Today I am participating in The Queen of the Realm of Faerie Book Blitz hosted by Giselle at Xpresso Reads & she runs Xpresso Book Tours :D! For the Book Blitz I will be featuring an interview from the author and there is also a giveaway.
Title: True Love's First Kiss
Author: Heidi Garrett
Series: The Queen of the Realm of Faerie 1-3
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy
Description from Goodreads:
In the Enchanted World, true love’s first kiss is magic.
Nandana’s Mark, Book 1: When two half-faeries—Melia and her younger sister—are cursed under dreadful circumstances, true love’s first kiss is the remedy.
The Flower of Isbelline, Book 2: Nothing but true love’s first kiss can save Melia’s younger sister from blind ambition and ruin.
The Dragon Carnivale, Book 3: Melia must choose the freedom she cherishes or true love’s first kiss—and a relationship that promises to secure her place in the Whole.
The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy series that bridges the Mortal and Enchanted worlds. The main character, Melia, is an eighteen-year-old half-faerie, half-mortal. She lives in Illialei, a country in the Enchanted World, with her two sisters and their mother. Melia’s father has been exiled to the Mortal World, and her best friend is a pixie.
When the story opens in the first book, Melia is troubled by her dark moon visions, gossip she overhears about her parents at the local market, and the trauma of living among full-blooded faeries with wings—she doesn’t have any.
As the series unfolds, the historic and mystical forces that shape Melia’s life are revealed. Each step of her journey—to find the place where she belongs—alters her perceptions about herself, deepens her relationships with others, and enlarges her world view.
True Love’s First Kiss is a compilation of the first three books in this ongoing series.
Nandana’s Mark, Book 1: When two half-faeries—Melia and her younger sister—are cursed under dreadful circumstances, true love’s first kiss is the remedy.
The Flower of Isbelline, Book 2: Nothing but true love’s first kiss can save Melia’s younger sister from blind ambition and ruin.
The Dragon Carnivale, Book 3: Melia must choose the freedom she cherishes or true love’s first kiss—and a relationship that promises to secure her place in the Whole.
The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy series that bridges the Mortal and Enchanted worlds. The main character, Melia, is an eighteen-year-old half-faerie, half-mortal. She lives in Illialei, a country in the Enchanted World, with her two sisters and their mother. Melia’s father has been exiled to the Mortal World, and her best friend is a pixie.
When the story opens in the first book, Melia is troubled by her dark moon visions, gossip she overhears about her parents at the local market, and the trauma of living among full-blooded faeries with wings—she doesn’t have any.
As the series unfolds, the historic and mystical forces that shape Melia’s life are revealed. Each step of her journey—to find the place where she belongs—alters her perceptions about herself, deepens her relationships with others, and enlarges her world view.
True Love’s First Kiss is a compilation of the first three books in this ongoing series.
Add True Love's Kiss by Heidi Garrett to your TBR pile--->Goodreads
Title: The Dragon Carnivale
Author: Heidi Garrett
Series: The Queen of the Realm of Faerie #3
Publication Date: June 18, 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy
Description from Goodreads:
Energies in the Enchanted World are shifting and new alliances are
forming; the Battle of Dark and Light has begun. The half-faerie Melia
is desperate to make things right with Ryder, the young priest from
Idonne, but first she must warn the halfbloods in the Mortal World that
Umbra is coming for them, and face the powerful Dragonwitch and her
spectacular Dragon Carnivale.
Add The Dragon Carnivale by Heidi Garrett to your TBR pile---->Goodreads
Interview:
Spunky Half-Faerie Billie interviews Heidi Garrett
1. When I read your first book, NM, the first thing I noticed was the pretty, pretty names of three half-faeries! (And I could say, all the characters as I read along!—yes, I'm into pretty names! Guilty!) Um, now back to my question before I start to babble... What inspired you to create those names?
