The Worm Hole Podcast

Charlie and Christina Courtenay (Echoes Of The Runes; The Runes Of Destiny) discuss what the Vikings were really like, time travellers' historical partners travelling back with them, and predictability and coincidence as plot devices. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/episode-39-christina-courtenay Jorvick Viking Festival, York Birka You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:35 You've been published for a long time; tell us about your past work 04:52 You say in Echoes of the Runes that the Vikings aren't quite as we think they are. Can you expand on this for us? 06:33 What research did you do for the books? 08:40 You explore disability, with the main character finding a way to communicate with Jorun. Why was this important to explore? 10:27 Did you ever have any issues with getting Haakon how you wanted him to be? 11:52 The noted predictability and coincidences between time periods - was this something you always planned to use? 13:30 What was behind the decision to have Destiny of the Runes take us to another country? 15:14 Linnea takes a good number of pages to accept she's travelled in time - what lead to this decision? 16:22 Were you always going to have the time travel in the reverse? 22:23 Linnea's possible experience or possible virginity in the context of the history - had you considered a different story here? 24:09 The forthcoming Whispers of the Runes and Tempted by the Runes - tell us about them Purchase Links Echoes Of The Runes: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo The Runes Of Destiny: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo Whispers Of The Runes: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo Tempted By The Runes: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones IndieBound Chapters Indigo I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

She's back! Nicola Cornick (The Forgotten Sister; The Last Daughter) returns to discuss Amy Robsart and the mystery of her death, the relationship between Robert Dudley and Elizabeth I, and the Princes in the Tower. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/episode-38-nicola-cornick Our previous interview, episode 1 Lydiard House Amy Robsart Robert Dudley Thomas Seymour The portrait of young Elizabeth I Cumnor (the village) Walter Scott's Kenilworth University Church, Oxford Susanna Kearsley's The Rose Garden Francis Lovell The Princes in the Tower Josephine Tey's The Daughter Of Time The discovery of Richard III's bones You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:09 How has writing and reading been different for you during the lockdown and now? 03:13 You have a role at Lydiard House?... 04:52 Who was Amy Robsart? 06:49 Would you say that the present day narrative helped look at the historical story in a more objective manner? 07:53 The press at the time, and historians afterwards, believed Dudley killed Amy?... 09:18 Do you think Elizabeth I and Dudley were lovers? 12:11 What do you think happened to Amy? 13:29 Can you tell us about the sightings of Amy's ghost? 16:13 (Spoiler-ish question) Who thought of the title? 17:22 If we say time slip and time travel are two different things, do you have a preference? 18:18 Tell us about The Last Daughter 20:01 Who do you think killed the Princes in the Tower? Purchase Links The Forgotten Sister: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters The Last Daughter: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Kimberly Derting (The Body Finder) discuss publishing a dark YA series in the wake of Twilight, avoiding romance and family tropes, and the further lives of her characters beyond the final page. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/episode-37-kimberly-derting You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:45 What was it like juggling two jobs, family, and writing? 03:42 What was it like publishing a (dark, Young Adult) book in the wake of Twilight? 10:37 Was Violet's ability inspired by anything? 12:42 Family is important in the books... 13:44 What is the significance of the various imprints that you chose? 14:42 Violet goes to a school that exists in real life... 16:06 Why did you start the series with Violet and Jay's burgeoning romance, avoiding tropes and such? 18:47 Why did you include narratives of the killers, particularly in the way that you did? 20:55 Was there a particular reason for diverging from that narrative path in book two, with Megan? 22:05 Why the shift in focus in Desires of the Dead (Sara and Rafe)? 23:29 Was Violet always going to have her own imprint? 24:27 If Jay had ever got an imprint, do you think Violet would have been able to live with it? 29:28 Was Chelsea easy to write? 30:23 Beyond the series, would Chelsea continue to have an aspect in Violet's 'secret' life? 31:40 Are Violet and Jay going to be better cooks than their parents? 