The Official Amanda Hocking Goodreads Group discussion

Post your questions here for Amanda about ASCEND! She'll be answering questions on 12/4!

Did you plan to kill Elora off from the start or did you decide later?

What's your favourite scene from this book and what was your inspiration behind writing the scene?

Hi Amanda,
I absolutely love how this trilogy started and ended.
1. I'm just wondering if you will be writing a book about Oliver? I really hope you do and a novella would be enough.
2. When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning? I personally love the name Loki and how you made his character really suits his name.
3. What is your favourite part of writing a book?
4. If you could work with another author, who would it be and what would it be about?
5. Are your characters based on anyone you know? (e.g. personality, apperance).
Thanks Amanda and keep writing :)

Erecia wrote: "Did you plan to kill Elora off from the start or did you decide later?"

Exactly...
She was actually my favorite character and her death was sort of stinging. I suppose it was needed though.

I have read all the books, more than once. I'd like to say that this is my favorite book series. Who was the character you enjoyed writing the most? The least? Lastly, how did you come up with the idea for writing the novels?

Do you think if Wendy and Finn were able to be together that they would have worked or do you think they're relationship would have fizzled out no matter what?
I'm always thinking what if! :D

I love your series by the way! I wouldn't change anything!

What inspired you to write Ascend and what was your favorite thing to write in Ascend?

Before the questions, I wanted to thank you for that great story, It opened the doors of the book world to me!!!
Keep writing ;)
Here are the questions
1. Which was your favorite thing about Finn? and Loki?
2. Which do you think would be the reaction of Elora if she knew that Wendy loved Loki?
Thank you!

I have read your books over and over and each time I am left wandering what happens to Oliver? also I was wandering, Did you plan for Wendy to end up with Loki or did you plan her to end up with Fin?

I first want to tell you that I found the trylle series entertaining :)
Did you always know how the trilogy would end? And if you could change something now about the trilogy would you?

Erecia wrote: "Did you plan to kill Elora off from the start or did you decide later?"

I knew from the beginning that Elora would die. I wanted Wendy to rule in her own right at the end of the series, which meant that Elora would no longer be in the picture.

I also really wanted her story arc to be someone who initially appeared cold and aloof, and for readers to come the realization that Elora was just strong woman doing the best she could to protect her daughter and her kingdom, and in the end, she was willing to sacrifice everything for those she loved.

Elaine wrote: "What's your favourite scene from this book and what was your inspiration behind writing the scene?"

My favorite scene in this book was probably the one at the wedding where Wendy dances with Loki. I love writing sexual tension, and I've always enjoyed writing the chemistry between Wendy and Loki.

The inspiration was partially the ballroom scene from Labyrinth, where Sara is dancing with the Goblin King. (That's always been one of my favorite scenes from the movie.)

I also pictured Wendy and Loki dancing to the song "Don't Wear Me Out" by Oceanship. It's a really beautiful song, and I think it fits really well with it.

Johnzel wrote: "Hi Amanda,
I absolutely love how this trilogy started and ended.
1. I'm just wondering if you will be writing a book about Oliver? I really hope you do and a novella would be enough.
2. When naming your characters, do you give any thought to the actual meaning? I personally love the name Loki and how you made his character really suits his name.
3. What is your favourite part of writing a book?
4. If you could work with another author, who would it be and what would it be about?
5. Are your characters based on anyone you know? (e.g. personality, apperance).
Thanks Amanda and keep writing :) "

1. At the moment, I currently have no plans to write a continuing story about Oliver. But of course, things do change.
2. Yes, I definitely give thought to the meaning. With the Trylle series mythology based on Scandinavian folklore, I wanted to give nods to Norse mythology. And I thought the name "Loki" suited his personality.
3. My favorite part is always the moment right before I start writing - when my mind is full of ideas unhampered by concern about how they'll turn out or insecurities about my writing - and right after the end - which is a wonderful sense of relief and accomplishment.
4. I don't know. I admire a lot of other authors (most other authors, actually), but I think I'd be too intimidated to really work with any of them. It would mostly just be watching another person work ;)
5. No, none of the characters are based on people I know. When I was younger, like in grade school/middle school, I used to write a lot about people I knew, but as I've gotten older, I find it limiting. It's hard to imagine real people I know doing the things my characters need to do sometimes.

Thank for all the great questions! :)

Anusha wrote: "I have read all the books, more than once. I'd like to say that this is my favorite book series. Who was the character you enjoyed writing the most? The least? Lastly, how did you come up with the ..."

The characters I enjoyed writing the most were Loki and Elora. Elora, to me, has the most fascinatign story arc, and I also love tragic backstories and characters who struggle to overcome their past, which both Loki and Elora do. And Loki's also just a lot of a fun.

