Episode 125: *Special Episode* Hot New (May) Releases
Our second episode featuring Hot New Releases from our past guests.
This time we’re highlighting new books that just released in the month of May.
We'll introduce you to new historical fiction from Linda Rosen, an exciting new book club novel by Laura Hankin, and a thriller from Regina Buttner.
The Emerald Necklace, like Linda Rosen’s prior work, features a unique piece of jewelry, behind which lies a mystery. A generational story about envy and jealousy, friendship, and family, set between 1969-1971 when women were fighting for equality. A historical novel touching on topics that are relevant to all women today.
The Daydreams by Laura Hankin is new book club fiction. A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.
With Down a Bad Road, Regina Buttner made a leap into the exciting world of domestic thrillers and suspense. She was raised in Upstate New York and spent many years exploring the small towns and back roads of the Adirondack mountain region in which her new book is set.
Books Featured:
The Daydreams by Laura Hankin (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
The Emerald Necklace by Linda Rosen (Bookshop.org / Amazon.com )
Full Disclosure: We are part of the Amazon and bookshop.org affiliate programs, which means Lainey or Ashley get a tiny commission if you buy something after clicking through from link on this website.
Transcript:
** Transcript created using AI (so please forgive the typos!) **
Lainey Cameron
Welcome to a special episode on the best of women's fiction podcast. At this point in our podcast, we've featured so many great authors - over 120 In total, and we'd like to introduce you to all of their latest work as it releases, but we only have so many episodes per season, so we decided to create this special episode format to introduce you in a short and snappy way to the latest hot releases from past guests. Many of our guests write in more than one genre so in this special episode, we'll show their latest fiction across genres.
Lainey Cameron
In this episode, we'll hear about exciting new releases from three past guests on the best of women's fiction, new historical fiction from Linda Rosen, an exciting new book club novel by Laura Hankin and a thriller from Regina Buttner. Let's start with Laura Hankin.
Laura Hankin
My new book The Daydreams is about the stars of an early 2000s. TV show who, at the height of their fame, combust spectacularly in the most scandalous way on live TV. And now it is 13 years later. They've all gone in wildly different directions, but they are forced to come back together again, when the network decides it's time for a reunion special.
Laura Hankin
And they're coming back for a reunion, that could be the redemption that they so desperately need, or could potentially destroy them all completely. So it's a commentary on, you know, our celebrity culture back in the early 2000- and now, but also about friendship and complicated relationships, and hopefully very fun and entertaining while also giving you something to think about.
Lainey Cameron
Now let’s hear Laura answer my hard question, about who she thinks will love this book?
Laura Hankin
In terms of who will enjoy this book, I'm going to take an easy way out and quote one of my blurbs here. So Emma Straub said that this book is catnip for anyone who feels deeply about the private lives of pop stars if you want to Britney free read this book, if you want to Justin Timberlake to pay for his crimes, read this book. So I would say listen to Emma Straub because she's a wise woman.
Laura Hankin
But yeah, if you feel nostalgic for the pop culture of the early 2000s, this book is absolutely for you. But also I think if you just care about our relationship to celebrity, and care about issues like forgiveness, and you are interested in complicated relationships between flawed female characters, I think and hope you will enjoy this book. Of course, I'm always tempted with a question like this to be like anyone. But I've probably rambled about this. I hope if you do read it, you love it.
Lainey Cameron
Next up let's hear about a different genre, Regina Buttner joined me back in 2020 to talk about her debut novel, Absolution. Her newest release switches genres and is her introduction to the exciting world of domestic thrillers and suspense. Let’s hear about her first book in that genre - Down a Bad Road.
Regina Buttner
Down a Bad Road is the story of a small town love triangle that takes a bizarre turn when a jilted woman's obsession spirals into a deadly plot for revenge. It's set in upstate New York in a blue collar town on the edge of the Adirondack Mountain region. The three main characters in the story are Ron Burley, who manages a local convenience store and is known for being a reliable easygoing Country Boy. There's Lavender, a very attractive but ridiculously self centered young wife and mother, who has her sights set on Burly as a distraction from her dull as dishwater marriage. And then there's Marta, who is an old childhood friend of Burley's and also happens to be his former lover.
