I have a few authors that, as soon as they release a new book, I have to buy it, and I am never disappointed by them. It is hard to choose a stand-alone favourite author. It can change, with the years and the seasons. But at the moment, my favourite author is Juliet Marillier.

The first book I read of hers was called ‘Wildwood Dancing’ and I read it almost ten years ago now. I was entranced immediately by the poetry of words and the beautiful world built around the characters. I loved that the book was inspired by a fairy tale, but since reading the majority of Marillier’s books I have seen the themes. Each story is based on a fairy tale or some bit of folklore.

Perhaps my favourite book by her is ‘Heart’s Blood’. It is a stand-alone novel based on the tale of Beauty and the Beast. The ease with which Marillier transforms a well-loved fairytale into a story of her own design is astonishing, and a sort of magic all within itself. Set in Ireland, in a remote settlement run by a chieftan shrouded in mystery, one girl seeking refuge from a troubled past takes on a secret unlike anything she has ever known. It is a heart-wrenching, bittersweet tale that always brings tears to my eyes.

The latest series I recently completed was called the Blackthorn and Grim series. The final book of three, ‘Den of Wolves’, had a great ending. It did not seem too neatly-tied up. There were still questions, and sorrows, but there was the promise of something great. It leaves many things open to interpretation.

That’s what I love about her books. There are always deep wells of sadness buried in the story, that eventually rise to the surface. There are joys beyond imagining, and characters moving out of their comfort zone to achieve something they never thought possible. The stories are never over the top, never ridiculous or far-fetched. They are just what they need to be, and I can read them time and time again and always get something new out of it.

I have always wanted to meet Juliet Marillier. I built up a meeting in my mind, the sorts of things I would say, the way the conversation would go. I had my chance, a few years ago, at the Supanova Pop Culture Convention in Sydney. I was completed ecstatic, over the moon. I brought the first novel of the Sevenwaters series for her to sign, ‘Daughter of the Forest.’

My younger sister and I, filled with excitement, went to line up. When it came to be our turn, no one was behind us. I thought, ‘great, now is the chance for me to ask all the questions I wanted to ask.’ But, since I am socially awkward, none of those things ended up coming from my mouth. I can’t remember the exact words I said because I have tried to repress the humiliation, but it went along the lines of, ‘I love you, I love the way you write your stories, your words are magic,’ and then feeling as though I wanted to cry because I could not seem to say anything else.

I thing Marillier was rather taken aback, because the words also came out in one partially-garbled flow. Instead, my sister had a nice conversation with her, completely intelligible and lucid. I looked down at my book, at the words she had written.

“To Anna,

Best wishes and happy reading.

Juliet Marillier.”

I spent the entire trip back home staring at those words, and feeling completely frustrated that I did not have that conversation with her, or really ask any of the questions I wanted to. My sister happily mentioned the conversation she’d had, natural as anything.

I hope that, one day, I will have the chance to meet her again and keep my head screwed on straight. Because there is definitely a lot I could learn from her, from the way her words just flow, and the way her plot lines are woven. She is a master storyteller, and I aspire to gain at least some of the magic she infuses into her words.