The Best of Women’s Fiction series has outgrown Lainey’s blog and has its own website!
BestofWomensFiction.com
Visit BestofWomensFiction.com to see all the latest episodes!
Previous Page (Only episodes up to December 2020)
After the broad shares of my article on The Best of 2020 Women’s Fiction, I decided to serve my following of book lovers on Instagram and help raise visibility of authors I love!
Ever wanted to know what inspired a favorite author’s book? Or what advice they’d give other writers?
On Instagram TV, I’m recording and releasing short 10-12 minute video segments showcasing the best of women’s fiction authors and their books. You can find see a rundown of episodes below. Or hop on over to my Instagram TV channel and follow me to be sure you see future episodes.
You can find and purchase the featured books here in Lainey’s Recommended Reads on bookshop.org (profits go to indie bookstores).
I’m excited by the authors (some of my favorites) who have agreed to join me! And I’ll feature some of my favorite episodes in future newsletters.
Episode 1:
Kelly Duran , author of Can’t Take it Back
Key topics: Publishing straight to audible originals, taking inspiration from female friendships and what you might not guess she cut from the book.
Episode 2
Kerry Anne King, author of several best-sellers including Everything You Are
Key topics: What Kerry recently enjoyed reading, how secondary characters can step up and demand more space, and great advice about reading (and writing) what you love.
EPISODE 3
Camille Pagán, best-seller of fiction that focuses on love, loss, and making the most of this wonderfully messy life.
Key Topics: how her books come to her, the inspiration for her latest book This Won’t End Well, the worst point in Camille’s author career, and some advice on how to get past those moments.
EPISODE 4
Camille De Maio, best-selling author of historical women’s fiction
Key Topics: The inspiration behind her latest novel, The First Emma, whether she reads her reviews and Camille’s favorite authors
EPISODE 5
Rebecca Taylor, author of Her Perfect Life, and winner of the 2014 Colorado Book Award
Key Topics: The inspiration behind her latest novel, where one sister takes her life and the other is left determined to find out why. Also what got cut (special sex scene download, anyone?) and Rebecca’s favorite recent reads.
EPISODE 6
Ava Homa, author of Daughters of Smoke and Fire, the first novel written by a female Kurdish writer
Key Topics: The universality of oppression, how standing up to injustice can feel hopeless, but we are never too small to help, and how literature has the power to show us we are not alone.
EPISODE 7
Jamie Beck, WSJ & USA Today bestselling author of realistic and heartwarming stories that have sold more than three million copies.
Key Topics: The inspiration behind her latest, If You Must Know, and advice for other writers.
EPISODE 8
Sherri Leimkuhler, author of What’s Left Untold, a perfect book club pick.
Key Topics: The inspiration for writing about a High School secret that is unveiled 20 years later, and why she wrote a book with so many twists and turns.
EPISODE 9
Lisa Braxton, author of The Talking Drum, a tale of communities threatened by urban development.
Key Topics: How her background in journalism helped with depth in character development, and the significance of the drum in African culture, and this book.
EPISODE 10
AH Kim, author of A Good Family
Key Topics: The thrill of launch week including being reviewed by Maureen Corrigan, advice for authors, Ann’s favorite reads
EPISODE 11
Kerry Londsale, best-selling author of emotionally charged domestic drama
Key Topics: Kerry talks about where her ideas come from – so insightful to hear from a best-seller who has already sold in the millions of copies. As well as insights into her latest, Side Trip.
EPISODE 12
Joanne Kukanza Easley, debut author of Sweet Jane.
Key Topics: Joanne talks inspiration behind her novel, what she’s working on next, and advice for other writers.
EPISODE 13
Amy Impellizzeri, award winning author of five novels
Key Topics: Amy talks about her fifth novel, I Know How This Ends, a time-bending tale and paraquel to Lemongrass Hope. We also talk plotting methods and her latest reads.
EPISODE 14
Barbara Conrey, author of Nowhere Near Goodbye
Key Topics: Barbara chats about the real life inspiration for her novel, point of view changes along the way, and what she’s read recently.
