Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Makiia Lucier (Dragonfruit)!
Meet the Author: Makiia Lucier
Makiia Lucier grew up on the Pacific Island of Guam and holds degrees in journalism and library studies from the University of Oregon and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She is the author of A Death-Struck Year, Isle of Blood and Stone, and Song of the Abyss.
About the Book: Dragonfruit
From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology. In order to return to her homeland and save her kingdom, exiled Hanalei reunites with her childhood best friend, Sam, to track down a rare seadragon egg—a dragonfruit—whose magic is said to grant any wish. But every wish comes with a price, and Hanalei must decide what she’s willing to sacrifice for her kingdom . . . and for Sam.
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~Author Chat~
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
His name is Fetu. He’s a fruit bat.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I really like the opening, “In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow…etc.” It was one of the first passages I wrote, and it set the tone for the whole story.
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
Most of my books start with research. When you write historical fiction or historical fantasy, you have to know your history. With Dragonfruit, however, I started from memory. I wrote down everything I remembered from growing up on the Pacific island of Guam (family, food, friends, the landscape) and then I built a world around those memories.
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
Probably historical fantasy. I love research and history, and fantasy gives you the freedom to make the story your own (by adding seadragons, for example).
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
In Dragonfruit, a seadragon scholar, a stressed out prince, villains everywhere, sand, sea, fruit bats.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
Jumbo Red Vines and Strawberry Pocky Sticks.
YABC: If you were able to meet them, would you be friends with your main character?
Absolutely. Hanalei is smart, resourceful, and kind. You definitely want her around in an emergency.
YABC: What’s your least favorite word or expression and why?
Got, Gotten. (Ugh!) Don’t ask me to explain. I can’t. (I have a friend who hates the sound of the word ‘moist’). She can’t explain either. But “got” and “gotten” make me shudder.
Title: Dragonfruit
Author: Makiia Lucier
Release Date: 4/9/24
Publisher: Clarion Books
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Age Range: 13 and up
