Guest Blogger YA fantasy novelist Debra K. Dunlap

Please welcome Debra K. Dunlap, whose novel Rubyar on the Mountain is a YA fantasy, a genre I've never tried and believe must be especially challenging. Debra was kind enough to share her thoughts on developing the novel.

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Hello, Anne.  Thank you for the invitation to guest post on your entertaining and informative blog!

In discussing the inspiration for Rubyar on the Mountain, I confess that I did not spend hours struggling with a subject or searching for a storyline.  It simply came to me in its entirety in one flash.  Let me explain.

I live in a rural area in Wyoming.  Because local shopping is limited, I make frequent trips to a nearby town.  During the hour-long drive, rock and roll keeps me entertained.  One day, while driving and jamming to Led Zeppelin, the entire novel just popped into my mind, including the title.  How sweet is that?!

When I began writing my first novel several years ago, I vowed to finish my current work before beginning another.  Thus, these sudden flashes, such as the idea for Rubyar, often fade away before I’m ready to start a new project.  In this case, the opening scene proved so powerful that it remained with me during the time I wrote the second novel in my Magic in the America series.

The setting of the novel names no specific time or place, but I visualized a village in Wales as I wrote.  Since I’ve never visited Wales, I invented everything related to the setting.  However, I did scour the internet for pictures and information about Wales and Welsh names.  The following sites proved useful for names and definitions:

http://www.behindthename.com/names/usage/welsh

http://www.20000-names.com/index.htm

You mentioned that Rubyar contains elements of both realism and fantasy.  It seems to me that while the setting of a novel may be a fantastical or alien world, the inner struggles of a teenager abide.  Why me?  Why must I accept that responsibility?  Why can’t I do as I please? 

While most of us will not face situations as dramatic as Gwenllian’s dilemmas, the underlying choices remain the same.  Rubyar on the Mountain belongs in the fantasy genre, but it is also a coming-of-age story that I hope you will enjoy!

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Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? And what a nice way to have a novel fall from the sky!
You can purchase Rubyar on the Mountain at various locations, including MuseItUp, Amazon, and B&N.
You can visit Debra K. Dunlap at her website.