Today I’d like to welcome author C.J. Hill to the blog! Hill’s first fantasy novel Slayers was released on Sept. 27 of this year. The novel follows a group of teens descended from dragon slaying knights as they train to…well, slay dragons and basically save the world. Pretty awesome huh? Check out my review and enter to win one of two copies here!
This book is your fantasy debut but you’ve written other YA books in other genres. How was writing a fantasy novel different? Is your process the same?
Writing fantasy is fun because you can include things like dragons, superpowers, and hot guys. Okay, hot guys aren’t actually fantasy elements, but I’ve found they help any book become more interesting. Also, it’s easier to have high stakes in fantasy novels. In real life probably the worst thing that will happen to you today is that you’ll get a speeding ticket. Bad, but not all that interesting unless you were speeding to avoid being captured by a vicious gun-waving drug cartel. But if you were a character in Slayers, you would have to worry about getting munched by a dragon or stalked by a dragon lord who is trying to take down your country. Puts that speeding ticket in perspective, doesn’t it?
The process is a bit different with writing a fantasy book because you’ve got to keep track of all the fantastical elements and how they work but mostly it’s the same. You start with a character who has a big problem and go from there.
Did you always have an interest in writing fantasy and/or about dragons?
I’ve always had a litany of fantasy ideas but it’s taken a while for publishers to let me write them. I started out with a romantic high school comedy and that’s what publishers wanted me to keep writing. Now that I’ve gone to fantasy I’m not sure I’ll ever go back. Fantasy is fun.
There is a lot of history and lore that surrounds your slayers and dragons. Where did it come from? What kind of research did you do for it?
For a creature that is purely fictional, there’s thousands of years worth of information about dragons. So I did do a lot of research.
Just about every ancient culture had a dragon mythology. Most people are familiar with European and Chinese dragons, but Japanese and Koreans had them too. The Aztecs had Quetzalcoatl the flying feathered serpent, the Native Americans had Thunderbirds—birds so big that when they flapped their wings, it sounded like thunder. The Bible has dragon references in both the New and Old Testaments. Even the Hawaiians have a dragon mythology. When the dragon goddess, Kihawahine, needed help retrieving her runaway human husband, she called on all the dragons from the Islands to fly over and help her.
I bet you never knew dragons provided that service, did you? They fly, breathe fire, and provide marriage counseling. Can a creature get cooler than that?
If you could have any one of the traits that your slayers have which would you choose and why?
I would probably fly—and not even for a good reason, like it would help to save the world. I’ve just always wanted to fly. Doesn’t everybody? As a kid I jumped off my deck with a pillowcase parachute to help break my fall. It didn’t by the way, but the juniper bushes underneath the deck did a pretty good job. (I do not recommend this method of learning to fly.)
Your slayers have a variety of traits and unique personalities. Do you personally identify with any of them more than the others?
It would have been cool to grow up a rich socialite like Tori, or to have been naturally athletically gifted like all of the Slayers. Unfortunately, I can’t relate to any of the Slayers that way. For exercise, I walk instead of jog. I think running should be saved for those times when I’m being pursued by something dangerous. That said, I’m probably most like Rosa. She wants to help everyone and worries about everything. My children can attest that I’m always warning them about the danger of something—not eating their green vegetables, leaning back in their chairs, not paying attention in school—they hear it all.
The book is connected to Washington D.C. in a couple of different ways. What made that city work for you?
I’ve lived in the DC area a couple of times so it’s an area I know and love. And what better way to show your love for a place than to have dragons destroy it? You can see the capital building in flames on my book trailer. Fun stuff.
DC is also a great location for a couple of other reasons. As the capital, it makes sense for a villain to attack it. The leaders live there and it’s the symbolic heart of our nation. Plus it has all those very cool and easily recognizable monuments. It’s much more fun to imagine dragons swirling around the Washington monument than your basic boring downtown buildings.
If you didn’t write for teens what would your ideal job be?
My ideal job would be a movie reviewer. You get to see all the movies before they come out and trash the ones you don’t like. I could be really good at that. Unfortunately, my career counselor never listed this as a job option. Come to think of it, my counselor never listed author as a job option either. I guess it’s a good thing that I never listened to my career counselor.
I am a fan of dragons myself 🙂 Any dragon related books/movies you would recommend?
Yep-mine!
Many thanks to C.J. Hill for stopping by and answering my questions. Be sure to check out the book trailer. I already looking forward to book two!
Many thanks to C.J. Hill for stopping by and answering my questions. Be sure to check out the book trailer. I already looking forward to book two!
Leave a Reply