This is a guest post by KB Hoyle, author of The Gateway Chronicles. Enjoy!
Because sometimes it’s more fun to hear from the readers than the author, I interviewed several of my teenage readers this week the day after the release of book 5, The Scroll. Blaine and Jennifer are ninth-grade girls, Keisha is an eleventh-grade girl, and Terra, who came into the room just as I was asking the last question, is in twelfth grade. With the exception of Keisha, these are all girls who have been readers of The Gateway Chronicles since I first self-published them, before I was signed by TWCS Publishing House. They are also current creative writing students of mine, so they really have the inside track!
K.B. Hoyle: When did you first start reading The Gateway Chronicles, and what was your first impression of the series?
Blaine: I wanna say I was in 7th grade? Or maybe the end of 6th. I was hooked!
Keisha: April of 2012. I was immediately obsessed with them! I could definitely relate to Darcy. I just love the books!
Jennifer: 6th grade. I saw them on our 6th grade reading list and had a preconceived notion that because you were a hard teacher, they wouldn’t be fun. Eventually, however, I gave in, and well, I couldn’t wait for the second one to come out, and I immediately told my friends about them. I wanted other people to read them so I could talk to them about them.
K.B. Hoyle: I am not a hard teacher! Pshaw.
Jennifer: Well, that’s what people told me!
Keisha and Blaine: lol!
K.B. Hoyle: Who is your favorite character in The Gateway Chronicles and why?
Blaine: Ummm… It’s a tie between Tellius and Yahto Veli. Yahto Veli just because he completely understands Darcy even when she doesn’t understand herself, and he’s completely willing to help her. Tellius because, well, he’s Tellius! Lol. Especially when he gets older, he’s really compassionate and caring, and a little too good to be true. He definitely raised my standards for guys!
Keisha: Uh… probably not Darcy because she and I are too much alike. Probably Tellius, Yahto Veli, and Perry. Perry’s a punk, but I like him a lot. He… I just have a crush on him in a weird way. I love Tellius, but I like who Perry is. Yahto Veli just cares about Darcy so much and he’s always there for her. And I cried at the end of The Oracle.
Jennifer: Tellius and Yahto Veli! Tellius because you can see a higher maturity level in him. Yahto Veli because you can see how he’s a father figure for Darcy. It’s also really cool how he’s two persons in one, and it’s really cool that both aspects love Darcy in different ways.
K.B. Hoyle: Okay, I think it’s pretty funny you all chose the same characters! My favorite character is also Tellius. He just has so much depth to him!
K.B. Hoyle: Which Gateway Chronicles book is your favorite and why (without giving spoilers!)
Blaine: Definitely The Scroll! There were several questions answered that I had been asking myself for a while, and then, um, you get to see, like with the prologue, that possibility had never entered my head! Then I read it, and it kind of made sense! I have another reason, but I can’t say it without giving away a spoiler! Lol.
Keisha: That’s a really hard question. Um. The Oracle was when the story really got GOOD, the stakes were raised, and I really liked that book. The White Thread had a lot of Perry fluff, which I liked. But I also really enjoyed The Enchanted for the romantic elements. But . . . probably The White Thread is a little higher than the others.
Jennifer: Ahhh . . . so far, of all the books I’ve completed reading, it’s The Enchanted. But I’m reading The Scroll right now, and I already like it a LOT. I liked in The Enchanted how mature the characters had become, and I really liked Darcy and Tellius in this book. I feel like I’ve gotten to grow up with these characters, and in The Enchanted, I really felt that I could relate to them! The Scroll so far is just really holding on to me with the suspense!
K.B. Hoyle: If you could say one thing to one character, what character would it be, and what would you say?
Blaine: I would say to Darcy, “Don’t blame yourself for everything! You tend to do that a lot, even when it’s not your fault.”
Keisha: I would say to Darcy, “Grow up and get a grip! Lol. Don’t fall into the same patterns. Realize that your friends are not against you, they want to help you. Your solutions are not always the best solutions.”
Jennifer: I would say to Darcy, “Trust more people! Don’t keep secrets.”
Blaine: She gets a LOT better about that in book 5!
Jennifer: Oh really? Good.
Terra (coming in to the conversation): I would say to Tellius, “Marry me now!”
A big thanks to these wonderful girls for humoring me with this interview! I have the greatest conversations with them about a variety of things, and I always enjoy getting to pick the brains of my readers, especially the ones who have been with me for so long. I know not all authors have such ready access to their readership, and I love that I personally know so many of mine. Now, even though I only interviewed girls, don’t be fooled! The Gateway Chronicles is read and enjoyed by boys of all ages, too. I hope you, too, enjoyed the interview!
