INTERVIEW w/ DANIKA DINSMORE, author of THE RUINS OF NOE

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Welcome to Marvelous Middle Grade Monday (MMGM), a weekly event hosted by author Shannon Messenger. For a list of other MMGM posts, click HERE.

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THE RUINS OF NOE
by Danika Dinsmore
Hydra House
266 pp.
Ages 8 - 12

"I don't understand," said Brigitta, and then glanced back down as the baby yawned and opened her eyes. They were crystal white. "She has no destiny." 

Ondelle reached in, picked the baby up, and cradled it in her arms. "The Ethereals have not visited her."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
A child born with no destiny: one of many signs that the White Forest faeries had lost touch with the Ethereals, the Ancient Ones. High Priestess Ondelle is convinced by an old proverb that one faerie is fated to travel to the former home of the Ancients, the Ruins of Noe, to find the answer. That faerie, she believes, is Brigitta. Ondelle and Brigitta set off to save their forest once again, but when they arrive in Noe they discover something they never learned from any faerie tale. Why had this dark secret been kept from them? Why in the name of Faweh had the Ancients left some faeries behind? 

From VOYA: When a child of the White Forest is born with no destiny, Brigitta knows something has gone wrong in their forest. The Ethereals, or Ancient Ones, no longer visit their forest to give children their destinies or release their dead. It is up to Brigitta to help save their forest once more, but can she? This book is as captivating as the first, full of discovery and answered secrets. Readers will not be able to put this book down as they learn about the new creatures outside the forest and the answers that lie with them.

The Ruins of Noe is book 2 in Danika Dinsmore's Fairy Tales From the White Forest series. Danika agreed to join us today for an interview. Also, she's graciously offered a copy of her book as a giveaway. Be sure to check out the details on how to win below! Take it away, Danika!

1. Describe [your book] in one sentence.

A coming-of-age fantasy adventure about a young Water Faerie who risks her life to save her forest and her people.

2. When did you first know you wanted to write books for kids?

I started writing when I was a teenager, but I came to writing for kids later in life - which is ironic because I’ve been working creatively with kids for over twenty years. I was a poet, then a screenwriter, and then I adapted one of my feature scripts (my first fantasy and my first screenplay for kids) into a novel about seven years ago. Writing speculative fiction for children, and teaching world-building to them, has dominated my life since.

3. What inspired you to write this particular story?

It honestly began as an attempt to write something more marketable. My drawers were overflowing with experimental poetry and dark indie screenplay dramas, which I enjoyed writing, but my screenwriting agents at the time literally said to me, “Can’t you write something bigger?” 

Then one day I was store-sitting for a friend, and her place was filled with magical items, tarot decks, renaissance wear, and statues of fantastic beings. I found myself surrounded by faeries and suddenly the characters of Brigitta and Himalette popped into my head. The story came shortly thereafter, fairly complete, as if I had plucked it from the ether. I wrote the screenplay first, then later used that as an outline for the novel. 

4.  What were your favorite books growing up?

When I was about 10 years old it was Chronicles of Narina, the entire Wizard of Oz series, Harriet the Spy, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and The Phantom Tollbooth.

5.  What are you reading now?

I’m actually reading Letters from My Father by Barack Obama. Neither speculative nor for children. It’s very good, thought-provoking. I think he may have a future ahead of him.

The last great book I read that knocked me over was Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.

I’m on a “literature for adults” trend at the moment after spending the last few years reading primarily MG/YA speculative fiction. Gotta stretch my mind in another direction for a bit.  

6.  If you could visit a setting from any book, where would you go?

This probably sounds twisted, but something that comes to mind is China Mieville’s Perdido Street Station because it’s just so extremely bizarre. I wouldn’t want to live there or anything, but I really want to see it. Then, I’d trot off to Dictionopolis from The Phantom Tollbooth for a while and eat my words.

7.  What can we expect from you in the future? 

I’m interested in doing something different, turning away from trends, so right now I’m balancing out all the dark, dystopian fare by writing a bit of humour. I’m working on a YA pop space opera and a handful of short stories. I also have a “secret” project that has something to do with a novel in verse, but that’s all I’m going to say.

  

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

To be eligible to win a copy of THE RUINS OF NOE fill out the rafflecopter below. You must be a follower of this blog to enter. U.S. addresses only, please.

This giveaway will end on  February 11th!
U.S. entries only please. 

 a Rafflecopter giveaway