Showcase: Evitable Destiny by Izabela Monick @IzabelaMonick

Since Chris's mother died when he was sixteen years old, he has lived for only one goal: seeking revenge on his mother’s ex-lover, Kevin.  Determined not to repeat his mother’s mistake, Chris vows never to fall into love’s seductive, deceptive clutches.

With Kevin’s business teetering on the edge of bankruptcy, Chris senses his chance. He kidnaps Kevin’s stepdaughter, Julia, and sets a ransom—if Kevin cancels a company-saving business deal, then Julia will be returned. The scheme seems perfect—until Chris’s long-suppressed feelings for Julia bubble to the surface.  Julia, meanwhile, proves a resilient captive with a knack for pushing Chris’s buttons, even as her own feelings for her kidnapper become increasingly conflicted.

As the passion between Chris and Julia heats up, other forces come into play. Chris isn’t the only one who wants Julia, nor is he the only one willing to abduct her to satisfy his needs. Julia’s life—and perhaps Chris’s only chance at love—are in danger.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:  Izabela Monick is the author of the suspenseful romance novel Evitable Destiny, a complex mix of love, hate, trust, betrayal, and steamy sexual encounters. Izabela lives in New York with her husband and two children. She works as an accountant during the day and writes at night. Since she was young, Izabela has loved both math and writing, but when she picked an accounting career to pay her bills, she still dreamed of becoming an author. Finally, she found the courage to sit down and write her own novel. Now, Izabela delights in shocking her readers with unexpected twists and turns while keeping her plots brimming with heated passion until the final page. 

How Stress at Work Inspired My Writing

Writing my debut novel Evitable Destiny was a great experience, but because I’m a new author, I’m not in the position to give tips to other authors. Instead, I would like to share something from my writing experience that I found interesting.

The idea to write a novel came to me during a business meeting when all eyes in the room fell on me, waiting for an answer to a question I didn’t hear because I was daydreaming. I worked as an accountant, and I loved my job, but after the corporation I worked for acquired another company, most of the new work fell on my shoulders, and it wasn’t fun anymore. Every day, stress was pumping adrenaline into my veins; work had to be done and deadlines had to be met. Exercise didn’t help to get rid of the tension, nor did beer or wine. The only thing that did help was writing. As I would drive home after work, I would think about the plot of my book. At night, when all my chores were done and my family was asleep, I would sit down in peace and write, bringing my characters to life. My emotions during the work day affected the mood of my story in both positive and negative ways. On the most stressful days, my hero would be really mean to the heroine, but when I got a promotion, Chris bought Julia a wagon of flowers. If someone at work behaved in a way I didn’t understand, later that night, my characters would be doing weird things. I never noticed it at the time, but during editing, when the scenes weren’t working too well and I had to rewrite them, I knew where it was coming from. Sometimes I wonder if other authors experience something similar.

Writing a novel was an amazing experience and a lot of fun even though it was extremely difficult, especially in the beginning. Although I can say that I’ve learned a lot, there’s still an ocean of knowledge waiting for me to dive into it. Releasing my moods and feelings into a book was a great stress therapy that I strongly recommend to others. Today, when I think about my book, I have a feeling that Chris would have been nicer if my employer hadn’t acquired that new company.

#MMBBR Blog Tour: CROOKED LITTLE LIES by Barbara Taylor Sissel @BookSparks #FRC2015

More information on this #FRC2015 selection, click HERE

*****************************************

Critically acclaimed author Barbara Taylor Sissel’s third novel, CROOKED LITTLE LIES is about the disappearance of a 23-year-old man who wreaks havoc on his small town and unleashes the dark and painful secrets of a woman he’s barely met. Fans of Winter’s Bone and Mary Kubica’s The Good Girl will love this cold thriller by rising women’s lit star, Barbara Taylor Sissel.

