The Folklorist follows a woman starting a job in the New England Folklife Museum with a boss who undermines her at every turn who discovers valuable information in an old family diary. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Several years ago I watched a PBS documentary on the New England Vampire Panic. I’d never heard of it before, but I found it fascinating. I knew I wanted to write a novel about it. At first, I thought it would be set entirely in the 19th century, but as I turned over possible plots in my mind, I always felt as though something was missing. I kept musing about it off and on for years. Then, after I’d read several novels with dual timelines, I realized that was the missing piece. Since vampires belong to folklore, I decided that having the main character be a folklorist was appropriate as well as something a little different. I chose 1973 because the early 70s saw a rise in interest in the occult. It was also a time when women were making great strides in the workplace but also dealing with a lot of pushback because of it.

What were some challenges you felt were important to defining your characters in this story?

In both timelines there are characters who feel constrained by societal ideas regarding the role of women. Lizzy, in the 1830s timeline, has little interest in the domestic arts and would much rather be working with her father and brother doing the heavier farm work but isn’t allowed to. Charlotte, in 1973, is able to obtain a position with the American Folklife Museum as a first step in building her career, but she is constantly subverted by her sexist boss and even told by other women that she really should be looking for a husband.

There is also the challenge of living in a highly interdependent society for the 1830s characters. It worked well until something broke the bonds between people who depended upon one another for survival. Then, it became a burden and something of a nightmare for Mary and her family.

Finally, there is the challenge of a secret for Jerusha as she is the only person in the family and, for that matter, in Birch Falls from whom something important is being kept, something that has a tremendous impact on her life, but doesn’t know what it is and no one will tell her.

What kind of research did you do for this novel to ensure you captured the essence of the story’s theme?

I had to do more research than usual for this book because two timelines were involved. That meant researching everyday life in the 1830s and 1973. I do remember 1973, but I was 9 years old so my perspective is different from Charlotte’s. Also, I’d forgotten a lot. It was a fun trip down memory lane. I also had to find out what a folklorist would know, what kind of education Charlotte would have had, and what sort of employment she could get with her degree. I read a lot of books on the study of folklore which were fascinating. I even branched out into reading books on anthropology as there is a strong connection between the two.

I devoured books on rural life in 1830s New England. Trips to the Massachusetts living history museum, Old Sturbridge Village, were perfect for understanding and imagining the 1830s setting. Best of all, I am very close friends with Tom Kelleher, historian and curator at Old Sturbridge Village. Tom read every chapter as it was written to check for historical accuracy. His help was so invaluable that I dedicated the book to him.

What is the next book you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?

I’m writing two books right now. One is tentatively titled All in the Furry Family. It will be the second book in the Cat Tales series (the first book, All the Furs and Feathers won a Literary Titan Gold Award.) The other is a standalone fantasy tentatively titled The Winter House.

Additionally, I’m immersed in research for my next historical novel which follows Erin’s Children, the sequel to my debut novel, Kelegeen. Like Erin’s Children, this one will be set in Worcester, Massachusetts and follow the lives of the Irish immigrants first encountered in Kelegeen. In the new book (no tentative title yet), the American Civil War has just broken out, so I’m deep into researching war history, especially the exploits of the regiments sent by Worcester.

I hope that All in the Furry Family will be out before the end of 2024, but I can’t project about release dates for the others.

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