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West Allis residents and library book clubbers Jen and Jessi join Sarah for a discussion of what they've been reading. They also talk about why they enjoy book clubs, how they choose what to read next, odd jobs they'd like to pursue, and more. Titles discussed in this episode include: How Can I Help You by Laura Sims, Murder Is a Piece of Cake by Valerie Burns, the Fox and O'Hare series by Janet Evanovich, Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan, Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor, The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, and Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah. Also mentioned: My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich, Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult, The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix, How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan, Tom Lake by Ann Patchett, Burnt by Clare Frank, Toni Morrison, the Dead-End Job mysteries by Elaine Viets, and the Chloe Ellefson mysteries by Kathleen Ernst. Check out books and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com and hoopladigital.com. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org. Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay
Katharine's mom joins the Busy Girls for a discussion of Reese's Book Club pick "The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont. This book is historical fiction imagining what happened in the very real 10 days where author Agatha Christie disappeared with no explanation. It's told from her husband's mistress' perspective and tackles war, loss, PTSD and the dark side of Irish orphanages. It also includes a solid Christie-esque mystery.
Another lively discussion of an interesting book. Different points of view always make discussions fun. I'm hosting an intimate woman's only retreat. It's more for wellness and growth, but if you are interested email/message me on social media and we can chat. Get a Libro.FM credit bundle for yourself and/or that special person in your life. Credit bundles are perfect for any occasion or just because. It does take a lot of effort to produce these episodes. Your support means the world to me. How about Buy Me A Coffee, I would greatly appreciate it. THANK YOU. If you have any questions about this or any other episode, please contact me by email at livingalifethroughbooks@gmail.com. If you enjoyed this episode or any of my previous episodes, please write me a positive review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. I thank you for it. My website is a work in progress. But 2023 might be the year I get it all sorted out. On Instagram I'm @livingalifethroughbooks. On TikTok and Twitter I'm @drshahnazahmed. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/livingalifethroughbooks/message
Nita Prose drops into the Damn Library to illuminate her runaway hit novel, winner of a Goodreads Choice Award, The Maid, and all the ways she used her past as an editor and her knowledge of the tropes of mystery writing reused to create it. Plus, she brings along Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair, because who can ever get enough Agatha Christie? contribute! https://patreon.com/smdb for drink recipes, book lists, and more, visit: somanydamnbooks.com music: Disaster Magic (https://soundcloud.com/disaster-magic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this very special episode, we check in with Barb's book club! It's been a while since we've spoken to Sue Fabbro, Debbie, Jane, Sue Wolf, and Lori from Season 1. The ladies discuss what they've read over the past year, and of course, what they've eaten during their monthly get-togethers.Recommended books in this episode:"The Christie Affair" by Nina De Gramont"Big Breath In" by George Keulen"The Book of Longings" by Sue Monk Kidd"When All is Said" Anne Griffin"Greenwood" by Michael Christie"Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens"The Humans" by Matt Haig"The Authenticity Project" by Clare Pooley"Last Summer at the Golden Hotel" Elyssa Friedland"The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro"Bad Blood" by John Carreyrou
Structure, people. It's everything. Or it's a very simple thing. Like I said in the shownotes, for fiction, chronological 3rd or 1st person, present or past tense, following the protagonist through the story is the white-button-down and jeans of structure. Always appropriate, almost invisible. For non-fiction, it's harder—there is no fall-back basic, but a good trick is to pretend your book is either a chronological story or a how-to and start from there, then see what feels right and what feels wrong about it. Overlaying a very practical structure on a philosophical topic can make it more accessible to the reader—and easier to write.I threw in a bunch of book references to this one. Our stand-by, The Art of the Book Proposal from Eric Maisel. The Christie Affair, The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls, Adult Assembly Required, The Arc, The Mutual Friend.Hope the blueprint is going well for you! How to listen: if you've listened to any previous Bonus episodes or Minisodes, this one should already BE in your podcast feed. If not, click on the link to listen and you'll find yourself at amwriting.substack.com. You COULD listen there, but we're guessing you'd rather get all subscriber episodes, from now on, in your usual podcast-listening app. It's easy, and you only have to do it once to get every #Minisode from now on right where you want it.So click “listen in podcast app.” You'll get an email with a link in it. Click the link—ON YOUR PHONE—and you will get a menu of the most popular podcast apps. Chose yours and click, and you'll have a new “private” podcast feed for supporters only.If your favorite listening app isn't included, fear not. There's an RSS link in the email. Your podcast app has a way to add that—it's probably a “+” sign somewhere on your main page. Add the link once, and any time we do a #SupporterMini, you'll get it without having to do a thing. (Trust us, it's easy. This is WHY we chose Substack.) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amwriting.substack.com/subscribe
Lisa highlights her favorite books so far that she has read in 2022 and the books that have disappointed her this year. Some of these books were published in 2022 and some were published earlier. · The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka: this was written in 2022 · The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan · Yinka, Where is your Huzband? By Lizzie Damilola Blackburn · In Pursuit of Disobedient Women: A Memoir of Love, Rebellion, and Family, Far Away by Dionne Searcey · Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill A few books Lisa has been disappointed in that she is reading this year are: · The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont, which she discussed in this episode on the podcast· The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne that was discussed in this episode this episode For more information, find Lisa on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her website.*The book titles mentioned include affiliate links. You can support the podcast by purchasing a book with the links because the podcast receives a small commission.
