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Teaching Librarian Friend and fellow author Anita Daher caught up with Sidonie Sobat in the middle of the woods in Hinterlünd. Inside a circle of stones, they sipped tea and spoke of writing. Anita: Gail, this tea is delicious, and I thank you for the invite. Since reading Ingamald and A Winter's Tale, I've been entranced by what I've imagined this land must be. But why do we sit inside this circle of stones? Are there dangers in these woods? Gail: Woods are always dangerous in stories! That's why witches and trolls and giants live in forests. That's why there's a musical called Into the Woods. The woods are a place of peril and transformation. A place you go into to find out something important about yourself, but must get out alive! A circle of stones in pre-Christian times and in many cultures (even today) was a sacred place. Circles are very ancient symbols of unity and protection. Within the circle, one could be safe from the sprites and mischief-makers. Anita: Every author has a different way of approaching a story. The world you have created in your Ingamald series feels so complete and alive. Which came first for you, Ingamald or the land of Hinterlünd? 16 Ontario School Library Association This issue, we'd like to introduce a new feature that we're calling Meet the Authors. Unlike traditional author profiles, we thought we'd have some fun with this one, so we decided for our maiden voyage to ask two insanely busy professional writers to interview each other. They're wild and wacky women, so it should be a fun encounter. Enjoy… To say Gail Sidonie Sobat is a little busyis like saying Lake Superior is a bitlarge. She writes poetry, short stories and longer fiction, and has been published in numerous journals and anthologies. She also teaches, and travels the world giving presentations and readings from her books. Ingamald (Spotted Cow Press 2001), was the first in her YA popular fantasy series about "a lonely orphan, a misunderstood girl- woman, a shunned and feared adept at magic." Her follow-up novel, A Winter's Tale (Great Plains Publications, 2004), was a finalist for the 2006 Ontario Library Association's White Pine Award. Great Plains Publications will publish the third book in this series, A Glass Darkly, this fall (2006). In addition to A Glass Darkly, she has two other recent books. Sumach Press released The Book of Mary, a novel for adults, in May 2006, and her picture book, In the Graveyard, will by published by Orca in 2007. Meet The Authors… Gail Sidonie Sobat and Anita Daher