#read99women: Alison Hammer

Alison Hammer has been spinning words to tell stories since she learned how to talk. A graduate of the University of Florida and the Creative Circus in Atlanta, she lived in 9 cities before settling down in Chicago. During the day, Alison is a VP Creative Director at an advertising agency, but on nights and weekends you can find her writing upmarket women’s fiction. Alison is represented by Joanna MacKenzie of Nelson Literary Agency. Her debut novel YOU AND ME AND US is out now from William Morrow (HarperCollins). 

(And YOU AND ME AND US is earning praise right and left — check it out! Camille Pagán, bestselling author of I’M FINE AND NEITHER ARE YOU, calls it “that rare novel you want to savor even as you’re turning the pages as fast as possible. This poignant and heartrending story of a family redefining their roles in the face of a crisis made me smile and cry. Even better, it made me profoundly grateful for my own family. Alison Hammer is an exciting new voice in women’s fiction, and I can’t wait to read what she writes next.”)

Alison Hammer

Alison’s pick for #read99women is MINOR DRAMAS AND OTHER CATASTROPHES by Kathleen West. 

“With short, punchy chapters and a rotating cast of characters, Kathleen West's debut reads like Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies—only the 'crime' takes place in the hallways of Liston Heights High School and centers around an overly engaged drama club parent….You should do yourself a favor and put this amazing debut on your to read list. One of my favorite reads of the year!”

Read the rest of Alison’s rave on Goodreads.

#read99women: J'nell Ciesielski

It’s Tuesday, and you know what that means — more new books in the world! Hooray for new books!

And one of those books belongs to J’nell Ciesielski, today’s #read99women guest: her new novel THE SOCIALITE is out today from Thomas Nelson. In THE SOCIALITE, “glamour, treachery, and espionage collide when an English socialite rushes to save her sister from the Nazis.” Publishers Weekly says, “Readers looking for an immersive, high-stakes romance will be wowed.”

With a passion for heart-stopping adventure and sweeping love stories, J’nell Ciesielski weaves fresh takes into romances of times gone by. When not creating dashing heroes and daring heroines, she can be found dreaming of Scotland, indulging in chocolate of any kind, or watching old black and white movies. Winner of the INSPY and the Maggie Award, she is a Florida native who now lives in Virginia with her husband, daughter, and lazy beagle.

J’nell’s pick for #read99women is MY DEAR HAMILTON by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. “This is the story of Eliza Schulyer Hamilton, the amazing woman behind the genius that was Alexander Hamilton. A brilliant mind on her own, Eliza’s is a story of revolution, love, immense loss, and resolute loyalty when the world threatened to tear down everything she had built. Guaranteed you’ll fall in love with this unstoppable woman.”

#read99women: Theresa Kaminski

Theresa Kaminski holds a PhD in history from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her newest book, Dr. Mary Walker’s Civil War: One Woman’s Journey to the Medal of Honor and the Fight for Women’s Rights, is available now for pre-order from Lyons Press. She is the author of a trilogy of nonfiction history books on American women in the Philippine Islands during World War II, the last of which is Angels of the Underground: The American Women who Resisted the Japanese in the Philippines in World War II, published by Oxford University Press in 2015. She is currently completing the first full-length biography of America’s favorite cowgirl, Dale Evans. Theresa is quarantined with her husband in a small town outside of Madison, Wisconsin. They both really miss seeing their grandson, known as Double O, and, of course, his parents.

Theresa Kaminski

Theresa’s #read99women selection is Sarah M. Broom’s THE YELLOW HOUSE, “a beautiful, richly detailed memoir about the role of place in a family’s history. Broom deftly weaves in politics and history as she traces her family’s experiences in New Orleans, before and after Hurricane Katrina.” Says Theresa, “This won the 2019 National Book Award for Nonfiction, and I recommend it to everyone looking for a ‘real life’ story to read.”

7 answers with Kim Taylor Blakemore

I love being interviewed by other authors, and I recently had the opportunity to answer seven questions from Kim Taylor Blakemore, author of THE COMPANION, as part of her “7 Authors 7 Questions 7 Days” series. In the process, I talked about my writing process, the themes I find myself revisiting (“Power, love, ambition, regret. You know, the fun stuff.”) and the theme songs I crank up to pump myself up for a writing session.

Click here to read it all!

#read99women: Robb Cadigan

The University of Iowa’s MFA program is the gold standard for graduate-level fiction writing, and since I grew up in Iowa, I was never not aware of that fact. I didn’t get my MFA there—I totally would have, except that they didn’t accept my application—but for several summers in a row I attended workshops at their Summer Writing Festival, and got to learn craft from some really fabulous teachers, like Gordon Mennenga and Sands Hall.

It was at one of those workshops (mumbletymumble years ago) that I met Robb Cadigan. Over the many years we’ve stayed in touch, our writing lives have evolved in different and wonderful ways. Not only did Robb publish the incredibly successful PHOENIXVILLE RISING, he’s now one of the owners of a wonderful independent bookshop, Reads & Company. (Speaking of Bookshop, Reads & Company now uses the Bookshop.org e-commerce platform, which you can and should use to buy allllll the books.)

