The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app!  Makiia Lucier, author of Dragonfruit, joins us on this week’s episode of Virtual Book Tour! We learned that this beautiful fantasy novel was inspired by Makiia’s own memories of growing up on Guam and the historical elements that she used as  inspiration for her story. Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family, but when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she...

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app!  We had so much fun with Yulin Kuang, author of How to End a Love Story! We talked about her journey from screenwriter to author, what it's like to work in a writer's room, and what makes office romances so hot. Helen Zhang hasn’t seen Grant Shepard in the thirteen years since the tragic accident that bound their lives together forever. Now, a bestselling author, Helen earned a coveted spot in the writers’ room of...

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app!  Simone Gorrindo joins us on this week's episode of VBT to discuss her new memoir, The Wives. We talk about uprooting her life from Manhattan to rural Georgia, the unusual expectations of being a military wife, and how her view of friendship changed.  The Wives tells the story of one woman’s experience of joining a community of Army wives after leaving her New York City job - a profound intimate look at marriage,...

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app!  On this week’s episode, we sit down with Holly Gramazio to discuss her debut novel, The Husbands. We talked about the choice fatigue that comes with online dating, her background in game design, and the importance of playing to feel at home When Lauren returns home to her flat in London one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband. There’s only one problem–she’s not married. As she tries to puzzle out how...

The best way to listen to Virtual Book Tour is in the Book of the Month app!  On this week’s episode, we sit down with Ashton Lattimore to discuss her debut novel, All We Were Promised. We dove deep on the evolution of abolition in Philadelphia, how family ties bond us, and how her background as a lawyer and journalist finds its way into her writing.    A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile...

All the way from Ireland, Steve Cavanagh joins us in the BOTM office to discuss his new thriller, Kill For Me, Kill For You. We discussed where the idea of a murder swap originated, when to get your revenge, and how a hangover sent him to law school. One dark evening on NYC’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, they realize how much they have in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk...

Amy Lin joins us at the BOTM HQ to discuss her new memoir, Here After. This was such a beautiful and moving conversation about how her late husband inspires her to be brave every day, why grief is the final form of love, and the importance of community during loss.  Amy Lin never expected to find a love like the one she shares with her husband. Here After is a rich and unflinchingly honest portrayal of her life with her late husband, the vortex created by his death, and the ongoing struggle...

On this week’s episode, we sit down with Sierra Greer, author of Annie Bot! We had so much fun talking about the future of AI, the ways we never stop coming-of-age, and we play a rapid fire game of “Real or Fake AI.” Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. But becoming more human also...

This is a preview of our episode with Xochitl Gonzalez, author of Anita de Monte Laughs Last. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app.  We are so excited to sit down with Xochitl Gonzalez to discuss her newest book Anita de Monte Laughs Last! We discussed why this book feels more personal to her than her debut, how our view of relationships change as we grow older, and why she owes her college roommate $20.  Anita de Monte, a rising star in the art world, is...

This is a preview of our episode with Cara Bastone, author of Ready or Not. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app.  Cara Bastone joined us at the BOTM HQ to talk about her new book, Ready or Not! We had so much fun talking about how she first conceived of this story (pun intended), how to show up for someone who is expecting, and how she was first introduced to the romance genre. Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life, until she finds herself expecting...

This is a preview of our episode with Kristin Hannah, author of The Women. Our full conversation is available for free in the Book of the Month app.  We sit down with 3-peat BOTM author Kristin Hannah to discuss her new book, The Women! We talk about the original inspiration behind the book, the role women played in the Vietnam War, and the importance of engaging with our history. When Frances McGrath’s brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his...

We sat down with Avery Cunningham to discuss her debut novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. We discussed the wealthy's pastime in horse racing, the seedy underbelly of organized crime, and the lesson Avery took from writing this story. After the unexpected death of her only brother, Nelly becomes the premier debutante overnight, but Nelly has aspirations beyond society influence and marriage. For the past year, she has worked undercover as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements...

We're speaking with Yangsze Choo about her new book, The Fox Wife! We talked about why Yangsze based this story in 1908 Manchuria, how her time abroad informed her approach to stories, and of course, magic.  In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Taking inspiration from Chinese folklore, this winter tale...

