P0sted on: Thursday, June 15, 2017
NORTH READING – Best-selling author Hallie Ephron will make a special appearance at the Flint Memorial Library on Thursday, June 22 at 7 p.m. in the library’s activity room in celebration of her new novel, “You’ll Never Know, Dear.” Ephron will discuss her books, the art of writing suspense novels, and growing up in a Hollywood family during the Golden Age of film.
“You’ll Never Know, Dear” is Ephron’s fifth solo novel and went into second printing immediately upon publication earlier this month. Ephron, who also teaches writing across the country, is author of “Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel,” originally published in 2005 and reprinted in 2017.
Ephron characterizes “You’ll Never Know, Dear” as a suspense novel driven by strong female characters and the relationships among them.
“I like to be a little creepy, but I don’t like to be icky, “ said Ephron. “I don’t like violence against women or violence against children. I like to be able feel a little bit safe.”
This novel, set in a fictional town modeled after Beaufort, South Carolina, tells the story of a doll maker and her family. Some 40 years earlier, her four-year-old daughter and her special doll disappeared, and the novel picks up when the doll reappears but its owner does not. The missing girl’s older sister, who was babysitting her when she disappeared and carries decades of guilt, is compelled to figure out why the doll has returned and what happened to her sister.
“It’s about the interaction of characters, who they are, and the tensions among them,” Ephron said. “It’s a suspense novel. It’s a whodunit, but it’s really more of a what’s going on here.”
Ephron, who spent many years as an elementary school teacher, grew up in a family of writers. Her parents, screenwriters of classics such as “Carousel” and “Desk Set,” raised her in Southern California during Hollywood’s Golden Age. During her childhood, going to work with her parents meant meeting legends like Danny Kaye, Marilyn Monroe, and Katherine Hepburn. Ephron’s sisters, Nora, Delia, and Amy, also went on to become successful writers.
“I grew up in a family of writers, but I found my voice late,” said Ephron, who began writing in her 40s. “I’m a teacher more than a writer. It’s in my blood. I love helping people get from here to there.”
Ephron’s previous novels include “Never Tell A Lie” (2009), “There Was An Old Woman” (2011), “Come and Find Me” (2012), and “Sleep Tight” (2014). Previously, she co-authored the Peter Zak Mystery Series.
The program will last 45 minutes, followed by a question and answer session. Ephron will be available for book signing and photos after the program.
The program is made possible by a gift from Gordon Ivester and is part of the Ivester Author Series.