32:11 Do you have any regrets and is there anything you're particularly happy with? 33:58 Do you have any more YA books in the planning stages at the moment? Purchase Links The Body Finder: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Desires Of The Dead: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters The Last Echo: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters Dead Silence: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Kate Forsyth (Bitter Greens; The Wild Girl) discuss the story and history of Rapunzel - which was part of Kate's doctoral thesis - as well as the woman who told the Brothers Grimm many of their tales, and the progression of change those tales went through as the brothers pursued success. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast-podcast-episode-36-kate-forsyth The page on Kate's website summarising her published academic research on Rapunzel Information on Charlotte-Rose de la Force Disney's Tangled William Morris' poem Information on Giambattista Basile Plot of Basile's Petrosinella Biography of Charles Perrault Andrew Lang Jack Zipes' Spells Of Enchantment Jack Zipes' The Great Fairy Tale Tradition Hessen-Cassel Wikipedia's page on the Brothers Grimm, including a drawing of Dortchen Information on Ludwig Grimm The 1824 English translation of the Brothers Grimm stories Biography of Herman Grimm Biography of Marie Hassenpflug Kate's Cotswolds writing retreats You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:07 You've written a plethora of books for various ages - how much does the fantasy genre crossover between them? 13:05 What is your general feeling about the witch from Rapunzel? 17:35 So you've got these three different people literally locked away, and then you've this extra subtext of you as a child... 20:11 You've mentioned your doctorate - what sort of information can we expect from the thesis as opposed to the fiction? 21:24 Why did you choose Charlotte-Rose de la Force's version of Rapunzel? 26:10 Are there any other stories by Charlotte-Rose that we know of today? 27:49 You keep detailed notebooks for your research? 30:58 We don't know how Charlotte-Rose found out about the original Rapunzel story?... 32:50 What do you think of Tangled? 47:46 The Wild Girl - you created quite a bit of Dortchen's story yourself? 52:17 (More on the changes made from the original Brothers Grimm collection) 59:26 (More on the subject of the women who told the Brothers the stories) 1:01:43 How much time did you have to spend researching the Napoleonic Wars? 1:02:29 Can you tell us about the treatments for Asthma in the early 1800s? 1:03:49 You have writing retreats in the Cotswolds every year? Purchase Links Bitter Greens: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo The Wild Girl: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound The Rebirth Of Rapunzel: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Amazon Australia Barnes & Noble IndieBound I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Liz Fenwick (The Path To The Sea; also The Cornish House, The Cornish Affair, One Cornish Summer and more) discuss the success of spies in the Cold War who were - on the face of it - 'just' housewives, bringing new characters to more prominence and bringing past characters back from other books, and the age-old question of cream or jam first. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-35-liz-fenwick Cape Cod Porthpean House About Time Godolphin House The SOE (Special Operations Executive) Exercise Tiger Hotel Endsleigh You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:38 You're originally from Massachusetts and settled in Cornwall. Why Cornwall? 01:51 Do you like Cornish pasties? 02:07 You first looked into publishing when you were in your early 20s?... 09:20 Boskenna is based on a real house?... 11:47 The past and present dates you look at are the same dates? 12:59 When you were planning it, did you have to keep up with events and how they were weaving into each other? 14:09 Was Diana frustrating to write? 15:07 Why first-person for Joan (compared to third-person for Lottie and Diana)? 16:12 Joan is a spy in the Cold War - were you inspired by any real life women spies of that era? 17:42 Where did Joan's hostess book come from? 24:06 Were there many people who kept Cold War secrets for life or for so long? 25:37 Why did you create a similarity between what happened to Allan and what happened to John? 26:15 What was the significance of Alex and Paul? 28:37 Why did you start the book with Lottie and Alex? 30:06 Is there a character that is the most important to you? 33:42 What happened to Salome? 