Author Interview: Julie Kagawa

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.

When not swimming for her life, Julie immersed herself in books, often to the chagrin of her schoolteachers, who would find she hid novels behind her Math textbooks during class. Her love of reading led her to pen some very dark and gruesome stories, complete with colored illustrations, to shock her hapless teachers. The gory tales faded with time, but the passion for writing remained, long after she graduated and was supposed to get a real job.

I'm so excited to have Julie stop by and answer a few questions, check it out!

Katelyn:  Fantasy novels have always been popular in Young Adult Literature, but you managed to take fairies and make them exciting all over again.  Have fairies always held a special place in your heart?

Julie:  I've always loved most everything about the fantasy genre:  fairies, vampires, wizards, dragons, etc.  With faeries, I always liked the creepy, spooky, dangerous faery tales better than the Tinker Bell fairy tales.  The ancient fey were serious scary, and that's what first drew me to write about them.

Katelyn:  With your 2nd installment in the Iron Fey series coming out, this must be a very chaotic and exciting time for you.  What's your favorite part about the process so far?

Julie:  Meeting someone who has read and loved my book.  It's a thrill each and every time.

Katelyn:  What's your favorite book/author?

Julie:  Favorite?  As in, just one?  Impossible!  Lol, but one of my favorite books is Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.  I love Yelena.  And I love Valek even more.  (I have a thing for dark, broody assassins.)

Katelyn:  If you were describing The Iron Daughter in three words, what would they be?

Julie:  Choices, heartbreak, sacrifice.

Katelyn:  Do you have a favorite character in The Iron Daughter?  If you did, can you tell us who that was and why?

Julie:  I do, but it's a bit spoilery.  I'll say this:  those who have read The Iron King have met him before.  He tends to speak in ALL CAPS.

Katelyn:  Your fan base seems to be growing every day, do you have any favorite comments/feedback you've received from any of your fans?

Julie:  I love all the feedback from my readers, but I think my favorite comments are the ones that tell me they've been inspired to write again after reading my book.  That is the best compliment ever.

Katelyn:  Do you have any other novels in the works at the moment?  Want to share any juicy details about them?

Julie:  The next book after The Iron Queen will be something extra special, but I can't reveal exactly what it is yet.  I do have a new series in the works, but this one won't be about faeries.  Think...vampires.

Katelyn:  Thanks so much for stopping by Julie, anything else you wanna add?

Julie:  You're welcome!  And thanks so much for the interview!

So if you haven't started the Iron Fey series, pick up The Iron King today and get started so you can run to the stores when The Iron Daughter hits the shelves.  Each are fantastic and I can't wait to read The Iron Queen, the 3rd and final installment for the series.  Check back soon for my review on The Iron Daughter.