Welcome to Between the Covers Summer Series.

Joining me is a young woman who just blew me away when I heard her reading at a local author's event.

She's a teenager in high school and she's a published author.

Her name is Raelen T Maj and her book is A Dictator's Child.

Raelen, it is so nice to see you again.

Thank you very much for being here.

Thank you and nice to see you too again.

Alright, I never asked an author or anybody else I've ever interviewed this but how old are you I'm 1616 years old so for everybody that has that manuscript in their desk drawer right now you have just made all of them feel like a slacker when they meet you because you are a published author so the book is A Dictator's Child I'd like you to tell me what that story is I used to say it was just historical fiction but as I worked on it and as I really dived into what I was saying in the book, it's more of a coming of age story focused on my main character's life and how he overcomes all the struggles that come with, you know, being a German immigrant living in America during World War two with his father being, you know, this super advanced dictator.

So, it more focuses on how he grows from From his from his challenges and setbacks that he has but he goes through it with flying colors.

So that's really what my story's about.

I I love the I love how you described it as a historical fiction kind of Mary's coming of age story.

I think that that's a perfect description.

Where did you get the idea in the first place to write this story?

I had this this is my first work that I've done and I started writing at twelve and this was the first project that I'd written on.

My original idea just starting writing it was that I wanted to write about a homeless kid but as I was growing like in my writing journey and rereading and thinking about like all the stuff that I wanted to add in it the idea sort of like developed itself if that makes sense.

So yes.

It all came together.

You started writing at twelve.

You're 16 now.

How did you evolve?

How did the story evolve?

Did it change from what your 12-year-old self thought of this?

Yeah.

Completely changed.

Um before there was no there was no plot at all.

I just wanted to write about how he was homeless and how he struggled like at school to make friends but that's really all about all I had at that time.

And yeah it sort of developed as I was growing as a writer and as I was seeing you know how I kind of wanted the story to go and all these crazy ideas were coming in my head and I just could not use them.

So historical fiction is one of my favorites because based on some true facts but but you you get to embellish with your characters and and your settings.

What is it that drew you to this particular period in history and is history a subject that you've always been been enamored with?

I was drawn to this period because I think we were learning about the Holocaust in school at this time.

Um I thought it was like horribly fascinating what he was able to do in a weird way and the idea just popped into my head like what if he had a kid he didn't know about.

So and I couldn't let go of that thought.

So it that that's that's what I was like maybe this could be his kid that he didn't know about.

So that's pretty much how that happened.

Fascinating story.

Uh I want to look at your process.

How do you write do you outline?

In the beginning with this story, no, because as I said, I went into it like head on without really any idea but now that I've gone through that, I've learned how important it is to outline because without that outlining, I've had to go through so much editing and rewriting.

It's it's crazy.

So, yeah.

I I outline a lot now.

And do you have a clear idea in this book of who The character is and and before you started, did you know how it was going to end?

No, I didn't.

Like as I said, the story kind of wrote itself and reedited itself over time.

There are so many authors that I have talked to that do the exact same thing that their characters tell them the story as it's going along.

Is that what it felt like?

Yeah, like even now, even as I'm outlining a lot, I only really Do like generalish outlines because I do like it when my characters kind of make their own way in my story.

I think it's really cool.

Alright, so this is your first book.

Are you thinking about a second book?

100%.

I already have one written and I have so many ideas that I have like written down in my phone on paper.

I have ideas everywhere in my room I swear.

So I yeah there's definitely stories to come.

The title of this book is a Dictator's Child and what I'd like to do rather than now is a Quick Lightning Round.

We'll get away from the book for a second to get to know you a little better.

So a you ready?

Okay.

What authors have had an impact on your life?

Definitely John Green.

Um definitely Rick Riordon because I've read as to I've read all the books he's written.

I love Percy Jackson.

I love the Cain Chronicles.

I I I love it all.

Um Marcus South.

Love the book Diff.

That's a that's a nice group.

That's a nice eclectic group.

If you a superpower, what would it be?

I always say super strength.

It used to be invisibility but now it's super strength because I have this like genetic thing where I can't really build muscle so I'd love to have strength so.

If you could eliminate one thing in the world, what would you eliminate?

Cold hunger.

That's easy.

Well said.

I told you She's something else.

Raelen T. Maj, I want to thank you so much for spending this time with me.

I've really enjoyed it.

Thank you.

You too.

Her book is A Dictator's Child.

I'm Anne Bocock.

Please join me on the next Between the Covers and you could listen to our podcast Go Between the Covers wherever you get your podcasts.