s death on Halloween in 1926.

 

Other than that, right now I’m hunting for the next idea: eugenics, Emily Dickinson, old farms, light pollution…not sure which of those will turn into a book, we shall see.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Back to Sargassum and other seaweeds, when they do overrun beaches, it’s not because the seaweed is some space invader that needs total eradicated.

 

Instead, these abnormally large seaweed blooms and inundations are almost always due to human actions…our overuse of commercial fertilizers, climate change, etc. So, we should ALL get involved in helping the earth in some way. It’s time to save our home!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Barb Rosenstock. This Q&A was prepared in partnership with W.W. Norton. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win a hardcover edition of Sea Without a Shore, autographed by Barb Rosenstock and Katherine Roy.

Q&A with Lisa Diane Kastner

 

 

 

Lisa Diane Kastner is the author of the new novel Family Pack. It's a sequel to her novel Cure. She is the founder of Running Wild Press and RIZE Press, and she lives in Los Angeles.

 

Q: Family Pack is your second novel featuring your character Luna--do you think she’s changed from one book to the next? 

 

A: I think Luna's matured a lot in this book. A NetGalley reviewer recently nailed it, saying, "Luna’s struggle is not only against the TRG’s aggressive agenda but also a personal battle to reconcile her newfound identity with her beliefs and values."

 

TRG is a lycanthropic society that believes shapeshifters (aka werewolves) exist to dominate humans. In Family Pack, Luna fights against TRG as she believes that shapeshifters/werewolves are meant to live peacefully alongside humans. All the while she's still trying to come to terms with her own personal battles and search for self and harmony. 

 

Q: How did you initially create Luna, and did you know from the start that you’d be writing a sequel?

 

A: I honestly created Luna and her world on a dare. I'm old friends with New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry and one day we were tossing around different ideas for new novels.

 

I had mentioned that I wanted to see a few things in novels. I wanted strong female leads who live in a multicultural world and are embraced by those around them. I wanted fight scenes to be real so that if a woman needed to, she could use the book's fights as a template for self-defense.

 

And I wanted the stories to be complex and more reflective of our society - both demonstrating our everyday cultural complexities and how I believe we should treat one another.

 

Jonathan said to me, "If you want to see it, write it." He gave me six months to knock it out and so I did it.  

 

I didn't know that there would be a sequel. When I was done writing Cure, Jonathan read it and when he finished, he said, "This is worthy of a sequel." Luckily, while I was writing it, I had already started brainstorming out what a sequel might look like.

 

Before I started researching and fleshing out the concept for Family Pack, he gave me some advice that he had been given by Stephen King at the beginning of Jonathan's fiction writing career. That advice was to continue writing within the world that he had created, instead of coming up with new worlds over and over again.

 

I took that advice to heart and I must admit, it truly makes sense. If you've already done a ton of research and created a complex world with complex characters, why not elaborate on it? Plus you (and your readers) will have a fantastic time revisiting that world. 

 

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 left a bunch of breadcrumbs for potential follow up stories within Cure, so I gave myself and readers plenty to play with. Based on some of those hints, I developed an outline for Family Pack which I treated as a starting point.

 

Typically, as I write, I really flesh out the narrative and discover new things about the characters - their behaviors, their backgrounds, their motivations - that oftentimes change the narrative arc.

 

At the end of each writing day, I'll go back to the outline and make adjustments based on what I'd written and assess the impending chapters. Oftentimes, the characters' behaviors are more complex than I had initially outlined, which causes the changes to the storyline. 

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

 

A: At the end of the day, this is really a story about self-acceptance, empathy, and self-discovery. I hope readers have a blast reading Family Pack, are thoroughly entertained, and even in a small way, find themselves in the story. 

 

Q: What are you working on now? Will you continue Luna's story? 

 

A: I just finished drafting a short story in the world of Cure and Family Pack for an anthology that benefits Children of the Night, which is a leading nonprofit to rescue children from sex trafficking and exploitation. I believe it should come out sometime in 2025.

 

We have another short story anthology, Incurable: Stories from the World of Cure, where authors wrote short stories based on the characters and world developed in Cure, which comes out October 13, 2025.

