What the past says about the present

I first met Rita Woods through her beautiful novel, Remembrance, and then in person at my favorite book festival, Bookmarks, in Winston-Salem, NC. Rita quickly became one of my favorite writing friends for her dry wit and insightful views, plus the moving and compelling storytelling I already knew. (Her 2nd novel, The Last Dreamwalker, is coming out this September!) Rita is a busy woman, as she’s also a physician and director of a wellness center, so I was delighted to get to spend a little time with her chatting about books.

What are some good books about women’s history that you’ve read recently?

So many great books. I’m finishing When Two Feathers Fell from the Sky by Margeret Verble, Sisters in Arms by Kaia Anderson and waiting patiently for By Her Own Design by Piper Hughley which releases in June (about Ann Lowe, the Black woman who designed Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress)

I enjoyed Sisters in Arms too — it’s one where the characters come back to me often. And I’m not so patient as I wait for By Her Own Design to show up on my doorstep! Those two novels are about WWII or later 20th century history, but much of your writing takes place earlier. What era do you think Americans should learn more about?

I think the era between the World Wars is absolutely fascinating. The entire European map was redrawn, monarchies toppled, democracies created, Industrialization exploded (think Henry Ford’s assembly line), massive worldwide migration, racial chaos (The Red Summer of 1919), followed by global economic collapse. The material and information from this period is nearly endless and also informs much of what continues to inform present day (Russia/Ukraine, Redlining and housing discrimination, current social service systems, medical systems).

You’re right, history informs our present, but we often lose sight of that. Can you tell us what one of your characters would say about today’s historical moment?

Gemma in The Last Dreamwalker held so much disdain for the world outside of her small Gullah island. She would say that what is happening in the world is what has always happened and what will ALWAYS happen. Folks fighting for this bit of land, that bit of water. And most of the time not having anything to do with poor people and people of color. She would say: We just mind our business and live our life out here on this island and let them fight it out.

Was there anything in your research that surprised you?

In my current research about 1920’s Detroit, I was surprised (and dismayed) to discover that Michigan was a hotbed of the Klan. That a Klan member actually ran (successfully) for mayor and was only removed because of financial irregularities. That a wall that ran along a street where I grew up and which I had always assumed to be decorative (if I thought of it at all) was in fact erected as a racial barrier in the 30’s and 40’s. And finally, that I went to high school with the descendants of some of the most influential/controversial political figures of the 20’s and 30’s.

The past isn’t even past, is it? Thank you, Rita!



Bold women and controversial opinions with Clarissa Harwood

My friend Clarissa Harwood is a sweet, self-effacing Canadian who nonetheless has a fiery fearlessness to her — just like her unforgettable characters. She is the author of three historical novels, and I had the pleasure of chatting with her recently on the occasion of Women’s History Month.

What great book have you read recently about women's history? Fiction or non-fiction.

One real-life woman I've read about recently is Mary Morrow, a neurologist who fought the expectations of her family and her society in the 1950s to gain the education and experience she needed to work in her chosen field. She asked the director of the Allan Memorial Institute in Montreal, Dr. Ewen Cameron, to hire her, but he convinced her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation first. Mary, a brilliant doctor, was forced into the role of patient and became one of the many unwitting subjects tortured by Cameron in his attempt to find a quick cure for mental illness (the torture took the form of repeated electroshock treatments, drug cocktails including LSD, and medically-induced comas that lasted as long as several weeks). Cameron died before he could be held accountable for ruining the lives of Mary and many other people (several of whom suffered from conditions as common as postpartum depression), but Mary spent the rest of her life fighting for justice. Cameron's work turned out to have been funded by the CIA as part of their MKUltra mind-control project. Anne Collins's book In the Sleep Room is a riveting account of the whole mess. If I don’t write a historical novel about Mary Morrow, I hope somebody else does!

Mary Morrow sounds fantastic! I do hope you’ll write about her. For your existing books, was there anything in your research about women's history that surprised you? What was it?

 In the early stages of my research for Impossible Saints, I was most surprised by the violent way the suffragettes were treated by police and prison officials. The militant suffragettes were represented in the media at the time as “unwomanly,” disorderly criminals, but even their most extreme activities such as setting bombs in letterboxes or empty buildings paled in comparison to the backlash against them. During public speeches and peaceful protests, they were assaulted physically and sexually by bystanders and the police. When they were arrested for destroying property and went on hunger strikes, they were force fed in brutal ways. Whatever one’s opinion may be of their militant activities, they didn’t hurt people, only property. Yet they were attacked physically, and some of them died later from the injuries they sustained in prison.

