Tell us a little bit about yourself

First, I’d like to say thank you for giving me the opportunity to be here. I’m a stay-at-home mom and I currently live in Montreal. For the past fifteen years, I have traveled frequently as my daughters and I followed my husband on his work travels. We’ve lived in Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Germany with side trips to the Cayman Islands, the South of France, Paris, and the Netherlands. Living in countries where I could not work, I stayed home raising my daughters and spent a lot of time reading. I love to travel and you could say that I was bitten by the traveling bug when I was young. From the time I turned eight years old, my family and I moved around the country numerous times and I was able to discover the many wonderful sights Canada offers as we drove from the East Coast all the way to the West Coast. Imagine spending 3,000 miles in a teeny, tiny car with a family of five. I also lived in Haïti, once when I was eight years old and a second time in my early twenties. 

Throughout my travels, I discovered my love of learning new languages. I speak French, English, and Creole. I’ve also tried my hand at Mandarin, Spanish, and German. I’m an autodidact, so learning a language comes with ease.

My passion for reading developed into writing books one rainy afternoon. I’d just finished reading yet another book, when the idea of writing a book suddenly dawned on me. I decided to try it and quickly realized that this was what I wanted to do. It was the best decision I ever made.

Tell us about your book... 

Guardians of the Grimoire, is a fantasy adventure written for young adults, packed with action from beginning to end. It is the first book in the Grimoire Trilogy, and will be followed with Defenders of the Grimoire andKeepers of the Grimoire. Although, written for young people, I’m happy to see that even adults are enjoying the book.

What is your writing style? 

I like to write in third person POV. It just feels natural to me and many of the books that I’ve read are written in such a way. Like any other author, I also try to engage the reader’s imagination when writing. It is a quite a balancing act to be able to describe a scene and let some of the details go so that the reader’s imagination can fill in the rest.

What/who inspires you to write?

My inspiration comes from my life experiences, from the people I meet, and from everyday things like a movie, a song, a book, or even a dream. Places described in my books are often inspired from places I’ve visited. I have to say that medieval times are one of my favorites, so when I walk through a small medieval town, for example in Germany, I like to absorb the atmosphere of the place and imagine what it would be like to be living in past times in such a place.

What inspired you to write a young adult book?

Although, I read all genres, young adult books are my favorite. So to write my first book, I decided I would go with something I absolutely loved. I do plan to expand into other genres with later books, but right now, I’m having too much fun writing this young adult trilogy.

What is your favorite part of the book?

I love the fact that I have written three strong female leads. Male characters often lead the fantasy genre, so I wanted to do something different. Kerani, Tiluvia, and Cesca each have their own personality, quirks, and faults. I try to make them as realistic as possible, so that young people can relate to them. 

Kerani is the leader of the trio, and she’s a feisty, strong-willed, sword-wielding princess. She doesn’t take no for an answer and is not afraid to stand up for herself. Tiluvia is quirky, fun, and always smiling. She’s my comic relief in the book. She’s also very sensitive to the moods of others around her. Cesca, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. Plagued by guilt and self-doubt, she’s someone who has to find her inner strength and learn to accept herself for who she is. She tends to be quiet and shy.

How personal is your writing?

When I began writing I never thought about this point, but I’ve realized that my writing has many of my personality traits in it. Kerani, Tiluvia, and Cesca to some extent each represent a small part of who I am. This can be scary and for an author it’s like laying your soul down for everyone to see. I like to think I used to be like Cesca, but have grown to become like Kerani. I do inject my humor into my writing and I’ve noticed that it especially comes out in the dialogues.

How did you come up with the title?

Unbelievably the title of the first book came to me while I was half-asleep. I already knew where the storyline was heading in the following books so the subject of guarding, defending, and keeping the Grimoire turned into the titles that I have now.

How did you come up with the concept of the book cover?

By experimenting. The very first cover I had for Guardians of the Grimoire I made myself. Then, I turned to professionals. I’m trying to stay away from stock photography, because I really want something that is unique to my book. I work with a photographer who helps me with the models used on the covers. For Guardians of the Grimoire I used my eldest daughter to represent Cesca. For Defenders of the Grimoire I will have a model that depicts Kerani, and for Keepers of the Grimoire, I will use a third model to depict Tiluvia. Once the proofs are approved, they’re then sent to a graphic artist who designs the cover with elements from the story. I want people to look back on the cover once they’ve read the book and recognize the images that stem from the story.

