Q&A with Trisha Priebe and Jerry B. Jenkins: The Glass Castle

Interview by Brock Eastman

Featuring the Glass Castle

The Glass Castle is an exciting new series about four kids who take control of an underground network of kidnapped children and work diligently to reunite these kids with their parents. The Glass Castle starts off our series with all the intrigue and adventure one would hope for.

Brock: Thanks, Trisha and Jerry, for giving us an inside look on your new release The Glass Castle. 

Trisha and Jerry: Thanks for taking interest in the book!

Brock: First, why did you choose to write a middle-grade adventure novel?

Trisha: I grew up in the home of two high school teachers who maintained the policy that before I could read a book from the library, they either had to be familiar with the author or have read the book. I would spend hours in our tiny local library perfecting my stack of paperbacks, only to return most of them to the shelves before checking out because they didn’t meet the requirements. When I was in sixth grade I decided I wanted to write novels someday that would be parent-trusted and kid-approved. Now that I think about it, it sounds like a decent cereal ad. Also, kids write the best fan letters imaginable. Who wouldn’t want to write for kids?

Jerry: I was honored when Trisha asked me to come alongside. I have grandchildren the age of the readership, and Trisha has been a great assistant and writing student.

Brock: As a parent I know how important it is to find good media safe for my kids. In five sentences, tell us about The Glass Castle?

Trisha and Jerry: The king is growing old and is concerned about who will replace him. His new wife wants to produce an heir to the throne, but the problem is, thirteen years ago, the king’s first wife gave birth to a son, and no one knows for sure what happened to him. The solution is simple: dispose of all the thirteen-year-olds in the kingdom. Avery, Kate, Tuck, and Kendrick take charge of an underground network of sequestered teens. The secrets they uncover—specifically the identity of one amongst them—could blow the kingdom apart.  

Brock: Can you give us a unique trait of each of the characters, not revealed in the book?

Trisha and Jerry: Avery is lonely. Tuck is restless. Kate is accountable. Kendrick is terrified.

Brock: What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

Trisha and Jerry: Kids are capable of doing extraordinary good long before they reach adulthood. Adults don’t give kids enough credit, and kids need to believe they are able to make an eternal impact.

Brock: Can we expect more titles in this series, and if so can you give us a clue to what each will be about?

Trisha and Jerry: Yes! Book two is underway. The Ruby Moon opens as preparations begin for the upcoming Olympiads. Dignitaries are coming. Athletes are training. In a moment of goodwill, the king announces that all members of the kingdom—adults and children alike—will be allowed to attend the Olympiads freely without discrimination. Lucky break or royal trap? Everyone knows the queen is still on the hunt for the king’s rightful heir, and now children are disappearing from their place of hiding. When Avery learns that a runner is needed for an important race, she steps up. If she wins, she will be granted an audience with the king. If she loses, she will face a trip to the gallows. Much is at stake while the kingdom enjoys the greatest games on earth.

Brock: What are some of the challenges faced by authors collaborating on a project?

Trisha: Hands down, the biggest challenge for me was preparing to send my chapters to a ridiculously talented and prolific writer and then bracing myself for his precise (albeit sometimes sarcastic) replies. Writing with Jerry has been the privilege and education of a lifetime. Also, he’d probably like to re-write this paragraph.

Jerry: Surely Trisha means sarcastic in the way one teases a younger sister. The idea, the story, the writing, the creation were all hers. I really served as the initial substantive editor.

Brock: What was the process for the two of you to write this series?

Trisha: We sent a few million e-mails back and forth. I wrote the rough draft, he fixed draft two, I filled in the gaps (and answered his witty comments in the margins) on draft three, and then we sent it to the publisher.

Jerry: As I say, she was the creator, I was the reactor.

Brock: Trisha, share with us how your got involved with Jerry?

Trisha: I’ve had the incredible privilege of learning from Jerry about writing for many years. I first studied writing by reading his books, and then I graduated to attending his conferences, and eventually I worked as one of his assistants. In January, when he opened The Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, I was one of the first to sign up.

Brock: Thanks again for answering some questions and pulling back the cover on The Glass Castle.

Trisha and Jerry: Thank you for the invitation! The book continues to do well, and we are grateful for every reader who takes the time to enjoy the story.

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