Building Character with Katora from Elixir Bound

Welcome to my blog feature, Building Character in which you get to meet a character from a book. Talking to a character outside of their book is fun! Huge. Amounts. Of fun. 

This week Strands of Thought is host to Katora from Elixir Bound. Welcome to Strands of Thought, Katora. Tell us a little about yourself and what your life is like.

My name is Katora Kase, third in line of the five Kase siblings, but first in line to take over the family farm. We grow tiny fruit called essenberries, ferment them, and turn them it into essence, a popular but rare beverage in the Greater Peninsula. Each vintage of essences captures the mood of the growing season in a bottle. I love a good adventure, and am about to embark on the biggest one of my life.

Ooo, an adventure! Why and where are you going?

I thought essence was all we produced on the farm, but it turns out that Pop, my father, is the guardian of a secret healing Elixir. He called it the greatest healing Elixir ever available to humans, and then he told me I was next in line to become guardian. Now I must travel into the wilds of Faway Forest to fetch the nectar that gives the Elixir its potency…and decide whether or not I’ll become guardian and bind myself to its magic.

Oh jeez, no pressure! What are some of the biggest stumbling blocks you’ve encountered?

Well, let’s see…there’s Roodesh, the crazy leader of the miniature tilli demick species; Yeselda, the power hungry witch of Faway Forest, who has three terrifying horse-riding spirits as henchmen; Bhar and Kylene, my brother and sister who can’t seem to stay out of trouble. And well, the long-lashed, smooth-lipped Hirsten…but I promise I won’t be feeling his lips on mine again anytime soon. I have a quest to complete; this is not the time to be falling in love.

I’ve found love is like a Muse, always showing up at the most difficult time. Katora, we’d love to get to know you better. Tell us, what is your strongest personality trait?

My ma always tells me I’m stubborn when it comes to everything, but I think I’m only stubborn about the stuff that really matters.

What are your three favorite leisure activities?

I know this sounds kind of corny, but I love hanging out and just being silly with my siblings. We have all kinds of crazy stories about when we were kids and tons of fun games we play. During the warm months, I love swimming in the cool waters of the West Rauor River. Even though working on the farm is technically work, I do love the feel of sun-warmed soil between my fingers and the smell of wet earth in the morning.

If you could change one thing in this world, what would you change?

My world is full of strange creatures and powerful higher beings who don’t always act in the best interest of humans. I would make it so none of these entities could ever hurt my family. I wouldn’t want my family to live in a bubble or anything like that. What fun would that be? More like I’d want us all to be able to enjoy everything the world has to offer without the threat of being badly hurt or killed.

Finally, any words of wisdom to share with our readers?

It’s taken me a long time to follow Pop’s advice. He told me to follow my heart, and when I finally did that, the answers to life’s hardest questions suddenly seemed simple.

Thank you, Katora, for visiting with us. We wish you tons of luck on your adventure. Readers, here is more information on Katora and her story Elixir Bound:

Katora Kase is next in line to take over as guardian to a secret and powerful healing Elixir. Now she must journey into the wilds of Faway Forest to find the ingredient that gives the Elixir its potency. Even though she has her sister and brother, an old family friend, and the handsome son of a mapmaker as companions, she feels alone. For it is her decision alone whether or not to bind herself to the Elixir to serve and protect it until it chooses a new guardian. The forest hosts many dangers, including wicked beings who will stop at nothing to gain power, but the biggest danger Katora may face is whether or not to open up her heart to love.

MuseItUp bookstore: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=456&category_id=6&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1&Itemid=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Elixir-Bound-ebook/dp/B0093CL4OM

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elixir-bound-katie-l-carroll/1113575170?ean=2940045014328

And information on Katora’s author:

Katie L. Carroll began writing after her 16-year-old sister unexpectedly passed away. Writing was a way for Katie to help her sister live on in the pages of a story. It also made her realize that she wanted to pursue writing as a career. In addition to penning novels for teens and kids, she edits novels, plays soccer, and collects signed copies of books. Her books include the YA fantasy Elixir Bound (MuseItUp Publishing) and the picture app The Bedtime Knight (MeeGenius!).

Author website and blog: http://www.katielcarroll.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/katie.carroll.12139

Goodreads page: http://www.goodreads.com/KatieLCarroll

***

If you have a character from a children’s, tween or young adult book that you’d like to see interviewed on Building Character, please contact kaistrand at yahoo dot com.