Ask Michelle Anything!
Here are Michelle’s most recent answers to the questions and messages readers have submitted.
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Lucie writes...
Hey Michelle,
Im from Germany and read the series in German. Usually, I'm not really into reading but a friend read out loud some parts of Spirit Walker and I was amazed. I started reading and finished the first six books faster than I have ever read in my life.
Yesterday I found out, that there are three more books and I would love to read them. So I was wondering, if they are going to be translated to German? That would be sooo great.
Thank you for your time and your wonderful work.
Lucie
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Lucie. It's great that you've enjoyed the stories so much! As for the final three books, I'm afraid that there are no plans for them to be translated into German. That's not something I have any control over, it's up to the German publishers; and it means that if you want to find out what happens, you'll have to read the books in English. I realise that's not wonderful news, even though your English strikes me as extremely good, and I'm sorry to disappoint you. Thank you so much for your lovely message - and whatever you decide to do, I wish you many more happy hours in the Forest with Torak, Renn and Wolf. With very best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles of ancient darkness book idea!
Jacob writes...
Hi Michelle,
As a 14 year old, this book series is the first ever that I felt hooked to and couldn’t go half a day without wanting to keep reading. I read the entire series in less than 2 weeks and I loved it so much. The plots, book ideas and page turning writing is incredible. I was sad to see that there wouldn’t be a tv series, although it would be awesome. I know you probably get 100s of people asking for more, but this book idea will hopefully persuade you!?
Some sort of evil character steals Renn’s and Torak’s child to use as a tokoroth, and they have to journey somewhere to get it back, facing challenges on the way…
Thank you very much,
Jacob
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Jacob. It's brilliant that you've been enjoying the stories so much, and thanks for your innovative idea for a further book. It's a nice try, but I'm afraid that I've no plans to write any more Wolf Brother stories. You see, I just think that with the ninth and final book, Wolfbane, I've given the characters a good send-off; and I prefer to end on a high note, rather than letting the series peter out. I'm sorry to disappoint you. Perhaps a bit of re-reading will help you get back into the Forest? Thanks for getting in touch. With best wishes, Michelle
Without charity and A place in the Hills
Sophie Anna writes...
"Without Charity" and "A Place in the Hills" are two of my favourite books, I can just pick them up and start reading at any point. The only other books I do this with are "Jane Eyre" and "Persuasion".
Thank you for writing them! Will you be writing any other books like them anytime soon? I sincerely hope you do!
Michelle Replies...
Dear Sophie, how lovely to know that you've enjoyed Without Charity and A Place in the Hills so much! They were the first two books I ever had published, so for me they occupy a special place in my writings. After them I wrote a trilogy set in colonial Jamaica: The Shadow Catcher, Fever Hill, and The Serpent's Tooth. I think you might like them too. I'm afraid they're currently out of print, although you might be able to get secondhand copies via, say, abe.co.uk; and electronic versions mayl be available some time next year. In the meantime, thank you so much for getting in touch! With very best wishes, Michelle
Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Kathy writes...
Hello Michelle. I am a lady in her 70’s and am reading book 6 of Chronicles of Ancient Darkness. I don’t know how much more trauma my heart can take. Just when I think things are okay, up pops another trauma and I am fretting as to what will happen. Goodness only knows how children cope. Regardless of the horrors I am thoroughly enjoying the books and cannot wait to see what happens in books 7, 8 and 9. Kind regards.
Michelle Replies...
Dear Kathy, thank you so much for your delightful message, which did make me chuckle! I know what you mean about the trauma. While I was writing the books, I sometimes felt a bit bad about what I was inflicting on my characters; but then I would give an evil laugh and go right on doing it... And it's amazing what children can cope with, especially when they can reassure themselves that this all happened six thousand years ago, in a faraway forest. Thank you again for brightening up my day. I do hope that you enjoy the remaining three books. With best wishes, Michelle
The Chronicles of Ancient Darkness
Noah writes...
To Michelle paver
My name is Noah White. I’m eleven years old. I have a pet cat called Lottie a gecko called gex and nine fish. The Chronicles of ancient darkness is my favourite series of books. I started reading them at the beginning of this year when our teacher read us wolf brother as part of our topic and ever since then I’ve been going through all of the nine books and i finished them. I’ve also started listening to the audiobooks read by Sir Ian mckellan which are absolutely amazing I have just finished the audiobook of Soul Eater which was definitely the best one yet. A question I would like to ask is did you get a say in who read your books or did the publishers decide for you and if you did what made you choose Ian McKellen. My favourite Soul Eater is seshru because I really like snakes and I like how you’ve done that she’s got like a pointed tongue and I thought that she was the best Soul Eater. One last question I would like to ask what made you have the idea to create seshru the way you did. Your books are so well written and really good so I can’t wait to listen to the rest of the audiobooks
from Noah white
Michelle Replies...
