Interview with Sara B. Larson for Sisters of Shadow and Light

Sisters of Shadow and Light (Sisters of Shadow and Light #1)

by Sara B. Larson
Publisher: Tor Teen
Release Date: November 5th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

From the acclaimed author of DEFY, Sara B. Larson, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT is a timeless and fantastical tale of sisterly love and powerful magic

"The night my sister was born, the stars died and were reborn in her eyes…".

Zuhra and Inara have grown up in the Citadel of the Paladins, an abandoned fortress where legendary, magical warriors once lived before disappearing from the world―including their Paladin father the night Inara was born.

On that same night, a massive, magical hedge grew and imprisoned them within the citadel. Inara inherited their father’s Paladin power; her eyes glow blue and she is able to make plants grow at unbelievable rates, but she has been trapped in her own mind because of a “roar” that drowns everything else out―leaving Zuhra virtually alone with their emotionally broken human mother.

For fifteen years they have lived, trapped in the citadel, with little contact from the outside world…until the day a stranger passes through the hedge, and everything changes.

Can you briefly describe SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT and its characters?

SOSAL is the story of two sisters, Zuhra and Inara, who grow up trapped behind a sentient, magical hedge. They live in an abandoned citadel with their mother, who is emotionally broken from their father’s disappearance the night Inara was born—the same night the hedge grew, trapping them there. The citadel was once inhabited by the Paladin, a race of magical beings—the same magic that Inara inherited from their father, the last Paladin in their world. Without anyone to teach her how to harness and control her power, she ends up trapped in her own mind. They have little hope of escape…until the day the hedge lets a stranger through for the first time, and everything changes. 

Zuhra, the older sister, is fiercely loyal and protective of Inara. She’s loving and strong-willed, but stifled by their entrapment and her mother’s rules—which include refusing to let her investigate any rooms the Paladin once used, beyond the few ones they inhabit. Inara is gentle and kind, but can rarely communicate because of the power that creates a roar in her mind, trapping her even more fully than the hedge. There are some other amazing characters in this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything! 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why? 

The sisters are definitely my first favorites…I love both Zuhra and Inara so much. I am the oldest of five girls, so I can definitely relate to Zuhra and her desire to protect Inara and her deep love for her sister. But I do have a few other favorites, too…I just can’t say much because I don’t want to spoil anything! 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

It started with Inara and Zuhra first. I saw a picture of a girl with glowing blue eyes and it ignited this little idea I’d had sparking inside for a while. Then I saw an image of a citadel on a cliff with a waterfall that ran out from underneath it, and I thought—what if a huge hedge grew around that—trapping a family there? And from there, the rest of it blossomed into the story you now have!

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Oof, that’s a hard question! I’m not sure it describes it necessarily, but one song I listened to on repeat for certain scenes was Breathe by Fleurie. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

I have such a hard time with this honestly…but I think Mackenzie Foy would be a lovely Inara (with glowing blue contacts, of course), or the model Bogdana from Russia reminds me so much of her from the pictures I saw on pinterest…as for Zuhra, I think Marie Avgeropoulos would do a great job! 

Fall is here, and we love to find a cosy place to read our favourite books. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

I love hot chocolate on a brisk fall day (or night, or morning), and I have to say curling up in a cozy blanket by a fire is my perfect place to read a book when it’s cold out! 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT?

There are so many great books out there, it’s incredibly hard to narrow them down to a few recommendations. Some of my favorite recent reads have been the CARAVAL series, BONE CRIER’S MOON (comes out in March), and THE MUSE OF NIGHTMARES. Also, if they haven’t read my two other series, they could always go back and read those while they wait—the DEFY trilogy, and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on the sequel to SOSAL, and a few other secret projects!

Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasy DEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology. Her next YA fantasy, SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT, comes out November 5th from Tor Teen. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.