The bio business: A former advertising copywriter and television executive, Robb Cadigan lives with his wife and two children in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Before becoming a full-time writer, Cadigan shucked oysters, drove a forklift, waited tables, sold clothes, edited TV Guide, and wrote advertisements for products as diverse as shoes, watches, and vacuum cleaners. For thirteen years, he was a marketing and television executive for QVC and helped develop the retailer into the world’s most profitable TV channel.

For his #read99women recommendation, Robb enthusiastically chose LADY IN THE LAKE by Laura Lippman. He says, “I first picked up a Laura Lippman novel some twenty+ years ago simply because she was writing about my hometown. With that debut (BALTIMORE BLUES) and each subsequent release, I became an unabashed Laura Lippman fanboy.

As a reader, I devour everything Laura Lippman writes — and I could not put down her latest novel, LADY IN THE LAKE. 

As a writer, I marvel at the way she crafts a story, never rests on her laurels (pretty much every crime-writing award in the universe), and challenges herself with each new work. 

As her student, I have been blessed by her guidance, wisdom, and mentorship. 

And now, as a bookseller, there’s nothing quite like placing a novel into the right reader’s hands and saying ‘It’s Lippman—you’ll love it!’ ... and they do.

LADY IN THE LAKE is a wonder of structure and point of view and suspenseful crime writing with Laura’s characteristic sensitivity and skill. A landmark work of a singular storyteller firing on all cylinders. And one hell of a tale, exceptionally well told. A New York Times and Indie Bookstores bestseller, LADY IN THE LAKE has a featured spot on the ‘Staff Picks’ shelf here at Reads & Company. (PS: watch for Laura’s first nonfiction collection of essays, coming this summer. I’ve read MY LIFE AS A VILLAINESS and I can’t wait until you do too. ‘It’s Lippman—you’ll love it!’)”

#read99women: Lauren Francis-Sharma

In so many ways—large and small—life is not what it was a few months ago. For authors launching a new book, it’s an unprecedented challenge. Some launches are delayed, others proceed on the original schedule. But given that launching a new book is stressful anyway, no matter what happens, authors are at a definite disadvantage launching in these extraordinary conditions.

Which is why I’m glad to be able to call attention to especially exciting new releases like Lauren Francis-Sharma’s upcoming historical novel BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE, forthcoming from Grove Atlantic Press on May 12, 2020. As Laila Lalami puts it, “BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE is an epic novel that recreates the hybrid history of Native and African peoples during the era of American exploration and expansion. Lauren Francis-Sharma’s care for her characters and skill with her subject shine through every page.” You can find out more about it here.

Lauren Francis-Sharma is the author of BOOK OF THE LITTLE AXE (May, 2020) and ‘TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY, which debuted in 2014 and was short-listed for the William Saroyan International Prize, awarded the Honor Fiction Prize by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. ‘TIL THE WELL RUNS DRY was also chosen as an O, The Oprah Magazine Summer Reading Pick and lauded by the New York Times, USA Today, Essence Magazine, and People Magazine amongst other publications.

Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree in English literature with a minor in African-American Studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. Lauren is the owner of DC Writers Room, a co-working space dedicated to both published and aspiring writers. She is also the Assistant Director of Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College and a MacDowell Fellow. Lauren lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. with her husband and two children and she is always working on another book.

Lauren Francis-Sharma

For her #read99women recommendation, Lauren chose FRYING PLAINTAIN by the Canadian debut novelist Zalika Reid-Benta. Her take:

“FRYING PLAINTAIN is a deep dive into the life of a first-generation Jamaican girl. Reid-Benta brilliantly captures the aching shame of her protagonist, Kara, born and raised in Canada, who is decidedly not Caribbean enough for her family and her cadre of sophisticated Caribbean-accented friends. When we first meet Kara, she is on her inaugural trip to sunny Jamaica, horrified by the casual wringing of chicken necks and the frozen pig head she finds in her auntie's icebox. For her shock, Kara is deemed ‘a soft chile’ by her frigid mother and stubborn grandmother, and when back in Canada, we watch as Kara tries to steady herself in that dangerous land between childhood and an adulthood she doesn't yet understand. When we meet Kara as an older teen, we find that the once sensitive and chatty Kara has become almost unfeeling owing to the unbearable weight of her mother and grandmother's expectations, as well as by the discord of an all too familiar ‘island-flavored’ family dysfunction. Crushes on boys, ‘mean girl’ dramas, and mother-daughter conflicts fill the pages of this satisfying debut novel. What I loved most about this book, however, was its casual and matter-of-fact exploration of the life of a normal Caribbean-Canadian teenager's life--as if this happens every day. (Let me tell you, it does not!) 

