When it comes to the world of books, it seems as if there are two stories we hear again and again: that of the talented novelist who struggles in obscurity for years, and that of the overrated hack whose horrible books sell millions of copies.

But the story of author Julie Berry is much more satisfying. A few years ago, this mother of four living in Maynard, Massachusetts, tried her hand at writing fiction for children. After a stint in the masters in writing for children and young adults at the Vermont College of the Fine Arts (where — full disclosure — I was one of her instructors), Julie has now published her first novel, The Amaranth Enchantment, a teen fantasy novel about an orphaned girl, a mysterious witch, a handsome prince, and, yes, an enchantment (or two or three).

The book has already earned high praise in the industry. “A lively, quick, stylish, engaging first novel with some lovely, familiar fairy-tale elements,” said Kirkus Reviews, and Publishers’ Weekly gave it a starred review.

Recently, I had a chance to ask Julie about her book, her genre, and her own semi-magical journey through the publishing labyrinth.

TheTorchOnline: So you’re publishing your first novel! Are you scared? Excited?

Julie Berry: I’ve been scared, excited, and every shade in between. The day my book released, my husband drove me to the launch party at the library, and I felt much as I did on the morning of my wedding — terrified. Numb. Like my spirit had left my body, possibly taken my bones with it. Then I walked through the door and saw all the smiling faces, and I’ve been fine ever since. As an author, and, come to think of it, as a wife.

More or less. Ask my husband.

TTO: Have you got your first fan email yet?

Yes, and that’s lovely. I’ve even gotten some handwritten notes — I bought a P.O. box just for that purpose. When I was a child in the Stone Ages, we had to mail fan letters to our favorite authors, and I hoped some readers would do the same today. I threw in an added enticement: Write to me and I’ll send you a bookmark. I read and save every letter. It’s an incredible kick to hear from someone who loved my book so desperately, she had to write and tell me. I feel that way often as a reader.

TTO: What are your observations about the state of publishing today? The state of fantasy?

I still feel a bit like the country-bumpkin cousin who’s been invited to the swanky NYC publishing party, and isn’t sure what to do with her scallop skewer when she’s done with it.

One thing I’m sad to see is the shakeout in the industry caused by consolidation and present economic pressures, but in truth, the children’s publishing industry seems much less hard-hit than many other industries, so I shouldn’t complain. I’d love to see a return to a world where more small presses could compete and thrive, just as I’d like to see a world where more small bookstores could compete and thrive, but I suppose there’s no use moaning about what is and is not.

As for my observations on the state of fantasy, I hear some noises sometimes that suggest that fantasy is rather yesterday, that its bubble is now leaking. I’m inclined not to believe that, but I do think that if fantasy manuscripts start to be chosen and edited with a more cautious, critical eye, that’s not a bad thing for the state of the art of fantasy writing. During its heyday there were floods of it coming out, not all of it memorable, obviously.

TTO: Was it hard for you to sell your book?

JB: I was lucky on many levels. I met an agent at a conference, followed up with her, and she eventually offered to represent me. She asked me to make some revisions to my manuscript, which I did, and she sent it out to publishers in September 2007. Fortunately, it found a home in that first round of submissions. I can only assume I must have been kind once to a lost puppy in a former life.

TTO: A writing teacher one said to me, “There are already so many books in the world–why are you writing one more?” Why are you writing one more? What inspired this book?

JB: There were different axes of inspiration that converged with this project. Perhaps to use a less politically-charged word I should call them vectors. Some were purely aesthetic and imaginative, involving setting and mechanics. The most important vector was my sense that I was writing a personal tribute to an author I love dearly, C.S. Lewis. In no way do I claim that my novel is in his league, but rather, that this is the little wreath I lay upon his grave.

Lewis fed my young imagination, intellect, and spirituality. In his Narnia books, young people are given a brush with divinity that explodes their understanding of who they are and how vast and glorious the universe is, and ultimately shows them how precious they are. I hoped that in some way Lucinda’s brush with Beryl and her world would similarly reach readers.

TTO: What is it about fantasy that makes it so popular?

JB: It’s so dang fun. There’s lots to be said about its relevance, political, cultural, aesthetic, linguistic. Among critical circles, fantasy advocates would scowl at me for mentioning the escapist pleasure of a good fantasy. After all, “escapist” is an epithet when coming from the high priests and priestesses of Literature who scorn fantasy every morning before breakfast. But I don’t see anything wrong with it. I love a good fantasy to take me someplace new, someplace other than my laundry pile, other than suburbia, other than my sorry skin. I love the adventure and danger made possible by a great fantasy.

I’m beginning to use the term fantasy more broadly, to mean not only those titles that are technically paranormal, that involve forces that defy the known operation of the natural world. I now extend the coverage of the “fantasy” umbrella to titles that are wildly adventurous, or romantic, what we might call “fanciful,” and which Victorian era readers would undoubtedly call “a fantasy.” I would have lost points for doing so in graduate school, but I’m no longer in graduate school, so tra-la-la.

TTO: Fantasy fiction, especially for kids and teens, has got so interesting in recent years. Why do think that is?

JB: The big blockbuster successes we’ve seen in YA fantasy in the last decade have legitimized fantasy writing, both culturally and commercially. And the blockbusters raised the tidewaters for all the other titles bobbing along out there, creating a huge readership that was ready for broad differentiation. So you find your niche-y fan groups and blogs and ezines for every flavor of fantasy imaginable. The natural tie-in between video gaming, film, comics/graphic novels, and role-playing games only feeds the genre with sources of material and pre-existing fan groups.

We also see lots of young writers spilling into the fantasy market, so there’s a tight connection between the creators of fantasy and the consumers of it (to use a crass term). Fantasy as a field is able to be rich, textured, diverse, and daring because it’s fed by so many springs and finds so many outlets. (Oh, someone should shoot me for torturing this water metaphor to death.)

Visit Julie online.

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