In September, my YA fantasy novel Maya and the Book of Everything was featured on the delightful blog Rapunzel Reads, where books for young readers are reviewed by two sisters—Piranha T. and Super Kitty. After reviewing Maya, the sisters asked if I was willing to be interviewed for their blog.
I most certainly was, and here is a snippet of the interview:
RapunzelReads: What books inspired you when you were growing up?
Laurie Graves: The books that inspired me were Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. When I read A Wrinkle in Time, in the late 1960s, I had never encountered such a wild, thrilling story that incorporated science, time travel, and fantasy with vivid characters. It almost felt as though an electrical charge was coming to me from the book. Then there was The Lord of the Rings, which pulled me right into Middle Earth. I was there with Frodo and Sam as they made their way to Mordor, and there seemed to be no veil between me, the reader, and Tolkien’s story. Last but certainly not least is Shakespeare. I fell in love with him when I was in seventh grade, and that love continues to this day. When I first started reading Shakespeare, there was a lot I didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. I was completely dazzled by the way he used language, and I could hardly believe that anyone could write so brilliantly. Even now, I am still in awe.
To read the whole interview, click on this link.
Rapunzel Reads, thanks yet again!
Notes From the Hinterland 
Congratulations Laurie, what a lovely interview! 🤗💖🎉 xxx
Thanks, Xenia!
How thrilling!! XOXOXO
Thanks, Burni!
Exciting! So happy for you especially now while you’re working so hard on the next installment.
Thanks, Judy!
Congratulations!
Many thanks!
An interesting interview – you’ve obviously got a couple of enthusiastic fans over at Rapunzel Reads.
I do! So grateful.
This is fun–I’m happy for you!
Thanks, Kerry!
Good interview.
Read, read, read. Write, write, write. That is excellent advice. See ya!
Neil
Thanks, Neil!
A wonderful interview, Laurie! Congratulations!
Thanks so much!
Wonderful interview and I loved reading about what inspired you and the creation of the characters.🙂
Many thanks!
Glad to know about their blog and glad they found you!
I loved reading this interview, Laurie and finding out more about your inspirations and the way you work.
Thanks, Clare.
Great interview! I learned stuff about you that I didn’t know. Interesting literary influences. I can hardly wait for book#3.
Thanks, Cynthia! First draft done. Now on to editing and more editing.