Open Book with Tara Laskowski

Take Big Little Lies, add a heaping spoonful of Desperate Housewives with a sprinkle of Dead to Me and you have The Mother Next Door, Tara Laskowski’s latest novel. I read this in less than three days and I have to say it is the most perfect read for spooky season, centering around a posh group of women and their annual Halloween party. I absolutely LOVED this book and appreciate the twists and turns Laskowski takes you on. I am so thrilled, no pun intended, to have Tara as my latest Open Book. Read below to see what she’s currently reading and the Hitchcock binge watch she is on!

via Amazon ~

“If the women of Big Little Lies were the moms of East Coast high schoolers, they’d be right at home in The Mother Next Door—a witty, wicked thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of the suburban dream.”
—Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

GOOD MOTHERS…
Never show their feelings.
Never spill their secrets.
Never admit to murder.

The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms—known as the Ivy Five—plans the event for months.

Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time.

When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year’s block party should be the best yet… until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood’s dark past—and the lengths they’ve gone to hide it.

As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They’ll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year’s block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same.

From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of domestic suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder…

“Trust no one, absolutely no one while reading The Mother Next Door because everyone has secrets, all of them are liars, and everybody has at least one thing to lose. Tara Laskowski’s brilliantly paced tale of perfect-suburbia-until-you-scratch-the-surface is as compelling as it is twisted.”
—Hannah Mary McKinnon, bestselling author of You Will Remember Me

Tara Laskowski

1. What three celebrities/authors/figures- living or dead, would you want to have a bookclub with?

Gosh, this is a hard question! I’m going with characters here. Ok, my bookclub would be:

Jessica Fletcher from Murder, She Wrote, who would actually read the books and have something delightful to say and probably cook us some great muffins or something. Except one of us would probably end up dead by the end of the night. 

Wednesday Addams, who most likely wouldn’t read the books but would bring some medeval torture device or an authentic spell book to the meeting for us all to look over.

And Hermoine Granger, who will have taken extensive notes on the book and come prepared with research and questions to spark the conversation.

2. Current binge series?

Well, this might not count, but my husband and I have this project right now where we’re watching all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies in order of release. We are up to Notorious right now!

3. Last favorite book?

I feel like every book I read is my last favorite! So, in this case, it’s Tana French’s The Searcher. I adore everything she does, and this book is no exception. I loved the characters so much that I was incredibly sad when the book was over because I couldn’t hang out with them anymore.

4. What 3 things do you pack in your bag for your dream vacation?  Where is it?

I really want to go to Australia. I don’t think I’d pack anything special, though, except a good camera. I’d just buy a lot of stuff while I’m there!

5. Sunday NYT or US Weekly?

Sunday NYT all the way! (I’m also obsessed with the NY Times Spelling Bee game.)

6. Last person you sent a text message to?

My son’s tennis instructor. 🙂

7. Book you read that you wished you wrote?

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

8. Do you have a teacher who encouraged you to become a writer?

I do! Mr. Jones, my high school English teacher. I actually wrote about him in a column once. We recently got in touch again (he’s now retired), and it was great to get to tell him he’s one of the reasons I do what I do now.

9. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, who?

Oh, no. I need quiet. I can’t even write in a coffee shop.

10. Describe your writing space?

I mostly work in my home office, surrounded by bookshelves. I’ve got a great big window I can open on nice days and a whole lotta trees to stare at.

11. Coffee or tea?

Usually tea in the mornings, and cold brew in the afternoon.

12. Do you have a favorite book that you gift?

 The book I think I’ve gifted the most is The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker. It’s a fantastic book about intuition and trusting your gut. I give it to my women friends. My friend and I used to have a joke in college that whenever we were in a situation that felt weird, we’d turn to each other and say, “What Would Gavin DeBecker Do?” I think it’s a really smart book that has great pointers for navigating a world filled with creeps.

13. Book that you wished they would make a movie out of?

I mean, mine? Hahaha. 

