Dust Blog Tour Stop #14 - Interview the Author Series

✨Welcome Lost Ones to my humble abode! Can you believe that you're really here in Neverland?! ✨

What's all that sparkling dust you see? Why, that's pixie dust of course! ✨ I live quite near the pixie hollow because I just love the glittering look of the small creatures! 🧚🏻🧚🏻‍♀️ Always brightens my little hut and my heart! ✨

How is your progress on the hunt so far? Going good? I sure hope so! Someone needs to defeat that swine Hook and his stinky crew once and for all!

And just in case you need a little motivation, look what the treasure includes!

If you missed out on yesterday's stop, be sure to read that post before this one. (That way you don't miss out on important clues!)

For those of you who don't know about Dust let's do a quick overview before we head into an interview with the amazingly talented author, Kara Swanson.

The truth about Neverland is far more dangerous than a fairy tale.

Claire Kenton believes the world is too dark for magic to be real--since her twin brother was stolen away as a child. Now Claire's desperate search points to London... and a boy who shouldn't exist.

Peter Pan is having a beastly time getting back to Neverland. Grounded in London and hunted by his own Lost Boys, Peter searches for the last hope of restoring his crumbling island: a lass with magic in her veins.

The girl who fears her own destiny is on a collision course with the boy who never wanted to grow up. The truth behind this fairy tale is about to unravel everything Claire thought she knew about Peter Pan--and herself.

Sounds exciting doesn't it?! This is a Peter Pan retelling that dives into the core of today's generation by exploring many powerful themes such as light vs. the shadows.

You're not going to want to miss this adventure! Stay tuned until after the interview to learn about how you can snag a copy for yourself!

Intervew with Kara Swanson

H: Congratulations on getting a second book published! I was absolutely thrilled to hear you were getting published again as I enjoyed your first book, The Girl Who Could See!

K: Thank you so much! That’s so kind.

Let's start out with a question that I'm sure many want to know and that is how did you get started on your writing journey?

I’ve been writing since I can remember, but it really began when I co-authored a fantasy novel with a dear friend while I was a teen living overseas with my missionary family. After finishing that book that I wrote over email with my friend, I then realized I really loved writing and wanted to pursue publication. :)

What were the differences between writing your first book, The Girl Who Could See, and your second book, Dust? Was the process easier or harder this time around?

Dust was definitely much harder. Dust is not the first full length novel I’ve written, but trying to craft a story based off a classic character that everyone already has their own perspective and expectations of...that was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But I did my best and I hoped it worked out okay!

How did the idea of doing a Peter Pan retelling originate?

I was chatting with a friend and we were lamenting the lack of Peter Pan retellings that really stayed true to the foundational Peter that we knew and loved. I jokingly told her that if I crafted my own Peter Pan retelling, I’d drop Peter in London, age him up a bit, and introduce an original character of my own. I ended up, on a whim, mentioning this concept to a few publishers at a writers’ conference...and they all loved it so much I realized I had to try and write it.

In Dust you dive deep into the characters inner struggles and really flesh them out in a way that your readers can relate to. As a writer myself, I know it can be a hard personal journey to dive into the characters emotions and struggles in a realistic way. How do you prepare yourself for writing character struggles and what does that process look like?

This is such a great question! For me, a lot of it means being willing to take good care of my mental health before I go into a story, and being willing to be honest and vulnerable with myself first before I weave those feelings and themes into my novel.

Who was your favorite character to write in Dust?

I enjoyed them all! Peter’s voice was super fun once I got the hang of it, though.

Now for a fun question: do you have a favorite snack always on hand while writing? If so, what is it?

OOOh! I usually always have coffee on hand. I don’t usually eat and write unless I forgot breakfast or something :)

Any final thoughts?

Thank you so much for letting me join you! Good luck on your writing projects.

Thank YOU so much for allowing me to interview you! It's been such a joy!

Add Dust to your Goodreads list!

Preorder Dust from Amazon or Barnes & Noble! You can also follow Kara on Amazon to stay tuned for all her new releases! 

Connect with Kara on Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for awesome bookish boards, photos, chats, and more! 

Follow Kara on Facebook or join her Starchasers group where we have loads of fun getting to know one another and nerding out on all things bookish!

And, lastly, you can find all things Kara on her website and even sign up on her newsletter to receive a free short story!

I think that you have a strong chance of finding the treasure, my friends, -but what's that I hear? Sounds like Hook and his men are catching up to you! Hurry out the back door and crawl through the garden. Once you get to the fence, just tap a panel and an opening will appear. Best of luck to you and thank you for your visit! I do hope you come around again soon!

Be sure to check out tomorrow's stop here!