Travel to Katie Clark’s Whispering Tower

K.A.:
Excited to have Mrs. Katie Clark on the blog today talking about her newest release, Whispering Tower.

Welcome, Katie! Before we launch into all the behind-the-scene fun, tell us about your story.

Katie:
Whispering Tower is a young adult time travel novel.

Katie:
Stuck in London for one of her mom’s work trips, Skye Humphries can’t help holding a grudge when she ends up roped into a summer tour group with Philip-who-crushed-her-heart. But when Skye and Philip find themselves barreling through time after unsuspectingly opening the veil between the past and present, they’re thrust into a world where Skye’s very life is in danger. If she’d known her choices were between summering with Philip or being sacrificed to the god of the skies, Skye might have changed her attitude. Now she must figure out what’s most important to her—getting even for the past or having a future.

K.A.:
Traveling with the person who broke her heart and forced to choose between getting even or having a future? Seems like a situation that’ll change a person’s perspective. What inspired you to write this story?

Katie:
I actually get asked this question a lot, but I never answer it for this series! That’s because these stories have a tad of a mystery going on, and giving too much information gives away the surprise! So your readers will just have to read the book to learn more (hee hee!).

K.A.:
Lol. An air of mystery definitely adds to the fun. So, will reading demystify your source of inspiration? ;-)

Katie:
Haha. Reading the story will help others see and understand what the inspiration was for each story.

K.A.:
Tell us about some of your research. In the story, they travel back in time. What time period do the travel to and where do they go?

Katie:
Ancient Mesopotamia, specifically ancient Sumer.

K.A.:
What was the hardest part of researching an ancient time period?

Katie:
The hardest part of pulling the book together was the elements that took place in the past. Whispering Tower is a time travel story—I did a lot of research to make it accurate, but I did take creative liberties because after all, it’s fantasy!

Dig into Sumerians and Mesopotamia on Khan Academy.

K.A.:
It’s easy to see how that could be a challenge, especially if the story goes in a direction that does fit neatly into a pre-existing timeline. What’s the most interesting discovery you made writing this story?

Katie:
I love researching the past, and my favorite discoveries had to do with learning some of the history associated with the ancient middle east. I loved learning about the social classes, and the styles worn during that time period. Would you like a picture?!

9 things you many not know about the ancient Sumerians on History.com.

K.A.:
I’m a huge fan of Easter Eggs. Any hidden references, details, or tidbits readers should keep an eye out for?

Katie:
Well, no Easter Eggs per se, but I did try to use some symbolism. Sand is used throughout the story to symbolize feelings of restlessness and unease. You guys can be the judges on whether I pulled that off!

K.A.:
Whispering Tower is available on Amazon and at other book retailers. Or, if you haven’t read the first book, you can grab both books here.

K.A.:
Great to have you here, Katie. Thanks for giving us a backstage tour of your latest release, Whispering Tower. Looking forward to reading it!

About Katie Clark

KATIE CLARK started reading fantastical stories in grade school and her love for books never died. Today she reads in all genres; her only requirement is an awesome story! She writes young adult speculative fiction, including her romantic fantasy novel, The Rejected Princess, a supernatural survival novel, Shadowed Eden, and her dystopian Enslaved Series.

You can connect with her at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter.

 

 

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