I wish there were movies of The Three Investigators series. It’s an old YA crime fiction series that I’m obsessed with. My husband and I are reading them to our son now, and they are so great. There are two movies based on the books that were made in Germany, but they are hard to find, and I’d love to see them made here in the U.S. Great fun.

14. If you could have one song as the theme song of your life what would it be and why?

“Season of the Witch” by Lana Del Rey. I was born on Halloween, and I adore anything spooky. 

15. What/Who inspires you?

My son inspires me. He’s got so much energy and enthusiasm and hope. I am amazed at what he creates, and what he says that makes me laugh, and the way his brain works.

16. Bravo reality TV- yes or no?

Nope. I don’t watch much TV at all, actually, but when I do, it’s usually a British crime show or some horror movie.

17. Favorite Instagram account?

Ok, I love my friend Steph Post’s IG because she’s got all these beautiful animals and wildlife that she photographs. Otherwise, I just adore scrolling through all the Reels about hilarious cats and dogs and nostalgic ‘80s things. 

18. If you could name just one lipstick after a book, what would you call it and what shade would it be? 

The Shining, and it would be a shimmery black, kind of like an oil slick.

19. Current #TBR pile?

Um, it’s going to crush me. And these aren’t even the ones on my Kindle!

20. Best advice you’ve ever received?

For god’s sake, turn on the light. You’re going to go blind.

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Open Book with Nicola Moriarty

Happy October!  I am so excited for Fall!  New books, TV shows and crisp air plus HALLOWEEN!  Big Halloween lovers in this house 🙂  Nothing says October like a good thriller, suspense novel.  Nicola Moriarty’s latest, Those Other Women is the perfect accomplice to your hot apple cider.  It’s  little bit of drama, mixed with a whole lot of vengeance as determined mothers go against each other testing their loyalty and relationships with one another. I was thrilled that Nicola joined us all the way from Australia where she picked a few of my favorite things.  Think- Anna Kendrick, Harry Potter beauty and Liana Moriarty (they are sisters ❤ )!!!

via Amazon ~

“A firecracker of a novel…” -Liane Moriarty, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies

The author of The Fifth Letter takes a laser look at the uneasy relationships between women and the real-world ramifications of online conflicts and social media hostilities in this stunning domestic drama. A story of privilege, unspoken rivalries, and small acts of vengeance with huge repercussions sure to please fans of Sarah Jio and Ruth Ware.

Overwhelmed at the office and reeling from betrayals involving the people she loves, Poppy feels as if her world has tipped sideways. Maybe her colleague, Annalise, is right—Poppy needs to let loose and blow off some steam. What better way to vent than social media?

With Annalise, she creates an invitation-only Facebook group that quickly takes off. Suddenly, Poppy feels like she’s back in control—until someone begins leaking the group’s private posts and stirring up a nasty backlash, shattering her confidence.

Feeling judged by disapproving female colleagues and her own disappointed children, Frankie, too, is careening towards the breaking point. She also knows something shocking about her boss—sensitive knowledge that is tearing her apart.

As things begin to slide disastrously, dangerously out of control, carefully concealed secrets and lies are exposed with devastating consequences—forcing these women to face painful truths about their lives and the things they do to survive.

 

What three celebrities/authors/figures- living or dead, would you want to have a bookclub with?

It is SO hard to choose just three, but I’ll have to go with: Charlotte Bronte, Anna Kendrick and Zooey Deschanel.

Current binge series? 

The Originals. (I discovered Vampire Diaries quite late and now that I’ve finished it, I was so excited to discover there was a spin-off series).

Last favorite book? 

I recently read an advance copy of my sister Jaclyn’s new book ‘Gravity is the thing.’ It’s MAGNIFICENT!! Make sure you read it when it comes out, trust me, you’ll love it.

What 3 things to you pack in your bag for your dream vacation?  Where is it? 

Swimmers, sunhat and a good book. Probably the Maldives or really anywhere with crystal clear water, sunshine and sand. 

Sunday NYT or US Weekly? 

Hmm, as I live in Australia this is a hard one to know which one I would read… which one is more fun? Let’s say NYT.

Last person you sent a text message to? 

