About the Book
Title: The Thirteenth Moon
Author: Melissa Volker
Genre: YA Fantasy
Moya Fairwell has just turned 13. Her classmates think she's weird. Her odd, loveable weed-eating grandmother has been talking in riddles. A ring on her finger itches like crazy, and she's been hearing a strange voice call to her through the trees.
But when the full moon flashes green, and the clock strikes thirteen, and a boy with white hair finds himself on her doorstep in the middle of the night -- then things really start to get weird.
Join Moya Fairwell and her new friend, Fritz, as they journey to the wondrous, magical land of Rimorr. There they discover amazing creatures, fight fantastic monsters, and hopefully protect the balance of good and evil, fulfilling the prophecy of...The Thirteenth Moon.
Today we have a fun author interview for you to read! Enjoy!
1. This book revolves around a 13 year old - did you have any fun things happen when you were 13?
To be honest, 13 was tough for me in a lot of ways. My parents had divorced when I was 12, I was given a lot of responsibility at home, and I was definitely the oddball in school. I did have a gaggle of friends, but I was from a very small town, never felt I fit in, and many of my classmates treated me that way. I had big dreams of NYC and acting, and a lot of kids just though I was weird.
2. How do you think your 13 year old self would react to the adventures of Rimorr? Would you have survived?
I was pretty scrappy overall. Being an actress from a young age, I think I would have considered it the role of a lifetime. However, I was not a tough kid. So some of it would definitely have freaked me out! Moya has Fritz with her, though, so if I had someone with me -- I don't know...I imagine I would have risen to the challenge.
3. What advice do you have to the pre-teens and teens of today that are called "weird?"
Embrace it! Whatever it is that makes you "weird" to others is what makes you unique in the world! And weird is all a matter of perspective. The folks who live a truly average life, play every sport, don't read, work 9-5 and don't ever dream of anything amazing or adventurous, who never look up at the night sky and marvel at the fact that we are on a spinning rock hurling through space -- those people are weird to me.
It's hard when you are young. It feels like things will never change, like it will always be hard. But it won't be. Shine your weird light brightly into the world so the other weirdoes can find you. And remember what they say: "Weird is just a side effect of being awesome"!
4. If you could give one piece of advice to your past self, what would it be?
It gets better. :) Stay true to that voice inside, keep seeing the world as you do. Being sensitive, seeing the beauty and wonder in the world can be hard -- but it's also what lets you truly live...deeply, honestly. And it gets better.
5. Will there be a second book to the series?
There's already a companion book called The Creature Compendium (a kind of reference encyclopedia of creatures our heroes meet in the forest). Then, yes! Tentatively called "The Council of Elders", Moya and Fritz aren't quite finished. Their adventure in Rimorr has an effect on our world, and there's more for Moya to find out about herself.
I have a feeling there's one more after that -- I think they both need to go back to Rimorr and experience more of that world since so far they've only been through one forest! There's a lot more there...
Author Bio
Melissa Volker started out life as an actress, studying at New York University, and the Strasberg Institute. She worked with a theater focused on arts-and-education, bringing production workshops into schools. But after more than a decade living as the struggling artist in NYC, she wanted a saner life, and moved to Boston.
There she met her husband, and they had their son (now fourteen). She was always writing, but after leaving acting behind there was a creative void. The writing filled that. She also began exploring photography, finding that sometimes a story or moment wants to be capture in words, other times it is better told visually.
She has two literary fiction novels, "Delilah of Sunhats and Swans" which won a 5 star Reader's Choice award, and a collection of short stories inspired by The Great Gatsby, living as a sensitive starving artist, and surviving NYC entitled, "Still, Life: a collection of echoes."
"The Thirteenth Moon: a Moya Fairwell adventure" is her first young adult, fantasy novel. Whimsical, silly, and full of intense magic she has been called a cross between C.S. Lewis and J.K. Rowling. If asked who the book is appropriate for, she'll say it's for anyone who can enjoy it -- regardless of age!
The book has a companion website with a "secret room" that can only be unlocked with a password from the story. Once in, readers can continue exploring the world of Rimorr, including the mythology, the creatures and more.
She looks forward to continuing Moya's story (for there is certainly more!) and looks forward to hearing from readers about their experience reading the book!
Links
Facebook: /mvolkerwordphoto