My least favorite characters to write were probably Rhys and Rhiannon, which is also probably why they don't appear much in the rest of the series. There is nothing wrong with them per se, but since they were side characters who didn't have a lot to do with the main story, I just didn't find them all that fun to write.

The series is based on Scandinavian folklore that described trolls as magical and beautiful, and it really intrigued me. When I was growing up, I was absolutely terrified of trolls, like I was certain they were under my bed and were going to murder me in my sleep. So I think that for me, part of writing the story, was about confronting my fears and turning them into something else.

Chelly wrote: "Do you think if Wendy and Finn were able to be together that they would have worked or do you think they're relationship would have fizzled out no matter what?
I'm always thinking what if! :D

I ..."

I have thought about that. If you remove all the class distinctions, and Wendy and Finn are just a boy and a girl who meet, would they end up together?

Ultimatey, I don't think they would be happy together. At the start of the series, Wendy needs to grow up and become a strong, independent young woman.

But Finn likes to take care of people, he likes people to dependent on him because he can keep them safe that way. He's not a bad guy for feeling that way, but I think that personality type - the protector - doesn't mesh well with Wendy. They would argue and clash, and eventually, make each other miserable.

So I think that no matter, Wendy and Finn wouldn't make a good pairing.

What do you feel when you finish a series?

P.S I love your books❤️

What do you feel when you finish a series?

P.S I love your books❤️

Ashley wrote: "What inspired you to write Ascend and what was your favorite thing to write in Ascend?"

The series is based on Scandinavian folklore that described trolls as magical and beautiful, and it really intrigued me. I also read a bit about changelings, and I became really fascinated by the idea of what would happen to a child was switched birth. Usually, a changeling only appears in the story as a villain - the antagonist to to the child its displaced. But I thought the whole thing had to seem intense and insane to the changeling themselves.

My favorite scene in this book was probably the one at the wedding where Wendy dances with Loki. I love writing sexual tension, and I've always enjoyed writing the chemistry between Wendy and Loki

Laura wrote: "Before the questions, I wanted to thank you for that great story, It opened the doors of the book world to me!!!
Keep writing ;)
Here are the questions
1. Which was your favorite thing about Finn? ..."

1. My favorite thing about Finn is his kind of silent strength, and he smolders. Smoldering is always fun. My favorite thing about Loki is his sense of humor. I think Loki is really funny, and funny guys have always been my thing.

2. I think Elora's initial reaction would be fear. After her dealings with both Oren and Loki's dad, she would be very, very leery about her daughter getting involved with Loki. But I think that once she did finally see that Loki really loved Wendy and Wendy really loved him, I think that she would be proud of her daughter for finding a way to follow her heart and defend the kingdom.

Isabella wrote: "I have read your books over and over and each time I am left wandering what happens to Oliver? also I was wandering, Did you plan for Wendy to end up with Loki or did you plan her to end up with Fin?"


Oliver grows up in the kingdom, and I'm sure has many adventures of his own. I don't have any specific written down, though :)

I never planned for Wendy to end up with Finn, but I didn't always plan for her to end up with Loki. Initially, I imagined Wendy ending up alone. I liked the idea of her ruling without anyone.

But by the time I started outlining the second book in the trilogy, and Loki really started taking shape, I knew that she would end up with him. He could rule by her side without holding her back.

I would like to know what happen in the future:
1 Was Wendy able to change the trylle?
2 Did Loki and Wendy had more kinds?
3 Did Matt and Willa got married?
5 Did Tove and Brian got married?
6 what happened to the vittra?

Annalisa97 wrote: "I first want to tell you that I found the trylle series entertaining :)
Did you always know how the trilogy would end? And if you could change something now about the trilogy would you?"

I knew the big strokes - that Oren was Wendy's dad, that the Vittra would be defeated, that Wendy would marry and ultimately divorce Tove, that Elora would die and Wendy would be Queen.

When I first started outlining the story, I did not intend for Wendy to be married to anyone or to be pregnant, but that changed when I began outlining Torn. So from then on, I had a better idea of how things would end.

Right now, I wouldn't change anything. I initially self-published the Trylle series, and when it was picked up and re-published by St. Martin's Press, I had a chance to reedit the series. There were a couple small things I wanted to correct or expand on, and I had that opportunity to do it then.

So now, I am very pleased with how the series turned out.

Sirena wrote: "I would like to know what happen in the future:
1 Was Wendy able to change the trylle?
2 Did Loki and Wendy had more kinds?
3 Did Matt and Willa got married?
5 Did Tove and Brian got married?
6 wha..."

Some of these questions are answered in the new series, the Kanin Chronicles. :)

But those questions are too big for me to answer here. I'd like to believe that the future is hopeful for the Trylle, that Wendy and Loki continue to make progress, but nothing is ever perfect or easy.