I must confess I am a reader who happens to love seeking out stories of fantasy fiction that give children a full sense of freedom and adventure. I also happen to love stories that have the benefit of a time portal or a hidden dimension which seek to transport you from one location to another. I grew up on Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek and I discovered Doctor Who in my thirties; so you could say, time travel and the aspect of how time can shift in either science fiction or fantasy has been with me quite long term!
Although I passionately love The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe motion picture and the third in the film series (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader), I must say I could not curl inside the novels as readily as I found the motion pictures to being full encased with the sense of the world I had hoped to discover in Narnia. That fever of excitement to step through the wardrobe and arrive outside your own world eclipsed the feeling I have always had inside me for well-written stories where even if they are not within the fantasy genre, they suspend your mind and the hours to reveal something quite remarkable.
Books are the most portable time machines we have on hand and they give us so many ways in which to interact with different scientific theories of dimensional space. When I first saw this book coming up as a new release, I was quite excited for it. When I realised it was going to be released electronically first (ahead of print), my heart fell quite a heap! I knew then, that I would re-write this tour stop to be an interview post, as I wanted to learn more about this world, to have an introduction of Cambria before having the chance down the road to read a print edition.
This is why all my questions are directed to the author to get a bit more clarity on the foundational roots of his story as much as to gather a visual scope of the world he’s created to carry-on a series.
Book Synopsis:
When Calvin discovers a mysterious cabin in the woods, it seems like the world’s coolest clubhouse! But there’s more to this place than he knows. Hidden inside the cabin is a portal to another world, and Calvin’s not the first person in his family to use it. Filled with action, adventure, mystery, and magic, this story is sure to entertain kids and parents alike.
Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: E-book
Series: Calvin Sparks, No. 1
Published by Sweetwater Books on 11th November, 2014
Add to Riffle • Format: eBook
Genres: Children’s Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Middle Grade
As a fellow traveller and appreciator of South American culture, I happened to have noticed you’ve spent time in Guatemala? I learnt a bit more about the country when I was originally considering it as a possible choice for international adoption (I have since returned to planning to adopt from our domestic foster care system.), and I found a lot beautiful symmetry between Guatemala and Mexico; the latter of which I spent eight beautiful days exploring when I was 16. What originally led you to Guatemala and whilst you were there did you get to soak inside their bookish culture or become exposed to their art of story-telling?
Anderson responds: I served a two-year mission for my church in Guatemala when I was 19 years old. While living there I fell in love with the people and the country. I lived in various places throughout Guatemala. My favorite was near the city of Antigua. I never grew tired of walking the city’s cobblestone streets through Spanish-influenced architecture. Some of my experiences in Guatemala definitely influenced my ideas for Calvin Sparks.
One of the main reasons I love reading books published by Cedar Fort (and their imprints) is the fact I know going in the stories will be ‘clean reads’, as one of my more lively bookish discussions on my blog are my ‘fly in the ointment’ sections where I do call authors out for a misuse or unnecessary need for explicit content (in my own opinion). As your an emerging debut novelist for Children’s Lit, what drew your sights to pitch your story to Cedar Fort and thereby become a part of their publishing family? Was it their focus on offering clean literature for younger minds or their overall acceptance of a diverse spectrum of literature in general?
Anderson responds: Clean literature is important to me as well. Cedar Fort seemed to be a great fit for what I was offering to the children’s literary world with Calvin Sparks.
You gave an incredible gift to your son whilst you read aloud the canon of Harry Potter! I applaud your intuitive insight in realising the best stories children remember as they grow are the ones their Mum or Dad or grandparent (or other relation) read to them. Reading stories aloud transforms how the words and worlds are processed and accepted as a whole, especially to young readers. What do you think is the biggest disconnect from our approach to keying in to these moments with our children and other families who do not realise the importance of staying in tune with their children’s literary adventures?
Anderson responds: Reading the entire Harry Potter series aloud to my boy is something that I will always remember–and I would recommend to any parent to read to their children. Find the time amidst the many distractions of life and read. Reading helps expand the imagination.
What is the biggest self-discovery you found whilst you were on the journey towards breathing Calvin Sparks to life on the page? What challenge surprised you but found a renewed spirit of fortitude when you worked past it?
Anderson responds: As I began writing Calvin Sparks, I re-discovered my passion for writing. I thoroughly enjoyed it and couldn’t wait to write more. As I wrote, ideas flowed fluidly. Oftentimes I had to pull myself away from my computer late at night, anticipating the time I would be able to write again. Passion is important. When we have a passion for the work we do, we will do our best work. Calvin Sparks was created out of a genuine love of writing.
What I found the most inspiring of all is how you wanted to give a written legacy to your own family and thereby spark a well of creativity and imagination for the descendants of your own line of heritage. This fusion of connection between one generation to the next is a beautiful gift, and I was curious if you grew up with living histories inside your family, where the stories and antidotes of your ancestors were told through stories when you were younger? You have a strong connection to family and I felt you might have a close-knit tie to yours as much as I do.
Anderson responds: While driving home from a family vacation a few years ago, I thought about how much my children liked to read, and how often they asked me to tell them stories. It was then I wondered if I would be able to write a story that we could enjoy together. I thought about how cool it would be to have this story in the family library. I envisioned myself reading it to my kids–and one day to my grandkids. Calvin Sparks was the result. Growing up, I do remember hearing stories of my own ancestry as my mom would work on researching her family history.
As you enjoy design, did you sketch or illustrate any portion of Calvin Sparks whilst you were creating the story? I know Ms. Rowling did whilst she wrote Harry Potter, which clued me into a new fascination of writers who pull art into their writing lives and was curious if you had? How much feedback or influence did you have on the final cover for your novel?
