Justin Go's first novel, The Steady Running of the Hour, is winning early raves, but if it hadn't been for his mom, it might have never seen the light of day. Not too long ago, the 33-year-old was working as a hotel clerk in New Orleans. He'd nearly given up on the book he'd spent five years researching and writing, traveling to all the locations his characters inhabit—London, Paris, Berlin, a Swedish island, Mount Everest. Then his mother intervened, convincing him to pull the manuscript out of the drawer and submit it to an agent. The epic tale, of star-crossed lovers whose story is uncovered almost a century later by a young man who stands to inherit their fortune, was soon scooped up by editors in 20 countries and is one of the hottest debuts of the year. Thanks, Mom!
— L.H.