*****************************************

ABOUT THE BOOK:  On a cool October morning, Lauren Wilder is shaken when she comes close to striking Bo Laughlin with her car as he’s walking along the road’s edge. A young man well known in their small town of Hardys Walk, Texas, Bo seems fine, even if Lauren’s intuition says otherwise. Since the accident two years ago that left her brain in a fragile state, she can’t trust her own instincts—and neither can her family. Then Bo vanishes, and as the search for him ensues, the police question whether she’s responsible. Lauren is terrified, not of what she remembers but of what she doesn’t.

Unable to trust herself and unwilling to trust anyone else, Lauren begins her own investigation into the mystery of Bo’s disappearance. But the truth can prove to be as shocking as any lie, and as Lauren exposes each one, from her family, from her friends, she isn’t the only one who will face heart-stopping repercussions.

*****************************************

Sometimes you see a book a few times here and there and you can wait to read it.  When the #FRC2015 and blog tour come along for CROOKED LITTLE LIES I wanted in!  This book did not disappoint!  It was one of those books that kept me guessing.  Life is busy and sometimes books do not keep our interest, but CROOKED LITTLE LIES was NOT one of those books.  I was kept interested, entertained and engaged.  I had the book with me (At all times) so I could sneak in reading any chance I had.  I was kept guessing the whole way.  This is a fabulous Fall read, a great book for book club and just a flat out great story!  4.5 stars!  

*****************************************

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Barbara Taylor Sissel is the critically acclaimed author of Evidence of Life and Safe Keeping. She is an active member of the Indie Book Collective and World Literary Café, (previously known as the Women’s Literary Café) and the League of Extraordinary Authors. A one-time editor for a small regional press, Barbara also writes and edits for the public relations field and a number of other clients, including best-selling authors.

*****************************************

*****************************************

#MMBBR Showcase w/ excerpt: Maternity Leave: A Novel by Julie Halpern @julie_halpern @StMartinsPress

MATERNITY LEAVE is the story of a professional woman who thinks she’s ready for a baby but her maternity leave proves otherwise. It is largely based on Julie’s own experiences as a new mother, and has so far been called “hilarious, poignant, almost painfully accurate”* and “a keenly observed portrayal of the most challenging time of your life”**  “with a lot of well-timed profanity.”***

*****************************************

“Maternity Leave is a hilarious, poignant, almost painfully accurate look at the first few months of motherhood. It begins with a hysterical birth scene and takes us through Annie’s transformation from a self-involved, Buffy-obsessed geek-type person into a full-fledged mom, all without losing her basic identity. It’s warm and funny and very, very real. I loved this book!”
—Maddie Dawson, author of The Opposite of Maybe*

“Maternity Leave is the laugh-out-loud funny novel you’ll beg all your ‘mommy’ friends to read, as well as a keenly observed portrayal of the most challenging time of your life . . . a time so complex and unpredictable that all the parenting how-to books in the world

aren’t enough to prep you for it… the first three months of your child’s life.”

—Julia Fierro, author of Cutting Teeth**

“With a lot of well-timed profanity, Halpern is hilarious and brutally honest as she exposes what it’s like for a first-time mother. A hilarious and perceptive novel for women…”

—Library Journal***

*****************************************

JULIE HALPERN is the author of five young adult novels and one picture book for young readers. MATERNITY LEAVE is her first novel for adults. Prior to her life as a full-time mom and author, Julie was a school librarian. In her imaginary spare time, she enjoys traveling, watching television for grown-ups, and eating baked goods. Julie lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, author and illustrator Matthew Cordell, and their two children.

*****************************************

48 Days Old

The in-laws have arrived. Thankfully they offered to stay in a hotel. Dawn, Zach’s mom, claimed it was to give our family space, since our nights are so tough. I’m guessing it has more to do with the gross-out factor of our house. I don’t think Mimi could handle the random patches of spit up that we never bothered to clean off the carpet (I figure we’ll get to them all at once when Sam’s done with his spit up phase. Or we’ll get new carpet).

