the American Booksellers Association - Indies Introduce Interview

A Q&A with Ben Reeves, Indies Introduce Author of the July Indie Next List Top Pick “Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt”

Visitor — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“Death comes calling in Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt — a modern take on the role personified as a 30 something Londoner who falls for the humanity around him, causing hiccups for his calling. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll turn the last page with a clearer outlook on life as only death can give you. For anyone fierce enough to look at death in all its forms and relish the humanity in us all,” said Coco Zephir of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Wendy Lu

Visitor — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“After totally nailing her audition for the middle school play, April Xue learns she wasn’t cast because of her tracheostomy tube. So she makes a plan to show the director how perfect she is for the lead role…and only tells a couple fibs to put it in motion. April navigates friendships, overprotective parents, her love of the theater, and the ways people treat visible and invisible disabilities in this vibrant and heartfelt middle grade debut,” said Angela Whited of Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Ari Koontz

Visitor — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“Elsie is who I want to be when I grow up! She may be eleven, but she is also wise beyond her years, an advocate for change, surrounded by supportive adults, and an open book for all things puberty with no shame attached. This is a book for those who stand up for others and who have curiosity and empathy in abundance,” said Allie Cesmat of Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, Arizona.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Joanna Thurlow

Visitor — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“You’ll love this romance that promises you one thing, while pulling the floor out beneath you. It’s a romance, it’s an adventure, it’s a mystery — you’ll love every minute with Cleo, Kei, and the cast of Camp Couple-Up,” said Coco Zephir of An Unlikely Story in Plainville, Massachusetts.

Indies Introduce Q&A with P.C. Verrone

Visitor — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“A novel with the spirit of a folktale, Rabbit, Fox, Tar is destined to be a classic. Stories like that of the Tar Baby take on new meaning as they are passed on, and the same will happen with this book as it is passed from person to person. I will continue to come back to this book and I will undoubtedly take away something new each time,” said Amani Jackson of The Ivy Bookshop in Baltimore, Maryland.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Ama Ofosua Lieb

Visitor — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“Goldenborn is the kind of sci-fi/fantasy mashup I didn't know I was looking for. Akoma lives in a near-future AfricaTown in San Francisco and works with a secret law enforcement division to stop crimes where magic may be involved. She just wants to find out what really happened to put her father in a coma, and a sting gone wrong leads her to a mysterious stranger who may have the answers. Goldenborn is filled with lush, beautiful worldbuilding, African mythology, and an Afrofuturist twist,” said Fisher Nash of Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, KY.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Liv Mae Morris

Visitor — Wed, 20 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000

Liv Mae Morris is the author of The Last Dragon House, a Winter/Spring 2026 Indies Introduce selection. Morris sat down with Elisa McIntosh of The Bookstore Plus in Lake Placid, New York, to discuss this debut title.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Lauren E. Osborn

Visitor — Wed, 13 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“Disturbing, dangerous, and unexpectedly elegant. This debut collection grabs hard and doesn’t let go as women become sublime and transcend the ordinary, and men more often than not try to thwart them. Osborn’s writing is kaleidoscopic and precise, and Entomology of the Pin-Up Girl does a grand job showcasing her welcome and exciting new voice,” said a bookseller from Third Place Books Ravenna in Seattle, Washington.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Tesia Tsai

Visitor — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“This fantasy novel immediately draws readers into a world that feels well-built and clearly seen. A young priestess and shepherd for the dead finds herself caught in the middle of many battles that she did not seek while simply trying to do a job that would allow her to provide better resources for her ailing father. Fortunately for both the heroine (and readers), she rises to the many challenges she faces, but not without doubt and difficulty,” said Katie Orphan of Orphan Books in Los Angeles, CA.

Indies Introduce Q&A with Tolani Akinola

Visitor — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +0000

“A tragedy leads everyone to examine their place in the family, how they relate to one another, and how they see themselves. Anyone with complicated family dynamics will find this book triggering and cathartic,” said Claire Bone of Wild Sisters Book Company in Sacramento, CA.