1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,879 Good morning, Towey. How are you doing today? Good morning and great 2 00:00:02,879 --> 00:00:07,320 her are you absolutely fantastic? Wow? This book. You can be an 3 00:00:07,360 --> 00:00:10,919 adult or you can be a young adult reader. And no matter what, 4 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:15,839 we all love our dragons. Oh I hope. So I've always loved dragons, 5 00:00:15,839 --> 00:00:18,199 and I you know, still anything with the dragon on the cover, 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,519 I would be so excited to read it. Oh, you're so right about 7 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:24,359 that. Speaking of that cover, it is so vibrant, it's beautiful. 8 00:00:24,359 --> 00:00:27,199 It's a work of art. Are you going to merchandise that in the way 9 00:00:27,199 --> 00:00:30,640 of T shirts and posters and things? Because that's the kind of stuff that 10 00:00:30,679 --> 00:00:34,719 we all love to have in our houses, right, I would love that. 11 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:37,679 So it's complicated, but if I can figure out a way, I 12 00:00:37,719 --> 00:00:40,640 just I feel like So the artist for all of the novels and for this 13 00:00:40,719 --> 00:00:44,200 guide is Joi Aang, and she's so incredible. I feel like we should 14 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:47,920 have her art on every wall in every house. Basically. So true. 15 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,320 And you know, one of the things, and I got to give you 16 00:00:49,399 --> 00:00:52,439 kudos on this is the way that the book is designed. Because first of 17 00:00:52,479 --> 00:00:56,039 all, it's a good size and I love a good large book. But 18 00:00:56,200 --> 00:00:59,679 the way that it's all printed and everything like that. It's not a complicated 19 00:00:59,679 --> 00:01:03,960 book to read at all. It's so inviting to go from page to page 20 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:07,159 to page and the colors that you've chosen for each page. Oh thank you. 21 00:01:07,159 --> 00:01:11,200 Well, okay, so that's not me. That's my wonderful designer at 22 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,280 Selassi. He's so incredible. His name is Phil and he has like this 23 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:18,359 book goes so much work and he's the one who did that. He chose 24 00:01:18,359 --> 00:01:21,000 all the colors and the borders and like where the art was going to go. 25 00:01:21,079 --> 00:01:23,400 And he worked with Joy and I love him. I just feel like 26 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,280 I've been so lucky to get to work with him and with Joy, and 27 00:01:26,359 --> 00:01:30,079 yeah, he's done an incredible job with this book. It's so beautiful. 28 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,959 How did you keep a true connection to this storyline in the way that I 29 00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,000 mean, because I mean, sure it's fairly large. But the thing about 30 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:40,359 it is, though for an author to go from the beginning to the end 31 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:45,280 and now we're talking about it, that's a journey. That's true. I 32 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:48,359 mean for me, I think I have to think basically one book at a 33 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:49,799 time, or if it's a little bigger. I did. I did think 34 00:01:49,799 --> 00:01:53,519 of him into like five book arcs. So books one, two, five 35 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,879 are one storyline, and I wasn't thinking beyond that until I got close to 36 00:01:56,879 --> 00:01:59,760 the end of book five, and then I started planning six through ten. 37 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,879 But really the way I try to keep it focused is I make it each 38 00:02:02,879 --> 00:02:07,040 book is about a different character, and so as long as I'm thinking about 39 00:02:07,079 --> 00:02:12,360 that character and what they're experiencing, that I feel like is what keeps it 40 00:02:12,439 --> 00:02:15,000 like, keeps me interested and also keeps me like focused on like what this 41 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:19,159 particular book is about for each one of those. I love the titles of 42 00:02:19,199 --> 00:02:23,120 the different chapters, for instance, like the sluglike qualities of mud Wings. 43 00:02:23,159 --> 00:02:24,840 I mean, as an adult, I'm going, ooh, this is how 44 00:02:24,879 --> 00:02:29,400 you start a book that this is what I want to see. That's so 45 00:02:29,439 --> 00:02:32,080 funny because that's actually a title like from within the book World. In book 46 00:02:32,120 --> 00:02:36,960 one, they have a conversation about you know, there's a mudwing and a 47 00:02:37,039 --> 00:02:38,240 nightwing and the night wings like, oh, I read this book about the 48 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,479 slug like qualities of night wings and the mudwing is like, I don't think 49 00:02:42,479 --> 00:02:45,319 word slug like. I don't know what that means. And so actually the 50 00:02:45,319 --> 00:02:49,840 guide is supposed to be an opportunity for dragons like the mud wings to tell 51 00:02:49,879 --> 00:02:52,639 their own versions of it. You know, when you read that section, 52 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,800 the librarian at the school for all the Dragons is saying, like, so 53 00:02:55,919 --> 00:03:00,800 I had this scroll the sluglike qualities of mud wings, and then one of 54 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,039 the mud wings wrote in it because she was like, this isn't right, 55 00:03:02,159 --> 00:03:06,120 this is completely wrong, and so he was like, what we need