Dear Noah, I'm delighted that you've enjoyed the books so much, and that you're now working your way through Ian McKellen's magnificent audiobooks! The publishers did indeed let me have a say in who was to read my stories, and in fact it was my agent Peter who managed to get Ian to read them. Before Wolf Brother was published, he met Ian at a drinks party and told him about my new story, parts of which were written from a wolf's point of view. That interested Ian enough to ask for a copy, and a few days later he told Peter that he would read it. I was doing research in Greenland at the time, and when Peter sent me a message telling me this, I was over the moon! I had always been a huge admirer of Ian's work (including his portrayal of Macbeth and his films of Richard III and The Lord of the Rings), so I knew he would do an amazing job. So that's how it started. And I was lucky enough to be present at every day of every recording of the books, which has been a real treat over the years.
Your second question concerns Seshru, and I'm really glad that she's your favourite. I always knew she would be beautiful and cunning, partly because of her relationship to another character in the stories (I'm not naming them as that would be a spoiler, but I'm sure you can guess who I mean); and I made her more snake-like by meeting some snakes; which wasn't a hardship, as I like snakes too. She was enormously fun to write about, so I'm delighted that you like reading about her. Thank you very much for getting in touch, and I hope you continue to enjoy Ian's magical readings of the stories. May the guardian run with you! With best wishes, Michelle
2 questions about Eostra!
Seren / writes...
Dear Michelle,
Since Eostra is my favourite Soul-Eater, I thought I'd ask 2 questions about her! I hope these aren't spoiler-y questions since I can't put spoilers here.
1. Is the ash-haired woman in Oath Breaker Eostra?
2. What does Eostra look like under her mask?
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Seren. I'm glad your favourite Soul-Eater is Eostra, because I really enjoyed writing about her. (And don't worry, your questions aren't spoilers; but thanks for being mindful of that.) It's an interesting idea that the ash-haired woman in Oath Breaker might have something to do with Eostra, but it's not the case. However now that you mention it, they do perhaps have something spiritually in common, in that they're both very destructive! As for your second question, I really do prefer to leave that up to the reader. Eostra is frightening, and part of the fear she creates in the reader is, I think, to do with the fact that we don't know what's under that mask, so we imagine all sorts of horrors. So I shall leave you to picture what she looks like - and why she took to wearing that mask in the first place! With very best wishes, Michelle
Multiple amazing questions
Naginn writes...
Hiya Michelle, I’ve written 4 times before and your unfortunately not rid of me yet
I hope your having a good day week and month (Torak’s birthday soon)
I have multiple short questions which I’m putting together
APOLOGIES FOR SPELLING
1. How long did it take you to write your first book
2. Have you seen the Disney movie brother bear? (The uncanny Native American version of Wolf Brother)
3. What helps you write?
4. (From a friend) what does eoastra look like under her mask ?
5. Can torak read?
6. Does Fin kedinn consider Renn, Hord, Torak and Dark his children?
7. (In outcast Renn said her mother identity was hers to share and only Finn and Saunn knew)
So did Hord think Renn was only his half sister or did he also know?
Thank you in advance for this reply
Hope you have a great month!
From Sam
Also I cannot see your reply in my inbox and it doesn’t appear on this website
Michelle Replies...
Dear Sam, I understand that my previous reply, sent an hour ago, didn't get through. So I'm trying again:
- It took me a year to write Wolf Brother: about 3 months doing research, then 3-4 months writing the first draft, and the rest of the year re-writing. That might sound a lot, when it probably takes you only a few days to read the book, but you see, writing is very hard work! (Also, Wolf Brother wasn 't my first book, but I' m giving it as an example as I suspect it's the one you're most interested in, and it was the first in the series.)
- No, I haven't seen Brother Bear.
- Writing is all about deep concentration, so I make sure that I don't have access to the internet in the room where I write, and that my phone is on silent; also, I'm in silence, and I have a view of the woods. And if I get stuck, I go for a brief walk in the woods near my house; that usually helps.
- I prefer to leave Eostra's face up to the reader's imagination. All I will say is that what's under her mask isn't good!
- No, Torak can't read, because as far as we know, writing hadn't been invented in northern Scandinavia six thousand years ago. He and his people sometimes communicate via a few signs on stones and trees, but that's not the same as writing.
- Yes, in a way, Fin-Kedinn does consider Hord, Renn, Torak and Dark as his children.
- Again, I prefer to let the reader imagine whether Hord knew about their mother's identity (he and Renn are brother and sister, not half-siblings) - although if Saeunn told Renn, she probably told Hord too, don't you think? (Also, thank you for not including any spoilers in your question!) Well that's all I've got time for, as I have to continue writing. I really hope that this time, my answer gets through to you. With best wishes, Michelle
Last three books in Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series
Kathy writes...
I do not know how much involvement you have with the printing of the books once you have written the story but I am very unhappy that the last three books in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series (Viper's Daughter, Skintaker and Wolfbane) do not match the previous six books on the spine.
The first six books published by Orion have the book title first followed by the author while the last three books published by Zion have the author first followed by the title.
Whilst I wholeheartedly agree this has no bearing on the content of the books, it is a bitter disappointment for those of us who wanted to collect all nine books and have them matching.
Perhaps this is something to think about for future books series.
