| A.E. Albert: A Writer's Blog

Author Interview: Karlie Lucas
by A.E. Albert
@aealbert23

Book Title: The Unknown Elf

Genre: Fantasy/Young Adult

What inspired you to write your first book?
I've always wanted to be a writer, but, for this first book, I guess you could say the movie The Santa Clause was the main force. I liked the movie and everything, but I thought that the world could be expanded so much more. I've always been a fan of Santa Claus and the North Pole. And, regardless of what anyone may say, I do believe Santa is real.

The actual story started as a sort of daydream while riding the bus to school back when I was in junior high. Originally, I kind of envisioned it as a movie in my head. Then, a bit later, I decided to write it down. I liked my main character so much that I would occasionally pretend to be her. The best part about that was that I had a teacher who was totally willing to play along. So, for a year, I was Marie at school. (It helped that there was another person named Carly in class.) And the story evolved from there. (Among potential sequels that I know I have notes for somewhere.)

Is there a message in your book and/or books?

There most definitely is a message in my book, and in all of my writing. The overall message that I want to convey in all of my works is that "no matter how bad life gets, you can overcome it." But for this book, in particular, I wanted to convey my thoughts about the holiday, as well as re-breathing life into the whole Christmas mythos and Santa. There is a deleted scene that I think will be featured sometime during the tour, and on my blog, that explains exactly what Christmas means to me, though I've tried to hint at that through the entire story.

Is there anything in your book and/or books based on real life experiences?

Well, as I said, I pretended to be Marie for about a year, off and on. But as for actual experiences, outside of closing myself off from others for fear of rejection, I can't think of any actual real life experiences that this was based off of. I did infuse my emotions from other experiences as I went through the editing process, things like how it felt to feel like your life is in danger and that you are being watched. Things like that. But as to specific experiences, not in this book. In some of my current projects, there are more occurrences of real life experiences.

What books and/or writers have influenced you the most?

I'd like to think that J.R.R. Tolkien is my biggest influence. He taught me how to write a compelling story with the environment as a character, without over doing it. J.K. Rowling taught me how to expand my universe to something bigger.

And then there's one of my teachers from college, whose name I sadly can't remember (though I know he writes mystery novels) who taught me basics of what makes a good story. He always told us that there are only two stories in life. The rest is embellishment. Those two stories are someone comes, and someone leaves. He also emphasized the importance of letting the audience know "there's a bomb under the chair".

What has been your greatest challenge when writing?

The greatest challenge is when my characters decide to not speak to me. And yes, I do mean that literally. I think of my characters as living beings that share brain space. If they don't want to cooperate, writer's block ensues. Other then that, the editing process, because I tend to be a perfectionist.

What are you working on right now?
Right now... I'm working on a trilogy about dragons. I write it out by hand, mostly, while at work when my preschool kids are napping. But I'm also trying to get another story that I call Kas, ready for publication. And, occasionally, I'll pull out one that I call Emi, which is sort of like Lord of The Rings, but like Willow too. That one takes a bit of explaining, but is geared more towards younger audiences.

What have you learned and do you have any advice for other authors?

I have learned that it takes a lot of patience to be a writer. Either you're waiting on your characters to tell you the story, or you're waiting for people to give you feedback about editing and so forth. Or, you're waiting for potential agents/publishers, etc, to give you the proverbial "thumbs up". But, the biggest thing is to remember that it's a give and take. You wait for them. They wait for you. Be nice while you wait and they'll be nice while they wait.

Who is my favorite character ?

For that one, I'd have to say it's a three-way tie between Dena, Marie, and Clarence. Santa stands on a pedestal all his own. I like Dena because she's got a lot of spunk, and can kick butt like nobody's business. I like Marie because she's a lot like me. And I like Clarence because he's also a bit like me in other ways, but is willing to change. That, and he was really fun to right, especially when he starts to actually like Marie.

What was the hardest scene to write?

(spoilers for those who haven't read the book) I think the hardest scene to write was probably the one where Dena and her team go to rescue Santa. The logistics of her totally awesome kungfu moves took a lot of work figuring out exactly how, and if it worked. I had my husband stand in as Mr. Dovan so that I could work out just how the entire set of motions would work.

About Karlie Lucas

Karlie Lucas is a graduate of Southern Utah University, where she earned her degree in Creative Writing. A preschool teacher by day, she enjoys unwinding at night by writing. A member of ANWA, Karlie hopes to write many more books.

The Unknown Elf: Book Trailer