Regina Buttner
When Marta gets wind of the steamy affair that's going on between lavender and Burley she tries to lure him away with a lucrative job offer in some very enticing fringe benefits. Burley is sorely tempted because his business is on the verge of going bankrupt and he's afraid lavender will kick him to the curb if she finds out. The trouble is, he's afraid to trust murder due to some sketchy circumstances surrounding their bitter breakup years ago. Meanwhile, lavender becomes suspicious of Burley and Marta's romantic history. She pays a visit to a grandmotherly psychic who lives in a creepy cabin in the Adirondack woods and gets a tarot card reading. The psychic has a warning for Lavender, you'd better watch your back she says early and murder aren't the innocent people they're pretending to be somebody is out for revenge and this love triangle could turn deadly.
Lainey Cameron
OOh this sounds really fun and twisty. Let’s ask Regina, who’s your ideal reader?
Regina Buttner
This novel will appeal to anyone who loves twisty suspenseful stories with vivid characters and touches of wry humor. I'm hoping that readers will find the small town rural setting to be kind of a refreshing departure from the usual upscale suburban settings that seemed to be prevalent in so many of the current domestic thrillers, which often feature women who think they have at all because they're married to handsome wealthy men and are pursuing fabulous careers. In contrast to that perfect scenario, down a bad road features regular working class people who are struggling with the challenges of day to day life. No one in this book thinks they have at all in their marriage or career because they don't. And that's why these three characters who become hopelessly entangled with each other are willing to do whatever it takes to satisfy their individual needs for love, money and vengeance.
Lainey Cameron
And last but most definitely not least let’s hear about some new historical fiction. Linda Rosen joined us on the show in 2020 to talk about her debut novel, The Disharmony of Silence. Since then she’s released Sisters of the Vine. I love that all of her novels feature a piece of jewelry in some way. Let’s hear about how that plays out in her latest one
Linda Rosen
My latest book, The Emerald Necklace, it takes place between 1969 and 1971. When women are fighting for equality. An insecure sculptor, and Fran, a best selling novelist, have their own issues. Will their bitter envy and long held secrets destroy their tenuous friendship? Or will Jill, Rosalie's granddaughter, and the story behind her emerald necklace bind them together? I hope that gives you a little tease about the emerald necklace and make you want to pick up the book.
Lainey Cameron
And before we wrap up, who is going to especially appreciate The Emerald Necklace, Linda?
Linda Rosen
If you like a book that deals with envy, and jealousy and secrets and longing, readers who enjoy digging into topics into settings into themes, figuring out is there a difference between envy and jealousy? And which does Fran have and which does Rosalie have? And do you have any? Well, those readers are going to enjoy The Emerald Necklace.
Linda Rosen
It's a great book club book. There's really so much to talk about. It's set in the not too distant past. And if you like a book of historical fiction, but set not too long ago, with real historical settings and events, you're going to like this one, The Emerald Necklace brings in real life characters are among my fictional characters, and it's a lot of fun to meet Gloria Steinem, along with Jill, Rosalie's granddaughter, and Rosalie and Fran and the other ladies, there's so much to talk about in the Emerald Necklace - women's rights, envy and jealousy as I mentioned, grandmother and granddaughter relationships, and even abortion. I hope you'll give it a try.
Lainey Cameron
Wow. I love how we had three very different books here. Let me summarize the titles again before we wrap up. That was The Daydreams by Laura Hankin, Down a Bad Road by Regina Buttner and The Emerald Necklace by Linda Rosen.
As always, you can find links to all the books featured and the authors’ social media on our website at www.bestofwomensfiction.com . That’s it for this special episode featuring hot new releases from our past guests – see you soon for our next regular episode!