by Rebecca LeBoeuf Kevin Wilson’s third book, “Perfect Little World,” hit stores this year and has since been commended by the Washington Post, NPR, GQ and Entertainment Weekly, among others, and earned stared reviews from Booklist and Kirkus. “Perfect Little World” follows a young, single mother and her son who…
The Penmen Profile: Irish Author Ethel Rohan
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Irish author Ethel Rohan’s debut novel, “The Weight of Him,” follows the journey of an obese man attempting to turn his life around and finding support in his community after a loved one’s suicide. Rohan’s Irish roots shine through in the landscape for this book and in…
Spotlight: “Appointment with ISIL” Author Joe Giordano
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Since the last time The Penmen Review caught up with Joe Giordano in 2015, the author has been hard at work on his latest novel, “Appointment with ISIL: An Anthony Provati Thriller,” which was released in June. Shifting away from the historical fiction genre, Provati tried his…
The Penmen Profile: “Hey Harry, Hey Matilda” Author, Blogger and Instagrammer Rachel Hulin
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Author and photographer Rachel Hulin started using social media to garner interest in her novel, “Hey Harry, Hey Matilda,” long before it published this year. She created a blog that introduced the characters and an Instagram account that allowed them come alive in a different medium, creating…
The Penmen Profile: Novelist Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Rowan Hisayo Buchanan’s debut novel, “Harmless Like You,” was shortlisted for several awards this year, including the Desmond Elliott Prize, the Betty Trask Prize and the Authors’ Club First Novel Award. The novel follows a young Japanese artist, struggling to make it in the industry, and the…
The Penmen Profile: Fiction Writer Julie Buntin
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Julie Buntin debuted her first book, “Marlena: A Novel,” in April. Buntin explores weighty topics including love, addiction and loss in the lives of two teenage girls. “‘Marlena’ slayed me,” bestseller Anton DiSclafani said in response to the book. “Gorgeously written, with a sense of place so…
The Penmen Profile: Literary Fiction Writer Kayla Rae Whitaker
by Rebecca LeBoeuf “The Animators,” Kayla Rae Whitaker’s debut novel, has garnered praise from newspapers and magazines around the world – from The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post and Glamour to The Sydney Morning Herald and Elle. Published by Random House in January, “The Animators,” follows two…
The Penmen Profile: “Small Admissions” Author Amy Poeppel
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Amy Poeppel’s “Small Admissions” began as a play in 2011 and was later expanded into a novel, incorporating material from Poeppel’s experience as an assistant director of admissions in a New York City private school. Her debut novel has been praised by Booklist, Library Journal and InStyle…
The Penmen Profile: International Bestseller Alexander McCall Smith
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Alexander McCall Smith’s impressive repertoire of more than 100 books span many genres, including academic non-fiction, fiction and children’s books. His work is published in 47 languages and he has publishers all around the world. Since the publication of his first book in 1980, the international bestseller…
The Penmen Profile: International Bestselling Author Liza Palmer
by Rebecca LeBoeuf Fiction writer Liza Palmer hit the international bestsellers list with her debut novel, “Conversations with the Fat Girl” (2005). Since then, she has written six other highly-praised books, earned two Emmy nominations for her writing in the first season of “VH1’s Pop Up Video” and now works…