Book Tour: Urchin King By Katharina Gerlach @GHBTours

Title: Urchin King
By Katharina Gerlach
Genre: YA/ Middle Grade/Fantasy

Blurb:

For fourteen years, street-urchin Paul's miserable existence has kept him safe from an ancient law that sentences all second-born twins to death. When he learns he is the younger twin of the mentally handicapped Crown Prince who's in danger of being killed for his disability, he agrees to play the role of the miraculously healed royal heir.

Paul struggles to learn how to act like a born ruler, but finds that his greatest skill, getting by unnoticed, is now his greatest liability. He knows if he is discovered, he will be executed like all second-born twins. When a vengeful sorcerer threatens the kingdom, Paul is the only one who can oppose him. But using his unique talents will expose him. Now, he's got the choice. What is more important, his life or his family's and the kingdom's safety?

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Excerpt:

They rode through the cold autumn air, and soon the ache in Paul's head faded. When they passed the edge of the forest, he spurred his pony. Heloise followed, and they cantered toward Wynburgh. When the turrets of the city walls came in sight, Paul reined his pony in. He dismounted, patted the pony and whispered his goodbyes. It would raise too many suspicions if he rode any further.

"Take good care of him," he said to Heloise.

The princess shook her head and dismounted too. "I'm not leaving you."

Paul sighed. "You can't come along. It's too dangerous."

"I am used to danger."

"Heloise, I need to do this on my own." He looked into her eyes, trying to make her understand. "I know every nook and cranny in that town, and I know how to blend in. If I don't want to be seen, no one will set eyes on me." He knew the reasons were weak but he found it impossible to tell her that he would worry about her too much.

Heloise set her jaw and ripped his pony's reins from his hands. "Leave me alone then. I don't care one bit." She turned to her horse as if to leave. Then, she turned again, threw her arms around him and hugged him tight.

Paul was so shocked that he didn't move.

She pressed her lips on his nose. "Come back alive, please." She let go of him, jumped on her horse and galloped off without looking back, dragging Paul's pony along.

Open mouthed, Paul stared after her. The sensation of her body's firm softness pressed against his lingered for a long time, and his heart beat as fast as if he had run. He couldn't move until the tingling in his nose subsided.

Author Interview:

The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write "Urchin King?

Katharina Gerlach: One day in 2009, one of my writing teachers asked me at a seminar to write a short scene that clearly shows it's a fantasy story without ever naming anything fantastical (like unicorns, dragons, or magic). That's when Paul showed up. At first, I was worried that there was no magic at all to the story (I'm talking about magic as a force here, not the synonym for fascination ;-) ), but as soon as The Mother's name showed up I knew the world was magical. I wrote the scene (and was praised for it which boosted my ego a lot), and later expanded it into a short story.

But Paul wasn't satisfied. He insisted that there was more to him and his brother (yes, characters of my stories often nag me, just like real people. I'm a trouble-magnet in that regard). I began to research possible backgrounds for his story, and since I love history, I settled on medieval Europe (if you had told me when I went to school that I ever would research medieval Europe for fun, I would have laughed at you). I invented a tiny kingdom in a world of tiny kingdoms resembling the more northern parts of Europe during the Middle Ages and designed a magical system that was nearly non-existent. That ensured everyday life in my story would be just as it used to be back then. But as insignificant as the magic seemed to be, it turned out to be the driving force of the novel's conflict. When I realized this, I knew why Paul wanted me to turn this into a full novel.

And I did.

The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Katharina Gerlach: That came quite late in life. I think I was in my mid-thirties. But I have been writing ever since I learned my alphabet. I even got a box with stories that I wrote in first grade. It just never occurred to me that this could be more than just a pleasurable pastime.

The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?

Katharina Gerlach: The first book I read was probably a picture book, but I cannot remember very well. It's been so long ago and I've read so many books since then that my memory is slightly fuzzy.

The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?

