Featured Interview With Kristina Elyse Butke
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
Hi! I’m Kristina, a YA Fantasy author based out of Ohio. I’m originally from Flushing, Queens, but have called Ohio home for most of my life, with the exception of two adventures–I lived in Wales for six months on a study abroad program, and lived in Japan for six years teaching English. The places I’ve lived influence my writing quite a bit, inspiring settings and even magical creatures. As far as creatures go, sadly I do not have any pets, but I absolutely adore cats.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
I was very young, in elementary school, when I realized I loved reading. In third grade I started writing stories. My teacher sold blank white hardcover books that you could illustrate and write in, and so my very first book was “The Fantasy Club.” I put all of my friends into that story, including myself, but stole the plot from TV. I was like that with writing for a while, using a sort of fanfiction way about it–taking something already made, and making the story last longer or changing it to suit my needs!
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
My favorite authors to read are Margaret Rogerson, Alix E. Harrow, Juliet Marillier, T. Kingfisher, N.K. Jemisin, Holly Black, and more. But those authors specifically are auto-buys for me because what I’ve read of their writing, I’ve ended up loving. I read fiction but I also read manga, so I have two favorite genres: in fiction, YA Fantasy; in manga, BL. Authors of YA Fantasy influence my writing the most, but of all the ones I’ve mentioned, I’d probably choose Margaret Rogerson as my biggest influence. I’ve loved every story she’s written. Meanwhile, Juliet Marillier is the author who made me want to write fiction.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
My debut novel, SON OF THE SIREN, was written while I lived in Japan, so my time there definitely ended up influencing the writing, from settings to creatures from folklore. It’s also inspired by fairy tales, namely three: Allerleirauh, The Wild Swans, and The Little Mermaid. I took motifs from each fairy tale and then gender swapped characters and mushed everything into a single story. If you know those fairy tales, you’ll definitely see pieces of them in the book, but if not, you’ll just get a tale you’ve never read before!
It’s about Lirien, a half-siren who calls on siren powers to bring his father, the King, back from the sea. But a siren song’s true strength is seduction, and Lirien ensnares his stepmother, the Queen, with its melody. The Queen uses magic to force Lirien’s love, but instead it steals Lirien’s voice and turns his siblings into animals. Lirien will risk everything to break the spells, but his own curse haunts him should he stray too long from the sea.
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