Janet Lee Carey Author Interview

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Janet Lee Carey is the award-winning author of eight Children's and YA novels. Her YA fantasy is critically acclaimed: "Verdict: This is quite simply fantasy at its best–original, beautiful, amazing, and deeply moving.” School Library Journal starred review. Janet links each new book with a charitable organization empowering readers to make a difference in the world. She tours in US and abroad presenting at schools, children’s book festivals, and conferences.

        

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
When I’m tired of sitting at my writing desk, I like to go outside and zip around on my son’s razor.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
I was a daydreamer and spent a lot of time staring out the window until I reached college. That’s when school clicked for me. I finally got to study things I was interested in. I was thrilled to explore the history of story in my Ancient Literature course. I still use the textbook as a resource.

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?
Karen Cushman gave a speech quoting lines many people use in their spiritual practice, lines that apply perfectly to daily writing. I keep them on a sticky note on my computer.

Show up
Pay Attention
Tell the Truth
Let Go of the Outcome

What are some of the common challenges that new and experienced authors face and what advice do you have for overcoming them?
You can get caught up in the comparison game if you don’t watch out, checking your amazon sales numbers, looking at the bright stars in Teen Literature. My best advice for all that is to be generous, wish others well with their many books, and get back to work. Focus on your own stories, adventure with your characters, dig deeper in, and write your heart out. That’s where the joy and the true fire are.

For those who are unfamiliar with your novel; Dragonswood, how would you introduce it?
Mini blurb:
In a dark time when girls with powers are called witches, Tess escapes the witch hunter and hides with a mysterious huntsman until magical voices draw her deeper into Dragonswood where she learns the secret of her birth. Caught between love and loyalty, Tess chooses the hardest path of all – her own.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Tess?
I was surprised when she pulled her knife on Garth. Of course, she doesn’t know if he’s friend or foe, and she’s determined to protect her friends, still that moment gave me a little thrill.

Why do you feel you had to tell this story?
When I learned the details of the witch trials in medieval Europe, I discovered women accused of witchcraft were not only tortured and made to confess, they were often forced to give up names of other women they knew. The idea freaked me out. I instantly knew there was a story in it. I imagined a tale of friendship and betrayal. The novel explores Tess’s loyalty to her friends, her family, to her first love, and ultimately to herself.

Do you have a favorite quote that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire you?
Stories allow us to see something familiar through new eyes. We become in that moment a guest in someone else’s life
~ Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, M.D.

If you could introduce Garth to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I would love for Garth to meet Sparrowhawk the Archmage of Roke in Ursula K. Le Guin’s beautiful novel The Farthest Shore. Garth and Sparrowhawk would enjoy traveling across new terrain chasing after dragons.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us?
I’m working on Book Three of the Wilde Island Chronicles, picking up 15 years after the end of Dragonswood to tell the next story featuring Jackrun Pendragon.
Dragon’s Gift: Love in a time of Murder and Magic.

What’s the best advice you can give writers to help them develop their own unique voice and style?
Keep a journal. Why? Because it provides a place for you to write with complete honesty. Getting honest on paper is key to finding your authentic style and voice. That said, when you talk about voice, you’re also discussing the writing craft. A fantasy story will have its own voice, and each character should have a unique voice that shows in their dialogue. In first person storytelling, your character is sharing what’s truly happening to her in the story as if speaking to a trusted friend. Okay, I’ve said enough. Voice is one of those wriggly things so hard to define!

Where is the best place in the world you’ve been?
Happily, my book tours have taken me places I’ve dreamed of since childhood. A few years back, I toured the British Isles and explored castles in Scotland. (I was also interviewed on BBC, which was a thrill!) In 2008 we flew to Japan when my book Wenny Has Wings became a movie. We stayed in the penthouse suite in a posh hotel in Tokyo (paid for by Sony Pictures) and later toured Japan on our own. I especially enjoyed staying in Buddhist monastery up in the mountains where we hiked through a mystical pine and bamboo forest.

What book are you reading now?
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
My husband.

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?
Hum . . . Usually I simply refuse to answer. For example, when I do school visits some students ask, “How much money do you make?” and “How old are you?” I respond by smiling and pointing to someone else. “Next question.”

What's the worst summer job you've ever had?
Berry picking. Talk about a sore back.

When was the last time you cried?
Last week.

Wilde Island is not at peace. The kingdom mourns the dead Pendragon king and awaits the return of his heir; the uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is strained; and the regent is funding a bloodthirsty witch hunt, hoping to rid the island of half-fey maidens.

 

Tess, daughter of a blacksmith, has visions of the future, but she still doesn't expect to be accused of witchcraft, forced to flee with her two best friends, or offered shelter by the handsome and enigmatic Garth Huntsman, a warden for Dragonswood. But Garth is the younger prince in disguise and Tess soon learns that her true father was fey, making them the center of an exciting, romantic adventure, and an ancient prophecy that will bring about peace between all three races - dragon, human, and fairy. 

When Tess, a daughter of a blacksmith, is falsely accused of being a witch, she lays the blame on her friends while being tortured. She decides to flee the kingdom but not before warning her friends. Since all fingers are pointed at her friends, they have no choice but to follow her. They find refuge in Dragonswood, a sanctuary meant for Fey and Dragon, but receive the aid of Garth, the woodsman in charge of keeping the sanctuary from human trespass. The fleeing group and Garth make an effort in trying to set things right while trying to prevent the kingdom and sanctuary from ruin. Tess finds herself in a voyage trying to save a kingdom that drove her out while challenging her life and the way she thinks.

Janet Lee Carey’s Dragonswood has everything that makes a great fantasy story. Aside from the dragons and Fey, the adventure within is truly larger-than-life that plays out themes of friendship, strength, love, and self-worth. Lead by a strong heroine, Tess is a character that readers will cheer for. The twists that come forth throughout the book are like gusts of wind on a hot summer day. They come out of nowhere! And what they bring truly makes the story worthwhile. Janet has formed a story that is very magical with wonderfully multi-layered characters living in a world so fantastic. Young adults and adults will find Dragonswood to be a pleasantly outstanding fantasy read. 

You can purchase Dragonswood at the following Retailers:

    

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you JANET LEE CAREY for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a copy of Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey.

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