Rogue's Angels Present: The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens by Katie Cash

Please welcome Katie Cash author of The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens


Katie Cash will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens

by Katie Cash

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GENRE: Fantasy

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INTERVIEW:

Author: Katie Cash

Novel: The Mapkeeper and the Rise of the Wardens

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

I have always loved reading and writing. As a child, I devoured R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, the Nancy Drew series, and any other books I could get my hands on. I knew from a young age that I wanted to be an author.

2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

I think that (in addition to strong, well-developed characters), elements of romance, plenty of suspense and mystery, and near-constant action are important ingredients for an interesting and continuously entertaining young adult fantasy novel. For example, here I use elements of mystery, suspense, and action to paint an exciting scene where the main character escapes her chamber in the castle and spills out in the dungeon:

“Her heart continued to pound, threatening to leap out of her chest. Now more than ever, she was thankful her brothers had accompanied her to Praxis. At least she knew she could trust them. Reason prevailed over her whirlwind of emotions and she considered her options. I won’t be able to escape my room without the guards tailing me.

Remembering the laundry chute Queen Oleksandra had shown her, Lucy summoned her courage and acted on an impulse plan. Scanning the room again, half-expecting to discover someone watching her, she pushed open the hidden entry to the chute and slid inside. It was dark and steep. Holding her breath and squeezing her eyes shut, she folded her arms over her face to protect herself and let go, sliding into the blackness below.

She shot down the chute like a toboggan on ice, eyes closed and heart racing. Seconds later, she popped out of the chute and skidded to a stop along a dark stone floor, her landing cushioned by a mound of dirty laundry that clung to her as she slid.

Breathless, she wrinkled her nose at the sour smell, but disciplined herself to remain still. All other senses deferred to her hearing as she listened. Her heartbeat drummed against her brain and her eyes took their time adjusting to the darkness. Somewhere in the room, the splat of a drip was steady and soft. Nothing else stirred. She counted to sixty as she lay in stillness, willing her thunderous heartrate to subside and anticipating the noise of an enemy close at hand.”

3. How did you come up with your idea for your novel?

I dreamed up the initial ideas for The Mapkeeper series in 2013, but almost everything about it has changed since then! The book morphed over time as I wrote. I began with an outline, but as I wrote, the characters seemed to lead me—to tell me how it was going to happen—rather than me simply putting the words down on paper. The final product is completely different from what I thought it would be when I started—but infinitely better, of course! I am thrilled to share this action-packed story with readers! J

4. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

I am very excited to interact with my readers. I truly look forward to hearing feedback and hopefully generating excitement for book two, which is already in the works! Marketing the book does not really excite me… I just want to continue writing. But hearing from readers absolutely does excite me, and I hope I will get some feedback soon!

5. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

I plan to write (at least) two more books in The Mapkeeper series, and then hopefully forge on! I love the young adult fantasy genre, but am also enticed by the idea of branching out into other genres—maybe thrillers or mysteries. I read across many different genres, so I am interested in writing a lot of different types of books. The future is wide open, and that is thrilling in itself!

6. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

Hmm… that’s a tough one. Of course Lucy would be a difficult character to be—she is under a lot of pressure and has to deal with tragedy, but she has such resilience and strength. I love Zadok’s unwavering kindness and genuinely dependable presence. He is a leader among all the clans, and he is a source of strength for Lucy in her moments of doubt. I am a big fan of Zadok.

7. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

Of course! After introducing the dystopian world that Lucy lives in and the map, the novel progresses to the point where Lucy uses the map to travel to Praxis, a parallel universe where she is called upon to learn to use the map’s power to save Praxis. The beginning establishes the most important relationships in her life and where she comes from, but second quarter of the book focuses in on the beauty of Praxis and introduces an eclectic cast of fantastic creatures and people who will be by Lucy’s side as she finds a way to harness the power of the map and battle the Wardens. Here is a fun scene in which Lucy and her brothers meet Rhys, the satyr of Praxis:

“Suddenly, the door to the inn crashed open, the pummeling sound of the downpour filling the restaurant. A very short silhouette was illuminated against a flash of lightning behind him. The visitor moved inside and hopped up onto a stool at the bar. It had the torso and head of a man, with the legs and horns of a goat. The Barnes siblings’ mouths hung open.

“I take it you’ve never seen a satyr before,” Cadmus chuckled, taking a sip of mead.

“No, I have not.” Lucy was still staring at the creature as he ordered at the bar. The satyr whipped around and locked eyes with her. She averted her eyes, but it was too late. He’d seen her staring. He hopped down, hoofs clopping against the stone floor as he made his way over to their booth.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t Cadmus takin’ the new Mapkeeper out for a bite on the town,” he sneered, crossing his hairy arms and leaning against the column next to their table. His horns grew out of his hairline above his forehead, ribbed with a slight curvature. He stood about chest-high to an average man, with coarse brown goat hair and a matching mop of hair on his head. His nose was long and hooked, and he had small, beady brown eyes. “Ms. Barnes, welcome to Praxis. I hope you like impossible challenges, because what you’ve got ahead of you is just that.”

“Rhys, that’s not true,” Cadmus objected.

The satyr threw his head back and belly laughed, letting out a boisterous cackle. The dark-clothed men in the corner had stopped talking and were watching.

