Q&A with Amanda McCrina

  

 

 

 

Amanda McCrina is the author of the new young adult novel Beyond Seven Forests. Her other books include The Silent Unseen. She is also a historian and a bookseller, and she lives outside Nashville, Tennessee. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Beyond Seven Forests, and how did you create your character Renia?

 

A: Renia appears as a side character in two of my earlier historical novels, Traitor and The Silent Unseen, so my longtime readers first met her as a hospital director secretly involved with both the Polish and Ukrainian undergrounds during World War II.

 

I always wanted to write more about her—she’s this sophisticated, educated, aristocratic woman who also happens to be coordinating resistance groups out of her house, so you just know she has to have an interesting backstory—and I knew she would have been a teenager during World War I, so that’s where I started digging for a story.

 

I didn’t know much at all about World War I’s Eastern Front, but I followed historian Nicolai Eberholst on social media. His research focuses quite a bit on the Austro-Hungarian army during the war.

 

At one point, he posted a photograph dated from 1915, showing a young Ukrainian boy about to be executed by the Austro-Hungarians on suspicion of spying for the Russians. I started imagining what might have happened if teenage Renia had crossed paths with that boy, and the plot was born.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: I had to do a lot of research into the medical technology and practices of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and into the empire’s legal system, as my main character is a medical student working in a military hospital and the entire story takes place in a courtroom.

 

I wanted these details to be plausible and authentic without bogging the story down in technicalities, which is always a tricky balance.

 

The most surprising thing is still the sheer scale of casualties on the Eastern Front and how little attention the front gets in popular understandings of the war.

 

The Siege of Przemyśl plays a big role in the book. This was a months-long Russian siege of an Austro-Hungarian fortress city that ultimately resulted in more than a million casualties, greatly contributed to Austria-Hungary’s defeat in the war and to the breakup of the empire, and shapes the landscape of Eastern Europe to this day.

 

I’d never even heard of it until I started researching this book. That’s baffling to me.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “A thoughtful examination of boundaries between right and wrong, carried by the moral tension and strength of the characters, this novel challenges readers to question ethical certainties.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I always like giving my characters these impossibly difficult ethical dilemmas and seeing what happens—what choices they make, what the ramifications are.

 

I like writing characters with deeply held beliefs who then have to grapple with what those beliefs really look like in practice. I want my characters to feel like real people—people who have doubts, who make mistakes, who don’t always know the right thing to do—so my readers can see themselves in them.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I love that Renia’s strength as a character is a quiet strength. She isn’t an action hero, she doesn’t ever pull out a weapon, but she is absolutely a force to be reckoned with. I’ve always loved books with quietly strong characters, and I hope that readers too find Renia’s kindness, empathy, and firmness of conviction empowering.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: My work in progress is an adult historical novel set in ancient Britain, about a Celtic tribeswoman navigating life under Roman occupation who sets out to solve the murder of a soldier and finds herself caught up in a rebellion against the empire.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Please do be mindful of the trigger warnings at the beginning of Beyond Seven Forests; there is a subplot dealing with sexual assault.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Amanda McCrina. 

Q&A with Emily B. Martin

  

 

 

 

Emily B. Martin is the author and illustrator of the new middle grade novel Nell O'Dell Hates Quests. Her other books include A Field Guide to Mermaids. She is also a park ranger, and she lives in South Carolina.

 

Q: What inspired you to create Nell O’Dell Hates Quests?

 

A: The character of Nell was inspired by my oldest daughter, who tends to be cautious and pragmatic about her adventuring.

 

While a reluctant protagonist is nothing new, I loved the idea of layering Nell into a world where all forces seem determined to thrust her into the spotlight, from her famous ex-adventurer parents to the rowdy patrons of the Crossroads Inn where she works.

 

Q: How do you see the relationship between the text and the illustrations?

 

A: Fantasy illustrations give me the chance to explore a vast array of characters, creatures, and magical action. They allow me to vividly conjure the grandiose world that Nell is so determined to hold at arm’s length, which helps to heighten the tension throughout the book.

