Q&A with Carol Goodman discussion

Did you have any questions about Lake of Dead Languages, The Seduction of Water, Arcadia Falls, or any of my other books? Ask them here!

The Ghost Orchid and Arcadia Falls are two of my favorite books, though I love them all. What inspired you to include the difficult subject of death and suicide? You are very good at including elements of magic and fantasy but there is a dark undercurrent..and I wanted to know what inspired that. Do you relate more to darker themes?

I was also curious what inspires the fairy tale elements? I love how you incorporate them into your novels and I find myself researching to find the ones you mention. Were you more into fairy tales as a child or an adult?

Carol wrote: "Did you have any questions about Lake of Dead Languages, The Seduction of Water, Arcadia Falls, or any of my other books? Ask them here!"

Hi Carol
My favourite book of yours is called Demon Lover, and it was written as Juliet Dark. My question is why did you choose to write under 2 different names?
Also how long did it take you to come up with the story and plot line for Demon Lover? P.S. I really love
your book covers as that is what grabbed my attention at first, then the discription.

Diana wrote: "The Ghost Orchid and Arcadia Falls are two of my favorite books, though I love them all. What inspired you to include the difficult subject of death and suicide? You are very good at including ele..."

I think I see those darker elements as part of the whole picture. Just today in my writing class we were talking about the death card in tarot, and one of my students pointed out that it's not really a negative card because it can also represent rebirth and new beginnings. So the darkness puts the brighter elements in perspective. Not to spoil any endings, but my books always end pretty happily, so the dark doesn't actually win. It's just part of the process.

Diana wrote: "I was also curious what inspires the fairy tale elements? I love how you incorporate them into your novels and I find myself researching to find the ones you mention. Were you more into fairy tal..."

I've always loved fairy tales, from childhood, but increasingly as an adult. And I love writers who incorporate fairy tales into their fiction, from Charlotte Bronte to Angela Carter to Holly Black.

Carole wrote: "Carol wrote: "Did you have any questions about Lake of Dead Languages, The Seduction of Water, Arcadia Falls, or any of my other books? Ask them here!"

Hi Carol
My favourite book of yours is call..."

I'm so glad you like Demon Lover. That actually came to me pretty quickly. The idea came to me while walking in a woods that was overgrown with honeysuckle vines. I became possessed by the story and started writing it even though I was supposed to be writing something else! My publisher thought that I should use the pseudonym to distinguish between my non-fantasy books and fantasy books, although honestly, I think there's a logical progression from the non-fantasy books, with their fairy tale themes, to the fantasy books where the fairies are real.

Theresa wrote: "Carol, it is so good to see you here! I hope I haven't missed the discussion. The Lake of Dead Languages, The Sonnet Lover and The Night Villa are three of my most favorite books ever! I've always ..."
Hi, Theresa! The discussion is just getting off the ground. Thank you for your kind words about my books! Oh gosh, I think of Jane Hudson (Lake), Rose Asher (Sonnet Lover), and Sophie Chase (The Night Villa) from time to time. I think there's a little bit of me in all of them. Jane has my Latin teaching background, Rose my old house in Austin, and Sophie my junior year abroad in Italy! Then again, I've never gone to a private boarding school (Jane), discovered the identity of Shakespeare's dark lady (Sophie), or gotten lost in the tunnels under Herculaneum (Rose).
Actually I'm working on a non-fantasy mystery right now (okay, it may have a ghost, but no fairies), but I can't say when it will come out yet.

Carol,
I've noticed that your fantasy novels are more sexually candid than your mystery novels. I was curious if that was intentional, or if you felt more open to incorporate a more freely expressed sexuality in the fantasy novels?

Ha! Yes, they are. I guess when I came up with the idea of writing about a demon lover the sex kind of came with it! I couldn't very well write a book about an incubus and NOT have any sex. Thanks for noticing :)

Carol, I have loved reading The Lake of Dead Languages, Night Villa, The Seduction of Water and Arcadia Falls. I was curious if you had gone to a school like the one in your book.
It always fascinates me how you come up with the story lines, just how do you do it?
I didn't know you where an author of fantasy novels, now I will go and get those! Oh darn a trip to the book store, LOL.