A Chat With Kit Frick, Author of SEE ALL THE STARS

Today, I'm happy to host a lovely debut author named Kit Frick! Her first novel, See All the Stars, hits shelves in just a couple of days. Keep reading to learn about her love for YA, how she picks her characters' names, and what songs correspond with her upcoming release.

Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow. Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University.

When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press, edits for private clients, and mentors emerging writers through Pitch Wars. Her debut young adult novel is See All the Stars, and her debut full-length poetry collection is A Small Rising Up in the Lungs (New American Press, September 4, 2018).

Visit Kit online at to sign up for her monthly newsletter, These Little Secrets, and follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest and for all things bookish, and occasionally cats.

(text and photo provided by Kit Frick)

  

What inspired you to write a young adult novel instead of an adult novel?

I came to writing YA through reading YA. I fell hard and fast for young adult dystopian novels when they were the craze, which led me down a reading path into a wide range of young adult genres. This all happened when I was already very much an adult. When I was in high school, there were a few books being marketed toward a teen audience, but YA as an age category had not yet boomed. 

I think I still feel like I’m sixteen inside most days. So when I discovered YA as an adult, I connected readily with the teen characters I was reading about, and I felt passionately about wanting to tell stories about teens, for teens. The idea for See All the Stars in particular began with a “what if?” question: What if a girl lost all her friends and her boyfriend in one fell swoop—and what if she was partly responsible for what happened? The story unfolded from there.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to? 

I don’t! I actually need silence while I write, and hence write almost exclusively at home. (Even coffee shop background chatter is too distracting for me.) But I do love creating playlists for my books, and there’s a fun See All the Stars playlist available on Spotify, which is comprised of songs and artists from the pages of the book!

How do you like to pick your characters’ names?

The names of my main characters have tended to come to me organically, through whatever subconscious naming system my brain likes to cook up. For See All the Stars, Ellory, Matthias, and Ret just kind of arrived pre-named on the page, I wish I could tell you how. Likewise, the main character names for my 2019 book and my two current works in progress arrived via some magical process.

But I do have more specific and easily discussed methods for selecting the names for my secondary and super minor characters. For first names, I scan through lists of popular baby names in the year the character would have been born. I’ll rarely select something in the top ten, but when I read through a list of fifty or one hundred popular names from that year, it gives me a feel for the kinds of names that would populate the world of the novel, and usually something calls out to me. For last names—and this is true for primary, secondary, and minor characters—I love IMDB! Yup, the movie database. I can spend hours scrolling through full cast and crew lists for all sorts of movies and TV shows looking at last names. It’s a boundless and diverse resource that has helped me keep my surname selections interesting!

What's more challenging for you as a writer: wrapping up the end of a novel or starting the first chapter? 

The wrap-up is, without a doubt, the far greater challenge. Since I write books with mystery in their DNA, finding the most effective and engaging way to execute the reveal and then tie up all the threads I’ve been weaving along the way is far more complicated and challenging than laying the groundwork at the story’s opening. But they’re both a lot of fun.

What was your favorite part of writing See All the Stars? 

I’ve enjoyed the whole process, from brainstorming through outlining and drafting, and then working through multiple rounds of revision. One of the most difficult—but also most satisfying—parts of the process was working on my first round of developmental edits with my editor at McElderry, Ruta Rimas. The novel unfolds in two interwoven timelines—Then and Now—and that particular revision involved removing several chapters from the Now timeline and replacing them with an entirely new thread of the plot. This was no easy feat after having lived with the story in its prior iteration for so long, but it was also exactly what the manuscript needed in order to level the story up to the place it wanted to be. When I finished that revision, I knew I’d finally hit on the story I’d been trying to tell.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone? 

A 2018 debut that I haven’t seen get nearly enough buzz is Maxine Kaplan’s The Accidental Bad Girl—and I will gladly shout about it here! This YA thriller is a fast-paced mystery, equal parts darkness and humor, with a whole lot of attitude. After seventeen-year-old Kendall’s Facebook profile is hacked, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit, she is swiftly drawn into a world of trouble with local NYC dealer Mason. Kendall finds herself blackmailed into making Mason’s deliveries until she can uncover the person who really stole his stash, and along the way, she dives deep into an examination of who she is: a good girl or a bad girl, a girl with a bright future ahead, or a girl who will risk that future to take down the true darkness at the root of Mason’s business. The Accidental Bad Girl is perfect for readers drawn to NYC stories, twisty plots, narratives that engage with the #MeToo movement, and complex female characters. 

