Tynga's Reviews: Kersten Hamilton

In the Forests of the Night is the second book in the Goblin Wars series and released just last month. To celebrate the occasion Kersten accepted to stop by for a very touching interview. Please welcome her warmly =)

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1- In the Forest of the Night is your second YA book, how was the transition from writing to a younger audience?

Story is the heart of fiction, and readers of all ages crave it. A good picture book, one with story, can usually be turned into a good novel. Tyger, Tyger, the first book in the Goblin Wars series is proof of that—it started out as a picture book!

Writing picture books is hard because you must work with pure distilled essence of story. There is no Tyger Tyger cover room for error or extra words. It is so hard, in fact, that when I manage to write a good picture book, I put on my YA novelist hat and send my picture book self a box of truffles.

Even when I wrote Tyger Tyger as a picture book, I knew I wanted to expand it. I had to wait until my own children were grown and out of the house before I could settle into it, though. When I am writing, I am very, very focused, to the point that the rest of the world becomes a shadow land. While my children were at home I limited myself to writing picture books and MG novels. Even so, the children only survived because they learned to call out for pizza at a very early age.

Writing picture books is fun because it is such a challenge. Writing MG novels is fun because you get to step into the world of a ten or twelve year old, and enjoy the newness of the world all over again. I really enjoy writing YA because I can go wild with themes and thoughts. I love them all!

2- Tea finds herself between a rock and a hard place in this second installment, how will she manage to get the upper hand?

Now, Tynga. I can’t tell you how or even if she’ll get the upper hand or what it would look like if she did. It is an Irish story after all, and you know how they can be. I can say that readers will be surprised. Several times.

3- How many books can we expect in the Goblin Wars series? Do you have some exclusive tidbits to share with us?

I’m not sure yet – at least three, but maybe more. The only tidbit I can share is that if you loved Tyger Tyger you will LOVE the next book….

Now onto some Xmas-y questions:

5- What's a typical Christmas like in the Hamilton family?

The whole Christmas season is fun. When my kids were little, we like picking out presents from the Angel tree – that is usually presents for children of men or women who are in prison, that are then sent from their parents. I like that idea a lot better than Santa Claus. I had real problems with that jolly old elf when I was a child—he never brought me anything. We always had a Christmas tree with ornaments from every Christmas we had been together; candlelight Christmas Eve service with carols; and stockings and presents at about nine o’clock on Christmas morning. Yes, you read that right. My children were all night owls, and even on Christmas I had a hard time getting them out of bed before nine! Now–a–days, I am just as happy to be traveling at Christmas as staying home.

6- How is it different from when you were a kid?

HighRolls Very, very different. When I was a child we were very, very poor. I remember spending one Christmas in a basement because we were homeless. We did have carols and fun, but we almost never had presents, unless a charity sent over a box—and let me tell you, people put the weirdest things in those boxes. One Christmas I got a red striped shirt that was two sizes to large, and a choke collar for a dog. Which might have been useful…if I’d had a dog. And that was my problem with Santa Claus. It is very rough on a little kid to go to school after Christmas and be asked “What did Santa bring you?” Because he usually didn’t bring us anything, and everyone knew that Santa brings presents to good little children. Which meant…I wasn’t good and I had to stand up in front of class and admit it. My family wasn’t good because we were poor. Needless to say, I never told my children that Santa Claus brought gifts.

7- What's Christmas like in Mag Mell?

Mag Mell is a bit like Narnia before Aslan returned. In Narnia it was always winter and never Christmas; in Mag Mell it is always summer, but the result is the same.

8- What could we offer Tea for Christmas?

A magic box to keep precious things in—a box that couldn’t be broken or stolen away by goblins.

Thank you for having me on your blog, Tynga. And Merry Christmas!

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If it got you curious, here’s a bit more about In the Forests of the Night

The battle against goblinkind continues . . . but which side will Teagan be on?
Teagan, Finn, and Aiden have made it out of Mag Mell alive, but the Dark Man’s forces are hot on their heels. Back in Chicago, Tea’s goblin cousins show up at her school, sure she will come back to Mag Mell, as goblin blood is never passive once awoken. Soon she will belong to Fear Doirich and join them. In the meantime, they are happy to entertain themselves by trying to seduce, kidnap, or kill Tea’s family and friends. Tea knows she doesn’t have much time left, and she refuses to leave Finn or her family to be tortured and killed. A wild Stormrider, born to rule and reign, is growing stronger inside her. But as long as she can hold on, she’s still Teagan Wylltson, who plans to be a veterinarian and who heals the sick and hurting. The disease that’s destroying her—that’s destroying them all—has a name: Fear Doirich. And Teagan Wylltson is not going to let him win.
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