Author Interview: Chawna Schroeder

What is it about a fairy tale that lets us see the real world more clearly? Or why does a fairy tale structure work so well with other stories? Well, our guest author today, Chawna Schroeder, decided to figure that out. Read on because her stories sound so good!

Chawna, what first inspired you to be an author?

My dad’s stories. When I was growing up, he would make up bedtime stories based on random objects my siblings and I would give him. By the age of six, one of my goals when I grew up was to write his stories down. Now I make up my own stories to share.

You have published both fiction and nonfiction books. Do you prefer one over the other? Why?

Fiction, absolutely. Fiction was how I connect with the world and process life and faith. Much of my nonfiction has grown out something brought about my work in fiction, the need to teach in a more clear and concise form.

What is one thing you hope a reader will take away from your stories?

God is in control and He knows what He is doing, even if we don’t. Therefore, He is worth following, even if where He is leading doesn’t make any sense to us.

What inspired you to write fairy-tale inspired tales?

I grew up during the Disney Renaissance in the early nineties, that has played a significant role in my love of those kinds of stories. More recently, I’ve been enjoying novels that were literature-inspired (ranging from Marissa Meyer’s Cinder to Michelle Griep’s Man of Mist and Shadow), and some of my writing friends explained how they enjoyed having the structure and touchstones provided when working with a literary inspiration. So, I decided to give that a try.

Which one of your characters is most like you and how?

Probably Yosi, the heroine of the Sceptre & Stylus trilogy, especially at the beginning of the story. Much like her, I have a strong artistic bent (though I lack her drawing talent) and have wonderful relationship with my father. I dislike things and people being forced into boxes. Moreover, I have been sheltered from many of life’s difficulties, even some of the more common ones, for no particular reason, and like her, I sometimes worry about my faith because of it.

What are you working on right now? Can you give us a sneak peek?

I am just finishing up book 3 of the Sceptre & Stylus trilogy. I don’t want to say too much, because in typical fantasy style, this trilogy is one continuous story and I don’t want to spoil earlier books for those who haven’t read them. What I can say is that the problems that the protagonists, Yosi and Xander, face in Perplexity are far from resolved, and book three will be a time to bring all the pieces together. Villains must be confronted. Allies must band together. Information that has been collected must be sorted and applied. Because the fates of people and realms hang in the balance.

If you could live in a fairy tale, which would you choose and why?

Disney’s version of Beauty and the Beast. As for why, Beast’s library. Enough said.

Last but not least, can you tell us one thing about yourself that very few people already know?

I can’t curl my tongue. My siblings can, but somehow that gene skipped me. 

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Perplexity

Assemble the clues, dismantle the danger.
Yosarai Patican never wanted to finish her schooling in the Indeli capital, but after several months, she is finally finding her footing . . . until her world is shattered by the unthinkable. Facing loss after loss, she struggles to adjust to a new position and new responsibilities, including the repayment of a massive debt. A debt more easily managed if she can qualify for the elite politico sphere on the upcoming placement exam. Some, however, would do anything to prevent Yosarai from earning one of the coveted positions.
Meanwhile, in the northern realm of Egdon, Crown Prince Xander faces an increasingly hostile Parliament. Not only are they questioning the necessity of the monarchy, but they are also demanding an accounting of some mysterious expenditures by the former king. Unless Xander can unearth a reasonable explanation, his coronation may be more than postponed. It may be cancelled—permanently.
As old rivalries escalate and hidden threats emerge, both Xander and Yosi must choose their paths wisely, before evil eliminates everyone in its way.

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Chawna Schroeder loves exploring the wonder of God through the intersection of imagination and faith. When she isn’t reading or writing, she may be found practicing piano, reading biblical Greek or Hebrew, preparing for the Bible study she teaches, or working on one of her handwork projects while enjoying a movie. 
 
Links:
www.facebook.com/ChawnaSchroederAuthor
www.chawnaschroeder.com