Posts Tagged #authorinterview

What would you do if you were told at five years old that your destiny was to save the world? 13-year old Kyta has been wrestling with that question for a long time, but now he finally sees an opportunity to fulfill that destiny. But it may involve a lot more complications—and a lot more cooperation—than he bargained for.

Mythspeaker, the debut middle grade novel from Christopher Roubique, arrived in bookstores yesterday! Publishers Weekly called it “a rousing action-packed adventure” in their starred review. Please join me in welcoming author Christopher Roubique to From the Mixed-Up Files.

Interview with Debut Middle Grade Author Christopher Roubique

Katie: Christopher, thank you so much for joining us at From the Mixed-Up Files to chat about your debut middle grade book, Mythspeaker. It’s always a delight to chat with a fellow Wisconsinite!

First question, if you were at a school visit with a roomful of upper elementary kids, what would be your quick elevator pitch for why they should read this story?

Christopher: Hi Katie! Absolutely a pleasure to be here and with a Wisconsin neighbor no less!

As far as a quick elevator pitch just for kids:

Imagine that back when you were five years old, a living myth—a being as old as time itself—came to you and said you would have to save the world someday. That’s exactly what happened to Kyta. His whole childhood, he’s been stressing. Alone. Searching for a destiny he can’t predict. But now that he’s 13, it’s happening. Invaders have stolen the egg of the huge World Turtle he and all the tribes live on. So he’s going to steal it back. He has to before the turtle falls from the sky in grief.

There’s just one problem: he can’t do it alone. So Kyta has to make a team of other kids—misfits like him—and somehow lead them on the heist of a lifetime, past monsters and men, to save everyone. No pressure.

 

Katie: Kyta is such an interesting character, given the heavy weight of the prophecy he received when he was only five, and his desire to serve his community. Does Kyta have much in common with you as a kid? If not, where did you find inspiration for their personality?

Christopher: He absolutely does. As far back as I can remember, people called me special. It’s nice, in a way, but “special” is also really hard to carry as a kid. What exactly does special mean? Sometimes, it felt like adults really wanted me to save the world—to be or become something big and impressive and powerful that I had no idea how to be. I have this vivid memory of one of my elementary teachers telling my mom that I would be president one day. They were dead serious. And I remember thinking, “Oh no, I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know if I can do that.”

That feeling—that old burden—became a core part of Kyta. I loved the idea of telling a story where we get to honestly see how the “destined hero” actually feels. How he grapples with living up to something so much bigger than him. And I’m incredibly gratified that people seem to click with it. Most people—kids especially—have had that moment where they suddenly feel entirely out of their depth. I’m glad Kyta’s journey can be there for them because the answer he finds is the same answer I did: you don’t have to do it alone. (Also, I have no plans of becoming president. Sorry, Mr. K!)

 

Katie: Teachers often tell students to “Write what you know?” You mention in your opening author’s note that you created the culture and mythology of your story yourself. How have you been able to use “what you know” and your own life experiences to write creative fantasy?

Christopher: I love this question for a fantasy book because it’s complicated! How can any fantasy author be writing “what they know” when we’re out here describing fantastical creatures and ancient magics and worlds that have never been? But the answer is simple: for all their amazing trappings, even the most fantastic story is still about us. People. What connects us and allows us to live and learn and grow. Or what divides us and gets in our way. Sure, Kyta lives on a giant flying turtle and his best friend is a large hare made of branches and brambles older than dirt. But he’s also a kid determined to do something important and afraid he’ll mess it up. He’s excited and cocky and anxious. No matter what I’m writing, I always try to keep those very real feelings in mind because they’re what make even the most outlandish fantasies meaningful.

More specifically to the culture and mythology of Mythspeaker, I’ve always been fascinated with Indigenous American mythology as an exploration of my own heritage. There’s such beauty to how the tribes that have long called this continent home understood and explained the world around them. How some still do. Inspired by the spirit of those myths, the grandeur and wonder of them—I created something new that celebrates this piece of myself I adore.

 

Katie: Since this is your first middle grade novel, can you tell us a little about your path to publication? What led you to write for kids?

Christopher: Sure! Even though I’ve been writing for almost my entire life, I actually didn’t start writing books until just after college. I was a poet. Didn’t even think I could write a book. But my first job after graduating was so boring that I started writing an adult fantasy novel bit by bit on used fax cover sheets (which may be the oldest-sounding thing I’ve ever said). I tried querying that novel, and no agent wanted to read it.

