Mars 2009
Hello Kaza, our first question is a small ritual on Plume Libre, could you tell us who is Kaza Kingsley ?
Thank you for having me on Plume Libre! I'm very excited about Erec Rex debuting in France. I just received my French copies and really enjoy looking at them! Of all the books I've received from other countries, the French ones are the only ones I can read a little bit of, which is fun.
Okay, who is Kaza Kingsley? I am many people rolled into one, I think. First, I am one who loves stories of all kinds. I haven't been able to tear myself away from books since I was a small girl. I enjoy movies, plays . . . any form of telling a great tale. Second, I am a writer. I think writing lets me stay a child at heart. It's purely escapist and a lot of fun—I couldn't live without it. Beyond that, I am, at times, a stargazer, a wine sipper, a friend, a romantic, a flirt, a comic, and, at times, a big pain in the . . . backside. It all helps, I think, in making stories. :}
How did you come to writing?
I've joked at times that writing is like an illness. No normal person would come home after a long day at work and write until the wee hours of the night. Or take the risk of giving up their job to write full time.
I can't remember a time in my life where I wasn't writing something. Not that the little stories I wrote in grade school were anything special. But it was always a great love of mine. I must have written a hundred short stories before I wrote my first novel. And then I spent years in writing groups, reading books on writing . . . pretty much doing everything I could to work on my craft.
What kind of books did you like to read when you were a child, a teenager ?
For some reason I was a very slow reader as a kid. It would take me sometimes a month to get through a book, because I would stop and picture everything as I read. I loved fantasy books—I think my favourite was A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L'Engle. But I loved realistic fiction books as well. Agatha Christy books were fun. When I was younger I loved the Wizard of Oz series by L. Frank Baum. I had all fourteen of those books and re-read them all of the time.
Why « young adults » novels ?
The first novel I wrote is still in a drawer. It's an adult novel, so I haven't always been tied to writing for kids. But comparing my experience with that novel to writing the Erec Rex series really opened my eyes. Sometimes you don't even know where you heart lies until the project is underway. What had seemed like work with my adult novel became a pure joy when I wrote Erec Rex. No matter how many hours I wrote it was hard to tear myself away. I didn't even realize until I was well into it that this was really what I should have been writing all along.
Writing this genre lets me stay a kid, in a sense. Not that I'd want to stick with Young Adult novels forever. I have all kinds of book ideas for various ages which I'm starting to work on as well. I just finished Book Four in the Erec Rex series—even though it won't be out in America for another year. That gives me a little time to play around.
Was it difficult for you to be published or a fairy tale ?
Both, actually! It was really easy for me to get an agent from a great agency in New York. But then she left the agency before finding a home for Erec Rex, and it just floated there for a while. It then became hard to figure out the best thing to do next, and there was a time when I didn't know if it would ever be published. But now I have an eight book deal with Simon and Schuster in the U.S., which is unusually large and exciting! So it all worked out in the end.
France is not the first country where your books are translated. How do an author feel when his books travel around the world and come across a large success.
It's one of the most exciting things for me, seeing my books printed in other countries, and hearing from readers all around the world. For example, there is a great Erec Rex website in Thailand, at http://www.erecrexthai.com which is so much fun for me to see.
I hope my French readers know that I would love to hear from them as well! I try to answer all the emails I get, which takes some time, but is very rewarding to me. Readers can contact me through the Erec Rex website at http://www.erecrex.com by clicking on "Talk to Kaza."
Erec Rex is the main character of your books, how do you create him ?
Erec is the older brother I never had. The more I write about Erec—and I'm done with Book Four now—the more I love him. He has invented himself, somewhat, and become more and more human to me as he lives through his adventures. It's really amazing to see how his character develops through the series.
Erec's name is also a reference to Hercules, known in ancient Greece as Heracule. Through the series, a parallel between Erec Rex and Hercules emerges!
Erec's world is quite complex, how do you manage it, do you get lost sometimes ?
