Thank you for having me! I’m delighted to be here. I’m a homeschooled highschool senior whose favourite things in life are my faith, Baroque music, Middle-earth, and silence. Besides my love for reading and writing, I enjoy studying theology and philosophy, and I’m looking forward to studying liberal arts at a small Catholic college next year.
How did being homeschooled prepare you to write?
My greatest debt to homeschooling is the emphasis that was placed on proper grammar and especially learning to write well. I won’t say I liked writing essay after essay, but I’m very thankful for it, since it taught me to give structure and eloquence to a piece of writing.
What caused you to start writing?
All the stories I acted out with my sisters had to be written down eventually! I was enamoured of Little House on the Prairie for several years and every day after school we would go outside and pretend to be Mary, Laura, and Carrie. Unsurprisingly, my first books were mostly pioneer stories. Reading is a big thing in our family – my dad is a secondhand bookseller – and creating my own books seemed like the most natural thing in the world, I suppose.
What inspired Sea of Crystal, Sea of Glass?
I am passionately pro-life, and the initial spark for Sea of Crystal, Sea of Glass came when I was pondering on how our society unquestioningly accepts that abortion is a good thing, because it’s been established and promoted by the elite. In my book, the people of Kelyan follow the cult of the Illyrië, a key point of which is child sacrifice. The sacrifice is simply accepted by everyone, because they are familiar with it, and because everyone else seems to think it’s fine and they may as well go along with the crowd! I took this idea and the rest of the story flowed from it.
Would you give us a synopsis?
When faced with the impossible and the unthinkable, choose the impossible.
All that fifteen-year-old Einur Landman has left in the world are his flock of sheep and his beloved little sister. His entire life's purpose is to keep Lody safe from the evil ruling class. But he never expected that it would be his own name that was drawn for the child sacrifice. Leaving Lody with his promise to return, Einur escapes into the wild where he meets a stranger with a plan to bring down the Illyrië. Forced to choose between the unthinkable – Lody’s probable death – and the seemingly impossible, Einur takes the latter.
In his quest from his mountain village, through countless dangers, to the sea itself, everything Einur believes will be tested. For Lody's sake, can he make a final crucial choice and stand firm to the end?
Who will enjoy Sea of Crystal, Sea of Glass?
Readers of all ages and faiths have enjoyed Sea of Crystal, Sea of Glass, but the main audience is Christian teens. High schoolers who enjoy Tolkien, Narnia, or The Hunger Games will also enjoy Sea of Crystal, Sea of Glass.
Do you plan to write more books?
Certainly! I am working on three projects at the moment. The first two are fantasy; the third is a contemporary YA fairytale romance. The storyline is the ‘common girl meets prince and they fall in love’ one, and it takes place in Holland, where my grandparents are from. Although I love writing fantasy, I’ve had loads of fun exploring a completely different genre.
Where can people connect with you online?
benitajprins.wordpress.com
twitter.com/benitajprins
goodreads.com/benitajprins
facebook.com/benitajprinsauthor
plus.google.com/+BenitaPrins
pinterest.com/benitajprins
Interesting and telling interview. I like the premise of the book. There is indeed truth in fiction and I think that perhaps the underlining message delivered entertainingly might save an unborn down the line. I'll get the book and read.
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