Author's Afterword

Charlie and Intisar Khanani (Thorn; The Sunbolt Chronicles) discuss working to better the health of people in Cincinnati, rewriting and exploring the Goose Girl fairy tale to stunning effect, bonkers jail-breaking heroines, and men who take a far more subtle approach than riding in on horses to save the day.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-25-intisar-khanani

BookBub Wikipedia's article on The Goose Girl Wikipedia's article on Robin McKinley's The Blue Sword Please note that some copies of Thorn do not feature The Bone Knife

Question Index

00:44 Before you were a writer, you worked for the Cincinnati Health Department. May I ask what your work involved? 02:19 Did your work at the health department influence how you write? 03:54 You're a hybrid author – where does one meet the other? 13:46 Why The Goose Girl? 16:34 Was keeping some of the poignant aspects of The Goose Girl a difficult decision? 20:37 What was behind the study of truth and honour? 24:06 Could you expand on the hows and whys of incorporating the trauma in the book? 27:57 How did you use magic to further this plot? 29:46 Can we talk about the role of the men?… 33:13 Do you see yourself writing another adaptation in future? 34:02 Tell us about the world of The Sunbolt Chronicles, how you came to create it, were there any inspirations? 38:27 Where does Hitomi's personality come from? 49:50 Where does Val fit into the story? 52:03 How many Chronicles are we looking at? 52:23 What was the book you mentioned at the start of our Sunbolt conversation, the one fantasy book you'd read back in the day, that was diverse? 53:37 What is behind your use of religion as it is in Thorn and The Sunbolt Chronicles? 55:59 Tell us about The Theft Of Sunlight

Purchase Links

Thorn: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Sunbolt: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Memories Of Ash: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Brambles (Thorn mini-prequel, pre-order) Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada

The Theft Of Sunlight (pre-order) Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph from the author's media kit.

Charlie and Joanna Hickson (First Of The Tudors; The Tudor Crown; The Lady Of The Ravens) discuss the royal and noble individuals of the War of the Roses, the women who made an impact, the ever-present question of who killed the princes in the tower, and, on another topic entirely, using weasels to prevent conception.

Please note that the question about the fear of pregnancy and childbirth includes a couple of mentions of a weasel's particulars.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-24-joanna-hickson

John Constable Orford Castle Recent photograph of Joanna at Orford Wikipedia's article on Jackanory (Joanna's episodes were 2422-2426) Pembroke Castle Carmarthen Castle Wikipedia's article on Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time James Butler (the 'fleeing' Earl of Wiltshire) The blog of The Ravenmaster, Chris Skaife Wikipedia's article on Joan Vaux Frank Cadogan Cowper - 'Erasmus and Thomas More Visit the Children of Henry VII' (1910) The GoodReads page for Alison Weir's book on Elizabeth of York Wikipedia's article on the Trotula

Question Index

00:51 You had a holiday recently?... 01:24 Tell us about your young adult novel 04:23 Why Jasper Tudor? 09:48 How did you go about creating Jane Hywel? 12:33 You are not a Ricardian... 14:11 Who do you think killed the princes in the Tower? 17:06 Is your interest in Henry VII woven into your thoughts of Richard III, or are they separate? 27:06 Do you think that Henry VII would have got to the throne without Margaret Beaufort's input? 31:56 You seem to me to place a distinct emphasis on filling in the gaps where women are concerned... 36:38 Tell us about the inspiration for the ravens and how you came to make them a central part of the novel 39:15 Tell us more about Joan 42:20 Did you find any primary sources related to the fear of pregnancy and childbirth? 44:05 How did you come to fictionise Elizabeth of York? 45:21 What's next?

Purchase Links

First Of The Tudors: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

The Tudor Crown: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

The Lady Of The Ravens: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

The Agincourt Bride: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

The Tudor Bride: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Red Rose, White Rose: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author.

