Ask Michelle Anything!
Here are Michelle’s most recent answers to the questions and messages readers have submitted.
Inspiration and thanks – for Dark Matter, Thin Air and Wakenhyrst
Aly writes...
Hi Michelle. I can't tell you how excited I am to read your new books. I have pre ordered both. Also it's great you are promoting independent book stores. I have fallen in love with Thin Air and Dark Matter and Wakenhyrst. There is something about your books that hooks in my own adventurous spirit. I read the three books regularly and imagine myself as the characters in Dark Matter and Thin Air. I feel I am an adventurer in my own little world in Norfolk, England and try every day to explore and be in nature. Thank you for being so inspiring and awesome. Aly (52 years old and forever young).
Michelle Replies...
Dear Aly, it's great that you like my writing, and I do envy you living in Norfolk; what opportunities you must have for being out in nature - as your photo demonstrates. I really hope that you enjoy Rainforest and my contribution to The Witching Hour (not to mention those of my fellow writers), as and when you get hold of them. In the meantime, more power to your swimming! With best wishes, Michelle
The Witching hour
Maria writes...
Hello
I am keen to pre order 'The witching Hour' but the link took me to Amazon. I'd prefer to order it from an Independent bookshop like I could with The Rainforest. Do you know if this is possible?
Many thanks
Maria
Michelle Replies...
It's great that you'd like to pre-order The Witching Hour, Maria, and I applaud your support of independent bookshops! The only information I have on pre-ordering is what I'm told by my publishers, and at present I'm not aware of an independent bookshop pre-ordering option. However I'll ask the publishers, and if things change, you may be sure that my website will reflect it. Thanks for raising this, and I hope you enjoy The Witching Hour when you get hold of it! With best wishes, Michelle
WHO IS THE SEVENTH SOUL EATER ？*and you are the best author of all time*
Tali writes...
Dear Michelle，
my name is Tali and I'm 11. I love every single one of your books - in the wolf brother series . It started when I found a copy of wolf brother in a phone box / library in Leominster . Anyways，I have 2 questions ：
Who is the 7th soul eater ？
and …
Please can you write another book in the series ？I'm desperate .
Thank you，
Tali. :）
PS；my dad gives consent .
Michelle Replies...
Dear Tali, it's brilliant that you like my books, and I love how you found Wolf Brother in a phone box library! (I like the mystery of not knowing who left it there, and why...) I'm afraid that I've no plans to write another book in the series, because I think that with the ninth book, Wolfbane, I've given Torak, Renn and Wolf a good send-off - and I wouldn't want to spoil things by letting the series fizzle out. However lots of readers have told me that they enjoy re-reading the books, so maybe that will work for you too. As for who is the seventh Soul-Eater: I don't want to spoil things by telling you, but I will tell you that you'll find out in Book 6, Ghost Hunter. I hope that helps a bit. And may the guardian run with you! With very best wishes, Michelle
Digital Books – Wolf Brother
Kamille writes...
Hello! I read the book Brother Wolf when I was probably 11 years old, it was from a community library, years passed and today, at 21 years old, I remembered it. Here in Brazil, they don't sell them anymore, so I wanted to know if you ever intend to put it in digital format, I'm dying to reread it, it's a beautiful book
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Kamille. I'm so glad that you enjoyed Wolf Brother when you were younger. I'm pretty sure that it and its sequels are available in English as digital books - by which I take it you mean e-books - and are available online; but that may not be the case in Portuguese, which may be how you read it as a child in Brazil (although frankly your English is so good, it's hard to tell!). I'm so sorry I can't be of more help, but I hope that somehow you can get your paws on it so that you can re-read it. Thanks for getting in touch. With very best wishes, Michelle
Thanks – and strange coincidences concerning your books…
Kira writes...
Hi Michelle,
When I was younger my FAVOURITE books were the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. I was obsessed with wolves, and I attended a writing class you hosted at a wolf sanctuary here in England, many, many years ago. I must have been barely a teenager. I had a wolf themed bedroom hahaha.
In my 20s I stopped reading as much. I lost a lot of interest in things. Then I watched a TV show about an Arctic expedition, and became obsessed with it. I collected every book I could find on the matter. I was reading again, I was learning again, and it reminded my very much of my Wolf Brother days.
Imagine my surprise finding out you wrote an adult ghost story set in the Arctic. (Dark Matter - in case anyone else reads this!!) It felt weirdly nostalgic to be buying books with your name on them again, it felt very full circle. It is, as always, an excellent read. (I also bought Thin Air - exceptional !!)
I wanted to thank you, for being there in my childhood, and again in my adulthood, for somehow always writing great books about my niche interests, for teaching me to love reading as a kid and for helping me find that love again as an adult.
Sending lots of love, and hoping you and yours are well,
Kira
Michelle Replies...
