Author Interview with Christina Leigh Pritchard
I’m hosting an interview with author Christina Leigh Pritchard today, the author of the C I N and Gadaie series.
Interview
1) What inspired you to write “Lark’s End”?
A: I’ve been writing the stories for Gadaie for so many years that I can’t pinpoint the exact reason! I can say this though: It hasn’t changed much and is the world I grew up in! Before I could write stories I told my friends (sometimes being called a liar since I actually believed my world and characters to be real), my family and anyone who’d listen (yes, those poor polite adults!) I don’t really remember a time in my life when I didn’t write “Lark’s End” and its other books.
2) When did you know you wanted to become a writer?
A: I wrote before I knew I wanted to be a writer. ;o) But to answer your question, it was during a poetry competition in elementary school. My poem needed to gain two votes over someone else’s. A boy in my class lied and said he hadn’t voted, bringing us to a tie!! It was then, at that very moment, when I knew.
3) Do you write an outline before you start a manuscript, or do you ‘write as you go’?
A: Sometimes I start with an outline but essentially end up doing whatever the characters tell me to do.
4) What character was your favorite to write about? Which character was your least favorite one to write about?
A: For Lark’s End, Idris was one of my favorite characters to write. She’s fun, saucy and yet wicked and at the same time good. How is that possible? She proved to me it was! Who was my least favorite to write? That’s hands down, Father. He’s evil and disturbing. I hate him and yet didn’t want any harm to come to him.
5) I read on your website that there would be nine books in the Gadaie series. Why did you decide to write a series, and not a stand alone or trilogy?
A: Once I write one book, I have to write another, and another. I never can seem to stop at three let alone one. This series may even grow larger!! ;o) (I’m obsessed, I know!)
6) What was the most challenging about writing “Lark’s End”?
A: Trying to stay true to the original world I created as a child. Who has roads with chocolate potholes in them? I mean, really?
7) If you could go drink a cup of coffee with three authors, dead or alive, which authors would you choose?
A: That’s easy! Paul from the Bible, Jerry Spinelli and Mark Twain.
8) Are you working on something new? If so, can you tell us more about it?
A: I can’t work on just one project so I’ve got quite a few in the works. A horror called White Birds, a psychological thriller The Charlatans, more books in the C I N Series and Gadaie Series and a few more… I love writing!
Book Cover and Synopsis
Title: Lark’s End
Author: Christina Leigh Pritchard
Genre: Intermediate Fantasy
From the author of the C I N Series, comes an epic fantasy world filled with nothing but constant action and adventure. A new world, new life forms, and another twisted and complex story from author Christina Leigh Pritchard!
SYNOPSIS:
Mary wants to kill them. But, someone stands in her way…
Tahmi has nightmares, of an old man in a sailor’s suit, dropping her off on her doorstep. When she tells her parents about him they look sick. Could her dream have some truth to it? Is that old man the reason they won’t allow her in the woods behind her house?
What are they hiding from her? Who is she?
TAHMI: She’s just an ordinary girl, right?
Lark’s End, the first of nine books in the epic fantasy series The Fall of Gadaie. For extras, (characters, illustrations, book trailers, maps) please visit the blog dedicated to the series: gadaie.com
BONUS MATERIAL INCLUDED AFTER STORY (kindle version only)
66+ Illustrated photos created by Omaik Digital Art
What Readers are saying:
The world of Lark’s End is topsy-turvy…I admit that I was prepared to be confused and disappointed when I started reading this story. Shifts of location left me feeling lost and for a YA book the language seemed too simplistic. After the first couple of chapters I was comfortable feeling lost. And very grateful for the language. By the middle of the book I was breathless keeping up with the journey of the companions. Far from being simplistic, Lark’s End requires your full attention to follow the dream-like transformations and fast-paced movement…After reading Lark’s End, I don’t think there would be any trouble getting your YA to read Kafka or Borges.
-Speculative Salon Reviews
Lark’s End: Whoa, I knew you had a good imagination but Lark’s End was outrageously creative. At first I wasn’t sure that I would like it, it seemed a bit far out there but I loved it. It reminded me of worlds created like Alice in Wonderland or C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. You are a great author/story teller. The world you created with all the wonderful creatures (my favorite being the stars) was so captivating. I can’t wait to find this book and buy it for my kids. I really do have such respect for your talent as a writer. C I N was a book for me… Lark’s End is a book for everyone, children and adults can both enjoy it. I was amazed and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.. People that love to get lost in a book that can transport them to a fabulous new world are going to cherish Lark’s End.
-Goodreads Member — Dione Sage
Here is another series by Pritchard that is filled with twists and turns as the plot races along. Tahmi is trying to figure out who she really is, as well as many other secrets. Pay close attention along the ride, so that you can keep up with what is going on!
-Andi’s Young Adult Reviews
Author Bio
Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in $0.15 wide ruled spiral notebooks (which were supposed to be used for class) ;o)~ and in the various diaries she kept. Stories she wrote from age nine to twelve fill about four storage boxes!
Since she’s upgraded to a computer, she’s completed over fifty books and still going strong. Her genre’s include dark fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense, historical romance, multicultural, comedy, poetry and many more.
Links
Website for the CIN Series | Website for Lark’s End | Facebook | Twitter | Purchase Lark’s End