The Pumpkin Princess series by Steven Banbury

At the San Joaquin Valley Book Festival a few weeks back, my author signing table was next to Steven Banbury’s and I remembered hearing about this middle grade series and being curious about it. So far, there are two books, The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night and The Pumpkin Princess and the Buried Castle. Have a look:

On Halloween, it is always wise to expect the unexpected, but no amount of planning could have prepared Eve for that particular night. Fleeing an unpleasant orphanage, she’s saved by someone who she never believed was real…the fabled Pumpkin King himself.

Throwing caution aside, Eve accepts the offer to become his daughter and is whisked away to the misty Hallowell Valley—home to witches and vampires, ghosts and goblins, and all that go bump in the night. But just when she believes she’s found her place among the undead, a sinister scheme unearths itself, threatening to take everything from Eve unless she can stop it.

It’s been nearly a year since Eve became the only living child to call the land of the undead her home and the Pumpkin King her father—except, Eve was no longer sure just how “living” she actually was, not after what transpired during the Forever Night.

Now, peculiar and magical things are starting to happen to Eve, and she suddenly finds herself slipping through objects like a ghost, or even able to light torches with a mere breath. Stranger still, she’s beginning to see a mysterious green-eyed shadow that no one else can. And when the shadow offers Eve a deal that would give someone closest to her the thing they always wanted, Eve is forced into a decision she never wished to make. Torn between friendship and responsibility, where either path could lead to disaster, Eve must make a choice.

One there is no going back from….

And now, let’s here from Steven:

Hi Karen! First off, thanks so much for taking the time to ask me these questions! I always love talking books and writing, so any time I get a chance to do so puts a big smile on my face. Which actually leads right into your first question, so let’s get into it!

Who are some of your main influences as an author?

The writer that jumps immediately to mind is author Brian Jacques. Maybe it’s because I just finished one of his books. Maybe it’s because at any point during the year I’ve probably just finished one of his books (truly, I re-read his Castaways of the Flying Dutchman often.) Or maybe it’s just because I think he does a wonderful job capturing adventure, which to me has always been the delight of reading. Also, no one nails food descriptions better, and I have a weak spot for food in general. Yes, all food.

In all seriousness, though, one of my favorite parts about reading is the escapism of it. Jacques has a way of making me forget the world around and transporting me elsewhere, and I’ve always sought that in books, as well as when it comes to my own writing. Other novels have of course had this same impact on me as well, probably none more so than The Hobbit. Again, that sense of adventure and stepping off your doorstep into something else. It captured me as a child, and the fantasy and escapism of all of Tolkien’s works still to this day can pull my mind and heart away from reality in a way few other titles can.

Ever since, I’ve pursued that feeling in my own writing. I love being able to give people an “out” from real life, but also keeping things grounded in relatable emotions. I think the Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Night, along with its sequel, were both great examples of that balance of adventure and emotion. It follows a child adopted by the fabled Pumpkin King and whisked away to another land, and although she’s surrounded by a cozy spooky world that looks nothing like ours, it is still at its core a book about family and finding oneself. Eve, our protagonist, gets to be a daughter for the first time, while the Pumpkin King gets to be a father for the first time. I really felt like I got to have my cake and eat it too during the writing process for both books.

Neat! The Pumpkin Princess series has definitely been described as a cozy and fun Halloween read. In writing the second book, The Pumpkin Princess and the Forever Castle, how did you give new readers enough background without giving away spoilers from the first book?

Oh, I’m not sure I did! I think pretty early on in Book 2 I had to spoil some substantial events from the Forever Night (Book 1). However, I definitely did wrestle with this very conundrum for a while: trying to decide how much to recap, reveal, or remind at the outset of Book 2. Ultimately, it’s impossible to predict when people are discovering the sequel and how much time has gone by between them reading the first book and reading the second, so I chose to weave in all the background as soon as it made sense. That way it gave me all the room I needed for expanding and growing the world, essentially using everything that happens in Book 1 as a perfect launch pad for everything I was excited to write in Book 2, the Buried Castle.

Sounds like a great strategy! What is the most challenging thing you’ve experienced as a middle grade author?

I think, not dissimilarly from other genres, the biggest challenge is always winning someone’s attention. Getting them to read your book in the first place. With Middle Grade specifically at the moment, you’re also currently dealing with publishers seeing less young readers picking up books in the first place. But at the same time, I would never let that stand in my way or get in my head when it came time to put words down on the page. There are still so many kids out there discovering the wonder of a good book, that, if anything, just makes it that much more special. Middle Grade books are always a beautiful blend of heart and humor, adventure and emotion. And I think, while it can be potentially challenging to break through the noise of everything a book is competing with these days, the reward is entirely worth it. Not long ago, a mother of two young boys sent me photos from the “Pumpkin Princess themed tea party” her sons threw, and it honestly warmed my heart. I don’t think I’d get that from writing any other genre.

Oh, my goodness, I love that the boys read your books and that it inspired them to throw their own tea party! What are some of your current projects?

Currently? A bathroom remodel project in our home. (Though I suspect that’s not what you meant.) Beyond that, and on to more fun things, my agent and I are currently working together on a novel that has been growing and building in the back of my mind for some time now. I’m hoping to be able to talk more about it very soon. And outside of that, there are quite a few other things I want to sit down and begin to pencil as well, if only that tedious bathroom project would stop pulling me away from the keyboard….

Order the books in The Pumpkin Princess series