This week I'm participating in a Work in Progress blog hop! Since book 3 is complete and coming out this Thursday, I thought I would look ahead to book four for this post. Enjoy...
What is the working title of your book?
The Enchanted (Book 4 of
The Gateway Chronicles)
Where did the idea for your book come from?
It's difficult to answer this just in terms of this book since it is the fourth book of the series, but the idea for the series sprang out of my experiences at summer camp as a child and young adult. I wanted to write a fantasy series as a sort of homage to all the good times I had there. As to why I chose to write a long series in which the characters have a year-long adventure in another world in each book, I wanted to give my readers books and characters they could grow with. I patterned this aspect after
Harry Potter, as I think Rowling brilliantly provided that experience. But also, being an admirer of
The Chronicles of Narnia my whole life, I also wanted my books to have that same through-the-wardrobe feel to them. I commonly tell people that my books are like
Harry Potter meets
Narnia at summer camp.
What genre does your book fall under?
Young Adult Fantasy
Which actors would you choose to play the characters in your book?
I have such a looong list of characters now that it would be impossible to choose actors for all of them, but let me see... I'd love to see Max Irons as Yahto Veli. He's not an actor, but Ryan Lochte is a dead ringer for Tellius (once Tellius is all grown up in the series). Diane Kruger could play Voitto Vesa. I'd love to choose actors for the six teenagers who make up my main cast of characters, but I'm too unfamiliar with young Hollywood to think of anyone right now.
What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Plagued by doubts about her future, Darcy Pennington must begin to unravel the mysteries of her oracle if she is to save Alitheia and reconcile her relationship with Tellius, the king she is intended to marry.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
The Enchanted will be released by The Writer's Coffee Shop Publishing House.
How long did it take to write your first draft of your manuscript?
It took me about twelve and a half weeks.
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
As I've already mentioned above, it definitely has the flavor of
Narnia and
Harry Potter. Readers will also find a taste of more traditional fantasy like
The Chronicles of Prydain and
The Lord of the Rings, as well. It is also similar somewhat to the
Inheritance Cycle.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
Again, as I already mentioned, my camp experiences played a huge role in my inspiration. I was also just plain ready to write something that I could be serious about publishing, and I thought the time was right for this sort of novel in the young adult market.
What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?
If you enjoy stories that are more than surface deep, then my books are for you. Riddles, oracles, plot twists, and hidden literary devices abound in this book and the rest of the series, creating an experience where the reader is trying to unravel the mystery and figure out the double meanings throughout. I've written more in an English tradition than an American tradition, so if you are an Anglophile of any sort, that should also interest you!
Next Up...
Ross Boone
www.rawspoon.com
Jessica Marie Brooks
http://marie-the-reader.blogspot.com
Jamie Harper
http://www.brownpaperandstrings.com
Dennis Hoyle
http://www.bellwethergames.com (For a post on a board game in progress!)
S. B. Scrillum
www.halanea.blogspot.com
Here we go! These are the dates for my blog tour celebrating the August 16th release of book 3 of The Gateway Chronicles, The White Thread. I'm really excited about this one! There will be interviews, reviews, and giveaways aplenty, so check it out and join the fun. The first stop on the tour is over at Paperback Princess with a character interview with Perry. Enjoy!