That was 13 or 14 years ago.

Between then and finally landing my agent, Melanie Figueroa, I wrote six other books including a few middle grade novels. I started getting full requests from agents, but though I was often told my work was beautiful . . . none of them wanted to represent me. In the end, after querying for more than 8 years across 7 manuscripts and 200+ rejections, Melanie offered to represent me. She’d read 2 of my books and though she didn’t feel they would sell to a publisher, she couldn’t get my writing style and voice out of her head. So she took a leap of faith, choosing to believe in me and my potential. And I will always be grateful.

I wrote two more books—one of them middle grade—before everything finally clicked. The thing I’d been missing was a “high concept;” one of those terms that gets thrown around a lot in publishing but always felt arcane to me. The moment I finally cracked how to make a high concept, everything changed. The very first one I thought of was a high fantasy heist that I fused with my desire to write an Indigenous fantasy novel, which became Mythspeaker!

As for what led me to writing for kids, that’s easy. Pretty much all my favorite books ARE kids books. I firmly believe the books we read as kids, especially that middle grade range, are the most important books we ever read. I love writing middle grade books. And even though I’m working on some young adult and adult novels, too, I don’t intend to ever leave middle grade behind.

 

Katie: What advice would you give to fledgling MG authors?

Christopher: Don’t write to get famous or make money or be successful; that’s not really how this journey goes. Write stories that bring you joy. Stories that satisfy you. Learn from your mistakes and from the lessons others share. Ask other authors! Find your community. But the biggest thing to writing books—and getting into publishing, if that’s what you want to do—is perseverance. Don’t give up. Even when it’s hard. Grit and determination make an unbelievable difference. And when you pair grit with a willingness to learn, you can do a lot.

(But seriously, write things you would love to read. Writing a book is hard enough without trying to write something you don’t even enjoy.)

 

Katie: What are some of your favorite middle grade books or series?

Christopher: How much time do you have? My all-time favorite middle grade series is Broken Sky by Chris Wooding. I got the first book from a Scholastic book order in 5th grade and it made me want to write fantasy. I still have that copy on a shelf right next to me. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia (especially The Magician’s Nephew) by C.S. Lewis, Red Bird Danced by Dawn Quigley, the Wilderlore series by Amanda Foody, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, and (this might be cheating) anything related to Gravity Falls by Alex Hirsch.

*takes deep breath* Okay, I’ll stop now.

 

Katie: Great list! The Girl who Drank the Moon remains one of my all-time favorites. Is there anything else that you would like readers to know about the book or about your upcoming projects?

Christopher: As far as Mythspeaker, this book is a love letter to the kid I was. It’s wondrous and whimsical, funny and exciting. I hope it reaches other kids out there looking for the same things I was, whether that’s an Indigenous fantasy or misfits finding where they belong or just really big, cool monsters. Mythspeaker has all that covered in spades.

And as for other projects, well, I can’t get into specifics, but let’s just say that this won’t be the last middle grade fantasy you see from me. In fact, if I have it my way, you’ll be seeing more from me for a long time!

 

No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round so …

Best jewel for a jewel horse?

White opal. That prism sheen in sunlight is too pretty. Garnet is second place.

Favorite fictional character you would include if planning a heist?

If I want it to go well, Joker from Persona 5. If I want it to go well but also completely off the rails, Gandalf.

Dream job when you were a kid?

Briefly archaeologist. Then writer all the way.

Superpower?

Controlling electricity.

 

Katie: Finally, where can readers find you if they want to reach out?

I’m on Bluesky and X as @Dreamertide.

You can also find me on my website: christopherroubique.com

 

Official bio for Christopher Roubique

Christopher Roubique grew up in rural Wisconsin and filled his time—and his heart—with the joys of fantasy and science fiction. His own books leap from those same joys, folding in his Cajun and Indigenous heritage, passion for mental health, and plenty of fantastical creatures. He still lives in Wisconsin and has squeezed his wife and daughter beside all those stories in his heart too.

Do your students love fantasy and mythology? Have they plowed through every Percy Jackson book and Rick Riordan Presents? Look no further than the newest Greek-myth-inspired The Aftermyth by best-selling author Tracy Wolff!

Penelope Wolff is pumped to follow her family tradition of attending Anaximander’s Academy. But when even arriving on time proves to be a challenge, she soon discovers that nothing is going to plan. And Penelope has always relied on having a plan. This fast-paced Greek-mythology-fueled romp has it all: fantasy adventures, magical group competitions, and an all-you-can-eat Candy Room!