Rebecca Ross joins us on Virtual Book Tour to discuss her duology - Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows. We had a magical time talking about the duality that lives in all of us, why romantasy is a genre capturing readers, and how Rebecca's love of fantasy started. In this epic follow-up to Divine Rivals, Iris has returned from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. As the days grow darker,...

On this week's episode, we sit down with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury! We had a great time speaking about the legacy of making things with your hands, why we should be rethinking the term "Rust Belt," and the learnings that come with regret.  It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three...

We are so excited to be welcoming Alex Michaelides, three-time BOTM author, onto VBT for this week's episode! We took a peek behind the emerald curtain and got to learn more about how he plays with the expectations of the reader, why The Fury is a whydunit rather than a whodunit, and how Alex fell back in love with writing. Lana Farrar is a reclusive ex-movie star and one of the most famous women in the world. Every year, she invites her closest friends to escape and spend Easter on her...

Live from the BOTM headquarters, Molly Roden Winter joins us to discuss her new memoir, More. We talked about everything from motherhood, outdoor escapades, and the intricacies of an open marriage. This episode had the whole office in tears from laughing; you're in for a treat! Molly Roden Winter was a mom of two young children with her husband, Stewart. One night, when Stewart missed the kids’ bedtime, again, she stormed out of the house to clear her head. At impromptu drinks with a friend,...

We are so excited to be sitting down with Amy Pease to talk about her debut book, Northwoods. We loved getting to hear about her experience going from a Book of the Month long-time member to author, and we also talked about the hallmarks of writing a small town mystery, how her work as a healthcare provider helped her writing, and Amy's favorite niche sub genre.  Eli North’s drinking is getting worse by the day, his emotional wounds after his deployment in Afghanistan are as raw as ever, his...

New Year, new Virtual Book Tour Episode! We are so excited to be kicking off 2024 with Emily Austin, author of Interesting Facts About Space! We discuss writing about anxiety, rediscovering artifacts from our youth, and of course, space. Enid is obsessed with space and can tell you any fact without batting an eye in fear. Her one major phobia? Bald men. But she tries to keep that one under wraps. When she’s not listening to her favorite true crime podcasts on a loop, she’s serially dating a...

We have the perfect episode for the holiday season–we are talking with Josie Silver about her newest book, A Winter in New York. We talk about the inspiration to set the story in New York, how grief reshapes our approach to love, and we learn some interesting facts about the history behind Valentine's Day. When Iris takes a walk through Little Italy, a family-run gelateria catches her eyes, and she realizes that it's the same shop that is in an old photo of her mother’s. Curious, Iris...

We are so excited to be speaking with Nita Prose about her second Book of the Month book, The Mystery Guest. We talk about the co-creation between the writer and the reader, sneaking into hotels for book research, and the airplane napkin that started Nita’s writing career. Molly Gray has a flair for cleaning and proper etiquette, and has risen through the ranks of the five-star hotel to become the esteemed Head Maid. Right as her life reaches a pinnacle state of perfection, her world is...

On this week's episode, we sit down with the author of The Storm We Made, Vanessa Chan! We talk about how the foundation of her book came from her grandmother, how the Pacific Theater was impacted during World War II, and how her relationship with Malaysia has changed in the process of writing this book.  The Storm We Made takes place in 1945 Malaya, and Cecily’s family is in danger. Her fifteen-year-old son has disappeared, her youngest daughter is confined in a basement, and her eldest...

We are so excited to be sitting down with Emma Grey to discuss The Last Love Note. We talk about the highs and lows of experiencing loss, the importance of community while grieving, and chasing the light in hard times. Grab your tissues, this episode is a  tearjerker!  The Last Love Note follows Kate two years after losing her young husband. She’s grieving, solo parenting, working like mad, always dropping the ball—and yet clinging to her sense of humor. When an in-flight problem leaves Kate...

On this week’s episode, we sit down with debut author Kate Robb to discuss her November book, This Spells Love. We talk about the butterfly effect, when it’s appropriate to put a spell on an ex, and how Kate perfected the art of writing spicy romantic scenes.  When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she gets drunk with her sister, aunt, and best friend. After one too many margaritas, they perform a love-cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. When she...