Please join us to discuss The Christie Affair, DB106614NLS DescriptionThe Christie Affair DB 106614 Gramont, Nina de. Reading time 10 hours, 26 minutes. Read by Lucy Scott. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Historical Fiction Description: London, 1925. After Archie Christie tells his famous wife, author Agatha Christie, that he is having an affair and wants a divorce, Agatha disappears for eleven days. Based on these real events, this novel explores the story of Archie's mistress, Nan O'Dea. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
Please join us to discuss The Christie Affair, DB106614NLS DescriptionThe Christie Affair DB 106614 Gramont, Nina de. Reading time 10 hours, 26 minutes. Read by Lucy Scott. A production of National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled, Library of Congress. Subjects: Historical Fiction Description: London, 1925. After Archie Christie tells his famous wife, author Agatha Christie, that he is having an affair and wants a divorce, Agatha disappears for eleven days. Based on these real events, this novel explores the story of Archie's mistress, Nan O'Dea. Some violence, some strong language, and some descriptions of sex. Commercial audiobook. 2022.
In this episode, Lisa shares her own “Everyone Loved It But Me” book. She discusses her challenges reading the popular book, The Christie Affair by Nina De Gramont. This book, just released in 2022, has been extremely popular because it tries to solve the only Agatha Christie mystery that remains unsolved. For 11 days, in December 1926, Christie was missing and her car was found abandoned miles from her house. She was discovered 11 days later and had no memory of what transpired and said she had amnesia. Lisa offers up some insight about the book without any spoilers. In this New York Times piece, Gramont shares how she decided to write the book, which was after she discovered that Christie had given the surname of her husband's mistress when she checked into the hotel during her disappearance. Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, and her books have become movies and plays. The Christie family website is a treasure trove of insight about her personally, her family, her writing, and her disappearance. The site says she never told anyone – including family – what happened during those 11 days. There are many articles, including this one, that speculates what might have transpired. *The book titles mentioned include affiliate links. You can support the podcast by purchasing a book with the links because the podcast receives a small commission. For more information, find Lisa on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and her website.
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont Website: https://gobookmart.com Buy Now: https://amzn.to/3QNzJ6T "Sizzles from its first sentence." - The Wall Street Journal A Reese's Book Club Pick In 1925, Miss Nan O'Dea infiltrated the wealthy, rarefied world of author Agatha Christie and her husband, Archie. In every way, she became a part of their life––first, both Christies. Then, just Archie. Soon, Nan became Archie's mistress, luring him away from his devoted wife, desperate to marry him. Nan's plot didn't begin the day she met Archie and Agatha. It began decades before, in Ireland, when Nan was a young girl. She and the man she loved were a star-crossed couple who were destined to be together––until the Great War, a pandemic, and shameful secrets tore them apart. Then acts of unspeakable cruelty kept them separated. What drives someone to murder? What will someone do in the name of love? What kind of crime can someone never forgive? Nina de Gramont's brilliant, unforgettable novel explores these questions and more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/gobookmart-review/support
Author Nina de Gramont joins Nancy Pearl for an episode of Book Lust to talk about "The Christie Affair." She says that before writing this latest work, she hadn’t read a single Agatha Christie mystery, but when she heard the story of the icon’s mysterious disappearance, she knew it had to be novelized. It turns out, readers agree! Reese Witherspoon even gave it the Reese’s Book Club stamp of approval.
