The Warrior Princess received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author DL Murphy.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The Warrior Princess. January 2019.
What’s the book’s first line?
Settle in my yogi friends and truth seekers.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
The Warrior Princess is a children’s book. It’s a yogi’s tale of facing and overcoming obstacles. On a deeper level, it is about learning about oneself and one’s inner strength, knowing you are valuable and enough, just as you are. There are 46 colorful pages with yoga poses hidden in the illustrations which adds another layer of fun and engagement.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
The inspiration for the book came about like so many ideas do, in bits and pieces, and it took the right situation to make it all come together and gel. I credit three people for inspiring this book. The first person was a preacher who said if you don’t know who you are, the world will tell you. We are all very vulnerable to this pressure, especially children. As children grow, they begin to see what they like and what they good at doing. It’s the first steps in figuring out who they are. The world, especially social media, can have a lot of opinions about that. And, when you feel lost or confused, you tend to listen to what people have to say about you. You’re not yet grounded in who you are. The preacher’s point was that we are all valuable and stamped with the Divine. The whole concept was very powerful, so I wrote it down. I did not have a book in mind.
The second person was a yoga mentor from New York. During a very challenging part of the training, she sensed my wavering confidence and point blank said to me, “you are enough.” It too was pretty powerful. It’s definitely something all children should hear.
A year later in Chicago, I was in another training, this time for teaching children’s yoga and my assignment was to prepare a children’s svasana practice. That is the relaxing part of the practice where you are lying on your mat. In children’s yoga, often times you help them relax by telling them a story, many times in the form of a guided meditation. I had a wonderful instructor who as the kids were lying on their mats, would take them on a magic carpet ride to a special place they would create in their minds. I liked the idea of a journey to somewhere where you could find answers and feel peace. And that idea, along with the idea that each of us is valued and enough, just as we are, became the basis for what would become The Warrior Princess.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character?
Perseverance and courage. She’s after the truth. The world is telling her who she is but she knows that something doesn’t feel right and she pushes on.
Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
I would like to think that the Warrior Princess portrays some of characteristics of Malala Yousafzai. Yousafzai inspires us with her courage and perseverance in not accepting what others had determined for her. She would not be told who she was and what her lot in life was going to be.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
The main reason is for the enjoyment of reading to your child and sharing with them such a positive message. Aside from that, the fun challenge of finding all 51 hidden images with your child or before your child does!
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
I could see the book as an animated movie, so the voices would be very important. Maybe Stephen Fry as the fox. The lion character would have to have a big voice, like that of Morgan Freeman or James Earl Jones. Perhaps Kristen Bell or Zendaya as the Warrior Princess.
Is this the first you’ve written?
No, The Warrior Princess is our first published book. The first manuscript I’ve written is going to be the second book.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
We live on a farm, so there’s always things to do or something needing care. I also practice and teach yoga. Currently, I’m working on the illustrations for the second book.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
It’s hard to say. Most of my writing is inspired by things around me, something someone says or something I’ve read. I quickly jot it down with the intention of coming back to it later to try to make something of it. Occasionally an entire story comes to me, but it still has to be refined. I don’t sit down and try to come up with something from scratch. I look through the tidbits of inspiration I’ve gathered and see where that leads.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best part is being able to call the shots so what you have in mind is what comes out as the final product. The tough part is getting your work in front of a wider audience, learning how to do everything yourself, like marketing and publicity.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
If the right situation came along, I would consider it. It would be very different and I’d imagine tough because I’m used to artistic control. However, in giving up some of that control, I would hope for some great trade offs. It could be an opportunity to work with some very talented people that can take a project to a higher level than I can currently achieve through their focus on areas where they have more
experience and expertise.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
The biggest thing that motivates me is creating children’s books that children (and their parents) enjoy and that has a positive impact on their lives. It’s very important to me that the book has captivating imagery and a great message.