Today we interview Kayla Rae Whitaker about her new novel, RETURNS AND EXCHANGES. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have a family business, this book is for you! We learn about Kayla’s inspiration to write RETURNS AND EXCHANGES and get her perspective on the complex characters and interrelationships she builds around the rise and fall of Baker-Taylor discount stores.

Kayla Rae Whitaker is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and New York University. Her first novel, THE ANIMATORS, was named a best book of the year by Entertainment Weekly, NPR, Kirkus Reviews, and BookPage. She lives in Queens, New York.

We discuss Kayla's journey from English major to major author. She tells us just what she tells her students: if you want to see your name on the spine of a book, it's very possible.

Kayla tells us how homesickness and a trip to Sears gave her the shape of the story for RETURNS AND EXCHANGES.

Linny says she really liked the depth of each of the characters in RETURNS AND EXCHANGES. Kayla says she loves reading family epics, such as EAST OF EDEN. She wanted to write the kind of book she likes to read.

We loved talking about our many favorite characters and Kayla tells us the importance of writers loving all their characters: even Fred. Kayla likes to start with characters first and then find the stories around them.

We learn that Kayla loves to think about how birth order impacts her characters and we find out she is the youngest, just like Birdie, her easiest character to write!

EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck

George Saunders

Kayla’s Website

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