34:35 Tell us more about The River Between Us 37:27 Scones - cream or jam first? Purchase Links The Path To The Sea: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo The River Between Us: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Hive Barnes & Noble Chapters Indigo I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Lillian Li (Number One Chinese Restaurant) discuss racial prejudice in Chinese restaurants, looking at the narrative of immigrant parents and sacrifice, and how her editor pushed her to increase the impact of themes and ideas. Please note that I have not censored the swear words in this episode because the over all effect would be different without 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-34-lillian-li The article Charlie quotes from: "'Customers looked right through me': what I learned working in a Chinese restaurant" The video of Lillian's event for Politics and Prose You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:57 You work at Literati. What is it like working in a bookshop as an author? 08:03 You have a few origin stories for Number One Chinese Restaurant. Is there one that's the most important to you to tell, the one that's most crucial to the book? 17:03 How did you come to decide to discuss issues of race in the way you do? 20:57 Does the title have a place in what you've been talking about? 30:08 Is Jimmy your favourite character? 32:17 Why is Nan and Pat's relationship important to the book? 36:16 There's a lot of language switching in the book - why did you decide to do this and what were your choices informed by? 38:58 Could the story have been told without Uncle Pang? 40:46 Was it always your intent to include moments of comedy? 41:37 What is the importance of food further than it's simple inclusion, so to speak, in the book? 45:39 What's next? Purchase Links Number One Chinese Restaurant: Literati (during Covid curb-side pick up in Ann Arbor) Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author. Credit: Margarita Corporan.

Charlie and Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen (The Rabbit Back Literature Society; Secret Passages In A Hillside Town) discuss dreams that become literature - vampires; books where words and plot points change in a sort of book plague; secret passages that wipe your memory, and many more - writing a book that's difficult for a reader to work out and not knowing yourself what the answer is, creepy and traumatic fictional games, and issuing an alternative ending to your novel in a brand new publication. Please note if you have children around that we mention people sitting together without any clothes on. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-33-pasi-ilmari-jaaskelainen Tips to unlock the secrets in The Rabbit Back Literature Society Wikipedia's article on Jules et Jim Wikipedia's article on 2046 Wikipedia's article on In The Mood For Love Wikipedia's article on My Neighbour Totoro You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:38 How has being a literature teacher influenced your writing? 02:54 What is your role when it comes to translation; do you work with the translators? 05:03 'Nosterafu' is used in both The Rabbit Back Literature Society and Secret Passages in a Hillside Town - you're interested in vampires? 11:29 What is the importance to you of the Finnish title, Lummiko and Nine Others? 13:27 Would it be right to say you're interested in folklore? 15:11 Why did you want Rabbit Back to be difficult to understand? 16:39 You say you yourself don't know what happened to Laura White. Do you have a preference in regards to readers' interpretations? 20:03 You've got this book 'plague' where words and plots change. Where did you get the idea? 24:32 Where is The Game from? 31:22 The idea of a 'cinematic life' in Secret Passages - where did that come from? 34:49 How did you choose the films that you refer to? 36:30 Why did you use the Famous Five? 37:49 Is Ollie's lack of use of his son's name (in terms of the third person narrative) important to the plot? 39:35 Secret Passages has two endings - is there one you prefer? 41:19 What are you writing at the moment? Purchase Links The Rabbit Back Literature Society: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Secret Passages In A Hillside Town: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Susmita Bhattacharya (Table Manners; also The Normal State Of Mind) discuss her world-wide travel and moves abroad - including a visa-less stopover, the experiences of recent immigrants to Britain, and having your work featured and serialised on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-32-susmita-bhattacharya Table Manners on BBC Radio 4 Extra 'Old Spice' on BBC Radio 4 Mayflower Young Writers on Artful Scribe Seacity Museum, Southampton Tudor House, Southampton In her role as Writer in Residence during spring and summer at the Word Factory, Susmita is holding 1 to 1 half hour sessions for new writers. Full details and price info are here. You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:03 How did the serialisation of Table Manners on BBC Radio 4 Extra come about? 02:18 Your first story for radio was in 2015?... 