Katharina Gerlach: I read many genres. I love well researched historical novels, mysteries, fantasy and science fiction. Mostly, I prefer Young Adult and Middle Grade books over adult ones. If the back cover blurb interests me, I most likely will pick up the book to read it. There are very few genres I do not like and find hard to read. These are dystopia, horror, and erotic romance novels.

The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?

Katharina Gerlach: Oh dear, that's a really hard question. I've got close to 2000 novels in my attic and haven't (yet) counted the ones on my kindle. I only keep the books I love to read more than once, so all those books are my favorites, and they range from children's' picture books (like The Hungry Caterpillar) over murder mysteries, paranormal, fantasy, SciFi to nonfiction. I do not think I have one book that I prefer over all the others. Sorry.

The Avid Reader: You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?

Katharina Gerlach: My favorite author is Edith Nesbit. Not only did she support her family by writing the first books truly suitable for children, she also raised the illegitimate offspring of her husband together with her own children while simultaneously participating in the foundation of the British Labour party. She's one of the best examples of what women can achieve if they put their mind (and heart) to it. I want to be just like her (drat, I've got a very faithful husband, and no idea for yet another political party…)

The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?

Katharina Gerlach: Oh, oh, oh, can I go more than one? I'd like to meet Xanthippe (wife of Sokrates) and Mozart, and dinosaurs (I'd love to watch them for a while), and, and, and…

But if I could only visit one person, and go back to a single point in time, I'd like to be there at the first ever Christmas.

The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?

Katharina Gerlach: Both. Yes, I know that sounds strange, but it makes sense. Let me explain. When I prepare the story the way I learned, it flows freely from my hands. I hardly ever get hiccups, and the ones I do get are easily resolved. The hard part is not to get fed up mid-novel. It takes a long time to write a full novel and ever so often, I get tired of tying. My creative side whispers things like "look, a new an shiny idea" and I have to fight myself to stick with the one I've got or I'd never finish anything. Once the first draft is written, everything becomes easier because I can write short stories during revision.

The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?

Katharina Gerlach: I've got a dog (German hunting terrier with something else mixed in) who is anything between 10 and 15 years old. He's a foundling from Poland, and we adopted him 8 years ago. Ever since he's been glued to my heels - which makes it hard to walk sometimes. ;-)

At first, the hunters in our neighborhood were afraid that he'd go hunting on his own (being a hunting terrier) but when he shied from baby-mice, he became the laughing stock of the village. I'm glad about that because it means I'll have no murdered cats to explain to angry neighbors.

The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?

Katharina Gerlach: Salt 'N Vinegar crisps - man, am I happy I can't get decent ones in Germany. I'd be a blown up balloon if I could. ;-)

The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?

Katharina Gerlach: Whichever writing school you follow (I recommend Holly Lisle because she's thorough AND funny but your mileage may vary), sit down and write, regardless of the quality of your first draft. You will never learn if you strive to write the perfect book on your first try. Also, the real story evolves during revision, so you need something you can revise. The more you write, the more you learn, the better your stories will get.

Last advice: never give up on your dreams. It's not easy to earn your keep with writing, but you can get there by being persistent and always thriving to write the best book you're capable of.

About the Author:

Katharina Gerlach has had her head in the clouds from her birth. She and her three younger brothers lived secret lives in the heart of a forest in Germany. After climbing every available tree with imagination as her guide, she learned to read and disappeared into magical adventures, past times or eerie fairytale woods.

She never reached the ground properly although she did manage to successfully train as a landscape gardener, study forestry, and crown it with a PhD in Science. One day, she realized that she'd have to write if she wanted her dreams to become real. Her first novel was unpublishable and shall never see the light of day without major revision (if at all). But her stories improved and now, they even sell. Katharina writes Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Historical Novels for all age groups.

At present, she is working on her next project in a small house near Hildesheim, Germany, where she lives with her husband, three children, and a dog (who ground her enough that she won't fly away on imaginary wings).

Please visit Katharina's website, like her Facebook page, or follow her on twitter: @CatGerlach.

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