Release Date: August 14, 2018

It’s hard to find the truth beneath the lies you tell yourself.

THEN They were four—Bex, Jenni, Ellory, Ret. Electric, headstrong young women; Ellory’s whole solar system.

NOW Ellory is alone, her once inseparable group of friends torn apart by secrets, deception, and a shocking incident that changed their lives forever.

THEN Lazy summer days. A party. A beautiful boy. Ellory met Matthias and fell into the beginning of a spectacular, bright love.

NOW Ellory returns to Pine Brook to navigate senior year after a two-month suspension and summer away—no boyfriend, no friends. No going back. Tormented by some and sought out by others, troubled by a mysterious note-writer who won’t let Ellory forget, and consumed by guilt over her not entirely innocent role in everything and everyone she’s lost, Ellory finds that even in the present, the past is everywhere.

The path forward isn’t a straight line. And moving on will mean sorting the truth from the lies—the lies Ellory has been telling herself. (taken from goodreads.com)

A Chat With Bree Barton, Author of HEART OF THORNS

I'm proud to present Bree Barton here on my blog! She's releasing her exciting novel, Heart of Thorns, tomorrow! Today, we'll talk a little about her inspiration behind the novel and how she built it. To learn more about her novel or background, click here or visit Bree's website. 

Bree Barton is a writer in Los Angeles. When she's not lost in whimsy, she works as a ghostwriter and dance teacher to teen girls. She is on Instagram and YouTube as Speak Breely, where she posts funny videos of her melancholy dog.

Bree is not a fan of corsets. (taken from Bree's GoodReads profile) 

  

What inspired you to write a young adult novel instead of an adult novel?

As a writer, I find there’s something really juicy about cusps—cusp of adulthood, cusp of revolution, cusp of loss. All three of those cusps are vibrantly alive in young adult fiction. When you’re a teen you are going through epic changes, whether you’re in an epic fantasy novel are not. That makes for really compelling fiction.

My sister starts college next month (she’s the reason I’m doing book events in Wichita, St. Louis, and Columbia—I’m driving her to Ohio!). I think it’s really interesting how we say to high school grads, “Congratulations!” As much as you’re inheriting a brand new world as an adult, you’re also losing your childhood. I think there’s an inevitable grieving process our culture doesn’t often acknowledge.

Maybe I will start a business selling condolence cards for graduates. “Sorry for your loss.”

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to?

I usually can’t do anything with lyrics, because then I just want to sing along. But I am all for movie soundtracks and instrumental pieces (my mom is a piano teacher, so my love for piano began in utero). My go-to Pandora stations are Ramin Djawadi, Ludovico Einaudi, Max Richter, Erik Satie, The Piano Guys, and—for a dose of that sorely needed second X chromosome—Liz Story and The Tiny. I am also known to get up from my chair periodically and throw one-woman dance parties, for which Gaga, Janelle, and Kesha are queens supreme. This works better when I’m at home than, say, when I’m writing at a café.

Are you more of a coffee or a tea person when writing?

I cannot have coffee. Coffee—or anything with potent caffeine, really—kills me dead. I’m what you might call “naturally caffeinated,” meaning most people assume I start the day with three shots of espresso. In reality, if I have even two sips of coffee, my heart feels like it’s beating out of my chest; my hands shake and I can’t get any writing done. I used to be able to have black tea in the morning, but now even that makes me crawl out of my skin, and just this month I’m beginning to lose my tolerance for green tea. This makes me very sad, as genmaicha and gunpowder are my absolute favorites. And matcha, of course. Oh, how I miss matcha. Just this week my sister made me an amazing matcha tea latte…and after two sips I had to give it back to her, my pulse rocketing. I am weak.

Who is your favorite character you've ever created?

Ever? What a great question. This is out of left field, but I’m going to pluck a character from a lit fiction short story I published a few years back. This character works at a maid service called Spearmint Maids. Their motto: “So Fresh and So Clean.” She goes into people’s empty houses to clean them—and slowly starts to inhabit their lives. She sits on their sofas. Then reads their poetry books. Then rifles through their medicine cabinets. Then pries the lids off their crockpots, licking silver spoons to swirl her saliva into their simmering pot roasts. Let’s just say, by the end of the story, the maid became “intimately acquainted” with some of their bedroom toys.

