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| (Image courtesy of Kaleb Nation) |
Meet Kaleb Nation: Blogger. Internet sensation. Writer. And now, published author. He has so far written two books in his Bran Hambric children's fantasy series. When the first book was released in September 2009, I had the privilege to be able to read an Advanced Readers Copy to review it for TV Watch Online. I also had the chance to interview him.
First, though, here is a teaser of what the book is about, according to BranHambric.com:
Bran Hambric, was found locked in a bank vault at six years old, with no memory of his past. For years, he has lived with one of the bankers, wondering why he was left behind -- until one night, when he is fourteen, he is suddenly confronted by a maddening creature, speaking of Bran's true past and trying to kidnap him.
Bran finds that he is at the center of a plot which started years before he was even born: the plot of a deadly curse his mother created...and one that her former masters are hunting for him to complete.
Haunted by the spirit of his mother's master and living in a city where magic is illegal, Bran must undo the crimes of his past...before it is too late.
To read my review of the book, click HERE.
Below is my exclusive five-question interview with author and YouTuber Kaleb Nation, as it originally appeared on the TV Watch Online BLOG:
TV Watch Online (T.W.O.): Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse takes place, for the most part, in the city of Dunce. Is this the only city that outlaws gnomes, mages and etceteras? If so, why?
Kaleb Nation: In the story, as of now, Dunce is the only city that completely outlaws magic and gnomes. However, there is still a great deal of prejudice against gnomes throughout the whole world, so it's not much better for them outside. As for the reason why, I'll be writing more about that in one of the book.
T.W.O: Each member of the Wilomas family is unique in their own way. Did their characteristics and qualities come easily to you when writing?
Kaleb: The Wilomases appeared in the story fully formed in my mind. In fact, they have mostly been the same from the beginning, except that Balder was two people (Balder and Nasier) that I merged into one, and Mabel's medicine obsession appeared a few years into writing her character. When I'm writing, the scenes with the Wilomas family are probably my easiest to do, because they really drive their own scenes by themselves!
T.W.O: How did you decide that gnomes would be featured, and why are they discriminated against?
Kaleb: I'm not exactly sure where that idea came from. It was just something that has always been a big part of the story, and never was any different!
T.W.O: Why did you decide that the story would take place in a modern setting, as opposed to a more historical time?
Kaleb: When I had the first idea for the book, way back in 3/3/03, I imagined Sewey and Bran on the rooftop of a modern house. That was simply how it appeared in my mind. I didn't really take the time to think "this is an alternate, fantasy world with cars and buildings instead of knights and castles" because the modern setting was just how the story was originally envisioned.
T.W.O: You have mentioned in previous interviews that a prominent theme found in this book is the power of choice, whether it is with Bran's mother, or Bran himself. Will that theme continue to reappear in the rest of the series, with Bran knowing that he has a choice in aligning with the good side?
Kaleb: Choice is certainly a strong theme throughout the series. When Bran is faced with such a strong predisposition to be a criminal, nearly every choice he makes is an important one so that he doesn't fall for the same fate his mother did. I think that the choices we make in real life are the same way, and can alter so many things that we may never know about -- even if we don't have a mother who is a magic criminal!
Buy Your Own Copies:
Bran Hambric: The Farfield Curse (Book 1)
Bran Hambric: The Specter Key (Book 2)
Kaleb Nation is currently not working on the next book in this series. He has written a Young Adult book and is in the process of editing that at the moment. He is one of my favorite YouTubers and you can find him on YouTube HERE and HERE and follow him on Twitter @KalebNation. His official website is KalebNation.com. He is also currently working on starring in his own reality show. Click HERE to read more on that future show.
That's it for today's featured piece. Tomorrow's piece has to do with Mahsa, a former contestant on The Apprentice.
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See ya tomorrow...
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