I was so sure it was going to be my husband but I just checked my phone and it was a group message to all of my sisters organising a get-together for Father’s Day.

Book you read that you wished you wrote? 

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton. It’s just such a wonderfully magical book that I adored as a child and I’d love to have that entire world inside my head!

Do you have a teacher who encouraged you to become a writer? 

My Year Five teacher Mrs Walsh read out a children’s story I wrote to my class. It was about a little girl going on an outing with her grandfather and I was so proud and excited. 

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, who? 

Absolutely. It helps to put me in the right mood. I listen to The Head and The Heart, The Hilltop Hoods, Weezer, Charles Bradley, Alabama Shakes, The Submarines, Amy Shark, Seeker Lover Keeper, Tash Sultana, Thundamentals, Deathcab for Cutie, The Lumineers, Bliss N Eso, Badly Drawn Boy, 360, Vampie Weekend, The Wombats, Grouplove, Mark Ronson. I should probably stop there, shouldn’t I?

Describe your writing space?

It varies. Sometimes it’s my desk at the office I share with my husband (where he runs his graphic design business), sometimes it’s at home on the couch with a glass of wine, sometimes I sit up at the bar of a café called Youeni and chat to the super friendly hipster staff, sometimes it’s a table at the Mini Espresso Bar, which is next door to my kid’s school where I chat with the super friendly owner named Pete.

Coffee or tea? 

Half strength Cappuccino in the morning, Green or Peppermint tea before bed night.

Do you have a favorite book that you gift? 

I always gift different books – and I do judge a book by its cover, so I pick a beautiful or interesting looking cover when I’m gifting books.

Book that you wished they would make a movie out of?

The Colours of Madeleine Trilogy by Jaclyn Moriarty. The imagery in these books is spectacular, so it would be amazing to see how they would translate to the screen.

If you could have one song as the theme song of your life what would it be and why?

Where is my mind? By Pixies. Because I love that song and also because I’m often wondering where I’ve put my mind.

What/Who inspires you? 

Music, my sisters, my husband, my kids, delicious chocolate, good wine, great books.

Bravo reality TV- yes or no? 

Hmm, I don’t have that channel, but I do like some reality shows here in Australia, my favourites are Masterchef, The Block and The Voice.

Favorite Instagram account?

https://www.instagram.com/zongbim/ – absolutely gorgeous photos!

If you could name just one lipstick after a book, what would you call it and what shade would it be? 

How about ‘Butterbeer’ after the Harry Potter books. It could be a nice creamy, neutral shade!

Current #TBR pile? 

I’m about to read my sister Liane’s book Nine Perfect Strangers, due out later this year. I already know I’m going to adore it because I love everything she writes! 

Best advice you’ve ever received?

That it’s okay to want more. 

Basically, I used to think it was a bad thing that I was always looking ahead to what was coming next instead of being satisfied with what I have now. For instance: landing an agent, landing a publisher, your first great review, your first sale, your next book deal, your first overseas book deal… You always think the next step is going to be the one that makes you feel like you’ve made it… but a little while back, my dad pointed out to me that maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe if I felt completely satisfied, I’d stop trying. So, I’ve embraced this advice and I’m going to keep striving for more!

 

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Open Book with Caz Frear

Fall is here!  Cue cozy sweaters, fall scents, pumpkins and THRILLERS!  I love to read thrillers in the fall because they are the perfect companion during this ghoulish month.  I mean I love a good thriller all the time but the change of leaves and Halloween vibes that surround us, make a good suspenseful read perfection.  Cue Caz Frear’s debut novel, Sweet Little Lies.  A murder, secrets and a missing girl are what makes this book a must-read but it might make you keep the light on at night 😉  I was thrilled to chat with Caz in my latest “Open Book” where she talks Stevie Nicks, Gwen Stefani and the necessity for a statement red lip- all things that are a must! ❤

via Amazon ~

n this gripping debut procedural, a young London policewoman must probe dark secrets buried deep in her own family’s past to solve a murder and a long-ago disappearance.

Your father is a liar. But is he a killer?
Even liars tell the truth . . . sometimes.

Twenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she’s never been able to banish these ghosts. When she’s called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn’t get out much, has been found strangled.

Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice’s husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat—her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn’t telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?

Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds. . . .

1. What three celebrities/authors/figures- living or dead, would you want to have a bookclub with?

Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac:  Just because I think she’s the coolest woman alive.  I even named my novel after a Fleetwood Mac song (actually that’s a lie, my editor came up with the title but I like to think it was serendipity)

Daniel Day Lewis:  My favourite actor.  He’s incredibly elusive so it would be amazing to be sat right next to him at a bookclub.  And he’s also extremely well-read.

Marian Keyes:  I’m a huge MK fan.  Rachel’s Holiday is definitely up there in my top 10 favourite books ever.  While she’s also extremely well-read, she’s less ‘intense’ than the other two so she’d help keep the mood light!

2. Current binge series?

Peaky Blinders on Netflix.  I’m on the third of four series and I’ll be bereft when it ends!  Can’t believe how late I am to the party though – it started in 2013. 

3. Last favorite book?

Skin Deep by Liz Nugent.  The characterization is superb.  The central character, Cordelia Russell, is a shameless manipulator and borderline narcissist but you can’t help but be enthralled by her.

4. What 3 things do you pack in your bag for your dream vacation?  Where is it?

I spent a long weekend in San Francisco a couple of years ago and I’ve been dreaming of going back there ever since.  I’d pack…

1. Comfortable walking shoes.  I’m a bit of a shoe freak and usually go for style over comfort but SF has so many steep hills and uneven roads that heels are tricky.  And there’s so much to see on foot that it’s a shame to use public transport unless you really have to.
2. As the song instructs, I’d be sure to bring flowers for my hair ☺ I’m a hippy at heart and I absolutely loved the Haight-Ashbury area.
3. A pashmina.  You can be warm one minute, cold the next in SF, so it pays to be prepared (I got caught out last time thinking it would be wall-to-wall heat!)

5. Sunday NYT or US Weekly?

Mmmm, being a Brit, I’m not overly familiar with either, but as I think US Weekly is more focused towards celebrity gossip, I’d probably go for Sunday NYT.  I’m not a huge celeb gossip fan (although, you know, I’m not immune to it!)

6. Last person you sent a text message to?

My husband – to ask him to pick up milk and a birthday card for a 6-year-old.  My life is so rock and roll ☺

7. Book you read that you wished you wrote?

In The Woods by Tana French.  It’s a masterclass in everything – plot, prose, suspense and characterization.

8. Do you have a teacher who encouraged you to become a writer?

I was lucky enough to have two – Mrs Spencer (when I was eight) who told me I had ‘something’ and to never give up writing stories, even when I ‘got big’ and Mr Kelly (when I was fourteen).  Mr Kelly used to encourage me to write reviews of everything – books, films, concerts, etc – on top of my standard homework.  He taught me that writing is a muscle and you have to use it every day.
9. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, who?

No, but I really wish I could!  I need complete silence, sadly.  If I’m editing, I might occasionally put classical music on in the background but very, very low (pointlessly low, really). 
10. Describe your writing space?

A grey chesterfield couch with many cushions and a Jo Malone candle burning close by.  I do have an office which I venture into occasionally but I do my best work on the couch.  I used to write in bed until I realized it was terrible for both posture and sleep!

11. Coffee or tea?

Tea.  I don’t mind coffee but I treat it more like medicine – I’ll force a cup down if I need to sharpen up or stay awake.  I drink tea purely for pleasure.

12. Do you have a favorite book that you gift?

The Shock of the Fall by Nathan Filer.  It’s a novel about mental health and it tells the story of 17-year-old schizophrenic Matt, and the guilt he feels over his younger brother’s death several years ago.  Sounds depressing, right?  It isn’t.  It’s incredibly moving but it’s also funny, sharp and made me laugh out loud (and cry like a baby).  Such clean, unaffected writing too.  I buy it for everyone. 
13. Book that you wished they would make a movie out of?

