Emilia Ramos Samper became one of the youngest people to ever publish a book when she wrote Crown of Scales and Wonder at age ten. She has gone on to win the LaPlume Young Writers Contest and the Literary Icon Award at the 2022 LitFest.
What got you into writing your own stories? Ever since I was little, I have been fascinated with the idea of building worlds. When I’m writing, it’s like the works I’m in melts away and all I can think about is my story and my characters.
What genre do you write?
Teen fantasy
Tell us about your WIP.
My debut novel was Crown of Scales and Wonder, the first book of The Shadow Heir Trilogy. It tells the tale of two teens caught in endless war. I’m currently working on the second book of the trilogy, which will be released this year!
How would you describe your writing style?
My writing style is very romantic and dramatized with lots of witty banter, sweet
friendships, and passionate love stories.
What comes more easily, plot or characters?
Definitely characters! Long before I know any events, I know who I want to write about. The hard part is creating a story around them.
Do you cross over genres or do you only stick to one?
I cross over genres occasionally but have mainly published in fantasy. However, a short story of mine titled Maiden of a Broken World is actually going to be published this month as part of a dystopian fairytale collection on Wattpad (In A Land Far Away).
What is your "writer's den" like?
My writer’s den consists of a little desk on the side of my loft bed facing a beautifully bright window. Around it, the walls are covered in maps maps and character notes.
How do you get into the flow for writing? Do you have any rituals?
I actually have a playlist that I love listening to before I write. It gets me write in the mood, because each song represents a different character.
What is your personally most significant achievement as a writer, and why? As a writer, my most significant achievement would have to be publishing my first book when I was ten. This was so important to me, because I wanted to show kids all over the world that it doesn’t matter how old you are! There’s no age restriction on a good writer.
What would be the greatest achievement for you to aim for as a writer if anything were possible? If anything were possible, I’d aim to be a New York Times Bestseller, and I’ve always been of the mentality that anything is possible! After all, I’m only just twelve.
What are you most grateful for as a writer? My family. 100%. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am in my writing career without my family.
Do you have a day job? What is it? School, I guess! It gets in the way of writing quiet a bit too!
Has a real-life experience informed your writing? Share the scene it inspired. Yes. Once, we went to monasteries in Tibet, where we walked up a ridiculous amount of stairs to arrive at beautiful castle-like buildings maintained by monks. This inspired the air tribe in my book. Of course, their monasteries were floating.
Do you read the same genre you write? Why, or why not? Yes, I love fantasy and it constantly inspires me to write more creative stories. However, I also love other genres, like romance and dystopian.
Do you read fellow indie authors' works? Why or why not? Recently, I’ve been trying to read more works from indie authors, because I think supporting other authors is very important. Also, in my opinion, most indie novels are just as good as any traditionally published work.
Is there an author who inspires you? Marissa Meyers has been a big inspiration for me. Her vibrant characters, bustling plots, and beautiful worlds are truly incredible and great to learn from.
Give us three fun facts about yourself.
I have a dog named Snowy who is adorable and was the inspiration for the snow monkey in CSW, Miko.
I’m currently trying to swerve middle school drama in the chaos that is seventh grade.
I’m a massive theatre kid and am currently playing Elsa in a production of Frozen at Area Stage.
What's one of your funniest experiences? I was (and still am) an incredibly competitive kid. So, one time I was at a rodeo in Colorado, where I grew up. I entered the kids lamb-riding contest and when I felt I was slipping off of the lamb, I just held it tighter and tighter. Before I knew it, the poor thing was on the ground! I still one first place, but I feel bad for the little lamb.
What is something about you that few people know? I absolutely ADORE rom-com movies, and I ugly cry through every even slightly sad movie.
Do you have any hobbies? I love musical theater, dance, and voice!
What's your favorite holiday?
Does summer count? If not, Christmas 🎄🎁
What's your favorite season?
I live in Miami, so the only season we really have is hurricane season. But if I did live somewhere seasonal, I’d have to say autumn.
Find out more about and connect with Emilia here.
Featured Book: Crown of Scales and Wonder:
Book 1 of The Shadow Heir Trilogy
I would like to feature this book, because it is my debut novel and its characters and world have been my passion project for over three years. (As I mentioned previously, it’s sequel is to be released this year).
Who was your favorite character to write and why? My favorite character to write was a girl named Ariah. I loved writing her, because she is the farthest person from Little Miss Perfect ever and a stark contrast to the hopeful and empathetic protagonist, Naomi. Ariah is dark, traitorous, and only looks out for herself. That is… until she falls in love with her best friend.
“Oh. My. Gosh. Emilia's book left me speechless (in a very, very good way). You're telling me she wrote this masterpiece at ten years old? It's as good, if not better than, a lot of adults' traditionally published books I've read! Crown of Scales and Wonder is a book of perseverance, trust, and new revelations. Princess Naomi, whose father disappeared when she was young, is seeing her mother in a new light when she starts using very questionable magic to bring the world under her control. Naomi meets Ez, the second in command of a rebellion trying to take down Naomi's mother. Naomi escapes the palace with Ez's help and they go around recruiting people to help with the rebellion's cause, but a traitor might just cripple them all. The worldbuilding, the descriptions, THE NAMES! The names are amazing, and they all fit together perfectly. I can practically see the different lands and people when she explains them, like I'm right there with the main characters. I loved the monkeys, and Naomi is such an amazing character. Emilia is the best at iconic quotes. I definitely recommend Crown of Scales and Wonder to MG and YA fantasy readers. I can't wait for its sequel, as well as the last book of the Shadow Heir trilogy!”
What was your favorite scene to write and why? My favorite scene to write was the almost-kiss scene between the two protagonists, Ez and Naomi. The setting is magical, the chemistry is explosive, and the whole scene is a beautiful combination of romance and fire.
What was the spark that started this book? The spark that started CSW was the pandemic. As a ten-year-old crammed in her room for months on end, I wasn’t loving the world around me. So, I created a new one.
What was the most interesting random fact you researched for this book? The most interesting random fact I researched for this book was all the different ways she you can see “dark” “indigo” and “shadows”. WordHippo was my best friend!
What's the message you worked into this book?
The message I worked into this book is that “We are not what our parents were.” I think this is something so important for kids to know, regardless of their feelings towards their parents. They can pave their own path, whether it being taking over a magical kingdom or something a bit simpler!
Comments