Today we are chatting with A.F. Steadman about her book, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief!
~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Eight years ago, an image of a boy riding a ferocious unicorn flew into my mind. I’m a visual writer and often play out scenes in my mind and I remember very clearly thinking: this unicorn doesn’t look like it belongs in a fairytale. This creature belongs in nightmares. I suppose I’ve always been a little suspicious of the friendly image of unicorns that has become prevalent. Especially as they have a sharp horn on their head!
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
My favourite character to write is Bobby Bruna. She is fearless, irreverent, slightly rude, confident and outgoing, so about the opposite to me in every way! She is also one of the funnier characters and I love thinking up jokes for her.
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
The novel came first, but the title, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief came soon after I’d edited it for the second time.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
So much of writing is not writing. It’s walking, and thinking and having ideas while drying your hair! I used to think that I wasn’t working if I hadn’t sat at my computer and written for hours, but often that attitude is counter-productive for me and I have my most creative ideas while doing something else.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
The unicorns! I never imagined that Two Dots Studio and the design team at Simon & Schuster would be able to bring the bloodthirsty unicorns I had in my mind to life. But they are absolutely perfect.
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2022?
I loved Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston so I am looking forward to the second book in the series Amari and the Great Game so much! I can’t wait to see what happens next.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
I recently read Fireborn: Twelve and the Frozen Forest by Aisling Fowler. A middle-grade adventure set in a prehistoric world where Huntlings train to fight monsters. It’s edge of your seat thrilling with wonderfully characters that will steal your heart.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
The Skandar series will be five books, so I’m hard at work on editing Book 2 and starting to write Book 3 in the series!
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
That we are all made up of different visible and invisible pieces, but when we work together we are always stronger.
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
I didn’t start Skandar for years because it felt like there was never a good time. What I finally realised is there was never going to be a perfect moment. Even 100 words in your lunch break will get your book written eventually! It’s all about taking that first step.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
This isn’t only a book about bloodthirsty unicorns! Between its pages are big themes like family, grief, bravery, mental health, and finding your place in the world – even if it isn’t exactly where you expected. It tackles the importance of finding friends who accept you for who you really are, of loving people even when it’s hard, and of doing the right thing even when it’s scary.
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Skandar and the Unicorn Thief is the first book in a new fantasy series set in a world of warrior unicorns, elemental magic and unlikely heroes. Thirteen year old Skandar Smith has always wanted to become a unicorn rider, but when the most powerful unicorn in the world is stolen, Skandar and his friends must take to the skies to battle bloodthirsty unicorns and a deadly enemy.