Anderson responds: I am a visual person. In Calvin Sparks there is a world called Cambria that Calvin and his friends discover. In the world of Cambria, there are many different places. I needed to be able to keep track of all these places so I sketched out a map that I referred to often. The illustrator for the cover asked me a series of questions and then went to work. A few weeks later, she sent me an email with the cover art. Knowing how important the cover would be to the book, I sat nervously in front of my computer for about five minutes before opening it. When I finally saw the cover, I was very excited. I thought it captured the feel of the story very well.
How did you approach the structure of the world-building aspects of Calvin Sparks? What were your influences to help you find your own thread of narrative and scope within a sphere of an imagined world where your characters could learn, grown, and develop fully inside that world to where a reader could feel they left their world and entered a new place entirely?
Anderson responds: I had fun developing a new world. I relied on places I had visited to piece together a place that would be enchanting for the young reader. Mythical creatures are found in Cambria. A unique monetary system was developed. And magic is discovered in Cambria. I think the young readers will find Cambria a fun place to be.
What is the main takeaway a reader will have once they settle inside the world you’ve left behind? Will they attach themselves to the main character (do they have a personality quirk or attribute that is noticeable?) or will they hug tight to the world, finding it a magical portal to enter inside and never want to leave?
Anderson responds: The main character, Calvin Sparks, is a boy that many kids will relate to. I have purposely omitted specific details about his physical appearance so the reader can imagine himself as the protagonist.
One part of your story reminded me of Tron – where the son has to carry on where the father left-off, in your world the father was killed but his mission is taken up by his son all the same. Were you inspired by Tron, to have this extraordinary world fused by a hidden portal in our ordinary world which would lead to such an alternative realm full of dangerous and mysterious experiences?
Anderson responds: The portal used to access Cambria actually came from a childhood adventure I was on many years ago. While Calvin’s dad and grandpa were heavily involved in the conflict of evil, Calvin Sparks offers some fun twists that will keep the reader interested.
Your world has dragons inside it, which in part had me quite curious about which avenue you took whilst creating your dragons: were they on the side of good, evil, or neutral? Could you talk a bit about the dragons found in Cambria and which dragons by other writers and/or fantasy artists who encouraged you to create your own dragon species? For instance, do your dragons communicate with humans or prefer to live apart from them? Is there a code amongst the dragons for dealing with interactions with humans or are they more feral in their race? What is the hierarchy of the dragons like and how do they differ from the order of the men inside the story?
Anderson responds: Dragons were briefly introduced in this first book of Calvin Sparks. The general feel the reader will take away about dragons is that they are loyal creatures. The rider can learn to communicate to his/her dragon by thoughts. Dragons will fly for only one rider and will remain with that rider until death.
In Cambria, the villain in the story is Galigore – given that this is a fantasy world for both children and adults, which other fantasy villain would you say matches Galigore for both being vile and being bent to towards the darker sides of the world in which he lives? Did you find creating his back-story to be difficult or a pleasant challenge?
Anderson responds: I think many problems arise from pride and greed. Galigore fell into this trap. As he attained power, he sought more. What he had was not enough. He did whatever it took to increase what he already had. It was never enough. It was a challenge to think like a villain, but I think his story developed nicely.
Aside from the stories of Calvin Spark’s grandfather, were there any other key tools or clues left behind for Calvin and his friends to use to unravell the mystery of Cambria or does instinct play a key role in how Calvin and his friends approach what lies in wait for them in Cambria? I was curious if his family left behind a journal or other artifacts that could help him in his journey or if it is more a ‘think on your feet’ story where living through obstacles and working as a team is the best way Calvin and his friends can overcome the ill will Galigore wants to inflict upon them?
Anderson responds: Because of the role Calvin’s grandpa plays in this whole story, Calvin was always going to hear about Cambria from him–especially because his dad was not around to tell him. But Calvin also has high intuition, which would have inevitably led him to the magical world if needed.
When you originally conceived the concept for Cambria did you envision the world as a series spread out over different installments of books or as a stand-alone where you could either re-enter the world as a prequel or create a sequel which picked up at a different reference of time past the events in this one? I was curious what you might be working on now that you have your debut novel published.
Anderson responds: As I began to develop the ideas of Calvin Sparks, the story naturally evolved. The ending is definitely set up for a sequel. Calvin Sparks Book Two is currently in the works.
Converse via: #CalvinSparks
I am thankful Mr. Anderson was available for this interview, even though after I re-read over his responses, I am still in want of a bit more information on behalf of Cambria. I was hoping this interview might paint a palette of what we could discover inside his world and of the people who inhabit the story. I am hopeful the broad strokes he painted instead will inspire new readers to discover his series and perhaps, those who were able to review the novel for the blog tour can shed a bit of light on the characters and how the portal of the crossing is structured. I was even curious about the set-up between how each species (human, dragon, etc) interacted and if the time differences between one world or another had any residual effects.
The following book reviewers on the tour I recommend visiting next:
Review | Little Light Design Collective
Review | Readalot
(I will be following the tour route & adding links)
The Virtual Road Map for “Calvin Sparks & the Crossing to Cambria”
can be found here:
Find all the wicked happy stories coming soon to Jorie Loves A Story:
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Calvin Sparks and the Crossing to Cambria”, author biography, book synopsis, and blog tour banner were all provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Conversations with the Bookish Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Bookish Events badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2015.
Rusty, I love the sound of this story, LOVE that cover showing the night sky through the door, and especially love that you read the whole Harry Potter series with your son :) I know a good number of people who have and always get excited about it. Great interview, Jorie! :)