It’s hilarious watching the battle of the grandmas. There is a constant neediness emanating from their Chico’s jackets. I can tell Zach’s mom is trying to be diplomatic, but I also see a fire in her eyes when Mimi wants a turn that burns, “It’s my grandbaby by blood.” Slightly scary. I can’t wait until we have dinner with my mom tonight. Three grandmas in one place. I hope Sam still has all of his limbs when it’s all over.

Dinner

Sam slept through most of the parental dinner at Indian Palace, until I had to nurse him. I’m getting better at feeding him in public, although it didn’t help when Mimi felt the need to act as my guard dog and barked, “That’s what breasts are made for!” at anyone who dared glance my way. Since I was wearing my nursing cover and most of my torso was concealed by the table, I think it mainly made Mimi look like a raving lunatic instead of a protective mother-in-law.

The conversation between bites of palak paneer and aloo gobi went something like this:

My mom: “So I’m Grandma [finger quotes]. What would you like to be called?” [Ballsy move on my mom’s part to stake her claim on the classic Grandma, but she always thought Bubbe made her sound too old. Plus, her mom was Grandma, so she wanted to continue the tradition.]

Dawn (Zach’s mom): “I always thought I’d be called Mimi because that’s what Zachy called his grandma.”

Mimi: “But my name’s Mimi.”

Dawn: “But the baby doesn’t know that.”

Mimi: “The baby doesn’t know anything yet, and even if he doesn’t know it now he will know it someday. I thought he could call me Mimi.”

Dawn: “I understand that Mimi is your name, but it’s not your grandma name. My mom was a Mimi, and it is important to me that my grandbaby know his family connection.”

Mimi: “Are you saying I have no family connection?”

Dawn: “You know I’m not saying that, nor have I ever said that. You know what I mean. It was my mother, for God’s sake.”

[Huffy Silence.]

Mimi: “Your point is valid. I propose a compromise.”

Dawn: “I’m listening.”

Mimi: “How about you’re Mimi, and I’m Mimi Two?”

Dawn: “Like we’re both called Mimi? That will confuse the poor boy.”

Mimi: “No. Like Mimi Part 2. The number. The sequel. Kids love sequels.”

Dawn: “I suppose that could work.”

Thus, Zach’s mom became Mimi, and Mimi became Mimi 2, The Sequel. And my mom retained her reigning title of Grandma.

Copyright © 2015 by St. Martin’s Press LLC.

#MMBBR #SRC2015 Review: Star Craving Mad by Elise A. Miller @BookSparks @eliseamiller

DESTINATION: GET TO KNOW NEW YORK

Week of August 31: Star Craving Mad by Elise A. Miller

Maddy Braverman, thirty and single, has taught first grade at an elite private school in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village for the past six years. Angry at herself for not moving on, Maddy is distracted from her pity party with a new student—Lola Magdalena, daughter of A- list celebrities Nic and Shelby Seabolt—a last-minute addition to her class roster.

When Lola breaks her arm on the playground, Maddy has the chance to meet with Nic in his TriBeCa apartment. Maddy’s celebrity fantasies turn to reality—make out sessions, sex and even a Hamptons holiday bash that leave Maddy yearning for Nic’s love.

How would you feel to have a peek into the lives of a celebrity family...maybe a bit Star Craving Mad???  This book was a fun escape from life and a light summer read.  I thought the premise was interesting and I thought there was a lot of funny moments.  This is one of those books that is fun to read with a friend, so you can share thoughts and "what-ifs" together!  4 stars

A former actress and private school teacher, Elise hosted and curated New York City’s East Side Oral (the reading series your mother warned you about), which showcased the talents of Jonathan Ames, Ned Vizzini, Amy Sohn, Darin Strauss, and many more. Her work appears in the anthology Because I Love Her, on nerve.com and Fresh Yarn.com. Chapters from her forthcoming novel have been published on Northern Liberties Review, Elephant Journal, and in Wild River Review. Elise is currently an SFG kettlebell instructor and fitness trainer, as well as creative writing coach. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, two dogs and a rotating cast of ants and dust bunnies.

