Book interview - Inca-tastic Tales by Helen Pugh

Please tell us a little about the book

Inca-tastic Tales is a book for ages 8 up. It is an anthology of 12 well-researched Inca stories to share with your kids: 8 beautiful legends and 4 narratives based on historical accounts. There are all sorts of protagonists: gods, goddesses, a magician, queens, kings, kidnappers, warriors, conquerors and even 2 volcanoes who are in love.

Where did the inspiration come from for your book?

I wanted there to be a book that included some of the incredible people from Intrepid Dudettes of the Inca Empire that was suitable for my children to read and connect with their culture as well as for children across the world to broaden their horizons and learn about pre-Columbian times.

How did you find the experience of writing this book?

It was my first children’s book so it was sometimes hard to ensure that the stories were understandable for kids without being patronising. I really enjoyed adding things like sound effects to the text (e.g. Thud!) and writing Cuychi’s Fun Facts.

Did you draw any inspiration from any real life people with any of your characters?

Yes. Every single person mentioned is either a historical figure or a legendary one.

If you could say anything to readers of this  book then what would it be?

I’d say that this is definitely a book that teenagers and adults can enjoy and learn from as well.

Are there plans for more from these characters, or is it a stand alone piece?

The book is also available in Spanish as Cuentos incatásticos.

Where can we purchase your book?

Just head to https://books2read.com/incatastic for the ebook and/or colour paperback or https://books2read.com/incatasticbw for the black & white paperback.

Please tell us where readers can connect with you and find out about any new book releases too.

All links to my books and social media accounts can be found at: https://linktr.ee/intrepiddudettes where there are some freebies and free chapters to download too.