Please join me in welcoming Tracy to From the Mixed-Up Files to discuss her book, inspiration, and transition from a YA superstar to rising middle grade phenom!

Interview with author Tracy Wolff

Katie: Tracy, thank you so much for swinging by From the Mixed-Up Files to chat about your *80th* book yet first middle grade novel. Wow! We are delighted to have you join the fun that is writing for middle grade readers.

First question, if you were at a school visit with a roomful of upper elementary kids, what would be your quick elevator pitch for why they should read Penelope’s story?

Tracy: Oh, that’s such a fun question! First of all, I have to say thank you so much for having me. I’m a big fan of the site and am thrilled to be here talking about The Aftermyth.

As for the elevator pitch, I think something like this might work: Penelope Weaver has spent her life dreaming of being old enough to go to the mystical, magical Anaximander’s Academy and join Athena Hall, just like her parents and grandparents before her. But from the second she sets foot on school grounds, nothing goes as it’s supposed to. She’s assigned to the “wrong” hall, the muse who is supposed to guide her is sleep deprived and even more confused than Penelope is, the labors she has to perform before graduation are truly bizarre, and the school grounds keep shifting beneath her feet at the worst possible moments. Plus there are snakes—so many snakes—and a vulture named Agatha who has a penchant for swooping down and picking up wayward students whenever she feels like it.

Katie: Penelope is such an interesting character, particularly in the contrast between who she thinks she is supposed to be and who she is in the process of discovering herself to be. Does Penelope have much in common with you as a kid? If not, where did you find inspiration for her personality?

Tracy: There are parts of me in Penelope, of course. I think most writers can’t help but put parts of themselves in their main characters, and I’m no exception. But the main inspiration for Penelope’s personality is my college roommate and best friend, while there is a ton of me in Penelope’s roommate and best friend, Fifi. In fact, one of the many reasons writing The Aftermyth was so much fun is I got to see myself, and the beginning of our friendship, through my bestie’s eyes. What’s even better is that, as soon as my best friend started reading, she recognized us, and our friendship dynamic, as well. 😊

Katie: Oh, I love that! Next up, what is your favorite Greek myth book? I’m a D’Aularies’ girl myself, but my newest favorite is She Speaks by Honor Cargill-Martin. Why were these the stories you chose to set the foundations for Anaximander’s Academy?

Tracy: Oh, wow! I’ve never heard of that book, but now that I’ve looked it up, I’m dying to read it. I, too, am a D’Aularies girl because they make the myths so interesting and engaging for all ages. But just this past weekend I found a book called Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes. I haven’t started reading it yet, but I have a feeling once I do, it’s going to become a favorite. Having just looked up your favorite, She Speaks, I find it telling that Cargill-Martin, Haynes, and I all focus on many of the same women in Greek Mythology. I can’t speak for either of them, but I know that these myths are incredibly compelling to me because they tell stories of women who are vilified by Greek writers (most of whom were men), and blamed for things that are far outside their control.

In The Aftermyth, I take on the Pandora’s box myth because it is a myth that has always infuriated me. Pandora was created by two male gods—Zeus and Hephaestus—to punish two male titans—Prometheus and Epimetheus. Zeus had all the gods give Pandora gifts to make her attractive to the titans, cursed her with unending curiosity, gave her a jar filled with all kinds of evil, then told her not to open it. Yet, somehow, she’s the one who gets blamed for releasing all the bad things into the world? It’s absurd and completely unfair. The Aftermyth is my attempt to right (and write) old wrongs, to tell herstory instead of history, and maybe change the way people think of these myths and the women they portray. And it’s not just Pandora—it’s Echo and Andromeda, Medea and Jocasta, Persephone and Meghara, Penelope and Helen… the list goes on and on. And don’t even get me started on poor Medusa …

Katie: Since this is your first middle grade novel, can you tell us a little about your writing journey? What was it about this story that made you want to write for a middle grade audience?

Tracy: I have wanted to write a middle grade novel forever, partly because I love reading middle grade novels—I’ve read hundreds of them with my boys as they were growing up—and partly because it is an age that always confounded me as an English teacher. When kids first go to school and learn to read, story time is one of their favorite times of the day. Yet by the time I got them in high school and college, many of those same students hated reading. I always wondered why that was—what happens during the middle grade years to turn so many kids against reading so completely? The Aftermyth is my small attempt to grab some of those readers before they learn to hate reading and show them just how fun story time can be, even when there are so many other things claiming their attention. I’m really lucky to be able to partner with Simon and Schuster in this quest, as they are just as passionate as I am about turning kids into lifelong readers.