I still think about that woman. I never even named her, but she’s been inside my head for years.

Did you have a writing schedule while you worked on Heart of Thorns? What did your average day of writing look like?

Here’s a day in the life of Bree Barton (at least Bree Barton on deadline). I turn off my phone the night before—it’s the only way I can get any focused work done. My alarm goes off at 6am. I convince myself I can steal another 30 minutes of sleep. Then another. By 7am I wake up consumed by guilt. I unlock my car and hide my phone in the glove compartment so I won’t be tempted to turn it on. I bring my laptop out to my little garage office and move the dusty papers, dead spiders, and plush octopus to the side. I turn on my electric kettle. I make tea. I realize I forgot my lucky mug, so I go inside to retrieve it. I come back out, then realize I forgot my laptop charger, so go back in. I finally stop procrastinating and write solidly for 2-3 hours, then stop to eat potatoes and eggs. I go back to writing. At 12 noon I might go to a cycling class, but more likely I turn on my phone and check social media because I’m having symptoms of withdrawal. At 12:30 I realize I am still wearing my robe. At 12:31 I regret not going to the cycling class. I pet my dog. I wash the dishes. At 1pm I work on ghostwriting projects to pay the bills. I can’t focus. I watch Donald Glover on YouTube. I watch Bo Burnham on YouTube. I really can’t focus. I realize I’ve forgotten to eat lunch. I’m starving so I eat forty-two plantain chips and slightly stiff prosciutto. I answer emails. I answer emails. I answer emails. I look at my clock and realize with horror it is almost 5pm. At 5:01pm I try to spark a second burst of writing. I stare out the window. I reread what I’ve written and change most of it. I eat Thai food. I read a friend’s ARC. I turn my phone off. I have a burst of ideas right as I’m going to sleep, so have to jump out of bed and turn my phone on, just to jot them down in Notes. My mind is racing so I take a melatonin to help me sleep. The next day, I wake up and do it all again.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone?

Infandous by Elana K. Arnold. That book is utterly spellbinding—and one of the darkest YAs I’ve read. Elana had several publishers say, “This is the best book we’ve read this year . . . and we absolutely cannot publish it.” But it’s such a beautiful and haunting meditation on femininity, girlhood, misogyny, loss. I’m excited about her most recent YA book, What Girls Are Made Of, which I haven’t had a chance to read yet (it was a National Book Award finalist!), and also Damsel, which comes out in October. I’m so glad Elana is finally being recognized as the brilliant literary empress she is.

Release Date: July 31, 2018

In the ancient river kingdom, touch is a battlefield, bodies the instruments of war. Seventeen-year-old Mia Rose has pledged her life to hunting Gwyrach: women who can manipulate flesh, bones, breath, and blood.

Not women. Demons. The same demons who killed her mother without a single scratch.

But when Mia's father suddenly announces her marriage to the prince, she is forced to trade in her knives and trousers for a sumptuous silk gown. Only after the wedding goes disastrously wrong does she discover she has dark, forbidden magic—the very magic she has sworn to destroy. (taken from goodreads.com)

A Chat With Sara Raasch, Author of THESE REBEL WAVES

I'm proud to present Sara Raasch here on my blog! She's releasing her exciting novel, These Rebel Waves, on August 7, and it promises lots of awesome pirates and romance. Today, we'll talk a little about her inspiration behind the novel and how she built it. To learn more about her novel or background, click here or visit Sara's website. 

Sara Raasch has known she was destined for bookish things since the age of five, when her friends had a lemonade stand and she tagged along to sell her hand-drawn picture books too.

Not much has changed since then — her friends still cock concerned eyebrows when she attempts to draw things and her enthusiasm for the written word still drives her to extreme measures. Her NYTimes bestselling Snow Like Ashes trilogy is available now and her upcoming pirate fantasy, These Rebel Waves, releases Summer 2018.

None of those feature her hand-drawn pictures. (taken from Sara's website) 

  

What sparked your interest in writing a pirate-themed YA novel?

So many things!! I call this the "book of my obsessions" -- I put a lot of my fandoms into it. The Golden Age of Piracy has long been a favorite subject of mine, plus colonial style/history, plus the Spanish Inquisition...I salivate just talking about it!

If you had to pick one favorite character from These Rebel Waves, who would it be?