October 30th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Welcome Post

October 31st

BookCrushin - Tell Your Story in 3 or 5 GIFs

Library of a Book Witch - Review

L.M. Durand - Review

The Clever Reader - Review + Favourite Quotes

Gwendalyn’s Books - Review

November 1st

NovelKnight - Story Behind The Cover

Moonlight Rendezvous - Review + Favourite Quotes

Utopia State of Mind - Review + Favourite Quotes

Write, Read, Repeat - Review

Book Briefs - Review

November 2nd

Bookish Looks - Character Playlist

Here's To Happy Endings - Review

The Boozy Reader - Review

Book Slaying - Review + Favourite Quotes

Becky’s Book Blog - Review

November 3rd

books_andpoetrii - Mood Board/Book Style

Musings of a (Book) Girl - Official Playlist

Shalini's Books & Reviews - Review

Adventures and Reading - Review

Novelishly - Review

November 4th

Kait Plus Books - Top 10 List

Artsy Draft - Review + Favourite Quotes

Novel Nerd Faction - Review + Playlist

Jrsbookreviews - Review

Fictitiouswonderland - Review

November 5th

Sereadipity - Video Interview

A Court of Coffee and Books - Review + Favourite Quotes

Sometimes Leelynn Reads - Review + Dream Cast

Wishful Endings - Review

Story-eyed Reviews - Review

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Interview with Bree Barton for Tears of Frost

Tears of Frost (Heart of Thorns #2)

by Bree Barton
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: November 5th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

The electric second book in the Heart of Thorns trilogy explores the effects of power in a dark magical kingdom—and the fierce courage it takes to claim your body as your own.

Mia Rose is back from the dead. Her memories are hazy, her body numb—but she won’t stop searching. Her only hope to save the boy she loves and the sister who destroyed her is to find the mother she can never forgive. Pilar is on a hunt of her own. Betrayed by her mother, and plagued by a painful secret, she’s determined to seek out the only person who can exact revenge. All goes according to plan… until she collides with Prince Quin, the boy whose sister she killed.

As Mia, Pilar, and Quin forge dangerous new alliances, they are bewitched by the snow kingdom’s promise of freedom and opportunity. But with the winter solstice drawing near, they must confront the truth beneath the glimmering ice, as lines between friend, foe, and lover vanish like snowflakes on a flame.

Can you briefly describe TEARS OF FROST and its characters?

Mia Rose and Pilar d’Aqila—the girl who tried to kill her—are on a collision course in the snow kingdom. Mia is looking for her mother. Pilar is looking for her father. They’re both harboring dark secrets that could destroy them. Meanwhile Quin has also escaped the river kingdom on a mission of his own. 

They only have twenty-eight days before the Illuminations, the Jyöltide festival in which fyre ice flickers in the night sky… and all truths come to light. The question is, will Mia, Quin, and Pilar work together to confront the darkness? Or will their secrets tear them apart?

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

I really fell in love with Pilar as I wrote this book. She’s so different than Mia—she thinks and speaks and acts differently, and the world she knows is not the same world Mia and Quin inhabit. Pilar rough-and-tumbled her way into my heart, jostled Mia out of the way, and claimed my new favourite spot.

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

I clawed and fought and wept my way to this story. It was not easy. When I was writing the first draft, my little sister was raped—a fact she’s given me permission to share, because she’d like our culture to be able to talk more openly about rape. When I was revising, I was sexually assaulted. For more than twenty years, I have struggled with depression, which often feels like being stripped of physical sensation and emotional aliveness. In other words: being trapped in a dark box. All of these things poured out of me and into the book. I did my best to shape them as honestly and sensitively as I could. It also means this book is intensely personal—and will of course hurt more when people tear it apart. 

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

“Fire Drills” by Dessa. This is such a powerful song. It says so much, so perfectly, so painfully. Dessa is a queen.

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters?

Why not choose actors, right? There are so many good ones!

Mia: Sophie Turner

Quin: Timothée Chalamet 

Pilar: Camila Mendes 

Zai: Manny Jacinto

Angelyne: Dakota Fanning

Ville: Lucas Hedges

Nell: Zendaya

Fall is here, and we love to find a cosy place to read our favourite books. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

TEARS OF FROST is a great book for the holidays... assuming you like your holidays with a dose of dark and twisty. The mythology of the snow kingdom—the Seven Souls of Jyöl that form the epistolary backbone of the novel—was heavily inspired by my trip to Iceland. I think the absolute best place to read ToF would be by a crackling fire in the coastal town of Vik, hugging a toasty cup of Jyöltide cinnamon cocoa beneath the northern lights. Barring that: in a bookstore nook with mistletoe and some candles that hopefully don’t float. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish TEARS OF FROST?

