Susan Jane Gilman, a native New York writer known for combining sharp wit with lyrical pathos, is the bestselling author of three nonfiction books: "Undress Me in the Temple of Heaven," "Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress" and "Kiss My Tiara." Her first novel, "The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street" debuts on June 10, 2014. Its story -- of a crippled young immigrant's struggle to become a titan in the American ice cream industry over the course of the 20th century -- required extensive research into both history and ice cream. This included a stint working at a Carvel ice Cream store on Long Island. ("How I suffered for my art," Gilman says wryly). She has written for the New York Times, the L.A. Times, Real Simple, and Ms. magazine among others, been a contributor to NPR's "All Things Considered," and won literary awards for her journalism and short fiction.Although she currently resides primarily in Switzerland with her husband, the Amazing Bob, her heart and her feet are never far from her homeland.