Author Interview: Michael Spradlin
By Amanda Lynch, The Children’s Book Review Published: July 30, 2009 As I mentioned back in April, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Michael Spradlin’s The Youngest Templar: Keeper of the Grail. The book seemed so well-done, so well-researched, I couldn’t put it down–or stop recommending it to anyone and everyone who I thought might have even a passing interest in it! Needless to say, I was extremely excited to interview Mr. Spradlin on the newest installment in Tristan’s journey, which comes out in September: The Youngest Templar: Trail of Fate. Amanda: The Youngest Templar series seems to be a big departure from your other books. What made you decide to write a book about the Crusades? Michael: Growing up, I love reading stories like The Adventures of Robin Hood, Ivanhoe, and all the other stories about the middle ages. The Third Crusade in particular, is so full of rich personalities, that I just knew that some day I’d have to write my own adventure set there. It’s been great fun. Amanda: The book is clearly-well researched, and all of your descriptions of the places they travel to–Dover, Tyre, Acre–all seem very authentic. How much research did you have to do, and…
