by Maggie Swofford We watchedthe flowersfold underthe summersun—105°windchill—we lookedout my bed-room window. I baked andcaked mymakeup on bythe windowsillonly to haveit drip off. The flowervase toreoff itsstandduring aviolentstorm,and wethrew ourlaundryat eachother asnights grewdim andhot. The nextday, everyday, we’dcross ourlegs andfoldthe wrinkledfabric backinto somethingwe couldwear.
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Emma Chase, a New York Times Bestseller for two series, “Tangled” and “Legal Briefs,” is a writer of “sexy swagger,” with a focus on contemporary romance and romantic comedy. “Royally Endowed,” the third and latest installment of “The Royally” series, centers on the forbidden relationship between a…
by Kristin Duckworth Siobhan Fallon’s debut novel, “The Confusion of Languages,” takes place in the American embassy community in Jordan during the Arab Spring – a setting Fallon knows well, having been stationed there with her husband. Fallon drew on her own experiences and observations to tell the story of…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Ryan Graudin, a young adult fiction author, just wrapped up her weeklong tour celebrating the Sept. 26 publication of her latest novel, “Invictus.” The tale, which garnered a starred review from Publishers Weekly, follows Far, the son of a time-traveler. Far fails his time-traveling exam, crushing his…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf “Girls on Fire,” Robin Wasserman’s first adult novel, was named an NPR and a BuzzFeed Best Book of the Year in 2016. The book also received praise from the New York Times, the Associated Press, Booklist and Cosmopolitan, among many other positive reviews. A faculty member of…
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Southern New Hampshire University professor Mia Siegert writes contemporary young adult, adult thriller and literary fiction in the form of short stories, articles, personal essays and now novels. Published May 2016, Siegert’s coming-of-age novel, “Jerkbait,” was identified as the top new release in Teen and Young Adult…
by Pamme Boutselis The Penmen Review recently caught up with writer Joe Giordano to discuss his new book, “Birds of Passage, An Italian Immigrant Coming of Age Story.” Kirkus Reviews calls Giordano’s book, “a riveting debut novel.” Let’s see how it all came about. Have you always written? I started…
Award-winning playwright and author Dee Dee M. Scott, is also a screenwriter, publisher, producer and director. She is the author of the bestselling book, “My Husband’s Woman,” which she later adapted to the stage. A full list of her books can be found here. Have you always written? Yes. I…
by Pamme Boutselis EJ Hanagan is a writer of women’s fiction and book marketing manager, whose published work includes “Saving Jason,” a story about the aftereffects of war and the legacy of PTSD, and the forthcoming “Underwater Secrets” (to be released in mid-May 2015). A U.S. Air Force veteran, she…
The New Yorker editor Willing Davidson talks to the award-winning writers Junot Díaz and Karen Russell about the difficulties of writing short stories.
by Pamme Boutselis The author of three published books, “The Collection of Heng Souk,” “Madness of the Turtle” and “The Seventeen Commandments of Jimmy September,” S.R. Wilsher also writes short stories and has two children’s books underway. He recently connected with The Penmen Review to discuss his writing. Have you always…