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Why do you write juvenile fiction? What draws you to it?
I didn’t start out writing juvenile fiction so much as wanted to write books I wanted to read. I did start writing young, writing and finishing my first novel at the age of fourteen, but I didn’t consider it Young Adult or anything other than a fantasy novel.
My sisters started having kids and I wanted to give them stories that aligned with our values. I wrote The Mermaid and the Unicorns for my oldest niece when she was barely into chapter books, but didn’t publish it until she was a young teenager. She wanted to know more about a scene, so I wrote A Fable of Wood and String but aimed it at a teenage audience.
Honestly I was worried it was a little on the long side, but then I realized that I would have been fine with this as a teen.
What’s your favorite sweet treat?
I am a tea drinker but I like my iced coffees, not gonna lie. My go to is an iced Hazelnut Latte but, every once in a while I switch it up. Yes, I will drink a regular hot but I’m Canadian and if it’s not flipping cold out (like, colder than -25 Celcius) , I’m at least considering it iced. It depends on what I’m doing, too; we used to go for slurpees after ice skating.
What candy do you give out at Halloween?
Last year I ran out of candy! I was giving out cans of pop – and not like rootbeer or orange crush, neither but what I had left over from Thanksgiving (in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October). I tend to hand out chocolate I like, like Reese’ Peanut butter cups but I make sure I have Mars or something nut free in case there’s allergens. I learned the hard way to not buy my candy last minute a few years ago I had to go to multiple stores to get Halloween candy the day of.
Coal or candy in your Christmas stocking? Why?
My sister has given my candy coal several times. Traditionally though, in my family growing up I would get a mandarin (small orange) from my parents. And a toothbrush. Not a good combination together.
What book is on your nightstand currently?
I have several on my to be read pile – soon to be read are The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman and Echoes of the Imperium by Nicholas Atwater & Olivia Atwater. Haven’t read any of the authors before, I’m told The Blacktongue Thief is more Grimdark and Echoes of the Imperium is a steampunk adventure. They have one thing in common though: Goblins ahoy!
Ideal summer vacation.
I like being outdoors, so ideally somewhere with a nice beach or a mountain where I could go hiking.
Manitoba weather is pretty rough during the winter, but during the summer it can get hot. I tend to head out towards the Whiteshell and do a lot of kayaking, but I’m up for lots of adventures: bike riding, roller blading, or just going on a hike. I love to swim and do water sports, so heat is a plus for me.
Favorite pizza toppings.
I’m one of those people who like Hawaiian pizza. Half my family loves it, the other half tolerate it for us. I will try different pizzas when I’m going out depending on the group.
Playlist for your current book.
I made a Soundtrack! I own the rights to none of these, but the mandolin and music play an important role I the story, so I studied various jigs and reels as well listened to other music. This is not a conclusive list, but here’s some on Youtube:
Flook – Reel for Rubrik/Towards the Sun
I used this one on Instagram when I did the cover reveal. I love the energy and it feels like it could be used in several chapters.
The Arcadian Wild – Yurgen’s Theme
This was developed for The Windfeather Saga animated series. So far the music for this series has been phenomenal, you can watch the first season on Angel Studios without a guild membership. Part of the O’Connell Legacy is studying and understanding the animals in the wild beyond the ones they hunted, this feels like a song Lily or Seth could be playing. The other big song, “My Love Has Gone Across the Sea” is also stunning.
Bodh’aktan – Reels
Feels like a Seth focused-chapter.
Pigeon on the Gate - Tam Lin
This is a traditional song based on the Scottish Tale of Tam Lin. First link is the more famous rendition, second is a retelling of Tam Lin. There’s multiple versions and retellings, it’s a great story about a young woman rescuing her beloved from the fae, so check it out. Pigeon Gate isn’t the only artist who’s done this song, and there are beautiful renditions of one instrument playing it as well.
Faun - Tamlin and the Fairy Queen
Another (slightly snarky) explanation of Tam Lin
Would it hurt you to just do as you're told?
The O'Connell siblings live in the shadow of their parent's past, held back by obligation to keep the people of Stagmil safe when their father has to lead the non-hunters of their village to drive off a wyvern.
Lily doesn't trust the stranger who calls herself Madeline when she staggers into the pastoral lands. The puppeteer seems to take an interest in Lily's talent with the family mandoline, and she teaches Lily new music. Lily's had songs stuck in her head before, but nothing like this.
