Welcome to The League of Scribes!
Each week, The L. Palmer Chronicles unites Crystals of Sparkly Greatness in the Fires of Awesome to open up a portal through the universe to bring you a member of The League of Scribes.
The League of Scribes is a legendary group of authors who write grand adventures in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. They are able to write rich, compelling stories while keeping content in the PG –PG-13 range.
If you have been on a quest to find clean sci-fi and fantasy novels, you have reached the right place.
This week, we present:
N. A. Cauldron
Otherwise known by her Code Name: The NonVenomous Chocolate Truffle Lady (As she is known to her students)
The NonVenomous Chocolate Truffle is her favorite fungus, and she am rarely caught without some of its shavings on her for emergency cravings.
About the Author:
N. A. Cauldron grew up on the outskirts of modern Cupola. As a young child, she enjoyed listening to the tales told of Cupolian’s history. This ultimately led to a successful career as a research historian and her recent authorship of historical fiction. She is an avid herbologist, and spends her free time hunting out and collecting rare herbs for her potion making. She is especially fond of the snaggled tooth humpmoss, and has been known to spend weeks at a time on fungal expeditions.
A Sample of N.A. Cauldron’s Work:
Anya and the Secrets of Cupola (Book One in the Cupolian series)
Deep in the walls of Cupola lies a secret. A 200 year old magical secret. And it’s up to Anya and her friends to solve it.
Meet Anya, a twelve year old girl with utterly no direction in life. Meet Taika, her best friend who can make a potion strong enough to cure a weregoblin, but may forget to warn you that it can explode at any moment. And then there’s Gevin. Yeah … well … Gevin’s just Gevin isn’t he? These three unlikely heroes will have to brew potions, battle monsters, and even endure the night-of-the-overturned-chicken-stool before discovering the deepest mysteries of Cupola.
Interview
Who would love your books?
Anya does have action, and those parts would appeal to boys. But due to the fact that the main character of the three heroes is a girl, it would probably appeal more to girls, especially Native American tween girls. Native characters are so often surrounded by stereotypical circumstances, and typical American fantasy rarely has more than characters of black or white. Anya allows a Native girl to not only be one of the heroes in a very non-typical way, but to participate in a very popular genre that Natives are often excluded from. Anya also contains Spoonpole, which has the same rules and history as stickball, along with other minor details that only those from a Native culture would really appreciate. Book 2 has even more Native influence, but I’m not telling what ;).
I would also say adults. Adults have really enjoyed Anya, maybe even more so than children! It is not a childish book, and adults can relate to it very well.
What was the inspiration for your latest book/series?
Being a research historian, I’m sure you can imagine how quickly we run out of things to explore. There is only so much past after all! When I discovered previously unknown details of our Magical Revolution, I had to share them with others! I decided to do so in a four part series, and Anya and the Secrets of Cupola is the first in that series.
If a movie of your book were made, what movie(s) would it be most similar too?
That’s a hard one, especially since I spend most of my time on Cupola and have seen so little of your cinema. I honestly think more City of Ember than Harry Potter, and here’s why: The City of Ember was very much a mystery, a discovery of hidden secrets, and that’s what Anya is. While Anya does contain magic, and the use of that magic will grow with the series, the first book is very much about discovery. It has also been compared to Downton Abbey and Upstairs Downstairs. So, I would honestly say fans of those shows might enjoy it as well.
Do you use music while writing? If so, what music do you use? Is there a theme song for your book?
I have been known to, but very rarely. There was one song I listened to a lot while describing the Spoonpole tournament. It was Buowin by Wabanag.
What authors or books inspire you most?
That’s also a hard one. My experience with Earth literature is limited. I love the success story of Rowling, of course, but I enjoy the writing of so many other authors, such as Karen Cushman. I actually get my inspiration from outside of other books.
If you were conquering the world, what fantasy or sci-fi creature/race/entity would you build your army out of? Why?
Hmmm. I have had the opportunity to watch some of your television. I believe I would use species 8472. They appear most formidable.
Would you rather ride a galactic unicorn or a space dinosaur? Why?
Oh goodness! Unicorn bites can be most painful!! My brother has a scar that travels halfway up his side, and my Uncle Frank lost his left leg to one! I would therefore have to say the dinosaur.
When did you decide to be a professional writer?
I’ve been writing Cupolian history for years, but this is the first one to be accepted by your earthly customs officials.
Are you a planner, a discovery writer, or a hybrid?
My nonfictional Cupolian theses were entirely planned, of course. But, even though Anya is based off of Cupolian history, it is not completely accurate in its details. I may have discovered items we didn’t previously know, but some parts are still quite fuzzy. And let’s face it, historical details can be most boring! So, it was very much a discovery. However, my next venture, a YA earthly story, already has more planning than I’ve done on any other work. I think it all depends on what I’m writing as to how much I’m able to think ahead, and how much I have to rely on my fingers to guide me. Although I have thrown away a great deal of what my fingers have given me, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t awesome. It just wasn’t suitable for that particular work.
What is your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?
(OK, I’m going to completely step out of character here for a minute because this is very important.) Don’t fool yourself. When I finished Anya, a great deal of people treated me like a celebrity. They talked as though it were going to be in theaters by next year. This simply isn’t the case. I think it’s very important for any person exploring any life choice to learn and accept the reality of it.
Where do your books fall on the Rating Scale of PG to PG-13 Content (1 = How To Train Your Dragon, 8 = The Dark Knight, 10 = Borderline-R-Rating).
One (family friendly and clean)
If you could own one magic or sci-fi object or technology, what would you choose and why?
I own several, but I supposed my favorite is my self-cooking stove. The reason being is that I spend so much time in my studies or away from home on expeditions, that I simply don’t have the time to cook more than a measly bowl of narfel nugget stew. My stove allows me to have gourmet meals every night.
To explore the worlds N.A. Cauldron has created, check out the book below:
Anya and the Secrets of Cupola
To Interact with N. A. Cauldron online, check out the links below
- Website: http://nacauldron.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NACauldron
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/na.cauldron
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14585815.N_A_Cauldron
Readers:
- Do you have any more questions for N. A. Cauldron?
- What is your favorite children’s fantasy book and/or author? What makes it so magical?
- If you had to use a magical object from a book or movie for cooking, what would it be and why?
- What type of first aid would you do if your brother were bit by a unicorn?
If you would like to join the League of Scribes, please e-mail lpalmer@lpalmerchronicles.com
The L. Palmer Chronicles 