AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Iain Reading

Iain Reading is the author of several books, including The Dragon of the Month Club that Michaela reviewed a few weeks ago. 

Interview Conducted by:

Michaela

PLEASE thank Michaela from me VERY VERY much for these great questions. She really got me thinking about dragons and the worlds I've created for them to live in. And I really appreciated that.

1. Which is your favorite dragon? Why?

Hmmmmmmm. That's a tough one. You might be surprised that I would probably pick one of the less prominent dragons from the book – the Waterfall Dragon. Ayana and Tyler don't really learn much about that particular dragon since they only spend a matter of seconds with him as the plummet down the face of the Great Waterfall. But what a great ride that would be, right? I guess if I had to pick one of the better known dragons I would probably pick the tiny Paper Dragon named "Kami". She was a cute one.

2. What is your favorite part in this book?

Another tough one to choose, because as crazy as it sounds I really love that deranged Roving Tailor with the giant scissors, not to mention the Wishing Tree. But.... okay, the Sherlock Holmes part is my favourite. There's just something so familiar and endearing about having Ayana and Tyler spending time in the world of the world's most famous consulting detective.

3. What was your inspiration for writing this book?

It all started with a single wish and a strange tree of wishes up the street from a haunted hotel on the dusty street of a back-country town in central California. Wishes don't always come true. But it depends what you wish for, doesn't it?

4. What dragon do you think could be a common household pet? Why?

Well, the Sand Dragon would probably not make the best pet. Despite his inquisitive and friendly nature he is still leaving sand all over the place, so unless you want to hire a 24-hour-a-day maid with a vacuum cleaner to live with you, that's probably not the best idea. Water Dragons are pretty wet, so they're also not such a great idea. What about a Pillow Dragon? That would be a pretty good one. Great to snuggle up with while watching television.

5. What would your wish be for the wishing tree?

There's actually already a wish of mine in the book already – on page 219, right after Professor Möbius focuses his telescope across the book world to the distant Wishing Tree. I think all of us has an Ayana (or Tyler) in our lives, don't we? So, my wish is Tyler's wish too.

6. Which world is your favorite that you created? Why?

I would definitely say the Pop-Up Forest. I love this idea of a pop-up book being brought to life, with the strange flat trees and the giant marshmallows and book tent. Okay, so the Roving Tailor is probably not so much fun if you're camping out overnight in the Pop-Up Forest, but aside from that I think it would be pretty cool to visit such a world as that one.

7. If you could turn in to a dragon, what kind of dragon would you want to be?

That would be a toss-up between a Cloud Dragon so I could float around way above the world, soft and fluffy, or an Ice Dragon so I could float around in the water making things cold as I went.

8. Any other interesting facts/info about you.

Here's a fascinating tidbit (ha ha): I hardly ever read fiction books. Give me science and history books every time. Those are my favourites.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review your amazing book! I can't wait for the next ones!