Full circle indeed, Kira! I love the sound of your wolf-themed bedroom when you were a child; and I too have fond memories of those Wolf Writing Workshops at the Trust - although for me they could be quite full-on, especially the bit when everyone else took a well-earned break, while I read through their writing at lightning speed, fishing out examples to quote in my talk! What an extraordinary coincidence that you happened to pick up Dark Matter at the time when you were obsessed with the Arctic. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, as well as Thin Air. And I hope that even if your interests these days don't tend towards jungles, you'll also enjoy Rainforest, when it's out later this year. In the meantime, thanks so much for getting in touch. With very best wishes, Michelle
Boeken – Your books: which ones can I buy in Dutch?
Melissa writes...
Welke boeken van jou te koop
Michelle Replies...
Hi, Melissa. Sorry, I don't speak Dutch, but I think you asked: which of my books can you buy in Dutch? The six Torak en Wolf books were published by the House of Books - but I don't know if they're still in print. The three later books in the series were not published in Dutch, so I'm afraid you'd have to read them in English. De Geest Van Gruhuken (Dark Matter is the English title) was published by the House of Books; I don't know about Thin Air and Wakenhyrst. Maybe you can find copies of the Dutch editions online. Good luck - and I hope this helps! Best wishes, Michelle
Your favourite author?
Jenny writes...
Hi Michelle,
I hope you're well and I'm sure you're busy gearing up for your new book release which I'm extremely excited for!
I'm taking part in a book challenge and the prompt for May is to read a book by a favourite author's favourite author. I'm a huge fan of Thin Air, Dark Matter and Wakenhurst - just such wonderfully written, eerie ghost stories. So, as one of my favourite authors, I thought I'd ask you - who would you consider your go-to/favourite author?
Many thanks!
Jenny
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Jenny. I'm honoured that you like my books enough to ask me, and your book challenge sounds really interesting. I don't actually have one favourite author, because that changes, depending on how I'm feeling. But in the interests of helping you for your book challenge, I can tell you that last month I had a spate of re-reading Barbara Vine (eg A Dark-Adapted Eye, The Blood Doctor, Asta's Book, the Minotaur), and this month I'm re-reading Edith Wharton (eg The Age of Innocence, and lots of very fine ghost stories). Both are favourite authors of mine, so you should be able to find one of their books that appeals. Thanks for getting in touch, and I do hope that you enjoy whatever you decide to read! With best wishes, Michelle
How long did it take to write the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness?
Marko writes...
Hi again. It is Marko remember?
Thanks for replay! I am happy you like my English beacuse I am teaching it from 1.class to now.
I want to ask how much time do you need to vrane ancidant cronic of darkness?
Have a nice day
Marko
Michelle Replies...
Hello again, Marko. If I've understood your question correctly, you want to know how long it took to write the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness? It took me about one year to write each of the books. That might sound a lot, but you see, each one involved lots of work. I had to plan each story, then do the research (which meant travelling to different places, as well as reading lots of books in libraries) - and then write for months and months, followed by more months of re-writing: cutting out the boring bits, varying the pace, making the plot hang together. My aim was to write books which would be easy to read, but very hard to put down! I'm so glad you're enjoying them. With best wishes, Michelle
A reader in Slovenia asks: how old are you, Michelle?
Marko writes...
Hi,
I'm 13 years old and I am from Slovenia. I fall in love with your books first time I read them. You are good writer. When I start reading your books I can not stop😀! If I can ask, how old are you? I am veary happy beacuse you're books are in my language too.
Have a nice day!
Marko
Michelle Replies...
Dear Marko, I'm so pleased that you like my books - and it's great that they're in your language; I remember meeting your publishers years ago, and I really liked them. (Also, congratulations on writing such good Engish!) Of course you can ask how old I am: I'm 64. That probably sounds very old, but the weird thing is, it doesn't feel it. I just don't feel that much older than when I started being a published author, in my early forties - although of course I know that in fact, I am. Isn't that strange? The main thing is that I'm still writing. (And also climbing trees when I feel like it.) Thanks again for getting in touch - and I hope you continue to enjoy my stories! With very best wishes, Michelle
GRAPHIC NOVELS COMING?
Kirsten writes...
I am a Teacher Librarian in British Columbia, Canada - many of my students are wondering if you plan to make your novels into Graphic Novels?
Thanks!
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Kirsten, thanks for your question. I'm afraid I've no plans for turning my stories into Graphic Novels - although that's not because I've anything against them, it's just that no one has approached me about this; and of course my own interest lies in writing novels pure and simple (I'm not much good at drawing!). I should add that if it's Wolf Brother or its sequels which you're teaching, then I envy you doing it in British Columbia, with its rugged coastline and endless forests (well, rather more endless than Wimbledon, where I live). Also, as you may be aware, I gained much inspiration for the clans and their beliefs in the stories from the First Nations of your part of the world. Thanks for getting in touch. With best wishes, Michelle