Curious about how family history transforms into page-turning fiction? Listen in as Rosa Kwon Easton reveals what it was like to turn stories hidden in her ancestry into her moving novel, "White Mulberry." Author Express host Kristi Leonard chats with Rosa about her grandmother’s secret past, cultural symbolism, and the complex feelings of balancing multiple identities. Find out how a Korean tradition involving a baby’s future shaped Rosa’s life and writing, and hear the challenges and surprises of bringing long-forgotten voices to light. If you love historical fiction, untold women’s stories, or books about personal discovery, this conversation will spark your curiosity and leave you wanting more.

Rosa Kwon Easton is a Korean American lawyer, library trustee, and author of the debut novel, White Mulberry, which is an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick and a “Best Historical Fiction” book by PARADE and BookBub. Easton is an Anaphora Writing Residency Fellow and her work has been published in CRAFT Literary, StoryCenter.org, Writer’s Digest and elsewhere. A graduate of Smith College, Columbia University, and Boston College Law School, she resides with her husband and Maltipoo in sunny Southern California. Her sequel, Red Seal, is due out in 2026.

She can be found at:

Website - www.rosakwoneaston.com

Instagram - @rosakwoneaston

Facebook - Rosa Kwon Easton

Support your local bookstore & this podcast by getting your copy of White Mulberry at Bookshop.org

A little about today's host-

Kristi Leonard is a modern Renaissance woman deeply rooted in the book world. When she's not immersed in crafting novels, she's orchestrating writing retreats through her business, Writers in the Wild, or lending her voice to non-fiction audiobooks. She leads the Women’s Fiction Writers Association as the president of the board, and interviews her writer pals as one of the hosts of the Author Express Podcast. She will start querying her first book in 2024.

Beyond the realm of words, Kristi embraces the Florida sunshine by hiking with her writer-hiker group and leisurely walks on the beach. She and her husband juggle a couple side businesses and take turns sharing the couch with their goofy Golden-doodle, Maddie. Kristi enjoys travel adventures with her twin sister and living vicariously through her grown children. You can learn more about her and connect at: https://linktr.ee/kristileonard.

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