Author Interview with Sarah Beth Durst

To celebrate today's release of Enchanted Ivy, we invited Sarah Beth Durst to talk a little bit about her book.

What inspired you to use an Ivy League College, Princeton University for your setting?

I love Princeton. I went to college there, and I think it's a magical place. For one thing, it looks magic: you enter the campus through this arch of elm trees and you cross over a lake, and then you're in this labyrinth of twisty modern buildings and majestic gothic structures draped in ivy and wisteria...

For another, Princeton had a profound impact on who I am. Between the things I did, the friends I made, the classes I took... it shaped me. So it's a place that looms large in both my memory and imagination.

Also, it has gargoyles.

What can you tell us about your main character Lily?

Lily is smart, stubborn, and 100% devoted to her family. She thinks she's ordinary, but she has this resilient spirit that I love. She's persistent even in the face of impossible odds.

She also has a dream: she desperately wants to get into Princeton. She doesn't know that her dream comes with hidden nightmares.

If you could describe Enchanted Ivy in three words, what would they be?

Magic at Princeton.

Which of these mythologic creature gargoyles, were-tigers, and dragons, was the most fun to write?

Oh, how to choose!? That's like asking what's the most fun to eat: cheesecake, chocolate cake, or apple pie. I think I had the most fun with the dragon gargoyle because... well, DRAGON GARGOYLE. Seriously, how could that not be awesome to write about?

But I also loved writing about my were-tiger guy. Think I developed a bit of a crush on him.

What inspired you to write Enchanted Ivy?

Junior year of high school, I was obsessed with getting into college. It was all I talked about, all I thought about, pretty much all I cared about. College seemed to be this massive turning point in one's life. I knew it would shape who I became and what I did with the rest of my life. So I was utterly consumed with the pressure of making the "right" choice.

This novel grew out of that anxious and exciting time.

If you could spend the day with one of your favorite fictional characters, who would it be and why?

I'd choose the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella, but only if she'll let me use her magic wand. Always wanted a magic wand. Honestly, I think that's why I became a writer. When you write, you are trying to cast a spell. Just with a laptop instead of a sparkly stick.

Thank you so much for interviewing me!

Congratulations on Enchanted Ivy's release Sarah and thank you so much joining us today! You can find out more about Enchanted Ivy here http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/EnchantedIvy.htm and Click here to read the first chapter.

To find out more about Sarah's writing visit her site here http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/.