Charlie and Nicholas Royle (Quilt; An English Guide To Birdwatching; Mother: A Memoir) discuss killing yourself – your avatar – off in your fiction, using 'it is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife', and sharing a name with another British writer who also writes fiction… that is also about birds…

Please note that the first reading is set in a public toilet and discusses explicitly concepts around discomfort in this regard, 'size', and so forth.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-23-nicholas-royle-critic

Nicholas' critical and essay books are as follows: Helene Cixous: Dreamer, Realist, Analyst, Writing (2020) An Introduction to Literature, Criticism and Theory (5th edition, 2016, co-authored with Andrew Bennett) This Thing Called Literature (2015, co-authored with Andrew Bennett) Veering: A Theory of Literature (2011) In Memory of Jacques Derrida (2009) How to Read Shakespeare (2005, new edition 2014) Jacques Derrida (2003) The Uncanny (2003) Deconstructions: A User's Guide (2000) (as editor) E.M. Forster (1999) After Derrida (1995) Elizabeth Bowen and the Dissolution of the Novel: Still Lives (1995, co-authored with Andrew Bennett) Telepathy and Literature: Essays on the Reading Mind (1990)

The Guardian's review of An English Guide to Birdwatching My review of the same The Financial Times' review of the same The Art of the Novel on the publisher's website Publisher's page on Nicholas' book on Helene Cixous

Question Index

01:05 You're a professor of English – do you have an outright favourite area of study? 02:49 You've written a lot of books on literary criticism and theory, but what was it that got you wanting to start writing fiction? 04:42 Have you ever had someone ask what on earth your books are about? 06:27 What is behind the theme of death? 09:33 What's it like to kill yourself off in your fiction? 13:41 You use wordplay throughout your books – what is it you like the most about it? 21:10 When did you first know that there was another writer with your name? 24:15 Quilt's afterword is very much related to the content of An English Guide To Birdwatching – were the initial parts of An English Guide written closely in time with Quilt? 27:43 Why does modern day Stephen Osmer write for the London Literary Gazette, which ceased production in 1863? 36:38 Can you tell us about your mother in terms of your relationship with her? 40:52 How did you mother influence your interest in books and writing? 43:34 What's next? 44:37 Do things like exploration or language, close reading, and so forth, have value in the wider world?

Purchase Links

Quilt: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

An English Guide To Birdwatching: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Mother: A Memoir: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author.

Charlie and Midge Raymond (Forgetting English; My Last Continent) discuss the current situation in Antarctica and the balance of keeping it clean whilst allowing research and tourism, environmental and climate changes in the same location, and being followed to the toilet by a penguin. Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-22-midge-raymond Amongst other places, Midge's fiction has appeared in TriQuarterly, American Literary Review, Bellevue Literary Review, the Los Angeles Times magazine, the Chicago Tribune, and Poets & WritersMidge's blog Ashland Creek Press The Siskiyou Prize Information on John Yunker's The Tourist Trail Information on Three Ways To Disappear by Katy Yocom The Center for Ecosystem Sentinels and their mailing list

Question Index

00:50 You have a background in publishing? 01:48 What genres did you work on? 02:54 Tell us about Ashland Creek Press 06:11 You have published a couple of books on writing?... 14:39 You have lots of locations and languages in Forgetting English: are you a big traveller? 16:26 What is it about travel and life choices that got to you in terms of your short stories? 18:08 Was there a particular reason for situating the last story at the end? 27:38 Have you been to Antarctica? 30:44 How do people balance visiting and research in Antarctica with the fact that it is causing damage? 33:05 The health and lives of penguins – are we looking at something we can change, going forwards? 34:55 How did the lifestyle of birds, penguins, influence the way you constructed Deb and Keller's relationship? 38:07 Tell us about the roles of Kate and Richard in the book 39:51 Keller has experienced a lot of losses- where did he come from? 42:11 What's next? 43:23 If you could, would you have a penguin as a pet? Purchase Links Everyday Writing: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Everyday Book Marketing: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Forgetting English: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters My Last Continent: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound. Photograph used with permission from the author.

Charlie and Peter Ho Davies (The Welsh Girl; The Fortunes) discuss moving as a writer from Britain to the US, Welsh with English as a second language, the first Chinese Americans, Hollywood star Anna May Wong, and the impact - then and now - of the murder of Vincent Chin.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-21-peter-ho-davies

Information about the Brighton Pavillion chinoiserie panels Wikipedia's article on The Thief of Bagdad Wikipedia's article on Shanghai Express Anna May Wong documentary footage (what Peter used in his story) A section from the 'Who Killed Vincent Chin' 1987 documentary A selection of clips from 'Who Is Vincent Chin' Annie Tan and Helen Zia (maker of the '87 documentary) discuss Vincent's importance to Asian Americans Vincent Chin trial reenactment

