A: A girl is usually considered in the role of damsel in distress. She’s not often considered to have the strength and courage it takes to save the day. Even Zaria doesn’t think she’s brave, or strong, or heroic at the start of Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest, but she is, and she’s about to find it out for herself.
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Poll: How do you picture Aleks Mickelsen?
When you’re reading Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest how do you picture Aleks Mickelsen? Do you picture him as Kyle Red Silverstein (Blended)? Or do you envision him as Toby Nichols (22 Jump Street)?
Q: How did you choose Zaria Fierce as the name for the main character?
A: I have a friend whose name is Zarabeth and I always thought it was cool that her name began with a ‘Z,’ so I started there. Obviously, I couldn’t just use her name so I thought of other ways to say ‘Sarah.’ There are a lot! I settled on Zaria because Zaria means princess which has significance in the story.
Her last name came to me very quickly. Zaria would be a girl who longed for adventure, but didn’t think she was capable of it because she was shy. Zaria Timid is silly, but Zaria Fierce is not. And, fierceness is the characteristic she will learn that she has had all along.
Q: How did you get the idea for Zaria Fierce?
A: It started with a name. A name can give a story a lot of power and a special “oomph.” As a fan of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Artemis Fowl, I knew I wanted to title my stories similarly and began to think up names for the main character. Zaria Fierce as a character came to me before I knew her story.
Poll: How do you picture Filip Storstrand?
When you’re reading Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest how do you picture Filip Storstrand? Do you envision him like Charles Vandervaart (Murdoch Mysteries)? Or does he appear in your imagination as Parker Dane Conti (Playing for Keeps) when you read?
Poll: How do you picture Zaria Fierce?
When you’re reading Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest how do you picture the heroine? Do you think she looks more like Amandla Stenberg (Hunger Games) or like Bella Maltzman?