to 56 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:07,560 do is get her to write her own scroll and tell us what mudwings are 57 00:03:07,599 --> 00:03:10,400 really like. So that was, Yeah, it was really fun. I 58 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,159 tried to make it a little bit funny as well. Well you do, 59 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:16,960 and you make it very entertaining in the way of taking the mystery out of 60 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,479 our imagination because I mean when you're looking at the sea wings, I mean 61 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:23,120 the scales blue or green. I mean you look at their eyes, their 62 00:03:23,159 --> 00:03:27,400 abilities, their habitat, you even show the map on where they live, 63 00:03:27,439 --> 00:03:30,080 and it's just one of those things where it's like, wow, now I 64 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:34,199 know more about this. Oh I hope so well, So what it really 65 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,280 is I'm hoping is that it'll be inspirational for those kids who love to write 66 00:03:38,319 --> 00:03:40,879 their own stories or draw their own dragons. Because I've gotten kids ask me 67 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:46,000 questions like this all through the years, mostly because they all are so full 68 00:03:46,039 --> 00:03:47,639 of creativity and they you know, they want to write, they want to 69 00:03:47,719 --> 00:03:51,360 draw accurate sea wings, and they're like what color can their eyes be? 70 00:03:51,599 --> 00:03:54,719 And so to include all of those details, what I really I'm hoping is 71 00:03:54,719 --> 00:03:59,639 that it opens up their imaginations and lets them feel like even more welcome to 72 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,159 come into this world and play with their own dragons and their own stories. 73 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:05,199 Yeah, we all have those dragons in the way that I mean, because 74 00:04:05,199 --> 00:04:08,120 I mean, even when I'm looking at the rain wings, it's like, 75 00:04:08,159 --> 00:04:10,840 oh, oh my god, I would love to hear the storyline from a 76 00:04:10,919 --> 00:04:14,560 rain wing and to find out, you know, what kind of animation would 77 00:04:14,599 --> 00:04:16,360 I see on television and all that, or even on a big screen, 78 00:04:16,480 --> 00:04:19,920 because I mean, you totally set us up for something that's bigger. On 79 00:04:19,959 --> 00:04:27,240 the other side, Yeah, I mean, I love to imagine that there's 80 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:30,680 this giant world full of dragons. And what I'm always telling the kids is 81 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,160 like, really, what the theme of the series is is that anybody can 82 00:04:33,199 --> 00:04:36,560 save the world. It's not just one chosen one. And so I say 83 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,720 to them, like, you know, my dragons are saving the world in 84 00:04:39,759 --> 00:04:41,879 the books, like over here in this part of the world, but your 85 00:04:41,959 --> 00:04:45,120 dragon could be saving the world a different way at the same time, somewhere 86 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:46,519 else in the world. And so I wanted to feel like that, like 87 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:50,959 that there's a lot going on that you don't necessarily see, And so both 88 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,759 in my stories and in the stories that they're writing as well. Man, 89 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,680 I wish I could have been with you while you were putting these stories together, 90 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:00,639 because I love the way that you speak directly with the reader when you 91 00:05:00,639 --> 00:05:03,959 go high Starlight. Have I mentioned lately how excited I am to be your 92 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:10,199 guide? I mean, you're you're you're speaking directly to that reader. Oh 93 00:05:10,240 --> 00:05:13,040 well, And what I'm hoping is that, like the kids who love the 94 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:15,519 series already will find a lot of the characters they love in this book in 95 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:19,480 this guide little letters from each other. There's a whole story written by Kinkajo, 96 00:05:19,759 --> 00:05:23,480 which I know is one of the favorite characters that hasn't had her own 97 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:25,399 book yet. So I was like, well, here you go, here's 98 00:05:25,439 --> 00:05:29,920 Kiinkijo's own voice telling a story set in the rainforest. So, no, 99 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:32,759 did you create these dragons in the way that it all came from your imagination? 100 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:35,399 Because when I see something like an ice wing. I believe that the 101 00:05:35,439 --> 00:05:39,480 ice wings are real, because I mean, this is this would be you 102 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:42,360 know, we've all seen frozen before, so if there's ice, it's got 103 00:05:42,399 --> 00:05:46,199 to be an evil, evil thing. So funny. Yeah, I was, 104 00:05:46,319 --> 00:05:49,439 Well, it was interesting because I was picturing sort of Western dragons, 105 00:05:49,439 --> 00:05:53,279 like the dragons that we grew up with, liked in the Hobbit, right, 106 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,560 But I also wanted to make it feel like, you know, there's 107 00:05:56,600 --> 00:06:00,000 this whole world of dragons, so there could be different kinds, Like where 108 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:01,759 would they live