Lauren Roy, author of THE FIRE CHILDREN joins Fresh Fiction to talk about
mythology,
coming-of-age, and books she loves!
Jen: Lauren, thank you so much for joining us at Fresh Fiction.
Lauren: Thank you for having me!
Jen: I love the world you’ve created in THE FIRE
CHILDREN. It is extraordinarily beautiful and richly imagined. The mythology
is
unique to this world, but it resonates because the stories of Mother Sun, Father
Sea,
Sister Moon, and the Wind because they feel like they could be part of our
mythology.
What kind of research went into THE FIRE
CHILDREN and how did it shape the story in unexpected ways?
Lauren: I’m a big fan of mythology in general and creation stories in
particular, so I’m not sure if years of gobbling them up like candy counts as
research (at least, not consciously), but it definitely shaped the book. In my
early
plotting stages, I considered letting the stories just be stories – that Mother
Sun
was a plain ol’ star, and Sister Moon’s visit was simply an eclipse, but it never
felt right. Their backstory was as compelling to me as Yulla’s, and when I
thought
about all those stories I loved where the gods were real, and the stars and
planets
had personalities, I realized it was the way I wanted this story to go, too.
Studying desert ecology, and knowing that some of the driest places on earth used
to
be covered by oceans gave me a lot of fodder for Father Sea, though the science
is
felt more than seen in the book. It didn’t hurt that while I was writing it,
Curiosity was on Mars learning about the oceans that used to exist there as well.
(I’m kind of a space nerd.) (I promise Kaladim is not on a far-past Mars.)
Jen: Yulla is compassionate, curious, and brave. She’s also on the verge
of
adulthood. I love the versam, the dance they perform on their sixteenth
birthday to mark their transition away from childhood and into adulthood. Why do
you
think these coming-of-age rituals are so important to a culture?
Lauren: Our teenage years are so full of changes in a short span of time.
That’s true of early childhood, too, but I think there’s a point in our teens
where
those changes become obvious to the kids going through them just as strongly as
it is
to the adults in their lives. Not only is the world throwing more at you, you’re
learning how to handle it. Sometimes the problems that drop into your lap are
grown-
up ones, and you’re forced to deal with them, ready or not.
Coming-of-age rituals serve both as a way for the adults to acknowledge that the
kids
in their lives are growing up, and for the kids to get some of the recognition
they
deserve for making their way across that rickety bridge between childhood and
adulthood.
Jen: I hope THE FIRE CHILDREN isn’t our last visit to the world of
Kaladim
because it’s so beautiful and richly described. Will there be a chance in the
future
to see Yulla and Ember?
I haven’t ruled it out! The two of them could definitely find more adventures out
there, and Yulla’s curiosity is bound to lead her to wherever the excitement is.
I’ve
also toyed with telling the story of how Mother Sun and Sister Moon met, if the
prequel itch starts up.
Jen: You also write the Night Owls series, which has a lot of sassy, humor
from
the main characters. Will we be seeing more of Elly and if so what can we look
forward to at The Night Owl?
Lauren: The series is on hold for the moment (booo!), but I have book 3
milling about in my head (and also outlined, which didn’t kill me!) It’s called
DEAD LETTERS, and would see the Jackals coming back to Edgewood to make
everyone’s lives miserable. Elly has some hard choices to make regarding her
parents
and this odd little family that’s cobbled itself together.
Jen: What book has most influenced your writing?
Lauren: It’s actually two books: Stephen King’s THE STAND
and
Robert R. McCammon’s BOY'S LIFE. King taught me about character and plot, where
McCammon taught me about voice. I’ve read them both more times than I can count –
my
copy of BOY'S
LIFE is held together with a rubber band. The only reason THE STAND
isn’t
the same way is because it’s a hardcover. I can vouch for the quality of the
binding!
Jen: Lauren, thank you so much for being with us today! I loved THE FIRE
CHILDREN and can't wait to see what you'll write next!
GIVEAWAY
What books have you read so often it's held together with a rubber band? Leave a
comment below and be entered a chance to win a copy of THE FIRE
CHILDREN. 3 winners.
Lauren M. Roy started out as an independent bookseller, moved on to
Hachette
Book Group (where she has been a telephone sales representative for ten years),
and
is now completing her bookselling hat trick as an author.
She has done some freelance writing for tabletop role-playing games, including
Dragon
Age, Trail of Cthulhu, and A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying.
Lauren lives in southeastern Massachusetts with her husband, their cats, and the
ghosts of houseplants she forgets to water. She is a graduate of Viable Paradise,
the
science fiction and fantasy writers’ workshop
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Two children escape the darkness of their underground dwellings, to find
adventure, magic and terrible danger await anyone who ventures above ground.
Fifteen years have passed since Mother Sun last sent her children to walk the
world.
When the eclipse comes, the people retreat to the caverns beneath the Kaladim,
passing the days in total darkness while the Fire Children explore their world.
It's
death to even look upon them, the stories say.
Despite the warnings, Yulla gives in to her curiosity and ventures to the
surface.
There she witnesses the Witch Women — who rumors say worship dead Father Sea,
rather
than Mother Sun — capturing one of the Children and hauling her away. Yulla isn't
the
only one who saw the kidnapping; Ember, the last of the Fire Children, reveals
himself to Yulla and implores her to help.
Trapped up above and hunted by the witches and the desert wind, Yulla and Ember
must
find a way free his siblings and put a stop to the Witch Womens' plans, before
they
can use the Fire Children to bind Mother Sun herself.
11 comments posted.
My copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy have seen lots of re-reading action! Also, my collection of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, and The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as many Stephen King favorites are all in need of rubber bands!
(Kristy McRae 6:53pm July 16, 2015)
Probably my copies of Perry Mason, because they're kind of fragile. Also, Little Women, Come the Night, and Sherlock Holmes. I love my books...and have been known to tape them and glue them and do what I can to keep them together.
(Cynthia Powers 11:09pm July 16, 2015)
I would say "Little Women" . I read it so many times when I was younger .Congrats on "The Fire Children" it sounds like a very exciting book .
(Joan Thrasher 10:07am July 17, 2015)
I have not read anything by this author, but I love the cover and the description!
(Heather Poindexter 12:57pm July 17, 2015)
The copies of the Hobbit and LOTR that my parents gave me over 20 years ago... and which were their copies before hand. I have read them into the ground.
(Rachel B 5:07pm July 19, 2015)
I love mythology and this book really sounds like something I would love to read now, and again in a year or two.
(Debra Wolsleben 5:28pm July 19, 2015)