Mine ☺  Failing that, I’d say Little Deaths by Emma Flint.  It’s the story of a woman accused of murdering her three children in the summer of 1965 and I believe it’s based on a true story.  Not only is it a gripping thriller but it’s also an interesting commentary on how the media portray ‘difficult’ women.  It was only published a couple of years ago so it’s early days, maybe it will be made into a film?

14. If you could have one song as the theme song of your life what would it be and why? 

‘What You Waiting For?’ – essentially it’s about Gwen Stefani’s fear of making a solo album and the writer’s block she was experiencing at that time.  It is EVERYTHING.  It’s an ode to pushing through self-doubt and fear of other people’s opinions.  It’s a call to arms to every woman who has a fear of standing out, of being who she really is.  I love it and it fires me up every time.  It had a massive impact on me.

15. What/Who inspires you?

Everyone and everything!  Just overhearing a conversation on a bus can inspire a whole new piece of dialogue or sub-plot.  I think ‘inspiration’ is a slightly mystical term as usually there isn’t one single image or one anecdote that quite literally inspires the writing of a 100,000 word novel.  You just start with a character and a dilemma and get writing (or plotting).  I think it’s actually writing, even bad writing, that fuels inspiration, not the other way around.  If you wait for the killer idea or the killer hook to strike, you could be waiting a very long time!
16. Bravo reality TV- yes or no?

No. No. No. No. No.  On the rare occasion I stumble across reality TV, I want to throw something at the screen.  Although, it depends what you mean by reality TV?  I am partial to a bit of Judge Judy ☺

17. Favorite Instagram account?

I’m relatively new to Instagram so I’m not sure that I’ve got any clear favorites yet, but @crimebythebook is a great account for honest, constructive reviews (and sneak peeks at upcoming releases).  There’s also a UK comedian @russell_kane who really makes me laugh.  His memes and rants are always spot on.
18. If you could name just one lipstick after a book, what would you call it and what shade would it be?  

Kiss Me First and it would be a statement red, maybe fire-engine or blood red.  I have far too many red lipsticks!
19. Current #TBR pile?

Oh wow, it’s toppling over as we speak.  I’m so lucky to be sent lots of proofs to read so I could fill a whole page with the books I’d love to get stuck into asap, but here’s what’s up next…

The Secrets You Hide – Kate Helm (a British debut)

Red Snow – Will Dean

Pieces of Her – Karin Slaughter

Cross Her Heart – Sarah Pinborough

20. Best advice you’ve ever received?

I’m going to refer back to Gwen Stefani and ‘What You Waiting For?’

“Life is short.  You’re capable.”

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What’s in my Bookish {Beauty} Bag? ~ Kate White

Happy Halloween!  What better to celebrate one of my favorite holidays then with one of my favorite authors, Kate White!  HELLO #fangirling.  Her latest book, in her Bailey Weggins series, Even If It Kills Her is out TODAY!  I discovered Bailey back in 2002 with her first mystery – If Looks Could Kill, and have been obsessed with her since.  Think Nancy Drew but for adults 🙂  She is chic, clever and tough.  Kate was so kind to open her bag for readers today.  I am so happy to chat with her and celebrate her amazing work! I have read all her books and I can’t even name a favorite because that are all that AH-mazing! P.S. What’s Halloween without a treat?  Head over to my Instagram where I have a fabulous giveaway featuring Kate’s new book!

via Amazon ~

Kate White returns to her New York Times bestselling Bailey Weggins’ Mystery series, with this favorite true-crime journalist turned sleuth’s most chilling case to date.

Bailey Weggins’ great new friend in college, Jillian Lowe, had everything going for her. Pretty, popular, and whip-smart, she lit up any room that she walked into. All of that dramatically changed during her sophomore year, when a neighbor became unhinged and murdered her family. Jillian immediately left school, and ever since, Bailey has felt guilty for not staying in closer contact and being a greater support to her friend.

Now, sixteen years later, Bailey is shocked to see Jillian at her book event, and even more stunned when her still-gorgeous friend approaches her with a case. The man accused of murdering her family is on the brink of being cleared of the crime through new DNA evidence. With the real killer walking free, Jillian is desperate for Bailey’s help to identify him and allow her the closure she yearns for.

