Need A Good Fantasy For Your Tween/Teen?

Today I am interviewing Katie Carroll, author of the middle grade/young adult fantasy Elixir Bound. I personally read this book and just loved it. That’s why I rated it as a 5-star a couple of months ago. Plus I always recommend this book to grade 6's and 7's on school visits. And don’t forget, if you leave a comment, you are automatically entered into a draw for a free copy of her book.

Katie, can you tell us in your own words what the story’s about?

Katora Kase is poised to take over as head of the family farm. What she’s not prepared for is being next in line to take over as guardian of a secret and very powerful healing Elixir. Now she must embark on a quest into the dangerous Faway Forest to retrieve the nectar that gives the Elixir its potency. Of course she has help, in the form of Palafair, a family friend and member of the miniature demick species; Kylene, her younger sister and much more sensitive of the two young women; Bhar, her fun and also irresponsible younger brother; and what would a YA fantasy be without a love interest with the long-lashed and stoic son of a mapmaker Hirsten.

How ever did you dream this up? What an imagination!

I’ve always had an overactive imagination and grew up on stories like Little Women and the Little House books. I wanted to write a fantasy, but I also wanted it to have the family feel of the stories my mom read to us as kids. Honestly, my best ideas come to me in the shower.

Who is your favourite character and why?

Well, that’s an easy one. Kylene. No doubt. Cliffhanger...you’ll learn why below!

Who is your most hated character?

Hmm...I don’t really hate any of my characters. Even the bad ones hold a special place in my heart. I guess if I had to pick one, it would be the Black Horseman. He’s the spirit henchman of the witch Yeselda. He definitely is high up on the creepy factor.

Will there be a sequel to this story? I sure hope so.

Absolutely! I’m working on it right now (okay, well, I’m working on this interview right now, but you know what I mean). It’s called Elixir Saved and brings back many of the beloved characters from Elixir Bound, but it has some really interesting new ones too. It’s turning out to be darker and more epic. The Greater Peninsula is on the brink of war. The three main characters (yup, I said three!) have all been saved by the Elixir and now they must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice with their second chances at life.

I noticed one of the characters seemed very special to you. It seems as though she’s based on a real person. Am I right?

I wrote this story for the real Kylene, my sister who died at the age of 16. I tried to embody the spirit of my sister in the character of Kylene, although there are definitely some differences between the two. She loved the Harry Potter books—although she only lived to read the first four—and shared them with everyone she knew, turning a lot of reluctant readers into eager ones. My dad gave me the idea of writing a fantasy story for her.

So it was her death that made you become a writer?

It was her death that made me realize I’m a writer. I think I’ve always been a writer; I was just in denial about it before Kylene died.

It goes to show you that good things often come out of bad situations.

Her death gave me the courage to realize and pursue my dream. It started out as a very small silver lining, but has since grown into a shining purpose in my life.

So where can we buy this amazing book?

MuseItUp bookstore: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=456&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-ebook/dp/B0093CL4OM

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elixir-bound-katie-l-carroll/1113575170?ean=2940045014328

And pretty much anywhere e-books are sold. Oh, and Elixir Bound will be out in paperback later this year (looking like June or July). J Check out my website www.katielcarroll.com for updates on my books and life.

Thank, Katie. It was a pleasure to have you on my blog. Readers, please leave a comment below to enter the draw.