Better World Books Podcast: Patricia Sprinkle

03/16/10 • 18 min

Patricia Sprinkle has written almost thirty books in her writing career. Most of them are mysteries but she takes a break from all that for her latest work Hold Up the Sky.

Hold Up the Sky is a story about 4 women relying on each other through some fairly difficult times. It takes place during a drought in a small Georgia farming town and though not the kind of book I would normally be interested in, I was drawn in.

The characters Patricia creates have heart and though the dilemmas they face may not directly be facing us all, they do force us to question how we would behave in similar circumstances.

When Patricia and I sat down for the interview we focused on where the story comes from and some of the situations the characters found themselves in. But we also dealt with the idea of looking deeper into “genre” fiction for the issues the book is handling. For example, in Hold Up the Sky, Patricia humanizes US immigration through the character of Emerita. She doesn’t have the answer for us, but she does put a human face on it.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

— Dana

Patricia Sprinkle has written almost thirty books in her writing career. Most of them are mysteries but she takes a break from all that for her latest work Hold Up the Sky.

The characters Patricia creates have heart and though the dilemmas they face may not directly be facing us all, they do force us to question how we would behave in similar circumstances.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

— Dana

Previous Episode

Better World Books Podcast: Chris Cleave

Have you ever eaten a dessert so delicious you had no words to describe it? I mean you could try; “it’s rich...delicious...so chocolatey”, or maybe “so delicate...it melts in your mouth...the perfect blend”, but really the words just don’t do it justice.

That’s kind of how I feel about Little Bee. And whoever wrote the back cover copy clearly agrees with me. Little Bee IS a great story – and it IS filled with well developed characters and though it is not drenched in raspberry sauce, it is indescribably good. It unfolds in a unique way. It plays with language. It asks you questions and it puts you in uncomfortable positions without judging.

You will read this book. I’m not telling you to, I just know you will. And then you’ll want to talk about it. So please do. Tell everyone else to read it, but as the back cover suggests – don’t give anything away.

In the mean time, tune in to my interview the author. Meet Chris Cleave and learn a tad more about the book, what’s in it and why. Then grab a copy and get to reading.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

— Dana

Next Episode

Better World Books Podcast: Sarah Addison Allen

Sarah Addison Allen’s fans expect her books to be full of magic and her latest The Girl Who Chased the Moon doesn’t disappoint.

This book has magic wallpaper, sweet sense, mystical lights that inexplicably roam the woods at night and even a giant. While some of the magic is there to advance the plot, some is just there for fun.

The book, like all of Sarah’s books, is also full of food. This time it’s barbecue and cake. Mmmm. Cake. And if you’re as taken with some of the cakes as I am, don’t worry, you can get the recipes on her website!

I sat down to chat with Sarah last week during her tour. We talked about the book and some of the magic in it, but one of things I thought was most amazing is that she had three completely different versions of the book before it became what it is now. Listen to what Sarah had to say about that, about happy endings, and about Grandpa Vance, the gentle giant.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

— Dana

P.S. Better World Books has an awesome price on this book new! Only $14.48 with FREE SHIPPING. That’s over 42% off! Get your copy now!