“Let’s not fool ourselves, Cadmus! And not the new Mapkeeper. Our charming lady Mapkeeper!” He crossed his arms again and glanced toward the bar. The gruff-looking bartender was holding a small aluminum cup up, gesturing toward Rhys.

“Well gentlemen and madam,” he accentuated, curtseying toward Lucy with excessive emphasis, “I must go. I am needed at the bar. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Rhys. You’ll be seeing me around.” He twirled around on his hoofs and strutted back to the bar, his plump rear end and little tail bobbing with each step.”

8. When did you first decide to submit your work? Please tell us what or who encouraged you to take this big step?

I knew from initial conception of The Mapkeeper series that I wanted to publish it. But it took years for me to reach the point when I felt it was actually ready to be published. It took many iterations of editing and a lot of changes for me to finally have that warm fuzzy feeling, like, Yes, that was exactly what I knew deep down needed to change, but I needed someone else to tell me. Now it’s ready! I am so grateful to my developmental editors, who helped me see things that were right in front of my eyes. They pointed out what I needed to change to make this manuscript into the most engaging story it could be. Only then did I feel it was truly ready to put before the masses!

9. What is the best and worst advice you ever received? (regarding writing or publishing)

There are mountains of advice out there about writing and publishing. I follow a number of trusted bloggers and industry professionals, but at some point, after reading hundreds of articles, you come across conflicting advice. I’ve realized to take each person’s advice with a grain of salt. After all, what worked for a very successful mystery novelist may not work for a fantasy novelist, and vice-versa. I’ve learned that I can’t do everything that the “pros” recommend, so I need to focus on a few things and do them well. I can be happy with that. J

10. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

This question makes me smile. Like I said before, I do outline, but things tend to drift away from my plan when the characters show me better directions in which to take the story! I think outlines are important to focus myself before I begin—otherwise, the prospect of writing a whole novel is too daunting. Too large a project. But I am able to break it down by focusing on little pieces at a time, and an outline helps me identify those chunks of plot.

11. What helps you envision your characters and keep them consistent as you describe them throughout the story?

I do image searches on the internet for random images of people who look like my characters as I envision them in my mind. I save all these character images in a folder and reference them throughout my drafts to make sure I am getting the eye color, face structure, and hair color right as I go. It’s a really helpful way to keep track of all that without having to use a spreadsheet!

Thanks the Angels

BLURB:

A teenage girl in future North America discovers that she is heir to a magical map which transports her to another world called Praxis, where her position as Mapkeeper is held in high regard. She is expected to learn to use the map’s magic to help the creatures of Praxis defend their homeland against the dark magic of the Wardens, a group of ancient beings whose magic is stirring again after centuries of peace.

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EXCERPT:

The walk to school was gorgeous and still. The gentlest snowfall drifted from the gray sky, dusting last night’s snowfall with a fresh final layer of fluff. The padding of snow muffled the sounds of the small town coming to life.

To Lucy’s surprise, there was a large crowd of townspeople gathered around Frostbite High when it came into sight. They spilled into the parking lot, cramming themselves against one another, trying to get a view of someone or something at the center of the outdoor courtyard. Lucy’s curiosity was piqued—nothing interesting ever happened at Frostbite.

“What’s going on?” Luke asked.

“I don’t know… I don’t remember any of the teachers saying there would be an event on Monday,” Mack replied.

The Barnes siblings quickened their pace. The low murmur of excited voices emanated from the crowd. People pointed toward the center of the courtyard and stood on tip-toes to get a better view. An inexplicable apprehension formed somewhere deep within Lucy’s stomach.

The siblings weaved through several parked snow mobiles and reached the edge of the crowd in the parking lot. They shouldered their way in until they had a clear view of the courtyard. There was a group of people seated in high-backed chairs on stage, but Lucy couldn’t make out their faces.

“Who are they?” Mack asked a man who was squeezed up against him.

“It’s Mr. Quincy and his staff!” the gray-bearded man muttered. “He’s supposed to make some special announcement, just for us here in Aglid.” The man’s eyes darkened with mistrust.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Katie Cash was born in 1989 in Canberra, Australia. Her parents' jobs took Katie and her five brothers to many different places growing up before they settled in San Diego, CA.

Following high school, Katie accepted an appointment to the United States Naval Academy, and in 2011 graduated with honors, earning a bachelor’s of science degree in oceanography. At the Naval Academy, she was a member of the Division One cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track teams. She served as captain of the cross country team her senior year.

Upon graduating, she reported to her first duty station aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) in San Diego, where she led 78 Sailors in Engineering Department. Follow-on assignments included USS Essex (LHD-2) where she was the Assistant Training Officer and USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) where she led 72 Sailors in Operations Department. She then transitioned to the Navy Meteorology community and began her next assignment working in Navy Special Warfare.

Katie began writing the Mapkeeper series in 2013, but completed the bulk of draft one in 2014 while out to sea aboard USS Carl Vinson. She finished book one in mid-2015 and is currently embroiled in the process of writing book two of the series.

Katie's short stories have been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Just Us Girls, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time to Thrive, and The Log Magazine.

Katie lives in San Diego with her husband and their cat.

Website: http://www.katiecashwriting.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/the_katiecash

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katiecashwriting?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Katie Cash will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f1422