MIRAGE, DAMSEL, THESE REBEL WAVES—so many amazing books today are pushing the boundaries of what fantasy can be. I also just finished (and fell in love with) ONCE UPON A RIVER by Diane Setterfield. Treat yourself to the audiobook narrated by Juliet Stevenson. The variety of British accents is dazzling; she brings all the characters so beautifully to life. 

What’s next for you?

I’m currently hard at work on book 3 of the trilogy (I know the title but can’t reveal it just yet!). There are glass cities, warm sandy beaches with swaying fish trees, an island with mystical allure… and a grave cost on the other side.

Bree Barton is the author of Heart of Thorns (KT/HarperCollins 2018), the first in a series of fierce feminist fantasy novels. Her books have been published in seven countries and four languages. When she’s not crafting a story, Bree teaches dance and writing to teen girls. You can find her on Instagram @SpeakBreely. She lives in Los Angeles but dreams of the northern lights.

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Interview with P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast for Forgotten

Forgotten (House of Night Other World #3)

by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Release Date: October 29th 2019 

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Before he was freed by Neferet, Kalona was imprisoned within the earth for centuries because of the Darkness in his heart. But what happened to the Other World’s Kalona? It’s as though he’s been forgotten, or maybe he never existed at all … 

In the present, Other Neferet may have left her House of Night, but she has far from given up her goal of immortality and world domination. As she operates in secret to gain access to Old Magick, the new High Priestess, Anastasia Langford, works toward peace and acceptance for the vampyres of the Other World. But just as Other Kevin’s broken heart will take time to heal, peace in that world will also take time and work—and not all of the Other World vampyres want peace. After all, why should they return to being shunned by humans, especially when they’ve had a taste of how it feels to be in power? 

Meanwhile, Zoey is desperate to help rid the Other World of Neferet once and for all, and not knowing what’s going on over there is eating away at her. But, as the Nerd Herd warns, it’s far too dangerous to call on Old Magick time and again. As a distraction, she throws herself into her work and attempts to bring the humans and vampyres of Tulsa closer together with the first human-vampyre swim meet in history! It’s too bad that something always seems to go wrong whenever the stakes are high. 

What happens when worlds clash and powers that should be left alone are awakened? Can Other Kevin and his world heal from the wounds Neferet continues to inflict? Can Old Magick ever truly be harnessed and used for good? Or will Darkness extinguish Light and leave our heroes broken, hopeless, and as forgotten as Kalona of the Silver Wings? Don’t miss this second to last volume in the House of Night Other World saga!

Can you briefly describe the Other World series, FORGOTTEN and its characters?

PC: FORGOTTEN is the third book in a spin-off of the House of Night series. It’s a mixture of beloved HoN characters and new characters with awesome new adventures.

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

PC: I’m enjoying the evolution of Other Neferet’s character. It’s interesting to see how just a few changes can completely alter a character’s destiny.

KC: I really love Aphrodite – where she started and who she’s become.

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

PC: When I realized the 10th anniversary of the publication of MARKED was near (actually, Kristin reminded me) I thought it would be lovely to write a surprise book – like a love letter to HoN fans – thanking them for a decade of loyalty. That book inspired a spin-off that’s been a lot of fun to write. 

I find inspiration everywhere. A life lived fully is filled with inspiration. 

Which book was the most difficult to write about? And between the series and the House of Night Series, which one was your favourite to write about?

PC: It was difficult for me to begin the first book of the Other World series, LOVED. It had been several years since I’d written in the House of Night world and I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to find my HoN voice again. Kristin finally just told me WRITE THE BOOK WOMAN (literally). As soon as I started it was like coming home and I have enjoyed every moment of revisiting the series. 

My favourite book is the last one, FOUND, which I just finished. I adore the ending. It made me snot cry.

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

PC: I have delusions of grandeur, so I’ll say the soundtrack to LotRs, RETURN OF THE KING. 

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters? 

PC: As the series is being readied for TV, I think I’ll leave that to our wonderful producers. Keep an eye on our HoN Facebook page for exciting updates! (read more here)

Fall is here, and we love to go out and find our perfect cosy spot. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

PC: A good book is my favourite dinner date! Right now, I love taking mine to a fantastic little vegan Japanese infusion restaurant called Ichiza Kitchen in Portland, OR. I’m a big sake fan – unfiltered is my choice. And I love a giant bowl of noodle soup to go with it!