#MMBBR Review Round-Up @SilverDolphin

Smithsonian Sticker Creations line (July 2015; $15.95; Ages 6 and up, 64 pages) –

Dinosaurs and Under the Sea – engage young readers with an innovative, hands-on approach to learning. Each 64-page bookpresents kid-friendly facts about dinosaurs and sea creatures and sticker activities to complete on every page. The interactive format comes with more than 175 reusable stickers plus 5 oversized 3-D stickers, and a pull-out framed play scene, allowing children to create their own prehistoric dinosaur scene or underwater adventure.

REVIEW:
These books are such fun!!!  It helps to bring to the life the world under the sea and the world when dinosaurs roamed the earth!  They have amazing 3-D playscene boards (which are super sturdy and so cool looking), amazingly brilliant a realistic stickers, and activities galore.  There are puzzles, maps, scenes where you can create fun images, guessing games with matching, mazes and so much more!  These are the types of books that are great for road trip, rainy days, birthday gifts and many other special events.  My boys really get lost in all these books have to offer and we love reading all the fun facts that each book contains.  This is something that kids of various ages will love and cherish.  I seriously love them!  5 HUGE stars!

The Smithsonian Everything You Need to Know Fact Cards series (June 2015; $19.95; Ages 5-7 and 7-9; 275 cards), divided into Grades K-1 and Grades 2-3, is specially tailored for inquisitive minds of different ages. Each box includes 275 fact cards featuring categories that range from space to history to health, chosen to compliment the curricula for each grade level. The facts are paired with beautiful color photographs, illustrations, and diagrams that will capture young imaginations.

Review:
I could rave for hours on how much I love these fact cards.  My boys and I had once bought Chat Packs, which are such fun.  But now when we are sitting eating dinner, snuggling before bed and driving in the car we are reading these fun fact cards.  I have to be honest when I say that much of the things I am learning  are things I had previously not known!  I was fascinated learning fun fact on all the US Presidents (grades 2-3),  facts on outer space (grades k-1) and so much more.  we are still working our way through both sets and feel like this is what sparks the love of learning, super interesting little tidbits of facts here and there.  The boys will actually ask to take out the cards and read.  This is also great for conversation starters with your kids.  I am in LOVE with these cards! 5 stars

Silver Dolphin expands their Young Explorer and Discover lines with Smithsonian Young Explorers: 50 States (April 2015; $18.95; Ages 6 and up; 32 pages). Smithsonian Young Explorers: 50 States comes packed in a sturdy travel case with an illustrated poster and a giant 130-piece floor puzzle of the United States.

Review:
My son and husband had a great time putting this puzzle together.  It is such fun to see them doing this activity together.  There was a lot of fun dialogue about which states they have been to and which states they want to go to in the future.   My son love geography and history, so he loved the puzzle and the fact book that came with it!  This is great fun for all ages.  The puzzle was very colorful, with state capitals starred and pictures of what each state is know for.  Love this puzzle!
5 stars

Friendship Tales, a new series of interactive board books from best-selling nature illustrator Maurice Pledger. (April 2015; $10.95; Ages 3 and up; 16 pages), Ping-Ping Panda In Friendship Tales: Ping-Ping Panda's Bamboo Journey is searching for some tasty leaves with the help of her hummingbird friend, but as they roam through the forest, all they find are other animals' favorite foods. Will Ping-Ping find something to satisfy her rumbling tummy? Help Ping-Ping and her friends explore the forest in this interactive story with flaps to lift and colorful, detailed scenes by best-selling nature illustrator Maurice Pledger.


