Authors Are Rockstars Tour - Julie Kagawa

I'm late, I'm late, to a very important date!  After 3 days of a malfunctioning internet signal, I am here to tell you all about why Julie Kagawa is a rockstar.  Last year right after I started this blog, I began trying different YA books after a long absence.  I was looking for something different that would kick-start my imagination and keep me well entertained.  One of the very first books I tried was The Iron King and, needless to say, I was a goner.  I finished the first book late at night and immediately went right out to buy the next 2.  The Iron Fey had stolen me away (I promise, I'll refrain from spouting some W.B. Yeats right now a la "The Stolen Child") and there was no turning back.  I had the pleasure of meeting Julie last August at the Ash2Nash author tour, where I was tracked down in the store after tweeting that I had spotted her.  That was such an unforgettable moment, and having the chance to hear about the writing of the series in the author's words was great.  I also found that we have a few things in common, which is an awesome thing to discover about a favored author.  She continues to be amongst my top 5 favorite YA authors and shares a spot at the top of the list.

As a part of today's festivities, the awesomely funny Meghan, Ash, Puck, and Grimalkin dropped by to talk about why Julie is a rockstar, what she has them up to these days, and more.  I hope you enjoy reading the interview as much as I did conducting it!

Marla: Hey, guys, gal, and cat. Welcome to Starting the Next Chapter! It's great having you here.

First off, as you already know, this is the Authors Are Rockstars Tour, so tell me, what makes Julie a rockstar in your eyes?

Meghan: Well, I know that she loves her fans and she loves what she does; that's kind of rockstar-ish, right?

Ash: I'm afraid I don't know enough about rockstars to properly answer this question.

Puck: She has freaky hair.

Grimalkin: *Yawn*

Marla: Meghan, how is life in the Iron realm treating you these days? What's it like being queen?

Meghan: Busy. Lots of responsibilities, being the Iron Queen, especially when dealing with the other courts. But, I love it. I finally feel this is where I'm supposed to be, what I'm meant to be doing. And, of course, Ash is with me, too. That's the best part.

Marla: Ash, how are you finding the Iron realm? What have you been up to?

Ash: I'm rather enjoying it, actually. It's a lot different than Tir Na Nog, and its queen is much easier to get along with. Usually. *Dodges wad of paper hurled by Meghan* As for what I've been doing, I usually work with Glitch in training the guards, keep up with the castle's security defenses, and serve as a personal bodyguard to The Iron Queen.

Puck: Yeah, I bet you guard that body well, ice-boy.  

Ash: Shut up, Puck.

Marla: So, Puck. Have you been on any good capers lately? Have you been behaving yourself? (I know, I know, we probably ALL know the answer to that already. *wink* )

Puck: What? Moi? Capers? Look at this face, how could you suggest such a thing? I am the picture of innocence and childlike virtue.

Ash: Right. And Titania's bedchamber erupted with frogs by itself.

Meghan: And the Summerpods crawled into the wine at last Elysium on their own.

Ash: And Ororobos the dragon went on a rampage through the wyldwood because he misplaced his entire hoard himself.

Puck: What can I say? Life is strange sometimes.

Marla: Grimalkin, my next question is for you. Be honest: do you miss going on adventures with these three? I'll bet life is pretty quiet now.

Grim: Hummmm, what was that, human? I was taking a nap. Miss these three? Miss the chaos, the noise, the constant bailing them out of trouble? What do you think? *Goes back to sleep*

Marla: Meghan, what do you think of your little brother being featured in his own series?

Meghan: I don't know if I like it, honestly. I know how dangerous this world is, and all I wanted for Ethan was to have his own life, away from all the craziness. But, if Faery comes for him, at least I'll be there to help him through it.

Marla: I know all of you must be busy, so I have one last question for all of you.
If you were to write a book, what would it be called and what would it be
about?

Meghan: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Nevernever." Self-
explanatory. Wished I had something like that when I first came here.

Ash: I don't do a lot of writing, but if I had to, I'd compose some sort
of hunting journal for all the creatures in the wyldwood; strengths,
weaknesses, how to kill them, something like that.

Puck: I'd write a story about four humans who get lost in the forest, a
jealous faery king, a love potion, a queen who falls in love with a donkey,
and a brilliant but charming prankster who gets caught up in all of it. And
I'd call it..."Robin Goodfellow's Day Out." Catchy, eh?

Thank you all so much for stopping by today. Safe travels to you on your way back to the Nevernever!

If you want to check out the other blogs and authors on the tour, you can find the entire list HERE.  Thank you so much for stopping by, and feel free to leave your own thoughts on why Julie Kagawa is a rockstar.  It will get you an entry to win one of her books (sorry, US & Canada only per the publisher's request)!

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