Focus on Fans: Erin Hunter's Warriors Series

Mega-fan Crystal and her warrior, Muffin

Authors dream of many things--book deals, income, best-seller lists, awards, glowing reviews, more books--but none of this will materialize without the approval of readers.

Today I'm putting a face on the real power behind publishing success--fans! Readers like Crystal drive books onto bestseller lists and have the power to keep them there. Please enjoy my interview with this twelve-year-old mega-fan of the best-selling book series by Erin Hunter, Warriors. 

Authors: Read on to the end where I explain what this level of devotion means to you!

Jennifer: How old were you when you started reading the Warriors Series?

Crystal: I think I was ten.

Jennifer: What do you like most about the books?

Crystal: I like how they have details. They have good bad guys, if that's even a word. And how they don't care what gender you are. Girls can be leaders and fighters, just like the boys. They don't tease the girls for being girls. I also like how the warriors are loyal and loving to each other.

Jennifer: Is it hard for you to keep track of all the cats?

Crystal. No. I mean, if there's a clan and only two or three cats, it's not a clan. The books needs a lot of cats.I can name every cat in Thunderclan, their kits, their mates, and how they died, if they died.

Jennifer: Who are your favorite characters?

Crystal: For the boys it's Brackenfur, Graystripe, and Lionblaze. For the girls it's Squirrelflight, Blossomfall, and Briarlight.

Jennifer: You are an enthusiastic fan. How do you express your love for the series?

Crystal: I've written fan-fiction on Kate Cary's website and others. I started my own blog called Mudclan Warriors. I made a Warriors pillowcase for my bed. I rescued and bottle-fed three feral kittens. Now they are kitty-pets. I kept one, Muffin, but he goes outside and hunts too.

Crystal's Origami Warriors

Last year I played Warriors almost every recess with my friends. I've read all the books, and I'm writing two Warriors fan-fiction novels.

Jennifer: If you were a Warrior, what would your name be?

Crystal: I gave myself two clan names--Redfur and Flamestep. Redfur is in Thunderclan and Flamestep is in Mudclan (my own clan.)

Jennifer: What do you want to do when you grow up?

Crystal: Own a zoo.

Jennifer: How did you first hear about the Warriors Series?

Crystal: I saw the fifth book in my brother's room. Two years later I remembered it and checked out a book that looked like it. It was the sixth book of the second series. My brother said to start with the first book in the first series, so I did.

Jennifer: Are cats your favorite animals?

Crystal: I like every animal except for bugs.

Crystal's Doll House converted into a Warrior's Den

Jennifer: Do you like the other books by Erin Hunter?

Crystal: Yes! I really like the new Survivors series.  

Jennifer: Will you buy the Warriors books for your children?

Crystal: If the stores still have them. 

Jennifer: I don't think you'll have to worry about that. May I share an excerpt from your book?

Crystal: Okay.

An Excerpt from Crystal's fan-fiction novel: Cloudfire's Message

Chapter One

Cloudkit looked at the two cats, confused. "Who are you?" she asked.

"I'm Sunberry and this is my mate, Mousetail. We're from Fireclan," said a ginger she-cat.

"What do you want from me?" Cloudkit mewed.

"Darkness will rule over the clans, but peace will come from a maple's leaf," Mousetail said, his voice smoother than stone.

They started to fade, leaving Cloudkit alone. "No wait! Don't leave!" she wailed. But it was too late.

Cloudkit woke up from a paw jabbing her side. "What do you want?" she muttered.

"To wake you up," hissed a voice.

Cloudkit got up and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Not to her surprise, her sister Sweetkit was in front of her.

"I want to show you something," Sweetkit urged.

"What?" asked Cloudkit.

Without even answering her, Sweetkit dashed away. "Wait up!" Cloudkit yowled as she chased after her sister.

All of a sudden Sweetkit skidded to a halt. Cloudkit stopped just in time so she didn't bowl her over. She looked over Sweetkit's shoulder. There was a rotten mole lying on the ground.

"What if it's a message from Fireclan?" Sweetkit said in awe.

End of excerpt.

Thank you Crystal for sharing your love of the Warriors series at The Jennifer (Author) Diaries!

Authors: It is this level of devotion we want to create in our readers--characters who rip out their hearts, worlds they can see, touch, taste, hear, plots that keep them guessing, and action that makes their hearts race. 

We write and publish and make book deals, we study trends, buy kindles, and go to conferences. We analyze data and tear out our hair--but they do none of that. Readers simply fall in love. It's chemistry, it's effortless (on their end), and it's magical. We can't forget who's on the other side of the page! 

Who loves your book? Imagine them. 

Don't write your heart out, write their hearts out!

Warriors, by Erin Hunter is a phenomenal best-selling middle-grade book series about clans of feral cats struggling to survive in the wild. Themes of honor, loyalty, forbidden love, and clan politics are explored with great respect being given to the cats and the natural world they inhabit. The series consists of well-over 20 novel, Mangas, and Special Editions, and they are available almost everywhere books are sold, and in public and school library systems. 

For ages 8 and up!   

Warriors official website: http://www.warriorcats.com/