and like how would that change what they're like? So I 109 00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:05,639 watched a bunch of nature documentaries about different habitats, and I started thinking, 110 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,199 well, what kind of dragon would live under the sea, what kind of 111 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,399 dragon would live in like an arctic part of the world, you know, 112 00:06:12,519 --> 00:06:16,399 And based those sort of designed the characters the tribes of dragons around the part 113 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,920 of the continent that they live in and use that to sort of inspire their 114 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:26,439 names and sort of how they have structured their civilization. You know, they 115 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,000 live in this ice palace, or they live in the trees, if they 116 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:31,560 live in a forest, you know, And so trying to let the environment 117 00:06:31,600 --> 00:06:35,560 inform what the dragons ended up being. Like we I have a a little 118 00:06:35,600 --> 00:06:39,759 guy here in the neighborhood that loves dragons so much, and so I cannot 119 00:06:39,759 --> 00:06:42,680 wait to sit down with him and let him go through this book because I 120 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:45,839 want his imagination to run through this forest in South Charlotte, North Carolina, 121 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:48,560 where he's gonna believe that those dragons exist in this forest. Because that's the 122 00:06:48,639 --> 00:06:53,000 kind of book this is. Oh, that was exactly the kind of kid 123 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:56,680 I was. I kept expecting like fairies to pop out of every bush and 124 00:06:56,759 --> 00:06:59,560 like a dragon to show up and take me on an adventure any second. 125 00:07:00,680 --> 00:07:02,680 So yes, this is definitely for those kids. So when you've got the 126 00:07:02,720 --> 00:07:08,360 imagination that you have, where along the lines did you give yourself permission to 127 00:07:08,399 --> 00:07:12,920 set it free so the rest of us could feel your energy. I mean 128 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,759 I always wanted to be a writer, definitely when I was a kid. 129 00:07:15,959 --> 00:07:17,439 And I will say to all the kids out there who want to be writers, 130 00:07:17,639 --> 00:07:21,160 if you start, if you love starting stories but have trouble finishing them, 131 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,879 don't let that discourage you, because that was one hundred percent of me. 132 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:27,560 I would just get excited about the next idea and want to go write 133 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:30,560 that instead. So I had a lot of beginnings with stories, and it 134 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:33,560 wasn't until really after college that I finally made myself sit down and get all 135 00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:38,040 the way to the end of a book to get it published. Well, 136 00:07:38,079 --> 00:07:41,240 you're so right about that too. In the way that I wrote my first 137 00:07:41,279 --> 00:07:44,439 book in the eleventh grade, it was published thirty two years later. So 138 00:07:44,560 --> 00:07:47,600 yeah, don't stop the writing process. It will happen. But you've got 139 00:07:47,639 --> 00:07:51,000 to feed it right, and you've got to like and the more you write, 140 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:54,079 the better you'll get. It's kind of like playing an instrument. So 141 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,519 like, even if you don't finish an entire story, everything that you write 142 00:07:57,560 --> 00:08:00,279 is still really good practice. It's like making you a better writer ali the 143 00:08:00,319 --> 00:08:03,920 way, and hopefully like whatever you do right will inspire something that you can 144 00:08:03,040 --> 00:08:05,639 use later on in a book. Wow. So where can people go to 145 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:09,000 find out more about you? Because they're going to get this book and then 146 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:13,639 they're going to want to have their own journeys and explorations. Well, my 147 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:18,040 website is Twoe books dot com. It's Tui books dot com. I'm also 148 00:08:18,079 --> 00:08:22,079 on Instagram at two ey Sutherland and then the books are available in any local 149 00:08:22,079 --> 00:08:26,560 bookstore. Hopefully do you get to sit down with the young adult readers and 150 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:31,040 to basically to feel their energy and what you're doing. I actually just went 151 00:08:31,079 --> 00:08:33,879 on tour this fall, and it was so much fun because I hadn't been 152 00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:35,840 out on the road in such a long time and finally getting to like see 153 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,440 kids again and get to talk to them about their stories and see that all 154 00:08:39,480 --> 00:08:43,559 their art that they brought me was just incredible and so in awe of like 155 00:08:43,639 --> 00:08:48,159 all of the wonderful imaginations out there. It was a very exciting adventure. 156 00:08:48,399 --> 00:08:50,639 Wow. Well, you've got to come back to this show anytime in the 157 00:08:50,639 --> 00:08:52,440 future. The door is always going to be open for you. Oh, 158 00:08:52,519 --> 00:08:54,960 thank you so much. This was really fun. I appreciate it. Well, 159 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:58,360 you'd be brilliant today. Okay, thank you.