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In this Fat Forward Books exclusive interview, Samantha Puc talks with author Lizzy Ives about her new young adult fantasy, Thick Witch Travels, how it fits into The Thirteen States trilogy, writing characters whose bodies change over time, world-building, and more.

Lizzy Ives grew up in the fog of the San Francisco Bay Area and now burns in the sun of Los Angeles with her husband, her cat, and their massive board game collection. She has a BFA in Film Production and has worked in various creative jobs for Marvel Studios, Lionsgate, and Skybound Entertainment. She has a passion for books, movies, and comics, but above all, for stories well told. Fat Witch Summer is her debut novel.

To keep up with Ives's work, subscribe to her newsletter on Substack. You can also follow her on social media @lizzytacular.

If you didn't get a chance to back the Thick Witch Travels Kickstarter campaign and want to grab exclusive merch or book bundles, late pledges are available until Sunday, July 20, 2025: https://www.swordandrosepress.com/late-pledge

Thick Witch Travels will be available wherever books are sold on September 16. Pre-order: https://amzn.to/4eVmU6J

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BUY FAT WITCH SUMMER BY LIZZY IVES
Bookshop → https://bookshop.org/a/9129/9780996232456
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3IxGpGp

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In Conversation with Lizzy Ives

Fat Forward Books in Conversation with Lizzy Ives

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Fat Forward Books is Samantha Puc's Bindery Tastemaker page, celebrating books by fat authors and about fat experiences, across every genre and age group. In addition to an active Discord community with a monthly, virtual book club, Forward Books publishes author interviews, book news, reviews, guest posts, and more. Subscribe (for free!) and never miss a post.

Samantha Puc (she/they) is a fat, disabled, lesbian writer and editor whose work focuses primarily on LGBTQ+ and fat representation in pop culture. They are an Eisner Award-winning journalist and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic with bylines at The Beat, Publishers Weekly, Yes! Magazine, Polygon, and elsewhere. Samantha is the founder of Fat Forward Books, Community Voices Blog Editor at NAAFA, and a contributor to the award-winning Fat and Queer: An Anthology of Queer and Trans Bodies and Lives. They graduated in 2025 with a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction from The New School. When Samantha is not working or writing, she loves spending time with her cats, reading, and perfecting her grilled cheese recipe.

External links may generate a small profit for Samantha Puc at no extra charge to readers.

Celebrating books by fat authors and about fat experiences, across every genre and age group.
Run by Samantha Puc (She/They). Avatar by Jess Lome.