Teo. He's the six-year-old little brother of Lu's friend, and through tangled circumstances, finds himself tagging along on the swashbuckling adventure Lu and Vex go on. He's sweet and hysterical and totally unaware of the fact that he's only six years old (one of the first things he does upon hearing someone insult Lu is threaten them right back). I love him!

In your opinion, which is more challenging: writing romance or action scenes?

Romance! So much of a romance scene landing properly relies on hitting previous beats throughout the story -- building tension and relationships over the course of the book (and sometimes bookS). Action scenes can just pop up whenever they please!

Did this pirate tale require much research on your part while writing?

Oh my god, YES! I have a stack of books I still refer to. As I mentioned above, I drew a lot of reference from our world events, so I have books on the Spanish Inquisition, colonial style, and the Golden Age of Piracy; but I also have books on ships, steam engines, rivers/geology, Spanish architecture, old timey Barcelona, the Caribbean, and SO MANY OMG, my bookshelf hates me.

How will this new Steam Raiders series differ from the Snow Like Ashes books?

I think the list would be shorter to say how it's similar! It's completely different -- new world, new characters, new stakes. One of the things that makes it similar (and that I hope readers latch onto like they did in SLA!) is the different facets of belief. Believing in yourself, in a higher power, in a government, etc.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone?

There are two that I rave about CONSTANTLY, and had huge influences as I was writing These Rebel Waves: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson and the Captive Prince trilogy by CS Pacat. Both LGBT action/adventure fantasies with totally twisted politics and delicious, delicious romance!
 

Release Date: August 7, 2018

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace. (taken from goodreads.com)

A Chat With Tracy Banghart, Author of GRACE AND FURY

Today, I'm happy to host author Tracy Banghart! Her new novel, Grace and Fury, is one of the upcoming releases I'm most excited to check out. Keep reading to learn about her life, characters, and writing style. 

"Tracy Banghart grew up in rural Maryland and spent her summers on a remote island in northern Ontario. All of that isolation and lovely scenery gave her the time to read voraciously and the inspiration to write her own stories. Always a bit of a nomad, Tracy now travels the world Army-wife style with her husband, son, cat, and sweet pupper Scrabble."

(text and photo taken from Tracy's GoodReads profile) 

  

Can you tell us a little bit about how Italian culture inspired the world in Grace and Fury? 

I studied abroad in Florence when I was in college and have loved Italy ever since. When I started brainstorming Grace and Fury I wanted it to be set in a world with a lot of glitz and romance, so my mind went immediately to Italy. You’ll see architectural details, food, and names inspired by the country. It was fun to imagine the bridges and gondolas of Venice in my fictional world.

As an army wife, you move around quite a bit. Which city has been your favorite to live in and which has been the best for your writing?

Well, I wrote Grace and Fury while I lived in Hawaii, and I still miss it a lot. It’s definitely up there in terms of favorite places I’ve lived. And actually, it was probably best for my writing too—being six hours behind the East Coast was good for my productivity. Less distractions!

Which sister in your novel do you relate to more, Nomi or Serina? 

I think I relate to aspects of them both. Serina is the eldest—she’s responsible, protective of her little sister, and feels the weight of her family’s expectations. As the eldest sibling in my family, I felt a lot of that growing up. But I also wanted to rebel against those expectations and all the ideas everyone else had for my life. Which is where my Nomi instincts kick in.

How do you think the story of Grace and Fury can inspire your female readers? 

One of the ongoing themes in Grace and Fury is that women working together can conquer any challenge. And that there are different ways to be strong. I would love it if my female readers found those messages inspiring, but mostly I just hope they enjoy the book!

Which of your favorite authors do you think has inspired your writing style the most? 

Ooh. This is a tough question. I would love to be a meaty fantasy writer like Robin McKinley, who’s one of my idols, but I think my style is probably more in line with the fun, quick reads I read in high school, like The Vampire Diaries and The Secret Circle. I’m also inspired by movies and tv – often when I’m writing I can see the scene playing out in my head as if it were a movie.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone?

I recently fell in LOVE with Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu. I don’t know if it’s underrated, but I would certainly recommend it to everyone! I don’t read much contemporary fiction, and yet this book completely stole my heart and made me feel so empowered. I wish it had been around when I was in high school. 

Release Date: July 31, 2018

Bold, brutal, and beautiful--a must-read fantasy full of fierce sisterhood, action, and political intrigue for fans of The Selection series, Caraval, and The Handmaid's Tale.