I was also surprised by the very forthright language these women used. I came across a suffragette’s speech from 1913 in which she basically said that men think not with their minds but with . . . er, a different part of their bodies. And she wasn’t the only woman who spoke her mind so plainly. As extreme as my protagonist Lilia is, I actually toned her down a little because I knew readers would think she was too modern. Based on my research, I believe feminism was actually at its peak during the pre-WWI years. The rest of the 20th century saw some gains for women, but for every step forward there were several steps back. I know it’s a controversial opinion, but I stand by it!

Clarrisa’s debut novel, Impossible Saints, with its fierce suffragettes.

Moderating a Panel - Updated for Virtual Events

This post first appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books, though below I’ve updated it to reflect some tips for virtual events too.

It’s a ubiquitous feature of the lecture hall or public presentation: the person who, during the Q&A period, stands up and says, “Well, it’s more of a comment…” And then proceeds to monopolize the airtime for five minutes.

The audience groans. The speakers at the dais shift uncomfortably.

Audience members want to tell the commenter, “Don’t you know this isn’t about you? This event is about all of us, and we’re here to engage with the speakers.”

Everyone sits awkwardly in their seats until the moderator comes to the rescue.

The moderator, the unsung hero of presentations everywhere! The moderator is the genteel host, inviting everyone to feel included and gently chiding those who stray from the rules. The moderator shows the speakers at their best, while remaining mostly invisible.

I love moderating.

Whenever I get the opportunity, I volunteer to moderate panels at book festivals and writing conferences. It’s a wonderful way to meet delightful authors, and there’s a special thrill in helping to present people at their best.

But figuring out how to moderate a panel isn’t intuitive. Once, when I was checking in to moderate a panel at a book festival, a writer on an earlier panel approached the organizers.

“Ugh, that was awful,” she moaned. “Our moderator was terrible. She spent all the time interviewing the other speakers, and I hardly had a chance to even say my book title.” (And a year later, that happened to me - and I was left smiling dumbly on stage while the moderator interviewed first one then another of the other two authors at length, while largely ignoring me. Awkward!)

Let’s not let that happen. Whether you have a chance to moderate at a book festival (and I hope you do!) or you’re simply at a cocktail party, caught in conversation and trying to get one friend to shine in front of someone else she’s trying to impress (see #4!), I have some tips:

1. Read the books. If you’re moderating an author panel, of course you’ll want to know the books. Once you’ve read, think about what the author was trying to accomplish, and think about what you liked best about the work. Even if you didn’t like the book, think about who would and what they would like about it. Read some reviews if you need help. Make notes.

2. Know the rules. What is the format of the panel? Do the organizers expect the authors to read? Will you be introducing the biographies of the authors, or will someone else do that? How much time do you have?

3. Plan to use your time wisely. For a 50-minute program, I like to do very short introductions (one or two sentences per author), brief readings (no more than five minutes apiece), and about 15 minutes of the panelists answering my questions. That leaves the remaining time for audience questions.

4. Ask questions that sell the book, not that show your literary insight. In most cases, your audience members will not have read the authors’ books; they are there out of curiosity. Ask questions that allow the panelists to pique the interest of the audience, questions like, “What inspired you to write this story?” or “Who is your favorite secondary character and why?” This is where the moderator becomes invisible, and the authors shine.

5. Warn the audience that their turn is coming. Often, bookish audiences are shy — and this is often particularly so on virtual platforms — so I like to give them a warning that I’ll ask one more question before opening things up to the audience. Or even multiple warnings. That gives them a chance to formulate their question and, if applicable, line up at the microphone. Virtually, be sure to be very clear about how people can submit their questions. Not every platform is the same, and not every device interacts with each platform similarly.

6. Have enough prepared questions to fill the silence. If the audience is quiet, jump right back in with your own questions. Keep everyone at ease by staying calm and confident. Remember, this is your tea party! Keep refilling the cups when they get empty.

7. Manage the audience. In in-person events, if there’s no microphone for the audience, repeat the asked question so everyone can hear. If an audience member asks only one author on a multi-author panel a question, see if you can expand the question so everyone can answer. And if you get that verbose, “It’s not so much a question as a comment” person? Politely step in, thank them for their thoughts, and see if you can rephrase it as a question. If not, move to the next person. If you’re feeling that a question is dragging on, the audience is too, and you’re their advocate.

