What happens when you create an entire fantasy magic system based on type 1 diabetes? Author Matt Twinley wrote The Blood Crystal: Book 1 of The Trucekeeper Saga to show how a fantasy hero can save the world AND successfully manage type 1 diabetes while she’s doing it.
Find out more about his inspiration for the series in this episode!
Meet Matt Twinley
Matt Twinley is the author of The Blood Crystal, the first book in his young adult fantasy series The Trucekeeper Saga.
After graduating the University of St. Andrews, Matt flitted from job to job, working as a wine merchant, audio transcriber and English teacher, all the while wanting to be a writer.
He penned plays for schools, blog posts, film reviews and several projects he swears will never see the light of day. It was only while daydreaming in class as a teaching assistant that he planned his first book.
Matt lives in Surrey, UK with his wife whose type 1 diabetes inspired the magic system featured in The Blood Crystal. He can usually be found hiding indoors scribbling away at a new story, researching something bizarre or lost in a video-game, film or book. If you find him outside, he’s either at a restaurant, bookshop or cinema—otherwise he’s lost.
Now It's Your Turn...
What’s your favorite part about seeing T1D representation in books and other media? If you were going to write a story with a T1D character…how would you do it?
Mentioned in This Episode
- Support the podcast by buying us a coffee through Ko-fi!
- Check out Matt Twinley’s website
- Connect with Matt on Instagram @mtwinley.author
- Buy a copy of The Blood Crystal on Amazon (affiliate link)
Community & Social
- Join us in the Half-Dead Pancreas Club, our private Discord community for people with T1D.
- Follow us on Instagram @thisistype1pod, @jj_crystalkat, & @type1ravenclaw
- Follow us on Facebook
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Credits
Our music is by Joseph McDade. Check out his website here!
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