I simply couldn't walk away from [ The Nightingale].

I absolute adore epic journeys that require a protagonist to fight for every victory in the hopes of finding triumph.

Sometimes a story grabs hold of you and won't let go.

I know I'm not normal in this, but [ Severus ] Snape is absolutely my favorite character in the Harry Potter books. He is completely mortal - good, bad, strong, weak, motivated by hatred, motivated by love. A gorgeous, compelling, complex character who definitely earns a spot at my table.

Coming up with the idea is the worst part of writing for me.

I am more than happy to invite my five favorite fictional characters. Let's see. First on my list is Sam Gamgee from The Lord of The Rings. Sam is a beautiful character; in him, we find the profound heroism of an ordinary person. He epitomizes the saying that courage isn't not being afraid, courage is going anyway. I just love that.

I have to admit that WWII France was not at all on my radar for Kristin Hannah.