Q&A with Karen Mack and Jennifer Kaufman, Authors of The Kings of Vegas

Jennifer Kaufman is an award-winning journalist and bestselling novelist. In addition to her work in journalism, she has co-authored four novels with Karen Mack, including the national bestsellers Literacy and Longing in LA and Freud’s Mistress.

The Kings of Vegas is a crime thriller, which is currently in development as a television series. Josie King is the prodigal daughter of a powerful casino empire who returns home to take over her family business—only to discover she’s up against the Mob, the Feds, and her own brothers. 

While her life is spiraling out of control, she has an intense affair with another powerful casino owner, all the while wondering, is he trying to help her or hurt her.

Let’s get to know Karen and Jennifer as they talk favorite books, story inspiration behind The Kings of Vegas and more!

What are some of your favorite novels?  

One of our favorite books from childhood is “Wind the Willows” by Kenneth Grahame. It still resonates today with characters like Toad and Badger  and the spiritual concepts are truly moving. Both of us tend to read mainly fiction. The classics we love and have referenced in our novels include: Edith Wharton’s “The Age of Innocence”  Shirley Hazzard’s “The Transit of Venus“; “A Sense of an Ending” by Julian Barnes; Carson McCullers’ “A Member of the Wedding”; and anything by the Gueen of Mystery writing,  P.D. James, including her masterpiece,  “A Taste for Death.” Newer novels include anything by Tanya French including “Broken Harbor”; Sigrid Nunez’s “The Friend”; “Hot Milk” by Deborah Levy; and “Yellowface” and “Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang. A real killer of a new novel we both loved is called “Bad Nature,” by Ariel Courage.  

When did you both know you wanted to become authors?

Kaufman has been a journalist for newspapers and magazines her whole career. She has been writing most of her life and won several national awards for series reporting. Mack is a Golden Globe winning producer and has been working with screenplays most of her career.

How did your writing partnership begin?

We became partners for our first novel as a kind of experiment.  It was about a woman who uses books as a coping mechanism. Which is what we both do. Our book, “Literacy and Longing in LA” to our surprise became a #1 best seller. We received a contract for another book and have been writing together ever since.

What is the process like for co-authoring novels?

We sit together side by side, working on two computers. We are not at all alike but for some reason when we write, it works. Mack’s strength is dialogue as she has worked for years on screenplays, and Kaufman’s talent is in descriptive passages. Mack loves the blank page, sees it as a challenge and Kaufman hates it. We both brainstorm characters and read aloud everything we write. In the end, it’s trust and commitment.   

What inspired you all to write The Kings of Vegas?

“The Kings of Vegas” is based on Mack’s coming of age as a casino kid in Las Vegas. She is third generation Nevadan. Her grandfather ran a casino, as did her father, thus many of the characters and stories are inspired by real incidents and real people. The novel is a unique take on the neon world of Vegas by someone who lived and breathed it. An authentic view into the inside workings of the casino culture with a window into a world where families like hers tried to live a normal life in a place that was not at all normal. It was glamourous, dangerous and unlike anywhere else on earth. 

What are you currently reading and what’s on your TBR (to be read) list?

 Jennifer Kaufman is currently reading “The British are Coming,” by Rick Atkinson and Margaret Atwood’s “Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts.” Karen Mack likes the Gabriel Allon spy series by Daniel Silva, Michael Connelly’s “Ironwood. She is currently reading “The Land and its People” essays by David Sedaris. Kaufman is next set to read Atkinsons trilogy about the Revolutionary War.