Video Guide to Water Folk

Episode One: “Lady in the Water”

In this first episode of the Water Folk Video Guide, shot along the banks of Tennessee’s Holston River, author John Hood discusses magical creatures associated with water — borrowed from Welsh, Spanish, Dutch, and Native American folklore — and the roles they play in the story.

Episode Two: “Remember the Alamo”

In this video, shot at San Antonio’s iconic Alamo, author John Hood discusses the causes and effects of the Texas War of Independence and how the battles of San Jacinto and the Alamo are depicted in his historical-fantasy novel Water Folk.

Episode Three: “Whale of a Tale”

In this video — shot at the Whaling Museum in New Bedford, Massachusetts — author John Hood talks about whaling, seafaring, and one of the central characters of Water Folk: the legendary Captain Alfred Bulltop Stormalong, otherwise known as Bull.

Episode Four: “The Mound Builders”

In this video — shot at the Etowah Indian Mounds in Bartow County, Georgia — author John Hood describes the indigenous cultures that built these massive mounds across North America and how they influence the plot of Water Folk.

Episode Five: “Casualties of War”

In this episode, shot at Soldiers’ Home Cemetery in Washington, Water Folk author John Hood discusses the tremendous costs of going to war — in resources and in human lives — and why previous generations of Americans thought it wise to pay them.