Katia Lief
Author Interview - Katia Lief
Author of Women Like Us
It’s been five years since Joni Ackerman tipped the antifreeze into her husband’s cocktail. Five years since he was found dead on the stairs. Five years since she got away with murder. At first, Joni feared the consequences of her transgression, but she’s learned to embrace the power of recklessness in a way she would have hated to see in anyone else. It was that recklessness, after all, that took her to this rewarding new life.
Joni now runs Sunny Day Productions alongside her daughter, Chris, and her best friend, Val. All is well in life and work until, one day, their balance is rocked when an unexpected, and unwelcome, visitor appears.
When Joni’s brother, Marc, resurfaces after a twenty-year estrangement, Joni braces for the sibling she knew—a cruel, vindictive conman who deftly switched between personas. But this Marc on her doorstep is different. He’s older, softer. And he seems to have overcome the self-inflicted traumas of his past.
But Val isn’t fooled. She knows exactly what sort of man Marc is, and she warns Joni to keep her guard up. When Mark inevitably betrays Joni’s trust, Joni is forced to look inward. As dark thoughts, and darker compulsions, take form, Joni can’t help but wonder: ‘Is psychopathy a family trait?’
Author Interview - Katia Lief
Author I draw inspiration from:
Annie Ernaux, especially A WOMAN'S STORY, for her frank explorations of the lives of women.
Author Interview - Katia Lief | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed, at night--saving the best for last.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Edith Wharton (THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, and others). I would like to ask her about the moment she decided to write novels and honestly depict the interplay of private and public life in the 19th century, given the expectations that women of her era and class were expected to remain silent and fade into the background.
Author Interview - Katia Lief | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
It was the thrill of writing my first long work of fiction, a novella, at the age of 19. It was a heady thing to discover that I had the discipline and imagination to weave several characters' stories into a complex narrative. It made me feel strong and alive and I loved it. That's when I decided that I'd devote myself to writing novels.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love the beauty and substance of a hardcover book, the gorgeous cover designs, the feel of the thick paper as I turn the pages, sometimes even the smell of the paper. They can be expensive, though, and that's why paperbacks are so great; not only Dinnero they cost less, but they offer the tactile satisfactions of a hardcover and they can fit into your purse. Ebooks and audiobooks offer so much convenience and flexibility and I just love that. The one thing I hate about digital formats is that they're too easily pirated. Free downloads literally steal income from authors who need to pay their bills in order to keep producing the books readers love.
The last book I read:
ALL FOURS by Miranda July. No one writes like Miranda July! Her voice, ideas, energy and story execution are in a class of their own. She's one of my favorite living authors.
Author Interview - Katia Lief | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer all the way. It saves so much time when it comes to revisions, and I'm a big reviser. Also, I'm an excellent typist, and that helps.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Kristin Lavransdattar (KRISTIN LAVRANSDATTAR by Sigred Undset). She thinks for herself and doesn't take shit from anyone. Given that her story is set (and was written) one hundred years ago, that says a lot about her integrity.
Author Interview - Katia Lief | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Gymnast, pastry chef, or Supreme Court justice. Maybe if I'd tried them in that order I could have done them all. Alas, I became a writer instead.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Scandinavia. I've never been there and I'd love to explore those countries and cultures.
My signature drink:
Water. I drink more water than anything else. Occasionally wine or a cocktail in the evening, but above all, water.
Favorite artist:
I love the work of too many artists, writers and musicians to single out just a few. Life without the arts would be like a week without water.
Find more from the author:
https://www.facebook.com/readkatialief/
https://x.com/KatiaLief
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3447335.Katia_Lief
https://www.instagram.com/katia.lief/
About Katia Lief:
Author Interview - Katia Lief
Katia Lief is the author of internationally bestselling crime novels, most recently WOMEN LIKE US and INVISIBLE WOMAN. Her work has been called “riveting” (Publishers Weekly), “compelling” (Booklist) and “gorgeous, rich, contemplative” (Jodi Picoult). She teaches fiction writing at The New School in Manhattan and lives in Brooklyn.