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace--someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything. (taken from goodreads.com)

Author Chat With Megan Bannen (THE BIRD AND THE BLADE)

Today, I'm happy to host debut author Megan Bannen! Her new novel, The Bird and the Blade, looks pretty amazing and hits shelves in just a couple of weeks. Keep reading to learn about her coffee addiction, musical tastes, favorite character, and  more.

"Megan Bannen is a librarian and the author of The Bird and the Blade. In her spare time, she collects graduate degrees from Kansas colleges and universities. While most of her professional career has been spent in public libraries, she has also sold luggage, written grants, and taught English at home and abroad. She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, their two sons, and a few too many pets with literary names."

(text taken from Megan's website, photo provided by Megan) 

  

What inspired you to write a young adult novel instead of an adult novel?  

When I was finishing up a master's degree in English many years ago, I needed to find my first adult job to support myself as I studied for my comprehensive exams. The only job I could find was as a youth services associate for a nearby public library. At the time, I never would have imagined myself working with kids or teens, but I quickly realized that kids and teens are way more fun to work with than adults. And I discovered, too, that there were all these fantastic books being written for teens that just weren't around when I was that age. The teen section at any bookstore back in the late 1980s was comprised of Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High, I kid you not. Now, suddenly, there was no end to the great, edgy, genre-bending, literary, yet magnificently unpretentious books for teens coming out, and I became a YA convert. So, when I got the idea to write THE BIRD AND THE BLADE, there was never any question in my mind: This was going to be a YA novel.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to?  

When I first started out, I preferred silence, but my current work in progress was inspired by a piece of music (Ralph Vaughn Williams's "The Lark Ascending"), and it's really changed how I write. Now, I use music to help set the emotional tone of a scene. The playlist for my current project has a wide array of styles, everything from medieval Scandinavian polyphony to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan to Aloe Blacc. Bonus: it's so much easier to ignore my children and strange men at Panera when I'm listening to tunes as I draft!

Are you more of a coffee or a tea person when writing? 

Coffee. All the coffee. I do not function without coffee. I preset my coffeemaker the night before so that I have a freshly brewed pot ready to go for my 5:00 writing sessions. (I get up at 0-dark-hundred to write before heading out the door to my day job.)

Who is your favorite character in The Bird and the Blade? 

Timur, hands down. He's the overthrown khan of the Kipchak Khanate and the poster child for the word "irascible." I knew him cold from the first day I started writing this book, and his gruff, salty self has never failed me. I particularly love his relationship with the book's narrator-protagonist, Jinghua. He's so good at needling her.

Did you have a writing schedule while you worked on this novel? What did your average day of writing look like?  

When I first started writing this book six years ago, I didn't intend to publish. I had this story I wanted to tell, and I wanted to write a novel just to prove to myself I could do it. (Kind of like deciding to run a marathon. You're not trying to win the race, just finish it.) At the time, I was at home with my kids all day--they were two and four then--and I worked nights and weekends at the library, so I had to cram writing into any nook and cranny I could carve out for myself. As the kids got older and I transitioned to full-time, I started keeping a more regular schedule. Now, I get up around 5:00 to write before work. I also write during my lunch hour. I write on Saturday and Sunday mornings, too, unless I'm scheduled to work or one of my sons has a soccer or basketball game. 

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone? 

Ooh, tough one! I'm going to go with a middle grade title: Megan Shepherd's THE SECRET HORSES OF BRIAR HILL. It's a book full of longing and magic and hope and despair and, I tell you, it haunts me to this day. Gorgeous writing, to

Release Date: June 5, 2018

As a slave in the Kipchak Khanate, Jinghua has lost everything: her home, her family, her freedom … until she finds herself an unlikely conspirator in the escape of Prince Khalaf and his irascible father as they flee from their enemies across the vast Mongol Empire. On the run, with adversaries on all sides and an endless journey ahead, Jinghua hatches a scheme to use the Kipchaks’ exile to return home, a plan that becomes increasingly fraught as her feelings for Khalaf evolve into a hopeless love.

Jinghua’s already dicey prospects take a downward turn when Khalaf seeks to restore his kingdom by forging a marriage alliance with Turandokht, the daughter of the Great Khan. As beautiful as she is cunning, Turandokht requires all potential suitors to solve three impossible riddles to win her hand—and if they fail, they die.

