1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and who you think would love your story!
Hey! I write under the pen name Kara Carreira. I'm a university student whose main interests include daydreaming, reading and writing when I should be studying. I'm obsessed with all things history (the older, the better), mythology and fantasy. I think fans of fantasy and romance would like 'A Sprinkle of Stardust' as well as readers who enjoy thriller or paranormal subplots, since my story combines traditional high fantasy with secret intelligence and ghost-hunting.
2) What are some things that helped inspire your story?
This story started with a prompt from last year's Open Novella Contest. I rewrote it into a novel after it became clear to me that there was too much world and story to fit into a novella. I grew up reading Enid Blyton, and much of Elvenland, especially the idea of flowers being used to make dresses and the different clans existing alongside each other in the realm, are inspired by the worlds she created. The James Bond movies and the TV show NCIS, surprisingly enough, had a part in my inspiration for this story too. They aren't in my preferred genre of entertainment, but if I hadn't watched so much of them with my family, I wouldn't have known how to tackle the secret intelligence aspects of A Sprinkle of Stardust!
3) Finally, what's one thing you're most proud of in your story?
It's hard to pick just one thing! I'm proud of this story as a whole. A Sprinkle of Stardust is the type of novel I have dreamed of writing for years. It's a high fantasy story in a western-inspired setting, with a diverse cast, a forbidden romance and two twenty-something MCs facing challenges unlike anything they've ever seen before. I know this isn't the last of this type of story that I will write because I have many stories inside me, but I'm extremely proud of it for this reason.