Brook and Sarah discuss the many theories surrounding Agatha Christie's eleven-day disappearance in December 1926. Was she seeking publicity, solving a mystery, or on an alien adventure? We'll never know. Resources: Benedict, Marie (2020). The Mystery of Mrs. Christie. Sourcebooks Landmark. Cade, Jared (2013). Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days. Scarab eBooks. DuBose, Martha Hailey (2000). Women of Mystery: The Lives and Works of Notable Women Crime Novelists St. Martins Press. De Gramont, Nina (2022). The Christie Affair. Macmillan. Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2018 film) Doctor Who: “The Unicorn and the Wasp” (2008) New York Times "When the World's Most Famous Mystery Writer Vanished" June 11, 2019 All About Agatha Podcast, Feb. 5, 2017; “Gone Girl: The Notorious Real-Life Disappearance of Agatha Christie”. Stuff you Missed In History Class Podcast, Nov. 5, 2012; “The Mysterious Disappearance of Agatha Christie” Macabre London Podcast, October 22, 2021 “Agatha Christie - The World's Greatest Disappearance | How to Disappear Completely”
Nina de Gramont's career as a published author began in 2001 with Of Cats and Men. The UNCW professor's ninth book, The Christie Affair, has made her a ‘best-selling author'. De Gramont's fictional novel of Agatha Christie's famous 11-day disappearance landed on the New York Times' list shortly after its' release, thanks in part to being chosen for Academy Award-winning actress Reese Witherspoon's Book Club. De Gramont talks about having to keep that secret, the pressure of her follow-up, and the joys of teaching the next generation of writers.
E14: Nina DeGramont is on the radar with her riveting novel The Christie Affair!!Join us as we explore a terrific take on the real-life eleven day disappearance of beloved mystery writer Agatha Christie … told from the perspective of the other woman. Is there ever an excuse for betrayal? Does justifiable husband-stealing exist? Do we all long to flip the script in our own lives? What happens when you're on the slippery slope of wrongdoing? What if you're a hurting person - can you freely love another? We explore class differences in the 1920s when it comes to women. We also talk about the “age of disappearing women” and how things have changed - or not. (What a deep take on shame, justice, and rights!) And what exactly happened to Agatha Christie between the time she disappeared from her home in England and reappeared at a Yorkshire spa? Inquiring minds want to know! Join us!
In this episode, Nicole talks about a read that made her cry and tugged on her heartstrings and discusses more titles coming soon to the library shelves. Tori recommends a few young adult titles and an adult romance. The resources discussed in this episode are listed below: A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy; A Journal for Jordan (2021) film; Cat Kid Comic Club: On Purpose by Dav Pilkey; The Mean Girls: A Bunch of Bullies by Atiya C. Henley; I Color Myself Different by Colin Kaepernik, illustrated by Eric Wilkerson; Great Loves by DK; I'm Not Scared, You're Scared! by Seth Meyers, illustrated by Rob Sayegh Jr. Why Not You? by Ciara Wilson, Russell Wilson, JaNay Brown-Wood, illustrated by Jessica Gibson; Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson; Design Remix: A New Spin on Traditional Homes by Corey Damen Jenkins; Styled: Secrets for Arranging Rooms, from Tabletops to Bookshelves by Emily Henderson and Angelin Borsics; Disney Encanto: The Graphic Novel by Random House Disney; High Stakes by Danielle Steel; Beautiful by Danielle Steel; Cramm This Book: So You Know WTF Is Going On in the World Today by Olivia Seltzer; Dragons Are the Worst! by Alex Willan; Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin, illustrated by Daniel Salmieri; J. D. and the Great Barber Battle by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts; J. D. and the Family Business by J. Dillard, illustrated by Akeem S. Roberts; Yasuke The Legend of the African Samurai by Jamal Turner; 47 Ronan by Mike Richardson, illustrated by Stan Sakai; Life Flight by Lynette Eason; The Match by Harlan Coben; A Safe House by Stuart Woods; Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson; The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont; Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli; The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas; Dear Martin by Nic Stone; Love, Simon (2018) movie; Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park; The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Scott Richards talks with Nina about "The Christie Affair"
Our guest this week is author and podcaster, Maggie Smith. Maggie's second act in her professional life is as a novelist. She spent over 25 years running a business but when it began to feel boring and she needed to use her creativity, she attended a writer's workshop where the instructor asked everyone to write down something they could never write about; Maggie wrote about mother daughter relationships. This idea transformed itself into a novel about where mothers/ daughters/ and mentors intersect titled TRUTH AND OTHER LIES. One of the thematic ideas of the book is how important heroes are—they inspire us and make us feel a sense of empowerment. But sometimes we move into hero worship, where we fail to see that our heroes sometimes have big glaring unbelievably unethical behaviors that we could see if we opened our