Jinghua has kept her own counsel well, but with Khalaf’s kingdom—and his very life—on the line, she must reconcile the hard truth of her past with her love for a boy who has no idea what she’s capable of ... even if it means losing him to the girl who’d sooner take his life than his heart. (taken from goodreads.com)

A Chat with Mindee Arnett, Author of ONYX AND IVORY

We have with us today Mindee Arnett, whose new novel Onyx and Ivory hits shelves on May 15. Keep reading to learn why she loves fantasy, what underrated books she wants you to read, and more. 

Mindee Arnett is the author of the critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller Avalon as well the Arkwell Academy series. An avid eventer, she lives on a farm near Dayton, Ohio with her husband, two kids, and assorted animals. 

When not telling tales of magic, the supernatural, or outer space, she can be found on a horse, trying to jump anything that will stand still. Onyx and Ivory is her first foray into high fantasy. Find her on the web at mindeearnett.com

Where do you think your love of fantasy stories comes from?  

I’m pretty sure I was just born with it. I feel like the things that attract us are ingrained, and while nurture plays a part, it’s a fairly small one. My mother, for instance, doesn’t have any interest in fantasy or science fiction. My dad, on the other hand, did like those things, but it was a passing interest. Nothing at all like my over-the-top obsession. What’s funny is that I also love stories of supernatural suspense, and I can promise neither of my parents had any interest in those. But really, whether it’s fantasy, sci-fi, or horror, I think the appeal for me is the same: a world that’s just a little more than our own.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what do you listen to?  

I do listen to music a bunch, and it’s always some kind of score. No singing, no words. I’m too easily distracted by lyrics to listen to them. Instead, my iTunes is full of movie scores and classical. My favorite composer by far is Ludovico Einauldi, and I listen to him more than anything. For Onyx and Ivory, I listened to the soundtrack to The Man From Snowy River a bunch as well as Pride and Prejudice from the 2006 movie.

What was the most challenging part of writing Onyx and Ivory? 

By far the hardest part was the multiple points of view. I’d written third person before, but this was my first time with dual protagonists. It took me a long time and several revisions to truly make it work. And according to my editor, I ended up doing something fairly unusual in that both Kate and Corwin have a full character arc. I’m hopeful readers will like that.

Can we expect this series to keep growing after the first book? 

This truly is the million dollar question. There is a sequel to Onyx and Ivory and it’s definitely a conclusion to Kate and Corwin’s stories. There are no current plans to evolve the series beyond that. However, there are definitely ways I could grow it and would willingly do so, but it depends completely on the success of the first two books. These days series only continue for books that have above average sales and popularity. The best way readers can help getting a series to go the distance is by buying the book (obviously), recommending to others, and leaving reviews on booksellers’ websites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Who is your favorite character in Onyx and Ivory? 

Kate is my favorite character. I relate to her on so many levels. At the beginning of the book, she’s a young woman who’s lost her place in the world. She doesn’t know who she is, what she’s meant to be. I think all of us can relate to that, young or old.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone? 

Gates of Thread and Stone by Lori M. Lee and its sequel The Infinite. Lori is my critique partner, and while that does make me a little bias, it’s a wonderful series. It’s a fantasy about a young woman who can manipulate the threads of time. There’s also a swoony, heartbreaking romance. 

Thanks for having me visit! It was an honor to be here.

Release Date: May 15, 2018 

They call her Traitor Kate. It’s a title Kate Brighton inherited from her father after he tried to assassinate the high king years ago. Now Kate lives as an outcast, clinging to the fringes of society as a member of the Relay, the imperial courier service. Only those most skilled in riding and bow hunting ride for the Relay; and only the fastest survive, for when dark falls, the nightdrakes—deadly flightless dragons—come out to hunt. Fortunately, Kate has a secret edge: she is a wilder, born with magic that allows her to influence the minds of animals. But it’s this magic that she needs to keep hidden, as being a wilder is forbidden, punishable by death or exile. And it’s this magic that leads her to a caravan massacred by nightdrakes in broad daylight—the only survivor her childhood friend, her first love, the boy she swore to forget, the boy who broke her heart.

