Interview: Julie Kagawa

NRR: Can you tell us how you got started in writing?

I started early. In high school. I used to carry spiral notebooks around with me and write in them because back then I didn't have a computer. So really, if you want to write, just do it. There's no reason you can't get started now. 

NRR: How were you inspired to write THE IRON FAE series?

Faeries, the old, ancient fey, not the glittery winged sprites, have always fascinated me.  But I wanted to write a book that was different than other faery books.  So I began thinking: what are the fey afraid of?  The answer, in most ancient mythos, is iron.  Faeries can’t stand the touch of iron and steel.  So, what if there was a new type of fey that had evolved with progress over the years?  What if they weren’t only immune to iron, their existence was slowly poisoning and corrupting the lands of the traditional fey?  And I realized we already have “monsters” in machines: gremlins, bugs, viruses, ect.  And from that thought, the Iron fey were born.

NRR: What is in your to be read list?

You mean Mt. TBR?  Lol, there's so many, but a few of them include Anna and the French Kiss, Unraveled, and Catching Fire. (I know, I'm late to the Hunger Games party, but it was SUCH a good book. Don't know why it took me so long to read it.)

NRR: Can you tell us a little about THE IRON QUEEN (of course no spoilers)?

In The Iron Queen, the war with the Iron Fey finally comes to a head, and Meghan, not to mention all of Faery, will never be the same.

NRR: What is your guilty pleasure?

Video games, though I guess it's not a guilty pleasure if I don't feel at all guilty about it.        

NRR: The Iron Fey series is very popular amoung readers. What made you decide to write in the YA genre?

I started off writing for adults, but my agent suggested I write YA, since my protagonists were all teens.  And honestly, I like writing for YA much more then for adults, which probably says something about my maturity level. :P

NRR: The world you have created in THE IRON FAE series is very imaginative. How long does it take for you to put one of these novels together?

   The Iron King took me about two months to write (thanks to Nano Wrimo), but normally anywhere from 3-5 months is how long it can take me to write a book from start to finish.

NRR: What can fans expect to see from you next?

Well, The Iron Knight, Ash's story, is coming out sometime in the fall of 2011. And right now I'm working on a brand new series with vampires.