Kimmery Martin's Blog

PJ: Dear Reader, I know The Antidote for Everything swept you off your feet. Kimmery is a wicked talent and her writing oozes clever voice, delicious one-liners, and heartbreak in equal measure.In Martin’s follow up to her critically acclaimed debut, The Queen of Hearts, the “Liane Moriarty of Medical Fiction” (in quotes because I tweeted it once) explores the deep friendship between physicians Georgia Brown and Jonah Tsukada—and the lengths to which they’ll go to protect one another when...

Please welcome Ella Biber, my returning junior partner! Ella is a fifth grader and an avid reader. When she’s not swimming or playing with her friends and family, she’s curled up devouring the latest book series. I am thrilled to have her book recommendations!Have you ever had a teacher who has impacted your life? If readers are looking for a charming book series this summer, I suggest The Mr. Terupt series, which includes three books: Because of Mr. Terupt, Mr. Terupt Falls Again, and Saving...

One week until article about deadlines is due. No problem; is loads of time. Would start immediately, except, much like childbirth, you cannot force creativity. It happens when it’s ready to happen. Well, technically you can force childbirth, but you know what I mean: forcing creativity would result in boring article. Which is not to say, of course, that forcing childbirth results in boring child. Omigod, Kimmery, please focus. Maybe will have snack now.Six days. Not yet time to actually writ...

Please welcome Ella Biber, my returning junior partner! Ella is a fourth grader and an avid reader. When she’s not swimming or playing with her friends and family, she’s curled up devouring the latest book series. I am thrilled to have her book recommendations!Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick RiordanIt was my cousin who first suggested I read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, and I’m glad she did! I went to my favorite bookshop during my family beach vacation to buy the first...

I know I knew I went I cameI turned the corner and called your nameI searched for fire, for love, for lifeI heard your voice through blackest iceI looked for you in grime and gritthrough heaping hills of counterfeitI hunted hope on VR screensin fairytales and in dreamsthrough desert sand and arctic floeson eyelashes of embryosin dying stars and Georgian clayatomic dust and cabernetI thrust my heart toward sweet vibrationnot you, they said: Abominationand still I bowed before the nobleever wan...

Our topic this week is first drafts, and let’s be honest: I am not a trained writer. I don’t have an MFA or a background in journalism or even an English major. So it might amaze you that my novel (now titled The Queen of Hearts) was in near-flawless form when I finished its first draft.Revision? Ha! I had to look up the meaning of the word. I’m not saying I managed to hit every one of the guidelines listed below, y’all, but I came darn close. It takes a special kind of literary genius to acc...

Emily Giffin is the gold standard when it comes to women’s fiction. Her success surges past a writer’s wildest dreams into the realm of the fantastical, encompassing everything from multiple New York Times bestsellers to movie deals to dozens of translations around the world. I think it’s fair to say she’s struck a chord with her readers; in fact, during a recent event in my city, the woman sitting next to me—a banking executive—confided with tears in her eyes that Giffin’s books had changed...

Remember that summer when everyone was surreptitiously reading Fifty Shades of Greyon their Kindles, eyes darting shiftily as they tried to project the air of a person deep in thoughtful analysis of some highbrow masterpiece? Yep. I read it too, and I had the same thought as everyone else: Geez. I could write a book. Not a flaming porn book, maybe (although I happen to think I could rock that too, assuming anyone else would have an interest in nerdy almost-porn). No, it was the writing that m...

I am having all kinds of success with my author interviews lately. This week is another biggie: Catherine McKenzie, who I met at the Writer’s Digest Conference in NYC a few years ago when she was a presenter. Catherine’s previous books have been highly acclaimed bestsellers, and her latest, The Good Liar, is no exception: named by Goodreads as one of the hottest thrillers of 2018, it’s been busy racking up starred reviews and killer sales since its release in April. I asked McKenzie to descri...

I’ve been a fan of Chris Bohjalian for years, so having the opportunity to ask him questions was the literary equivalent of my soccer-obsessed son getting to interview somebody on the FC Barcelona team. In case you’re not already familiar with him, Bohjalian is the critically acclaimed, award-winning author of 18 books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Sandcastle Girls, Skeletons at the Feast, The Double Bind, as well as Midwives, which was a No. 1 New York Times bestseller and a...