Spotlight Story
We were thrilled to welcome Kate Milford, beloved author of Greenglass House, for a magical virtual meet-up with our Big Readers Book Club at Emerald Library™!
Kate is the New York Times bestselling author of Greenglass House—a book that not only won the Edgar Award for Juvenile Literature but has also captured the hearts of readers around the world. Set in a mysterious old inn with secrets, stained glass, and ghostly twists, Greenglass House celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, and our readers had the rare treat of hearing its origin story directly from Kate herself.
In our live Q&A, Kate shared how a simple summer writing game with friends—and a prompt about a stained glass window—inspired the cozy, snow-filled mystery that became Greenglass House. She opened up about her writing process (spoiler: she doesn’t outline!) and how real-life experiences, like her family’s adoption journey and her fascination with folklore, found their way into Milo’s story.
“The world needs your stories. Whether you share them or not, your voice—and your way of seeing—is important.” —Kate Milford, to our Big Readers
We also loved hearing about her imaginary city, Nagspeake, the place where many of her stories live—including The Boneshaker, The Broken Lands, The Left-Handed Fate, Bluecrowne, and The Kairos Mechanism. From role-playing games to puzzle-box plotting, Kate’s world-building is a treasure chest of curiosity, creativity, and connection.
When asked for writing advice, Kate emphasized the power of commonplace books—personal notebooks where writers can capture ideas, objects, and oddities for future inspiration. She reminded us that stories matter, even if they’re only for ourselves—and that sometimes the pieces of a story take years to click into place.
We are incredibly grateful for Kate’s time, authenticity, and warmth. Her stories—and her words—left a lasting impact on our readers, especially the aspiring young authors in the group.