KC: I love The Stacks Coffeehouse in PDX and always order a London Fog but with breakfast tea and oat milk, so maybe a Portland Fog??

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish FORGOTTEN?

PC: Yep. Anything written by Kristin and/or me. Check out our books at www.infinitelyinteresting.co

KC: And, if you’re looking for racier vamp stories, check out Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Sooooo good!

What’s next for you?

PC: Kristin and I are working on a new YA trilogy that hasn’t been announced yet, and I have a YA historical (with paranormal elements) series that also hasn’t been announced. What HAS been announced is Kristin’s new series, THE KEY, releasing in 2020, and a possible HoN TV series! Keep an eye on the HoN Facebook page for updates!

KC: Yep! The Key to Fear, the first novel in my YA trilogy releases October 1st, 2020!

P.C. Cast

PC was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school, she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. PC is a #1 New York Times and #1 USA Today Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. PC is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. Ms. Cast lives in Oregon near her fabulous daughter, her adorable pack of dogs, her crazy Maine Coon, and a bunch of horses. House of Night Other World, book 1, LOVED, releases July 11th. SUN WARRIOR, book 2 in the Tales of a New World series releases October 17th.

Kristin Cast

Kristin Cast is a #1 NY Times and #1 USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the wildly successful HOUSE OF NIGHT series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal.

When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, playing with her French Bulldogs (Grace Kelly and Sir Laurence Olivier), and discovering new hobbies. This year she'll work on handstands, gardening, and taking her new puppy (Baloo) to puppy classes.

#HoNLoved releases July 11th.

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🌙 G I V E A W A Y 🌙 . . “We stand separate from the world because of our gifts. Never forget that, because you may be sure the world never will.” —Neferet . . Happy Wednesday, beautiful bookish people! What have you been up to? I am super happy today because I have the privilege to host a tour for 2 of my favourite authors: @kcastauthor and P.C. Cast. #Forgotten, the last book in the house of Night Other World. I feel like if it wasn't for them, I would have never started reading YA. I love the #HoN series and knowing it's going to become a TV show? 🤯 . . To celebrate we have the opportunity from @theffbc to give away a #HouseOfNightOtherWorld bundle that includes a copy of #Loved, #Lost and #Forgotten and some bookish swag. . . ENTRIES FOR THE GIVEAWAY: ▪︎Follow @theffbc & @whatmakespatri ▪︎Follow the author @kcastauthor ▪︎Follow the publishing house @blackstonepublishing ▪︎Comment: Which element would you have an affinity for? (so we can track your entry & to get to know you!) . . EXTRA ENTRIES FOR THE GIVEAWAY: ▪︎Tag a friend (each friend will be an extra entry). ▪︎Share on your stories about the giveaway (remember to tag me @whatmakespatri and @theffbc) ▪︎Follow @michellesulk & @artsyreadergirl ▪︎Follow any other FFBC team member participating in the tour (let us know on the comment section who did you follow). Check everyone's Instagram handles below: @moonlight_rendezvous @jessicabeckett @Bookbloglondon @nayspinkbookshelf @l.m.durand @shelflifechronicles @poisonbooknerd @disubsits @booksonthebookshelf @a_bookish_dream @adreamindream @the_bibliophagist_ @bookarlo @derelza28evans @shelfrated @mahkjchi_books @thereadingchemist @BookishEnby @abronxlatinareads GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO ALL US RESIDENTS ONLY. Winner will be announced on NOVEMBER 6th 2019 via @theffbc and contacted via instagram. #blogtour #bookstagram #bookporn #instabook #booksofinstagram #bookphotography #booklover #yalit #booksofinstagram #bookgiveaway #bookish #booknerdigans #bookstagramfeature #bookaesthetic #bookworm #bookcommunity #booksbooksbooks #epicreads #youngadult #bookstagrammer #bookgram #yabookstagram #ireadya #booksbooksbooks #bookphoto #igreaders

A post shared by Patricia Lopez (@whatmakespatri) on Oct 23, 2019 at 8:42am PDT