Interview With Author Elena Jagar
Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I write books for children as well as short stories and cozy mysteries (under a pen name). My debut title, Conspirators’ Club, is Book 1 in a new mystery series for middle-grade readers. It takes place at a boarding school on a remote island, and is full of adventure.
It is my hope that young readers will come away from my books feeling that nothing is impossible, no matter how difficult things may appear.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My latest book is titled THE RAINBOW WEAVER’S APPRENTICE. It’s about a carefree girl, Addie, who is learning the delicate magic of trapping rainbows and harvesting rainbow seeds. Her teacher tries to pass on her knowledge of how to plant and grow the seeds to make magic rainbow yarn. This magic sustains Addie’s village, but requires constant tending to and Addie just doesn’t have the discipline for it yet. When she fails in her duties, she discovers that without the rainbow yarn, her village is vulnerable to the spells of the neighboring Fairy Realm. In order to restore the balance of magic, she must travel through the mysterious Fairy Tunnel that lies between her village and the next one, where she can get help. Unfortunately, the fairies require heavy tolls for passage, and if Addie fails to pay she’ll be trapped in the Fairy Realm forever.
Readers are often surprised to find out that this book was actually inspired by a garden near which I once lived. It was very large, and there was always some new corner to explore. I found it extremely fascinating that some of its remote parts were connected by tree tunnels as shortcuts, kind of like a giant green labyrinth. From exploring this garden, the idea came of a world where a person can walk through a magical tree tunnel and cut down his journey from many weeks to just a few hours. Of course, this would come at a price 🙂 Apart from the setting, some of the people I encountered in that garden became the inspiration for the characters in the book, i.e. Verna the Rainbow Weaver and the sinister Bird Whisperer.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
While I do prefer to be in a quiet place when I’m writing (with a teapot within reaching distance), I don’t really have any peculiar writing habits or requirements. Case in point: I once wrote a chapter while waiting on line at the DMV.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
There’s been so many it’s hard to pinpoint just a few, but if I had to then Tolkien would be at the top of the list, followed closely by C.S. Lewis, Jules Verne, Astrid Lindgren, Diana Wynne Jones, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Scott Fitzgerald.
What are you working on now?
At the moment, I’m working on the companion novel to The Rainbow Weaver’s Apprentice. The title of the book is The Last Gatekeeper. Technically, it’s going to be book 2 in the Fairy Tunnels series, as it features the same world building, a nature-entwined magic system, and yes, fairies. There is an all-new cast of characters, but I hope readers will be happy to know that Addie and a few of her friends from book 1 will be making cameo appearances.
What are you reading now?
I recently finished reading Electric Midnight, a time traveling noir mystery by Nathan Van Coops, a writer whose time-travelling novels I’ve enjoyed very much. I have to say, this one didn’t disappoint, so I’m looking forward to reading the third installment in the series.
What’s next for you as a writer?
For the moment, I’m working on The Last Gatekeeper and having a lot of fun at it. Once that book is finished and out in the word, I’m looking forward to writing book 2 in the Conspirators series. It already has a title and a general plot direction, so I’m anxious to get started on it in the near future.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
That’s easy:
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien,
In Search of Castaways by Jules Verne,
Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones,
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
Author Websites and Profiles
Elena Jagar Author Profile on Smashwords
Elena Jagar’s Social Media Links
Author Interview Series
To discover a new author, check out our Featured Authors page. We have some of the best authors around. They are just waiting for you to discover them. If you enjoyed this writer’s interview feel free to share it using the buttons below. Sharing is caring!
If you are an author and want to be interviewed just fill out out Author Interview page. After submitting we will send it out in our newsletters and social media channels that are filled with readers looking to discover new books to read.
If you are looking for a new book to read check out our Featured Books Page.