Guest Author Molly Ringle on Launch Day
Posted by: Darlene on: January 6, 2021
- In: guest posts | Writing
- 56 Comments
It´s launch day for Molly Ringle´s latest book Lava Red Feather Blue. Don´t you just love the cover!!

The Blurb:
Awakening the handsome prince is supposed to end the fairy tale, not begin it. But the Highvalley witches have rarely done things the way they’re supposed to. On the north Pacific island of Eidolonia, hidden from the world by enchantments, Prince Larkin has lain in a magical sleep since 1799 as one side of a truce between humans and fae. That is, until Merrick Highvalley, a modern-day witch, discovers an old box of magic charms and cryptic notes hidden inside a garden statue.
Experimenting with the charms, Merrick finds himself inside the bower where Larkin lies, and accidentally awakens him. Worse still, releasing Larkin from the spell also releases Ula Kana, a faery bent on eradicating humans from the island. With the truce collapsing and hostilities escalating throughout the country, Merrick and Larkin form an unlikely alliance and become even unlikelier heroes as they flee into the perilous fae realm on a quest to stop Ula Kana and restore harmony to their island
What people are saying about the book:
“Come for the Sleeping Beauty allusion, but stay for the incredible world-building! Fans of fantasy, especially anything fae-related, will find this a very rich, satisfying read.” –Brett Hartinger, Author of Geography Club and Three Truths and a Lie
“Lush and imaginative–an epic fantasy for a new generation, full of love, vengeance, redemption, and forgiveness.” –Pam Stucky, Author of The Universes Inside the Lighthouse
About the Author
Molly Ringle was one of the quiet, weird kids in school, and is now one of the quiet, weird writers of the world. Though she made up occasional imaginary realms in her Oregon backyard while growing up, Eidolonia is her first full-fledged fictional country. Her previous novels are predominantly set in the Pacific Northwest and feature fae, goblins, ghosts, and Greek gods alongside regular humans. She lives in Seattle with her family, corgi, guinea pigs, fragrance collection, and a lot of moss.

Buy links:
Paperbacks via Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/search/book?keys=author%3ARingle%2C%20Molly
Ebooks via Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=molly%20ringle&fcsearchfield=Author
Print and Nook via B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Molly%20Ringle%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall
Print and Kindle via Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Molly-Ringle/e/B003OSSOF8?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1609448504&sr=8-1
I´m pleased to have Molly here as a guest on this special launch day as I have been a fan of hers for a number of years. Learn more about this intriguing author.
- Tell the readers about yourself, including something quirky.
I’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest almost my whole life: born in Oregon’s Willamette Valley and grew up there, and moved to Seattle as an adult. The only major exceptions, not counting vacations, were three years of grad school in Davis, California, and three months of working abroad in the UK in 1996, spent mostly in Edinburgh, Scotland. And speaking of Scotland, I suppose one quirky thing is that I genuinely do like haggis! (I’ve found that if you like meatloaf, you can handle haggis. It’s not as scary as it sounds.)
- You are a very diverse writer, how do you manage moving from one genre to another?
I’m glad it seems diverse from the outside! To me it feels like I usually write variations on a few themes: there’s always a love story; there’s NEARLY always a gentle, hopeful, even humorous tone; and there may or may not be paranormal elements, but even if the story is real-world, there’s still something of a fairy-tale feel in that remarkable events take place. When looking to start a new project, I usually decide what I most feel like writing at that time in my life—fantasy or real-world, epic scale or more intimate scale—and then proceed to figure out the characters and their goals and obstacles.
- Where do you get ideas for your stories? What inspired Lava Red Feather Blue?
The ideas can come from anywhere—dreams, random thoughts, retellings of myths, mashups of various elements that interest me. I write the brief thoughts down in a story idea file if they seem good enough to someday become a book. One such note was the idea of creating a new country, a large island somewhere off the west coast of North America. I also liked the idea of it having royals (because to an American that can be a bizarre yet intriguing feature). And when I needed to pick a new story to write in early 2017, I settled on that one, and furthermore, decided I wanted to do more with the idea of humans living alongside fae, which I played with in The Goblins of Bellwater. So Lava Red Feather Blue eventually became all of that: humans and fae living on an island country in the Pacific. Plus a hint of a Sleeping Beauty retelling.
- If you could choose a fictional character to be your best friend, who would you choose and why?
Hmm, that’s a question whose answer could change for me from day to day! But today the one who comes to mind is EIinor Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility. I love the whole Dashwood family and would be happy to visit with all of them, but Elinor seems the most steadfast and (to use the book’s title) sensible of the lot. Plus maybe being her best friend would mean I’d always have a place to stay in England, which I would find quite appealing as a perk.
- If you could personally see one natural phenomenon that you have never seen, what would it be and why that one?
Fireflies. I have never seen them in person! We don’t have them in the western states, and I haven’t happened to be anywhere that does have them. (I did visit NYC in late May and early June one year, but the fireflies were stubborn and did not light up for me in Central Park.) I love bioluminescence, so I want to experience them some magical night. Until then, I’ll have to settle for the lovely sea sparkle that we get in Puget Sound on the occasional warm summer night.
- Tell us about your next writing project.
I’m returning to Eidolonia, the island from Lava Red Feather Blue, but with a new set of characters. As such, it isn’t really a sequel, but I expect it will overlap in time with Lava Red Feather Blue and will reflect some of the same major events. Mostly, though, it will be about characters in a different town than those visited in the first book, and it will focus on the frictions between fae and humans there, and the ways love and magic complicate their lives. I have a lot to figure out yet, but that’s likely to be the vague outline of it!
Follow Molly on the following social media sites
Blog: http://mollyringle.livejournal.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MollyRingle/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2905269.Molly_Ringle
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/writermollyringle/
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/mollyringle/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mollyringle
Website: http://www.mollyringle.com/
A selection of Molly´s books.

