About the Author - Author Interview - About the Book - Prizes!!!
About the author:
Our Interview with Falcon Storm
How did the story of The
Persnickety Princess come about?
It was one of the wacky conversations that I had with a coworker during the closing shift one night. The idea was initially very dark, mostly because we had been talking about gothic princesses. Lavender started as a bored and spoiled princess sending suitor off on impossible quests, but by the end of the night, she was more like how she ended up in the book.
Is the story/characteristics based on anyone in the real world?
The story not so much, but several of the characters received traits from people in my life. I know that no less than ten people went into Lavender's personality, where as Petunia was largely based on the coworker I originally discussed this story with. Upon A. Time is my silly side and Natalie... Well, Natalie is based on a few good witches I have met in my travels, with a smattering of magic and a dash of my own clumsy nature mixed in.
What started you to put pen to paper? When did you start writing?
In July 2011, I went to San Diego Comic Con to pitch an idea for a graphic novel with my boss, the artist. We were both in retail and dreaming of ways to actually use our talents. The pitch didn't really happen, but I did get to speak to a lot of writers as well as sit in on a seminar by Christopher Moore. By the end of our week there, I found myself sitting on a plane and writing down character traits and physical descriptions of every character. At the time, I believed it would be a picture book, so I gave my descriptions to my boss. Life sort of cropped up in the mean time and the story was put on hold for a bit. It had been on a back burner for a while when my lovely wife, Emlyn Chand, actually convinced me to start writing it. I started writing on January 1st of this year after I decided to shelve an idea that i had been working on for a year. I had already plotted out the general idea of The Persnickety Princess, but I finally got around to actually writing it.
How did you feel writing the book?
It may sound a bit peculiar, but I felt like a dad at bedtime. Weird, right? But as a kid, come bedtime there's always that one story you wanted to hear. As I was writing, I pictured myself telling this story to my future kids. Then, I wrote the story I wanted to tell them. With every revision and edit, it felt like I got to go back and refine the story a bit without the kids whining that it wasn't the way the story went. So I guess, more than anything, I felt paternal.
Now your book is published what has the feedback been like?
I've been in a daze since launch. This dream has been building for so long that it almost doesn't feel real now. Feedback has been good and I'm glad that two of my favorite characters seem to be the ones that people want to see more of. (Which is good since both Natalie and Upon will be back in the next book)
If you could live in a fairytale, which one would it be and why?
There are so many great fairy tales it's hard to pick just one. The madness of Alice in Wonderland always appealed to me and I could see myself joining the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, but the constant threat of decapitation would weigh heavily on me. Neverland has mermaids and pirates and pixies, oh my. Plus the ability to fly is a strong plus, but the Lost Boys seem to be one boar short of a Lord of the Flies moment. These are the two I always get stuck on, in fact my dreams will probably split the distance when I go to sleep.
Did you read as a boy? What was your favourite book/s?
I read everything. It really didn't matter what there was to read, whether it was my language arts textbooks, random books from the school book fairs, or medical reference guides, I loved to read. Favorite books as a boy? That's tough to decide. I remember really enjoying the Encyclopedia Brown books as well as Louis Sachar's Wayside School books, but if I had to pick one that really stood out it would have to be Frank E. Peretti's This Present Darkness.
Who inspires you with writing?
I've always enjoyed reading, but it was around 1993 when I started reading Michael Crichton. From then on, I didn't just want to read books, I wanted to write my own. Aside of Mr. Crichton, I was also inspired by Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Louis Sachar, Timothy Zahn (as well as most of the Star Wars Exapanded Universe authors), and last but certainly not least, Emlyn Chand.
Is there anyone in particular who supports you?
My wife has been so amazing through this whole process. She was my first beta reader, my first editor, my first cheerleader. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for her support, there's no way I could have done any of this.
Are there any more stories in the pipeline?
Well, the next two in the Upon A. Time Tales are Natalie the Not-So Nasty and The Perils of Petunia. Of course, I have another twenty-one ideas for this series that I plan to write. As long as weird or silly ideas pop into my head, I will always have something to add to Upon's wanderings. I also have a side project that I've been working on for a little bit. While I'm not ready to give out very many details about that project, I can say that it will be for an older audience.
Does your creative side ever stop to relax? How do you like to unwind?
Unfortunately the creative side is constantly chattering away, so to unwind I have to find something that either redirects that energy or simply entertains me. I play video games, I've participated in community theater, I watch movies, read books, and a lot of the time, I just write something that makes me laugh.
About the book:
It was one of the wacky conversations that I had with a coworker during the closing shift one night. The idea was initially very dark, mostly because we had been talking about gothic princesses. Lavender started as a bored and spoiled princess sending suitor off on impossible quests, but by the end of the night, she was more like how she ended up in the book.
Is the story/characteristics based on anyone in the real world?
The story not so much, but several of the characters received traits from people in my life. I know that no less than ten people went into Lavender's personality, where as Petunia was largely based on the coworker I originally discussed this story with. Upon A. Time is my silly side and Natalie... Well, Natalie is based on a few good witches I have met in my travels, with a smattering of magic and a dash of my own clumsy nature mixed in.
What started you to put pen to paper? When did you start writing?
