Host Edith welcomes returning guest Kristina Bak from Bellingham, Washington to discuss the third and final book in Bak’s near-future, non-dystopian YA trilogy about Stevie, a young healer shaped by her father’s disappearance, a childhood abduction, and traumatic amnesia. Bak explains how Stevie’s coming-of-age from 16 to 18 culminates in new strength as she navigates an uneasy friendship with Coral, a homeless teen caregiver who claims a gift for accompanying the dying and asks Stevie to ease patients’ pain, raising questions of trust and escalating toward a life-and-death climax. The conversation also covers characters “talking” to authors, reading as comfort and escapism, the value of writers’ groups, marketing via Facebook and a website, plans for an audiobook collection, support for independent bookstores and libraries amid censorship pressures, and Bak’s shift toward a dark adult literary project set in Australia.

00:00 Welcome Back Kristina

01:05 Stevie Takes Over

02:51 Fatherless Daughters Theme

06:09 Book Three Setup

07:49 Coral And Hospice

10:59 Characters That Talk

13:45 Why We Read Fiction

19:02 Non Dystopian Comfort

22:38 YA Fiction Bravery

26:05 Finding Coral Voice

28:19 Next Writing Chapter

29:37 Writers Group Life

31:27 Self Doubt And Marketing

32:43 Social Media And Website

37:25 Bookstores Kindle Audiobook

41:25 Writing For Readers Not Money

44:26 Libraries Censorship And Control

50:17 Politics Anxiety And News

53:59 Next Dark Australia Novella

58:04 Authentic Marketing And Farewell

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