03:48 You have travelled and lived all over the world, can you tell us about it? 09:22 Is your travel and your experience of living in other places always in your mind when you're writing? 11:40 Tell us about your work with Mayflower Young Writers 17:53 Why is 'Good Golly Miss Molly' the story you've read from for us, the one you read the most? 19:21 Why did you choose to use food as you do - sometimes as an obvious support to a story, other times more vague? 21:26 When did you come up with the title for the collection? 22:50 Can you talk about the use of relationships in this book? 25:01 You have a story that features 9/11 and 7/7, a story about the social affects of Brexit, and a story where a white westerner who wants to see the Real India. Is the present day and situations important to you? 28:21 Going back to what you said about your time as an English language teacher for immigrants to Britain, may I ask what kind of things affected people when they were here, in that context of the present day? 33:12 What's next? Purchase Links Table Manners: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.  Credit: Rohini Bhattacharya

Charlie and Elizabeth Baines (Used To Be; Astral Travel; also The Birth Machine; Balancing On The Edge Of The World; Too Many Magpies) discuss writing for radio, short stories - the relative importance of their first lines and differences to novels - writing a book about trying to tell a story, and the difficulties in labelling someone complicit or a victim in the context of past societal values. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-31-elizabeth-baines You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:38 Can you tell us about your screenplay work? 01:13 How did the vampire play come about? 01:48 Do your plays influence your prose or is it the other way around? 02:23 Do you have a preference between these three modes of writing? 09:39 All these stories were in other publications - how long in coming was the collection itself? 11:13 Tell us about the splitting of these stories into two categories 13:00 How important is the first line of a short story compared to a novel? 13:46 Did the short story 'Clarrie and You' inspire Astral Travel? 19:01 Astral Travel is a difficult read. How long did it take to write - was it difficult to write? 22:55 How far into the various drafts did the written structure (white space; chapter headings) come in? 23:55 Where is the father 'from'; what were the influences in creating him? 24:23 Is the mother complicit or a victim? 26:43 [Within and without the context of Josephine's boyfriend's family] do you think that Josephine would continue on her journey of healing? 27:50 Was the revelation about the father always in your mind? 28:30 Where on the scale between empathy and upset do you think the reader is, or should be, by the end? 29:13 What's your favourite Bronte novel? 29:50 What's next? Purchase Links Used To Be: Amazon UK Amazon US Waterstones Hive Barnes & Noble IndieBound Astral Travel: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive Chapters Indigo I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Katy Yocom (Three Ways To Disappear) discuss tiger conservation in India and balancing numbers alongside human requirements for life, the importance of being diligent when writing about a culture that is not your own, and what the three ways to disappear are. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-30-katy-yocom Katy's articles and essays: 'A Search for the Elusive Tigers in India Leads to a Novel' for Newsweek 'Muhammad Ali, my father and me' for Salon 'The Compelling Tales We Tell of Fictional Tigers' for LitHub Wikipedia's article on Born Free Wildlife Trails' website Birds of the Indian Subcontinent is a 1998 reference guide written by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp, and Tim Inskipp You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:51 You graduated from Spalding University and now work there - can you tell us what you do? 02:17 Tell us about your other publications (essays in magazines and so forth) 09:01 Tell us about the starting point for Three Ways To Disappear 12:59 (Further discussion on the possibility of telling the story without Quinn's narrative) 13:40 [In the context of what we're discussing] is this where the mythical aspects of the book come in? 15:46 Can you tell us about your research trip? 21:26 How well is the place you visited doing in terms of numbers of tigers? 29:02 What are the three ways to disappear? 30:52 I found Sarah's romance to be unexpected; was it always important to include? 34:11 What affect do you want your book to leave on readers once they've finished it? Purchase Links Three Ways To Disappear: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Barnes & Noble IndieBound Chapters Indigo I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the publisher.

