Monday, August 13, 2007

Earrings of Ixtumea by Kim Baccellia


Young Adult fantasy author Kim Baccellia joins us today to tell us about the heroine in her book - Earrings of Ixtumea.


What's her name?

Guadalupe Hernandez. Her nickname is Lupe.

Why did you pick that name?

I wanted to name her after a very sacred saint from Mexico. The Virgin Guadalupe. I always loved the story of how the Virgin appeared to Juan Diego, a humble Mexican Christian Indian.

Give us a brief description of how she looks.

She’s five feet four, about 115-120 lbs. She’s a Latina with long brown hair with bangs. Large hazel eyes.


Is there anything unusual about her appearance?

No. She does have a nervous habit of shaking her leg.


Who does she love? Why?

She loves her grandmother who has raised her since she was six years old.


Does this person love her?

Oh, yes!


Tell us about her family.

She’s the only child being raised by her grandmother. Her mother deserted her when she was six years old. She doesn’t know anything about her father.


Where is she from?

She was born in Santa Ana, Ca. She lives in Tustin.


Does her hometown affect her behavior, thoughts and attitude?

Yes. She goes to a private school and being around mostly Anglo students makes her want to be like them. She’s embarrassed of living in her cramped apartment and having her friends find out. She also wants to be like her Anglo pop star Ashley Snow. I based this pop star on Ashley Simpson and other blonde pop stars.


What does she want out of life?

To be like her peers at her middle school. She also wants to be accepted by them to the point she denies who she is.


What's her biggest secret? (Only share if it isn't a spoiler in the story.)

She’s afraid of spiders. Which is ironic considering who she meets!

Did you write more than one story about her?

Yes. I started writing a short story for the LA Times section. I had Lupe in first grade and wanting to share her favorite story to her classmates. This is when she still believed in her grandmother’s tales of Ixtumea and the Spider Goddess.

I’m a former first grade teacher. I wondered what would happen if Lupe was one of my students and on her sharing day instead of bringing the usual princess book she brought a book based on a story from Ixtumea. I can only image the reaction from my class!


How would she describe you?

Someone who reads too much and actually believes some of Abuela’s crazy tales!


Is there anything else about your heroine that we need to know? Feel free to share.

Though Lupe’s mother deserted her, she still loves and fantasizes about her returning. So when she finds her, mixed emotions surface. These feelings are almost too much for her to bear.


Please provide your website link.

http://www.kim-baccellia.com/


1 comment:

S A Putnam said...

Good luck on your virtual book tour Kim! What a great promotional tool!