The series is a spinoff of the Melusine fairy tale, a popular fairy tale in 14th century France. Oui! French. If you do some boring research you might find some variations on the characters names, but the most popular names for the sisters were: Melusine, Melior, and Plantine. I think you’ll agree with me that Melior was NOT the right name for our heroine, THE LEAD! I wanted to use Melusine’s name since it was her fairy tale in the first place, and I went back and forth between Plantine and Plantina. However, I spent the most time fiddling around with MELIOR. UGH. NOT THE RIGHT NAME! I like to take a name and change around the letters and see what I can come up with. Kind of like Scrabble upside down. :D When I reached MELIA, I stopped. I thought, oh, what a pretty name for my heroine! When I was in college, I had a friend named Melia. She was the only Melia I’ve ever known. And even though we have not remained in contact, she was a bright, shining star in my life and helped me through some challenging times. In other words, I liked her a lot! So I thought, that’s it. She will be MELIA!
2. Do you think as a writer (and a very good one! Hah!), when choosing your characters' names, unique names play an important part?
Yes! Names can set the tone of a story. By going with a real fairy tale, I chose to stay as close as possible with the original names of the sisters and their mother and father, because I wanted to create verisimilitude. What does that mean? I wanted to really mix the Mortal and Enchanted worlds in the series. Later, you will meet a character who talks about how so much of what we believe about the Realm of Faerie in the Mortal World is just wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Like where in the heck did iron is dangerous or deadly to faeries come from? So not true. :P
But I didn’t let that stop me when it came to the other names. I went a little crazy when it came to the names of the rest of the countries, characters, and magic objects. But I will be honest. When I write my next series—yes, I think I must—I will probably be even more aware of names.
3. What time of the day do you think you are most creative and inspired? Are you the morning "early bird" type or do you prefer late nights (working like an owl?! :p)? I’ve heard some writers wake up in the middle of the night or at wee hours when an idea hits them to write.
I’m an early bird and an owl, who likes to take a nice long nap in between. REALLY. Maybe that makes me a cat! I like to work hard when I get up, then snooze a bit. After about 4 p.m., I get my second wind and can stay up late, but my most creative is probably between 4 and 9 p.m.
4. Being so engrossed (I’m sure you are!) in your writing, do your stories really sink into you? Like, sometimes you feel kind of down, sad or giddy, or excited? (Either of the feelings...and hope not having both at the same time?! Hehe.) :D
My favorite writing is when I come out of the trance. I come to, and my heart is racing or my blood is pulsing and I feel like I’ve been there. I suspect those are the best scenes for a reader to read. My goal is to make all my scenes like that. Because for sure, if I’m bored writing it, you (and me) will be bored reading it!
5. Do you sometimes dream a scene (or a chapter!) and find yourself writing it the next morning? (Oh! I love dreaming about faeries!—all dressed in pink for sure! Lol.)
Oh yes! All my life I’ve had vivid dreams. Some writers say they have been writing since they were two! Me, I’ve been having wild and crazy dreams since I was two! I wake up at night or in the morning and go, “WOW! That was awesome.” One of my awesome dreams was someone making magic dragons in the night, drawing energy from trees. Really, I am not making this up! In my dream, I saw the mighty dragon and heard its ROAR. I was spellbound. :) I was in the middle of writing The Flower of Isbelline, and I was like...YES!
6. Speaking of dreamy, I heard (from you?! Haha.) that there will be swoony moments between Melia and Ryder in your upcoming book, DC. (Oh! I can't wait!) My question is, how do you create a swoony moment? (Are you thinking about them! About your sweet, swoony times with your hubby, Jerry? *winks!* And I'm a sucker for romance! (All the time!) :D
OMG! Swoony moments are hard for me to write. I’m private in real life. My love life and sex life—zip the lips! So I have to get over that to a degree to write about those things. However, I’m romantic and passionate. So I believe in love and how powerful it is. For me, I want my main characters to have pure love. I believe soul mates are true to one another on every level. It doesn’t mean they don’t fight (Grrr) or have problems (he’s driving me CRAZY!), but it does mean they never lose sight of the other for too long. And they never really doubt: He’s the one! She’s it! No one else for me. So the conflict in the story has to come in different ways. Miscommunication can be heartbreaking. Learning to talk honestly with someone you love can be the scariest thing on the planet. When it comes to HOT moments, I strive for truth and subtlety. I have to confess, when things get too graphic, I kind of giggle. :D
7. Well, now that I mentioned the swoony Ryder (now my heart's going whoooopeee! lol.) Who is your inspiration when writing his character? (Could be Jerry?! *smiley smiley!)
