Denise Baden is the founder of Habitat Press and author of both our first-ever publication, Habitat Man, and her newest book, The Philosopher and the Assassin.
The first thing we discovered was that Denise (aka D.A.) likes to draw on real life for her fiction, and the gorgeous Florence (the dog) in Habitat Man is based on the equally gorgeous Lily.
Here’s our Q&A with Denise – keep an eye out for the free downloads mentioned in her answers!
Why do you choose to use initials D.A. rather than your full name of Denise?
Habitat Man was inspired by an actual green garden consultant who retired early to make gardens wildlife friendly. I immediately thought what a great idea for a book. I threw in a backstory and a secret (also inspired by a real-life story), a body in the garden and a romance. But as my protagonist was a man, I felt rather a fraud. I’m a mother of two boys (now men) and was a tomboy when young, so I felt as qualified as anyone could. But I was aware of having occasionally been a little harsh in my judgement of some male authors who write female protagonists* and worried the same judgement would be levelled at me!
* Denise hasn’t learned her lesson. Her latest book The Philosopher and the Assassin has this on the first page:
Typically, narrators writing in the first person find an excuse to examine themselves in a mirror and reveal what they see. Usually someone good-looking. If it’s a male author writing as female, she may regard her naked body for a bit too.
What else was drawn from real life in your novel?
Jo is a bit of a comic sidekick, and she invents a random recipe generator where you press a button and the software randomly picks from a list of ingredients. The rules are that you have to cook only with these, except you can add one item and discard one item. For extra entertainment, I added a joker column which has ingredients such as nettles or edible insects that must be included. It’s great fun and was something my partner and I ‘cooked up’ years ago. I’m afraid my poor family were subjected to some strange meals. You can download the most up-to-date RRG here. Have a play with it yourself to make it vegetarian or vegan or more palatable! In the story, this takes off and becomes a viral challenge with the catchphrase, ‘This tastes absolutely disgusting.’
Did anyone help you with the information on nature-friendly gardening?
Yes, my green garden consultant (who shall remain anonymous) gave me lots of help. I am especially indebted to Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at Sussex University, Founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust and author of numerous bestsellers such as The Garden Jungle: Or Gardening to Save the Planet. He read the whole thing to check my ecological information was correct. You can see him here reading a short extract from Habitat Man in his own beautiful garden.
Do you plan any sequels?
I have about five in my head but none yet written as I got taken over by the story for my current book, The Philosopher and the Assassin. But I did do an extra chapter for those who finished Habitat Man. I was afraid to make it too sexy in case my sons read it. However, they aren’t big readers and that danger has passed, so I wrote what I like to call a smutalog! If you want to know what happened next, then download it for free here.
Do you have questions Book Clubs could use?
Great question. My library stocked eight copies and had it as a book club choice as it’s perfect for book clubs. Here are some suggested questions to get the conversation flowing. I include only those with no spoilers, but for more, check out the webpage.
- Would you like a friend like Jo? In Chapter 1, Tim admits he can’t tell if Jo has his back or is just exploiting him. What do you think? Did your views change over the course of the book?
- Did you learn anything about green solutions or environmental issues?
- Did this book lead to any changes in your own behaviour? Examples include gardening for wildlife and eating seasonal food. Or maybe you’re aware of greener options such as car sharing, home composting, composting toilets, natural burials, etc.?
- Lori expresses a distrust of men who call themselves feminists. Is this fair?
- Many books are set in glamorous locations, but Habitat Man makes a point of showing how beauty and ecology can be attained in an ordinary terraced back garden. Do you think the choice of Southampton as a location worked?
- Who would you choose to play Tim, Lori and Jo in a TV adaptation?
Speaking of TV adaptations – any chance?
It was shortlisted for a BBC Radio 4 adaptation but got pipped to the post in the final round. Many have said they can see it as a TV series and I have a pilot episode and series outline ready in case!
Do the characters in Habitat Man appear elsewhere?
Yes, a wildlife gardener, and Needles, the guerrilla knitter from Habitat Man, both have cameo roles in my new book The Philosopher and the Assassin. They also appear in my play Murder in the Citizens’ Jury. If you’re reading my other publications – No More Fairy Tales and The Assassin – see if you can spot any other familiar characters!
Are any of your books available as audio books?
Yes, two publications are now available as audio books. Click on the titles for links to audio books you can get for free if you have Spotify Premium: Habitat Man and The Assassin. Habitat Man is also available on Audible (The Assassin will be soon) or purchase either of them directly from our website. I have a monthly Creative Climate Communications newsletter on Linked-In where I wrote a bit about why I chose human narrators rather than AI.
Tell us about your new book, The Philosopher and the Assassin, that came out on 1st October 2025
It’s rather different. Think campus novel meets moral philosophy meets whodunnit! For those who don’t know, my day job is as a sustainability professor. I drew upon my own experiences as a university academic and those I know from other universities. To anyone who wonders, it is definitely fiction. However, the impacts of the commercialisation of higher education is something I touch upon.
Synopsis: There’s no more important job in the world than educator, and no subject as necessary as moral philosophy. The trick is getting the students to turn up. So, when the Dean proposes the controversial concept of education entertainment, Professor Iris Tate goes all in with a moral philosophy course. It’s based on a whodunnit that all assume is hypothetical – a murder in a citizens’ assembly on climate. A variety of characters provide an entertaining source of ethical dilemmas, but what the students don’t know is that the ultimate dilemma is very real, and their conclusions will have far-reaching consequences.
I first released a version of the book as a limited Kickstarter edition, titled Murder in the Climate Assembly. It has been rewritten for this new edition. Below is feedback from reviewers and beta readers.
An adaptation of the story for TV won the Writing Climate Pitchfest, 2024, and was being considered by a Hollywood producer. However, it’s been so long since I heard from them that I’m not holding my breath. The central whodunnit in the novel also operates as a standalone play, Murder in the Citizens’ Jury which was staged in 2024. It was great fun seeing my words come to life on stage and it did exactly what I’d hoped – entertained and educated. It is registered with LazyBee for theatre companies to put on. But if you approach me directly, I’m happy to allow amateur or student theatre groups to stage it royalty-free.
Finally, here’s a question from Denise for readers of Habitat Man
Guess what music Denise was listening to when she wrote Habitat Man? Clue: it’s classical.
Write in with your answers and we’ll let you know. We’ll give you a special discount for your next eBook or audiobook from Habitat Press to anyone who gets it right – one answer only per person!