A Long Time Ago... with Amy Ratcliffe
Hello there.
Welcome to A Long Time Ago… the fortnightly series where I ask a different guest to share with us a favourite Star Wars story and historical site. This started as a tie-in to my first piece of published writing, the article ART WARS for Star Wars Insider #226. The whole archive of my exploration of fourteen ancient art sites and every Star Wars story on my shelves can be found here.
But today I hand over to the esteemed first guest: Amy Ratcliffe!
Amy is the author of the upcoming Thrill Ride, an adult rom-com set in a small town theme park, coming from Kensington Books in spring 2025.
She also wrote Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy, The Jedi Mind, A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Elee & Me, Star Wars: Battles That Changed the Galaxy, The Art of God of War Ragnarök, The Art of Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline, and Hulk Not Smash. She contributed a story to From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back. Based in North Carolina, Amy’s always ready to tell the next story.
Here’s her website. And I’d really recommend Amy’s newsletter Roads Go Ever On in which she shares what she’s up to, news on her writing, watching and reading and always includes something whalesome, creative and an inspiring quote. I always appreciate when one of these graces my inbox each month.
Amy was also recently affected by Hurricane Helene. I urge you to read her brilliant post about her experience and check out the linked list of ways to donate and help.
In A Galaxy Far, Far Away…
So many titles catch my eyes when I glance over my many shelves filled with Star Wars books. After all, so many have made an impression by exploring my favorite characters or Star Wars eras. But today, my eyes rested longest on Leia, Princess of Alderaan by Claudia Gray, published in 2017. I already adored this book before Obi-Wan Kenobi, but seeing a younger Leia made me appreciate it even more.
Before Princess of Alderaan, we'd not seen a ton of Leia's life before the events of A New Hope. But here, we see her rebellious streak expanding. We see through her teenage eyes as she goes through an important Alderaanian rite and tries to uphold the traditions that come with eventually becoming queen. Then there’s the whole matter of knowing her parents are up to something.
For as much as I enjoy seeing Leia in this particular moment of time, I love spending more time with Breha and Bail Organa. It has some of my favorite Star Wars stuff: bits of how the Rebellion came to be. Watching how Breha uses her station to carry out networking and exchange information that will be crucial to the Rebel Alliance is my favorite. Favorite!
In Cades Cove, Tennessee, United States…
I’ve been working on a middle grade fantasy for about a year and a half now. [Editor’s note: I’ve beta read this book!] I’m about halfway through rewriting it (and mysteriously keep remaining halfway through no matter how much I cut, add, and rearrange). One moment sparked my idea, which is, very simply, a national park for mythical creatures. I was hiking in Pisgah National Forest, looked into a clearing bathed in dappled sunlight, and imagined, for some reason, how cool it would be to see a herd of unicorns there.
When it came time to find the ideal setting for my story, I knew Pisgah wasn’t what I had in mind. It had to be the Great Smoky Mountains with its peaks reaching above otherworldly swirls of mist. Specifically, it had to be Cades Cove.
It's a scenic valley tucked into the national park near Townsend, Tennessee. The Cherokee people traveled through the abundant valley for hunting. Then, European settlers made the area home in the 1820s. When you drive the loop road around Cades Cove, you can pull over to visit historic cabins, churches, and a gristmill. Wandering through the old cemeteries and all the history that comes with it makes the beautiful natural setting more real, somehow.
By seeing the buildings where people gathered and celebrated and worked to survive, you can imagine their lives in the valley. It’s helped me imagine what it might be like for a family and kids to live there in contemporary times.
Thank you so much Amy!
These posts come out every other Sunday so subscribe today to discover the next guest and their picks!
Cheers,
Harvey