Giulietta Maria Spudich is the author of the newly release YA Fantasy novel Fireheart.
Can you tell us a bit about Fireheart?
It’s set in a fantastical past in which dragons are dying out. Human beings are changing from hunter-gatherers (the Wanderers) to settled life in towns. Ariana, an eighteen-year girl, is doomed to live her life out in the forest, as she’s attached to a dragon. That’s where the story begins-but a disastrous storm changes everything.
Where did you get the idea for a girl chained to a dragon?
I was thinking about how the past can hold us back from growth- we are ready to move on in life but we’re tethered by something. And George is a very nice dragon- it’s complex what we’re tethered by. This led me to the metaphor of a girl chained to a dragon.
Fireheart follows a very classic YA Fantasy recipe, what in your opinion is it that makes it stand out from the crowd?
Ariana is not only chained to a dragon, she is vegetarian, and suffers memory loss. I think she’s unique as a protagonist, in a special situation. There is also a love story with an older man, which brings tension of a different sort than when people of the same age are attracted to each other.
Tell us a little bit about the cover art?
The cover was provided by Books to Go Now, Fireheart’s publisher.
How do you market your books?
Books to Go Now does a lot of the work. I had two free KDP dates and went to this fantastically useful link to promote the free Kindle version:
http://katrinaparkerwilliams.wordpress.com
I participated in a Blog Hop, and have my own Blog and Twitter account (@spudichpen) where I have promoted the book.
What is the hardest thing about writing?
Finding the time. I have a day job which is quite intense, so I don’t find enough time or energy to write- but I have lots of ideas.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
Traditional books- they smell like new, inviting worlds.
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I read all sorts of books- some of my favorite recent reads (or rereads) are Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn), J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings), Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient), and Barbara Kingsolver (The Lacuna).
What’s next?
I’ve started writing children’s stories. One has been published in ‘Spread your Wings’ by knowonder!, and another is coming up in their October collection. I’d like to write more in that subject- it’s a lot of fun.
I love the symbolism in Fireheart. I’ll have to look up your book. Thanks so much for sharing with us.
Great interview,G iuilietta. I enjoyed getting to know you better!
Janette