Review:
I love lift and flap books.  They are so fun to read. Ping-Ping is very hungry and her hunger takes he on a walk to find her favorite food, bamboo.  Along the way she comes across from friends who are very willing to help her find the bamboo.  The illustrations are just gorgeous and the friends she comes across are very sweet and kind to her.  This is a book that young kids will love and have fun lifting the flaps to see what is underneath!  5 stars
(PS I will also be using this book in my class Art Through Stories)

In Friendship Tales: Dottie Dolphin Plays Hide-and-Seek (April 2015; $10.95; Ages 3 and up; 16 pages), when Dottie Dolphin dives deep into the ocean to play hide-and-seek with her siblings, she discovers a wonderful world of ocean animals. Join Dottie and her new friends beneath the waves in this interactive story with flaps to lift and colorful, detailed underwater scenes by best-selling nature illustrator Maurice Pledger.

Review:

I love lift and flap books.  They are so fun to read.  Dottie the dolphin goes on trip to find her brothers and sister during a game of hide-and-seek.  During her search she come across a lot of underwater animals that help lead her back to her family.  With beautiful illustration and a sweet story this book is one all small kids will love, I know I did...5 stars
(PS I will also be using this book in my class Art Through Stories) 

BUY IT BELOW:

#MMBBR Children's Review Round Up

In the spirit of Hergé's Tintin or Carl Barks' Uncle Scrooge, The Kurdles is an all-ages comic spiced up with a teaspoon of strange. Sally is a teddy bear who gets separated from her owner while on a drive in the country. Desperate to find her way home, she stumbles upon Kurdleton, home to a most peculiar group of characters in the midst of a crisis; their forest house has grown hair, eyes, and a mouth! The creatures work with their new friend to keep Kurdleton from growing legs and running away! Goodin, an animation industry veteran (American Dad, Rugrats), delivers a timeless classic in his debut graphic novel, introducing an unforgettable and charming cast of characters. Printed in an oversized format to showcase Goodin's stunning, hand-painted artwork, The Kurdles will capture the imagination of both parents and children.

My Review:

This is a fun adventure book about a bear that was tossed out of the car by a girl who would have rather had her giraffe.  The bear then has an adventure through the woods with a group of lovable misfits!   The illustrations for so interesting and fun to look at!  It is one of those books that each time you look at it you see something you did not see before!  The only criticism that I have is some of the language is a bit harsh.  For example,  I was a bit uncomfortable with the way the mother spoke to her daughter on page 6.  But this is just my personal option!  I would love to hear what others have to say! Let me know!  4 stars

In this first book of the series, readers are introduced to a lovable little alligator named Dozi. Living in a swamp in central Florida, Dozi observes wondrous colorful lights over a distant amusement park. Eventually, the curiosity of the little alligator gets the best of him and he heads off to discover the strange and fascinating new world of humans.

While hiding inside one of Orlando’s popular theme parks, Dozi makes the decision to stow away in the unsuspecting Hoxwinder family’s minivan after the family has finished visiting the park. During the long over-night drive home from Florida, Dozi befriends young Byron Hoxwinder in the very back of the vehicle. The family arrives home without anybody but 9-year old Byron Hoxwinder realizing they have brought a young alligator home with them.

My Review:
What a sweet story about an unsuspecting friendship between a boy and an alligator.  My boys and I love the rhyming, the really cute pictures and the story was just adorable!  I cannot wait to develop this book into a lesson for Art Through Stories!  4.5 stars

Do you have an angel friend? Young India has a special friend an angel friend Julia.

My Review:
A sweet story about a girl and her imaginary friend.  This book highlights the joy of imagination and the love of the things we cannot see, but feel with the heart. Any little girl would just adore this book! 4.5 stars

An incredibly cool, close-up look at the skulls of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. Dozens of Images of animals (including their scientific name), fun facts, jokes, wordplay and off-the-word, fascinating trivia related to each animal. Plus, there's a "match the skull" quiz at the end of the book and some links for related web sites. Your young scientist is going to love this book!

