✍The First Page & Interview: LAUREL'S MARVELOUS KINGDOM by Monique Roy

 

LAUREL'S MARVELOUS KINGDOM

by Monique Roy

When the wicked witch of the land snatches up Princess Astrid, her sister, Princess Laurel, realizes it will take more than her plant-growing superpowers to rescue her. With the help of a handsome prince, Laurel rides deep into the dark forest in search of the witch’s den.

To her horror, Laurel discovers that Astrid is jealous of her superpowers, and has teamed up with the witch to weaken Laurel’s powers. Now, Laurel must convince Astrid to abandon her evil ways and return to goodness — before the witch and Astrid shed harm onto the kingdom.

This fairy tale story will enliven the imagination of children with a little witchy fun in between. The story teaches children about what makes us unique, appreciating your special characteristics, and doing what you love.

 

 

A young, beautiful princess named Laurel lived in a marvelous kingdom where steep, gray mountains touched the clouds and a long, zigzagging river flowed around forests. She was more than a pretty princess who dwelled in a giant castle. Laurel possessed a magical power—with a single touch of her hand or a single tear from her eyes, she could make trees grow, flowers blossom, and plants flourish. Her name signified the beauty all the trees, plants, and flowers gave to the Earth. She was greatly admired by all, except a few who were jealous and evil.

 

 

Welcome to the blog! The first page is perhaps one of the most important pages in the whole book. It’s what draws the reader into the story. Why did you choose to begin your book this way?

I began the book in this way to set up the background, establish the setting, identify the main character, and describe who she is and anything unique about her. The first page also sets up the tone and voice of the story.

In the course of writing your book, how many times would you say that first page changed and for what reasons?

It changed two or three times to make the story more captivating from the start, build curiosity, and create an enticing opening scene.

Was there ever a time after the book was published that you wished you had changed something on the first page?

Not really. I was happy with it after revisions and editing.

What advice can you give to aspiring authors to stress how important the first page is?

The first page of the book draws in the reader and compels them to read further. Is the first page intriguing? Does it bring some curiosity to the reader and adds questions to their mind? Does it establish the setting, introduce compelling characters, and create some sort of emotion?

When you draft the first page of your story, you should ask yourself these types of questions. 

 

Monique Roy’s passion for writing began as a young girl while penning stories in a journal. Now she looks forward to deepening her passion by creating many unique stories that do nothing less than intrigue her readers.

Monique holds a degree in journalism from Southern Methodist University in Dallas and is the author of a middle-grade book Once Upon a Time in Venice, historical fiction novel Across Great Divides, historical fiction novel A Savage Kultur, and children’s book Laurel’s Marvelous Kingdom.

Monique was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and her grandparents were European Jews who fled their home as Hitler rose to power. It’s their story that inspired her to write Across Great Divides, her first historical novel.

Historical fiction lets you escape to another time and place; and Monique likes to explore the past so that we can potentially better understand the future.

Monique resides in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and son. She also works as a freelance writer.

For More Information

• Visit Monique Roy's website.
• Connect with Monique on Twitter.
• Pick up your copy of Laurel's Marvelous Kingdom at Amazon.