To set up an author event, appearance, podcast, or Tarot for Writers workshop with Kris, please contact her here. Kris is also available to Zoom with your book club, library, or bookstore. Book club resources.
upcoming events and workshops
Tarot for Writers.
June 2024, date to be announced. Online presentation at WriteHive 2024.
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Romancing the Novel: The Craft of Writing Romance
Tuesday July 9, 2024 – July 30, 2024, 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm ET. Romance novels are currently the most profitable corner of the publishing industry. Thanks to Netflix’s Bridgerton, new audiences are discovering—and penning—this most comforting of literary genres. In this four week introductory class for new romance writers and writers who want to incorporate romantic elements in their fiction, we’ll cover the ingredients of a successful romance novel: plot structure, tropes, reader expectations, and “sizzle” levels. We’ll also read and discuss passages from romance novels to gain an overview of the genre, explore the fascinating ways recent books mirror cultural advances for women, and look at paths to publication. Generative writing prompts get you started writing your own romance and we’ll share excerpts in class for gentle, supportive feedback. Learn more or register.
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Authors as Adaptors
September 7, 2024. In-person panel presentation at the Historical Novel Society UK in Devon. With Heather Webb and Finola Austin. Learn more.
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Tarot for Writers and Creatives workshops
New classes coming soon. Alert me.
previously recorded events
Goddess Tarot 25th Anniversary celebration
Kris Waldherr chats with tarotist and novelist Susan Wands about creating the Goddess Tarot, using tarot for writing inspiration, and more. Special guest appearance by Tarot Diva Sasha Graham.
Historical Happy Hour
In time for Halloween, Kris Waldherr chats with bestselling historical fiction author Jane Healey about Unnatural Creatures, writing advice, and much more.
She Wore Black podcast: Kris Waldherr on Mary Shelley
With host Agatha Andrews. Author Kris Waldherr talks about Mary Shelley, the beloved gothic icon who penned Frankenstein as a teenager—and whose life was truly stranger than fiction.
The Rise (and Return) of the Gothic Novel
Pamunkey Regional Library. The birth of the gothic novel occurred in reaction to the industrial and scientific revolutions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries: Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto, the book considered the first gothic novel, was published in 1764; in 1818 Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein terrorized readers with its nightmare vision of science run amok. Over two hundred years later, the gothic novel is enjoying a renewed popularity, aided by bestselling books such as Mexican Gothic and Melmoth, and television shows and films such as “Penny Dreadful” and “Crimson Peak.”
In this talk, Kris will discuss the fascinating history of the gothic novel, the surprising (and spooky) origins of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and what inspired the writing of Kris’s critically acclaimed gothic novel The Lost History of Dreams. She’ll also offer writing and publishing advice for those wanting to write their own gothic story.
