Top 13 Interviews with Novelists

It took six years for Sandra Balzo to publish her first book, but since those years of struggle and rejection, she's become a successful, award-winning author. What was the secret of her success?

Bean There, Done That • Pub. 2009 • Severn House Publishers • Compare Prices

Find out why the former fashion buyer started writing, what kind of schedule she keeps (it's pretty impressive), and what she's learned about her craft over the years. Among other things she tells us, "Good stories bring people together to find common ground and heal, reminding us that, even in the worst of times, we are not really alone."

Return to Sullivans Island • Pub. 2009 • HarperCollins • Compare Prices

Acclaimed novelist Vikram Chandra discusses organized crime in contemporary India, how fiction shapes our perceptions of reality, and his habit of discovering — and working with — patterns in nature and narrative.

Sacred Games • Pub. 2007 • HarperCollins • Compare Prices

Alicia Erian, author of the novel Towelhead, about a Lebanese-American girl sent to live with her father in Houston, talks about writing fiction that moves, creating a successful voice, and the joys of shopping.

Towelhead • Pub. 2005 • Simon & Schuster • Compare Prices

Jasper Fforde, author of the Thursday Next and the Nursery Crime series, explains how he brings his books to life and provides an excerpt from his next novel.

Thursday Next: First Among Sequels • Pub. 2008 • Penguin • Compare Prices

With her long brown hair and down-to-earth demeanor, Sara Gruen could easily be the girl next door, if the girl next door sometimes hid behind the curtains to avoid talking to the postman — or if the girl next door counted a family of bonobo apes among her personal friends. Find out how this animal-loving author makes her books happen.

Ape House • Pub. 2010 • Random House • Compare Prices

The man behind the popular Lemony Snicket books, A Series of Unfortunate Events, talks about writing irony for children, his books for adults, and playing the accordion.

The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13) • Pub. 2006 • HarperCollins • Compare Prices

A former criminal defense attorney, novelist Phillip Margolin is known for bringing an insider's view to his detective novels, all of which have been New York Times bestsellers. Speaking as someone who had rewarding careers in two fields, he advises writers to follow his example and "find a good job and write as a hobby."

Fugitive • Pub. 2009 • HarperCollins • Compare Prices

Short story writer and novelist Alix Ohlin talks about the process of writing The Missing Person and Babylon and Other Stories, craft issues such as plot and dialogue (offering a few favorite exercises), and the challenges of self-promotion.

Babylon and Other Stories • Pub. 2007 • Vintage • Compare Prices

Heather O'Neill discusses her debut novel, being a mother and an author, and writing in the voice of a young girl — specifically that of Baby, a twelve-year-old growing up in Montreal's red light district.

Lullabies for Little Criminals • Pub. 2006 • HarperCollins • Compare Prices