The Bookshop at the End of the Internet Stacey Horan

Author Don Silver discusses his latest coming-of-age thriller, Scorched. In the novel, Jonas Shore had a difficult home life as a teenager in the 1970s. After his father’s unexpected death when he was just fifteen, Jonas began selling drugs in order to help support himself and his mother. After he was arrested, he was sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys where he was involved in a violent altercation that had deadly consequences. Twenty years later, Jonas’s childhood actions come back to haunt him, and he is forced to deal with his complicated past.

Author Paul Lamb discusses his latest novel, Parent Imperfect. Once again, family takes center stage in this sequel to Paul’s debut novel, One-Match Fire. Parent Imperfect is a story about fatherhood—its highs and lows, joys and sorrows. Two fathers, Curt and Kelly, are trying to raise their adopted son, Clarkson. Curt is a reluctant father. Kelly, on the other hand, has always wanted a child but is plagued by his own demons. And Clarkson grows up understanding that one of his fathers is absent even when he is present, while the other is absent because his condition prevents him from being present. Parent Imperfect takes a look at adoption, the nontraditional family, and the relationship between fathers and sons.

Author Liz Alterman discusses her new domestic suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood. In this idyllic suburban town, a little boy goes missing, and the event shakes the very foundation of the town where everyone assumed they were safe. The novel is told from multiple points of view, including the mother of the missing boy, the boy’s teenage babysitter, and a former actress who resists assimilating. All of these characters are on the outside of what is perceived to be the neighborhood’s inner circle. But as they—and Liz’s readers—will find out, no one’s life is as perfect as it seems.

Author Lane Igoudin discusses his new memoir, A Family, Maybe: Two Dads, Two Babies and the Court Cases that Brought Us Together. In this book, Lane details the challenges—legal, political, and personal—that he and his partner Jonathan faced in the early 2000s while trying to adopt their two foster children through the Los Angeles County child welfare system. The process took three years and was fraught with much stress, numerous court delays, and plenty of heartache. A Family, Maybe is a story about building a family and discovering what it means to be a father. But ultimately, it is a story about love.

Author Ana Stanojevic discusses her new Fire Wave trilogy. Ana has always loved the fantasy and superhero genres and is a big fan of Batman, which she admits was an inspiration for this trilogy. The Fire Wave novels are all about what it means to be a superhero—how to be one and the weight of that responsibility. It is a fun mix of the superhero journey blended with mystery, fantasy and a little science fiction. Her goal now is to one day see her Fire Wave trilogy as a series of graphic novels.

Author Allie Slocum discusses her Character Club series for middle grade readers. Each book features a different kid who participates in an after-school club, with each installment focusing on the children’s journeys as they learn various life skills—such as compassion and forgiveness, dealing with loneliness, respecting yourself and others, and accepting the consequences of lying. Allie’s goal is to write books about regular kids living regular lives, going through regular things that kids go through.