Claire Legrand has a sweet heart and a dark imagination - a combination that has made for two magical middle grade novels (THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS and THE YEAR OF SHADOWS), and a forthcoming YA, WINTERSPELL, due out September 30 from Simon & Schuster. We met at her home in Princeton, New Jersey to talk scary stories for kids, earning honor badges in life, and finding time amidst the "author" madness to actually write.

Claire LeGrand Show Notes

Claire LeGrand’s agent Diana Fox

Claire’s blog post about leaving New York

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin

The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Lucy Ruth Cummins with S&S

Sarah Watts, artist for covers with S&S

Karl Kwasny, artist for Year of Shadows with S&S

E.T.A. Hoffmann's original Nutcracker

His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik

Story by Robert McKee