 

Next, I'll work on the follow up novel to Family Pack. I'm having a blast doing research and going over old notes. This should truly be awesome.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I'm very open to new ideas. Readers are welcome to reach out to me with ideas and thoughts on current and future books.

 

We actually have two authors who wrote short stories for the Incurable anthology who are working on their own novels based in the world of Cure and Family Pack.

 

I just read the initial chapters for one of them as well as its outline. I'm really excited about it. The other author has been tossing bits and pieces of his concept to me and I cannot wait to read the initial chapters and outline. Fans are going to LOVE these!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Francine Falk-Allen

 

 

 

Francine Falk-Allen is the author of the new novel A Wolff in the Family. Her other books include Not a Poster Child. She lives in San Rafael, California.

 

Q: A Wolff in the Family was based on a true story--what did you see as the right balance between fiction and history as you wrote the book?

 

A: I did my best to follow a chronology based on both documented family history and census records, so that I knew where people had to have been.

 

This drove some of the plot, indicating where some of the characters must have or could have met, and with whom they lived…which brought up the question of why they were there, rather than living at home with their spouse or parents.

 

I then made up those scenarios and conversations, how people met or what the reasons were for their being away from home. In some cases, I knew the reasons, so I only had to give the characters motivation and express that. It was helpful to have structure, like a skeleton for the story.

 

Additionally, I did a lot of research on colloquialisms, salaries, fashions, household appliances, cost of housing, even cosmetics, and what items would have cost, so I knew what the family could have afforded to have in their home and what they could not at different points in the story. These details lend authenticity to the scenes, even though this is not a documentary.

 

I do feel it’s a reasonable account of the story, even if my suppositions are off the mark. Who’s to know? The characters are all long gone. Some of their children (my cousins) may have different perspectives… but my version still made a good story!

 

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

 

A: I didn’t want to use the family’s real surname, which was of Germanic origin and started with “W.” So I did the easy thing, I looked up German surnames beginning with W. When I saw Wolff, I thought, oh, yeah, that’s perfect (for a number of reasons which readers will discover; I won’t divulge what “Wolff” signifies for me here).

 

My editor, my beta readers and I were brainstorming on how to use the name in the title, or come up with a different title altogether, such as something with revenge or vindication in it.

 

Then a woman in my writing group said, “I keep thinking of a line in the Harry Potter books: ‘I think there’s a witch in the family.’” I immediately knew that was it: A Wolff in the Family. I was grateful to my friend and sent her an Amazon gift card!

 

Q: The writer Jude Berman said of the novel, “Francine Falk-Allen weaves a complex story of light and dark, of human failings compounded by the oppressive gender roles in traditional families.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I think Jude’s description is astute and evocative, especially for early 20th century family (and female) life. I appreciated her nuanced endorsement very much.

Q: Can you say more about how you researched the book? What did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: As mentioned above, I researched salaries in old federal wages records, old train schedules and routes, prices of clothing or appliances and divorce or marriage announcements in old newspapers or pricing records I found online; death records (I even used the name of the real doctor who attended one of the character’s illness and death), and names of pastors active in the churches they attended.

 

I read a Wallace Stegner book, which I found to be a snooze, but it did tell me that cities in Utah at that time were actually fairly sophisticated; they were not backwoods spots in the road, and there were one or two figures of speech I learned and used from his writing.

 

I looked up what songs were popular, because I knew my mother loved to sing, and I learned after I finished the book that they’d had a piano. The list of details goes on and on in that fashion.

 

I had one very surprising discovery when I looked up the census records on a boarding house where my grandfather stayed when he was on rail runs. I knew the name of the matron there because an aunt had given it to me.

 

I went further and did a search on the address listed in Wyoming and found that the house still existed! It was for sale and there were pictures of both the inside and outside.

 

Knowing where he lived and the relative opulence of the house, the several stories, the polished wood interior banister, the large corner lot with its foliage, compared to the older, small cottage in Ogden on a small lot (which I’d seen as a child) where my grandmother was raising his dozen children gave me another plot point.

