Kestrel is a very serious person – she has to be, considering her gruesome job! I wanted Pippit to be the thing that brings Kestrel out of that seriousness sometimes, who gives her another voice to bounce off when she’s alone in the forest. Tell us more about Pippit’s role in the novel and how this aspect of the story was developed. Some of the darkness in the novel is balanced by a weasel named Pippit, who is Kestrel’s hilarious sidekick. I’m also a little bit obsessed with forests. I also wanted to write about fear itself, so I put the two together and realized they fit perfectly. So when I was looking for a new book to write I thought ‘hey, why not build the entire story around this gruesome monster instead?’ I’ve tried using it in lots of different stories, but it never really worked. I’ve always had this fictional monster lurking in the back of my mind, a horrific creature that sucks up rubbish, absorbs everything it comes across, and evolves as it interacts with people. I couldn’t agree more! Where did the idea for WHERE THE WOODS END come from? Young people can cope with a lot – and who doesn’t love a good monster or two? I’m also making it my life’s mission to say ‘pah!’ to everyone who thinks that young people shouldn’t read things that are a bit dark. It’s a great genre for exploring how tough the world is, as well as showing that there can be lightness and humour in the darkest places. That’s why Where the Woods End – like most ‘horror’ books, really – isn’t there just to be scary or make you say ‘ew’. It’s partly because scary stories are fun, but the genre also gives you so many opportunities to explore important things. I’ve always had a bit of a dark imagination (too dark? Never!), so I gravitate towards writing things that are a bit horror-y. This is your second middle grade horror novel what is it about writing this genre that appeals to you? Kirkus gave WHERE THE WOODS END a starred review and called it “deliciously shivery.” The creepy sense of foreboding starts with the very first sentence, which reads, “The endless forest was as dark as the back of a wolf’s throat, and it was filled with countless horrors.”Ĭharlotte, thank you for joining us today!

The story follows Kestrel, a fierce huntress, as she strives to protect her village from Grabbers––shadowy creatures that stalk, kidnap, and eat their human prey. Charlotte’s second novel, WHERE THE WOODS END, comes out on August 14 th. Creepers and crawlers and things that go bump in the night? Yes, please! Since my latest literary obsession is dark middle grade fantasy, I’m especially thrilled to welcome middle grade author Charlotte Salter to The Winged Pen.

Where the Woods End by Charlotte Salter