The Back Room - All-Star Storytellers

Written By Natalie

I just love spending a Sunday evening at The Back Room: Cocktails and Conversations with Your Favorite Authors, hosted by the wonderful Hank Phillippi Ryan and Karen Dionne. This May session brought together the talented Terah Shelton Harris, Gillian McAllister, Brenda Novak, and Tracy Sierra. I was especially excited because I’m already a big fan of Gillian McAllister and first discovered Terah Shelton Harris at a previous Back Room event.

As always, the evening kicked off with a fun “get to know you” game. Each author answered three lighthearted questions. It’s one of my favorite parts of The Back Room.

Next came the breakout rooms, where Hank facilitated intimate Q&A sessions with each author about their latest work. It’s such a special opportunity to hear directly from them.

First Breakout Room – Gillian McAllister & Tracy Sierra

I joined Gillian McAllister and Tracy Sierra for the first session. Gillian introduced her latest suspense novel, Caller Unknown, and explained why this British author chose a Texas setting. I loved hearing about her journey from attorney to full-time writer and how her evolving interests shape each new book. I read Famous Last Words last year and you can find my review here. She has an impressive backlist I’m eager to explore.

Tracy Sierra was a new-to-me author, and I’m so glad I met her. Her second novel, Warning Signs, features a remarkable twelve-year-old protagonist. She also talked about her debut, Nightwatching, which was selected for Jimmy Fallon’s book club. She shared hilarious stories about appearing on the show—definitely watch the video here if you haven’t seen it! Tracy also opened up about her family and the colonial-era home that inspires her atmospheric thrillers.

Second Breakout Room – Brenda Novak & Terah Shelton Harris

In the second session I met Brenda Novak and Terah Shelton Harris. Brenda has written an astonishing 80 books! She described her latest women’s fiction novel, Meet Me in Italy, which sounds utterly charming. While there’s a romantic element, the title actually refers to an unexpected family discovery. Brenda shared her inspiring story of becoming a stay-at-home mom and launching her writing career, writing by the seat of her pants and once publishing three books a year. She now releases one (sometimes two) annually—a true testament to her dedication.

The evening wrapped up with Terah Shelton Harris and her beautiful novel Where the Wildflowers Grow. She showed off the stunning special paperback edition with sprayed edges that perfectly match the wildflowers on the cover. I first heard about this book when Meagan Church recommended it here a couple of months ago, and I promptly put a library hold on it. Meeting Terah made me even more excited to read it.

I especially connected with Terah’s story because I also love flowers. The novel explores dahlias and Alabama native wildflowers, tying their care to themes of grief and trauma recovery. I started growing dahlias last summer, just planted my tubers, and I’m anxiously waiting to see how they do this season. Fingers crossed my winter storage efforts were successful!

Overall, this was another delightful evening with The Back Room. I’m endlessly grateful to Hank, Karen, the featured authors, and everyone who makes these events possible. If you love books and meaningful conversation, I highly recommend joining us next time.

You can read my blog posts about my previous experiences with The Back Room below.

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Natalie
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Kim Michele Richardson