Interview with Mackenzie Flohr and review of The Rite of Wands

I am delighted to be welcoming Mackenzie Fohlr to the blog today for both an interview and review of her book - The Rite of Wands. Here's a little about Mackenzie.

Mackenzie is the author of The Rite of Wands, a young adult fantasy series. Her debut novel was released on March 10, 2017, and has already gathered hype and received some incredible reviews. Mackenzie Flohr grew up in Ohio, chasing leprechauns and rainbows and dreaming of angels. Her parents nurtured a love of fantasy and make-believe by introducing her at a very young age to the artistic and cultural opportunities that the state of Ohio had to offer. She wanted to write a fantasy of her own, one that could inspire imagination in others and lead them into a magical world of their own making. Wherever we live and wherever we come from is our individual heartland. Anything is possible and everything can happen. Pure imagination is in all of us—we only need to discover it, and sometimes story telling helps.

And onto the interview!

What made you want to be a writer?
I have had interest in writing ever since I was young, but honestly never thought of it as a career. Growing up, my best friend and I would create our own stories and critique each other’s work. In my teen years, I attended the Beck Center for the Cultural Arts in Lakewood, Ohio. There, I studied about the entire process behind a production including the writing, casting, building, lighting, directing, etc. It was then when I started to realize I was meant to be a writer.

What kind of writer are you: plan or not?
I’m a little bit of both. I originally did have an outline written out for The Rite of Wands, but I had to make many adjustments due to my MC being a discovery character. There were many times in the story where he went his own way and I had to compensate for that!

If you had the chance to write anywhere, where would you choose?
Preferably, outside, where it’s warm near some palm trees, and there’s the sound of the ocean nearby. Where I live there’s none of that.

Do you prefer to type or hand write?
I type everything I write. I’ve tried handwriting before, but it just seems like my mind gets all jumbled when I do that and I end up crossing out majority of what I’ve written

Do you have a writing playlist? Or do you prefer silence?
I do! I actually created a playlist for The Rite of Wands, which can be found on my blog, and can be listened to on Spotify :-)

Do you have any hobbies?
I collect comic books (specifically The Walking Dead, Back To The Future, Doctor Who, Outcast), and when I do have time to myself, which is very rare these days, I like to play video games

What does your writing space look like?
I think it would be better for me to show you all a picture than try to describe it!

One boy…one Rite… And a world of deadly secrets that could change the course of history—forever

And so begins the tale of Mierta McKinnon. When a horrible fate reveals itself during his Rite of Wands ceremony, he must find a way to change not only his destiny but also the land of Iverna’s.

Forbidden from revealing the future he foresees to anyone, he is granted a wand and his magical powers, but still must master the realm of magic in order to save himself and those he loves.

But Mierta is not the only one with secrets…especially when it’s impossible to know who to trust

Amazon 

My review: 5 stars

I had been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it, and was so glad when it came across my path. The story starts with the rite of wands, a ceremony that Mierta, and every witch or warlock, has to go through to be given their wand and allowed to practice magic. During the ceremony, there is a scene of what could be Mierta's destiny, and he is desperate to change it. The story is engaging from the first page and beautifully told. An amazing debut novel. I loved the book and the description that went into the scenery. I also loved Orlynd and the way his story unfolded. Overall an excellent start to what looks to be an engaging and exciting series. Highly recommended!

You can follow Mackenzie on Facebook, Goodreads and her website.

Join Joey here on the blog on Fridays for interviews, reviews and guest bloggers. If you'd be interested in doing any of those, you can contact Joey here.