MONSTER MOUNTAIN

I’m happy to welcome author Stacey Bartlett to the blog again, this time to chat about her soon to be released book MONSTER MOUNTAIN, which will be published by Monarch Educational Services on March 25th, 2025. How exciting!

A bit about MONSTER MOUNTAIN:

“There’s mysterious creatures lurking in them there woods…”

Nicky, her online gamer bestie, and her little brother, Ben, find themselves at their grandparents North Carolina mountain home for summer vacation on the grandest adventure of their lives as they face the myths and folklore that live in local legend face-to-face and wonder if they will live to tell the monstrous tale.

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Now, on to our interview:

M. Stacey, I’m so glad I get to feature you and your new book on my blog. Congratulations! For starters, can you share what inspired you to write this story?

S. My son, Jamie, inspired me to write Monster Mountain. We drove past beautiful Chimney Rock State Park here in the mountains of Western North Carolina where I live, and I remarked that it would be so much fun to go hiking and slip through a portal into another world! I was imagining a fantasy world of elves and unicorns when I said it, but my son immediately replied, “Yeah— and it would be so cool if there were monsters!” So the idea was born, and we brainstormed many fun creatures and elements of the story all the way home!

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M. That’s such a special way to come up with a new book idea! Can you tell us why did you write a book related to North Carolina’s folklore? 

S. I wrote a book related to North Carolina’s folklore because I love my state, and it is rich in fantastic folklore! When I started research for Monster Mountain, I discovered many stories both sensational and spooky. I thought children would have great fun reading a story filled with adventure and creatures like a Wampus Cat and a Boojum, and I couldn’t wait to get started!

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M. It really does sound interesting, I’m sure many kids will be curious to learn about these creatures. I noticed video games play a role in this book, can you share more about this?

S. Video games, particularly Minecraft, play an important role in the story. The protagonist and her online bestie are gamers, and so is her little brother, Ben. When they meet up in real life, the adventure begins! The kids also use their gaming skills and knowledge to battle monsters and survive on Monster Mountain!

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M. As a mom of Minecraft lovers, I was very interested in knowing your answer to the question, and I can see how gaming skills could help the characters fight monsters in “real life”. Now can you share what was your favorite scene to write in this story and which one was the most challenging?

S. My favorite scene to write would probably be at the end when the kids have an epic final battle with giant scary birds they must pass to reach the magical portal and home. They use fairy crosses, rock formations found in North Carolina, for protection. The scene was fun and exciting to write, and I would love to see it on the big screen in a movie for kids! The most challenging scene to write was when Ben has to say goodbye to a very special friend he made on Monster Mountain. I wanted it to be touching, but still leave children happy and with the hope that they would meet again!

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M. It sounds really exciting and I agree it would be great movie material. Any new projects that you’re currently working on that you can share?

S. The project I am working on now is a women’s fiction novel about a single mom who finds a fresh start and a second chance at romance in a campground by the sea! I also have many other kidlit projects planned for the future, so exciting times ahead!

Stacey thanks so much for this chat! I wish you all the best with your book birthday and the promotion weeks ahead. Enjoy, have fun, and good luck with all your coming projects. I can’t wait to hear more good news from you! Congratulations!

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STACEY’S BIO

Stacey was born in West Palm Beach, Florida, and currently lives in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina. She graduated from Palm Beach Atlantic University with a BS in Psychology and has been a homeschool teacher for over twenty years. Her YA contemporary, FREE SINGS THE SEA was published 9/3/2024 with Monarch Educational Services, and her work appears in various literary journals. She has four children. Stacey loves to read and to write stories that bring hope to her readers’ hearts.

SOCIALS: https://linktr.ee/staceybartlettauthor

Thanks for reading!

M

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📸 Cover photo by Lum3n.