Hi there everyone, Paul here today to bring you an interview of children’s book author PJ LaRue and the five Mystic Princesses. I’m excited to get the opportunity to read her book The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool. Before we get to the interview, here is a post Ms. LaRue wrote about her book and how it came to be.
PJ LaRue: On “The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool”
The Mystic Princesses and the Whirlpool started as a two or three page short story. When a co-worker and her daughter read it, they encouraged me to write a chapter book. Although I’ve written poetry on and off since high school, I didn’t have any experience as a children’s book writer, so I began with trepidation.
I wanted the book to be uplifting, make children laugh, and introduce lessons I’d learned as a child. I thought back to a vacation in Hawaii which my husband I took a few years previously to celebrate our 25th anniversary, and knew it would provide the perfect setting. And, as a bonus, I’d completed most of the research while planning our trip. Now the initial short story has grown into plans for a five book series, with each princess being the focus of one of the books.
I enjoyed many aspects of writing this book. But I most loved that it made me feel light-hearted because it took me away from my daily responsibilities. Happy children live in a bright colorful world because they haven’t lost their imaginations yet. So when creating the setting and the characters I had to reach inside and learn to play again. Fortunately, I have vivid dreams and never lost my imagination, which came to my rescue on this new venture.
The Mystic Princesses are daughters of gods and goddesses who inherit powers from their parents. The first book features Princess Harmonie and Princess Coral. Princess Harmonie is the daughter of the God Ares and the Goddess Aphrodite. She inherited the ability to make people happy and peaceful. Her brothers and sisters are known as the Children of Ares. They want to fight and cause wars, so they need to capture Princess Harmonie to contain her ability to make people happy. Princess Coral is King Neptune’s daughter and will grow to control the seas and sea creatures. The remaining princesses have powers over air, fire and the earth.
The five princesses are just beginning to learn about their powers and have mishaps along the way. They learn they should not keep secrets which could cause someone harm and they learn they need to practice their skills to improve their abilities. And one of my primary goals was to write the book without handsome princes. I want to inspire young girls to learn solve their own problems without waiting to be rescued.
At the end of the book, the princesses triumph over evil. But since good can’t exist without evil, the next book is in the works.
Now onto the character interview.
Hi there everyone, Paul again, and now that we’ve concluded our interview (and I escaped Princess Breanna’s fiery temper) it’s time to give you a quick reminder of all the things currently happening here at Sher A. Hart. Please enter the Sunshine Syndicate tour and huge giveaway. At A Thousand Wrongs blog you can read an interview of yours truly as well as enter to win an ebook copy of my children’s chapter book Lionel and the Golden Rule. Then check out all our open giveaways, starting with The Three Lost Kids and Cupid’s Capture. If you have time please read my interview at The Haunting Of Orchid Forsythia for the All about Middle Grade Challenge. And finally, don’t miss out on The Magic Wakes New Release Tour & Giveaway
or The $25 Amazon Gift Card giveaway from The Puppet Spell Blog Tour.
