Interview with Victoria Drozda for The Opal Amulet
The Opal Amulet (The Forbidden Gems of Regalia #1)
Publisher: BookBaby
Release Date: October 14th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Fourteen year old Emberly Tollens doesn't dream often but when she does its never a good sign, especially when its the same dream. Some nights she would dream of the sweet nothingness of time. Other nights the voices would get louder, the running faster, and the staff colder. Ice cold. But this is just the beginning of her problems.
Things get even stranger when she finds a dangerously beautiful opal necklace lying on the ground at school. Not strange at all. And definitely not strange when your once kind of nice teacher turns into a fire-breathing creature from the past, right?
Now with the help of her hazel eyed friend named Olive and a cute mysterious fire throwing boy. They're going to discover there's a lot more going on than what they think.
Can you briefly describe THE OPAL AMULET and its characters?
The Opal Amulet is the first book to the series The Forbidden Gems of Regalia. It’s about a curly haired, star-flecked faced fourteen year old girl named Emberly Tollens. Who keeps having strange dreams about a staff as cold as ice and mysterious hooded man. And just happens to find a dangerously beautiful amulet at school. Definitely, not weird at all.
And totally not weird when your teacher turns into a fire breathing dragon from the past, right? But this is just the beginning of her problems. Now with the help of her best friend Olive. A tall, long haired girl with hazel eyes full of mischievous and sarcasm with a secret.
And Max Carnelian a cute fire throwing boy with eyes like stars with a seemingly picture perfect family that is anything but. They're going to discover there is a lot more going on than what they thought.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Max! Max Carnelian has always been my favorite character. I love his backstory, his family and the relationships he has with them. Pretty much, most of my favorite scenes and chapters are the ones that Max is in so far. When you read the chapters with him and his family in them you’ll understand why!
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
A dream. The inspiration for the story was based on a dream I had during the summer before my freshman year of high school. In the dream I was running at a school and there was a girl with long black hair with me, but before I could figure out why we were running I woke up. It felt like it was a start to a story.
I always liked magic and objects that possess them like amulets. So having a magical amulet was a must have! The ability to control elements was a very interesting and intriguing idea to me. So I had to put elemental magic or powers in it. And dragons, because their dragons! Do I even need to say more? I wanted to put everything that I really enjoyed in a story and put it in this one.
I wrote this book for myself.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
Hmm. That’s a tough one. Since there are certain songs that remind me of particular parts of the book or certain characters...but if I had to pick one it would be End of Time by K-391, Alan Walker and Ahrix. I think this song fits the overall series pretty well!
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
It would have to fall. It would have to be at a place where you can see the leaves change color and the air is crisp. You would be surrounded by books with your favorite warm drink hand (mine would be hot chocolate) while watching the sun set. If possible in a tree house or a decorated attic with little lights that has a big window. But if you can’t do that just a comfy chair works too.
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE OPAL AMULET?
Well, here are some book series that I was reading while I was writing the book that I remember really enjoying. Although it's been a while since I read them and I still need to finish Keeper of the Lost Cities which is still going. I remember that they really inspired me!
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Well, for me the most difficult part of writing a book it’s always changing. Currently it’s just finding time to write. I've just started college and just haven’t been able to manage my time well enough to be able to write like I used to in high school. But not rushing and spelling are also things that I struggle with when writing too.
What’s next for you?
Writing the next book to the series and college. I’m rewriting/adding/editing the draft of the second book to the series right now. Well...that if I can find time.
Victoria Drozda started The Opal Amulet (book one to The Forbidden Gems of Regalia series) in the summer of 2016 before her freshman year of high school and later finished the book in 2020. She is an upcoming college student and enjoys spending her time reading, drawing, baking and of course writing. She currently resides in California and is eagerly working on the next book in the series.
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