We chat with author Erika Lewis about Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu, which is the second book in this magical series infused with Celtic mythology.
Hi Erika! The sequel to Kelcie Murphy and the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts is out on July 25! The title is Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu—can you please explain a little about what the Heart of Danu means?
Oh, you’ve asked the perfect question to take me down my nerd rabbit hole of Celtic Mythology. Specifically Irish mythology in this case. Danu was the mother goddess, who spawned an entire supernatural race named for her, the Tuatha de Danann which means the people or children of the goddess Danu. She was devoted to her people, nurturing and kind, a teacher of knowledge, imparting wisdom.
In the world of Kelcie Murphy, the decedents of the Tuatha de Danann are in the Lands of Summer and the Lands of Winter. A slight spoiler in book 2. Many millennia ago, Danu gifted her Heart to save her people from the kind of death that happens when a sun dies. The Heart of Danu is the source of all warmth in the Lands of Summer. Without it, the entire kingdom’s days are numbered.
What aspects of your series do young readers most often respond to? What do they love, and maybe love to hate?
Young readers are no different than older readers, in that: they love characters that feel real, gripping action, laugh out loud humor, and of course, crushes. Who doesn’t love a good crush?
In the Kelcie Murphy and the Hunt for the Heart of Danu, the action-packed plot ramps up another notch, adding espionage to the intrigue…because who would make a better spy for Winter, but someone of testing age for the Academy for the Unbreakable Arts? Thus begins Kelcie readers deep dive introduction to the Lands of Winter. The powers in Winter at their training academy, Braverwil, are all different (changelings, ice fairies, saber-toothed tiger shifters) except for the Saiga elementals. There’s a hint in that last sentence…
What else can I tell you? Taps fingers…Niall’s and Kelcie’s best friend-to-crush rollercoaster ride continues in Book 2 with a massive falling out. And there’s a dreaded BALL! Will they get back together, or won’t they? I’ll never tell.
That’s if they survive at all…with a reappearance of Kelcie’s and Brona’s to deliver a death omen, life this year at the Academy and in the Otherworld is going to be very, very dangerous.
When you began writing about your heroine Kelcie Murphy, did you envision the story as being told over several books? How did you plan out the arc of what would happen?
I always envision Kelcie’s story as a series. I went back and forth with my editor to decide if it would be three or four, but three felt right. Combined, it follows both the three-act structure and Kelcie’s evolution in these foreign lands perfectly. In The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts, Kelcie figures out who she is, and how she came to be in the human world, but even at the end, isn’t sure how and where, besides school, she fits in to the Lands of Summer. In The Hunt for the Heart of Danu, Kelcie spends time with her own Fomorian clan, learning their culture and customs, seeing her grandmother. She finds a touchstone that binds her to the Lands of Summer. In the book 3…oh, wait…can’t tell you about that yet, but I suppose I can say that in the last book Kelcie understands why her mother took her out of the Otherworld, to help build a bridge between Summer and Winter, that will hopefully end with peace.
What are some of the challenges in writing the “middle book” in a series? When does book three come out, and can you share the title?
The middle book is SO hard. I had originally thought I’d write these books only from Kelcie’s perspective but to tell the complete story, Book 2 had to have POVs from both Summer and Winter. There are different sides to wars. That said, I wrote the whole first draft in only Kelcie’s POV. And then had to rewrite it. But I’m so psyched for readers to meet Lexis.
Book 3 is due to my editor in July and I’m deep in the draft now. It does have a title, but I probably have to wait for them to approve it to tell you. L Sorry! I haven’t been given a date but if I had to guess it would be in 2024.