I'm laughing now, because his world becomes even more complex by Book Four! It can be hard, sometimes, not to forget tiny details, like the color of a minor character's eyes. So I keep a lot of notes at hand about those kinds of things. But what helps me the most is that I write for eight to ten hours a day every day when I'm working on a book. I become so completely immersed in Erec's world that I'm living with all of those details, and they are with me all the time.
Could you present us « Alypium », the magical world you created ?
Alypium, one of the three Kingdoms of the Keepers, is a hidden world within our own where our old knowledge of magic is kept and strange and fantastical creatures abound. It is a beautiful and mystical place, but things are caving in. The king is hypnotized and his castle turned on its side. The very Substance that holds things together has gone awry, and whispers tell of evil plans to destroy everything.
Erec Rex has been yanked out of the world as we know it and thrown unwillingly into danger here. As he learns how to get by in this strange world he also discovers some truths about himself ... and must learn the power of trust and love in order to save his mother, and all of Alypium.
You scheduled an 8 volumes saga, do you already know the end of the story ?
Definitely. I planned the entire series out for half a year before I started writing any of Book One, The Dragon's Eye. But, that said, I still add many elements to each story as the series grows. When I'm writing Book Three, for example, I might come up with an idea for Book Five, and will write that down and store it away. But I do know exactly what the series ending will be . . . and it will be a surprise to readers, I think!
Erec is a singular character, more mature than other ones, and his glass eye is very interesting. Could you tell us more about this distinctive characteristic ?
I had a lot of fun researching glass eyes. In fact, I got to see an interesting video of someone making them. But Erec Rex has a glass eye in the beginning of The Dragon's Eye for a reason. In fact, once you finish reading Book One, you will know exactly why he has a glass eye—and what happens to it!
Do you have a favorite character ? Who is the more close of you ?
Erec Rex is my favorite character. The more time I spend getting to know him, the more I admire him. He is fun, and while he is still a kid he's had to deal with a lot more than normal kids do. It's interesting to see how he reacts to the things he's been through.
I also have a soft spot in my heart for Oscar, Erec's friend in Book One. More happens with Oscar as the series progresses, so keep an eye on him. Bethany is close to my heart as well.A minotaur, twelve labours... Would you be a mythology fan ?
How do you find this idea to mix magic and mythology ?
Yes, in fact! I love to read about mythology from different countries. If you look through Erec Rex you will find all kinds of references to mythology. The three rulers of the Kingdoms of the Keepers, for example, Piter, Posey, and Pluto are playful reflections of the three ancient Roman gods: Jupiter, Poseidon, and Pluto. The Lia Fail—the rock that screams in the presence of a true ruler—also was from Celtic mythology. And you will see a reference to Hercules 12 labors as the series progresses, with Erec's 12 quests.
When you read the first volume, you can feel some references to another authors like Tolkien or Lewis Carroll. Who are your reference authors ?
There were subtle references to both of those authors in Book One, in fact! The money in The Dragon's Eye is a nod to Lord of the Rings, with gold ring coins, silver shires, bronze gands, and paper bils. Also, the Springball game in The Dragon's Eye was inspired by the crazy game of croquet in Alice in Wonderland, where the balls were hedgehogs and the mallets were flamingos. Springball was conceived when I imagined something I would really love to see. It's a game where the balls are people with round ball-like padding on, and they're passed and bounced on springs sticking out of them, or run down a field, arms and legs waving about trying to get free. It would be terribly funny, I think.
What would you like to tell to French readers who will read next your book « The dragon's eye » ?
I hope you enjoy the first Erec Rex book. There is a lot in store for you if you follow the rest of the series, so it's not for the weak of heart!
I am delighted that my books are now in France—a country that I love. I have been to Paris a number of times, and hope to one day return to see more of France. Your culture, food, and history are remarkable, and it is with the greatest of pleasure that I can be a part of your world.
Thank you very much Kaza Kingsley, you have the last word !
Okay, I will! I want you to know that I am available to all of you, to answer questions, or to just say hello, through http://www.erecrex.com - on the "Talk to Kaza" page. I look forward to getting to know some of you personally!
In the meantime, remember to always live your dreams.
May imagination and bravery be with you!
Love, Kaza
