Jo Piazza is an American journalist, editor, and the author of 13 books, including The Sicilian Inheritance and the Good Morning America Book Club pick We Are Not Like Them, co-written with Christine Pride. She also hosts the Under the Influence podcast and writes the popular Substack newsletter Over the Influence—both of which take a sharp, insightful look at influencer culture.
What her bio doesn’t mention about the mother of three is that Jo is a fierce supporter of other women. She was the first author to blurb my debut novel, Nine Women, One Dress, and one of the rare people who consistently leads with, “What can I do?”
Her latest novel, Everyone is Lying to You, was an instant USA Today Best Seller.
J.R.: In Everyone is Lying to You, you focus on the rise of the “tradwife,” (traditional wife). Can you give us a quick primer, please?
J.P.: Tradwives are social media mom influencers on crack. You’ll find them on Instagram and TikTok, running barefoot across their homesteads in flowing dresses with their 15 kids in tow—while trying to sell you overpriced crap.
J.R.: What drew you to them as the focus of a novel? What made them so compelling?
J.P.: I became obsessed with the gap between their curated online image and their real lives. They’re selling a fantasy that usually doesn’t resemble their actual day-to-day—and that disconnect felt like the perfect setup for a juicy thriller.
J.R.: Let’s talk tradwife fashion. What’s with the peasant dresses?
J.P.: I thought they were just a passing trend, but they’re everywhere now—even Target sells trad-coded dresses. Picture a mesh of Laura Ingalls Wilder and Betty Draper. At least they usually come with pockets.
J.R.: Your podcast, Under the Influence, and Substack, Over the Influence, are both wildly popular. Where should Cake or Pie readers dive in?
J.P.: Start with the early episodes of Under the Influence. The first 14 are a deeply reported dive into the business and culture of influencing.
J.R.: Your books are full of strong, fabulous female protagonists. If you had to live next door to one, who would it be? And which character comes closest to the real Jo Piazza?
J.P.: I’d love to live next to Serafina from The Sicilian Inheritance. But without realizing it, Lizzie in Everyone Is Lying to You is probably the closest to me.
J.R.: I think I know the answer to this, but—what was the most fun book to write?
J.P.: The Sicilian Inheritance, no question. The travel and research made it such a joy.
J.R.: I knew it. What was the last book you loved?
J.P.: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger.
J.R.: What’s your guilty pleasure?
J.P.: Cheese plates.
J.R.: I too adore a good cheese plate. How about a pet peeve?
J.P.: People who FaceTime in public without headphones.
J.R.: Agree. The absolute worst. What’s next for you?
J.P.: My next novel comes out in the summer of 2026. It’s a feminist art heist set in Paris, blended with the untold story of Jo van Gogh—the woman who made Vincent famous.
J.R.: And finally, the question everyone’s mind: Cake or Pie?
J.P.: Cake!
Jane L. Rosen is the author of six novels, Nine Women, One Dress, Eliza Starts a Rumor, A Shoe Story, On Fire Island, Seven Summer Weekends, and Songs of Summer. Along with her monthly column in the Fire Island and Great South Bay News called “Cake or Pie?” where she whimsically interviews her fellow authors, she is also a screenwriter and New York Times, Tablet and Huffington Post contributor.
