Archive for the ‘Books’ Category:

Marshal Zeringue is the man behind The Page 69 Test blog. He challenged me to put Mothers and Daughters to the test, asking, “Is it representative of the rest of the book? Would a reader skimming that page be inclined to read on?”

I was thrilled that Rizzoli pre-emptively bought the Italian rights to Mothers & Daughters. They rushed the book out without even waiting for the US edited version, and because of this, the Italian version is actually slightly different. It starts with the character of Violet instead of Sam, for instance, and it also has a title that corresponds to my original title of Mercy Train, Un treno pieno di vento, roughly a train full of wind. They made a really beautiful book, and I received my first Italian fan email this week!

My sister likes to say that one of the reasons I left Brooklyn for Madison five years ago was so I could have no friends. It’s true that I’m a bit of a loner. This is a good thing considering my profession—writing is obviously a solitary pursuit. But on occasion, even I recognize the need for adult socializing.

Photos of Mothers and Daughters in bookstores

My third novel, Mothers and Daughters, comes out today. In honor of this momentous event in my life, I want to pause and thank the teachers who got me started.

Mothers and Daughters comes out in four days. It’s a strange time, this period just before publication. When my first novel came out five years ago, I thought something magical was going to happen on the release date, some lightening bolt, some fireworks. But it was a normal day, the only difference being I could now ask everyone I knew to buy my book.

Ever wonder how a book cover comes about? I asked my friend and talented designer Michael Fusco of M + E/Michael Fusco Design to fill me in on what has always seemed to me a mysterious process.