In July 2011, I went to San Diego Comic Con to pitch an idea for a graphic novel with my boss, the artist. We were both in retail and dreaming of ways to actually use our talents. The pitch didn't really happen, but I did get to speak to a lot of writers as well as sit in on a seminar by Christopher Moore. By the end of our week there, I found myself sitting on a plane and writing down character traits and physical descriptions of every character. At the time, I believed it would be a picture book, so I gave my descriptions to my boss. Life sort of cropped up in the mean time and the story was put on hold for a bit. It had been on a back burner for a while when my lovely wife, Emlyn Chand, actually convinced me to start writing it. I started writing on January 1st of this year after I decided to shelve an idea that i had been working on for a year. I had already plotted out the general idea of The Persnickety Princess, but I finally got around to actually writing it.
How did you feel writing the book?
It may sound a bit peculiar, but I felt like a dad at bedtime. Weird, right? But as a kid, come bedtime there's always that one story you wanted to hear. As I was writing, I pictured myself telling this story to my future kids. Then, I wrote the story I wanted to tell them. With every revision and edit, it felt like I got to go back and refine the story a bit without the kids whining that it wasn't the way the story went. So I guess, more than anything, I felt paternal.
Now your book is published what has the feedback been like?
I've been in a daze since launch. This dream has been building for so long that it almost doesn't feel real now. Feedback has been good and I'm glad that two of my favorite characters seem to be the ones that people want to see more of. (Which is good since both Natalie and Upon will be back in the next book)
If you could live in a fairytale, which one would it be and why?
There are so many great fairy tales it's hard to pick just one. The madness of Alice in Wonderland always appealed to me and I could see myself joining the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, but the constant threat of decapitation would weigh heavily on me. Neverland has mermaids and pirates and pixies, oh my. Plus the ability to fly is a strong plus, but the Lost Boys seem to be one boar short of a Lord of the Flies moment. These are the two I always get stuck on, in fact my dreams will probably split the distance when I go to sleep.
Did you read as a boy? What was your favourite book/s?
I read everything. It really didn't matter what there was to read, whether it was my language arts textbooks, random books from the school book fairs, or medical reference guides, I loved to read. Favorite books as a boy? That's tough to decide. I remember really enjoying the Encyclopedia Brown books as well as Louis Sachar's Wayside School books, but if I had to pick one that really stood out it would have to be Frank E. Peretti's This Present Darkness.
Who inspires you with writing?
I've always enjoyed reading, but it was around 1993 when I started reading Michael Crichton. From then on, I didn't just want to read books, I wanted to write my own. Aside of Mr. Crichton, I was also inspired by Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Louis Sachar, Timothy Zahn (as well as most of the Star Wars Exapanded Universe authors), and last but certainly not least, Emlyn Chand.
Is there anyone in particular who supports you?
My wife has been so amazing through this whole process. She was my first beta reader, my first editor, my first cheerleader. I can honestly say that if it wasn't for her support, there's no way I could have done any of this.
Are there any more stories in the pipeline?
Well, the next two in the Upon A. Time Tales are Natalie the Not-So Nasty and The Perils of Petunia. Of course, I have another twenty-one ideas for this series that I plan to write. As long as weird or silly ideas pop into my head, I will always have something to add to Upon's wanderings. I also have a side project that I've been working on for a little bit. While I'm not ready to give out very many details about that project, I can say that it will be for an older audience.
Does your creative side ever stop to relax? How do you like to unwind?
Unfortunately the creative side is constantly chattering away, so to unwind I have to find something that either redirects that energy or simply entertains me. I play video games, I've participated in community theater, I watch movies, read books, and a lot of the time, I just write something that makes me laugh.
About the book:
When, finally, one such prince comes to her castle—not to rescue her, but her younger sister—Lavender refuses to be ignored. Instead of waiting for the next suitor to come along, she devises a plan to put herself in danger, thus forcing the upstart prince to forget her sister and rescue her instead.
Well accustomed to getting her way, there is only one thing, unfortunately, that this princess can’t control—her luck. When her plans go awry, putting her in very real danger, will she allow the prince to rescue her as he sees fit? Will he even want to try?
And will anyone be able to find a way to rescue Lavender from her persnickety ways once and for all? Find out in this comedic tale of princes, dragons, and dreams that just may come true.
The Persnickety Princess is a lower grade chapter book intended for kids 6 to 9 years old (although kids of all ages are sure to enjoy it!
Pick up your copy through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords or Kobo Books.
About the prizes:
Who doesn't love prizes?
You could win
(1) a $25 Amazon gift card,
(2) a $50 Amazon gift card, or
(3) a Princess Prize Pack, which includes a plush purple dragon, necklace with lavender pendant, The Fairy Godmother's Guide to Being a Princess, tiara and wand party set, and a DVD of The Princess Bride.
Here's what you need to do...
- Enter the Rafflecopter contest
- Leave a comment on my blog.
Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found here. The other two prizes (including the awesome Princess Prize Pack) will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official Persnickety Princess tour page via Novel Publicity.
Enter Below and Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Sharon x
http://www.beckvalleybooks.co.uk
http://www.beckvalleybooks.blogspot.com
This looks like a very interesting fairy tale...;)
ReplyDeletethanks for the interview. Always nice to know a little more about the authors :)
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the interview thank you.
ReplyDeleteGreat interview! Thanks for being a part of our tour <3
ReplyDeleteEm
I'm really looking forward to sitting down with my Granddaughters to read this.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your interview questions. Thanks for participating in the tour.
ReplyDelete