Interview: Sarah Beth Durst - Enchanted Ivy

Quick! Describe Enchanted Ivy in 7 words or less!

Magic at Princeton.

Wow, I think that was the most succinct yet intriguing answer I've ever gotten for that question! 

How about a bit more of description of Enchanted Ivy?

Enchanted Ivy is about getting into college. You know, taking the campus tour, talking to the gargoyles, flirting with the were-tigers, riding the dragons... While visiting the campus of Princeton University, 16-year-old Lily discovers a secret gate to a magical realm and must race against time to save herself, her world, and any hope she has of college admission.

What inspired this novel?

First idea I had was were-tigers at Princeton.  I pictured them prowling around the campus at night.  I liked this idea, due to the inherent awesomeness of were-tigers, and I started to think about WHY there would be were-tigers at Princeton (aside from the fact that the mascot is a tiger).  Were they hunting?  Were they guarding something?  Where did they come from?  This grew into the concept of a hidden alternate Princeton where magic permeates the atmosphere, rendering the magic world and our world incompatible.  Beings from the magic world cannot survive long in our world, and vice versa.  This, of course, leads to much adventure...

So you meet a talking gargoyle...what's the first thing you say?

AHHHHH!!!!!

And then after that, I'd most likely gush like a fangirl and tell the gargoyle how delighted I am to meet him, how much it means to me to meet someone magical, how I've always wanted to discover magic in the real world and how important I think it is to retain a sense of wonder and to be prepared to believe six impossible things before breakfast...  At that point, the gargoyle would most likely give me his autograph to shut me up and then return to acting like stone, sorry that he'd ever spoken up in the first place.

Awesome answer! I think I'd have a similar first reaction regarding the "AHHHH!!!" part ;)

If you could spend the day as any character in any story, what character and story would you choose?

I'd choose to be Beauty in Robin McKinley's Beauty, a retelling of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast.  In that novel, she eats delicious meals, strolls through glorious gardens, and has access to a library that contains books that haven't even been written yet.  Plus nothing really horrible happens.  If I were stuck inside, for instance, the Hunger Games trilogy, I'd survive approximately one paragraph.

What are you working on right now?

Just turned in the manuscript for a new top sekrit project!  I'll be announcing details soon on my blog, but it will be out in fall 2011 and I'm VERY excited about it.  It was ridiculously fun to write.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thanks so much for interviewing me!

And thank you for answering my questions, Sarah! 

Enchanted Ivy comes out in just little more than a week (October 12th!), so be sure to keep an eye out for it! I know I'll be looking out for it, especially after Sarah's description (talking gargoyles, flirting with were-tigers, riding dragons, a magical realm?? I'm so there)