Friday, July 20, 2012

Tiger Lily Interview/Blog Tour

Today we sit down for an interview with the author of Tiger Lily, Jodi Lynn Anderson!!

To learn more about the book click the cover pic above!

So listen up all my Peter Pan fans, because this one is for you...

With a warm welcome and delighted squeals, we welcome Jodi Lynn Anderson into the wastelands. Let me be the first to say thanks to Jodi for taking the time to answer our questions and hang out with us today. Now let's get started!

Darkfallen:  With all the retellings out there what made you decide to go with Peter Pan?

Jodi: It was the character of Tiger Lily– I just felt like she had a story and it needed to be told. And then it was the idea of Tiger Lily and Peter together. In J.M. Barrie’s original story, the two are so courageous that they seem made for each other, and yet Peter devotes himself to Wendy. I felt like there was a story there, and that it came from Peter andTiger Lily being such strong, determined people and hurting each other. I got the sense of a difficult and passionate love story. And it felt so immediately real to me that it gave me goose bumps.

Darkfallen:  I love that you picked Tiger Lily's story to tell, what made you do that?

Jodi: Once I started thinking about her as acharacter, I just felt like,I get this person. I understand why she does the things she does.I think we expect girls to act a certain way, and when they don’t we find them kind of suspicious. And I felt like this was where Tiger Lily was coming from – she has just never been good at being “girly” – but she’s brave and she’s determined and she’s got a big heart. And then she meets Peter, who’s got his own set of hopes and fears, and the things that other people don’t like about her are actually wonderful to him, and the two fall in love. It’s life-changing for both of them. 

Darkfallen:  It was a little different to read the story from Tinker Bell's POV; what gave you that idea?

Jodi: I came to using Tink as the narrator really late in the writing process, and it was because I felt she was the only one who could give us real insight into Tiger Lily.Tiger Lily is too stoic and mysterious to reveal much about herself, but Tinkerbell, who can read people’s thoughts, is able to tap into the tumultuous things going on inside her and inside Peter. I also fell in love with the idea that Tink would feel loyalty toward Tiger Lily, while also being helplessly in love with Peter.

Darkfallen:  Do you think that you will take on a more retellings in the future?

Jodi: I’m definitely not planning on it! But it’s possible inspiration may strike at some point :-)

Darkfallen:  Now that Tiger Lily is out in the world what is your next project?

Jodi: I’m writing an atmospheric mystery set on a cold peninsula in Wisconsin, about two girls who live next door to each other but have vastly different lives. And then I’m working on a new middle grade book about a journey across the earth, called The Ordinary World.

Well there ya have Pan fans!
And a big, HUGE thanks to Jodi for taking the time to stop by today!!!

Lymi...

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