The high king’s second son, Corwin Tormane, never asked to lead. Even as he waits for the uror—the once-in-a-generation ritual to decide which of the king’s children will succeed him—he knows it’s always been his brother who will assume the throne. And that’s fine by him. He’d rather spend his days away from the palace, away from the sight of his father, broken with sickness from the attempt on his life. But the peacekeeping tour Corwin is on has given him too much time to reflect upon the night he saved his father’s life—the night he condemned the would-be killer to death and lost the girl he loved. Which is why he takes it on himself to investigate rumors of unrest in one of the remote city-states, only for his caravan to be attacked—and for him to be saved by Kate.

With their paths once more entangled, Kate and Corwin have to put the past behind them. The threat of drakes who attack in the daylight is only the beginning of a darker menace stirring in the kingdom—one whose origins have dire implications for Kate’s father’s attack upon the king and will thrust them into the middle of a brewing civil war in the kingdom of Rime. (taken from goodreads.com) 

A Chat With Ashley Herring Blake, Author of GIRL MADE OF STARS

Everyone give a big welcome to Ashley Herring Blake! She's releasing her new novel, Girl Made of Stars, in May. Snag a copy if you're in the mood for a heartfelt story of family, friendship, and really challenging situations. 

Today, we'll learn a little about her inspiration behind Girl Made of Stars, Ashley's writing habits, and more. To learn more about her novel or background, click here or visit Ashley's website.

Hi, I'm Ashley. I used to write songs and now I write poems and books. I read them a lot too. I like coffee, my boys, gloomy music,, anything with pumpkin in it, stuff hued in Tiffany blue, scarves, and walks. I don't like olives or soggy asparagus or humidity and have not a lick of visual artistic talent.

I live in the best city in the world, also known as Nashville, TN, with my witty husband and two boisterous little boys. Previous jobs include songwriter and performer (though I made about enough money to cover the gas to the gigs), substitute teacher, barista, ABA therapist, special education teacher in a private school for kids with autism, and the hardest job in the world, mommyhood. That last one is still happening, along with lots of word making. (taken from Ashley's website) 

  

How did you come up with the premise for Girl Made of Stars?

It started with anger. I was really very angry. Emily Doe had just released her powerful letter to her abuser and I remember feeling like I was on fire. But really, her letter just poured a bit more gasoline on an already blazing inferno. I was tired of the way this world treated women and those who identify as women. I was terrified as a woman raising two boys in the south. I wanted to write a book that felt just as tangled and messy as my head and heart did when I stepped outside my door every morning. Which is why the book the changed so much after I started writing. At first, I wanted the abusers to go down, no doubt about any part of their guilt in anyone’s mind. Arrest, trial, jail. Boom. But as I started writing Mara’s story, I realized that wasn’t the story I needed to tell. And, unfortunately, because of the way our world has lauded and protected men and abusers, it also wasn’t the story most people needed to hear.

How did you handle the challenge of addressing intense topics like sexual assault and victim blaming in this novel?

Carefully. I listened to a lot of stories and pulled on my own fears a lot. It wasn’t easy. In fact, I’d say this is definitely the hardest book, emotionally, I’ve ever written, and I had several readers on this book, for whom reading it was probably intensely difficult.

Who is your favorite character in Girl Made of Stars?

Charlie. I just totally fell in love with her while writing and she and Mara are definitely my favorite couple I’ve ever written. I love how vulnerable and badass she is all at once and she embodies a lot of characteristics I want to have.

Which of your favorite authors would you say most influenced your writing style?

That’s a hard question as I have so many favorite authors. I would definitely say though, that Nina LaCour and Jandy Nelson were pretty influential. I definitely wouldn’t say I write like them—they’re goddesses!—but their books definitely helped me weave my way through so many voices on my way to finding my own.

What's one thing you always have near you when you're writing?

You know, I don’t have a whole lot of things I have to have while writing. My computer and that’s about it. I like a cup of coffee, but if I’m coffee’d out for the day, I’m fine without any. I do have to be physically comfortable and by in an environment that’s not too terribly distracting or cluttered, if that makes sense.

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone?

Another hard question! I have so many favorites. But if we’re talking about underrated, I’d have to say Amy Rose Capetta’s Echo After Echo. It is just so atmospheric, gorgeous, mysterious. queer—ugh, it has everything I love in a book. Read it. You won’t regret it.

Release Date: May 15, 2018

"I need Owen to explain this. Because yes, I do know that Owen would never do that, but I also know Hannah would never lie about something like that."