I might just add I am a lady of advanced years and I am loving the series so far (up to book four) and have enjoyed several of your other books (Thin Air, Wakenhyrst, Dark Matter). I wish you good health and much power to your wonderful imagination. Kind regards, Kathy Lambert.
Michelle Replies...
Dear Kathy, Thank you very much for your message, and I'm so sorry about the names and titles on the spines not matching across the nine books. You're right to point out that the final three books are published by a different publisher (Head of Zeus) from the previous six, and I can confirm that I don't have much input on the production of any of the books, although the publishers did kindly consult me on the cover design. At the time of publishing the final three books, the main focus was to ensure that the original artist, John Fordham, was available to create the designs, so as to ensure consistency across the series (and because he's a terrific designer) - so I fear that aligning the title and my name on the spine with the spines of the earlier books appears to have been overlooked. Perhaps, as you say, this can be remedied for future series. And again, I am sorry that it disappointed you.
On a happier note, I am delighted that you have been enjoying the series, and that you also liked Dark Matter, Thin Air and Wakenhyrst. I do hope you continue to enjoy the Wolf Brother books, and thank you again for getting in touch. With very best wishes, Michelle
Multiple questions
Naginn writes...
Hiya Michelle, I’ve written 4 times before and your unfortunately not rid of me yet
I hope your having a good day week and month (Torak’s birthday soon)
I have multiple short questions which I’m putting together
APOLOGIES FOR SPELLING
1. How long did it take you to write your first book
2. Have you seen the Disney movie brother bear? (The uncanny Native American version of Wolf Brother)
3. What helps you write?
4. (From a friend) what does eoastra look like under her mask ?
5. Can torak read?
6. Does Fin kedinn consider Renn, Hord, Torak and Dark his children?
7. (In outcast Renn said her mother identity was hers to share and only Finn and Saunn knew)
So did Hord think Renn was only his half sister or did he also know?
Thank you in advance for this reply
Hope you have a great month!
From Sam
Michelle Replies...
Hello, Sam, thanks for your enthusiasm. Here are the answers to your questions:
- It took me about a year to write Wolf Brother: about three months' research, then 4-5 months writing the first draft, and the rest re-writing it. That sounds a lot, and I'm sure it doesn't take you a year to read it, but writing is very hard work! (Also Wolf Brother wasn't actually my first book, but it's the one I thought you'd be most interested in, as it's the first in the series.)
2) No, I haven't seen Brother Bear.
3) Writing is all about concentration, so I write in a room where there's no access to the internet, my phone is on silent, and I'm in silence, with a view of trees. And if I get stuck, a short walk in the woods near my house always helps.
4) It's up to the reader to imagine what Eostra looks like under her mask; all I will tell you is that it isn't good!
5) No, Torak can't read, because (as far as we know) alphabets hadn't been invented 6,000 years ago in his part of the world, which is northern Scandinavia. However his people do use certain signs - marked on stones or trees - to communicate. Although this isn't writing.
6) Yes, in a way, Fin-Kedinn does feel for Renn, Hord, Torak and Dark as his children.
7) Hord and Renn are brother and sister, not half-siblings. As to whether he also knew about their mother's identity, I leave that to the reader's imagination; although if Saeunn told Renn, she would probably have told Hord too, don't you think? (And thank you for NOT including a spoiler about Renn's mother in your question.)
Well that's all I've got time for, as I have to go and do some writing. And please don't be disappointed if you don't get a reply to any further questions you might send, as I need time to reply to other readers too. May the guardian run with you! With best wishes, Michelle
Correct the contents of the e-mail
Sari writes...
I'd like to inform you that there has been a correction to the text of the email I sent you earlier. I mistakenly wrote "What do you think about their names?", but the correct question is about how to name the characters. I'm not confident in my English and relied on a translation app, so I'm sorry if it sounds strange! I look forward to hearing from you.
Michelle Replies...
Dear Sari, Konichiwa! Thank you very much for both emails, and I'm delighted that you have enjoyed my books since you were at school. If I understand your (corrected) question, you want to know how to pronounce, or say, the characters' names - so here's the answer. Torak: the "o" is short, like the 1st "o" in the Japanese name "Toshiro"; the "a" is short, like the "a" in "Rashomon" (you can tell I'm a Kurosawa fan!);- and the stress (emphasis) is on the 1st syllable. Renn: the "e" is short, as in "yen". As for Okami (Wolf), you know how to say that better than I! You also asked about the origin of Torak's name. Well, the short answer is, I made it up. But in doing so, I thought about sounds from old languages, particularly Old Norse (the language of the Vikings). So when I came up with "Torak", I was pleased, as I thought I'd invented a good, strong name. I was suprised when I went to Greenland to research the second book, Spirit Walker, and an Inuit girl told me that in her language, Greenlandic, it means "perfect". I thought this was great - even though Torak, being human, is not perfect. I told the Inuit girl that it also felt a bit spooky that I had happened across that name, but she wasn't surprised. She said, "Oh well, you must have been Inuit in a previous life." I hope the above answers your questions, and that you continue to enjoy the stories. Thank you so much again for getting in touch. With very best wishes, Michelle