Authors Maureen Lee Lenker and Liz Locke discuss their new novels, film inspirations and more!
I greatly admire Maureen Lee Lenker and Liz Locke. They are both incredible women, great writers and have a tremendous passion for classic Hollywood. They also both had debut novels that have come out this summer to rave reviews. I was thrilled they were able to sit down with me to discuss their books, film influences and the best food and drinks to have while you read poolside.
Recipe
Maureen was inspired by Joan Crawford and Clark Gable for the characters in her book. They had an off and on affair for years and co-starred in eight films together including Possessed (1931), Dancing Lady (1934), Chained (1934), Forsaking All Others (1934) and Love on the Run (1936).
The recipe is from the book "Cooking with Joan Crawford" by Jenny Hammerton of Silver Screen Suppers. It was also in a 1935 issue of Photoplay Magazine as part of a story about how Joan entertains.
Liz was inspired by the 1960s including jet setting stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. They starred in eleven films together including Cleopatra (1963), Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (1966), The Taming of the Shrew (1967) and The Comedians (1967).
Special Guests
Liz Locke is the founder of CinemaSips.com, a weekly guide to cocktail and movie pairings, as well as a frequent contributor to Moviejawn. Originally from western Pennsylvania, she now lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and very adorable rescue dog. When not writing or watching her favorite classic films, she can usually be found with a cocktail in one hand and a book in the other. Her debut novel, Follow the Sun, was just published.
Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over six years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, and more. She's worked at EW for five years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight, was published in July 2023.
Final Result
Liz and Maureen both said their recipes turned out well. We had a great time chatting and hopefully we will join forces again in the future!
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