Today we are chatting with Meaghan McIsaac, author of
The Bear House #1!
Read on for more about Meaghan, her book, and a giveaway!
Meet Meaghan McIsaac!
Meaghan McIsaac is the author of several books for young readers, including The Boys of Fire and Ash, which was shortlisted for the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award; and Movers, which was a Shining Willow Finalist for the Saskatchewan Young Readers’ Choice Awards. Meaghan lives in Toronto, Ontario with her two dogs.
Meet The Bear House #1!
In a gritty medieval world where the ruling houses are based on the constellations, betrayal, intrigue, and a king’s murder force the royal sisters of the Bear House on the run! Moody Aster and her spoiled sister Ursula are the daughters of Jasper Lourdes, Major of Bears and lord of all the realm. Rivals, both girls dream of becoming the Bear queen someday, although neither really deserve to, having no particular talent in… well, anything. But when their Uncle Bram murders their father in a bid for the crown, the girls are forced onto the run, along with lowly Dev the Bearkeeper and the Lourdes’s half-grown grizzly Alcor, symbol of their house. As a bitter struggle for the throne consumes the kingdom in civil war, the sisters must rely on Dev, the bear cub, and each other to survive–and find wells of courage, cunning, and skill they never knew they had.
Amazon * B & N * Indiebound
~ Author Chat ~
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favourite character is probably Aster. She’s such a pain – so stubborn and convinced she’s always right. But she always wants to do the right thing in the end, even if that means admitting when she’s wrong. That push and pull made her complicated and fun to write. But if we mean favourite character as in who would be the most fun to hang out with – Argos the Starhound, no question.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
The most important thing I’ve learned about writing while working on this book is probably: don’t be too precious about what I’ve written. Sometimes you have to throw out a bunch of pages (or chapters) and start again. And that’s ok! It’s all part of the process.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
Oh my goodness, there are so many things I love about this gorgeous cover created by Fiona Hsieh and Holiday House! I love the fiery atmosphere and the castles, and the movement of the characters! But the thing I love most has to be the Hemoth Bear, roaring in the sky. So mighty! Just how a Hemoth Bear should be!
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2022?
There are a lot of things on my TBR pile right now! I just pre-ordered The Brides of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire which I am really excited about because I am a big Wizard of Oz geek. And I recently brought home Victoria Ying’s graphic novel City of Secrets which looks so beautiful.
YABC: What was your favorite book in 2021?
I’m in the middle of His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik and I am loving it because DRAGONS!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
At the moment, I am all consumed by more Highen adventures while I work on the sequel to The Bear House! I also have a secret dream to write and illustrate my own graphic novel someday, so I am working towards that goal. Wish me luck!
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
There is an audiobook in development! I am so excited to hear it – it’s going to be weird hearing someone else pronounce a lot of these names that I’ve only ever heard inside my head.
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
The most emotional scene for me to write was between Bernadine and her father, the Minor. He’s the bad guy, he’s done such terrible things. And here he is explaining to his daughter why he did those things. And she wants so much to understand. She wants so much for him to convince her he had to do these things. If he can’t convince her, if she can’t understand why he did these terrible things – then what? Does she have to let go of her father forever? He’s all she has! So, my heart broke for her in this scene because there was just no good way for the conversation to end. Poor Bernie.
YABC: Which part of the writing process do you enjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
Definitely drafting. That’s the fun part! Revising…that’s a lot of hard work.
Keep going. Finish the first draft. First chapter. First sentence. And keep going. You got this.
The Bear House #1
Author: Meaghan McIsaac
Publisher: Holiday House
Publish Date: October 5th, 2021
*GIVEAWAY DETAILS*
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
What a gorgeous cover! The book sounds fantastic:D
This book sounds breathtaking! I love the sound of a book that is medieval and focuses on constellations. Can’t wait to add it to our library!
The cover is powerful and this book sounds exciting!
I love the fierce cover. The story sounds like an exciting and suspenseful adventure.