Dawn Lairamore
This week, we’re celebrating Dawn’s debut! Dawn has always loved fairy tales but thinks you can only take so many sweet, proper princesses and ferocious, fire-breathing dragons. She thought it would be fun to write a fairy tale where the princess and the dragon weren’t what you expected. She can’t embroider or walk with a book balanced on her head, so, much like her character Ivy, she would make a pretty terrible princess.
Here’s a little bit about IVY’S EVER AFTER (Holiday House).
The kingdom of Ardendale has always locked its princesses in a white tower guarded by a dragon. It’s the only way to lure gallant young princes to the tiny, out-of-the-way kingdom to marry them. But Ivy is a princess who doesn’t care to be rescued, and Elridge a dragon afraid of being slain. Neither wants anything to do with Romil, a scheming prince from the frozen North who has his own less than romantic reasons for wanting Ivy’s hand in marriage. Never mind that humans and dragons have loathed each other for centuries, it isn’t long before this feisty princess and rather undragonly dragon have fled the tower and set off on a perilous journey to find Ivy’s long-lost fairy godmother, the only one who might help them escape the not-so-fairy-tale fates that await them. Full of humor and high adventure, IVY’S EVER AFTER is a twist on the typical princess-needs-rescuing-from-a-dragon storyline so common in traditional tales, featuring a princess and a dragon who actually team up to thwart the handsome prince.
IVY’S EVER AFTER by Dawn Lairamore
If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?
PG. There’s some sinister plotting on the part of the villains and mention of characters overindulging in wine—which we see very, very briefly—but all in all, IVY’S EVER AFTER is far more humorous and adventurous than shocking in any way. It is very appropriate, I believe, for middle-grade readers.
What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?
Conformity versus individuality. Both Ivy, my princess, and Elridge, my dragon, are disappointments to their families. Ivy is a most feisty and improper princess, while Elridge is rather small and cowardly for a dragon. Over the course of their adventures, however, they discover their own special strengths and nurture them in one another. IVY’S EVER AFTER is very much about learning to be true to yourself, always a good message for young readers. I think it’s a nice friendship story as well—two individuals who would normally be enemies find that they are, in fact, a pair of kindred spirits.
Name three examples of readers who would identify or like your book.
- Anyone who loves humor and adventure
- Anyone who loves fairy tales—or fractured fairy tales
- Anyone who appreciates a book with a really great cover (ok, this is admittedly shallow and somewhat biased, but, you have to admit, the artist did an amazing job!!)
List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.
How about the names of some of the places Ivy and Elridge find themselves visiting on their adventures: the Fringed Forest, the Smoke Sand Hills, the Craggies, the Murmurs, the Speckled Sea, Wrathful Swamp, and the Isle of Mist.
How can your book be used in the classroom?
IVY would be fun to read in conjunction with traditional fairy tales, myths, or stories so that students can compare how it alters and challenges some conventional motifs and stereotypes.
Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.
- Fairy tales or princess stories with a twist, like ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine or PRINCESS ACADEMY by Shannon Hale
- A good dragon adventure, like DRAGON RIDER by Cornelia Funke
- Books told in a playful, irreverent tone—and that make ample use of humor. IVY’S EVER AFTER definitely has some Roald Dahl-esque moments.
Now whet our appetites with a teaser.
Ivy might have been a proper princess if her mother had lived, or her fairy godmother had seen to her upbringing instead of vanishing without a trace one winter’s night, or her father hadn’t lost his mind. But as it happened, her mother did die, her fairy godmother did vanish, and her father did lose his mind, so Ivy never really had much of a chance one way or the other. (Read the rest of Chapter 1 at www.IvysEverAfter.com.)
Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?
Yes
Are you willing to speak nationally?
At this point in time, I’m more interested in events local to northern California, where I live. However, I’m willing to consider select national events.
List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.
- Bringing a Fairy Tale to Fruition: IVY’s Journey to Publication
- Writing for Middle-Grade Readers: Plotting and Pace for Young Attention Spans
- Classroom Talk – How I Became a Writer
This concludes our interview with our latest author, Dawn Lairamore. We wish her much success with her debut novel IVY’s EVER AFTER. To see what Dawn is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.IvysEverAfter.com or drop her a line on Facebook.
*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Dawn is giving away a signed copy of IVY’S EVER AFTER. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by May 22nd, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)
Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our otherAuthorsNow! giveaways.
Comments
1 shannon Baas // May 15, 2010 at 9:21 am
looks interesting.
2 Cheryl F. {The Lucky Ladybug} // May 15, 2010 at 10:29 am
I enjoyed the interview and would love to read this
*Thanks* for the giveaway!
3 WilowRaven // May 15, 2010 at 11:24 am
On my wishlist – would love to win a copy
Thanks!
4 blueviolet // May 15, 2010 at 11:49 am
I would love to read this and pass it on to my nieces!
5 Deborah Underwood // May 15, 2010 at 11:52 am
Looks terrific! My boyfriend’s daughter would love this. Congrats!
6 Chelsea // May 15, 2010 at 1:59 pm
The book sounds fascinating, and I am willing to open myself up to this genre, because my only weakness is a terrific book!
