The Curse of the Amaranth by Violet Schofield

The Curse of the Amaranth is the first book in the Cornicles of Polaris Trilogy by Violet Schofield. It’s an interesting spin on the birth of the first vampire. Before we chat with the author, let’s read the synopsis:

Princess Zelina is about to be married when her fiancé, Daniel, goes missing. An evil wizard named Bo, has captured Zelina’s brother, Kerr, and Daniel. Kerr is made to search for an ancient relic called The Amaranth. Daniel is then forced to open it and, in doing so, is cursed. In the meantime, Zelina’s quest to find Daniel is full of fantastical adventure. Once united they have to banish Daniel to the underworld in order to save the kingdom.

J.C. - Violet, I am so happy to talk to you today! Before we dive into questions about your book, can you introduce yourself to our readers?

V.S. - I'm a 37 year old stay at home Mum from Australia. I live with my husband, two kids, two cats and two rabbits. I spend my time reading, writing, building lego and exploring outdoors. I started writing after quitting my job as a teacher.

J.C. - Book one starts off in the magical kingdom of Polaris. Book two moves to an urban fantasy. Then book three takes you into a dystopian future. How did you come up with the idea to write these stories that span across several genres and locations?

V.S. - The Curse of the Amaranth was something that had been swirling around in my head since high school. I finally got around to writing it in my 30s. The original idea started out as a medieval fantasy that ended in a leap through a portal to modern times. It was a very different book and embarrassingly involved a superhero duo similar to Batman and Robin. I guess the idea of spanning different times and genres came from there.

J.C. - This story was my first Indie Author read (with the exception of my own). You were my first Instagram follower from the writing community and I am so thankful to you for introducing me to such an amazing group of supportive authors. What does the Indie Author community mean to you?

V.S. - I first joined Instagram because I read somewhere that a writer needed to build a platform. I had no idea I was going to find such a wonderful and supportive community of writers and readers. I’ve learnt so much about the world of writing and made some new friends along the way.

J.C. - Zelina, while a guarded princess, turns out to be strong and courageous! Do you share any personality traits with her?

V.S. - Not really. I wanted her to be the opposite of me. Brave and determined. I tend to be filled with anxiety. I think I have more in common with Walker, the wizard.

J.C. - Poor Daniel. Not only is he captured by an evil wizard, he is then forced to open an ancient relic that curses him. How do you choose a character to carry a burden like this?

V.S. - Honestly, I have no idea. It just happened. I didn't plan much when writing this book. The story just kind of flowed that way. Most of the characters in the book that met a terrible fate were unexpected. I get in the zone, I write and whoops...someone gets cursed for all eternity.

J.C. - Who has been your biggest support system while on this writing adventure?

V.S. - My husband for working hard so I can have the time to write. My kids who let me test out my stories on them.

J.C. - Finish the sentence. In ten years I’d like to…

V.S. - Retire off the royalties from my bestselling novel that has been adapted into a successful TV series. That would be nice, but realistically, I'd hope to still be writing. It's something that I love and really enjoy.

J.C. - Like me, you love Lego! What is your favorite thing geek?

V.S. - Probably Harry Potter and the video game Stardew Valley.

J.C. - The second book in the series is Bo Gunnar Wants to Rule the World, the third is called The Last of Polaris. Have you considered writing a spin off ?

V.S. - I think there is a lot of possibility for spin offs. I did think about a book from Bo Gunnar's point of view. Or maybe a series about the Polaris society. The time shifts leave a lot of gaps that could be filled.

J.C. - Lastly, where can readers find you and your work?

V.S. - All three books are available on amazon. Just search the titles or Violet Schofield.