Q&A with Corlis C Fraga

 

 

 

Corlis C Fraga is the author of the new young adult novel The Chronicles of Noe: The Chimera and the Grail Tree.  

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Chronicles of Noe: The Chimera and the Grail Tree?

 

A: The Chronicles of Noe: The Chimera and the Grail Tree took years to develop, gradually assembled from the ideas quietly scattered throughout my journals.

 

But it wasn’t until I came across a digital children’s illustration, one that had been mixed into the algorithm of images that my social media had come to equate with all things Corlis, that my commitment to a single narrative, driven by a specific need, actively took shape.

 

The image showed an older woman at a market, selling pumpkins, parsnips, and the like. A child stood before her, eagerly pointing at a pumpkin with a smiling face; not because it was destined for the kitchen or to become a Halloween decoration, but because it was the perfect pet for a young witch.

 

Something about that moment galvanized all the pieces I had been gathering. It spoke to my search for a world where magic was so normal, so unquestionable, that buying a pumpkin companion stood to be as ordinary as shopping for cheese at a farmer’s market.

 

From that moment forward, I could better recognize which elements I needed to curate the kind of story my heart was asking for: the shine of a cafe’s chandelier, the clop clop clop of a horse-drawn carriage, a series of songs. These pieces came together and laid the foundation for a world I felt had to debut with the book’s opening scene.

 

A scene about a girl who climbed a tree to gain something she desperately needed.

 

Q: How did you create your character Enee?

 

A: The longing for magic may have existed before Enelope Noe, but she was there the moment the opening scene was created, gazing over the hills of Rumfoot Hollow, determined to fight for what she wanted.

 

In many ways, Enee was just a name that captured the initial emotions I associated with the book. However, as the drafting process progressed, her character became driven by another need as powerful as the one that sparked the story itself: the need for a champion.

 

This wasn’t surprising. The first versions of the manuscript were created while I was completing my master’s program. My focus? I kid you not, it was on the history of arborescence and a 14th-century French manuscript called L’Arbre des Batailles (The Tree of Battles).

 

Oh yes, I was deeply immersed in how trees have been used to express cultural, political, and spiritual meaning throughout human history, writing my heart out to cope with the pressures of higher education in a foreign country, a health crisis, and the terrifying thought of facing my ever-supportive family with the fear that I might not have what it took to finish what I started thousands of miles from home.

 

Enee was, in essence, an alchemical reaction to everything happening beyond the page. A champion made to carry the expectations of a vast world-building project and serve as an outlet for my doubts about my sense of self, life, and that relentless craving for the magic that had come so easily as a kid.

 

A character who could take a beating, run the distance, and climb the tallest of trees. One who could make reckless mistakes and not crumble under the weight of the growing pains needed to fix them.

 

Someone I believed had the strength to figure out what she was truly fighting for when I had no fight left in me.

 

Q: Did you know how the novel would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: Both! I knew how I wanted the book to start, and surprisingly, I knew how I wanted the series to end. That final, beautiful scene loops in the back of my mind, keeping the creative fires burning for the marathon ahead, even though I know it’ll be many years before I am ready to put that scene to print.

 

However, finding the stopping point for this book required discovery, and only thanks to many revisions. I had to learn, and still do, how to reveal the world of Enelope Noe in stages, like marking out the middle of a measuring stick.

 

These markers often had to be tied to an interaction between two characters that offered nuggets of wisdom, providing closure without actually shutting the door on the wonder of what is to come next.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: I firmly believe that every reader finds the book they need at precisely the moment they need it. Often, the reason a story matters to them isn’t the same as the reason it matters to the author who wrote it.

 

Of course, some will seek out the author’s intention, but most will come to the table with the weight of their lives on their backs and interpret a book in a way that resonates with them. That’s part of the unspoken agreement between a writer and a reader: once a story leaves the author’s hands, it belongs to those who discover it.

 

But—always that but. If I had one wish, it would be that The Chronicles of Noe inspires readers to live their own story with roaring, oath-making, rule-breaking heart.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Right now, I’m back in the creative sandbox. While book two of the series is in the works, I am actively reviewing old manuscripts to find ways to improve my craft.

 

Why? I want The Chronicles of Noe: The Chimera & the Grail Tree to be my “worst” book. Not because I didn’t put my whole heart and skill into the story, but because every book after this should showcase the best I can offer as a writer committed to continuous growth and the belief in the power of limitless wonder.

 

In other words, stay tuned! More creative shenanigans are on the horizon.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: It’s pretty hilarious, honestly, to be published.

 

I live and breathe impostor syndrome. After all, I am a creature of ideas, prone to self-deprecation and the phrase, “Don’t listen to me. I’m nothing but words.”

 

But I’ve also had the immense privilege of speaking with others at conventions and storytelling conferences who have published their work. No matter their age or whether it’s their first or hundredth book, they all say the same thing: they feel like impostors, too.

 

It’s easy for an author to get swept up in the contradictions of the publishing journey, indie or otherwise. I’m excited about what I’ve achieved, but also terrified of how much further I need to go to become a better version of myself than the one who made this book.

 

I’m dancing on my toes, trying to enjoy each moment, but I still find myself holding my breath, unsure of what’s next. In this space, I am both the professional and the impostor. I am the contradiction.

 

And that’s okay.

 

So, to my fellow writers out there, if you feel this way or are heading toward this place, you are not alone. No, knowing this doesn’t change how it feels. But if it means anything, from one creator to another, KEEP GOING. You’ve got this.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Corlis C Fraga. Enter this giveaway for a chance to win your own copy of The Chronicles of Noe: The Chimera and The Grail Tree! Five lucky readers will each receive a paperback edition of this thrilling fantasy adventure. One grand-prize winner will also receive a signed paperback, plus two surprise stickers and a bookmark created by author Corlis C Fraga herself.