Charlie and Marianne Holmes (A Little Bird Told Me; All Your Little Lies) discuss procedures when children go missing, societal changes in regards to domestic violence in the 1970s, and, on a lighter note, trying not to finish books you’re not enjoying. Please note there is some noise in this episode - noise cancelling headphones are recommended (pun not intended) as they will make the vocals crisper. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-29-marianne-holmes/ Wikipedia’s article on K M Peyton’s Flambards The act created in 1976 was the Domestic Violence and Matrimonial Proceedings Act. According to the British Library "This act enabled married women to obtain a court order against their violent husbands without divorce or separation proceedings. A court could order a man out of the matrimonial home, whether or not he owned it or tenancy was in his name. Problems arose because this protection did not apply to unmarried women." Missing People You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:35 You grew up in different countries; your father was in the RAF. Can you tell us about that? 01:05 Has your career in marketing helped with your books? 01:49 Your road to publication started with a tweet?... 03:50 Do you plan your books? 10:22 Why the heatwave of 1976? 11:47 Was Robin's reading material, Flambards, a book you read yourself? 12:26 Could you talk about the era in terms of the social changes in regards to domestic violence? 13:54 The refusal of adults to tell things to children - for A Little Bird Told Me, was that inspired by a particular event? 20:03 What, to you, is the defining element of All Your Little Lies? 21:31 Your son's reaction to a missing child influenced the book?... 24:32 (For both books) how do you incorporate the two narratives, the character as a child and as an adult? 25:39 What was your reason for writing in the third person as opposed to the first? 26:51 How much time did you need to spend developing the secondary characters for the readers' understanding of Annie to work? 28:14 Is Annie going to be able to heal from all of this? 29:20 In both books you look at the ways young girls relate to each other - this is important to you? 30:38 You have a book on the go about a little known figure... 32:21 Have you been successful in putting down books you're not enjoying reading? Purchase Links A Little Bird Told Me: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Barnes & Noble IndieBound Indigo Chapters All Your Little Lies: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones Hive IndieBound I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the publisher.

Charlie and Deborah Swift (Past Encounters; The Occupation; the forthcoming The Lifeline, also many books sets in the 1600s such as The Lady's Slipper; A Divided Inheritance) discuss Brief Encounter at Carnforth, the experiences of prisoners of war at the time and once back home, the real life story of a Jersey woman who hid her Jewish friend, and reactions to the death of the last woman in Britain to be given capital punishment. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-28-deborah-swift BBC Radio 4's The Poetry Pharmacy BBC's People's War website The Long March Article about Dorothea and Hedwig when the former was nominated for an Israeli honour A video about Carnforth station in the context of Brief Encounter and subsequent tourism Deborah's books set in the 1600s, in the order of publication: The Lady's Slipper The Gilded Lily A Divided Inheritance Shadow On The Highway Spirit Of The Highway Lady Of The Highway Pleasing Mr Pepys A Plague On Mr Pepys Entertaining Mr Pepys You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:01 You write poetry?... 03:25 You used to work as a costume and set designer - what productions did you work on? 04:23 Did this work influence any of your stories? 13:18 Past Encounters: who came first, Peter or Rhoda? 17:35 (Carnforth Station's cafe and museum) 19:30 What was the reception of prisoners of war when they came home? 21:32 Tell us about Lamsdorf 25:36 Why was it important to include mentions of the trial of Ruth Ellis? 35:45 The Occupation started out as two novellas?... 37:59 (About the inspiration for Celine and Rachel's story) 39:08 Rachel's quite a particular character - what were your thoughts when you were creating her? 41:00 Would you say Rachel's story, post-ending, would mirror Hedwig's? 42:46 The ending is perhaps unexpected - how did you come to write it? 44:40 Tell us about The Lifeline Purchase Links Past Encounters: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada Waterstones The Occupation: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada The Lifeline: Amazon UK Amazon US Amazon Canada I am an IndieBound affiliate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. Photograph used with the permission of the author.

