Writer Wednesday with Katherine Reay

Today on Writer Wednesday we welcome Katherine Reay, author of The Printed Letter Bookshop.

Enter below for a chance to win a copy of The Printed Letter Bookshop! Winner announced right here next week. Congratulations to, Jenny Snow,  the winner of David Rawlings’ The Baggage Handler! Please e-mail my assistant Christen with your mailing address! Note: This post contains affiliate links.

Books Authors Read

As I write “love letters to books,” it is such fun to chat with you all about the books I’ve read, loved, and always want to share…

What was your favorite book as a child?

So many! I was a huge reader. While pondering this question, though, I chose to list books I adored as a child, but have not revisited as an adult. They are true childhood favorites — so you won’t find Anne of Green Gables or any Narnia here as I continue to pick those books up today.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing

The Great Brain

Encyclopedia Brown

The High King

I loved The High King so much that in the fifth grade I wrote my first fan letter to Lloyd Alexander — and he wrote me back! His generosity inspired me and I now follow that practice — so if you write me, I’ll write you back. 🙂

What book did you read that first made you want to be an author?

I’m not entirely sure, but I love Baroness Emma Orczy’s answer to this question. When asked why she wrote The Scarlet Pimpernel, she replied that she’d read a bad book and knew she could do better. I’m not saying that happened to me, but I am saying that when I read I constantly think of “story” and how to push it. There’s also a certain energy to her answer that appeals to me — this idea that story changes and is unique and you have something to add to the conversation. In the end, I suspect that it was not one book, but my saturation within books that compelled me to start writing one.

What was the last book you read, just for fun?

Within the last week — I just handed in a manuscript so I’m having a blast reading right now — I have read The Secrets of Paper and Ink by Lindsay Harrel, Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, and Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou. Such a variety — and each incredibly compelling.

What books are currently on your nightstand?

I need to go check… I read different books in different places. I won’t find any fiction there because never read novels at night. I get too caught up in the stories and don’t fall asleep. Usually, I read theology…

Right now I’ve got How to Live Like A Narnian by Joe Rigney, Life of Christ by Fulton J. Sheen, and In Defense of Sanity by G.K. Chesterton.

What upcoming release are you most looking forward to?

Hmmm… I guess The Printed Letter Bookshop is out of the running as it launched yesterday. 🙂

Seriously, though, I have had a wonderful time getting to know Melissa Ferguson recently, and I think her debut, The Dating Charade, sounds delightful. That will definitely be a Christmas purchase this year.

Thank you so much for inviting me here today and letting me share my love of reading with you all. And to continue the conversation. You find a list of all the books alluded to within the pages of The Printed Letter Bookshop in the back of the book. It might be a fun way to build your TBR pile.

Thanks again!

Katherine Reay is a national bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including Dear Mr. Knightley and The Printed Letter Bookshop. She has enjoyed a lifelong affair with books and brings that love to her contemporary stories. Her first full-length nonfiction work will release in December 2019. Katherine holds a BA and MS from Northwestern University. She currently writes full time and lives outside Chicago, IL with her husband and three children.

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More about The Printed Letter Bookshop

“Powerful, enchanting, and spirited, this novel will delight.” —Patti Callahan, bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis

Love, friendship, and family find a home at the Printed Letter Bookshop

One of Madeline Cullen’s happiest childhood memories is of working with her Aunt Maddie in the quaint and cozy Printed Letter Bookshop. But by the time Madeline inherits the shop nearly twenty years later, family troubles and her own bitter losses have hardened Madeline’s heart toward her once-treasured aunt—and the now struggling bookshop left in her care.

While Madeline intends to sell the shop as quickly as possible, the Printed Letter’s two employees have other ideas. Reeling from a recent divorce, Janet finds sanctuary within the books and within the decadent window displays she creates. Claire, though quieter than the acerbic Janet, feels equally drawn to the daily rhythms of the shop and its loyal clientele, finding a renewed purpose within its walls.

When Madeline’s professional life falls apart, and a handsome gardener upends all her preconceived notions, she questions her plans and her heart. Has she been too quick to dismiss her aunt’s beloved shop? And even if she has, the women’s best-combined efforts may be too little, too late.

“The Printed Letter Bookshop is a captivating story of good books, a testament to the beauty of new beginnings, and a sweet reminder of the power of friendship.” —Rachel McMillan, author of Murder in the City of Liberty

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