 

Plus, having a protagonist who is so clearly ill at ease with her surroundings is funny!  

 

Q: The Booklist review of the novel says, “Written in a manner that will entice novices to the fantasy genre, the story also has plenty of twists to please those who already appreciate falling into an imaginary world.” What do you think of that description, and how did you create the world in which the story is set?

 

A: I hope that’s the case! The book is my love letter to the fantasy fare I grew up with, so it should be familiar to long-time fantasy readers, but it takes a lighthearted tone with the genre that hopefully feels accessible to non-fantasy readers.

 

The worldbuilding was also informed by my job as a park ranger, which of course is a government job. I love juxtaposing the mundane alongside the fantastic, so I was able to bring my experience with sometimes-tedious bureaucracy and overlay it with the chaos of the questing industry.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: Nell O’Dell’s name was a purposeful creation—I wanted her nickname to be something frank and practical that she shortened from a more flowery given name, while her last name added whimsy that she couldn’t shake. It reflects her circumstances—all she wants is a quiet, predictable life, but she can’t get away from questing drama.

 

I worried that publishers might not like “Hates Quests,” but it’s punchiness has been just right for the tone of the book. When combined with the cover illustration, the title highlights the key tension between the protagonist and her world!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Nell O’Dell’s sequel, Nell O’Dell Hates Bards! I’m thrilled that my publisher has opted to continue this series, and I’m excited to keep forcing Nell out the door on new quests.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’ll be back in my park ranger uniform this coming summer, which always inspires tons of new book ideas! All of my books have a distinct “eco-fantasy” vibe to them, which comes directly from my ranger work.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with Nada Yousif

   

 

 

Nada Yousif is the author of the new book The Astrology of Healing: Unlocking Our Sacred Wounds with the Wisdom of the Stars.  

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Astrology of Healing?

 

A: I wrote this book to mirror what an astrology session can offer without the constraint of time. It’s meant to be a companion to your birth chart, especially for the placements that feel hardest to hold.

 

I wanted to give readers tools to work with traditional timing techniques so they can move through difficult transits with awareness, understanding not just what is happening, but why these cycles are unfolding in their lives and when it’s expected to end.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and what surprised you most?

 

A: I did a lot of research during the pandemic, so I had plenty of time to go down endless rabbit holes. What truly pulled me in was studying my own birth chart and seeing my life, especially my trauma, reflected back with uncomfortable precision.

 

What surprised me wasn’t just the accuracy, but the context it provided. The most painful and the most beautiful moments of my life were part of an astrological signature baked into my chart from the moment I was born.

 

I had always believed everything happens for a reason, but astrology gave that belief tangible structure, it translated it into something observable, something I could track and work with.

 

Q: What are some common misconceptions about astrology?

 

A: Most people believe that astrology is purely predictive or that it is based solely on confirmation bias.

 

Since the rise of what most astrologers call “pop astrology,” there has been a singular focus on the zodiac signs being attributed to personality traits rather than archetypes that run though our lives, the people in them, and the occupations we hold.

 

Astrology, when studied earnestly, reveals patterns in our lives that are hard to ignore or dismiss as simply confirmation bias.

 

My recommendation is to study your own chart and look back through the years using timing techniques such as Annual Profections, Zodiacal Releasing, Transits (especially eclipse cycles), and Planetary Returns to accurately assess how the timing of your life has mirrored through the stars, even without your direct awareness of these themes playing out.

 

Some of my favorite astrologers were once skeptics, the ones who “tested” the cosmos rhythms against the backdrop of their own lives or the history of the collective, and through their discernment and the consistent result of astrology “working” beyond their “better judgment” they develop a unique ability to translate this ancient language — even to the most cautious minds.

 

They are usually the first to admit that astrology shouldn’t work--yet it does, in measurable ways, if you’re paying enough attention.

 

Q: What impact did writing this book have on you, and what do you hope readers take away?

 

A: Writing The Astrology of Healing was one of the most difficult things I have done. My personal life was falling apart as each page was due.