Charlie and Tammye Huf (A More Perfect Union) discuss her great-great-grandparents’ relationship as an 1840s Irishman and a Black American slave, the way owners used Christianity to support their views of a racial hierarchy, and the lengths reached in order to label people by skin colour. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-27-tammye-huf Tammye's Radio 2 interview Library of Congress audio interviews with freed people You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 01:02 (Discussing Tammye's recent interview on Radio 2) 02:04 Tell us about your great-great-grandparents 03:28 What made you want to tell this story, to start with your grandparents and take it further? 08:22 How important was balancing the romance with the history? 09:23 Any there are specific primary sources you used that you can highlight? 11:56 Do you feel closer to your grandparents now? 12:48 How did you go about creating Sarah? 17:52 Who is Maple; why did you include her in the story? 20:49 Did you always plan to have this 'nicer' owner? 23:32 Were there many people who were offered their freedom, didn't take it for family reasons and so forth, and were then used as a puppet? 26:35 To me Henry comes across as quite careless sometimes - did you ever consider a different bearing for him? 30:13 Could you tell us about the Potato Famine era 'tumbling'? 32:03 Do you think Red ever found his freedom? 32:54 What's next? Purchase Links A More Perfect Union: Amazon UK Amazon US Waterstones Hive I am an Amazon Associate and earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.  Likewise IndieBound. Photograph used with the permission of the publisher.

Charlie and Eric Beck Rubin (School Of Velocity) discuss the representation of the Holocaust in literature, using classical music as a literary device, having a main character whose person limits the opportunity for dialogue through his obsession with another, and the reader being a writer. Please note that the first reading contains sexual content. 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-26-eric-beck-rubin Wikipedia’s article on Imre Kertész Wikipedia’s article on Georges Perec Wikipedia’s article on Jonathan Safran Foer’s Everything is Illuminated Wikipedia’s article on Ford Madox Ford’s The Good Soldier The full quote on reading and writing, by the writer Jonathan Lethem, is: “Reading and writing are the same thing; it’s just one’s the more active and the other’s the more passive. They flow into each other.” Wikipedia’s article on John Irving’s A Prayer For Owen Meany Czerny’s School Of Velocity on YouTube Eric has written many articles on cultural history – among them are: ‘Not Again’ ‘Georges Perec, Lost and Found in the Void: The Memoirs of an Indirect Witness’ (requires a JStor account to access) ‘Avoided: On Georges Perec’ ‘Sisyphus in Kertész’s Fatelessness’ (opens in a PDF) Eric’s literary podcast ‘Burning Books’ You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com Question Index 00:41 Tell us about your PhD on the Holocaust in literature 03:13 What musical instruments do you play? 04:12 Favourite classical musician? 05:10 I know that reviews say School of Velocity is like The Great Gatsby – is there anything in this? 06:11 Why The Netherlands for the story? 13:48 It’s a while until anyone but Dirk and Jan are given any dialogue. Is this something you’d considered doing throughout? 16:58 How did you go about choosing the classical music that Jan plays? 19:11 Can you talk about your choice to use Czerny’s music as the title and in the context of your characters? 20:44 Do you see Jan and Dirk as having loved each other? 32:20 Do you think it would’ve been possible for Dirk to narrate the story from his side? 33:41 How much affect did Dirk’s parents have on him? 35:38 How important was Lena’s inclusion in the story? 37:39 Where did the idea of using this ‘musical tinnitus’, enough to cause sickness, come from? 39:10 What’s next? Purchase Links School Of Velocity: 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 the permission of the author.

Charlie and Intisar Khanani (Thorn; Sunbolt; Memories Of Ash; the forthcoming The Theft Of Sunlight) 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/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 You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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 also The Agincourt Bride; The Tudor Bride; Red Rose, White Rose) 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/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 You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/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 You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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; also Everyday Writing; Everyday Book Marketing) 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/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 You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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 Ugliest House In The World; Equal Love; 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/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 You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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/the-worm-hole-podcast/podcast-episode-20-tracy-rees You can contact the show at books@carnelianvalley.com 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.