Elior: Prince of Fae received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Joshuan Rivera Jiménez.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Elior: Prince of Fae was published on March 11, 2021.
What’s the book’s first line?
“I wake up on the ground. Some kids in the park think I’m dead, so they come over to marvel at the dead guy with pink hair.”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Elior of Lempara, the crown prince of fae folk, wakes on the ground and realizes he’s in the human realm — and has no idea how he got there. He needs a portal home, but where is it? For the time being, it looks like Elior is stuck in Brooklyn. When mercenaries come after him, the prince becomes entangled with an unsuspecting changeling. Elior and Alex put their heads together to find a portal back to the fae realm and evade the dangerous trio hunting them. However, it’s difficult navigating an unfamiliar world where Elior does not belong. He seeks a human with knowledge of the supernatural, and despite Elior’s protests over dark magic, the pair settle for a witch. Before he finds the portal back, Elior must decide: is he the person he was before losing his memory, or has the human realm changed him into someone else?
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
There are moments in life when you have to look in the mirror and confront who you think you are with your actions. When I first moved to the U.S. I spent almost a year without going back home. My lifestyle completely changed and I was making decisions that could have been considered out of character. When the time came to go back home to visit I felt like a fraud, like I wasn’t the person who left in the first place. I had to accept the change — and so does Elior. This book was inspired, not based, on that uncomfortable feeling.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I think most people are hesitant to change — I know I am — which is very interesting to me because change is the only constant in life. Hopefully, when someone reads Elior’s story they can relate to some part of it, serve for some introspection, or see how not all change is daunting. It’s also just a fun, fast-paced read.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Elior is in the process of learning about himself without knowing it, so his discomfort often manifests itself as judgment of other people — or his pink hair. At his best, Elior reminds me of Lito from “Sense8,” Ginny from “Harry Potter,” or Mirabella from “Three Dark Crowns.”
If they made your book into a movie, who would you like to see play the main character(s)?
Elior would definitely be played by Justin Baldoni, Alex (in the form that she meets Elior) would be played by Gillian Jacobs, and Tenneh would be played by Ryan Destiny.
When did you first decide to become an author?
I’ve been writing stories since I was a child. The characters of Elior, Alex, and Tenneh have been in my head for years. I had tried placing them in different situations but it never clicked. In 2019, I was writing a different manuscript but along the way I got discouraged. After a few months of not writing everything clicked with Elior and I knew his story.
Is this the first book you’ve written?
This is the first novel I’ve finished, yes! In the process of editing and getting it published I completed a second manuscript, which is still crazy to me.
What do you do for work when you’re not writing?
I’m a journalist so when I’m not writing fiction, I’m writing or editing news stories.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
I’m very much a creature of habit, so I set aside an hour every day to write or work on writing-related projects. Some days I’m not inspired to write but I still sit down and place a timer. Even if I only write three sentences, I consider that a win.
What’s the best and the hardest part of being an indie?
The best and worst parts about indie publishing are the same thing: learning a plethora of new skills. From copywriting advertisements to segmentation, to media relations, to copyrights, it’s definitely a lot to take in but it is so rewarding to walk away knowing that you could handle it all.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Learn from my mistake and find a mentor who has published in your genre. There are a lot of small nuggets of knowledge, like what to outsource or where to invest your budget, that come from the experience of having gone through the process. Having a soundboard and a guiding hand will save you a lot of trouble and money.
Would you go traditional if a publisher came calling? If so, why?
Yes, I would go with traditional publishing. I’m enjoying learning about the publishing industry as a whole so I would love to have that experience and be able to compare with indie publishing. There are definitely projects, like “Elior: Prince of Fae,” that I want to know are fully mine and there are others where I wouldn’t mind working with others.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I love telling stories and sharing them. I’m fortunate enough to work as a journalist for a living, so now my main motivation is establishing myself as an author.
Which writer, living or dead, do you most admire?
This is a tough one so I’m going to cheat and mention to writers I greatly admire: Erin Morgenstern (“The Night Circus” and “The Starless Sea”), her prose is tremendously beautiful, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag” and “Killing Eve”), the way she can show so much depth within characters with just a few lines of dialogue is brilliant.
Which book do you wish you could have written?
Either “The Starless Sea” by Erin Morgenstern or “Three Dark Crowns” by Kendare Blake. Both are joyous and entertaining reads.