Today on TBR's Im chatting with Kiki Hamilton, author of The Faerie Ring. So lets give her a big welcome!!!
Hi Kiki, welcome to the blog!!
So first things first what inspired you to write The Faerie Ring?
So first things first what inspired you to write The Faerie Ring?
I started writing THE FAERIE RING after I read a story I didn't really like, so I decide to write what I wanted to read. I love Victorian London as a setting – there was such a deep belief in mysticism, magic and the Otherworld, while at the same time the Industrial Revolution was occurring with great technological advances. The era offered a huge dichotomy of motivations and beliefs – which is perfect fodder for a story. I've always loved the idea that not all the ‘facts’ of history have been tracked – that maybe some of the stories from the past have slipped through the cracks of time and if we only knew the truth then everything would change….
Why YA?
When I began writing, I was writing a story for my daughter, who was 9 at the time. I intended for it to be light and fluffy but the story sort-of took on a life of it’s own and became YA. But I enjoy reading and writing for that age group and now that my daughter is 15, I've got a perfect beta reader.
My daughter just turned 15....its scary and wonderful at the same time, I know that's why I love YA and the many of you authors out there making great stories for adolescents.
Did you have to do any research or travel for your book?
I did have to do quite a bit of research for THE FAERIE RING, both for the historical setting (London 1871) and for the faerie world. I had never been to London when I started writing the book so a lot of it was plain ol’ luck, that I set my character living in Charing Cross, which is the true heart of London, and the place from which they measure all distances, even today. After my agent had sold THE FAERIE RING, but before I started editorial revisions I actually got to go to London and walk in my characters footsteps from Charing Cross to St. James Park, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park – it was so fantastic and surreal! But having been to London really did help in creating the setting of the story.
That sounds awesome! I would love to go to London and just get lost in research, maybe the government could give me a grant to research the reason British men are so hot....hmmm probably not..;)
If you could pick a song to fit the mood of your book what would it be and why?
That’s an interesting question, because I *love* music, but I write fantasy in silence. On the contrary, I just wrote a YA contemporary story where I listened to a playlist the whole time. Weird. But anyway, I guess if I had to pick a song, it would be something by Brahms in a minor key, because I think of the setting as sort of dark and eerie with a hint of mystery.
What fairy tales or faerie story's are your personal favorite?
I loved reading the Andrew Lang Fairy Tale books when I was growing up, though I don’t specifically remember any of the stories. Of more recent faerie stories, I enjoyed Nancy Werlin’s IMPOSSIBLE, which had a very clever plot and I liked how the story was woven around a well-known song.
Oh wow- Impossible was one of my favorites too, really anything with an evil faerie lord makes the good story list....speaking of good story's, whats the last great movie you saw?
I saw the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part Two, which was good, though I have to admit it’s not my favorite HP movie. I hated to see Hogwarts all blown up and everyone at war – but that was the story.
Hogwarts all blown up was sad to see, but not as sad as seeing Ron and Harry old. LOL....Well Kiki thanks for chatting with me but before you go can you tell us what's on the horizon for you?
THE TORN WING, book 2 of The Faerie Ring series will hopefully be released in 2012 with the third book following in 2013. I’m waiting for feedback from my agent on my YA contemporary which is called THE LAST DANCE. In a perfect world J I’d love for that to sell and come out in 2012 as well. For now, I’m working on a new (unrelated to The Faerie Ring) YA paranormal fantasy called THE NIGHT GATE. Stay tuned!
Thanks so much for inviting me over to your blog today!
xo Kiki
~Goodreads~Web~
I've been so obsessed with the Victorian period as of late, which is a pit of a surprise to me, though it probably shouldn't be because there is nothing quite like taking a stroll through London!
ReplyDeleteFantastic interview. Looks like Ms. Hamilton has a lot of fun stuff coming up. That's very exciting.
I loved the setting for this book, there's something just fascinating about Victorian London! Interesting that fantasy = no music but contemporary means a playlist the whole time:) It's so much fun learning little things like that about authors!
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to read this one. I absolutely adore the Victorian England, though it would really suck to live in it. I love how she was inspired by reading a book she didn't like. I often have a similar thought of rewriting the book to solve my issues as a reader. Really looking forward to this series!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. She's right this song is beautiful and mysterious.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview but I'm not gonna lie...the book trailer sold me! As if my TBR can afford to hold another book...good think it's virtual ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat interview and I love the Brahms. I'm a classical musician and bookworm :)
ReplyDeletexo,
Lah @ LazyGirl Reads
I'm such a sucker for fae... WIN!
ReplyDeleteI've been dying to get my hands on this one...
ReplyDelete