Years ago, I attended a writers’ conference. After my speech was over, I sat in on a talk given by a writing professor. And what she said has stayed with me ever since. A woman in the audience lamented that she wanted to write, really wanted to, but could never find the time. The professor’s answer: Look. If you’re not creative enough to find the time to write, you’re not creative enough to write. Period.
Kate White and Lisa Unger, in Conversation
Kate White – wow! Former editor in chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine (yes, she knows all your secrets!), bestselling author of thrillers and mysteries, and a business and career expert who travels the country speaking to women. Impossible not to be intimidated by this powerhouse, right? What are the chances that she’s also a lovely, easy-to-talk to, down-to-earth mom? She’s all those things, too! I’m happy to call her my friend, and delighted that she took time out of her busy schedule to talk to me about her life, balancing career and family, and of course her rocket-paced, thrill-ride of a new book, THE SECRETS YOU KEEP.
Chris Pavone and Lisa Unger, in Conversation
Inhabiting Character, Art Imitating Life, and What Publishing Jobs Taught Us about Writing
Most of the time, authors are alone. To complete a novel, one must be comfortable with solitude. In fact, one must even be happy to log hours with head bent in silence, fingers to the keyboard. But on the other side of publication, authors often have to put on our extrovert hats and get out into the world – book tours, speaking engagements, conferences. At Bouchercon (world’s biggest mystery writers and readers convention) this past September, I bumped into author Chris Pavone for the third time this year. We met at the Tucson Book Festival in March. He came to my booksigning for INK AND BONE at Mysterious Bookshop in New York City. And then we ran into each other at a party in New Orleans. We’ve had a number of interesting, if brief, conversations about how often Labradoodles need to be bathed, introversion vs. extroversion, and balancing career and family life.
Tess Gerritsen and Lisa Unger, in Conversation
Ghosts, Guns and Dark Places
I am a long-time fan of New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen. Not just because she’s a superstar writer, but also because she’s a truly lovely and generous person. She took time out of her crazy busy schedule to spend a week as my pen pal! What started off as a simple Q&A turned into a really deep conversation about process, psychology, research and the supernatural. Enjoy!