The emotional commitment that Ryder has for Melia, yes, comes straight out of my experience with my husband. Being on the receiving end of that kind of steadfastness is the most profound thing I’ve ever experienced as a human being. We often think: What does it mean to be male? What does it mean to be female? A strong confident male loves with unwavering devotion. It leaves you breathless (and kind of turns you on!). Melia’s entire character arc will revolve around the degree to which she can receive and reciprocate Ryder’s deep love.
8. Okay, okay... At the mention of RAWR... Ryder. My mind, for like a nanosecond, went blank! Haha. And speaking of blank... Do you sometimes experience a mental block... or what's the term? Writer's block? Like, you are writing and then the next minute you can't figure out what to write? Do you feel frustrated? How do you deal with those?
Writer’s block has been a curious thing for me. Since I’ve written in many different ways: poetry, journals, songs, and stories, if I feel blocked I can play with a different way of getting it out. Like, if I’m really stuck at a point in the story, I can start journaling about it. Usually something will break through. The hardest part is when you’ve written yourself into a bad corner and you have to rip apart about twelve chapters. Yes, I’ve done that.
9. Like most of the good movies I've watched, most are based on good books... So, do you dream that "True Love's First Kiss" will be turned into a movie someday? (I’m crossing my fingers! Yes!) Who would you like to play the lead characters?
Oh yes. I would love to see True Love’s First Kiss on the BIG screen or the little one. I’m not too picky! Wynona Ryder has always been one of my favorite actresses. She would be a perfect Melia if she was still young! But, now, I don’t know. Someone who’s smart and intense. Ryder is another one I struggle with. He has to be more than just a pretty face. :) Right off the top of my head I can’t think of the right person who’s at the right age to play him. Maybe a great casting director could help me out. :D
10. Lastly (before I talk too much! Lol.), how important is it for authors to have a personal connection or interaction with their readers? Do you think it's a good way to promote their books?
I think readers mean more to an author than a writer can ever understand before you publish a book. Before you publish, the people who are most likely to read your work are friends, family, fellow writers, and maybe some acquaintances. But putting your work before the public is completely different. People you don’t know from all over the world with totally different experiences can read your stories. To hear from them is: You can’t put it into words (even though you’re a writer). It touches something deep inside you and it’s like, wow, the world is good. I think whenever we connect with another human being we have that feeling, the world is good. So when an author has the chance to connect with a reader, it’s a little bit like magic, pixie dust in the air. :) Hopefully, that goes both ways.
And... last... last question. (See?! I can't stop myself?! Haha.) What's next after "True Love's First Kiss"? With the hype on new adult nowadays, are you thinking of writing something incorporated with that genre?
After True Love’s First Kiss, I have to finish The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series. No, Melia and Ryder are not done yet. In many ways, they are just getting started...still have to save the WHOLE. :D
I’d say… hmmm... on new adult for me. It would have to be a magical realism new adult. A contemporary romance with some magic~sparkle~charms~pow~spells!
About Billie:
Billie is the author of Billie’s Pink Reviews. She’s a hopeless romantic... inside and out! Aside from reading, "swooning" is one of her favorite things to do! If you want some heavy "fan-girling"? Count her in! :P Still believe in castles... prince and princesses... the damsels in distress and kick-ass heroines alike! A dreamer... who still believes in fairy tales... as much as magic... and A firm believer of "Happily ever afters!
She believes that books can make us "teleport" to places only imagination could make. :))
You can find Billie at:
Billie’s Pink Reviews: http://sparklingpinkpages.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/queen_billie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billie.limpin
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10394915-billie
1. When I read your first book, NM, the first thing I noticed was the pretty, pretty names of three half-faeries! (And I could say, all the characters as I read along!—yes, I'm into pretty names! Guilty!) Um, now back to my question before I start to babble... What inspired you to create those names?
