Character Casting for Zaria Fierce & the Secret of Gloomwood Forest – Meet the Non-Humans

Today I’m a little bit excited to be hosting Keira Gillett on her Zaria Fierce blog tour – she’s talking about the non-human characters from the story and I must say I’m a bit of a fan of Hector Woodworth already 😉 I will be reviewing the first Zaria Fierce book later in the month but first I will let the author herself do some talking to whet your appetite…

Greetings! Thanks for having me here at Carole Finds Her Wings. My name is Keira Gillett and I’m the author of the brand new Zaria Fierce Trilogy, about an American girl who meets a troll in the middle of modern-day Norway. And not the nice kind! The first book, Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest released on March 6, 2015. Watch the book trailer here:

One of the things I didn’t do while writing the story was cast my characters. It’s something I did only after I’d written about Zaria’s adventures to Gloomwood Forest. I tell you, I respect casting directors a heck of a lot more now. It’s hard to find just that right fit. I’m sharing my vision of the non-humans in the book, including Hector Woodworth, Frida and Edevart, and Helena.

Thorbjorn Harr as Hector Woodworth:

My vision of Hector, who is a shapeshifting ellefolken, is as a brawny Viking or hunter, comfortable in his own skin and the woods. It wouldn’t hurt if you saw him and thought of Thor. I think Thornbjorn would look great sporting a set of antlers too!

Wrenn Schmidt as Frida:

I wanted the elves to be visually refined in their looks compared to Hector and also have a timeless sense of beauty. I think Wrenn fits perfectly with that vision. She’s otherworldly yet still very warm.

Lee Pace as Edevart:

Edevart is also an elf and is Frida’s husband. He loves his starchy cravats. Now imagine Lee with hair like Lucius/Draco Malfoy and you would have Edevart.

Ewa Da Cruz as Helena:

Now Helena doesn’t physically appear in the book, but she’s mentioned quite often so I thought I would share my vision of her too. Helena is a sorceress and the queen of the Under Realm, which is very dangerous because of the dragons trapped there. I like Ewa for Helena because she gives off a nicely balanced combination of softness and fierceness.

Do you like who I cast or did you picture the characters differently? Let me know and share in the comment section below!

Reviews:

Are you in the mood for an old fashioned magical jaunt? Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest by Keira Gillett is a classic “perilous adventure” book for middle grade readers. 4 Stars – Jennifer Bardsley, The YA Gal

I really enjoyed Zaria’s story. It reminded me a lot of Percy Jackson series… Middle school children will absolutely like this one! 4 Stars – Anjie Basi, Love Thy Shelf

This book will have young listeners hooked right from the start. In fact, if parents are planning a driving holiday this summer, I highly recommend purchasing this audiobook. It will definitely keep the kids entertained while traveling. Michele Carpenter’s narration is terrific. 5 Stars – Amie Gaudet, Amie’s Book Reviews

Excerpt:

Geirr stooped to pick up some decent-sized sticks, and Zaria bent to grab a few too. They talked amicably and walked, stretching their legs, until they were too burdened by their loads to keep going.

“My arms are going to collapse,” Zaria huffed. Her breath fogged around her face, covering and then revealing a well-pinked nose and cheeks. “Let’s head back to camp.”

“Sounds good to me,” Geirr said and turned around to do just that. Zaria followed and collided into him, dropping her load of kindling all over the ground.

“Hey!” she exclaimed, as she went to gather them. “Why did you stop?”

“I don’t think we’re going to find camp,” Geirr said, worrying his lip. He juggled his armful of wood and pointed haphazardly forward. “It’s like pea soup.”

Zaria looked up from playing fifty-two pickup and saw what worried Geirr. In front of them was a wall of fog, thick, viscous, and impossible to see through. She gulped and carefully set down the pile she’d been working to gather again. Was it her imagination or did the fog seem to be breathing? It crept closer in stages. Not fast enough that she saw it while looking directly at it, but if she looked away and back, it most definitely moved.

“Uh, Geirr,” Zaria said, slowly gaining her feet. “I think we should move and fast.”

Geirr looked at her puzzled. “I don’t think fast is an option here. Now if you pick up your stack and stick near me maybe we can Marco Polo our way back to the others.”

“Geirr,” Zaria hissed, her voice ratcheting higher. “The fog is moving.” He didn’t look impressed. The breathing sounds from within the fog grew louder, distressing Zaria. “No seriously, it’s moving like it’s alive.”

Geirr looked back again and stared hard, trying to penetrate the fog with his gaze alone. Zaria started to ease away, firewood forgotten.

“Come on, Geirr, we have to move. Can’t you hear the breathing?”

“That isn’t you?” he asked, alarmed.

“No!” Zaria shouted. “Run!”

Sample a preview of the audio book (different from above excerpt):

Author Bio: Keira Gillett is a technical publications librarian, book blogger, world traveler, artist, and now author. She graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing and Painting. From an early age her mother instilled a love of the written word, as such she has always been a big reader. Her first book, Zaria Fierce and the Secret of Gloomwood Forest, is about a young girl who must complete a quest to save her friend from a nasty river-troll.

Website: http://keiragillett.com

Social Media: Twitter (keiragillett), Facebook (zariafiercetrilogy), Pinterest (keiragillett)

Available in E-book | Print | Audio Book formats.

See if you’re eligible to get a free copy of the audio book here.