Today, it's the turn of Pandean. She's quirky and funny and my new best friend in here. That is all.

Well, no it's not. There's also the matter of some questions...

Hi, what's your name?

My name is Pandean Barbieri. Okay, legally it's Kara Barbieri, but I want to legally change it. Even if I don't, I think I'd still be known as Pandean Barbieri if I got a book published. I go by Pandean more than Kara.

Then Pandean it is. Where are you from?

Murder City. AKA Chicago. But I live in the northern suburbs so it's not as bad. It's bad enough that we get news stories of people dumping their newborn babies into dumpsters, but we don't get a murder a day like other places.

Sounds... Delightful. Abandoned babies and murder. Plenty of material, then! Is there a sign as you enter the city saying 'Murder City'? I don't suppose it rolls off the tongue as easily as Chicago, though. Do you like living there? If not, where would your favourite place to live be? Is yes, where would you least like to live?

I mean, it's alright, besides all the murder. I really liked when I was in Toronto.

I've heard from a somewhat reliable source that Toronto is an amazing place. I can empathise! As you're a writer, is this your 'day job'?

I don't have a job, so I guess writing is my day job. Along with college.

That counts then. Does college get in the way of the writing, I wonder? Tell me about your latest project.

I'm working on Goblin King, which is the sequel to my novel White Stag. I can't tell you about it without spoiling White Stag, so you'll have to check White Stag out, I guess!

Oh well, if you put it like that, I guess I will have to. I like the title of both, though, which is a good start! How do you feel about bacon? A crazy person once said it was the food of the gods. OK, I admit that person was myself...

Eh. It's okay. I'm not the type of person who likes pork or pig meat or whatever. A little is okay but I don't think it's food of the gods.

I said you were quirky. I suppose I can let you off this slightly curious behaviour. What is your favourite film?

Hmmm. That's a tough one. I always blank whenever I get asked a question like that. Currently I really like the horror­-comedy What We Do In the Shadows.

Good film. I know what you mean, though. If I'm asked to choose something, like vanilla or salted caramel, I struggle. Saying that, there's so many films, having to pick just one would be difficult. Any ice cream is good ice cream. So it's nothing like that really. Damn. Now you've got me fancying ice cream. Thanks for that. Have you seen the slop we get served? Ice cream would melt from fear. Moving on... Have you always wanted to be a writer, or is it something you found yourself doing one day?

I became a writer because my sister started writing and I wanted to be better than her at one thing. We are twins and our sibling rivalry game is strong. Mainly because I'm the problem twin and she's the good twin. Actual quote there from some parent or another. So, I was like "I'm gonna write better than you" and that was when I was like 12. We're 20 now and I'm the one who stuck with writing soo....yay for productive jealousy.

Go you! Not that I'm one to condone sibling rivalry - my sister was some kind of wonderful, and not entirely because of that sodding two pence coin - but at least you have managed to produce something epic. Do you have so many ideas they dribble out of your nose if you don't get them down, or do you have to hunt around the floor and the back of your sofa to find where your Muse is hiding?

I used to but they stopped when I got older ­ it's hereditary, the females in my family always have blood dripping from their noses, oh, wait, wrong thing. My muse is probably somewhere under my bed. Or in a different city. IDK, she's a bitch.

She's playing with you. She's actually hiding just outside the periphery of your vision. She's eating pizza and playing keepy-uppy with your ideas. If you were in an asylum, what would your particular delusion or psychosis be?

I'm a changeling who needs to save the world from an enemy that no one else can see. I actually had a psychotic episode of that once, before I was medicated.

I don't think we've had anyone here with that sort of delusion. It makes a welcome change. There's plenty of patients with unseen enemies, but none, to my knowledge have fought them to save the world - just themselves. What genre(s) do you write?

Basically all types of fantasy.

When I was growing up, I read stacks of fantasy novels. I love the genre. Which do you read?

Fantasy, sci­fi, contemporary, romance, literally anything.

A good variety then. I wish I had more time to read. You'd think there would be an abundance of time, but it doesn't like to stay very long in here, so we have to scrabble for each second sometimes. If these are the same, what attracts you to them. If they're different, why do you think that is?

I just have a wide interest in reading different things. If it sounds interesting I'll read it. But I really just like writing fantasy.

That's a good attitude to have. It it grabs you, you'll try it. It means you're less likely to miss a gem you might pass over if you only read one type of story. Anywho, bacon - just cooked or crispy?

Crispy.

Good answer, even though you're not a fan. You're entering your work into the Wattys for 2016. Watt story (do you see what I did there?) are you entering? Tell us about it!

Go sit in a corner and think about what you've done.

Is your punishment over? Good.

Sorry Miss. I won't let it happen again - not until the next time anyway.

I'm entering my story, White Stag. White Stag follows Janneke, a 17 year old human who has been a slave to the goblin, Soren, in the Permafrost (the land of all non¬human beings), for about a hundred years. (Okay so she's technically 117 but she looks 17 because Permafrost makes people age veeeeeeeery slowly). While accompanying him at the ceremony to swear fealty to the Erlking­­the Goblin King¬­that occurs every one hundred years, she instigates a fight that ends up with the King dead and the competition to decide the new kind underway. Every eligible goblin must hunt the sacred White Stag¬­and each other¬­and Soren takes Janneke along, thinking it will help Janneke become more goblin­like. Of course, there are a bunch of twists and turns, but that's the gist of it. I jokingly say it's like Lord of the Rings and The Hunger Games had a baby.

That sounds great! When Shaun has finished it, I'm going to grab it off him! Now you're in the asylum with me, how do you aim to get out? Do you have an escape plan?

Is this a nice asylum? I've been in some nice mental institutions. If not, I guess I could pull a fire alarm or something.

Out of all the escape plans, the fire alarm is probably the best one. That's the only time they'll actually have us outside. Hmmm... You've got me thinking... As for it being a nice asylum... Yes and no. Yes it's not and no it isn't.

If I'm still here by the time you read this, you'll know the fire alarm trick didn't work. That'll be a shame, but at least we'll get some fresh air.

As for Pandean, she's long gone, saving the world from an enemy you don't even know exists. She doesn't even need a cape (though probably looks good in Spandex or Lycra)!

Pandean (Kara Barbieri) is a 20 year old with 7 novels under her belt. Her latest, White Stag, is on Wattpad where it's garnered over 170K views in just six months. She studies part time at her local community college and trains with weapons when she's not writing. She loves goats.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kara.barbieri.3

Wattpad: https://aztruyen.top/tac-gia/Pandean

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PandeanPanic