Registration is open for the 2022 Connecticut Book Awards!
When: October 23, 2022 | 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Where: Hartford Public Library
Please note that clicking the button will bring you to another site for registration.
Q&A
COVID is still with us, although easing off a little, thank goodness. Did you have a favorite comfort genre to turn to when things were looking bleak? Something that lifted you away and to a different place for a while?
When things look bleak, I like to read adventure stories. The idea that seemingly insurmountable odds can be overcome through courage and perseverance is very heartening during times like these. In addition, during times of stress I often focus on doing research. I find history books and worldbuilding to be very relaxing. There’s just something about the process of story creation that makes everything seem better.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I often describe my writing process as sort of like a nebulous web of interconnected plot, character, and setting ideas. Sometimes they just come to me, sometimes they’re inspired by historical events or figures. As I develop these ideas they form links between one another (characters that fit in a certain world and plot arcs that seem to make sense for them) and I just sort of build them into a story.
Who made reading important to you?
Reading has always been very important in my family and it’s something that my parents, relatives, and family friends all encouraged. My family also helped to foster my love of writing, and both reading and writing went hand in hand from a very young age. As a child, books were a source of inspiration to me, something that I grew up wanting to share with others.
Where is your favorite place to read?
Anywhere and everywhere. While I certainly enjoy sitting on the sofa and putting my feet up while I read, I like to bring a book with me when I go places and read when there’s a quiet moment. It’s my preferred way to pass the time when traveling.
What was your favorite subject in school? Why?
My favorite subject has always been history. I love learning about the past and seeing the ways in which it was similar to the world today, as well as how it was different. History is the story of humanity and I think it’s a story that should be read as often and as thoroughly as possible.
What message would you like to send to young readers?
I’d like to repeat the message I included in THE SECRET LIFE OF KITTY GRANGER’s dedication: “Differences are good. They make us human.” Everyone benefits when we all work together, sharing our strengths and capabilities for the common good and ensuring that no one is left behind or left out. That is humanity at its best and I think it’s a goal we should always strive toward.
Bio
G. D. Falksen is the author of several novels, including The Secret Life of Kitty Granger, the Maiden of War series, the Ouroboros Cycle series, and The Transatlantic Conspiracy. He is Chairman of the Advisory Board of Writers and Artists Across the Country. Read more at www.gdfalksen.com.
Synopsis
It’s 1967, and Kitty Granger is about to accidentally become a spy. A working-class girl from London’s East End who today would be recognized as on the autism spectrum, she’s spent sixteen years hiding her “peculiarities” from the world. But after her hyper-awareness helps her survive a chance encounter with a Russian spy ring, two British secret agents offer her a job.
Kitty’s first mission draws her into a fascist conspiracy led by a prominent politician—who’s also an unreformed Nazi sympathizer. With help from her team, Kitty must use her wits, training, and instincts to get out alive. And she might as well save the country while she’s at it.