7 nicole belletiere // May 15, 2010 at 3:50 pm
plz enter me
8 Ann F // May 15, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I think my daughter would really enjoy this book. Please enter me in the giveaway.
9 susan varney // May 15, 2010 at 5:55 pm
how amazing to read this mverno@roadrunner.com
10 Tracy // May 15, 2010 at 6:39 pm
This is a twist on the “Once Upon a Time” stories I grew up with as a child. I visited your website and read the first chapter. Very intrigued and wish to read the rest!
11 Jill // May 15, 2010 at 7:48 pm
This book sounds great – a nice change from what’s out there. Very interested in it!
12 FredTownWard // May 15, 2010 at 8:48 pm
This sounds like a very cleverly premised book that I’d enjoy very much reading and then reviewing on Amazon so I’d love to win it.
13 John S. // May 15, 2010 at 9:56 pm
This sounds like a book with some twists which would be fun to read.
14 debp // May 16, 2010 at 6:08 am
This was a very interesting interview. I would love to have the book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
15 McKim // May 16, 2010 at 4:43 pm
My daughter would love to have this book for her classroom library.
16 Julia Pitau // May 17, 2010 at 8:23 am
Please enter our school’s name for a chance to win this book. It looks absolutely entertaining and beautifully illustrated! Thank you.
17 Cherie J // May 17, 2010 at 1:11 pm
Sounds like a terific story. Would enjoy reading this.
18 Natalie Aguirre // May 17, 2010 at 5:45 pm
Your book sounds great. I read about it on a book review blog.
19 Nicole // May 17, 2010 at 10:19 pm
I can’t wait to read the book! I loved chapter one that I read online!
20 Rena // May 17, 2010 at 10:34 pm
This sounds like a great book! I’d love to read it and then read it to my boys. We homeschool and right now we’re studying fairy tales.
21 Laura // May 17, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Looks like a fun book! I love twists on fairy tales!
22 Cheri Williams // May 17, 2010 at 10:47 pm
I want to read IVY!!!!!!!!!!
23 Rory Keating // May 17, 2010 at 11:24 pm
As their names suggest, Ivy, the Princess, and Eldridge, the Dragon, are not exactly what you might expect. Ivy is a princess who doesn’t care to be rescued. And Elridge is a dragon who is afraid of being slain.
Dawn Lairamore takes these two improbable heros/heroines on a wonderful adventure that will enrich and inform, while also entertaining, middle grade readers, who will find support in this book for being who they are, not who someone else thinks they should be.
24 Pat K // May 18, 2010 at 8:23 am
Beautiful book, Dawn. Congratulations! This is
one I’ll definitely give to friends.
25 Jenn S. // May 18, 2010 at 9:24 am
This would be a fun read for my daughter and myself. Sounds like a good one!
26 colleen kosinski // May 18, 2010 at 10:12 am
You’re book looks wonderful. The cover is gorgeous! Please enter me in your contest.
27 Kathryn Canan // May 18, 2010 at 10:42 am
I’m currently playing flute for Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and my daughter went on a rant after seeing the show about how wimpy Cinderella is and how anti-feminist traditional fairy tales are. We’ll both enjoy this book!
28 Linda Peters // May 18, 2010 at 5:16 pm
just added this to my wish list
29 Genny // May 19, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Yay for you, Dawn! Big hugs and smiles!
30 Maria Griffin // May 21, 2010 at 6:53 am
This sounds like a great book to teach children (and adults) to accept differences and focus on one’s strengths instead of deficiencies. I am looking forward to reading it.
31 Lynda M // May 22, 2010 at 1:39 am
My daughter would really love the book. The interview was intersting and insightful. Thanks for the giveaway. I’ll cross my fingers I win it for my daughter.
32 Melissa B. // May 22, 2010 at 8:10 am
This looks like an interesting book for either a boy or a girl.
33 Charlene // May 22, 2010 at 10:18 am
My son would love this one, thanks
34 Breanne // May 22, 2010 at 10:59 am
I LOVE fairy tales and would love to read this!
35 Sand // May 22, 2010 at 9:49 pm
Sounds like a good book!
36 Nancy S. // May 22, 2010 at 9:59 pm
This sounds like a fun read.
37 Veronica Garrett // May 22, 2010 at 10:44 pm
It sounds like a very interesting book. I would love to read it.
38 Lily Kwan // May 22, 2010 at 11:43 pm
This book looks very interesting. I’ll definitely check it out!
39 Pothi - Admin Assist // May 23, 2010 at 8:16 am
Congratulations FredTownWard!
You’ve won this Spotlight!
40 FredTownWard // May 23, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Woo Hoo! I look forward to reading it and savagely ripping it apart….
uh, that is, carefully evaluating it and expressing any criticism in only the most kind and constructive manner…
or something in between, slapped together between daddy daycare duties, job searching, and taking some programming classes intended to teach this old dog new tricks.
41 Dawn Lairamore // May 26, 2010 at 2:42 pm
Yes, congratulations FredTownWard!! I hope your ripping won’t be too savage….
Thank you, everyone, for all your kind comments and for participating in our giveaway. I hope that those of you who read Ivy enjoy it.
42 FredTownWard // Jun 16, 2010 at 5:15 pm
I received it.
I read it.
I reviewed it here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2XACTZMKX7HRK/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
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