YABC Scavenger Hunt: The Dragon’s Price, Plus Author Chat with Bethany Wiggins, and Extra Giveaway!

Today we’re excited to share Bethany Wiggins’ interview about her new novel, The Dragon’s Price as part of the YABC Scavenger Hunt! Read on for more about Bethany, her novel, and an extra giveaway! And don’t forget to answer the question from this post on the Scavenger Hunt form for a chance to win the Grand Prize!

 

You can find Scavenger Hunt rules and entry form HERE.

 

YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: I have a goofy son—he inherited my creativity, so goofy might be a bit of an understatement. Anyhow, my son goes through phases where he is obsessed with things (Minecraft, Undertale, Ghosts, Mythical Beasts, Robots with Artificial Intelligence), and one night at dinner, he asked what the worth of a dragon’s scale would be, and it was like my mind just opened up, and this huge story idea was dropped into it! I started writing the next day and had a completed manuscript four months later. 

 

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: You have to ask??? Golmarr, of course! I wrote everything into him that I wish existed in most men—most importantly a complete respect and equality for women. Oh yeah, he’s kind of gorgeous, too.

 

YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: The novel definitely came first. It was originally titled TRANSFERENCE, but my publisher told me that wouldn’t fit well on the cover of a book! So we changed it to THE DRAGON’S PRICE.

 

YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: Every scene with Golmarr, when Sorrowlynn has to make a decision and instead of second guessing her or telling her she’s too weak or too inexperienced, is my favorite. He listens to her, lets her make her own choice, and backs her up every single time. Why can’t all men be like that? 

 

YABC: Which was the most difficult or emotional scene to narrate? 

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: The ending battle scene of this particular book was the hardest to write . . . I didn’t realize how it would end when I started the story, and then all of a sudden, when I was just about to the final scene, I was hit with the realization that the ending was going to be, well, intense. I burst into tears. I stopped writing. I moped around the house for days, glaring at my computer every time I walked by it. In the end, I sat down and wrote that final battle scene, but it took a lot out of me.

 

 

 

I cried a lot! So if you want to find out why, go pick up the book because I’m not going to spoil it for you! (This, below, is me writing that final scene—you don’t have to use it, but it sums up how I was feeling quite well.)

 

YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

 

BETHANY WIGGINS: I got 269 rejections from literary agents before I finally got one yes, so I have some very hard-learned advice. Never give up! Even if you have to write manuscript after manuscript, if being a published writer is your dream and goal, the more you write, the better you get, and the better you get, the more likely you are to achieve your dream. My fifth book was the one that got me an agent—and that was many years after I started writing. THE DRAGON’S PRICE is my tenth-ish book. So if you love something enough, don’t be afraid to work for it.

 

 

 

Meet Bethany Wiggins!