EPISODE 15
Barbara O’Neal , Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon Bestselling Author talks about her latest novel, The Lost Girls of Devon
Key Topics: How Barbara keeps finding inspiration after so many bestsellers and her advice for early career authors
EPISODE 16
Ehsaneh Sadr, author of A Door Between Us
Key Topics: Her inspiration to write about Iran in 2009 during the period after the contested elections, a desire to provide a “portal” inside Iranian life.
EPISODE 17
Linda Rosen, author of The Disharmony of Silence
Key Topics: Inspiration behind her book that moves back and forth between the 1920s and today, and why it didn’t start with the dual timeline that it now has.
EPISODE 18
Samantha Verant, author of The Secret French Recipes of Sophie Valroux
Key Topics: Being inspired by how the ‘magic’ of how food brings a family together, her admiration for a famous top chef, and misogyny in professional kitchens.
EPISODE 19
Alison Ragsdale, multiple time Amazon #1 best selling author of heartwarming novels set in Scotland, including her latest Dignity and Grace
Key Topics: Where she finds inspiration after 7 novels, and what led to writing abut a cellist and her daughter in the latest.
EPISODE 20
Mary Helen Sheriff, author of Boop and Eve’s Road Trip
Key Topics: What inspired this grandmother-granddaughter road trip book, the joy of seeing great early reviews, and the changes she made during revisions.
EPISODE 21
Regina Buttner, author of Absolution
Key Topics: Her inspiration and how Jeanie, the book’s main character, struggles with balancing her traditional values around marriage, while trapped in a destructive relationship with a narcissist.
EPISODE 22
Catherine Wallace Hope, author of Once Again
Key Topics: The source of her unique premise; where her main character is flung back in time by 500 days to the day her daughter was abducted and killed, with a chance to save her again. Is Catherine a panster or plotter, plus tips for writers.
EPISODE 23
Pamela Skjolsvik, author of Forever 51
Key Topics: Her inspiration for a laugh out loud book about an eternally menopausal vampire, dealing with the loss of her mom to Covid, and her advice to writers: “Go live your life, then write, and don’t let the feeling that you are not good enough stop you.”
EPISODE 24
Kathryn Craft, mentor, book coach and author of The Art of Falling and The Far End of Happy
Key Topics: The real life inspiration behind her novels and a unique opportunity if you’re a writer: Kathryn runs a coaching program called Your Novel Year.
EPISODE 25
Erin Bartels, award-wining author of 3 novels, including The Words Between Us and We Hope for Better Things
Key Topics: How her debut novel, which just swept the women's fiction annual book awards, and her newest novel, All That We Carried, a sister story which releases in early 2021.
EPISODE 26
Densie Webb, author of When Robins Appear
Key Topics: inspiration for her powerful mother-daughter family drama, with a bitter-sweet ending.
EPISODE 27
KJ Dell’Antonia, author of The Chicken Sisters and host of the #amwriting podcast
Key Topics: inspiration for her heartwarming, funny, uplifting sisters story about two fried chicken restaurants run by rival sisters and great writing advice.
Anita Kushwaha, author of The Secret Lives of Mothers and Daughters
Key Topics: story inspiration, vulnerability and fear, books she’s loved
Lauren Ho, author of Last Tang Standing
Key Topics: Correlations to Bridget Jones, story inspiration, where she finds all the funny, recent reads, learning from stories outside your culture and background.
Suanne Schafer, author of Hunting the Devil
Key Topics: inspiration for a novel about a physician in Africa, who finds herself becomes entrapped and endangered in the maelstrom of Rwandan politics during the genocide. Challenges of novel length, and recent reads.
Jennifer Klepper, author of USA TODAY best-seller, Unbroken Threads
Key Topics: Inspiration for the story of Jessica , an attorney turned stay-at-home mom who tentatively volunteers to represent Amina Hamid, a woman seeking asylum, and how the book changed in editing, including backstory that had to go.