New Books - NewInBooks

Interview with Rebecca Rode, Author of Numbers Ignite

Tell us a little bit about your new release, Numbers Ignite.

Sure. It’s the sequel to the futuristic thriller NUMBERS GAME, and it’s the most ambitious project I've taken on. The series follows Treena, a citizen girl who receives the wrong Rating, and Vance, an outlander slave in the military. I got the idea for these books while sitting at the bank, staring at my credit score. It was amazing to me that we all have these scores following us around, telling companies what we’re worth financially, and the algorithms are very complex. Then I thought, what if the numbers revealed everything about us—our appearance, our athleticism, our intelligence? And what if we had to wear those numbers around? What if someone got the wrong score? Thus, the world of NUMBERS GAME was born.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

Anne Tyler, Louisa May Alcott, and Suzanne Collins.

What's rocking your world this month?

Okay, get this. I think China thought my creepy numbers-based society was kind of cool, because they just announced that they’re going to begin issuing “social scores” next year. It’s a little horrifying, how closely their new system follows NUMBERS GAME. It reminds me of a quote I saw on Twitter recently: “The best science fiction does not predict the future. It examines the present and issues a warning.” –Steve McEllistrem

Which book from your childhood or teenage years has stuck with you as an adult?

Dystopian novels have been around a long time, but I’d say The Giver by Lois Lowry. Some readers complain that the ending is too open-ended, but I think it had to be that way. Good dystopian literature makes you think and invent your own interpretation, and I think Lowry is a master of that.

What will your next adventure be?

The last book in the Numbers Game series will be called NUMBERS RAGING, and then I’m throwing myself into a YA fantasy novel with pirates and princes tentatively called MAJESTY.

What's your favorite quote or scene from Numbers Ignite?

There’s one powerful scene near the end, the only scene that’s ever made me sob while watching it unfold on the computer screen. Vance is facing execution, and he has to confront what has been a lifetime of darkness and continual death to come to terms with his choices and what it has all meant. Treena is able to pull him out of the blackness for an emotional goodbye.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway." - Earl Nightingale

Rebecca Rode is the author of the new book Numbers Ignite.

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Interview with Carla Buckley, Author of The Good Goodbye

Tell us a little bit about your new release, The Good Goodbye.

The Good Goodbye is about the secret lives children lead, even within the most loving of families. In it I wonder, how well do we know our children?

Rory and Arden are best friends and confidantes, more like sisters than cousins. In many ways, they are complete opposites: Rory charismatic, popular, strong-willed, and Arden artistic, perceptive, reserved. The girls have managed to stay close despite the growing tension between their parents, stemming from troubles with their shared business.

While Rory and Arden are away at college, a fire breaks out in their dorm room. One student is killed and both girls are transported unconscious to the hospital. As the police become involved and start their investigation, Rory and Arden’s parents are forced to huddle together in the ICU to face their daughters’ uncertain futures and their own unraveling relationships. But when disturbing revelations are brought to light—about the origin of the fire, the nature of Arden and Rory’s friendship and the secrets they’ve been keeping, secrets that reel all the way back into their childhoods—the families must confront their deepest fears even as the truth threatens to destroy everything they once knew.

What's your favorite song lyric?

Home is where I want to be, but I guess I'm already there

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

After years of carpooling and chauffeuring kids, I’m surprised to find myself saying that sitting behind the steering wheel with my children in the car is my happy place. All the surprising revelations that have bubbled up over the years—an impassioned theological discussion between my then two-year-old and five-year-old, my daughter’s lilting singing voice, my son’s wicked sense of humor, the laughter and confidences shared all while staring through the windshield—these remain as some of my favorite memories.

Which book from your childhood or teenage years has stuck with you as an adult?

The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The crushing claustrophobia of a family trapped together in a tiny cabin and the knowledge that the only way to survive is through their own resolve and sheer grit still haunts me today.

You wouldn’t be caught dead, where?

I wouldn’t be caught dead in my teenaged daughter’s room (at least not without wearing a HAZMAT suit.)

If you could require the president to read one book, what would it be?

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

What's your favorite quote or scene from The Good Goodbye?

