Article contributed by Yakira Goldsberry
In Kara Barbieri’s second novel, Goblin King, Janneke has survived the hunt. But now she must save the world from destruction, even if it means sacrificing everything she’s fought for.
We got to chat with Kara about their inspiration for the Permafrost series, their writing process, and the differences between writing White Stag and Goblin King!
Hi Kara! To start, tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi! I’m a 24 year old author who loves reading horror and fantasy. I have a really wonderful cat named Lady who is the love of my life. I’m lgbtq and non-binary as well as autistic and I’m proud of all of those things. I grew up both in Illinois and in very rural Wisconsin but now I live in Minnesota which is different but I like it. When I’m not writing I love to sing and play the piano.
What was your main inspiration for the Permafrost series?
I’ve always been really fond of Norse and Northern Germanic mythology, so I really wanted to right something that featured that. I got the idea for the Erlking specifically from reading Der Erlkonig by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, it’s a really great poem. I really wanted to also write something with sprawling landscapes that reminded me of the rural woods and forests I grew up in. After the landscape and topic of Norse Mythology came to me, the characters also came to me. Fun fact; Soren and Janneke originally had switched appearances and names. Janneke was named Soren and looked like Soren and vice versa!
What is your writing process like?
Oh boy. So I’m a big night owl so I prefer to write mainly in the evening. I’m usually a bit sleep deprived and can fall asleep at my computer in the middle of writing it. Usually I’m up until around 5 in the morning. Basically, what I try to do is write a few hundred words, take a break, write another few hundred words, until I’m in the zone and can easily pound out another thousand words.
What do you love most about writing?
I really love being able to write new characters and new worlds. I love giving a personality and character to the world I’ve created and I also love creating new and unique characters with their unique skills and struggles.
How was writing Goblin King different from writing White Stag?
Goblin King was a lot harder! The things people say about writing the sequel are very true! I actually had to scrap the entire manuscript and rewrite and replot it so it took a lot longer than it should have. I did finally get into the groove of it near hitting the halfway point but getting started was really hard and I had a lot of anxiety about if it was good enough of a sequel. But I did get it done and ultimately now I’m proud of it and I hope others love it too!
If you could choose to be one race from your books, which would it be?
Hmmmm. Probably a goblin or like Janneke – having magic blood and a Permafrost creature but being physically human. Goblins are probably a bit too violent for me, actually. I’m a very timid person. So, I think I’d be some type of human but I wouldn’t want to be a regular human because their lives can be miserable. Maybe I’d be one of Skadi’s magic wolves!
What can you tell us of any future projects?
I’m planning on starting to serialize a new novel on Wattpad in December called BURN THE WITCH. It’s about a girl with the power over death whose escaped from a dangerous witch school with her partner. When her partner is assassinated, she vows to get revenge even as her powers spiral out of control.
And lastly, what are you currently reading, and you have any recommendations for our readers?
Oh yes! I’m currently reading The Witcher series by Andrzej Sapkowski. It’s a really good fantasy series and such an addicting read. It’s actually become a Netflix show so if you’ve seen it, I definitely recommend reading the books. The first two books are short stories about the world and the third book is the start of the actual series. There’s also three video games based off the books which are incredibly fun and addicting to play. The world they have is so large and detailed and you get to explore so much. It’s really fun. Other than that series I’ve been reading a lot of Junji Ito. He’s a horror mangaka and it’s definitely some stuff not for the faint of heart. His stories and drawings are pretty scary and disturbing but I really love them. They’re not everyone’s cup of tea, though. I’m also reading the manga Parasyte which is a body horror manga. Fantasy and horror are definitely my two favorite genres. Another good book I read is I Am Not a Serial Killer which is about a teenage boy diagnosed as a sociopath who is trying to curb his more darker instincts to solve the murders that are happening in his small town – what’s even better is that the ending is something completely unexpected. You think it’s a straight non-fantasy novel and then BOOM. But I won’t spoil anything else from it.
Thank you so much for having me!