My Review:
What a fascinating book about animals and their skulls.  This book is wonderfully illustrated with both real life pictures of each animal and a skull for the animal too.   It also contained funny and cute cartoon illustrations for many of the animals!  My boys have gone back to this book repeatedly to look at the skulls and to read the interesting fact that go with them.  It was great timing to get this book because we had just done a fun summer project of Owl Puke and this was a perfect book to read with that.  This would also be great for the classroom!  4.5 stars

#MMBBR Review: The Girl Without a Name by Sandra Block @block_sandra

In what passes for an ordinary day in a psych ward, Dr. Zoe Goldman is stumped when a highly unusual case arrives. A young African American girl, found wandering the streets of Buffalo in a catatonic state, is brought in by police. No one has come forward to claim her, and all leads have been exhausted, so Zoe's treatment is the last hope to discover the girl's identity. 

When drugs prove ineffective and medical science seems to be failing, Zoe takes matters into her own hands to track down Jane Doe's family and piece together their checkered history. As she unearths their secrets, she finds that monsters hide where they are least expected. And now she must solve the mystery before it is too late. Because someone wants to make sure this young girl never remembers. 

The Girl Without a Name is a powerful novel of memory and forgetting, of unexpected friendship and understanding...and of the secrets we protect no matter the consequences.

The Girl Without a Name was an intense book that kept me on my toes.  It was well plotted and paced brilliantly!  I was thrown with the twists and turns and I found it hard to put down!  I was instantly drawn into the story and the characters were compelling.  This would be a great book for any book club and a perfect read for fall!  Grab it today!  4.5 stars 

CONVERSATION WITH SANDRA BLOCK

author of THE GIRL WITHOUT A NAME

(Grand Central Publishing; September 8, 2015)

1.  The Girl Without a Name touches on alcoholism, drug abuse, anorexia and mental illness. Do you deal with these tough issues in your practice as a neurologist?

I'm a neurologist, not a psychiatrist, so I don't directly treat problems like depression or drug abuse. But, I do deal with these issues on a daily basis. Patients may have seizures every time they quit drinking, or neuropathy (peripheral nerve damage) or ataxia (unsteadiness) from years of alcohol abuse. Depression and anxiety also play a huge role in insomnia - on of my specialties as a sleep doctor. Most doctors, in every field, work with mental illness on some level.

2. What scares you as a writer, and why?

Reviews always fill me with a certain dread, and yet it's so hard not to read them. Nowadays, I'm kinder to myself though. I used to read bad reviews as a sort of tough love, but I'm not so masochistic anymore. It just isn't helpful in a field already sewn with self-doubt. I've come to accept that not everyone will love my books, and everyone has a right to an opinion. I try to focus on the positive reviews and emails I've received. If reading my book has given someone, somewhere, a sense of wonder, escape, or even joy for a few hours, then I've done my job.

3.  What inspired your new character, Jane Doe?

The character came to me as first line, while I was on vacation. I had just finished Little Black Lies (the first Zoe Goldman novel) and scored an agent, so I was on a bit of a high. The line goes: "We call her Jane, because she can't tell us her name." Then Jane showed up in the hospital bed. I really couldn't shake the vision of the character, so I wrote her.  

4. We have grown to know and love Dr. Zoe Goldman! What’s next for our favorite doctor?

Zoe is taking a bit of a break at the moment, getting ready for her Forensic Psychiatry fellowship. She does make a cameo in the Detective Adams novel I'm working on right now though. I also have a great case lined up for her next novel, but I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see on that one...

5. You incorporate a lot of medical and criminal elements into your work. Do you research a topic before you write a plot or do you start writing your plotline and research as the story progresses?

I don't have to do much medical research, because I live it. But any research I carry out occurs in the midst of writing. I'm too impatient to take the time out beforehand. I like to launch right in. And I know that Google is only a click away.