The scene in the middle, narrated by Arden, in which the story’s biggest twist is revealed.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Never ever ever give up -- Michael Scott

Carla Buckley is the author of the new book The Good Goodbye

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Interview with Tracy Solheim, Author of All They Ever Wanted

Tell us a little bit about your new release, All They Ever Wanted.

All They Ever Wanted is the second book in my small town series featuring the large McAllister clan. (Readers of my football series will recognize the town from my book Foolish Games.) This novel features the oldest brother, Miles, who when he was ten years old mapped out a life path that would hopefully land him in the White House. Now Miles is running for U.S. Congress, but he’s finding out that it’s not easy to be “Squeaky Clean” Miles McAllister and still get ahead in politics. (There was no way I could have foreseen today’s presidential campaign when I wrote this book, but you have to admit, it provides a GREAT backdrop!) His mother, Patricia, is recovering from a hip injury she sustained in the first book of the series, Back to Before. So while Miles is not only campaigning, he’s also lending a hand running Patricia’s famed B&B—and butting heads with the inn’s stubborn but beautiful cook, a woman with a mysterious past. Lori Hunt has come to the small coastal town to escape her former life. She quickly finds that Miles is too tempting to resist, even though she knows her secret could destroy his political aspirations. When Lori’s deception finally comes to light, Miles is forced to decide between following his heart or going after all he ever wanted.

What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?

I’ve read A LOT of books so it’s hard to narrow it down, but I’ll try. From my youth, A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. I’m a huge fan of historical fiction so definitely Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander and Colleen McCullough’s The Thornbirds. I still read Richard Adam’s Watership Down once every few years. More recently, the book I stayed up all night to finish was JoJo Moyes’ Me Before You. As you can see, my reading tastes are eclectic. I’m glad you didn’t ask me what’s on my music playlist!

Where is your happy place? Why does it bring you joy?

The barn. I’ve been a horse girl all of my life. There’s something about being around a horse that makes me relax and appreciate the simple day-to-day moments. When I first started writing, I made a deal with my daughter that I’d buy her a horse if I ever sold a book. I figured she’d be in college before that ever happened and her love of horses would have faded. No such luck. I got published relatively early in my author journey. Now my daughter has a beautiful mare named after my first book, Game On. It’s been a joy to watch the two of them grow together as a team. My daughter leaves for college in the fall, and while I’ll miss her, I’m more upset about not having my daily dose of equine therapy.

What are you currently craving?

Chocolate. It’s a pretty constant craving from the moment I get up until the time I go to bed. My husband keeps a bag of Dove chocolate hidden and doles them out three per day to me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to fit in my chair.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

Harper Lee because I have SO MANY questions to ask her, Dick Francis because his books about horse racing taught me everything I need to know about pacing, and Kristan Higgins because she’s so sweet on the page and in person. Plus, she always has great recipes in her newsletter and I know she’ll bring a fabulous baked good for dessert!

Who is your favorite fictional character from literature?

Johnny Tremain. Did I mention my love for historical fiction?

What's your favorite quote or scene from All They Ever Wanted?

The McAllister family has such a fun dynamic among them. All the siblings are successful in their careers, yet they each seem to get pulled back to their hometown for a second chance at love. The banter and by-play between the brothers and sisters was great fun to write. One of my favorite scenes is when Kate, the oldest, is trying to explain to her brothers about the problems their mother is having with her love life . Her brothers definitely believe it’s TMI.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

“Live life with grace.” This business can be tough. I try to be as kind as I can and to pay it forward.

Tracy Solheim is the author of the new book All They Ever Wanted.

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New Releases Week of March 1

It's the beginning of a new month, and with March's arrival come new releases from bestselling authors! If you're looking for a new romance, All They Ever Wanted by Tracy Solheim follows a wannabe politician falling for a woman with secrets that could destroy his campaign. Interested in action packed mystery? Take to the streets of 1900's New York in Clive Cussler's newest release, The Gangster. Looking for the latest literary fiction? All the Lasting Things by David Hopson follows a deteriorating family hoping to save each other. Also look out for Melissa Marr's much anticipated new release, Seven Black Diamonds, which begins a new series of intertwined faery and human worlds.

Romance

Mystery/ Thriller

Literary Fiction

Fantasy

Young Adult

Biography / Memoir

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