eyes. Of course, the blindness that keeps us from seeing the truth about our heroes is similar to the blindness that keeps us from seeing our mothers, or parents in general, in a favorable light. The novel covers a lot of ground in a fast-paced story. You can find Maggie on instagram at @maggiesmithwrites and at her author website www.maggiesmithwriter.com. Her podcast Hear Us Roar for the Women's Fiction Writing Association can be found on your podcast player of choie. Follow us on Facebook at The Perks of Being a Book Lover Instagram at @perksofbeingabookoverpod For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith 2- The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger 3- The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo (audiobook) 4- Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr 5- Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (audiobook and text) 6- The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont 7- The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict Podcasts Mentioned-- 1- Hear Us Roar, hosted by Maggie Smith 2- Books Are My People, hosted by Jennifer Caloyeras Movies mentioned-- 1- Chinatown (1974)
Our guest this week is author and podcaster, Maggie Smith. Maggie's second act in her professional life is as a novelist. She spent over 25 years running a business but when it began to feel boring and she needed to use her creativity, she attended a writer's workshop where the instructor asked everyone to write down something they could never write about; Maggie wrote about mother daughter relationships. This idea transformed itself into a novel about where mothers/ daughters/ and mentors intersect titled Truth and Other Lies. One of the thematic ideas of the book is how important heroes are—they inspire us and make us feel a sense of empowerment. But sometimes we move into hero worship, where we fail to see that our heroes sometimes have big glaring unbelievably unethical behaviors that we could see if we opened our eyes. Of course, the blindness that keeps us from seeing the truth about our heroes is similar to the blindness that keeps us from seeing our mothers, or parents in general, in a favorable light. The novel covers a lot of ground in a fast-paced story. You can find Maggie on instagram at @maggiesmithwrites and at her author website www.maggiesmithwriter.com. Her podcast Hear Us Roar for the Women's Fiction Writing Association can be found on your podcast player of choie. Follow us on Facebook at The Perks of Being a Book Lover Instagram at @perksofbeingabookoverpod For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Truth and Other Lies by Maggie Smith 2- The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger 3- The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo (audiobook) 4- Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr 5- Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson (audiobook and text) 6- The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont 7- The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict Podcasts Mentioned-- 1- Hear Us Roar, hosted by Maggie Smith 2- Books Are My People, hosted by Jennifer Caloyeras Movies mentioned-- 1- Chinatown (1974)
Nina De Gramont takes on her most ambitious book yet with The Christie Affair, which explores what might have happened to Agatha Christie when she disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Nina takes us through the process of taking a real-life mystery and creating a fiction around it, mixing drama with research, and writing for a fanbase that has very exacting expectations.
Nina De Gramont takes on her most ambitious book yet with The Christie Affair, which explores what might have happened to Agatha Christie when she disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Nina takes us through the process of taking a real-life mystery and creating a fiction around it, mixing drama with research, and writing for […] The post EP374: Nina De Gramont — Searching for Agatha Christie appeared first on The Bestseller Experiment.
Cover art designed by Everett Litten. Visit his website everettphotoanddesign.com and check out his Instagram instagram.com/everett_photo_and_design Next episode (coming Thursday): "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston "Hook, Line & Sinker" by Tessa Bailey
In this intriguing episode of the Versus History Podcast, we interviewed historical novelist Nina de Gramont about her truly captivating new book ‘The Christie Affair'. Agatha Christie needs little introduction as a figure of historical significance. The book itself was an Amazon Best Book of February 2022 and has been acclaimed around the world. Amazon Editor Seira Wilson de Gramont's new novel as: ‘Blending fact and fiction, The Christie Affair is a wonderfully clever take on Agatha Christie's mysterious real-life disappearance in 1926. The novel's narrator is Nan O'Dea—Agatha's husband's mistress—and over the course of 11 days, Nan and Agatha become entwined in each other's lives in ways neither expected. The story unfolds as if it were one of Christie's mysteries, rewarding the reader with the thrill of discovery over and over as de Gramont adds one silken thread at a time to her intricate web of love and revenge, agency and betrayal, murder and justice. And in true Agatha Christie fashion, when all is finally revealed and the full picture comes into focus, the result is unexpected, exhilarating, and enormously satisfying.'