Twins Seth and Tiffany however can't wait for their father to return so they can get on with the shearing. Seth should at least be helping hunt the wyvern, and Tiffany wants to take her best friend Molly and head to the nearest city and see the world.
The twins and several other villagers are lured by song into the woods and transformed into marionettes: Seth breaking free before he can be strung, and Lily tainted in a way she doesn't understand. They have the skills to track the woman down, but to restore Seth to his body, and rescue Tiffany and the others?
Tracking the woman takes them far from the familiar woodlands they know, across the sea to an enchanted castle, where in an effort to rescue their sister they'll learn something much more sinister than turning folk into puppets is going on. They'll get help, of course, but not from who they expected.
After all, last Seth checked, foxes are only supposed to have the one tail.
Read an Excerpt
“Got any more kitsunes or other surprises?” Caleb asked, squatting down without spilling his buckets. “I’d like to hear the story you were trying to tell me in the castle a little later. Right now it seems like you need help. I’ll take my sword back.”
Lily unbelted it, but Boscoe out of nowhere nabbed it from Lily, ran towards the lake, and pitched it in. Then he sat down, never breaking the squire’s gaze, and scratched behind his ears.
“Why did you do that?” Caleb demanded. “That was my father’s!” He tried to take his boots off, the lacing slowed him down.
“You’re cold, let me do it,” Lily said, sliding off her overdress. She shot Boscoe a sour look, who simply beamed at her. Caleb on the other hand turned around and shielded his eyes.
“Could you not?” he asked.
“I know you can see me, stop pretending like you can’t or I’m indecent.” Her chemise and trousers were dark, chosen for adventuring thank you very much; she’d learned what to wear to repel after a wayward ewe long ago. She hung her overdress on a low branch and waded into the cold water.
“Do you have any idea how long it took me to get these on?” Caleb asked the kitsune, who went, Yip yip! “Fine. To your left,” he offered. Part of her spitefully wanted to disobey him, but figured his father’s sword was important. “How’s the water?”
“Refreshing,” she called back, but paused when she got to about her navel. She didn’t think it was that deep. “Tell me this lake doesn’t have an overabundance of leeches.”
“I’ll help you pick them off,” Caleb offered.
“You’re very kind,” she told him. The water was murky and dark, she couldn’t see his sword so she felt around with her feet and finding it, resigned herself to the dive. Thankfully, she got the sword on her first attempt, and she brought it backup tip first.
Caleb had waded out anyway, but really had only gotten to his knees. He also looked at her with wide eyes, kind of like an idiot for a half-second. “What?” she asked, wading towards him, offering him the sword. “Go on, take it—make sure I didn’t find someone else’s sword.”
Caleb hesitated, but upon grasping the handle unsheathed it, then cast a glare back at the kitsune, who put a paw to his nose and stuck out his tongue. “You’re not a kitsune or a mermaid, are you?” he asked eventually.
Lily couldn’t stifle a guffaw. “You see a tail or scales?” she asked, brushing her hair behind her ears.
“Sounds like something a lake monster would say,” he said with just a hint of teasing.
She flicked water at him, but the way the way the water and sunlight reflected off the blade, she noticed engraving. “It’s got an inscription?”
He held it so she could read it. “Old language. Means ‘Do not unsheathe me without reason, do not wield me without valour.’ Hey, you got a little leech, right—” Caleb gestured to his own neck.
“Waaah!” Lily panicked and fell backwards, and upon getting up, seeing him chuckling and realizing it was a ruse, reached for the sword. “Give me that! Boscoe didn’t get it in far enough.” He had longer strides so she had to settle for splashing him.
About the Author: L.T. Getty is a Manitoba Paramedic. She received her degree in English in 2006 from the University of Winnipeg, and has gone on to write several novels. Her latest title, Titan’s Ascent, is a sword and sorcery forthcoming from Champagne Books for 2025.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479207.L_T_Getty
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/getty_lt
Blog: http://www.ltgetty.ca
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/leiagetty
Amazon (US): https://www.amazon.com/Fable-Wood-String-Getty-ebook/dp/B0DDDQZ2LF
Amazon (Canada): https://www.amazon.ca/Fable-Wood-String-L-Getty/dp/1777698073
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/it/it/ebook/a-fable-of-wood-and-string
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-fable-of-wood-and-string-l-t-getty/1145983492
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