During the Tempests and Slaughter tour, Tammy made an appearance on The Record to speak with writer and columnist Lindy West. The two discussed Tammy’s early writing, the experiences that shaped her, and the stories to elevate in today’s landscape.

The only place in the 1960s where you could reliably find [female heroes] were historicals. To this day, I still reread “The Witch of Blackbird Pond” and “Mara, Daughter of the Nile.” But at the end of each, those characters were asked to come down and live the lives of proper young ladies — or wives, in Mara’s case. And they acquiesced. So I kept looking. But it was Anne McCaffrey who taught me that women could be the hero of the book.

You can read highlights, and listen to the interview here: Girls can be heroes, depending on what books you read growing up!