6.   When you hit a writing road block how do you force yourself to break through it?

I keep writing. That's the best answer. If you stop, you take the risk that your fear (which represents writing block to me) will become insurmountable. I also give myself a break. Taking a walk or a long shower often leads to a plot solution. I try to have faith that this will happen. And it usually does.

7.  All of your secondary characters (Dr. Berringer, Jason, Zoe’s patients Zoe) are well developed. Is your process of creating them different from how you create a main character like Zoe?

Zoe is a voice more than anything. She has a body of course, but I can't visualize her very well. I hear her, more than see her. Side characters are more corporeal to me. I can see their clothes, their hair, the way they walk. That helps me make them real.

8. Which books have you re-read throughout your life?

I don't tend to re-read books. Maybe that sounds odd, but I truly value the act, the contemporaneous experience of reading a book, and re-reading it would break that spell somehow. Some of my favorite, most soul-enriching books over the years have been "For Love" by Sue Miller, "The Sportwriter" by Richard Ford, and "Ladder of Years" by Ann Tyler, "Amy and Isabel" by Elizabeth Strout, and "The Keep" by Jennifer Egan. That's just the tip of the iceberg of course.

9. The intersection of literature and neurology has given us so many great novels. Do you think the study of neurology lends itself to more in-depth characters and plot?

I think it helps plotting, especially mysteries. So much of neurology is solving puzzles. You backtrack from the symptoms through the history to the diagnosis. It's artful logic. Plotting a mystery is much the same.

10. What question do you wish people would ask about your work?

Would you do it over again? And the answer is: I don't know. The road to medicine was a long one. I am happy where I am now, but I honestly don't know if I could do it all over again.

11. What advice would you have for aspiring writers who are already established in another field?

Two things: read books on writing, and write. A good writing book can save you from heaps of beginner's mistakes. Writing is a passion, but it's also a trade. The more you read and write, the better you get.

12. There is quite a time jump from Little Black Lies to The Girl Without A Name. Did you have a reason for planning the timeline this way?

I envisioned it as about a year. I wanted to start after her mother's death, and after Zoe had experienced some failures, so she was a bit down and not at the top of her game. I also wanted there to have been forward progress already, so we end up in media res (as they say) of her life.

13. Identity plays a big part in both Little Black Lies and The Girl Without A Name, will that be a recurring theme in Zoe’s ongoing story?

Yes. I can't help it. Identity will always be there on some level. I am fascinated by self-identity. That's one thing about Zoe's ADHD. Her internal chatter distracts her, but also defines her in a way.  Our identify is ever-evolving, and dependent just as much on how others see us, as how we see ourselves.  

14. What is stranger--things you see in your day job or what happens in your novels?

Definitely my novels, I should hope! Though I do take everyday occurrences from my job and amplify them for my books. I'm not talking about main characters, but side patients are usually at least loosely based on cases I've seen.

15. How do you juggle being a doctor, writing, and having a family?

To me, writing is a passion and a hobby. Whereas, my job is my job. So, it's sort of like asking someone: how do you juggle knitting with everything else you do? I do it because I love it! Having said that, it does take time. I usually take 45 minutes in the morning before anyone is up to write, then steal time during the day (at a child's piano lesson, for instance.) Also, my husband "leans in," and helps greatly with childcare to allow me to be a writer and a doctor.

16. I noticed that Judaism plays a larger role in this book. Why do you think that is?

It's important to me that Zoe Goldman is Jewish. There aren't a whole lot of Reform Jewish mystery protagonists out there. There are other Jewish stories of course - those of immigrants, World War II, orthodox memoirs, for instance. They are all an important part of the Jewish literary canon. But, I wanted to show the world a character where Judaism is a strong part of her identity, but not the central theme.

In The Girl Without a Name, Zoe no longer has her mother to define Judaism for her and has to find that meaning for herself now. The Jewish theme of "tikun olam" or fixing the world, also has great significance in the novel. Zoe tries to fix the world by helping her patients, but she also has to learn to fix herself.