Mindy Ruiz: 11/12/2011

For my very first interview EVER...--don't panic, I've done that enough for all of us-- I am pleased to welcome the very amazing and talented Elizabeth Isaacs to the Writing Cave Camp Out!

Here, Elizabeth. You put on your pink snuggie and I'll bring everyone up to speed on the awesomeness that is THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS!

Elizabeth's new book, THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS is currently climbing the Indie must read list and while the s'mores are roasting let me give you the skinny on this amazing book!

The Kailmeyra Chronicles: Book Two--

Life for Nora couldn't be better; she has married the man of her dreams and loves living in the pristine land of Kailmeyra.

That is, until the darkness threatens her perfect world.

Now war is upon the land. She and Gavin must strengthen their clan and prepare to fight. But the enemy has an ally—one that not only wields power, but holds knowledge of the ancients' secrets. Secrets that could destroy creation itself.

As the darkness grows, doubt seeps in ... protectiveness hinders progress ... and the unthinkable comes to pass.

Bewildered and alone, Nora shoulders the responsibility of leading an entire race to war. As she struggles with decisions that seem impossible to make, she is haunted by one choice.

"No one has ever doubted that you would die for those you love.

The question then becomes ... would you live?"

~Goodreads

Goosebumps, yes?

So, Elizabeth I'm going to jump right on in and say, HOLY COW!

I thought THE LIGHT OF ASTERIA was amazing but, THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS just made me sit back in awe! Every writer has a a certain where-to-start-a-book routine. For LOA you said you wrote from the middle and filled in the front and back chapters. What chapter or scene was the genesis for THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS?

Elizabeth:
This was different in the fact that I had no choice but to write the first three chapters first!
:-) But the storyline actually started with a premise and a character. The principal that we all are here for a reason is what drove the plot. The way we got there was through one of my most favorite character that’s ever traipsed through my head, Rune.

Ruuuuune. My secret other world crush. *swoon* Don't judge. I like that rough and rugged type that could possibly shed in the summer.

Er, um, moving on.

What scene of THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS was the hardest to write and why?

Elizabeth: The scene with Elias and Nora in the badlands. I’ll be honest. I was a little depressed after writing that scene.

I don't blame you. Reading about the badlands was so vivid and filled with despair. I can only imagine the places you had to go mentally as a writer to get there and then to be able to put those feelings on the pages the way you did. *bows in a not-worthy pose*

At the end of the book we are left with this huge revelation about Rune and a missing piece of his heart. With a cliff hanger like that I have to ask: Is there a book three and what hint about the storyline can you give us?

Elizabeth: Book three will, good Lord willing, be out this time next year. Our main characters head back to earth, along with some of our new friends!

SQUEEEEEE! I loved reading about Kailmeyra, but must say I can. NOT. WAIT to see the new and improved Nora take on Earth. We should TOTALLY have her over to the Camp Out!

Ooooh, Who else would you invite to the camp out? NO seriously my husband and the boys camp out downstairs on Friday nights which leaves the writing room for us and ANY ONE can come stay the night.

Elizabeth:
Real people: All my writer friends
Characters: Gavin, Nora, Rena, Tark, Elias, Elaine and I call dibbs on Weylin!

Obviously with four boys in my house my cupboards are pretty bare. Whatchya want us to stock for Isaacs' rockin' camp out?

Elizabeth:

Real people: a whole bunch of booze
Characters: some of the Elvin fruit. I’ve always wanted to taste it.

And no camp out is successful with out junk food, what must we have?

Elizabeth:

Stuff to make smores ... both real and imagined. I LOVE smores! (you should try hiding rolo’s in the marshmallows sometime! yum!)

Girl after my own heart! This batch of s'mores is just about ready --no hidden rolo's, sorry-- so are you ready for the speed round?

Elizabeth: *nods suspiciously*

Don't worry we're in snuggies, it can't be that scandalous. LOL

black or white?

white!

dog or cat?
Dog!

cake or cookies?
Both!

coffee or soda?
Both~!

naughty or nice?

naughty!

cup ½ full or ½ empty?
½ full!

summer or winter?

fall!

favorite g-rated swear word?

Nerts!

*ding, ding, ding*

See, not so bad!

One last question before I let you shed your snuggie. Besides Keepers, what book would you recommend to your Kailmeyra readers?

Elizabeth: That’s a toughy. There are so many great books out there now. I’d have to say Hope Collier’s The Willows: Haven. It’s a great read with some interesting twists and turns along the way. If you liked the Kailmeyra Series, I’d bet you’d like this one too!

Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for stopping bye the Writing Cave Camp Out!!!

In honor of Elizabeth and my first ever interview I'm embracing the go big or go home motto and giving away a Kindle!!! And that's not all! I'll also be loading that precious e-reader with not only THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS but ASTERIA as well as Elizabeth's recommendation of THE WILLOWS:HAVEN by Hope Collier!!

How to enter is so super simple!

Did you leave me a comment?

Do you follow my blog?

Are you a Mindy Ruiz fan on Facebook?

Did you tweet this interview link?

Each yes answer is an entry to the go-big or go-home giveaway!

Winner will be chosen at random at the end of THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS blog tour November 21st at 11:59 pst.

And don't forget to go follow my dear friend Elizabeth Isaacs on the following:

elizabethisaacs.com
Asteria's blog
Twitter: @Kailmeyra
Facebook: Elizabeth Isaacs, Author

And finally, don't forget to check out THE SECRET OF THE KEEPERS and the rest of the blog tour.

November 13th-- The Readiacs

November 14th--Patricia's Peculiarity guest post
November 15th--Larissa's Bookish Life