Book of the Month Live

If you wrote a psychological thriller about a writing retreat, would you still attend a real-life writing retreat? Julia Bartz would! Today, we’re talking with author Julia Bartz to discuss her debut novel The Writing Retreat, how becoming a therapist made her a better writer, and getting in touch with her dark side to write this spooky thriller. The Writing Retreat follows Alex, a writer who is about to give up on her dreams when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend an exclusive writing retreat hosted by her hero, Roza Vallo. Quickly she learns that the attendees must complete an entire novel during the next month, and that the winner will receive a seven-figure publishing deal. But when one of the writers vanishes during a snowstorm, Alex realizes that something very sinister is afoot. With the clock running out, she’s desperate to discover the truth and save herself. Get The Writing Retreat at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Will writing a novel clear your skin? To what lengths will a mother go to find her family? Today, we’re talking with debut author Eleanor Shearer, author of River Sing Me Home, about how the process of writing helped her reconnect with her family, the Caribbean history behind the novel, and what it means to be free.  River Sing Me Home takes place the day the Emancipation Act of 1834 comes into effect; the day the king has decreed an end to slavery, but instead announces they are his apprentices. Instead of working for the king for another six years, Rachel runs and begins a desperate search for her children that were sold into slavery. This is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children… and her freedom.  Get River Sing Me Home at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

A romantic lead with nice forearms and a rescue dog? What more could you want! We’re talking to Kate Clayborn, author of Georgie, All Along, about the importance of childhood best friends, why work and identity should not always coincide, the part of high school she would and would not want to revisit, and of course, cowboys.  Georgie, All Along follows longtime personal assistant Georgie Mulcahy when an unexpected upheaval sends her away from her hectic job in L.A. and back to her hometown where she finds a “friendfic” diary that she wrote as a teenager. The diary becomes her guidebook for getting started on a new path, all with the help of her unexpected roommate, Levi Fanning. As the two make their way through her wishlist, Georgie begins to realize that what she truly wants might not be in the pages of her diary after all, but right by her side. Get Georgie, All Along at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com.

Author Jessica George discusses mother-daughter relationships, societal timelines, and playing 'Dating Red Flags' in this podcast. Her book 'Maame' follows Maddie's late bloomer journey, facing tragedy and family truths. Listen for insights on Google advice, first experiences, and unconventional life paths.

Want to learn more about the UK’s very real (and very absurd) laws? Want to hear how 1940’s criminals got away with stealing furs? You’ve come to the right place! Today, we’re talking with Beezy Marsh about the naughty ladies from the Queen of Thieves, old British slang, and what draws Beezy to writing about crime. Queen of Thieves takes place in post-Blitz, 1946 London. Alice Diamond, the Queen of Thieves, rules over her all-female gang with a bejeweled fist, while her “hoisters” are expert shoplifters. Young Nell is a teenager from the slums facing a desperately uncertain future when Alice takes her under her wing. As Nell embraces the rich spoils of crime and the seedy underbelly of London, will she manage to carve out her own path to power and riches? Might she even crown herself the Queen of Thieves? Get Queen of Thieves at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Can a dark academia author recognize the names of demons? Can she tell us what really goes on behind closed doors in a secret society? Today, we’re talking with Leigh Bardugo about her experience at Yale, the way hell is portrayed in her newest novel, and why demons and failed companies have eerily similar-sounding names.  Hell Bent is the epic follow-up to Ninth House. Alex Stern thinks one can just casually go to hell and bring friends back, but the journey is a lot darker and more dangerous than she realized. This attempted rescue could cost her a future at Lethe and at Yale, and if she is going to survive, she’ll have to reckon with the monsters of her past and a darkness built into the university’s very walls. Get Hell Bent at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

After her own meet cute happened online, Lauren Kung Jessen decided she wanted to write about the world of online dating, but with a Chinese twist. Today, we talk with Lauren about her debut book, Lunar Love, how to make a meet cute out of any situation, and why (or why not) rooster signs make good podcast hosts. Lunar Love tells the love story between the unlikely pair: Olivia Huang Christenson and Bennett O’Brien. Olivia has taken over her grandmother’s matchmaking business, while Bennett has created a dating app that could run her out of business. As the two businesses go head to head, Bennett and Liv make a deal: they’ll find a match for each other—and whoever falls in love loses. But as they’re helping clients achieve #RelationshipGoals, these two matchmakers learn the most amazing love story may be their own. Get Lunar Love at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

What book do you get when you combine inspiration from Cory and Topanga’s relationship on Boy Meets World, the pressures of fame, and a story of second chances? You get Kayla Olson’s new romance novel, The Reunion. Today, we talk about why the pandemic sparked Kayla’s interest in writing romance, what it means to have thick and thin skin as a creative, and where Jerrod would be if he’d modeled as a baby.   The Reunion follows Liv Latimer, the star of the popular teen drama Girl on the Verge. After 14 years, she’s asked to come back for a one-time reunion episode. But doing this means facing her former best friend and costar, Ransom Joel. They might not have got a Hollywood ending the first time around, but a revived show might just give love a fighting chance. Get The Reunion at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

She may have focused on writing her novel instead of paying attention in class, but it certainly paid off. Today, we sit down with Kate Alice Marshall to talk about her newest novel, What Lies in the Woods. She shares what would be the creepiest things to find in the woods, the difference between writing YA and adult fiction, and how her childhood inspired the whimsical game in the book.  What Lies in the Woods tells the story of Naomi Shaw and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, 22 years after they sent a killer to prison. They were believed to be heroes, yet they were also liars. For decades, the friends have kept a secret worth killing for. But now, Naomi sets out to find out what really happened in the woods—no matter how dangerous the truth is. Get What Lies in the Woods at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com

Age really does matter when writing a book. Deepti Kapoor says that if she had written Age of Vice in her 20’s, it would be completely different. Today, Deepti tells us all about the complicated cast of characters in her novel, her life as a journalist living and partying in New Delhi in the early aughts, and what it means to make broccoli-flavored ice cream.  Age of Vice opens with a deadly car crash that has all eyes on the Wadia family — loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all. In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, and calculated political influence, three lives become intertwined: Ajay, the watchful servant. Sunny, the playboy heir. And Neda, the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Get Age of Vice at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.  Learn more about Virtual Book Tour at virtualbooktour.com