The London Blitz was scary enough, but combine it with a shadow monster? Middle grade author Ryan James Black has crafted an incredible spooky/historical fiction book that kids are going to eat up, The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham. We discuss his creation of this fantastic story as well as evoking emotion in writing and the need for connections with other people in our lives.

Find author Ryan James Black
https://ryanjamesblack.com/
https://x.com/ryanjamesblack
https://www.instagram.com/ryanjamesblack
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13890651.Ryan_James_Black

The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham by Ryan James Black https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Times-Nimble-Nottingham/dp/0593698061/
The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson https://www.amazon.com/House-Chicken-Legs-Sophie-Anderson/dp/1338209973/
Hoodoo by Ronald L Smith https://www.amazon.com/Hoodoo-Ronald-L-Smith/dp/0544445252/

Chapters
00:00 Meet middle grade author Ryan James Black
04:40 What is The Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham about?
07:33 How did Ryan go about creating a genre smash in the Dark Times of Nimble Nottingham?
10:09 The story behind the shadow monster in mythology
13:14 How author Ryan James Black evokes emotion through description
15:57 Why are making connections important for people? And how do you make relationships ring true?
21:13 What do you recommend to a child not seeing a need for connections to other people?
23:34 What is next for author Ryan James Black?
26:20 Ryan James Black’s book recommendations
28:49 What’s spooky for one person might not be scary for someone else