An Immersive Fantasy World
Jasmine C. Caldwell Author Interview
The Land of Sweets is in danger from the Mouse King, and Prince Klaus must enlist the help of Clara, now an adult, to help save his kingdom. What was the idea, or spark, that first set off the need to write Return of the Nutcracker Prince ?
Growing up, every year my family watched a movie version of the ballet where Clara and the Prince magically turn into adults in the Land of Sweets. In the finale, they rise up into the sky and then are ripped apart, and Clara wakes up in her bed. It took years before I realized that wasn’t normally how the story went.
After reading Aidy Award’s Claimed by the Winter Realm two years ago, I watched that old movie again. During the finale that plays up the star-crossed lovers aspect, I thought to myself, “What if the prince grew up and went back for Clara?” And I hopped on my computer and wrote until one in the morning.
Prince Klaus and Clara are well-known characters with rich histories. What was your writing process to ensure you captured the essence of the characters?
My first step was to research The Nutcracker Ballet and look at photos of various productions and how it’s changed through the years. Then I read The Nutcracker and the Mouse King , by Alexandre Dumas, which the ballet was based on.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer in this book?
Overall, I wanted an immersive fantasy world. I hadn’t written a fantasy romance before this and there wasn’t really anything else like it I could find. Additionally, I wanted to pay homage to the original work while giving the story my own spin. As a student of both history and the German language, I challenged myself to keep the historical aspects as accurate as possible. I also changed the names of some characters because I wanted more German names for them.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
For my next book, I’m returning to contemporary romance. It will be a spin-off from my contemporary romance series, The Geek Girl Squad, coming this spring. It doesn’t have a title yet. Then, in the fall, I plan to release my first romantic suspense novel, Thief’s Bodyguard .
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What if the ballet was just the beginning? The Nutcracker Prince is on a mission — to save the Land of Sweets from the power-hungry Mouse King. But when Prince Klaus turns to Clara, the mage from the Realm of Waking, he finds more than just a savior for his kingdom. He finds the girl from his past, all grown up — but she thinks that long-ago battle was all a dream. Clara has been promised to a man she hates and can’t see a way out. When she comes face to face with the boy from her dreams, her world turns upside down. He’s all grown up now, and he needs her help. She takes a leap of faith and joins Klaus in a daring adventure across the Realms. As they battle the Mouse King and his army, Klaus and Clara rekindle their connection and discover a love that might save them all. Return to the Land of Sweets and Toys in this imaginative sequel to the Nutcracker Ballet!
