The Sarah Addison Allen Fan Group discussion

Hi everyone! Sarah Addison Allen will be taking your questions about FIRST FROST (out 1/20) and LOST LAKE (trade paperback out 1/6) this Friday, 12/12! Leave your questions for Sarah below and come back to see her answers later this week.

Sarah - All your books seem to feature a significant relationship between a mother and a daughter. I'm wondering what it is about that maternal-daughter relationship that draws you to featuring it in each of your books?

Hi Sarah,
I would like to know what can we expect from the new book. Also, what made you to come back to the Waverley women? I loved "Garden Spells" and I'm excited to read about what have been up to.
P.S.: You should come visit Portugal. Your fans are waiting for you =)

Hi Sarah,

What books were your favorites when you were growing up and when did you know you wanted to be an author?

Warm regards,
Barbara

When did you first hear about magical realism?

Keep the questions coming, everyone! These are great!

Dear Sarah,Thinking back and because Tess the season what book as a YA did you get for Christmas that was very important to you?

Who or What inspired you to write?
What are some of your favorite books?

Will you be writing sequels to any of the other characters from your previous books? Some of them cross over like Garden Spells and The Peach Keeper. Will any characters from The Peach Keeper be in First Frost?

Lost Lake was much more melancholy for me than your previous books. I wasn't expecting that. Is grief a subject you plan to explore further in your work? How was writing Lost Lake different for you than your other novels? It had a different vibe, and I've long wondered if that was intentional or just how it came out! Beautiful work on all books.
Stella

Were you concerned in taking on a sequel? We as readers have been left to build lives for the Waverley crew and now your book will have to compete with those stories. When you wrote these characters in Garden Spells did you see their future or did that wait until you started working on First Frost? Thanks! I'm always counting down for your next book!

Jordan wrote: "Sarah - All your books seem to feature a significant relationship between a mother and a daughter. I'm wondering what it is about that maternal-daughter relationship that draws you to featuring it..."

Hi Jordan!

I think, whether good or bad, our maternal ties are probably our most significant female relationships in life. For a lot of people, who we are boils down to: "I want to be just like my mom or dad." or "I don't want to be anything like my mom or dad."

I have a great relationship with my mom (Hi, Mom!), and hope to be half a patient and kind as she is.

Kena wrote: "Hi Sarah,

This question could pertain to any of your novels, but what motivates you to always add an element of magic into your stories? Is it just something you want to add or is it influenced by..."

Hi Kena! The magic comes naturally as I write. It's a very organic process for me. I never set out to have a character or place be magical, it just sort of...happens. I think I'm influenced as a writer by all the genres I read as a reader, and a little bit of everything finds its way into my books.

Cátia wrote: "Hi Sarah,
I would like to know what can we expect from the new book. Also, what made you to come back to the Waverley women? I loved "Garden Spells" and I'm excited to read about what have been up ..."

Hi Catia! I hope to come to Portugal one day! First Frost felt like coming home for me. It takes place ten years after Garden Spells, and the Waverleys are in a different place in their lives. I'm at a different place in my life, too, so it was a good experience, revisiting something from so long ago and facing it with all I've learned.

Barbara wrote: "Hi Sarah,

What books were your favorites when you were growing up and when did you know you wanted to be an author?

Warm regards,
Barbara"

Hi Barbara! I loved, and still have on my shelf, Millicent's Ghost, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, The Funny Little Woman, The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes...

I've always enjoyed writing -- I think I get it from my dad, who was a journalist -- but I didn't pursue writing with the goal of being published until I graduated from college. I liked writing for myself, but it took a long time to build up the courage to write for anyone else.

Micielle wrote: "Dear Sarah,Thinking back and because Tess the season what book as a YA did you get for Christmas that was very important to you?"

Hi Micielle! I can remember clearly, when I was sixteen, receiving Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights from my dear great-aunt Charlotte. I read them over Christmas break and was completely in love with them from then on. I still have those books, inscribed by my great-aunt. I cherish them.

Jan wrote: "Who or What inspired you to write?
What are some of your favorite books?"

Hi Jan! My dad, first and foremost, inspired me to write. He was a journalist and, though retired now, is still one of the best writers I know.

I have a lot of favorite books, some old favorites, some new favorites...A few favorites this year are I'll Give You the Sun and The Secret Place.

Krissy wrote: "Will you be writing sequels to any of the other characters from your previous books? Some of them cross over like Garden Spells and The Peach Keeper. Will any characters from The Peach Keeper be in..."

Hi Krissy! I don't have any plans for more sequels, but I've learned to never say never. I know there's a large contingency rooting for a sequel to The Girl Who Chased the Moon.

There is a character from The Peach Keeper who finds his way into First Frost. He's hilarious and I love him. When you read First Frost, let me know if you recognize him!

Stella wrote: "Lost Lake was much more melancholy for me than your previous books. I wasn't expecting that. Is grief a subject you plan to explore further in your work? How was writing Lost Lake different for you..."

Hi Stella! I took some time off from writing when I was diagnosed with cancer, and Lost Lake was the first book I wrote after I recovered. I didn't want to write a book about cancer. I was adamant about that. Cancer was too real and too horrible and I couldn't make it good or magical. But what I ended up writing, without even realizing it, was a book, not about cancer, but about grief. It was a healing book for me. My upcoming book, First Frost, doesn't explore grief. I think Lost Lake was just the book I needed to write at the time. I'm three years in remission now.

Katie wrote: "Were you concerned in taking on a sequel? We as readers have been left to build lives for the Waverley crew and now your book will have to compete with those stories. When you wrote these character..."

Hi Katie! I enjoyed returning to the world of the Waverleys. Since First Frost takes place ten years after Garden Spells, it was almost like writing new characters. Bay, in particular. She was only five in Garden Spells, and now she's fifteen, which comes with its own set of problems. I wrote in new characters, too.

When I wrote Garden Spells, I didn't have a sequel in mind. I gave the characters a happy ending and thought that was that. But then readers starting asking, "What happens next?" And that's when I started thinking about it. What comes after the happily-ever-after? That's how First Frost came to life. I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Sarah Addison Allen wrote: "Stella wrote: "Lost Lake was much more melancholy for me than your previous books. I wasn't expecting that. Is grief a subject you plan to explore further in your work? How was writing Lost Lake di..."

Thank you so much for replying; keep it up - you're amazing and magical! And congratulations on your remission! <3 ~ Stella

Dear Sarah,Thank you for answering my questions about the Christmas books.Both were very good and deep books I could only read them once because they broke my heart.I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a bright new years.Micielle

Dear Sarah,My parents Loved reading and gave this love to all of their children.But I almost lost it due to a teacher who made fun of me when ever I read out loud in class.Thanks to My parent and other great teachers I learned to love reading again. Why I tell this is because the two books I love { I was very young 7 when this happened }are The littlest Orphan {short story}by:Margaret Elizabeth Sangster and Twig by Elisabath Orton Jones. Thank you for your next book I'm looking forward to January .

Sarah Addison Allen wrote: "Krissy wrote: "Will you be writing sequels to any of the other characters from your previous books? Some of them cross over like Garden Spells and The Peach Keeper. Will any characters from The Pea..."

It was Buster! Such a great book! They all are.