Do you work with an outline and how rigid are you with it? 

I do work with an outline, especially with this type of story where there are subplots that I have to keep track of. But once I start writing, I let the characters guide me and if the story takes a turn, I make a note of it on my outline. I don’t force the story to go in a specific way I simply let it flow.

What was the hardest part about writing your book?

The most difficult part I had was when I realized that I had to kill off two of my characters in book 1. I had planned to have them in book 2, but things were consistently leading me away from my goal. I have images that I stick on my walls to help me remember how the characters look. When came the time to take them down, I felt a sense of loss, but what’s funny about this, was when my youngest daughter noticed the missing pictures. After seeing the pictures for almost three years up on my walls and getting to know the characters, my daughter had grown attached to them without even reading the book. When she realized why I had taken down the pictures, she squinted her eyes and gave me a look I’ll never forget. She was so angry that the story had taken such a turn, and today, she still hasn’t forgiven me.

What are you working on now?

I’ve finished writing Defenders of the Grimoire, and while it’s in the hands of my editor, I’ll be writing book 3 of the trilogy, Keepers of the Grimoire.

What support have you received since you’ve begun writing?

My husband and my daughters have been my biggest supporters. They’ve encouraged and helped me in so many ways and I am very thankful for their support. Outside of family, I have to thank my editor, Rosanne Cornbrooks Catalano, and my proofreader, Marlo Garnsworthy. These two ladies have provided me with priceless counsel and I’m so grateful to have their unending patience and help when it comes to editing and proofreading. I’ve taken their suggestions and applied it to my writing and I haven’t regretted any of it. Their insightful tips and advice has helped me become a better writer.

Another group of people I would like to say thank you to are the readers, book bloggers, and reviewers. Without your support, an author’s work would go unnoticed. If you want to help support an author, the best way to do it is to help spread the word. Share information about the author’s books with your friends, family, coworkers. A simple click on the ‘Like’ or ‘Share’ buttons or comment on a blog post, on Facebook, or even on the author’s Amazon page can also help spread the word. If you truly enjoyed the book and have a little time, you can even write a review. Reviews help other people find the author’s books and its little things like this that can help an author go a long way with their writing.

What are you most passionate about besides writing? 

My favorite past time is reading a good book, but I’m also a movie buff. Friday nights are usually movie night at our house. I like to play board games with my kids, and I love to spend time in the kitchen with my youngest daughter whose passion for cooking I also share. We can often find her in the kitchen on Saturday mornings either making pancakes or baking up some type of dessert. Mostly, just spending time with my family is something that fills me with contentment.

What advice do you have for someone who would like to become a published writer?

No matter how hard the journey may become, never, never, never give up on your dream of becoming a writer. Give yourself a daily goal and if you can’t achieve it every single day, remember there is always tomorrow. Don’t be too hard on yourself, know that you can’t please every critic out there, and finally believe in your dream. Dreams don’t have an expiration date, so if something doesn’t work, you can always try again.

About the Author 

Natasha Slight 

Natasha Slight lives in Montreal, Canada with her husband and two daughters. Although, she has an aversion to -20 degree temperatures, she keeps warm and cozy, while writing in her home office. Being a stay-at-home mom and an avid reader and collector of books for many years, she traveled frequently, following her husband and his work. The settings in the stories she writes are enriched with details she has gleaned from her travels around the world. Armed with a quirky sense of humor, Natasha writes to inspire, tap into the mind, and unleash the imagination within. Guardians of the Grimoire is her debut novel.

About the Book  

Rumors have spread among the immortals of a book that controls all the magic in both the human and spirit worlds. So what is the Spirit Mother to do when Kaël, a corrupt spirit, attempts to steal the Grimoire from her temple?

With no other option, she instructs Gaïa, a benevolent spirit, to hide the Grimoire in the human realm and to train three young girls in becoming the new guardians. Kerani, Tiluvia, and Cesca are awakened to their destinies, and thrust into a perilous journey as they race to Gaïa’s island. Accompanied by the Kal’rana sisters, the girls discover the magic that lies dormant within them. But fate plays a cruel twist on them, as their magical abilities are unleashed before they are ready, and disastrous consequences follow suit. 

In a land shrouded in magic, and filled with as many friends as there are foes, will the girls be able to fulfill their destinies? Or will the balance of magic be thrown into chaos?

~ Giveaway ~