Tiffany Turner, author of The Lost Secret of Fairies (Feb 22-Mar 7)

Please welcome Tiffany Turner, author of The Lost Secret of Fairies: The Crystal Keepers Chronicles: Book 1. Tiffany will be answering questions on LibraryThing until March 7th.

Hi Tiffany. Thanks for the chat invitation. My question is about suspension of disbelief. Specifically, as a fantasy writer, how do you enrich your work to create believability? Do you find it challenging or does it fall into place once you have a story?

Thanks Christine for a great question to start off the discussion. As a fantasy writer, it is very important to set up your fantasy world as believable. Studying other writers and reading a lot of fantasy is one way to help research on how to create a world. Studying past legends and myths help me as well.

One of the first things I did was study the Harry Potter series. What does J.K. Rowling do to make it believable? She sucks you into the world of wizards, and you know that they are real. Why? Because you want it to be realistic. You want a wizard school to be hidden somewhere. You might not see it, but it could be there. Because you want it to be. Having it on the edge or hidden from our world makes it believable.

When I was young, I always wanted to have a real, crystal cave below my house. I would daydream exploring it when I was a kid. I wanted it to exist.
So, the crystal cave makes its appearance in Chapter Two of "The Lost Secret of Fairies". It is a popular setting since it would be great if it is real. So, if you create a world that people want to exist, it is real.

Do we want a World of Fairies to exist on the edge of our perceived reality? YES! Or at least I do. So I created my version of what that might be. And others who want it to be true, believe it as well. I think a secret to making a fantasy world believable is creating a world that people want to believe exists.

Fantasy also thrives with references from our real world. Things drawn from our reality makes any fantasy world believable. It also makes it easier for anyone to picture it in the TV within their mind. It's hard to imagine things we don't have experience with.

So, wow, great start! Excellent question to kick off our discussion. I'll be happy to answer more questions throughout the week, whether about fairies, unicorns, favorite writers or the art of writing. Glad to be here!
-Tiffany

I always like to see new fantasy authors around. How diffiicult is it to write a story that both adults and children will enjoy?

Welcome to the chat thread Reading_Fox. I think it was a happy accident that adults are reading my book. I originally have written my book for middle grade readers, 8-12 years old. I have found that adults are reading it as well. Some are parents and grandparents. They are reading it first or with their children.

I discovered that Harry Potter has created a new kind of audience for chapter books for kids. It turned chapter books into bedtime stories which was mostly just picture books before. I think it's another reason Harry Potter is so popular. Parents enjoy the books as they read them to or with their children.

So, I am hoping that I carry on the Harry Potter tradition with my Crystal Keeper series. I've just recently had the second book come out. I kept this in mind while writing THE LOST SECRET OF THE GREEN MAN. My readers include 8-12 years old, their parents and grandparents.

My day job is teaching 3rd graders the joys of reading and writing. I've also taught 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade. So, I just love to talk all about literature. Goes with the day job. I also play the gaelic harp, work at Renaissance Faires, and sell crystal pendant jewelry.

I love to travel to places to do research. I've traveled to Ireland, Hawaii, and Germany in researching the Crystal Keeper Chronicles. I also have a mother-in-law in Northern England. So, I visit the UK every other year. I've been throughout the UK. I even lived abroad in France while in college.

So, hope that fuels the fire for more questions. I'm really enjoying answering everyone's questions. Keep'em coming. This will be an exciting couple of weeks for me. ;-)
-Tiffany

Hi Tiffany! You've mentioned Harry Potter a few times... How conscious are you of other books, especially popular ones, while you're writing? Do you try to make stuff different, or the same, or just not worry about it?

Welcome to the chat FFortuna.
I try to be aware of the market that I'm writing for. I want to know what kids are reading and what they enjoy. If something resonates with me, I'll write about it. But if I find that there are some books or other similar books, I try to write what has not been done before. But most importantly, I write what I enjoy writing.

There are not a lot of fairy series for the middle readers yet. A new book called Knife, the Fairy Rebel series, has crossed the pond from England. A lot of other fairy oriented books either are early chapter books or YA. So, I'm hoping that I'm reaching out to the area of need, the middle reader market.

Writers do have to keep track of their market and try to balance the creativity with it. You don't want to do over and over what's been done. Readers are looking for the next book. It's amazing when kids find what they like. They want more of it. So, with fantasy being so popular now, kids are looking for fantasy like crazy.

Some publishers are even going to their back lists and pulling out old titles. For example, vampires are big. So, a lot of books that were previously out of print from the early 90s are being brought back, esp. if about vampires. I was looking through some ebook stores and saw a lot of BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER novels in the YA section.

But in the end, you do have to write what you enjoy and from your own experience. There is an art of creativity to writing. But there is an awareness that if people don't want it, it won't sell. So, I think there has to be a balance in knowing what is out there and writing what you know and enjoy.
-Tiffany

Happy weekend everyone!
I didn't get a chance to do a little introduction since we've been engrossed in questions all week. So here is a little information about myself and my books. Hopefully, it will be more to get the ball rolling for questions this next week.

I've been writing a fantasy series for almost 5 years now. The first book in the series, THE LOST SECRET OF FAIRIES, was published in 2007. It's the start of an adventure of 11 year old, Wanda Stewart, as she discovers fairies are real and in need of her help. She becomes their human guardian, a Crystal Keeper, and begins an adventure to aid the sick and dying fairies from pollution. She solves their sickness, but is faced by a new dilemma, the missing Queen and escaped shadow sorcerer, Balkazaar.

In book two, just released this last December, she faces her next problem, balancing being a Crystal Keeper with homework. In THE LOST SECRET OF THE GREEN MAN, she is joined by a new friend and fellow Crystal Keeper, Edina. Together, they try to solve the new fairy issue, dying bees throughout the realms.

Book 3 is in the works,is very rough first draft right now. It is called THE LOST SECRET OF DRAGONFIRE. Wanda continues her adventures after a big challenge at the end of Book 2. I will spoil it if I tell more though. So, I'll have to leave you hanging for now.

I get a lot of my ideas by traveling and researching for the books. I've recently visited Germany last summer, and have traveled to Ireland and Hawaii. I go back and forth to visit Northern England to visit my in-laws, and sometimes have a chance to pop up to Scotland.

I've been a public school teacher for almost 13 years, and have taught a range of grade levels including 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd. I'm currently teaching Third Grade.

I live in the Silicon Valley, and grew up here. The orchard in the first book is based on the orchard that was behind my house for more than 20 years. It was currently developed into a hospital.

So, hopefully, that gives you a little bit about myself. Keep the questions coming. It's great to hear from my readers and other writers.
-Tiffany

Hi everyone,
I've had a great time the last two weeks chatting and answering questions. There are just a few days left. Would love to hear any questions in regards to fantasy writing, fairy legends, or even Irish Lore.

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner, I'm happy to share the release of my second book "The Lost Secret of the Green Man." I did a bit of research in Ireland and traveled the countryside from Dublin down to Blarney. I welcome any questions about Ireland and researching my second book.
-Tiffany

I wanted to say thank you for a great couple of weeks. I enjoyed answering all your questions. I hope you enjoy my books and feel free to check out new books as they become available. Anon to all!
-Tiffany