My review of the Goblins of Bellwater
I am a huge fan of Molly Ringle’s novels. The Goblins of Bellwater didn’t disappoint and proved the versatility of this talented writer. Set in the picturesque Pacific Northwest, there is plenty of magic, romance, and action to engage any reader. Ms Ringle’s vivid descriptions take the reader into the unbelievable world of goblins – believably! Her portrayal of the contemporary human characters living in a small town and their relationships are very realistic. Can a mechanic, who is also an artist, a dedicated environmentalist, a talented chef and a barista/aspiring artist be able to withstand the power of a goblin’s spell and return to their normal lives? This page-turner will keep you guessing as they race against time and the elements to release an age-old evil spell, that is affecting all of their lives. And not in a good way.
Check out Molly’s books for a real treat.
56 Responses to "Guest Author Molly Ringle on Launch Day"

2 | Kirt D Tisdale
January 6, 2021 at 9:32 am
Thanks for hosting Molly, Darlene. Very intriguing teaser for her book! Great interview!!


4 | Jacqui Murray
January 6, 2021 at 12:43 pm
I just read another fractured fairy tale–Snow White, though. This one sounds delightful!

Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 7, 2021 at 4:29 am
I love new takes on fairy tales! (Obviously, ha.) Thanks for reading, Jacqui!



5 | Liz Gauffreau
January 6, 2021 at 2:04 pm
Best wishes to Molly for a successful launch of her latest book! (Yes, I love the cover.)

Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 7, 2021 at 4:30 am
Thanks so much, Liz! We are lucky indeed with our covers, with this publisher!



6 | Retirement Reflections
January 6, 2021 at 4:46 pm
Great review and awesome cover. Thank you for sharing this, Darlene.

Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 7, 2021 at 4:30 am
I love the cover too! I get to say that since I didn’t design it myself. 🙂 Happy new year!



7 | marianbeaman
January 6, 2021 at 10:19 pm
What a prolific author and her latest cover is awesome. I would DEFINITELY pick it up. One thing stood out in her interview: Her attributing the ability to move from genre to genre being led by a theme. Maybe that’s a key to stretching beyond memoir, if that’s what I’ll do some day.
Molly, thanks for your great insights to your method and characters. Your name reminds me of the actress, Molly Ringwald – ha! Darlene, thanks for hosting her todayl

Darlene
January 6, 2021 at 10:54 pm
I was also impressed with Molly´s answer to how she moves from genre to genre. I´m sure you could find a number of themes in your memoir that could work into fiction. I have almost called her Molly Ringwald a couple of times.


Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 7, 2021 at 4:32 am
Ha, yes! I’m proud to be affiliated with an ’80s icon. 🙂
I think you can definitely take a theme from your own life that you want to work with, and shape it into a fictional story. I daresay plenty of fiction is really that, in some form. I wish you lots of happy writing!!



8 | D. Wallace Peach
January 7, 2021 at 2:19 am
What a lovely introduction to Molly and her book. As another NW Pacific resident, I laughed at the mention of “moss” in her bio. I think mine mentions moss too. It’s definitely a large presence in our lives. The book sounds delightful, and you know I’m a fantasy fan. Thanks so much for hosting, Darlene, and best of luck to Molly and her book. 🙂

Darlene
January 7, 2021 at 3:52 am
That is great! I lived in Vancouver so I know about the moss too. Love the Pacific Northwest. Molly will most likely be doing some bookstore visits in the area and maybe you could meet her. I think you would have a lot in common.