The series is a spinoff of the Melusine fairy tale, a popular fairy tale in 14th century France. Oui! French. If you do some boring research you might find some variations on the characters names, but the most popular names for the sisters were: Melusine, Melior, and Plantine. I think you’ll agree with me that Melior was NOT the right name for our heroine, THE LEAD! I wanted to use Melusine’s name since it was her fairy tale in the first place, and I went back and forth between Plantine and Plantina. However, I spent the most time fiddling around with MELIOR. UGH. NOT THE RIGHT NAME! I like to take a name and change around the letters and see what I can come up with. Kind of like Scrabble upside down. :D When I reached MELIA, I stopped. I thought, oh, what a pretty name for my heroine! When I was in college, I had a friend named Melia. She was the only Melia I’ve ever known. And even though we have not remained in contact, she was a bright, shining star in my life and helped me through some challenging times. In other words, I liked her a lot! So I thought, that’s it. She will be MELIA!
2. Do you think as a writer (and a very good one! Hah!), when choosing your characters' names, unique names play an important part?
Yes! Names can set the tone of a story. By going with a real fairy tale, I chose to stay as close as possible with the original names of the sisters and their mother and father, because I wanted to create verisimilitude. What does that mean? I wanted to really mix the Mortal and Enchanted worlds in the series. Later, you will meet a character who talks about how so much of what we believe about the Realm of Faerie in the Mortal World is just wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Like where in the heck did iron is dangerous or deadly to faeries come from? So not true. :P
But I didn’t let that stop me when it came to the other names. I went a little crazy when it came to the names of the rest of the countries, characters, and magic objects. But I will be honest. When I write my next series—yes, I think I must—I will probably be even more aware of names.
3. What time of the day do you think you are most creative and inspired? Are you the morning "early bird" type or do you prefer late nights (working like an owl?! :p)? I’ve heard some writers wake up in the middle of the night or at wee hours when an idea hits them to write.
I’m an early bird and an owl, who likes to take a nice long nap in between. REALLY. Maybe that makes me a cat! I like to work hard when I get up, then snooze a bit. After about 4 p.m., I get my second wind and can stay up late, but my most creative is probably between 4 and 9 p.m.
4. Being so engrossed (I’m sure you are!) in your writing, do your stories really sink into you? Like, sometimes you feel kind of down, sad or giddy, or excited? (Either of the feelings...and hope not having both at the same time?! Hehe.) :D
My favorite writing is when I come out of the trance. I come to, and my heart is racing or my blood is pulsing and I feel like I’ve been there. I suspect those are the best scenes for a reader to read. My goal is to make all my scenes like that. Because for sure, if I’m bored writing it, you (and me) will be bored reading it!
5. Do you sometimes dream a scene (or a chapter!) and find yourself writing it the next morning? (Oh! I love dreaming about faeries!—all dressed in pink for sure! Lol.)
Oh yes! All my life I’ve had vivid dreams. Some writers say they have been writing since they were two! Me, I’ve been having wild and crazy dreams since I was two! I wake up at night or in the morning and go, “WOW! That was awesome.” One of my awesome dreams was someone making magic dragons in the night, drawing energy from trees. Really, I am not making this up! In my dream, I saw the mighty dragon and heard its ROAR. I was spellbound. :) I was in the middle of writing The Flower of Isbelline, and I was like...YES!
6. Speaking of dreamy, I heard (from you?! Haha.) that there will be swoony moments between Melia and Ryder in your upcoming book, DC. (Oh! I can't wait!) My question is, how do you create a swoony moment? (Are you thinking about them! About your sweet, swoony times with your hubby, Jerry? *winks!* And I'm a sucker for romance! (All the time!) :D
OMG! Swoony moments are hard for me to write. I’m private in real life. My love life and sex life—zip the lips! So I have to get over that to a degree to write about those things. However, I’m romantic and passionate. So I believe in love and how powerful it is. For me, I want my main characters to have pure love. I believe soul mates are true to one another on every level. It doesn’t mean they don’t fight (Grrr) or have problems (he’s driving me CRAZY!), but it does mean they never lose sight of the other for too long. And they never really doubt: He’s the one! She’s it! No one else for me. So the conflict in the story has to come in different ways. Miscommunication can be heartbreaking. Learning to talk honestly with someone you love can be the scariest thing on the planet. When it comes to HOT moments, I strive for truth and subtlety. I have to confess, when things get too graphic, I kind of giggle. :D
7. Well, now that I mentioned the swoony Ryder (now my heart's going whoooopeee! lol.) Who is your inspiration when writing his character? (Could be Jerry?! *smiley smiley!)
