Maggie Stiefvater, author of young adult fiction novels agreed to discuss the recent release of Ballad A Gathering of Faerie and movie deal for Shiver with Richmond Books Examiner Margaret Oleksa.
Oleksa: Maggie, what an exciting couple of weeks you’ve had. First, you’ve released Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie, which is the sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception. Can you tell me what readers can expect from Ballad?
Stiefvater: Angst, conflicted egotistical characters, and people getting burnt alive. My characters in BALLAD are more complicated than any characters I’ve ever written before and I’m really excited to see what readers think of them.
Oleksa: Your books are geared toward teens, but you have quite an adult following as well. Can you describe your fan base?
Stiefvater: Man, I get fanmails from 12 year olds and 60 year olds and everything in between. In some of the countries that SHIVER has been sold in, it’s going to be marketed as an adult novel -- I write for upper YA, which in my head means sixteen and up. But every reader is different, so a lot of young readers will get to it a lot earlier than that. Basically, it’s about teens, but I don’t think it means it’s only for teens.
Oleksa: Unique Features recently acquired film rights to your bestselling novel, Shiver, which was just released in August of 2009. Give us details!
Stiefvater: Unfortunately, I don’t have a ton, just that Unique Features has a first look deal with Warner Brothers, and that there was a competitive bidding situation for the film rights, because there was a lot of interest. It’s really intriguing and fascinating and . . . nebulous.
Oleksa: What is your inspiration for the stories and characters?
Stiefvater: I love inventing interesting people and then pushing them to their absolute limits -- and usually those absolute limits involve homicidal faeries, werewolves, or some other paranormal menace. Ideas come from all over, but as I write more and more, I find I’m always hunting for mood: I want to write a novel with a pervasive mood that sticks with you after you close the cover.
Oleksa: You are living most writers’ dream of becoming a bestselling author and having a book made into a movie, but there also must be lots of pressure. What’s it like at the Stiefvater household now?
Stiefvater: Actually, home life is pretty similar, except that the bills get paid on time now. When I first met my husband, when I was 19, I told him, “I’m a history major now, but one day I will be a rich and famous author and support you in the matter to which you will be accustomed.” And he believed me. So now he’s just like, “Yes. Well, you did tell me this was how it will be.”
It is a bit weird to think that every novel I write now has a built in readership of thousands who are willing to pick it up and give it a try based upon the last one.
Oleksa: So what’s next for you?
Stiefvater: I’m currently working on a novel that involves blood, beaches, and kissing. I’m rather excited about it; it’s coming out after FOREVER, the last book in the SHIVER trilogy.
Oleksa: I can't wait to see your next releases! Thanks so much for your time, Maggie.
If you have not already seen the awesome animated Ballad trailer, be sure to view it.
For more information, visit Maggie Stiefvater's website: http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/.
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