As the two women return to Jillian’s childhood town to investigate, it doesn’t take long for their sleuthing to cause shock waves. Someone starts watching their every move. As they uncover deeply-guarded secrets, so shocking that they make Jillian rethink her entire relationship to her family, Bailey and Jillian find themselves in great peril. They must decide just how much they’re willing to risk to finally discover the truth about the Lowe family’s murder.

What is your bag of choice?

I carry a small black Prada messenger bag. I love handbags, but I tore my bicep and rotator cuff after years of hoisting roller bags into the overhead compartments on planes, so a small bag is my only option now. But I have to admit that not worrying about keeping a bag positioned on my shoulder provides a wonderful sense of freedom. I highly recommend it.
What are your top beauty picks?  

When I ran Cosmo, my beauty editor taught me the importance of exfoliating for keeping skin youthful, so I use a ton of products that do that (like pads with alpha hydroxy or glycolic acid), and I wear a retinol cream every night. In the daytime, I wear StriVectin Intensive Concentrate for Wrinkles & Stretch Marks (hey, I’m no spring chicken!) and some La Mer lotion over it.

In terms of makeup (which I’ve adored wearing since I was thirteen), I use a mix of pricey and cheap. A makeup artist at the Today show turned me on to L’Oréal’s inexpensive True Match foundation, and I also love Maybelline’s Pumped Up! black mascara and their classic Expert Wear brow pencil.

For other products, I’ll pay more to get the quality I want. I love Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for cheeks, which I set with Lancôme’s Cedar Rose blush. Right now I’m wearing a MAC cream lipstick, which I top with this fabulous gloss from L’Oréal: 103 Blushing Harmony.

And I’m never without Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream, another product I learned about at Cosmo. The makeup artists we worked with always used it. It’s great for lips, cheeks, cuticles, rough heels, you name it–though I haven’t tried to cook with it yet!.

For hair, I absolutely love Frédéric Fekkai’s PrX Reparatives shampoo and conditioner, both with Argan extract. That ingredient is like some magic potion from the gods and makes my hair feel great. My go-to styling product (for years and years) is Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray. My secret weapon? Velcro rollers (though never in public, I swear!). I roll my dry hair with them for an hour after styling and that gives me great volume. Another Today show trick.

Lastly, for scent, I wear patchouli oil. It’s a nice alternative if you are allergic to floral scents like I am.

What do you always carry in your bag/purse/carry-on for beauty products? 

Because my bag is so small, I really have to pare it down. For instance, I carry an extra compact of Lancôme’s Cedar Rose blush, and use it on my eyelids, too, so it serves two purposes. I also rely on a Bobbi Brown foundation stick, which is not only very compact and good for touch-ups, it’s also not a liquid, so there’s no problem with airport security (I travel a lot for business). Wherever possible, I use stuff in tiny packages, like an itty-bitty tube of Kiehl’s hand and body lotion, and the mini jar of Vaseline petroleum jelly. I’ve sometimes felt the urge to adopt that little jar. It’s just so freaking adorable.

And, of course, I have a pad and pen for jotting down notes.

What are you currently reading? 

I generally like to juggle three books at once just to mix it up. 1) A mystery (Help, I’m addicted!) Right now it’s The Marsh King’s Daughter by Karen Dion, which everyone is buzzing about. 2) A literary book or a work of current popular fiction. I’ve just started Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny, which seems really entertaining. 3) Something non-fiction. At the moment, I’m devouring What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton. It’s a fascinating book, and she’s wonderfully blunt in it.

And any other fun item/must-have that you always have with you?

I always carry a pen and a little pad in case an idea for one of my mysteries pops into my head. I found this cute little pad on line and couldn’t resist. And I always have the key to my house in Uruguay, where my husband and I live in the winter. I realize it’s a little crazy, but I like knowing that if I ever decide to go there at a moment’s notice, I could get into the house.

