As Tess struggles at first to be believed and then later to find the “Well Woman” the family and the town struggle to survive the difficult and complex time they live in.

The book tackles the racism and sexism of the time period as well as the immensely difficult lives of coal miners and their families.  It does all this with a grace and fluidity that make it feel like more of a classic than a debut novel.

Gin Phillips is as thoughtful in person as she is in her writing.  She came by our offices while on tour for the book and we had a great conversation about how the story came about and why she chose to tell it from multiple perspectives.   I picked up on some dualities in the book that Gin had not even realized were there but was pleased to discover.  You’ll have to give it a read and see if you saw what I did!

– Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

Like this interview? Subscribe to the podcast today!

Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.

And I was not the only one.  Eric had some adoring fans in our office who were happy to get to meet him too (and unhappy with me – because I gave them no advance warning so they didn’t have their books with them to get an autograph!)

From Left: Kimeke Armstrong, Eric Jerome Dickey and Curtis Hoosier

When we sat down to chat, we talked about everything from Eric’s stand-up comedy days to his summer vacation and of course we also got around to talking about his latest book, TEMPTED BY TROUBLE.

The book is the story of a couple who lose their jobs and lifestyle during the current economic crisis and who are pushed (and pulled) into some (very) bad choices out of desperation.  It’s a dark tale about good people who do bad and bad people who do worse.  The book has all the shadows and grit of a classic black and white movie up to an including the mysterious man in the fedora.  It  will keep you turning pages until the very end.

I hope you enjoy the interview – and pick up a copy of the book!  It’s a great discussion book for book clubs too.

– Dana Barrett, Podcast Host

Like this interview? Subscribe to the podcast today!

Want more of the Better World Books Podcast now? Click here to check out the rest of the great authors who stopped by or called in for a chat!

Comments or questions about the podcast? Feel free to comment here on the blog, or email me at podcast AT betterworldbooks.com.

Hold Up the Sky is a story about 4 women relying on each other through some fairly difficult times.  It takes place during a drought in a small Georgia farming town and though not the kind of book I would normally be interested in, I was drawn in.

The characters Patricia creates have heart and though the dilemmas they face may not directly be facing us all, they do force us to question how we would behave in similar circumstances.

When Patricia and I sat down for the interview we focused on where the story comes from and some of the situations the characters found themselves in.  But we also dealt with the idea of looking deeper into “genre” fiction for the issues the book is handling.  For example, in Hold Up the Sky, Patricia humanizes US immigration through the character of Emerita.  She doesn’t have the answer for us, but she does put a human face on it.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

– Dana

I mean, after all Jodi Picoult is not just any author she’s the kind of author whose books jump to #1 on the list the minute they come out.  Everyone knows who she is.  If you’ve ever walked into a bookstore or even past one in an airport, you’d recognize the cover of a Jodi Picoult book.  And now her most famous book MY SISTER’S KEEPER is about to come out as a major motion picture as well.

So yes, I was nervous because of her fame but it was more than that.  I had just finished HANDLE WITH CARE the night before at about midnight and I was fired up about the ending. Among other things, I was hoping I could politely ask why she chose to end her books  with the shocking and upsetting twists and turns she is famous for.

The book is about Willow, a child born with brittle bone disease and her mother Charlotte’s ensuing wrongful birth lawsuit.  As with all her books, HANDLE WITH CARE will keep you turning pages, caring about the characters and asking yourself what you would do if you found yourself in this situation.

We talked about the characters, the disease, the research that went into the book and yes, the shocking ending as well.   And of course I had to ask about the upcoming movie release of MY SISTER’S KEEPER (June 2009 – starring Cameron Diaz and Abigail Breslin).

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!

Dr. Fisher is the chief scientific advisor for CHEMISTRY.COM and her personality type test has already been taken by millions!  She has been seen on 20/20, The Early Show on CBS and even The Colbert Report, so I was especially excited that she was able to take the time to sit down with me.

Once you read this book (and listen to the podcast!) you’ll never look at people (or more importantly, yourself) the same way.

Do you know what it means if your ring finger is longer than your pointer finger?  How ’bout who should pay for dinner and why?  (Scientifically speaking, of course).  Did you ever stop to think you might be living in the wrong place to meet your soul mate?   Wonder what Oprah’s personality type is?  How ’bout Barack Obama?

The answers to these questions and more are right in this podcast (which was really one of the most fun interviews I’ve done).  And of course even more answers and the quiz itself are in the book!

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast page!