Hi guys! Last Sunday I had an amaaazing day! Both Julie Kagawa and Leigh Bardugo were in the Netherlands. HaperCollins gave Katja (ThatBlondeWoman.com) and I the opportunity to talk to Julie and do an actual interview. Down below you can read all about our day and you will read the full interview.
10:00 – on our way to Amsterdam
Katja and I decided to take an early train to Amsterdam, in case traffic would have struggles that morning. Of course, there were lots of delays but finally, after an early yet exciting trip, we got there in time. Julie stayed at an amazing hotel, which was also very cute. We met somebody from HarperCollins at the hotel and waited while Julie finished another interview.
11-ish – the interview
Whoop! And there she was: Julie Kagawa. She was so nice to us and I think, after lots of travelling, still very patient and polite with us. We gave her the fanbook we made (THANKS everybody! In the video you can take a look in the fanbook). I think she liked it 🙂 (Right?). I set up my camera and we started the interview. You can read it down below. Unfortunately, there were some gremlins in my camera. So the interview… isn’t filmed! Fortunately, we DO have an interview, Julie was so nice to e-mail her answers afterwards in case we couldn’t remember the answers anymore. We gave her a bag of “pepernoten” and had to leave again. Julie would go on a hunt for the John Green bench and we would go to a meet & greet with Leigh Bardugo
1-ish – Leigh Bardugo meet & Greet
I will update you guys on this matter later this week, including pictures taken from the meet & greet. This post is, after all, about Julie Kagawa. BUT, Leigh Bardugo, you rock.
3-ish – high tea
YES! Katja won two tickets to the High Tea with Julie Kagawa. It took place at the amazing Americain Hotel in Amsterdam (also a John Green location). There were about 5 tables set up, each with 6 places. Julie would sit at each table an talk to all of us. The high tea was DELICIOUS! You should try it out some time. The scones were the best I’ve ever had. Julie had time to talk to all of us, and when she wasn’t talking, she was eating. The food was great! Afterwards, we all got a goodie bag with The Iron Legens (De IJzerlegendes), a t-shirt, bookdrop and a Talon bracelet. It was time to say goodbye 🙁 We could get our books signed by Julie and say our goodbyes. It was an amazing afternoon and I would want to have missed it.
5-6-ish – travelling home
This was even a bigger problem than getting in Amsterdam. It took us at least 2 hours to get home maybe? We could’ve done it within in an hour. But train problems. We didn’t mind to sit in the train: we were super tired but it was one epic day.
And here’s the interview! Below the interview you will find the video of the fanbook and the video of us playing a Left or Right game with Julie that actually was filmed (Julie made the gremlins go away). Enjoy!
1. Which character would you like to see to come to life and why?
Ash. Because, Ash. No other explanation needed. 😉
2. Which character was hardest to write about?
Again, this would be Ash, especially in Iron Knight. Because he spent three books being all quiet and cool and mysterious, and then he gets a book in his own POV, and I’m like: “you really need to talk to me,” and he’s like: “nope, I’m just gonna sit here and brood.”
3. Are the characters based on real people?
I try not to base them on real people, except maybe myself. All my characters have a little piece of me in them, and I think that’s true of all authors. Truthfully, most of my characters are inspired by anime and video games, especially the Iron Fey series. Puck and Ash and all the Iron Fey boys? Yeah, totally anime bishounen.
4. With which character do you identify the most?
Allie from The Immortal Rules is probably the closest character to my personality, at least when I was her age. She’s a loner, she has a temper, she’s stubborn and has a slight problem with authority. But I can identify with Meghan’s social awkwardness and Ember’s defiance as well. Like I said, all my characters have a little bit of me inside them, even those traits that are less than appealing.
5. What would be the first thing you would do if you could turn into a dragon?
Fly.
6. Which magical item would you want to have/use and why?
Hermione’s Time Turner device. Because who doesn’t need more time?
7. To which world from your books would you like to go on a vacation/holiday?
Definitely not the Blood of Eden world! That would be horrifying. I think the Nevernever would be a fun place, since I know most the tricks to keep me alive. Just have to pack lots of salt, iron, and bottles of honey.
8. Which character would you take with you (referring to question 7)?
Grimalkin. (WE AGREE JULIE!)
9. About what magical character would you want to write about next?
I’d love to write about a kitsune, which is a Japanese fox spirit. I’m fascinated with Japanese folklore: kitsune, bakemono, bakeneko, tanuki, oni and the like. The mythology of Japan is amazing, and I’d love to create a world featuring it.
10. Are there any new projects?
Not at the moment. I first have to finish writing the Talon saga, as it’s a five book series and not a trilogy like most of the others. I have a few ideas, of course, but we’ll have to see what will be next. Anything is possible.
Another thing that came up while talking to your fans, was about whether or not Meghan has a “real” name? I was actually quite compelled by this question. Could you tell us a little about this?
I really haven’t thought of Meghan’s True Name, just because it’s never come up before. Perhaps if I someday return to the Iron Fey world, I will think about it, but for now, Meghan does have a True Name, but no one knows what it is. Not even me.
Thank you so much Julie for spending so much time with your fans! Here are the video’s:
Left or Right Game
The vlog about the whole day
The Fanbook