In this week's episode, Lauren dives into her pick "The Golden Couple" by author duo Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen before Joe gives his truthfully honest thoughts of Natasha Preston's YA thriller "The Lake". Also recommended in this episode: "The Night Shift" by Alex Finlay "Local Woman Missing" by Mary Kubica "Dial A For Aunties" by Jesse Q. Sutanto "Red, White & Royal Blue" by Casey McQuiston Special thanks to Everett Litten for the new podcast cover art! Visit his website everettphotoanddesign.com and check out his Instagram instagram.com/everett_photo_and_design Next week on the podcast: "The Christie Affair" by Nina de Gramont
Cathi and Christie share their recommendations for March. Christie chose “The Violin Conspiracy” by Brandon Slocumb, and Cathi chose “The Christie Affair” by Nina de Gramont. They give their food and wine picks for each book.
I interview Linwood Barclay about his latest book “Take Your Breath Away” and review “Good Intentions” by Kasim Ali, “The Last Good Funeral of the Year” by Ed O'Loughlin , “The Christie Affair” by Nina De Gramont and “The Woman in the Purple Skirt” by Natsuko Imamura. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Today we are chatting with Nina de Gramont about her new novel, The Christie Affair, which was just selected as the Reese Book Club February pick! This episode is sponsored by the audiobook edition of The Christie Affair, published by Macmillan Audio. ** Nina starts by giving us the scoop on what it's like to be picked by Reese for her book club, complete with the street cred it earned her with her teenage daughter. (03:35) ** The Christie Affair is a reimagination of the 11 days Agatha Christie went missing in 1926. Nina shares her relationship with Christie, a woman well ahead of her time, and how the idea for this novel came about. (06:38) ** We talk about the chief narrator of the novel, Nan O'Dea, who is a fictional character based on someone real – the mistress of Agatha Christie's husband Archie! (10:11) ** Nina explains how she skillfully avoided the dreaded “unlikable” label that could carelessly be ascribed to the “mistress” by making Nana a three dimensional character. (12:12) ** There are a lot of reasons women go missing in fiction and in real life, many times for dark and troubling reasons. And many times they don't make it back. This is a different kind of story — what these women have is agency. (14:39) ** Nina discusses the writing process, which involved many years and lots of revisions. (17:44) ** The Christie Affair has a complex structure. Nina discusses the evolution of the story and how it had to be told, including how she wrote an entirely different book in between drafts. (19:25) ** We talk astrology and are so surprised to hear Nina's unlikely relationship with the stars! (21:36) ** Nina shares what she is loving right now. (24:26) Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @popfictionwomen and on Twitter @pop_women. To do a full deep dive, check out our website at http://www.popfictionwomen.com (www.popfictionwomen.com). Stay Complicated!
42. The mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie (part 2): Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair, tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan what might have happened when the famous murder mystery writer disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Nina talks about the original real life disappearance, the various theories and her own version - which works in a very cunning murder mystery (spoiler alert - poison is involved in classic Christie style) and Ireland's notorious mother and baby homes. We also hear about how Nina succeeded in writing The Christie Affair, because she changed her approach to writing, after a failed attempt to write a book based on Emily Dickinson. We discuss why women are better at writing crime fiction than men (let us know if you disagree), the Cottingley Fairies, Agatha Christie's secret surfing past, how to get a movie made of your book, and Stevyn's starring role in the quintuple-award-winning film Scootch! We also refer to some other authors/scholars and their books, including The Line Up by Matthew Thompson, Ireland's Magdalene Laundries and the Nation's Architecture of Containment by Dr James Smith, the Adoption Machine by Paul Jude Redman, Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James and the documentary Sex In A Cold Climate directed by Steve Humphries. You could also check out Nina's other books - The Last September, Gossip of the Starlings and Of Cats And Men. Plus Nina particularly recommends you read Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or Cockerings (the new comic classic, just out) by Stevyn Colgan.