 

Grandpa was living a double life, more comfortable when he was not at home. I emphasized that and created more story around it. Finding that set of photos was a goldmine!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Have to chuckle a little about this. Right now I am solely working on interviews and articles centered, like this one, on promoting A Wolff in the Family.

 

In a slightly related anecdote, I asked a favorite author to read my book and give me an endorsement, knowing it was a long shot. She wrote back, “I wish I could, but I don’t have time to read!” I learned that she was also in the process of promoting a new book.

 

So that’s what authors do when a new book is coming out; their writing tends to be promotional… which is still creative and fun!

 

What I intend to work on when the dust settles, after the book is firmly launched and I get through the holiday season with all that that entails, I want to start a series of short stories about my ancestors on my dad’s side, beginning with the four Allen brothers who emigrated from Ireland to the US in 1793. I know a little about that story, too!

 

I am not claiming that I’ll write a book about them, because… well, I’m 76 and would like to do more socializing and traveling and reading at this time in my life, and my husband kind of wants my book production phase to be over! We’ll see…

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I hope that people will enjoy A Wolff in the Family, tell their friends about it, and possibly give it good reviews on Goodreads or the voracious Amazon. Writing it was truly a labor of love, and even if I may have idealized my grandmother “Naomi’s” personality, I hope that I did the story justice.

 

I also hope people will think about all the questions the book raises (there’s a reader’s guide in the back for book clubs and people who just want suggestions for some pithy questions to discuss with friends).

 

And I hope that readers will not be shy about delving into family stories and secrets from their own ancestors. History is such a rich mentor, especially when it relates to our heritage.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Oct. 4

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
Oct. 4, 1924: Donald J. Sobol born.

Q&A with Allison L. Bitz

 

 

 

Allison L. Bitz is the author of the new young adult novel Three Things About Emmy Crawford. She also has written the YA novel The Unstoppable Bridget Bloom, and she also is a psychologist.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Three Things About Emmy Crawford, and how did you create your character Emmy?

 

A: Funny story about that—Emmy’s character was originally inspired by Angelica Schuyler from Hamilton!

 

When I wrote the original draft of this book back in 2017, I was intrigued by the idea of telling a story of love versus ambition versus sister loyalty, and I wanted to tell it in contemporary times. The manuscript went on to sit in the drawer from 2018-2022.

 

After I signed a two-book deal with HarperCollins, I knew I wanted Emmy to be my Book 2, but also that I wanted to change the story significantly.

 

My editor, Erika DiPasquale, has a very similar inflammatory bowel disorder to what I have (Crohn’s disease, in my case), and I thought—when am I ever going to have another chance to work with an editor who really gets the challenges of IBD?

 

With this in mind I crafted Emmy in a new way, and Three Things About Emmy Crawford was born. I’m so very glad this book was revised to its current form, and grateful for Erika.

 

Also fun fact—the character of Emmy had *many* other names previously, more than any other main character I’ve ever written.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamics between Emmy and her family members?

 

A: Emmy is hyper-responsible and sees herself as a protector—of her debate bragging rights, of her family’s reputation, and especially of her next-youngest sister Issy, who has had a longtime struggle with anxiety.

 

Importantly, we see that this pressure to “protect” mostly comes from the circumstances of living in the public eye and from her own perfectionism, not necessarily from her parents.

 

In the twist that Emmy doesn’t see coming (although I think her readers might)—she spends so much time attending to outside factors and keeping everything in order that she neglects to protect her own health.

 

Q: The writer Joan F. Smith said of the book, “This coming-of-age tale will resonate with readers for its sharpness, wit, and the intriguing realities of life in the public eye.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: What a lovely compliment from Smith. She is such a talented writer—The Other Side of Infinity is absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking. I do hope that Emmy lives up to her praise. Emmy does tend to be sharp in her observations and decisions, witty on the debate stage, and life in the public eye is a huge part of this story.

 

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

 

A: For me the biggest thing is the idea that we need to “make friends” with our bodies, including but not limited to chronic physical and mental illnesses. As far as I know, the “ignore until it goes away” method has never worked for managing these things (and believe me, I’ve tried).