Mara and Owen are about as close as twins can get. So when Mara's friend Hannah accuses Owen of rape, Mara doesn't know what to think. Can the brother she loves really be guilty of such a violent crime? Torn between the family she loves and her own sense of right and wrong, Mara is feeling lost, and it doesn't help that things have been strained with her ex and best friend since childhood, Charlie.

As Mara, Hannah, and Charlie navigate this new terrain, Mara must face a trauma from her own past and decide where Charlie fits in her future. With sensitivity and openness, this timely novel confronts the difficult questions surrounding consent, victim blaming, and sexual assault. (taken from goodreads.com)

A Chat With Kim Savage, Author of IN HER SKIN

We have with us today Kim Savage, whose new novel In Her Skin hits shelves on April 17 (in just 3 days!). Keep reading to learn what inspired her to write her story, her favorite underrated novel, and more.

Kim Savage is the author of three critically acclaimed young adult novels, After the Woods, Beautiful Broken Girls (named by Kirkus as one of the 10 Best YA of 2017), and In Her Skin (releasing April 17, 2018), all with Farrar, Straus, Giroux/Macmillan. Her novels have been published in Spain, Brazil, and Turkey, and have been optioned for TV. K

Kim presents at conferences and book festivals nationwide; has been featured on NPR, Herald Radio, and on local cable stations; and she reads from her novels at bookstores across the country. A former reporter with a Master degree in Journalism from Northeastern University, Kim's stories are based in and around Boston. She lives with her family near Boston, not far from the real Middlesex Fells Reservation of After the Woods.

Kim and her husband have three children, each of whom beg to appear in her books. They shouldn't. (photo and text taken from Kim's Goodreads profile) 

How did you come up with the premise for In Her Skin?

In Her Skin is based loosely on the life of a real-life con artist, Frédéric Bourdin, who impersonated a missing boy. Bourdin didn’t look like the boy, had an Algerian accent, and offered an unbelievable story of having been held by a kidnapping ring. It’s hard to understand how the parents of the missing boy could accept Bourdin as their son for as long as they did. I wondered, what if I created a character who attempted the same con, and the parents’ reasons for buying in became clear as the novel unfolded? Jolene Chastain, meet the Lovecrafts.

If you could pick one song that goes with this novel, what would it be? 

“Secrets” by One Republic. In Her Skin is about the power of confessing secrets, and the ways those confessions bind us to people, for better or for worse (okay, mostly worse!). At the same time, those secrets can free us when we release them:

Got no family I can't blame
Just don't let me disappear
I'mma tell you everything

Of course, there is danger in telling, as Jo finds out!

What do you think makes a fictional character compelling? Do you have any tips for other writers?

Credible contradictions. My protagonists have the most devastating flaws, but they always have believable moral centers, too. In my work in progress, I’m writing a character based on the greatest villain of all time—Richard III—who also happens to be the most morally courageous person I’ve “met.”

What's more challenging for you as a writer: wrapping up the end of a novel or starting the first chapter?

Beginnings are easy for me, because I’m used to writing leads (I was once a reporter). I always know the ending, too: you have to, with suspense. It's the early-middle that does me in, when I'm trying to avoid to much exposition, but I need to give the reader enough information to make the next plot points logical. I really, really, really hate that early middle.

Thriller movies: love them or hate them?

I’m meh on thriller movies, which rely on splashy action. On the other hand, I love psychological suspense!

What is one underrated book you would like to recommend to everyone?

The Mystery of Hollow Places by Rebecca Podos is smart, well-written, has a literary feel, and hits my sweet spots: a daughter’s love for her father, and forensics.

Release Date: April 17, 2018

Sixteen-year-old con artist Jo Chastain is about to take on the biggest heist of her life: impersonating a missing girl. Life on the streets of Boston these past few years hasn’t been easy, and Jo is hoping to cash in on a little safety, a little security. She finds her opportunity in the Lovecrafts, a wealthy family with ties to the unsolved disappearance of Vivienne Weir, who vanished when she was nine.

When Jo takes on Vivi's identity and stages the girl’s miraculous return, the Lovecrafts welcome her back with open arms. They give her everything she could want: love, money, and proximity to their intoxicating and unpredictable daughter, Temple. But nothing is as it seems in the Lovecraft household—and some secrets refuse to stay buried. As hidden crimes come to the surface, and lines of deception begin to blur, Jo must choose to either hold onto an illusion of safety, or escape the danger around her before it’s too late. (taken from goodreads.com)