Marie Rutkoski

My guest on this episode of Writers at Work is Marie Rutkoski, whose latest novel, ORDINARY LOVE, is a bit of a departure for her. Marie may be best known for her books for children and young adults, beginning with the Kronos Chronicles, a trio of novels that blended fantasy and historical fiction.

Then came the standalone THE SHADOW SOCIETY, a supernatural romance set in Chicago in an alternate universe, then followed by her popular Winners trilogy. Her next two books, THE MIDNIGHT LIE and THE HOLLOW HEART, are romantic fantasies with LGBTQ characters and strikingly handsome and enticing covers, which is neither here nor there, but they suit well tales of identity, class loyalty, and sexual yearning.

In January 2022, Marie published her first book intended for adults: REAL EASY, a thriller set in the seedy strip club populated by women who are more than their bodies on display. Now she returns with ORDINARY LOVE. Set in the tony world of New York's Upper East Side, it is a story of love gone wrong and of love that may have gotten away.

Having earned an MA and PhD at Harvard, Marie is a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, and children's literature. Clearly, Marie follows a muse of her own and has enjoyed success doing so. Let's find out how she does what she does.