My 10-year-old played an important role in the editing process. He was the first one to read the rough draft and his opinions helped a great deal. It was nice having someone in my target audience there to proofread with me.
Kyle Bagsby – 17 June 2021
The Back Flap
When an ancient sword is pulled from its resting place, an unimaginable evil is set free. At that exact same moment in time, a little girl is returned from the stars. There’s also a new kid in town and little does he know, he’s the only one who can save everyone and everything he’s ever known from the cold dark grasp of the Lich.
About the book
What is the book about?
The Sword and the Fallen Star is a story about a boy named Dandy and a girl named Cake. Once upon a time, there was a creature named the Lich that threatened the world of the living. A powerful wizard found a way to seal the Lich away, but the cost of such magic was great. Years later, a young boy stumbled upon a sword and soon after, his life was forever changed.
When did you start writing the book?
I stated writing this story soon after finishing Autumn Eternal. The summer of 2018 is when the idea was born, and the first ink was put on paper. Little did I know then, this book was going to take a lot longer than planned.
How long did it take you to write it?
From concept to print, it took about three years. Most of that time was me avoiding writing all together though. I lost my Mom during that time and that whole experience had a major impact on me. I finally got it together and finished the story. This book is dedicated to her.
Where did you get the idea from?
To be quite honest, I am not all that sure of where the idea came from. This was a story that I had planned for some time now and Autumn Eternal as well as The Sword and the Fallen Star are parts of a much bigger story. I wrote the books in a way that they could be read independently of each other. There are several tie ins and little eater eggs between the two, but a person could definitely enjoy one without reading the other. Although, I would really prefer you read both.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
There were times I struggled while telling this story. Creatively speaking, I was not in a great place and I ended up changing several things before all was finished. My 10-year-old played an important role in the editing process. He was the first one to read the rough draft and his opinions helped a great deal. It was nice having someone in my target audience there to proofread with me.
What came easily?
The story telling and the emotion came easy. There are a few emotional scenes in the book and I felt like those parts wrote themselves. I set the scene for the characters and they did the rest.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
The characters in this story are entirely my own. I’m sure some of my real-world interactions have inspired some in one way or another but nothing was intentional.
Do you have a target reader for this book?
My target audience is middle grade, so 8-12 year-olds. I try to keep my stories interesting enough so adults will enjoy them too. Middle grade fantasy has and will forever be my favorite stories.
How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?
This book took much more effort than previous ones. It never felt forced, but it took effort to force myself into a creative state to be able to write words and tell the story. In my opinion, the hardest part of writing is getting started. Everything else is adventures and rainbows.
End of Interview:
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Get your copy of The Sword and the Fallen Star from Amazon US or Amazon UK.
