Epic Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Fantasy
Date Published: 16th September 2021
Publisher: SilverWood Ltd
Juno’s beloved Petra is dead.
Petra’s replacement, the mysterious Lady, has put Juno’s best friend Tilly under a dark spell that has left Juno with nobody she can trust.
With only Chax, her kitten, for company, Juno escapes from her school to a town at the bottom of the cliffs.
A town ruled by men.
Alone, scared, and without friends, Juno feels an unknown power growing inside her. A power she knows she will one day have to harness. With all lost, a dark figure from within the shadows cups her mouth and whispers in her ear to keep quiet.
Juno joins her new friends but just as she starts to learn how the world really works, the ill-tempered Dr Viktor demands an audience.
Juno and the Lady is a young woman’s journey into a land of the old ways, where men rule, and women are property.
With unlikely friendships, forbidden love and burning magic, can Juno change the conventions of old? Can she save the town? And will she figure out who the Lady truly is?
Interview with G.J. Kemp
How did you become involved with the subject or theme of your book?
Growing up, I had an African woman as a surrogate mother in South Africa. She had this extraordinary view of how people should live their lives. She would say: you have one go at life, so best we grab it with both hands and live it. It has always stuck with me. As I have grown up, I have taken a keen interest in the difficult human issues that people experience throughout the world. I have CP (cerebral palsy), which gives me a small relatable platform. I like to decrease ignorance through knowledge. Particularly my ignorance. Writing books with difficult human story arcs gives me the opportunity to tackle this ignorance through learning. It is a really tough journey but extraordinarily satisfying when it comes together.
What were your goals and intentions in this book, and how well do you feel you achieved them?
The first and most important intention of this book was to kick start the epic fantasy series. Each book in the series will be based on a fast-paced action-adventure story as the main arc. Once I defined the action and adventure arc, I massaged in the two other major story arcs. Those arc’s being: the elemental fantasy story (fire, water, earth and air), and the second, a more interwoven arc focusing on human issues. I'm drawing from my own experiences or experiences of people close to me to tackle the human issues arc. The first book is based on the struggle women went through, and are still going through, to gain equal rights. (Can you believe that out of 195 countries on the planet, only 10 countries offer equal rights to women.) The second book is about disability, something I am all too aware since I have CP. I third I am going to leave as a surprise… :)
What was the hardest part of writing this book?
Imposter syndrome, definitely! Constantly questioning if I have things right became tiring and exhausting. I was lucky enough to have three strong women beta readers. They stemmed from the UK, Finland and Croatia and they constantly gave me their point of view as I went through each chapter of the book. One thing I learnt from having a diverse set of beta readers is how similar the message was. It was surprising and a great learning experience. Once I bedded that down properly, then I could write the rest of the action-packed adventure story.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
Wow, this is such a tough question. One of my core values is ‘learning’ and writing this book was one big school day for me. Not only did I have to find my writing style, or author’s voice, as some people call it, I had to learn a lot about the fundamentals of writing. That being passive vs active, show vs tell, scenes and sequels, to name a few. Once I had got some of that under my belt, I could concentrate on the story, which is where most of the enjoyment came. Writing a fast-paced, dialogue centric action adventure story with a sub arc of women’s rights was tough, but a joy to write.
Where there alternate endings you considered?
As this is the start of a series, I had a firm idea of how the book needed to end as it has to lead into the next book. Saying that, there were several side characters that either grew on me or faded away as the book evolved. Some of those characters will appear in the series and I had to play with different endings for them. Valen is a great example of this. So much so that I have written a novella about him which will be out in the summer.
Can you share some stories about people you met while researching this book?
I have had the privilege of working with some high-powered women all over the world. Observing how they navigate the corporate world gave me the insights needed to cover the complex subject of women’s rights. Coupled with that, in SA where I was born, my surrogate mother was a strong independent woman. She taught me that if you wanted something, it’s best to go get it, rather than wait for it to come to you.
What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
I am into my fantasy books. I grew up reading Enid Blyton books, which started the journey into fantastical worlds of all things imaginary. Lord of the Rings was another book I read when I was quite young. Since then, epic fantasy books with multiple story arcs have always been my go to. I must admit, though, that I have a soft spot for horror. When I was younger, Stephen King and Dean Koontz both scared me half to death.
About the Author
A nomad at heart, GJ has lived in nine countries across Africa, Europe and the Middle East. His career has included working as a Divemaster in The Red Sea, a zookeeper in Israel, and a proofreader in Sweden.Born with cerebral palsy, GJ has spent a lifetime trying to tie his shoelaces while standing up in the hope of not falling over. It is a constant challenge, but sometimes he occasionally succeeds.Finding the love for writing later in life, GJ spends most of his free time going for walks and dreaming of story ideas. He hopes to one day have a small place on the oceanfront where he can walk his dogs on the beach.For more information please visit gjkemp.co.uk
Contact Links
Twitter: @kemp_gj
Instagram: gjkempauthor
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