About the Author

Kate White, the former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, is the New York Times bestselling author of five standalone psychological thrillers, The Secrets You Keep, The Wrong Man, Eyes on You, The Sixes, and Hush, as well as six previous Bailey Weggins mysteries. White is also the author of several career books for women, including I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: How to Ask for the Money, Snag the Promotion, and Create the Career You Deserve and The Gutsy Girl’s Handbook (April 2018). She is the editor of The Mystery Writers of America Cookbook. She lives in New York City. Read more about her at www.katewhite.com.

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*Thanks to Kate and her publicist for the interview!

 

 

Haunting Halloween Reads- Bliss, Beauty and Books Edition

Halloween is upon us and there is nothing better than a thrilling, page-turner to get you into the Halloween spirit!  Listed below are a few Bliss, Beauty and Books picks to send a chill up your spine and  make you want to keep the light on 😉

 

The New Neighbor by Leah Stewart

 

via Amazon ~

In the tradition of Zoe Heller’s What Was She Thinking? Notes on a Scandal, The New Neighbor is “a chilling page-turner” (People) with “simple, elegant language” (The New York Times Book Review) about an old woman’s curiosity turned into a dangerous obsession as she becomes involved in her mysterious new neighbor’s complicated life.

How much can you really know about the woman next door?

Ninety-year-old Margaret Riley is content hiding from the world. Stoic and independent, she rarely leaves the Tennessee mountaintop where she lives, finding comfort in the mystery novels that keep her company—until she spots a woman who’s moved into the long-empty house across the pond.

Her neighbor, Jennifer Young, is also looking to hide. On the run from her old life, she and her four-year-old son, Milo, have moved to a quiet town where no one from her past can find her.

In Jennifer, Margaret sees both a potential companion for her loneliness and a mystery to be solved. She thinks if she says the right thing, tells the right story, Jennifer will open up, but Jennifer refuses to talk about herself, her son, his missing father, or her past. Frustrated, Margaret crosses more and more boundaries in pursuit of the truth, threatening to unravel the new life Jennifer has so painstakingly created—and reveal some secrets of her own…

From the critically acclaimed author of The History of Us and The Myth of You and Me, The New Neighbor is “a promising exploration of the secrets we all carry and our refusal to forgive ourselves” (Publishers Weekly).

 

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

 

via Amazon ~

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“The twists come as fast [as] you can turn the pages.” —People

“Provocative and shocking.” –Lisa Gardner, New York Times  bestselling author of Find Her

“I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the storyline.  The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!” —Sue Grafton, New York Times bestselling author of X

It all started at a dinner party. . . 

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives. . . 

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco  soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they’ve kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter

via Amazon~

The Skimm Reads calls it “a thriller that’s part True Detective, part The Girl On the Train. All parts gripping.”

Husbands and wives. Mothers and daughters. The past and the future. 

Secrets bind them. And secrets can destroy them. 

The author of Pretty Girls returns with an electrifying, emotionally complex thriller that plunges its fascinating protagonist into the darkest depths of a mystery that just might destroy him. 

With the discovery of a murder at an abandoned construction site, Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is brought in on a case that becomes much more dangerous when the dead man is identified as an ex-cop.

Studying the body, Sara Linton—the GBI’s newest medical examiner and Will’s lover—realizes that the extensive blood loss didn’t belong to the corpse. Sure enough, bloody footprints leading away from the scene indicate there is another victim—a woman—who has vanished . . . and who will die soon if she isn’t found.

Will is already compromised, because the site belongs to the city’s most popular citizen: a wealthy, powerful, and politically connected athlete protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers—a man who’s already gotten away with rape, despite Will’s exhaustive efforts to put him away.

But the worst is yet to come. Evidence soon links Will’s troubled past to the case . . . and the consequences will tear through his life with the force of a tornado, wreaking havoc for Will and everyone around him, including his colleagues, family, friends—and even the suspects he pursues.

Relentlessly suspenseful and furiously paced, peopled with conflicted, fallible characters who leap from the page, The Kept Woman is a seamless blend of twisty police procedural and ingenious psychological thriller — a searing, unforgettable novel of love, loss, and redemption.