The Aftermyth series starts when Penelope and her friends are thirteen, but it will follow them through their six years at Anaximander’s Academy, growing as they grow. For me, there’s something so exciting about being able to tell the story of Penelope, Fifi, Arjun, Paris, Sullivan, and Kyrian as they experience their first taste of independence in book one and then continue their journey until they come of age in the last book in the series. It’s both an honor and a responsibility to tackle all the issues that come with growing up, and I take it very seriously even as my goal is to make the journey as joyous and interesting and thought-provoking for my readers as I can.

Katie: What advice would you give to fledgling middle grade authors or those thinking of making the switch to middle grade?

Tracy: Oh, I don’t know if I’m the one you should be asking this question of, as my first middle grade book has just come out! I will say that middle grade is such an incredible age to write for. The stories are so much fun to tell and the characters are a joy. The only advice I have is don’t be afraid of trying something new. As long as they respect the middle grade space and its readers, they should jump in with both feet.

Katie: What are some of your favorite middle grade books or series?

Tracy: Oh, there are too many to name, honestly. Right now, I’m a massive fan of The Swifts by Beth Lincoln. It’s funny and charming and so whimsical it’s impossible not to fall in love with it. Other series I adore include Amy Kim’s The Rema Chronicles, The False Prince series by Jennifer A. Nielsen, the Percy Jackson books (obviously) by Rick Riordan, the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, James Ponti’s City Spies, and Tom Angleberger’s Origami Yoda series. There are more, but we’ll be here all day if I list them all!

Katie: Great list! My fifth graders definitely agree with all those choices. Is there anything else that you would like readers to know about Penelope or about your upcoming projects? (My fifth graders noticed the “book one” on the cover…)

Tracy: Oh, yes, there are definitely more books to come in the series. I can’t give out the myth book two will deal with yet, but I can say it was definitely mentioned in my answer to your third question …

As for what I want people to know about Penelope, I guess I have to go with my favorite thing about her—Penelope’s a fighter. Even when things are going bad all around her, she keeps pushing, keeps going, keeps doing what she knows is right because she believes something better for her friends, her school, and herself is right around the corner. It’s an important lesson, and one I think we all could use reminding of from time to time.

Katie: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round so …

Lightning Round!

Katie: Aphrodite, Athena, Hades, Poseidon, or Zeus Hall?

Tracy: For me? I’m Aphrodite all the way. For your readers? My publisher has actually put up a super fun quiz that will tell you which Hall you belong in. You can check it out here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/p/aftermyth-quiz . I totally want to know which hall you get!!!

Katie: The former archaeologist in me is not surprised to see I’m an Athena, ha. 

Best candy in the Candy Room?

Tracy: Anything sour

Katie: Dream job when you were a kid?

Tracy: Honestly? A writer. Or, sometimes, a make-up artist. But always a writer.

Katie: Superpower?

Tracy: Telekinesis or flight, preferably both.

Katie: Finally, where can readers find you if they want to reach out?

Tracy: They can email me on my website, tracywolffauthor.com. But they can also find me on IG at tracywolffbooks or at my Facebook group, the Wolff Pack.

Katie: Thanks so much, Tracy! The Aftermyth publishes tomorrow, Feb. 3rd, 2026. Order early for those gorgeous sprayed edges, and find out if you would have the courage to rewrite the stories of the past—or to rewrite your own story.

Tracy: Thanks so much for having me! It’s been so much fun!

Official bio for Tracy Wolff

Tracy Wolff is the #1 New York Times, #1 internationally, #1 Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY bestselling author of the Crave series as well as many other novels. A lover of mythology, vampires, and getting lost in a great book, she’s spent her whole life asking “what if” and “what happens next”—questions being a writer has helped her answer again and again. At six, she wrote her first short story—something with a rainbow, a unicorn, and a shapeshifting prince—and at seven, she forayed into the wonderful world of middle grade literature with her first Judy Blume novel. A one-time English professor, she now devotes all her time to writing fun, action-packed, romantic stories with fantastical worlds and characters who leap off the page. She has written all her seventy-plus novels from her home in Austin, Texas, which she shares with her partner, her sons, and their three adorable dogs.