This short and punchy novel was a treat that left me feeling excited to share it as a read-along with my teenagers.” 

#read99women: Tracey Enerson Wood

Since we can’t see people in person these days, seeing people online has become the best thing going, and last night’s virtual panel of historical fiction authors really made my week! We had a great audience of enthusiastic participants, lots of shared wisdom from the panelists, and some trivia contests and giveaways to make it all extra enjoyable.

Our reason for gathering was to celebrate the release of Tracey Enerson Wood’s THE ENGINEER’S WIFE, her debut historical novel. This wonderful book shares the story of Emily Roebling Warren, who was instrumental in building the Brooklyn Bridge. If you don’t know her story, you should!

Tracey Enerson Wood has always had a writing bug. While working as a Registered Nurse, starting her own Interior Design company, raising two children, and bouncing around the world as a military wife, she indulged in her passion as a playwright, screenwriter and novelist. Other passions include food and cooking, and honoring military heroes. Her co-authored anthology/cookbook Homefront Cooking, American Veterans share Recipes, Wit, and Wisdom, was released by Skyhorse Publishing in May 2018, and all authors’ profits will be donated to organizations that support veterans. A New Jersey native, she now lives with her family in Florida and Germany.

Tracey Enerson Wood

Tracey’s #read99women recommendation is THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK by Kim Michele Richardson. Why this book? It “brings to vivid life the women who rode horseback through poverty stricken and desperate places, where prejudice and persecution ruled, in order to bring books and other resources to a population starved for them.”

You can read Tracey’s full review in this article on PopSugar—along with her picks for seven other books that highlight women’s history.

virtual historical fiction panel tonight!

Very exciting event tonight! If you write historical fiction, or if you read it and are curious how it gets written, Sourcebooks is hosting a great online panel with Marie Benedict (THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM), Susanna Kearsley (BELLEWETHER), Tracey Enerson Wood (THE ENGINEER’S WIFE, out today!) and yours truly. Voila a delightful graphic with our smiling faces:

Here’s a landing page with more information, or details in the form of a Facebook event.

Hope you can join us!

#read99women: Angie Kim

Angie Kim’s debut novel MIRACLE CREEK was one of the best-reviewed books of 2019, and if you (or your book club) have been waiting for the paperback, today’s your lucky day! Snap it up. (Most independent bookstores are still offering online shopping and shipping to wherever you are — keep supporting them during these challenging times!)

Angie Kim is the author of the national bestseller MIRACLE CREEK, named a “Best Book of the Year” by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus, Real Simple, Library Journal, The Today Show, Amazon, and Hudson Booksellers, and a Good Morning America Hot Summer Read. Kim is one of Variety Magazine’s “10 Storytellers to Watch,” and has written for Vogue, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Glamour, Salon, and Slate. She moved from Seoul, Korea, to Baltimore as a preteen, and attended Stanford University and Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. A former trial lawyer, she now lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and three sons, and is at work on her next novel.

Angie Kim

Angie’s #read99women recommendation is THE STARLESS SEA, Erin Morgenstern’s much-anticipated followup to megahit THE NIGHT CIRCUS. You can read her full review here on Goodreads, but here are the highlights that’ll make you want to scoop this one up:

“I could not put it down, as there were so many characters I loved, whose fates I needed to know, and when I finished, I turned immediately back to the first page so I wouldn’t have to leave this magical world. 

It's hard to say what it's about because it's about so many things. But more than anything, it's about stories. It's about the power of telling stories, of reading stories, taking part in stories, and protecting them at all costs. It's about how stories can transcend time and space.”

#read99women: Amy Sue Nathan

Today’s guest has a brand-new book out, with one of my favorite historical fiction covers in recent memory. You know how so many of the women on the covers of historical novels are turned away from the viewer? THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY is facing us head on, and she makes an impact. (You can see her for yourself by clicking over to Amy’s site here.)

Amy Sue Nathan’s new novel THE LAST BATHING BEAUTY is now available from Lake Union Press. LEFT TO CHANCE, THE GLASS WIVES, and THE GOOD NEIGHBOR were published by St. Martin’s Press, and available at your favorite online or brick-and-mortar bookstore. She’s been blogging since 2006, and launched the Women’s Fiction Writers blog in March 2011. She teaches writing workshops and freelance as a fiction editor and writing coach and is trained in the Story Genius method. Her stories and essays have appeared in print and online in over two dozen publications such as The Chicago Tribune, Chicago Parent, Writer’s Digest, Huffington Post, and online in New York Times and Washington Post blogs.

Amy Sue Nathan

Amy’s #read99women recommendation is MR. AND MRS. AMERICAN PIE by Juliet McDaniel, “an often-hilarious and always-poignant portrait of the late sixties where the main character, Maxine, is faced with building a life away from posh Palm Springs, which is where she is finally able to learn her true value. This book sheds glowing light on unconventional families and being true to oneself at a time when many still thought both were bad ideas. But not Maxine!”