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Burning Questions
Wondering what happened to your favorite author? Gosh, so are we. Ask away: Send your cards and letters to Burning Questions, 2143 Belcourt Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212. Or better yet, send us e-mail. When you write, please include your full name and the city and state where you live. Sadly, personal replies are not possible. And if your question is too hard, we'll simply put it in our big file labeled "We dunno."
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FATHER FIGURE
Dear Burning Questions Can you tell me when we can expect the next book in Jan Karon's new series on Father Tim?
Betty Halbert
We can't tell you exactly when you can expect the follow up to last fall's Home to Holly Springs. BQ can, however, tell you what to expect next in the series. Karon is currently working on Party of Four, which takes Father Tim and Cynthia to Sligo, Ireland. There, the couple plans to meet his cousin and see the ruins of the family castle, as one does when one is descended from Irish aristos. Karon's publicist at Viking says a publication date for Party of Four has not yet been set, but that Karon is traveling to Ireland to do research for the book this spring. With a little Irish luck, you could see the novel sometime next year. And there's more good news: Karon has promised to write at least one more story for Father Tim and Cynthia after Party of Four, so fans like you have a lot to look forward to!
BREAD AND WATER Dear Burning Questions, I have been waiting for Marsha Mehran's next book—following Pomegranate Soup, which I enjoyed very much. Do you know when her sequel to this will be published? I have been watching your column hoping for a mention of it!
Eileen Kent
We're always happy to help out a faithful BQ reader! Back in 2006, Mehran told BQ that the sequel to Pomegranate Soup would be published in summer 2007. But fans have had to wait a little bit longer for Rosewater and Soda Bread, which Random House will release on May 13. Perhaps Mehran was taking the extra time to dream up some more delicious recipes for the Aminpour sisters? The Pomegranate Soup stars are still cooking up yummy Persian-style dishes in rural Ireland at the beginning of Rosewater and Soda Bread. This time around, Marjan, Bahar and Layla befriend a mysterious young woman who is hiding a dark secret.
IS IT WARM IN HERE? Dear Burning Questions, Will we be treated to another "Hot Flash Club" adventure soon?
Joan Gutermuth
Well, yes—and no. Nancy Thayer's popular series began in 2004 with The Hot Flash Club and encompasses three more novels, including the most recent, The Hot Flash Club Chills Out. At the core of each story is a group of women in their 50s and 60s who come together to celebrate life and solve each other's problems. "The Hot Flash Club books are very close to my life and to my heart," Thayer tells BQ. "Writing them made me want to write more about friendship, because I really need my friends." Thayer's 17th novel, Moon Shell Beach (Ballantine), will be published in May; but further adventures of the club will have to wait at least a little while. "I wanted to write a kind of love story," she says, "about several kinds of love, and about the importance of faith and hope, and I wanted my characters to be young, because I feel like my Hot Flash Club women are older and have gotten pretty wise." Though her upcoming book features a different generation, Thayer feels certain the book will appeal to her fans. "It will inspire a lot of discussion—and some tears and lots of laughter, followed by much eating of chocolate." (One of the characters, Clare, owns a chocolate shop.) And, not to worry, Thayer adds, "I'm sure I'll write more Hot Flash Club books someday."
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