Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Antonia Maxwell!
Read on to learn more about the author, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Antonia Maxwell
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I had just read a book The Library of Ice by Nancy Campbell, which is a deep dive into all things ‘ice’. It got me thinking about what ice means to us – geographically, culturally, linguistically – and also what we stand to lose if our polar ice caps melt. I was also thinking about how, by telling stories about the ice, we keep our understanding and experience of it alive, and this grew into an exploration of how we experience and deal with loss generally.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
It has to be the main character, Mani. The book is written from her point of view and I felt very close to her as I wrote her adventures – and I am still with her as I write book 2. Perhaps there is a little bit of me in her – I am a noisy introvert, but also determined and resourceful. Mani has an inner courage that I hope readers will connect with.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came first. I had read a science fiction story about scientists intentionally melting the Arctic ice in order to harvest the volcanic energy beneath it. In doing so they inadvertently release a monster that has been held inside the ice for thousands of years, which goes on the rampage. For my story, I knew the melted ice had released something terrible that had been catastrophic for our world – but I didn’t want it to be a monster as such. I came up with the idea of a force that is deadly because it feeds on electricity – even the electricity inside our bodies. I knew about it before I named it – in the same way that the scientists in the story don’t name it initially! It’s only towards the end of book 1 that we discover it has been named: Terra Electrica.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I love all the mask scenes – where Mani puts on her mask and enters this ‘world beyond ours’ of snow and ice and Arctic spirit animals. I like simple, immersive writing, and these scenes really allowed me to write freely in this way. I like the extra dimension that this element gives to the book, which is an exciting adventure story but with magical overtones.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
That it takes a team to create a finished book. Since finishing my manuscript, the book has had so much input – rounds of editing, illustration, text design, cover blurb, marketing materials and distribution – the writer is just one cog in a big creative machine. I am very fortunate to have worked with the amazing dedicated team at Neem Tree Press, but have also discovered so many friendly and helpful people since the book published this year – fellow writers, teachers, librarians, bloggers and booksellers. The book world is full of lovely people!
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
Where do I start? I love the colours. I love the design. I love the way it conveys magic and nature and animals – but also an exciting adventure story with a unique blend of elements. Jet Purdie is an amazing cover designer – I am very lucky.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to?
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke – I was completely blown away by the immersive writing of Piranesi and this new one about a girl who can talk to animals and trees looks right up my street!
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Bookworm by Lucy Mangan – the author writes affectionately about the books that shaped her as a child, which I really relate to, but also talks about the idea of childhood reading. For me, childhood was really the golden age of reading. You could get so lost in the world of a book because you had time – long summer holidays and cosy Christmas breaks from school – it’s much harder as an adult to find that kind of time to really get lost in a book.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I am currently finishing writing Terra Electrica book 2! Then I have lots of different projects clamouring for me to work on them – it’s just a matter of deciding which one is next. I will be writing more middle grade children’s books, but I’m also developing a film script. Since publication, I’ve really enjoyed getting out and about meeting young readers and talking about Terra Electrica – so I plan to do more of that with visits to schools, bookshops and libraries planned. I’m also involved in teaching creative writing and editing skills (I am a book editor as well as a writer).
YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate?
In Terra Electrica, there is a scene when Leo (a scientist) is trying to understand what they know about the disease, and he talks to Mani about it. Leo approaches it from a scientific viewpoint, but Mani is much more practical and focused on where her next meal is coming from and waiting for her father to return. Through their dialogue I needed to give the reader information about the disease – but this was restricted by the characters’ limited understanding of it. I also needed to convey Leo and Mani’s different approaches. It was difficult to juggle all these aspects and not just give an ‘exposition dump’. In the end, the work paid off I think and it is now one of my favourite scenes!
YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The ‘antagonist’ in Terra Electrica is both the deadly disease, but also the corrupt science organization The Ark. Towards the end of the book Eliza Graves, a chief scientist representing the nefarious Ark, is introduced. I wanted to make her an unsympathetic scientist who has lost connection with her fellow humans without making her a cartoon-ish ‘baddie’. She appears in book 2 and we learn more about her there. The trick to writing good ‘baddies’ is to make them as complex as your hero!
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
That life is all about change – and that sometimes we have to accept change, but sometimes we need to summon our inner power and fight against it.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
I make a mean apple crumble.
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
I love libraries. They are vital community spaces. I visit my local library not only for the books and knowledgeable librarians, but sometimes simply as a quiet space where I can retreat and reflect and reboot. I suppose for me they function in the same way as a church might for a religious person. When councils close libraries, everyone loses.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Show up – and write. Put some words on to that blank piece of paper. Then work on them and make them better. You can’t do anything with a blank page – but once you’ve got some words on it, you can make them into a story
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
A wonderful aspect of being a children’s author that I wasn’t expecting is meeting young readers. We hear so much about how children have become hostages to their screens and they are not reading any more. In the events I have done at libraries and in bookshops and schools, I have met such lovely kids who are so keen to talk about books – whether they be fiction, non-fiction, graphic novels, comedy, fantasy or real-life. My impression is that kids want to read. Let’s make sure they have access to lots of different books!
~ Giveaway Details ~
Five (5) winners will receive a copy of Terra Electrica: The Guardians of the North (Antonia Maxwell) ~US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway*
