BookView Review

Welcome to BookView Interview, a conversation series where BookView talks to authors..

Recently, we interviewed Toni Yap about her writing and her recently released middle grade novel, Talisman – Gifts of the Shavtal, a coming-of-age story about a young girl bequeathed with an extraordinary ability. (Read the review here.)

Have you always known you wanted to write fantasy novels, or did you by start by writing other genres?

I’ve been a huge fan of fantasy books since I was 14. I started out writing short ghost stories and read many books about the paranormal, mythology, mysticism, and folktales worldwide.

Did you have to conduct research into Celtic folklore before embarking on writing the book? What was that process like?

I spent two years researching and reading about Celtic folklore, and several books were available. It was a lot of fun, but I was easily distracted and sometimes fell into research loopholes. I would find an interesting tidbit about a creature or other world information and scour libraries, articles, and Internet sites for more information.

Do you have a favorite character in Talisman: Gifts of the Shavtal, or at least a character that you hold particularly close to your heart? Which one(s)?

GiGi is my favorite character, and it was sometimes gut-wrenching to throw her into some terrible experiences. I also enjoyed writing about Ms. Laura Jenkins because she was ahead of her time and protected women’s rights in the 1970s.

GiGi’s identity as a Filipina is important to her, or at least to how others in the story view her. What made you decide to make this an important element of the story?

I am a Filipino Immigrant who came to the US at six years old. It was a huge transformation because I didn’t want to lose my native Tagalog language and many of my mother’s customs while transitioning to the American way of life. I identified with GiGi’s feeling like a stranger in her community and school because she didn’t look like the others.

In honor of Talisman: Gifts of the Shavtal being the latest entry in the fantasy genre, who are your favorite fantasy authors?

J.R.R. Tolkien is my all-time favorite, and recently, Holly Black and Toni Adeyemi.

Talisman: Gifts of the Shavtal is the first book in a series. Can you give us a sneak peek at what to expect in Book 2?

GiGi runs away from home, hoping to reach her Aunt Gloria in Seattle, but ends up in the Other World where she discovers her best friend Danae is held prisoner.

Can you provide links to any of these:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toniyappublication

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toniyapauthor

Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yappubs

Website: https://toniyap.com

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