 

The pressure to create in the midst of a life crisis isn’t new in the world of many artists and as an astrologer, I could see the difficulty being reflected within the timing of my own chart. That awareness gave me two anchors: this was part of the process, and it wouldn’t last forever. So, while I was grieving one life I was actively creating another.

 

What I hope readers take from this book is a sense of meaning within their own experiences. That their lives matter. That their wounds are not evidence of unworthiness, but proof of their capacity to endure, to feel, and to transform. Nothing is permanent. The difficult times pass. And what remains can become something powerful, something beautiful even.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently working on a novel and several scripted series. These projects let me explore mythology in different forms, while still weaving astrology into the foundation of each character and story. Even when it’s not obvious, astrology and its symbolism is in the bones of everything I create.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

April 30

 

 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY
April 30, 1877: Alice B. Toklas born.

Q&A with Maggie Edkins Willis

  

Photo by Kimberly Powers

 

 

Maggie Edkins Willis is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Little Ghost's Summerween. Her other books include Little Ghost Makes a Friend. She lives in the Hudson Valley. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write this second book about your character Little Ghost?

 

A: A few factors coalesced around a really lovely idea for this second Little Ghost adventure. The first book in this series, Little Ghost Makes a Friend, came out in July, as many books that feature Halloween do.

 

Going into a storytime at my local B+N around publication day, I wondered how kids would receive this story with Halloween still months away.

 

What I have found since then is that kids never leave Halloween mode! Readers delight in telling me year-round what costumes they are considering and what pumpkins they are carving.

 

Meanwhile, in my own home, we've toyed with the idea of a Halloween in July, as my husband's job is very busy in the fall and he usually isn't able to celebrate Halloween with me and our kids.

 

So when my editor, Catherine, sent me an article about the rise of Summerween and suggested this could be the topic of Little Ghost #2, it felt like a perfect fit.

 

Q: The School Library Journal review of the book calls it a “warm, funny exploration of identity and friendship that will resonate with children finding their place in the world.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: I adore that description. The first Little Ghost story is about Little Ghost finding the courage to step out into the world and build his own community. Summerween is a story of him finding the courage to be himself within the community he has built, and he is thrilled to find that his friends celebrate him for it!

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Little Ghost and his friend Anya?

 

A: I consider it a very real friendship for that 4-7 age range. I have a 4-year-old son, and he has such pure devotion to his friends. There are no strings attached; they just want to play, support each other, share new hobbies and interests and help each other work out their problems.

 

I think of Anya and Little Ghost that way. Their friendship just IS, and their love is very real. It is such a gift to find friends with whom you can be totally yourself.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: I hope this story gives kids permission to be themselves and celebrate it! And I really hope this story encourages kids to have their own Summerween parties, too. There are so many cute spooky-summery details that I had a lot of fun poring over, and I hope kids enjoy seeking all of them out.

 

And if anyone manages to make an actual jack-o-lantern out of a pineapple, I'd love to see it (kids, don't try that without an adult!).

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am actually hard at work on Little Ghost’s Christmas at the moment! There are three more Little Ghost adventures on the way after Summerween, which I'm thrilled about, because I love living in this sweet, gentle, and spooky world.

 

Next year, I also have a book called Wondermoms coming out, which I'm unbelievably excited for. It is my first rhyming picture book about the tender, loving moments between moms and kids that make the biggest differences in children's lives.

 

Beyond that, I just finished a middle grade graphic novel adaptation of Barbara O'Connor's marvelous book, Wish, and I'm working on an author-illustrated graphic novel as well. I'm pretty busy!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Since the first Little Ghost book came out, I've met Little Ghost fans all over the country and it brings me so much joy to see my books reaching kids and families. My favorite thing ever is hearing that a kid wants to read my books over and over again. So I'll end this by saying: readers, I love to hear from you!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Maggie Edkins Willis. 

Q&A with Michael Konik

  

 

 

Michael Konik is the author of the new novel Magic Boy. His other books include The Unexpected Guest. He lives in Los Angeles. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write Magic Boy, and how did you create your character Misha?

