Ask the Author: Carol Goodman
Answered Questions (74)
Carol Goodman
Thank you so much for you kind words about the Blythewood series. I had so much fun writing them! I'm not planning on writing any YA right now, but maybe in the future. In the mean time, I really loved Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys series, Libba Bray's Diviners series, and anything by Holly Black. Keep reading!
Carol Goodman
Aw, that's such a sweet idea. Can you please write my publisher and ask them to publish said epilogue??? Okay, maybe I'll do it just for you. I have to think about it. It's fun to think about. Thanks for writing--and sorry it took so long to answer. Somehow I didn't see this.
Carol Goodman
Haha! I'd take the praise with or without a question attached! Thanks so much for your kind words. It's wonderful to hear from a reader about a book I wrote over twenty years ago now! My 24th book will be coming out this summer--The Disinvited Guest. I hope you'll read more! Thank you!
Carol Goodman
First of all, thank you so much for reading and for your kind words! You've made your own day. To answer your question, I do put bits and pieces of my personal history in my books, but usually changed. For instance, like Jane I was a single mother who had to figure out how to survive but I had parents to go home to. I immediately wondered, though, what I would have done if I hadn't been so lucky ... so the idea of working at a boarding school came to me. In The Night Visitors I actually went to work for a hotline to get the experience to write the book. I'd say it's usually a combination of Personal Experience + Speculation + Imagination. The details are often very different by the time they make it to the page, but I've still got the same emotional investment in them. Thanks for asking! And again, thanks so much for reading my books!
Carol Goodman
Thank you getting in touch, Bernadette, and thank you for doing such important work for 30 years! As I mentioned in the afterword to THE NIGHT VISITORS I worked for a few years at Family of Woodstock and in that brief time (compared to your long experience) I saw so many instances of people--women, children, the homeless--who didn't seem to matter to society at large. Thank goodness for people like you to whom they do matter. I will always try to give voice to the voiceless in my work. Perhaps you should write about your experiences as well. If you like Private Message me at my FB author page and I'll send you my email so we can stay in touch. And again, thank you for reading and for all the good work you've done.
Carol Goodman
Hi Bernadette,
I'm delighted to have a new local reader! Certainly I hope to continue doing local events once that's possible again. If you "like" my fb author page you'll be notified when I do. I generally do at least one event at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck when I have a new book comes out, and I've occasionally done events with other authors in between (I recently did a virtual event with another local author Danielle Trussoni). I hope to see you when events are a thing again! Be well!
I'm delighted to have a new local reader! Certainly I hope to continue doing local events once that's possible again. If you "like" my fb author page you'll be notified when I do. I generally do at least one event at Oblong Books in Rhinebeck when I have a new book comes out, and I've occasionally done events with other authors in between (I recently did a virtual event with another local author Danielle Trussoni). I hope to see you when events are a thing again! Be well!
Carol Goodman
Thank you, Susan! I just saw this--somehow I often miss these Goodreads comments but they're always much appreciated! Be well!
Carol Goodman
Oooh, that sounds great! I'll put it on my to-read list right away. Thanks for telling me about it and thanks so much for your kind words about my books. Be well!
Carol Goodman
The Shire, Middle Earth, after all the adventures are done so I can live peacefully in a Hobbit House having tea and elevenses.
Carol Goodman
A little of both. I'd come across John Dee in my reading and he seemed like an intriguing character. As the story unfolded, he seemed like an interesting character to explore. We've probably made him too evil--there's no reason to think the real John Dee was! So my apologies to you if you're a John Dee fan!
Carol Goodman
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed them. No, but if you know anyone in television please recommend it to them! I think it would make a good series! Thank you for writing!
Carol Goodman
Anya, I'm so sorry I didn't see your question earlier! I didn't get a notification it was here. My advice is to keep writing and to believe in your story. Read a lot. Take writing classes. Find people to share your work with. Don't give up!
Carol Goodman
I'm so glad, Janet! I bet Oregon is beautiful! Quite a lot of my books are set in the Hudson Valley. THE LAKE OF DEAD LANGUAGES is set in the southern Adirondacks (but near the Hudson River), THE SEDUCTION OF WATER, THE DROWNING TREE, THE GHOST ORCHID, ARCADIA FALLS, RIVER ROAD, THE WIDOW'S HOUSE, and THE NIGHT VISITORS.
Carol Goodman
I thought it was clear that they chose to stay in this world and that they end up together.
Carol Goodman
No, I'm terrible at that! I need a lot more words!
Carol Goodman
I read a lot of great books this summer, including THE NANNY by Gilly MacMillan, THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware, THE GUEST BOOK by Sarah Blake, IMAGINARY GIRLS and A ROOM AWAY FROM THE WOLVES by Nova Ren Suma, THE INVITED by Jennifer McMahon, and THE ELEMENTALS by Michael McDowell.
Carol Goodman
I'm sorry I didn't see this months ago! Oh, I think I'm always trying to get at how the past intertwines with our present. That's how it feels to me, day in, day out, like the past is here in my present life in my memories and in who I've become. I like the idea of stories from the past running alongside what's happening in the here and now. And I love books--like POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt--that do that so much more powerfully than mine!
Carol Goodman
Oh gosh, did I not respond to this? I feel like I did. I'm so happy you used Arcadia Falls in a class. Thank you for telling me! And what a fun class that sounds like!
Carol Goodman
Yes, I was! I was thinking about the idea of Arcadia being an ideal pastoral location in Greek myth, a place of innocence and perfection. So my town Arcadia Falls hints at the idea of that loss of innocence. I was a Latin major in college so I'm always thinking about the Greek and Latin origin of words! Thanks for asking! Good luck with your project. Salve!
Carol Goodman
Hi Nicole, so sorry I never got back to you on this. Goodreads has stopped notifying me when I get a question! I'm thrilled you used Arcadia Falls in your class and I love the idea of "Hireath." Going to go look that up now :)
Thank you!
Thank you!
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