 

There are ways to honor our limitations and take care of ourselves without making a physical or mental illness our entire identity, and I wanted to show two girls (Emmy with Crohn’s disease, Issy with anxiety) growing into balance with these matters.

 

Emmy learns in the span of a novel what it has taken me years and years to learn in my own life (and I am still learning!).

 

Another big takeaway here is that sometimes we can trick ourselves into thinking that hiding our pain away is a kindness, i.e., “I don’t want to burden people with this, so I’ll keep it to myself.” However, this can come at the cost of closeness, authenticity, and others really knowing who we are and how to care for us.

 

I’ve learned, as a therapist and a human, that our close friends and families want to provide care and comfort when we’re hurting (!!!) and learning how to be vulnerable and ask for support when needed is an essential life skill.

 

I hope, too, that this book makes people think a bit about American healthcare, and how very far we still need to go to make it an equitable and compassionate system.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m chipping away at a few different projects, notably another book set in Washington D.C. (an adult novel), also with political themes, and then also a novel that would comp to The Good Place, but for YA. It’s been exciting to stretch myself a little bit in this phase of my writing career. 😊

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love connecting with readers, and would especially love to hear from my readers with IBD (Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, etc.) or other chronic illness and mental illness. Please feel free to contact me via Instagram.

 

I especially love seeing pictures of my books in the wild—tag me in your stories! Tag me at the doctor’s office! Tag me while getting your infusions, taking your meds, or awaiting your therapy appointments! Let’s be in community together.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Heidi Bell

 

 

 

Heidi Bell is the author of the new story collection Signs of the Imminent Apocalyse and Other Stories. She lives in Aurora, Illinois.

 

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

 

A: Some of these stories I wrote or started writing many years ago, when I was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a graduate student at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Other stories in the collection are more recent in one way or another.

 

 For example, I began “An Easy Meal” in 2021 and finished it in 2022. But I began “Paradise Is a Place with Plenty of Music” in a writing workshop in 1992, and I completed it 30 years later, in 2012. Similarly, I started “The Sidetrack” many years ago and only finished it within the past five years.

 

I might have an idea for a story and write down some notes, a skeleton idea, or even a complete draft, but then it might take a long time for me to find the right content, the right shape, and the right tone.

 

Short-short stories are often easier for me to finish relatively quickly, and I wrote several of the short-shorts in the collection recently.

 

Q: How was the book’s title—also the title of one of the stories—chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The title story began as an exercise in a class called Form in Fiction. (The story “Peg’s Cat” was also born in this class.) Our assignment was to write several entries in an alphabetical form, which is often used in children’s ABC picture books and reference books.

 

One of our models was Ambrose Bierce’s The Devil’s Dictionary, a delightfully dark parody of a dictionary. I wondered how I could mimic the children’s book “A is for Apple” format with a subject matter, viewpoint, and tone that would create a striking contrast.

 

What could be farther from the innocent world of a children’s alphabet book than the coming apocalypse? I found the contrast humorous and fun to write. The narrator sees signs of the imminent apocalypse in some surprising places.

 

After writing the first entries of the story to fulfill the requirement for the class, I didn’t finish the story for another five years.

Q: The writer Jaimy Gordon said of the book, “A golden thread of magic, shapeshifting, and light along the edges is at play in these stories, often allowing a glimpse of another world altogether, the richer universe where stories are born.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I’m very flattered by it, and it definitely reflects my intentions as I wrote the stories and gathered them together in this collection.

 

I can’t think of anyone who understands my writing as well as Jaimy Gordon. I admire her and her writing a great deal, and I was lucky enough to be one of her students at Western Michigan.

 

She recognizes, for example, how my stories reflect my fascination with fairy tales, folklore, and the mysterious origin of stories. My theory is that humans have a biological need to tell stories in an attempt to make sense and meaning out of this crazy, magical, terrifying experience we’re all having together.

 

Fairy tales and folklore motifs and themes have the power to illuminate the unconscious elements at play in any story (and in human life), and I refer to them often in the stories in this collection, both directly and indirectly.

 

Q: How did you decide on the order in which the stories would appear in the book?

 

A: I sat down with my friends and writing advisors Bonnie Jo Campbell and Andy Mozina, and they offered their wise feedback on the stories, and we hammered out a rough order for the collection.

 

We talked about the different types of stories I’ve included: 10 short-shorts; several stories structured in sections; several more traditional-length short stories; and many stories with overt fairy-tale subject matter or themes.

 

Bonnie’s advice was to create a rhythm with the different types of stories, and I tried to do that. If someone reads the first four stories, they should come away with a good idea of the range of the stories in the collection.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am revising a literary novel, Melancholy Girls, which is set in the Midwest during the 1920s and ’30s.

 

A young woman and her family leave their farm in northwestern Illinois by train, bound for southeastern Wisconsin and their relatives there, but a horrific train wreck sends our girl to the Wisconsin State Hospital for the Insane, where she is treated by a doctor devoted to popular theories of eugenics.

 

This novel is much more serious than the stories in my collection, but, like Signs of the Imminent Apocalypse, it reflects my interest in marginalized people, social and political structures, and fairy tales and folklore.

 

I’m also working on a couple of nonfiction projects: A series of micro memoirs—nonfiction short-shorts—inspired by Beth Ann Fennelly’s incandescent collection of micro memoirs called Heating & Cooling. Also, a biography called My Father’s Body which is written as a series of related short nonfiction pieces.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Readers can preorder the book, request swag, and find a list of Midwestern events at my website, heidibellbooks.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with C.H. Hooks

 

 

C.H. Hooks is the author of the new novel Can't Shake the Dust. He also wrote the novel Alligator Zoo-Park Magic. He teaches at Flagler College, and he lives in St. Augustine, Florida.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Can’t Shake the Dust, and how did you create your character Little?

 

A: The idea for Can’t Shake the Dust started with Little. My books often start with a character and with their voice. I feel for Little. I grew up in South Georgia and was moved out of public school after getting into a few scuffles.

 

When a character feels like I can hear them in my head then I usually know they will have enough substance to show up on a page. Little was ready because in my mind, I knew him, how he would react to his dad (Wild) and the inflections in his voice when he spoke.

 

Being a teen is tough. Being a teen that lives in the shadow of others’ brokenness forced a story. 

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

 

A: It's a biblical reference to the idea of not being able to change a person’s feelings, actions, behaviors, or heart. To me it fit the book because it was all about not being able to change your blood or lineage, or the soil that your family comes from.  

Q: The writer Caleb Johnson called the book “a singular addition to the South's raucous storytelling tradition.” What do you think of that description, and how do you see your book fitting into that tradition?

 

A: I would call it flattering! I try not to think about where a book I write “fits in.” I attempt to do the characters justice. On some level it feels like I'm living with them, telling their stories when I'm writing a book and maybe my life sometimes feels a little “raucous.”

 

The final space of where the book fits in a broader tradition—again, is flattering—and I hope that I've written the best book possible. I owe Caleb a drink for that description!   

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

 

A: The American South feels strange, funny, and tragic. It's a mixed up space even for someone who was born into it.

 

My hope is that the reader will see humanity in the people, that they can feel they know the characters. That they could be walking down the street and see someone somewhere and think that they've met them before. Maybe they overhear a conversation and think, “That could be Little, or Wild, or Nanny.” 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve got a couple manuscripts written in various stages of editing and revision and another that I’ve been drafting this summer.

 

One is very much a Florida story. We live near the water here and it's nearly impossible to not see the stories that come from this space. Another manuscript stems from portions of my childhood. My grandfather was a mortician and it’s hard to escape some elements of that experience. 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m happy to be featured! Thank you! 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb

Q&A with Nicole Bokat

 

Photo by Jay Lindell

 

 

Nicole Bokat is the author of the new novel Will End in Fire. Her other books include the novel The Happiness Thief. She lives in New Jersey.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Will End in Fire, and how did you create your character Ellie?