8. Don’t sell your own book. If you’re an author (and I am), it can be tempting to remind the audience that you, too have brilliant, beautiful words vying for their attention. But the panel isn’t about the moderator, it’s about the authors. The best impression the moderator can make is to be self-effacing — and, who knows, maybe that will inspire someone to look up your book. But there’s grace to be found in touting others. Let that be your reward while moderating.

9. Conclude by praising the book. Even if you didn’t like the books you’re talking about, someone did (including the author sitting next to you), and you can find something positive to highlight. Tell the audience what you genuinely liked and encourage them to support the authors. Also, don’t forget to thank your event’s organizers and sponsors.

10. Additional thoughts for virtual moderators. If you’re not familiar with the platform (even if it’s a professional version of a free platform you’ve used), do a quick trial run with the organizers. Check your microphone. Wear headphones/ear buds! This reduces the chance of echoes/feedback. Consider turning your camera off while the authors are reading, if reading is a part of it. Keep an eye on the chat, if there is one, and consider turning some of those comments into questions for the author if appropriate. You are the gracious interlocutor between the audience and the authors, so consider how you can help them talk to each other.

I hope you’re inspired to try your hand at moderating. Enjoy! And let me know how it goes.

Finola and Friends

Hi! Fellow author Finola Austin’s beautiful debut novel is out in paperback, and to celebrate, she hosted a number of authors for quick IG Live chats about writing life, historical fiction and (in my case) cats.

If you’re interested in learning more about how writers research, what goes into a book, or about Finola’s fascinating look at Bronwell Bronte and the older woman he had an affair with, check out the show:

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CQWmATiJs5u/

First Chapter Fun

The lovely ladies at First Chapter Fun read aloud the first few pages of Salt the Snow! Hannah Mary McKinnon has a beautiful voice - check it out here.

https://youtu.be/Erz-5FYs-Kw

Historical Fiction Happy Hour

I’ve joined forces with the awesome Linnea Hartsuyker to co-host a monthly virtual show, with a rotating cast of guest co-hosts. We share historical cocktail recipes and other show-and-tell, we play silly games, and we talk about history. It’s been a bright life in my pandemic lock-down, and I hope you’ll join us for the August show with Janie Chang and Finola Austin.

Oh, and there are giveaways! How can you say no to free books?

RSVP here: https://www.crowdcast.io/e/historical-fiction-happy-august

Friday, August 28 from 8-9pm Eastern Time.

Wine gelatins in the Metropol

I love cooking what my characters have made, so when I came across Milly’s letter describing her attempts to make wine gelatins in the fancy Metropol hotel, I knew I’d have to try them.

Milly didn’t say how she made hers, other than swiping some wine from a traveling American saleswoman, so I improvised. Because I don’t eat meat, my recipe is vegetarian, while Milly most likely used gelatin (an animal by-product). She probably didn’t have fresh whipped cream either, but hey, we’re fancy.

These were easy to make, so if you want to get yourself in a Salt the Snow mood, give it a try.

Ingredients (to make three tea-cups’ worth):

• 1 1/2 cups wine (I used a red blend; Milly used red too. But these would be good with any!)

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 rounded tsp agar agar (vegetarian gelatin replacement; it gives a much softer texture than gelatin too, so I think is a better result regardless)

• splash of vanilla

It doesn’t take much to make these gems!

Pour the wine and sugar into a small pan, then heat over medium heat until it begins to simmer.

Pour in the agar agar, stir constantly for two minutes.

Remove from heat and pour into your tea cups (or bowls).

Chill overnight, or until set. Just before eating, top with fresh whipped cream. (Cream plus a little bit of sugar, whipped with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.)
The final texture is smooth and the flavor is sweet but not cloying. Sort of like wine jam.

Enjoy!

The only true time travel we know

One of the funny things about promoting a book is that you have to write more pieces about that book. I didn’t realize that before my first book came out, but now I’ve grown to love the opportunity for exploration and analysis that feature-writing offers.

Photo of Milly Bennett reading a book; courtesy of the Hoover Institution Archives

I wrote this essay months before it came out, so by the time it did, I had forgotten about it. But now it’s my favorite piece for Salt the Snow , because it explores Milly’s depths and the challenge of conjuring a moment in the past for contemporary readers . https://www.hastybooklist.com/home/finding-milly-by-carrie-callaghan

“In the spring of 1931, poet e.e. cummings took what was then a nearly-obligatory pilgrimage to Moscow, to examine what everyone was calling “socialism in practice.” At some time during his trip, he encountered 34-year-old American journalist Milly Bennett, who described him in a letter as “very moderne" – the extra e serving as her wink. 

As she would often during her years in Moscow, Milly despaired. Cummings, like so many other westerners, fell in with the foreign correspondents, not the writers like Milly who worked for the local Soviet English-language newspaper. He became, “very thoroughly poisoned against everything … It’s pretty hopeless for me, uncertain of everything as I am (and most of all myself) to attempt to bat down the pleasant accumulations of his leisurely look around the place.”

Milly’s uncertainty about herself, her unwillingness to pass judgment on limited information, and her hope in a better world make her stand out against the boatloads of other American writers who journeyed to Moscow to proclaim on the success, or lack thereof, of Russian socialism. She was a woman who preferred buying camelia perfume over the required gas mask, whose heart broke for a dignified old Russian man selling poppies to get by, and who believed in both a better tomorrow while casting a skeptical eye on today.

Sometime during, or after, my graduate school capstone research project, Milly snuck into my life.

… Click here to read the rest, or here to buy the book.

Furious Gravity

I’m thrilled to join other DC women in contributing to our area’s premier anthology, Grace & Gravity, for their ninth issue, Furious Gravity.

I was really looking forward to the launch at the end of April, but like so many precious things, that’s been swept away in our important effort to stay healthy. I hope we have an opportunity to make up for the missing party (it’s never too late for a party, right?), but in the meantime, I’m looking forward to reading the collection.

I had a lot of fun chatting with one of the folks who worked on that collection in this interview. We discussed why write historical fiction at all, and I reveal which art form I’m giving up writing.

You can order Furious Gravity from Politics and Prose here: https://www.politics-prose.com/book/9781624292699

2019 Reading and Writing Round-Up

The past year was one of the most intense years of my life. No new children were born, but it felt almost as momentous. My debut came out in November 2018, so much of the promotion for A Light of Her Own was in 2019. I went on a road trip book tour with new and now-beloved friend Clarissa Harwood, I attended book festivals as a presenter for the first time ever, I talked to book clubs, and I (gulp, sometimes) dared to read reviews. I even got to take a trip to Spain to do some book-related research.

At a reading in NYC.

At the same time, I was finishing writing and editing Salt the Snow, which comes out in February. This book is in many ways quite different from A Light of Her Own. STS takes place in Moscow in the 1930s, and it’s a broader look at a woman’s life, not just a six-month snapshot, as in Light. I had many, many more historical resources for STS. But the story still focuses on a woman who dared — in this case, real-life American journalist Milly Bennett, who covered stories across the world and ended up in Moscow. It was the Depression and she wanted to see if the Soviets could build a better world. Plus, she was fleeing some major heartbreak, but she found plenty more in Moscow too. There’s hope as well in Milly’s story, and I loved writing it.

Then, the day job was NUTS, and of course there’s family life and friends. (What they put up with …)

Still, reading is my lifeline, and I read a lot. Much more than I expected, even, based on my year-end count. Something like 85 books, not counting the manuscripts I read for Pitch Wars mentoring, or the many picture books I read to the kids. Mostly I read historical fiction and literary fiction, plus some excellent fantasy. I particularly recommend:

• The Golden Wolf by Linnea Hartsuyker

• Bear No Malice by Clarissa Harwood

• A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Ann Fowler

• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Run

• The Unrepentant by E.A. Aymar

• Orchid & the Wasp by Caoilinn Hughes

• Woman 99 by Greer Macallister

Here’s wishing you a wonderful 2020!

Team Longbow's Pitch Wars Wishlist!

[This is the same wishlist as on Michelle's page.]

Hi, and welcome to Carrie & Michelle’s Pitch Wars Wishlist! Pitch Wars is a volunteer-run mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns each choose one writer to spend three months revising their manuscript. The hard work ends in February with an Agent Showcase, where agents can read a pitch/first page and can request to read more. Learn more at pitchwars.org.

 This year we are teaming up to bring you Team Longbow!!

[Alternate text: The fox version of Robin Hood aims a bow, albeit a recurve bow, to his right.]

(Kind of like this cutie, but with a more historically-accurate bow.)

 The short version of what we’re looking for:

 Adult historical fiction, historical fantasy, epic fantasy, and related genres (see below).

 We’re willing to work with a New Adult manuscript if it leans more toward adult than YA.

 Who we are: You can learn more about Michelle and Carrie and our published books at our Pitch Wars profiles. Between us we’ve mentored for eight years, and we’re both extremely dedicated to working closely with our mentees to make them stronger, more confident writers ready to take on the world. Carrie's priority is to help her mentee grow as a writer, and Michelle loves picking awesome stories that go on to attract wide agent and publishing attention. We're a great combination of craft emphasis and publishing industry knowledge.

To get more of a flavor for us: here’s a Goodreads list of the books that have come out of Michelle’s seven years of hosting writing contests, and here’s a blog post Carrie wrote about mental health for ambitious writers. You can also check out our web pages to learn more about our writing and writing styles. (Michelle,Carrie.)

 How we work: Our chosen mentee will get a fulsome (but not overwhelming) edit letter and a very marked-up manuscript. Then we’ll have a phone call to get to know one another and ask questions. Carrie is happy to do regular phone calls, and we’re both available via text and DMs for questions. We do expect our mentee to be able to dive right in, but we’re here for questions. Carrie is known for assigning craft books to read, and we both like homework assignments when appropriate. We both strongly respect writers’ ownership of their work, and we’ll never force anyone to make any changes. But we do hope you’re here to learn.

 What we want: To be swept away. Send us your historicals, your epics, your other-worldly stories of heartbreak or war or magic!

 More helpfully, these are the genres we’re interested in:

• Historical fiction. We are most interested in 19th century and older, though Carrie has a soft spot for the 1930s (and her next book takes place in the thirties!). We are definitely not interested in World War II or more contemporary, nor are we interested in biblical stories.

• Historical fantasy. Stories with magic where you had to do some research about the historical time. This can be in our world or a similar secondary world. We’ll also take magical realism in a historical setting – so light on the magic, heavy on the history.

• Epic fantasy. Magic, big stakes, moving characters. Low fantasy or high fantasy are both great.

• Gaslamp. Our mentoring friendship got off to a rocky start when we were both fighting to mentor this beautiful book a few years ago. (Don’t worry, we recovered instantly.)

• Steampunk. So technically steampunk is scifi, but if there’s enough historical flavor, we’ll love it – like The Watchmaker of Filigree Street.

• Historical mystery. The best mystery fit for us will be closer to historical or literary fiction than to straight-up murder mystery. Think cozy mystery with amateur sleuth like the Miss Fisher Mysteries.

 What else we want:

• Thoughtful themes. You’re writing for adults, and we’d like to see the novel dive into interesting themes.  (For example: how to balance friendship and ambition, how to gain power in a small town, how to allocate scarce resources during a time of hardship, etc. In other words, decisions that affect more than just oneself. Though we will also be looking for a character arc.)

• Heart. Maybe this is by way of a sprinkling of romance (more than a sprinkling and it’s probably not for us), maybe it’s just because you’ve plucked our heart strings.

• Humor. We love characters who have the strength to joke during bleak times.

• Unique concept and settings. We would particularly love to see stories not set in the United States or England, though a unique take on those places would be appealing too. We also love Russia (Carrie’s forthcoming novel is set there), Spain (Michelle’s Birth of Saints trilogy has a marked Spanish flavor), China, Japan, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru …. Really, we’re curious and enthusiastic about so many places.

• Big worlds and (when applicable) cool magic. Subtle magic systems are fine, but we do love to be blown away by a thoughtful, creative take on magic.

• Diversity and fresh perspectives. Bring us the stories that haven't been told, particularly if you're a writer from a marginalized background. We want to be surprised and delighted by what we read. We’re very open to any LGBTQ+ stories.  If you're writing about a background that's not your own, we’d like to read in your query about your research and relevant sensitivity readers.

• Secrets, art, war, politics … Any of those plot elements are delicious! And backstory! Characters with deep backstory that is revealed slowly are great!

• Complicated antagonists. We like our villains with shades of grey. Their justifications for their actions should be believable. If your villains are evil for no reason, we’ll have to work on that.

What we DON’T want:

• Pure romance. We’re not the ones to mentor your romance novel – there are much better mentors in this contest than us! If the primary plot line is love interest, it’s not for us.

• Too many words. We can’t work with a book over 130,000 given the time limits.

• Too few words. If the novel is less than 65,000, it’s probably not fleshed out enough for us. We want rich, complicated worlds.

• Main characters who are overwhelmingly angry or unhappy. We like complicated protagonists, but too much whining or vengeful anger on the page will be a turn-off. If they’re very angry, they should have some obvious soft spots (like in Trail of Lightning).

• Graphic sex scenes and assault. We can handle sensitive depictions of violence (including sexual violence), but we don’t want it to be overwhelming or used just to be titillating.

• Killing off your main character. Michelle’s a softy. Don’t break her heart please (looking at you, GRRM!). Michelle says if you kill them at the end, that’s probably okay—just not in the opening or middle.

• Modern guns. We prefer our weapons to be pre-21st century. Antique weapons like flintlock or muskets are okay. So are clockwork weapons.

• Retellings. We want to be surprised, so derivative retellings are not for us. THAT SAID! If your retelling is extra-twisty or otherwise very different from the source material (like Mr Iyer Goes to War), we’ll be interested.

• Paranormal folk and critters. We’re not so keen on vampires, werewolves, ghosts, or mermaids. Not as main characters or plot points but minor appearances are fine.

• Submissions we’ve received before. If you have subbed either one of us in the past, please do not submit to us again. We’re glad you’re still revising and editing! But we’re looking forward to falling in love with something new this year.

 How to ask us more questions: We are both accessible on Twitter (though no pitching us via DM please). We’re both passionate about helping writers, so here is a list of Michelle’s  editing posts, including some useful stuff about query writing, filtering, and punctuating tabs and beats. You might want to check a few over as you get ready to submit to Pitch Wars. Michelle will probably do an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on the Pitch Wars forum.

We will both be at the Pitchwars general genres twitter chat on September 24th and Michelle will be at the Pitchwars SFF chat on September 19th.

Some books we’ve loved:

• A Well-Behaved Woman by Therese Anne Fowler

• Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

• The Sea Queen by Linnea Hartsuyker

• The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

• N.K. Jemison’s Broken Earth trilogy

• V.E. Schwab’s Shades of Magic trilogy

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

• A Lady's Guide to Etiquette and Murder by Dianne Freeman

• Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

• The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

Thanks for stopping by, and good luck to you!

The map to go back to the blog hop:

Pitch Wars 2019 Adult Mentors' Wish Lists

1. Paris Wynters
2. Kathleen Barber (Accepts NA)
3. Ian Barnes
4. Mary Ann Marlowe (Accepts NA)
5. Elizabeth Little
6. Hayley Stone and Erin A. Tidwell
7. Gwynne Jackson (Accepts NA)
8. Maxym M. Martineau (Accepts NA)
9. Katie Golding (Accepts NA)
10. Ava Reid and Rachel Morris (Accepts NA)
11. Carolyne Topdjian
12. Natalka Burian
13. Tim Akers
14. Alex Segura
15. Michelle Hauck and Carrie Callaghan (Accepts NA)
16. Laura Brown (Accepts NA)
17. Mia P. Manansala and Kellye Garrett (Accepts NA)
18. Kerbie Addis and Ren Hutchings (Accepts NA)
19. Susan Bishop Crispell (Accepts NA)
20. Kelly Siskind and Heather Van Fleet (Accepts NA)
21. Janet Walden-West and Anne Raven (Accepts NA)
22. Kate Lansing (Accepts NA)
23. Kristen Lepionka and Ernie Chiara
24. Alexa Martin and Suzanne Park (Accepts NA)
25. Gia de Cadenet (Accepts NA)
26. Rob Hart
27. Layne Fargo and Halley Sutton
28. Michael Chorost (Accepts NA)
29. Sarah Remy (Accepts NA)
30. Nicole Glover (Accepts NA)
31. Farah Heron (Accepts NA)
32. Samantha Rajaram
33. Keena Roberts (Accepts NA)
34. Rebecca Enzor (Accepts NA)
35. Matthew Quinn Martin (Accepts NA)
36. Denny S. Bryce (Accepts NA)
37. Meryl Wilsner and Rosie Danan (Accepts NA)
38. P.J. Vernon and Kelly J. Ford (Accepts NA)
39. Gladys Quinn (Accepts NA)
40. Diana A. Hicks (Accepts NA)
41. Damyanti Biswas
42. Stephen Morgan (Accepts NA)

Cover!!

Salt the Snow, forthcoming on January 7, 2020, has a cover! Here’s what my next novel is about:

American journalist Milly Bennett has covered murders in San Francisco, fires in Hawaii, and a civil war in China, but 1930s Moscow presents her greatest challenge yet. When her young Russian husband is suddenly arrested by the secret police, Milly tries to get him released. But his arrest reveals both painful secrets about her marriage and hard truths about the Soviet state she has been working to serve. Disillusioned and pulled toward the front lines of a captivating new conflict, Milly must find a way to do the right thing for her husband, her conscience, and her heart. Salt the Snow is a vivid and impeccably researched tale of a woman ahead of her time, searching for her true calling in life and love.

Pre-orders are incredibly helpful! Either at your local indie store (💜) or on Amazon.

And here it is!

9 Steps to Moderating a Great Book Panel

This post originally appeared in the Washington Independent Review of Books.

It’s a ubiquitous feature of the lecture hall or public presentation: the person who, during the Q&A period, stands up and says, “Well, it’s more of a comment…” And then proceeds to monopolize the airtime for five minutes.

The audience groans. The speakers at the dais shift uncomfortably.

Audience members want to tell the commenter, “Don’t you know this isn’t about you? This event is about all of us, and we’re here to engage with the speakers.”

Everyone sits awkwardly in their seats until the moderator comes to the rescue.

The moderator, the unsung hero of presentations everywhere! The moderator is the genteel host, inviting everyone to feel included and gently chiding those who stray from the rules. The moderator shows the speakers at their best, while remaining mostly invisible.

I love moderating.

Whenever I get the opportunity, I volunteer to moderate panels at book festivals and writing conferences. It’s a wonderful way to meet delightful authors, and there’s a special thrill in helping to present people at their best.

But figuring out how to moderate a panel isn’t intuitive. Once, when I was checking in to moderate a panel at a book festival, a writer on an earlier panel approached the organizers.

“Ugh, that was awful,” she moaned. “Our moderator was terrible. She spent all the time interviewing the other speakers, and I hardly had a chance to even say my book title.”

Let’s not let that happen. Whether you have a chance to moderate at a book festival (and I hope you do!) or you’re simply at a cocktail party, caught in conversation and trying to get one friend to shine in front of someone else she’s trying to impress (see #4!), I have some tips:

1. Read the books. If you’re moderating an author panel, of course you’ll want to know the books. Once you’ve read, think about what the author was trying to accomplish, and think about what you liked best about the work. Make notes.

2. Know the rules. What is the format of the panel? Do the organizers expect the authors to read? Will you be introducing the biographies of the authors, or will someone else do that? How much time do you have?

3. Plan to use your time wisely. For a 50-minute program, I like to do very short introductions (one or two sentences per author), brief readings (no more than five minutes apiece), and about 15 minutes of the panelists answering my questions. That leaves the remaining time for audience questions.

4. Ask questions that sell the book, not that show your literary insight. In most cases, your audience members will not have read the authors’ books; they are there out of curiosity. Ask questions that allow the panelists to pique the interest of the audience, questions like, “What inspired you to write this story?” or “Who is your favorite secondary character and why?” This is where the moderator becomes invisible, and the authors shine.

5. Warn the audience that their turn is coming. Often, bookish audiences are shy, so I like to give them a warning that I’ll ask one more question before opening things up to the audience. That gives them a chance to formulate their question and, if applicable, line up at the microphone.

6. Have enough prepared questions to fill the silence. If the audience is quiet, jump right back in with your own questions. Keep everyone at ease by staying calm and confident. Remember, this is your tea party! Keep refilling the cups when they get empty.

7. Manage the audience. If there’s no microphone for the audience, repeat the question so everyone can hear. If an audience member asks only one author on a multi-author panel a question, see if you can expand the question so everyone can answer. And if you get that verbose, “It’s not so much a question as a comment” person? Politely step in, thank them for their thoughts, and see if you can rephrase it as a question. If not, move to the next person.

8. Don’t sell your own book. If you’re an author (and I am), it can be tempting to remind the audience that you, too have brilliant, beautiful words vying for their attention. But the panel isn’t about the moderator, it’s about the authors. The best impression the moderator can make is to be self-effacing — and, who knows, maybe that will inspire someone to look up your book. But there’s grace to be found in touting others. Let that be your reward while moderating.

9. Conclude by praising the book. Even if you didn’t like the books you’re talking about, someone did (including the author sitting next to you), and you can find something positive to highlight. Tell the audience what you genuinely liked and encourage them to support the authors. Also, don’t forget to thank your event’s organizers and sponsors.

I hope you’re inspired to try your hand at moderating. Enjoy! And let me know how it goes.

When We Left Cuba

Did you read Chanel Cleeton’s enchanting Next Year in Havanna? (If not, go do it, I’ll wait.) Now you know how much you need to read her next! When We Left Cuba features a beautiful woman who is far more than her perfect features, a doomed romance (my favorite), and a soupcon of international intrigue. Oh, and did I mention heartbreak?

The cover of When We Left Cuba, featuring a woman in a mid-century dress and sun-hat facing away, toward the ocean and palms

Isn’t that cover gorgeous?

Here’s some more about the book:

Beautiful. Daring. Deadly. 

The Cuban Revolution took everything from sugar heiress Beatriz Perez--her family, her people, her country. Recruited by the CIA to infiltrate Fidel Castro's inner circle and pulled into the dangerous world of espionage, Beatriz is consumed by her quest for revenge and her desire to reclaim the life she lost. 

As the Cold War swells like a hurricane over the shores of the Florida Strait, Beatriz is caught between the clash of Cuban American politics and the perils of a forbidden affair with a powerful man driven by ambitions of his own. When the ever-changing tides of history threaten everything she has fought for, she must make a choice between her past and future--but the wrong move could cost Beatriz everything--not just the island she loves, but also the man who has stolen her heart...

Chanel and I will be doing an interview with Washington Independent Review of Books, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, here’s some more about Chanel:

Chanel Cleeton is the USA Today bestselling author of Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick Next Year in Havana. Originally from Florida, Chanel grew up on stories of her family's exodus from Cuba following the events of the Cuban Revolution. Her passion for politics and history continued during her years spent studying in England where she earned a bachelor's degree in International Relations from Richmond, The American International University in London and a master's degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics & Political Science. Chanel also received her Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina School of Law. She loves to travel and has lived in the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. 

Now, go buy the book!

Amazon: https://amzn.to/2ICxV06

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/2KQM6MG

iBooks: https://apple.co/2IjgX3m

IndieBound: https://bit.ly/2LoZFUz

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2rINd9V

My year in reading: 2018

Reading lets us imagine anything, and yet I can’t imagine surviving without books. I go everywhere with a book, preferably physical but always with a book on my phone as back-up. (Actually, that’s a new development for this year’s reading. It’s worked out well.)

This was a very busy year, but I still read 62 books to date, with maybe one more to squeeze in by the end. Still, my to-be-read shelves continue to groan with beautiful books that I can’t wait to get to. The richness of living in a world with so many books to anticipate is one of the great joys of my life.

Some of the books I read this year.

Having immersed myself in so many worlds was pretty amazing, and this year was a remarkably good crop. The books came to me via various roads: books I bought because they appealed, books for a wonderful book club I joined, books whose authors I knew. The last category was large and fun, especially since my own novel debuted this November. I had the joy of reading many fellow debuts. There are a good handful more from my Authors18 group sitting on that glorious TBR shelf. I can’t wait.

What were my favorites this year? It’s so hard to pick! Here are the top contenders:

• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

• Happiness by Aminatta Forna

• The Sea Queen by Linnea Hartsuyker

• The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles

• The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

All fiction, all written by women. Three are historical fiction. Hey, that probably doesn’t surprise you.

But with sixty two books in my belly, so to speak, I have to rave about a few more!

Classic favorite: My friend Dorothy writes a wonderful column about reading classics from the (mostly) Western canon, and I’ve enjoyed reading along with her. She got me to re-read Jane Eyre, which was an utter delight. It turns out my high-school-based memory wasn’t all that reliable. (I knew there was an attic involved? Ha.)

Fantasy favorites: The first book of the year was one of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and I would love to finish the series. (The commitment involved in a series usually scares me off, though.)

A book by a friend: I read so many good books by people I adore this year. In addition to two listed above, Jenni L. Walsh’s books on Bonnie Parker (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) deserve special mention. They were captivating, insightful, and heartbreaking. What more could you ask for in a novel?

Best book to upend your expectations: Alice Stephens’s novel Famous Adopted People is a page-turning, surprising look at one woman’s forced encounter with her shocking birth mother.

Best book from a small press: Sarah Madsen’s Weaver’s Folly urban fantasy was captivating. Elf and professional thief Alyssa gets in deep trouble when she falls for a mysterious business partner. I can’t wait for the next one.

Favorite book written by a guy: Less than fifteen percent of the books I read this year were by men. I didn’t intend for it to happen that way, but hey, kinda cool. So the dudes need a little bit of extra love here. I will mention two: Planetside by Michael Mammay was an excellent psychological mystery (that happens to be set in space), and Rules of Civility by Amor Towles was a masterpiece of class observation.

Weirdest book I read: Hadriana in All My Dreams by Rene Depestre. This new translation of a Haitian classic about a young bride poisoned in a (failed) attempt to turn her into a zombie was the most mind-bending, bizarrely sexualized book I read all year.

There are so many more good ones! Especially in historical fiction. (You know, if you ever want a histfic recommendation, tell me on Twitter what you’re looking for, and I’ll be happy to make a suggestion) If I keep going I’d end up listing them all ….

I hope you had a wonderful year of reading, and I wish you an even more entertaining and challenging year in 2019.

Oh, and hey, I’ll have a book out next year too! More on that later. :)