Question Index

00:50 Tell us about your background, your journey to publication 02:06 What courses do you teach? 06:09 Tell us about The Ugliest House In The World and Equal Love 15:32 What was it like writing the sentence beginning 'But the lights came up' (wherein an investigator for the allies considers whether he might not have joined the Nazis)? 16:45 Who was the most important character in The Welsh Girl to write about? 18:55 What led you to write about the D-Day period? 22:32 In The Welsh Girl, English is a second language - how far was this the case in reality? 24:15 (On the context of the Welsh concept of 'cynefin') 25:49 (The Fortunes - Peter talks about the novellas and short stories in the context of the format) 28:01 Why did Chinese people (first) emigrate to America? 30:49 When did things improve for the first Chinese women in America? 31:51 How widespread was chinoiserie and did people ever turn to real Chinese decorations? 36:51 Can you give us a brief overview of Anna May Wong's journey in the film industry? 42:31 Is Vincent Chin's story well known in America? 45:32 (Peter talks about John's character - fact and fiction - from the fourth story in The Fortunes) 49:22 Is there any significance to Zhen and Jia, names mentioned together in three of the stories? 54:28 Tell us about your next book

Purchase Links

The Welsh Girl: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound

The Fortunes: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author.

Charlie and Tracy Rees (Amy Snow; Florence Grace; The Hourglass; Darling Blue; The House At Silvermoor) discuss Richard, Judy, Dickens, Austen, and Bronte - not all at once - coffee houses in Victorian times, landslides and hourglasses, changes to the Yorkshire mines in the late 1800s to early 1900s, and the inclusion of the average person in historical fiction.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-20-tracy-rees

Question Index

00:58 Tell us about Richard and Judy 02:48 You had a background in non-fiction publishing… 04:32 Dickens' influence, or Austen, Brontë? 05:51 Who are your favourite non-classical authors? 12:03 Who came first, Aurelia or Amy? 12:36 Was including the 'average person' in your books always part of the plan? 13:55 Did you ever get to researching how coffee culture was in the Victorian period? 14:44 So your library has expanded vastly since you became a writer? 15:01 Do we have any idea how many children were abandoned or how many women had trouble in that period? 17:32 What was behind the idea to use Florence's name as the title (of Florence Grace)? 18:49 What was the inspiration for the Grace family? 19:46 Houses are important in this book – where did Heron's Watch come from? 20:47 When did you conceive the idea of a landslide as like an hourglass? 22:13 What had you deciding to look at mother-daughter relationships? 24:37 Why did you choose to tell Darling Blue over the course of a year? 25:52 The Camberwells taking in working class Delphine – were there many families in the 1920s that would have done similar? 26:54 Was the concept of the letters based on anything you'd heard before? 27:47 Did you find out anything interesting in regards to women in the 1920s becoming reporters? 31:09 Did the mining strike coverage in Darling Blue inspire The House at Silvermoor? 32:26 The House at Silvermoor contains your first male narrative – was that interesting to do? 38:20 Were there good mine owners as there are in the book? 40:09 Does the thread of owners changing the mines for the better align with the reality? 41:17 What happened to the horses – were they ever able to leave the mines? 42:15 Will you go back to any of the periods you've already covered? 43:06 So was your agent meaning you when she was saying someone should write about mining? 43:23 What is your favourite period to write about? 44:11 Do you ever see yourself going back further in history? 45:10 What's next?

Purchase Links

Amy Snow: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Florence Grace: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters The Hourglass: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Darling Blue: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble The House At Silvermoor: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author. Credit: Ludwig Esser.

Charlie and Sofie Laguna (One Foot Wrong; The Eye of the Sheep; The Choke; the forthcoming Infinite Splendours) discuss beginning with acting, writing from a child's perspective and not labelling those who are different, bad fictional parents, not liking John Wayne… and we have the inaugural reading of Sofie's October release.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-19-sofie-laguna

Wikipedia's article on the Murray River Dean Martin: My Rifle, My Pony, and Me

Question Index

01:03 You studied law, then became an actor and a playwright; tell us more about your background 04:59 Were you in pantos? 09:40 You started with children's literature - when did you decide to add adult fiction into the mix? 17:01 What is behind your decision to rarely reveal any names of conditions the characters might have? 20:47 Did you ever want to switch the main characters' parents for nice ones? 28:01 What draws you to the type of endings you write? 30:10 Tell us about the Murray River that features in The Choke 33:06 Is there a particular reason you set your books in decades past? 34:51 Tell us more about Infinite Splendours 40:47Do you like John Wayne films?

Purchase Links

One Foot Wrong: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

The Eye of the Sheep: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Waterstones Hive

The Choke: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author.

Charlie and Abubakar Adam Ibrahim (The Whispering Trees; Season of Crimson Blossoms) discuss Nigeria at this time, publishing a novel on a very controversial subject and reactions to it, effects of grief, and looking at cultural expectations of women as the generations change.

Please note: this episode includes discussion of sexual content, and the second reading includes a sex scene. There is some noise in this episode: headphones are recommended.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-18-abubakar-adam-ibrahim

Dreams and Assorted Nightmares on the publisher's page The Daily Trust

Question Index

01:31 How are you all doing in Nigeria at the moment? 03:27 Tell us about your background 07:30 Tell us about your work at The Daily Trust 13:00 Do you prefer the first or third person? 15:00 Was Season Of Crimson Blossoms difficult to publish? 22:10 Was is going through Binta's mind as she makes her decision? 23:29 Tell us about Reza's situation in life 24:53 Tell us about the theme of grief 33:08 Was the contrast between Fa'iza and Binta, a young woman and an older woman, something you were looking at? 36:35 Tell us about Dreams And Assorted Nightmares

Purchase Links

The Whispering Trees: Publisher's website Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Roving Heights

Season of Crimson Blossoms: Publisher's website Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Roving Heights

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Likewise IndieBound.

Photograph used with permission from the author. Credit: Jill Jennings.

Charlie and Roselle Lim (Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune; Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop) discuss weaving culture, mental illness, and magic into your fiction, an aid for your eyes when chopping onions, and children you excitedly take to tourist attractions who wonder what you see in them.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-17-roselle-lim

Fresh Fiction's review of Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune, as quoted

Question Index

02:03 Tell us about your writing background 03:45 Is Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune one big metaphor? 05:27 You have a particular love of words?... 06:09 Was Natalie always planned to be unsure of herself? 06:53 How did your relationship with your own mother influence the novel? 07:51 What's your favourite meal to make? 08:55 Have you had experience yourself of food solving, or helping to solve, a problem? 11:16 What was behind the decision to incorporate recipes into the narrative? 12:37 Does chewing mint gum help when chopping onions? 13:14 Was the thread about outsiders, trying to disrupt for their own gain, based on a particular event? 14:09 Introduce us to San Francisco's Chinatown 15:24 Do you love classical music? 16:12 Was the romance between Natalie and Daniel always in the book? 17:26 How much was filial piety in your mind when writing? 18:53 Is Vanessa Yu Miss Yu from Natalie Tan? 19:20 (We discuss Paris and London - Roselle went there to research Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop) 25:28 Did you ever wonder about using a different name to Natalie, given that that is your daughter's name? 32:25 Vanessa Yu - is it fair to say this is a very different book to Natalie Tan? 33:09 Are you writing your next book? 33:35 Natalie Tan has been optioned for a TV show...

Purchase Links

Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.

Photograph used with permission from the author. Credit: Shelley Smith.

Charlie and Isla Morley (Come Sunday; Above; The Last Blue) discuss growing up and travelling back to South Africa, creating a negative heroine, the 1800s medical phenomenon wherein people were literally blue, and what it's like owning five tortoises.

Some podcast apps do not show description links properly unless the listener subscribes to the podcast. If you can't click the links below and don't wish to subscribe, copy and paste the following address into your browser to access the episode's page on my blog: http://wormhole.carnelianvalley.com/podcast/episode-16-isla-morley

Image of the Fugate family, as mentioned Cathy Trost's article 'The Blue People of Troublesome Creek'

Question Index

01:03 Can you tell us more about your background in South Africa? 03:04 How did novel writing come about? 08:05 You've lived in several places - can you tell us about your journey? 11:12 Have you been back to South Africa? 13:48 Have you ever considered writing a memoir? 15:34 Come Sunday's Abbe isn't a nice person; why did you want to create her? 17:41 Why was grief important to explore? 18:19 When did you decide to incorporate Christianity? 20:19 Was narrative style always in your mind? 22:08 Why poetry? 23:38 Was African mythology, used in the book, something you experienced in childhood? 29:01 Was it daunting to have so much of Above set underground? 31:31 Would it be fair to assume that the book will continue to be an outlier as you move forward? 33:48 When did the idea of going along with Dobb's idea of what's going on come into your process of writing? 42:02 Tell us about the medical background to The Last Blue 46:48 Am I barking up the wrong tree thinking the concept of blue people as per your book has to do with commentary on racial discrimination in history? 51:31 How important is the narrative of women to you? 52:34 Is there any interesting fact you can share with us about photography in the 1930s? 55:15 What's next? 55:54 What's it like having five tortoises?

Purchase Links

Come Sunday: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound

Above: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound

The Last Blue: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound

I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.

Photograph used with permission from the author.