Indies Introduce Interview

Emma Hooper is the author of Etta and Otto and Russell and James, a Winter/Spring 2015 Indies Introduce selection for adults that Cathy Langer of Tattered Cover Book Store called, “Wry and quirky, a little bit magical and perfectly pitched... A truly marvelous debut.”

“S.M. Hulse has written a wonderful novel that weaves together classic Western themes of family, obligation, love, anger, forgiveness, and music,” said Luisa Smith of Book Passage. Here, Hulse talks about the inspiration for her debut novel, her research, learning to fiddle, and more.

Robin Talley, the author of Lies We Tell Ourselves, talks about the inspiration for her story about the integration of a Virginia school in 1959, the challenges of researching LGBT experiences of the ’50s and ’60s, and more.

Kendall Kulper is the author of Salt & Storm, a Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices pick for young adults. “With achingly beautiful prose, Kulper has crafted an intricately knotted story of love and revenge, legacy and sacrifice, destiny and freedom,” said Summer Laurie of Books Inc.

Caitlin Doughty is the author of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, a 2014 Summer/Fall Indies Introduce nonfiction title and a September Indie Next List pick. “Doughty’s book is a clear-eyed look at death and a call for us all to think about a difficult topic in healthier ways,” said David Enyeart of Common Good Books.

Amy Zhang is the author of Falling Into Place, a 2014 Summer/Fall Indies Introduce New Voices title for middle-grade readers and a top 10 pick on the Autumn Kids’ Indie Next List.

Jennifer Longo is the author of Six Feet Over It, a Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices pick for young adults.

Fives and Twenty-Fives by Michael Pitre, a former Marine Corps officer who deployed twice to Iraq, is “a mesmerizing debut set in the Iraq war and its aftermath,” said Bill Cusumano of Nicola’s Books. Here, Pitre talks about the inspiration for his debut novel, how literature can help us understand the experiences of America’s military men and women, and more.

Dana Alison Levy is the author of The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher, a New Voices pick for middle-graders that Sara Hines of Eight Cousins calls “a laugh-out-loud story of a patchwork family that balances zany antics with heartfelt moments.”

Tom Bouman is the author of Dry Bones in the Valley (W.W. Norton), which was chosen by booksellers for both the Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce promotion and the July 2014 Indies Next List.

In the debut memoir Bulletproof Vest: The Ballad of an Outlaw and His Daughter, “Maria Venegas tells the story of her complicated relationship with her estranged father with an honesty and tough vulnerability that is compelling and moving,” said Adrian Newell of Warwick’s in La Jolla, California.

Livia Blackburne is the author of Midnight Thief (Disney-Hyperion), a Summer/Fall New Voices pick for young adults, which Emily Ring of Inklings Bookshop called “tightly written, with a perfect mix of romance, peril, and mystery.”

Smith Henderson is the author of Fourth of July Creek, a featured title in the Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce promotion. Stephanie Crowe of Page & Palette said Henderson’s novel is powerful and disturbing.

Chris F. Westbury is the author of The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even (Counterpoint), a featured title in the Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce promotion.

Sean Michaels is the author of the 2014 Summer/Fall Indies Introduce title Us Conductors, a novel about Lev Termen, the Russian scientist and spy who is most famous for his invention of the theremin, an unusual musical instrument.