D. Wallace Peach
January 7, 2021 at 4:31 am
If she heads down Portland OR way (post vaccination), it’s a date. 🙂



Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 7, 2021 at 4:34 am
Haha! I mean, I was thinking the other day that I’d like less moss on the garage roof or our window screens, but other than that, I like having it around. 🙂 Sure beats wildfire smoke. Happy new year and thanks so much for checking the post out!



9 | roughwighting
January 7, 2021 at 11:32 pm
I’m thrilled to learn about Molly and just “followed” her as an author on Amazon and placed The Goblins of Bellwater in my Kindle. I don’t read about/know about goblins much, and I think it’s time to learn in such a fun way. And yes, the cover for the new book is wonderful! Thanks Darlene for introducing us to Molly – another fascinating author out here in the blogosphere where we all can support each other and read our books!

Darlene
January 7, 2021 at 11:38 pm
I´m so glad I was able to connect you with Molly. You will enjoy her writing!


Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 8, 2021 at 9:49 am
Thank you so much!! Ha, my goblins are just one version of the lore, but they were fun to imagine in their ghoulishness. Happy new year!



10 | Teri Polen
January 8, 2021 at 12:18 am
I can’t imagine never seeing fireflies – I used to catch them in jars as a kid. Thanks so much for the introduction to Molly’s books, Darlene – they sound wonderful, and those covers are fantastic.

Darlene
January 8, 2021 at 12:34 am
I used to think fireflies were just in books. We don´t see them in the west part of North America.You would enjoy Molly´s books. xo


Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 8, 2021 at 9:51 am
Thank you, Teri! I love the covers too–my publisher is amazing at those. 🙂



11 | robertawrites235681907
January 8, 2021 at 3:21 am
Thanks for sharing your terrific review, Darlene. I must be honest, I didn’t try haggis when I was in Scotland.

Darlene
January 8, 2021 at 3:38 am
I had it once at a Robbie Burns Day celebration. After a few drinks, it was OK.


Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 8, 2021 at 9:52 am
lol, it’s not strictly necessary to have haggis–admittedly, the Cadbury chocolate is a better part of visiting the UK! 😉



12 | mindbeautysimplicity
January 8, 2021 at 6:18 am
loved reading this interview / book review! great concept.

Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 8, 2021 at 9:52 am
Thank you for checking it out! Happy new year!!



13 | Annika Perry
January 8, 2021 at 7:34 pm
Darlene, thank you so much for this superb introduction, interview with Molly Ringle! Terrific questions and it’s great learning about her life a little and thoughts on writing! As for haggis, having lived in Scotland for a couple of years I must disagree! The thought of it still turns my stomach! 😀 Her latest book looks sumptuous, fantastic title and a brilliant premise! Good luck to her with all her writing projects!

Darlene
January 8, 2021 at 7:53 pm
Thanks, Annika. Molly is such a great writer with a huge imagination that comes across so well in books. I wouldn’t eat haggis now as a vegetarian, but years ago I tried it, with a few glasses of whiskey. I see they sell vegetarian haggis now. Too funny.


Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Ha, thank you! I’d be happy to get back to Scotland one of these days, with or without the haggis!



14 | Stevie Turner
January 8, 2021 at 10:06 pm
Thanks for introducing Molly via Click & Run. I enjoyed reading the interview, although I have no idea what a firefly is, lol!

Darlene
January 8, 2021 at 10:40 pm
Thanks, Stevie. Fireflies are sometimes called glow worms. They are magical but not found in many places. I have never seen them either. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Firefly



15 | Sue Slaght
January 9, 2021 at 2:39 am
Thank you for the introduction to Molly. I am amazed at her creative thinking and imagination. The teaser to her new book is fascinating. Best wishes to her on the launch of Lava Red Feather Blue.


17 | The Tea Chest Blog
January 12, 2021 at 10:54 am
I’ve been looking for a different genre of book to read and this could just be what I am after – sounds wonderful!!

Molly Ringle 📚 (@mollyringle)
January 13, 2021 at 6:58 am
Lovely! Thank you for checking it out, and happy new year. 🙂


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January 6, 2021 at 5:17 am
I stumbled over “fireflies”. I guess I assumed unless one lived in arctic regions, they’d see them. Standing in a large field surrounded by fireflies is pretty cool.
Thanks for introducing Molly. Her books sound fantastic.
January 6, 2021 at 5:37 am
I would love to see fireflies as well. You would love Molly’s books.
January 6, 2021 at 2:02 pm
I stumbled over “fireflies” as well. They’ve been a regular part of summer wherever I’ve lived (US East Coast).
January 6, 2021 at 8:05 pm
Sometimes the best things are stumbled upon!!
January 6, 2021 at 11:39 pm
🙂
January 7, 2021 at 4:27 am
Thank you, Diane! Yeah, fireflies are basically only in the eastern half of North America. I’ve long wished we could import them to this side!