Despite her love of words, T.C. Barden enjoys feeding a raging bonfire with her old journals. She loves winnowing down ideas into those that tug, tie, and never release the heartstrings. Inspired by reading Ursula Le Guin, Sheri Tepper, and Robin McKinley, she seeks to bind readers in similar spells.

Slumber, A Different Kind of Apocalypse is her first novel. She says this: “I am intrigued by the original fairy tales – twisted stories that children’s movies made palatable by watering down the poison. These stories stripped women of strength and wisdom. In retelling these tales with sovereign women, we can flip genders – or we can turn the tale’s axis further. The same poison curse offered in an altered form.”

T.C. Barden’s first book was written at 10 years old; the original and only copy of When the World Turned Upside Down remains on a bedroom shelf. Loving poetry, she has read hers at events in her hometown of Bellingham, Washington. In a deeper excavation, one might uncover thousands of resumes written by her over a 14+ year career as a professional resume writer.

When not writing, she can be found hiking with friends, barbecuing with her daughter, swimming in chilling rivers, trotting somewhere on the globe, and basking in bonfires.