Hidden Worlds and Fantasy Destiny: An interview with Alecia Stone

Today I'm talking with Alecia Stone about her young adult contemporary fantasy, TALISMAN OF EL.


Tell us about your book.


TALISMAN OF EL is a story about acceptance, about accepting one's destiny no matter the consequences. Charlie Blake is a young boy, who, in a bid to find out about himself, discovers a reality he knew nothing about, but that he is so much a part of.

What inspired this book?


To be honest, my curiosity about the mysteries of the world inspired this book. The planet we live on is so fascinating and full of history that I just had to explore its secrets. The great thing about writing a fantasy story is that anything goes. You can write a story about aliens, alternate dimensions ... anything. The topic of people who vanished without a trace came up and I decided to take it one step further. The story just took on a life of its own.

What fundamental themes does your book explore?


The book explores many themes including, but not limited to, things are not always what they seem, self discovery, the importance of relationships and fear of failure. I think many people will be able to relate to the themes of the book as we've all experienced them in some way.

What's the appeal, you think, in fantasy stories that initially ground themselves in the real world and then pull in a character from that world into a fantasy world? In urban fantasy, there's still an overlap, but in contemporary stories where characters end up in a more discrete separate world, the relative link to the real world seems less important on first brush.


Personally, I think it's the adventure and the idea that there is more out there than what we see that is the appeal of fantasy stories. We often hear about the universe being of vast proportions, so, naturally, anyone would want to explore more than the eyes can see. It is also a means of escaping one's own reality for a certain period of time. Sometimes, our own reality can seem somewhat limited and restricted, so when I pick up a fantasy book, it's almost as if I'm breaking the rules by stepping out of the ordinary.

World building is a big part of any fantasy book, but you went so far as to even create a language. Can you tell us a little bit about that and why you chose to do that?


When the story first popped into my mind, I hadn't set out to create another world much less a language. When I created the world and saw how fascinating the characters of this world were, I knew they would have to have their own language. The people of Arcadia are mystical beings who can do things we can only imagine, so they needed a form of communication that they alone could interpret. They are, after all, from another world.

Besides your lead, do you have a favorite character in the story?


This is a hard one as I have many favourite characters. If I really had to choose one, besides the main protagonist, Charlie, I would have to choose Alex. I had such fun with her character. There is so much to her. She's smart, witty, feisty, a bit crazy and so much more.

People tend to want more of what they like. Do you plan to write a sequel?


Yes, I do. I'm currently writing the sequel. There's definitely more to come, as I've planned this as a trilogy.

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Thanks, Alecia.

Author Bio:


Alecia Stone has been in love with anything and everything paranormal for many years. She grad­uated with a BA in Film & TV and has worked in tele­vi­sion for a short period of time before branch­ing out into storytelling. When she isn't writ­ing, she enjoys going to the movies, lis­ten­ing to music, and travelling. Talisman Of El is her first novel. She currently lives in England, UK.

Links:

Website: http://www.aleciastone.com
Official Book Website: http://www.talismanofel.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AleciaStoneFan
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Alecia_Stone
Amazon: http://amzn.to/tNbFaD
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/tMa9E5