The emotional commitment that Ryder has for Melia, yes, comes straight out of my experience with my husband. Being on the receiving end of that kind of steadfastness is the most profound thing I’ve ever experienced as a human being. We often think: What does it mean to be male? What does it mean to be female? A strong confident male loves with unwavering devotion. It leaves you breathless (and kind of turns you on!). Melia’s entire character arc will revolve around the degree to which she can receive and reciprocate Ryder’s deep love.
8. Okay, okay... At the mention of RAWR... Ryder. My mind, for like a nanosecond, went blank! Haha. And speaking of blank... Do you sometimes experience a mental block... or what's the term? Writer's block? Like, you are writing and then the next minute you can't figure out what to write? Do you feel frustrated? How do you deal with those?
Writer’s block has been a curious thing for me. Since I’ve written in many different ways: poetry, journals, songs, and stories, if I feel blocked I can play with a different way of getting it out. Like, if I’m really stuck at a point in the story, I can start journaling about it. Usually something will break through. The hardest part is when you’ve written yourself into a bad corner and you have to rip apart about twelve chapters. Yes, I’ve done that.
9. Like most of the good movies I've watched, most are based on good books... So, do you dream that "True Love's First Kiss" will be turned into a movie someday? (I’m crossing my fingers! Yes!) Who would you like to play the lead characters?
Oh yes. I would love to see True Love’s First Kiss on the BIG screen or the little one. I’m not too picky! Wynona Ryder has always been one of my favorite actresses. She would be a perfect Melia if she was still young! But, now, I don’t know. Someone who’s smart and intense. Ryder is another one I struggle with. He has to be more than just a pretty face. :) Right off the top of my head I can’t think of the right person who’s at the right age to play him. Maybe a great casting director could help me out. :D
10. Lastly (before I talk too much! Lol.), how important is it for authors to have a personal connection or interaction with their readers? Do you think it's a good way to promote their books?
I think readers mean more to an author than a writer can ever understand before you publish a book. Before you publish, the people who are most likely to read your work are friends, family, fellow writers, and maybe some acquaintances. But putting your work before the public is completely different. People you don’t know from all over the world with totally different experiences can read your stories. To hear from them is: You can’t put it into words (even though you’re a writer). It touches something deep inside you and it’s like, wow, the world is good. I think whenever we connect with another human being we have that feeling, the world is good. So when an author has the chance to connect with a reader, it’s a little bit like magic, pixie dust in the air. :) Hopefully, that goes both ways.
And... last... last question. (See?! I can't stop myself?! Haha.) What's next after "True Love's First Kiss"? With the hype on new adult nowadays, are you thinking of writing something incorporated with that genre?
After True Love’s First Kiss, I have to finish The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series. No, Melia and Ryder are not done yet. In many ways, they are just getting started...still have to save the WHOLE. :D
I’d say… hmmm... on new adult for me. It would have to be a magical realism new adult. A contemporary romance with some magic~sparkle~charms~pow~spells!
About Billie:
Billie is the author of Billie’s Pink Reviews. She’s a hopeless romantic... inside and out! Aside from reading, "swooning" is one of her favorite things to do! If you want some heavy "fan-girling"? Count her in! :P Still believe in castles... prince and princesses... the damsels in distress and kick-ass heroines alike! A dreamer... who still believes in fairy tales... as much as magic... and A firm believer of "Happily ever afters!
She believes that books can make us "teleport" to places only imagination could make. :))
You can find Billie at:
Billie’s Pink Reviews: http://sparklingpinkpages.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/queen_billie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billie.limpin
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/10394915-billie
About the Author:
(1) ebook copy of True Love's First Kiss & a silicon bracelet.
Kassie, Thank you for such a beautiful post and your cool giveaway! Showering you with pixie dust! Heidi
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