 

A: We had a fire in my house when I was a teenager. I wasn’t home at the time, and no one in my family was hurt. But the damage was extensive and we lived in a trailer home in our driveway during rebuilding.

 

Ellie is not an autobiographical character, but we share similarities—feelings, reactions to circumstances, personality traits. However, the events of the book (other than the actual home fire) are entirely fictional!

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

 

A: The title comes from a line in Robert Frost’s poem “Fire and Ice.” On a literal level, the book questions whether this event was arson or accident. Without giving away too much, the fire signifies how the coveting another person’s life can run amuck.

Q: The writer Susan Shapiro said of the novel, “Nicole Bokat’s Will End in Fire is a page-turning mystery, a suspenseful domestic drama, a deep psychological character study of warring siblings, and a heartbreaking addiction saga all rolled into one poignant, powerful novel." What do you think of that description?

 

A: It’s very generous! I love to mix suspense with the psychological traumas people experience when life goes awry—as it often does.

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 did a lot of research on burn injuries, how they are treated, and how patients can perish or recover. In the process, I learned what a complex field wound care is, and how devasting severe burns can be on both the human body and psyche.

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I have a very long chapter outline for a new novel. It involves a lost inheritance, a suspicious death, and is told from three points of view.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m a huge fan of several contemporary women writers, including Maggie O’Farrell, Flynn Berry, Emily St. John Mandel, and Rachel Cusk. I thought Less by Andrew Sean Greer was a comic masterpiece and Michael Cunningham’s The Hours is one of my most treasured books.

 

But my favorite writer of all time is Jane Austen for her insight into character, social norms, and her priceless dialogue.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Nicole Bokat.

Q&A with J.K. Kennedy

 

 

 

J.K. Kennedy is the author of the new poetry collection Clumsy Beauty: Poems for Hearing the “I Love You” in Everything. She also creates greeting cards. She lives in Wisconsin.

 

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

 

A: It took me a little under a year to write all the poems included in Clumsy Beauty. At the time I was trying to write at least one thought/aphorism per day as a “healthy hobby” so they piled up quickly!

 

Q: How did you decide on the order in which the poems would appear in the book?

 

A: So, if I’m being honest here, I am seriously lacking in the organizational skills department. You should see the notes app on my phone (haha). But I am extremely lucky to have a wonderful and talented sister-in-law who helped me put all the poems into sections and decide on themes.

 

The material itself was written so sporadically and covers SO many topics that it was intimidating to attempt to sort it in a way that made sense. It felt a little like sorting MYSELF but on paper, and if you’ve ever tried that you know how uncomfortable it can feel…so thank goodness for some outside eyeballs to help! Almost like a book therapist, ha!

 

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

 

A: “Clumsy Beauty” is the title of one of the poems in the collection. The piece is about consciousness and self-discovery. I wrote it while observing my peony bushes bloom two springs ago.

 

In my opinion, that visual is so representative of “shy first steps down the road to self-discovery” and then an absolute explosion! I love the phrase “clumsy beauty” and it so perfectly and organically encompasses some of the major themes in a lot of my writing.

 

It’s also how I’d like to think of my writing style. We’re all out here stumbling through a bunch of thoughts, emotions and human stuff and it’s important to see the beauty in that.

Q: How would you describe the role of the book’s illustrations?

 

A: The cover of the book is incredibly special to me; I had the opportunity to work directly with the incredible artist, Jessica Benhar, on brainstorming it into creation. I sent photos of a bunch of the art in my home and then also gave her some specific requests. Much of what I write is inspired by things I see in nature, so the illustrations pay tribute to that relationship.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: A chicken coop! My husband and I recently moved to Wisconsin and we’re on five acres so I’m hoping to transition it into a hobby “farm” over the next couple years.

 

And, of course, lots more writing! I would love to write a second book after Clumsy’s release when the opportunity arises! Stay tuned!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Creating things people can share is so important to me. I learned quickly from my Instagram account that people from all walks of life were sharing the same poems and in a time when things can feel extremely divided I think that’s so important.

 

I created a wee line of greeting cards made from recycled materials about a year ago that are available on my website. There will also be poetry prints and other gifts coming soon!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb