What was the last book that you read that you’d now recommend?

I recently read The Love of My Life by Rosie Walsh and loved it. I first became a fan when I read Ghosted and her newest does not disappoint!

Have you read any classics lately that you were reading for the first time?

I hate to admit it, but I don’t love the classics. Of course, I’m a huge fan of Little Women, Rebecca, and Catcher in the Rye. However, if it feels too much like 10th grade English class, I’m likely to skip it.

Do you re-read books? And if yes, what was your last re-read?

Yes! I re-read The Discovery of Witches series every few years. The Red Tent by Anita Diamante is also in regular rotation. And The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is another one I re-read every few years.

What are your go-to genres?

Obviously, I read a lot of thrillers just to stay current with what people are writing as well as to support my thriller-writing friends. But I also love rich historical fiction, fun romance, and upmarket women’s fiction.

What is your favorite childhood book?

Blubber, by Judy Blume. That was the first book I finished and then flipped right back to the beginning to read again.

What books are on your bedside table right now?

I’m reading a Mary Kubica ARC (advance reading copy) right now called Don’t Wait Up. I also just finished an ARC by Allison Winn Scotch called The Rewind. Very different books, but I loved them both!

Do you bookmark or dogear your page in a book?

Please don’t hate me but I dogear my pages. Always have.

What is your ideal reading setting?

A rainy day, my blue chair, and lots of snacks.

Tell us about your favorite indie bookstore?

I have favorite indie bookstores all over the country! However, my two locals are {Pages} A Bookstore and Diesel Books Brentwood. They each have a unique feel to them – Pages is in Manhattan Beach, California and has a bright and light beach vibe. Diesel is in Brentwood, housed in a red building with barn doors on two sides that slide open onto courtyards. I adore the staff in both places.

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

Probably reading as a teenager, when I discovered that books had the power to change lives, to change minds and be entire revolutions between the front and back covers.

What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

I will admit I use Google and Zillow to do many of these…especially during the pandemic. I love to search for places where books are set and then look at real estate. Elin Hilderbrand’s books have had me shopping for houses in Nantucket. Maria Semple’s Where’d You Go, Bernadette had me house hunting in Seattle and the surrounding areas.

Where do you get most of your writing and editing done?

I write in the very early morning, so I don’t stray far from my bed! If I’m not in it, I’ll be at my desk which is right next to it.

Does writing energize or exhaust you?

The ideas energize me. Often the execution exhausts me, but in a good way like after a hard workout.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

Just one. I’ve been very fortunate that my publishing career began shortly after I started writing seriously.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

I try not to spend too much time on them – good or bad. Once a book is in readers’ hands, it belongs to them.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

That eventually, she’d have books in bookstores, people would write to her about how much they love reading them, and that she could make a living doing what she loved. I’d want her to believe in herself and be patient.

When you’re not reading or writing, what are you doing?

Parenting my two boys. Taking care of my dog. Teaching. Sleeping. That’s pretty much it.

What are your three favorite things right now?

My Pilates reformer, jigsaw puzzles, and taking my dog on long walks with a good audiobook or podcast.

Your favorite travel destination and why?

I love staying home. I’m not a big traveler…the best vacations are the ones where I get to sleep in my own bed and experiment in the kitchen.

What’s your favorite meal and go-to drink order?

I love to eat anything with pesto. As for drinking, I love the wine from Maker Wine Company, which curates wine from small, female-owned wineries.

What six people, living or dead, would you invite to dinner a party?

Princess Diana, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Barack and Michelle Obama, Rob Lowe, and JFK Junior.

If a movie was made of your life, what genre would it be, who would play you?

The movie would most definitely a comedy in the Jerry Seinfeld style of “nothing really happens but it’s still entertaining to watch”, and I have no idea who would play me. Someone middle aged though.

What’s the last TV show or movie you watched that was really good?

I’m obsessed with “This is Us”. It not only has exceptional actors, but the writing is some of the best I’ve ever seen. “Severance” was also a show I couldn’t stop thinking about.

You have to sing karaoke; what song do you pick?

Anything by Fleetwood Mac. Which probably dates me.

If you were being taken to a deserted island and could only bring one book, what would it be?

Tana French’s The Likeness. It’s one of those books where you learn more as a writer every time you read it.