 

A: I've always wondered what it must be like to be the best in the world at something. Is it lonely? Satisfying? Frightening? And how does it happen? Surely separating oneself from every other person on the planet involves more than outworking and out-practicing everyone else. Perhaps the secret is magic…

 

Misha is a hybrid of Magnus Carlsen, the greatest chess player of all time (and still a young man), and myself, the greatest at nothing, but someone who has had a peculiar and wonderful life, filled with weird and beautiful people and experiences. 

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The book is a memoir of one ingenious person's attempt to figure out his place in the world, his identity -- something we all grapple with. Misha eventually accepts he is indeed a "magic boy." The irony: we are all magic in our own way.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I knew Misha would win the world championship. I knew he would find peace with who he is. But I didn't know how. It was a great pleasure to figure out the puzzle.

 

Like almost all of my books, Magic Boy was composed without a formal outline, guided only by some vague ideas of plot-driven signposts along the journey.

 

Q: Why did you decide to focus on chess in this novel?

 

A: For the past decade chess has been my extracurricular passion and fascination. I'm a player; I'm a student; I'm a fan. And although I consider myself resoundingly mediocre at the game, I love it, and I admire those who have mastered it, or at least solved some of its mysteries.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I'm polishing a collection of poetry, a compendium of poems I've published in various literary journals and anthologies over the past decade. 

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I'm grateful for your interest, and for readers in general. My work is meant for everyone, but especially for people who love books, who relish beautiful writing, who think and feel deeply. Magic Boy is for them. 

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb 

Q&A with James Chesterton

  

 

 

James Chesterton is the author of the new novel Ashes of the Republic. He also has written the novel Holding Patterns. He worked in the banking industry for 30 years, and he lives in New England.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Ashes of the Republic, and how did you create your characters Lily and Jeff?

 

A: In 2016, many voters believed no single person could meaningfully undermine our government—that the system was strong.

 

The overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 was the first clear example of a deliberate, gradual weakening of our democracy. Around that time, my daughter was in her sophomore year of college, and I found myself wondering what America would look like if we continued down this path.

 

When I visited her, she was surrounded by smart, thoughtful friends. Lily is a composite of their strongest traits. She and Jeff are both in their 40s in this world, and their inability to build stable lives reflects what I see as one of the greatest risks facing this generation. The characters grew directly out of those fears.

 

Q: Why did you choose to set the novel in 2046?

 

A: It was important that readers feel connected to the setting—that it not feel alien. It’s essentially today’s world, just turned up to 11. There are obvious advances in AI and robotics and their impact on society and the economy, but the goal was plausibility.

 

Twenty years out felt like the furthest I could go without losing that sense of realism while still demonstrating some believable tech, such as bee-like robots used by the government to control dissenters.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The original title was The World on Her Shoulders, a nod to Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. I was advised the reference wouldn’t land, so the marketing team suggested Ashes. It’s a stronger fit—both metaphorically and in its connection to key events in the story.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it a “sharp, timely examination of power, corruption, and control in a world lulled into complacency.” What do you think of that description?

 

A: Unfortunately, it’s accurate. You can’t read the news today without seeing another example. When I wrote the first draft in 2023, I worried I was going too far. There’s an argument now that I didn’t go far enough—but I think it lands about right.

 

The imagery of him as Jesus, for example, was in the original draft and is in the finished novel. I wish I’d been wrong. But if this reflects our current trajectory, the real question is: how much worse can it get if we continue down this path? At its core, the novel is about the corruption of power at every level of society.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m plotting Book Two. I have strong support from my editor and a range of ideas—it’s now a matter of deciding which direction best fits, especially given how quickly events are evolving. Or devolving.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I recently listened to a podcast discussing the 1980s TV film The Day After, which depicted a nuclear attack on the United States. While people intellectually understood the threat, seeing it dramatized had a profound impact—and even influenced the tone of Reagan’s presidency.

 

That’s been my premise from the beginning: some realities need to be seen to be understood. What’s happening today will matter—but even more so for our children. The question is how much harder are we going to make it for them as we hand off a broken planet and a fractured government?

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb