Interview with Miri Castor, author of the Opal Charm series!

The Path to Dawn by Miri Castor (Opal Charm #1)
Released February 28 2016
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The lively suburb of Dewdrop is home to many junior high school students, but none like Opal Charm. She struggles with life at home and doesn’t have much of a life at school without any friends – until she befriends the new girl, Hope. Opal finds herself changing in extraordinary ways as she delves into the enigmatic life of Hope, the new girl’s lies and truths blurring together. Opal stumbles across a world separate from Earth, a world she never would have thought existed. She discovers that she has a Gift, a power that can make her stronger than she ever imagined if she can distinguish the lies between the truths. When Dewdrop is threatened, Opal has to use her power to save not only her world, but the new one and its inhabitants before Opal succumbs to lies and finds herself falling from the Path to Dawn. The Path to Dawn is a coming-of-age story geared towards young adults. It is a story that should make one question the power of truth and lies.

About the Author

Miri Castor is the author of the Opal Charm series. She spent many recesses in middle school writing fantasy stories, The Path to Dawn being one of many. She has written for Black Girl Magic Literary Magazine and was featured as a Spotlight New Author in January 2016.

She attends graduate school on the East Coast and aims to receive her PhD in biochemistry. Meanwhile, Miri is working on her second novel and more urban fantasy series for the future. When she’s not being an introverted bookworm or purifying proteins, she plays video games, attends music concerts, and takes stroll through the City. Find out more on her website.

The Interview

1. Describe your book using any 5 words.

Black. Golden. Gift. Hope. Truth.

2. Opal Charm: The Path to Dawn is the first in the series. What is next for Opal?

Hope in Nautical Dusk is Book 2 for Opal Charm next year! Opal will be fighting to protect the friendships she rekindled while exploring more of the alternate world of Athre. She’ll focus on getting stronger, becoming wiser with her Gift of Twilight, and understanding people more.  Opal will also establish her bisexuality, which was something she never thought about until she understood her Gift of Twilight.

3. Is there any advice you’d give to aspiring writers?

It’s okay to not write everyday. I wrote The Path to Dawn on and off for the past 8 years. My writing time was sporadic and somewhat spur of the moment, and still is. Take your time, and don’t rush your creativity for a quota. You write stories for yourself, first and foremost.

4. What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or plotter?

I’m definitely a plotter. After finishing The Path to Dawn in 2012, I began plotting Hope until starting it last

year. And when I finished that, the next four stories were already forming in my imagination. Nothing makes me happier than when I start on a story that I’ve planned for so many years! As for my current writing process, I just sit down, play the right tunes, and write at least a chapter a day.

5. If your readers could learn one thing from The Path to Dawn what would you want that to be?

Facing the truth hurts. To acknowledge a major flaw in yourself takes a lot of strength and courage, and even more so if you grow from it. It’s easy to lie to yourself and get comfortable with it, but being true to yourself pays off in the long run…and gives you special powers.

Thank you to Miri for participating in this interview with me! What do you think of the interview? Let’s chat in the comments.