In a gritty medieval world where the ruling houses are based on the constellations, betrayal, intrigue, and a king’s murder force the royal sisters of the Bear House on the run!
We chat with author Meaghan McIsaac about her latest book release The Bear House, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Meaghan! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a book and movie geek who loves magic and monsters. I like to fill notebooks with stories and I like drawing too. I’m a mom to two small kiddos, one grumpy beagle and one smiley black lab.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Pretty much always! It probably started with playing out adventures for myself in the backyard as a little kid, and then eventually I just started writing them down.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
- Reading by myself? My folks were ALWAYS reading to me, but the first book I can really remember reading all by myself was Bruce Coville’s Into the Land of the Unicorns!
- Also Into the Land of the Unicorns. The main character had a glowing purple necklace and I just couldn’t get enough. So I had to write more adventures with glowing necklaces and magic.
- Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver. The writing is so gorgeous, I learn something new each time I read it.
Your novel The Bear House is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
I’ll use three! Bears. Brats. And revenge.
What can readers expect?
Star magic, all kinds of fantastical creatures – not just war bears – and a whole lot of danger and deceit.
Where did the inspiration for The Bear House come from?
Honestly, it’s hard to remember how it all started because I started writing this in….ewf, 2014? And it’s changed SO much since then. But it all started with a scene that was in my head. Two fancy girls bored to tears in a giant manor house – they hear screaming and when they look out the window they see their sister being chased by an incredibly massive grizzly type bear, and just before the bear gets to her, he stops, and rolls in the grass like a happy pup. That’s it. Just an idea for a scene. And from there I had to ask, who are these girls? Why are they so bored? What’s up with the bear? Why is it so big? And the story built up from there! I love when a story idea starts from a random scene – whether a dream, a day dream, people interacting around me – it lets me become a bit like a detective, investigating how these characters came to be in this place and time, and where they are going to go next.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
I had two babies while writing this! So, there’s a lot of challenges there haha.
But the biggest challenge was probably keeping track of all the moving parts. The cast is so big, and they all have their own specific motivations for everything they do. So what one character does, it affects the ultimate goals of another. And sometimes I’d lose sight of how a major plot point would impact one of them because I was focused on so many others. When that would happen, a lot of times, I just had to not be afraid to throw a bunch of pages out and start a scene/chapter/section again!
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I have a really soft place in my heart for Bernadine. The other characters have each other, but Bernadine really has to navigate this terrible situation alone. So, writing her scenes were always a special investment of my heart because I felt so much for her.
As for moments – Quintin’s first flight with Umbra was a pretty fun one to imagine. Who doesnt want to fly on a dragon?!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Worst – Write everyday. Its just a bit too much pressure.
Best – “Writer’s don’t have time to erase”. My grade four teacher saw me erasing something and she said “just do this” and crossed it out. I was shocked – before then we’d been taught not to scribble because it made the page messy. But she said a writer doesnt have time to erase. Just cross it out and keep going. And it stuck with me because she taught me that when I am writing, its totally ok to make a mess.
What’s next for you?
I am working on another Highen story, chronicling what comes next for Aster! After that…who knows?! My secret dream is to make graphic novel one day.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I recently finished Into the Drowning Deep by Seanan McGuire – killer mermaids in the Mariana Trench. It was amazing.