43. The mysterious disappearance of Agatha Christie (part 1): Nina de Gramont, author of The Christie Affair, tells We'd Like A Word hosts Paul Waters and Stevyn Colgan what might have happened when the famous murder mystery writer disappeared for 11 days in 1926. Nina talks about the original real life disappearance, the various theories and her own version - which works in a very cunning murder mystery (spoiler alert - poison is involved in classic Christie style) and Ireland's notorious mother and baby homes. We also hear about how Nina succeeded in writing The Christie Affair, because she changed her approach to writing, after a failed attempt to write a book based on Emily Dickinson. We discuss why women are better at writing crime fiction than men (let us know if you disagree), the Cottingley Fairies, Agatha Christie's secret surfing past, how to get a movie made of your book, and Stevyn's starring role in the quintuple-award-winning film Scootch! We also refer to some other authors/scholars and their books, including The Line Up by Matthew Thompson, Ireland's Magdalene Laundries and the Nation's Architecture of Containment by Dr James Smith, the Adoption Machine by Paul Jude Redman, Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James and the documentary Sex In A Cold Climate directed by Steve Humphries. You could also check out Nina's other books - The Last September, Gossip of the Starlings and Of Cats And Men. Plus Nina particularly recommends you read Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau. We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or Cockerings (the new comic classic, just out) by Stevyn Colgan.
In Episode 84, Paula McLain (author of When the Stars Go Dark) shares why decided to break from her previous style now, how nervous she was through the publication process, and her research into childhood trauma. This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights Why Paula decided to break from her historical fiction roots at this particular time in her career. Paula’s writing style and how it works with suspense. The point in Paula’s process where she figured out When the Stars Go Dark would contain so much of her personal history. Paula’s writing process and if it changed with When the Stars Go Dark given it was such a different kind of book than her previous work. How nervous Paula was to take this leap at different stages of the publication process. How Paula normally pitches new books to her publisher at this stage of her career…and how she had to pitch When the Stars Go Dark differently. Paula’s research into childhood trauma for this book. A bit of detail behind the concept of the “bat signal” from When the Stars Go Dark. Paula’s personal reading habits and how she reads while working on a new book. Paula’s Book Recommendations [28:42] Two OLD Books She Loves Longbourn by Jo Baker | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [28:58] The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [31:03] Two NEW Books She Loves Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [35:21] Festival Daysby Jo Ann Beard | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [38:35] One Book She DIDN’T LOVE A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [41:19] One NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead (September 14, 2021) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [44:30] Last 5 Star Book(s) Paula Read [45:40] The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont (February 1, 2022) | Buy from Amazon | Buy from Bookshop.org [45:40] Other Books Mentioned Like Family by Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon [1:30] When the Stars Go Darkby Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon [2:26] Love and Ruinby Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon [4:57] The Lovely Bonesby Alice Sebold | Buy from Amazon [8:16] Circling the Sunby Paula McLain (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [12:43] The Paris Wifeby Paula McLain | Buy from Amazon [13:19] The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel A. van der Kolk | Buy from Amazon [17:56] Fear Lessby Pippa Grange | Buy from Amazon [28:13] Sea Wife by Amity Gaige (My Review) | Buy from Amazon [34:30] The Boys of My Youthby Jo Ann Beard | Buy from Amazon [38:46] Other Links “Why I Took a Vow of Celibacy” by Paula McLain, New York Times About Paula Website | Instagram Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times bestselling novels, The Paris Wife, Circling the Sun, and Love and Ruin. On April 13th, 2021 she introduces her latest title, When the Stars Go Dark. Paula McLain was born in Fresno, California in 1965. After being abandoned by both parents, she and her two sisters became wards of the California Court System, moving in and out of various foster homes for the next fourteen years. When she aged out of the system, she supported herself by working as a nurses aid in a convalescent hospital, a pizza delivery girl, an auto-plant worker, a cocktail waitress–before discovering she could (and very much wanted to) write. She received her MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan in 1996. She is the author of The Paris Wife, a New York Times and international bestseller, which has been published in thirty-four languages. The recipient of fellowships from Yaddo, The MacDowell Colony, the Cleveland Arts Prize, the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, she is also the author of two collections of poetry; a memoir, Like Family, Growing up in Other People’s Houses; and a first novel, A Ticket to Ride. She lives with her family in Cleveland.