Book of the Month Live

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

Happy Holidays, Listeners! In the spirit of the season, we are reflecting on and celebrating awesome conversations we had this year. We're wrapping up 2022 by re-airing our hysterical conversation with Karin Slaughter, author of Girl, Forgotten. See you in 2023! Prom night is a memorable night for many Americans, but it's also a great setting for a murder. Today we sit down with Karin Slaughter to talk about her newest thriller novel Girl, Forgotten, why she wanted to change her last name to Laughter as a young girl, and how she channels her Southern roots in her writing. Girl, Forgotten follows newly minted U.S. Marshal, Andrea Oliver, as she goes on assignment in Longbill Beach, where she is haunted by a murder that happened nearly 40 years before. What really happened on Prom Night 1982? Why did no one catch the killer? And what happens when Andrea finally uncovers the truth? Get Girl, Forgotten 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

Happy Holidays, Listeners! In the spirit of the holiday season, we are reflecting and celebrating some awesome conversations we had this year. First up is Kali Fajardo-Anstine, author of Woman of Light! What happens when you take tea leaf reading, family secrets, and powerful premonitions and blend them into an epic Western novel? You get Kali Fajardo-Anstine's Woman of Light. On today's episode, we talk about her deep Denver roots and the family stories that inspired her newest novel. Woman of Light is an epic yet intimate story that shows three generations of women trying to make a life in the perilous '30s American West. This novel follows Luz "Little Light" Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, who is left with her aunt to make ends meet after her older brother is run out of town by a violent white mob. Get Woman of Light 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

If you were to create a secret society of people who sleep on their sides, what would you call it? Today, we sit down with R.F. Kuang to talk about her popular novel. She also shares why people take on different personalities in different languages, why translation plays such a big role in her novel, and why bananas are so funny. Babel is a fantasy epic set in 19th-century England and follows Robin who, after being taken from China, is sent to Oxford University. There, he learns about silver-working, a method that harnesses the powers of translation to create magical effects. But as Robin uncovers how this magic is abused, he must decide what he's willing to sacrifice in order to stop those in power. Get Babel 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.

Would you rather lose control of your mind or your body? What if you lost control of both? Repeat BOTM author Stacy Willingham's newest novel explores these questions and more. She joins us today to talk about dangerous things like saying howdy to a pirate, our obsession with murder, and the South's haunted past. All the Dangerous Things tells the story of Isabella Drake, a mother who literally can't sleep ever since her son went missing a year ago. When she agrees to an interview with a true-crime podcaster, her insomnia makes her doubt what is true about the night her son disappeared. Get All the Dangerous Things 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.

If you're scared of heights, can your dream circus act still be to walk on the tightrope? Our next author thinks so. We're talking with Amita Parikh about her debut novel, The Circus Train. We dive deep into embarrassing family secrets, our fascination with the circus, and why book people should care more about sports. The Circus Train follows Lena, who is the daughter of a headlining illusionist in a traveling circus during WWII. Yet, Lena's different from the rest — she wants to study science at a university and she's in a wheelchair. When she rescues Alexandre, everything changes and Lena must find her own path in the midst of such despair and darkness. Get The Circus Train at bookofthemonth.com. New members get their first book for just $9.99 with code VBT at checkout.

Would writers survive the end of the world? Is LASIK eye surgery the key to an apocalyptic future? And what roles do isolation and connection play in a world ravaged by destructive storms? We answer these questions and more with author Lily Brooks-Dalton. The Light Pirate follows the life of Wanda, a girl named after the "once-in-a-lifetime" storm that ravaged her home state of Florida. As temperatures and waters rise, and as storms come harder and faster, Wanda and her family have to learn to adapt to the changing climate. Moving from childhood to adulthood, Wanda loses family, gains community, and ultimately, seeks adventure, love, and purpose in a place remade by nature. Get The Light Pirate 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