Interview with Intisar Khanani for Thorn

Thorn

by Intisar Khanani
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Release Date: March 24th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings, Romance, Fairy Tales

Synopsis:

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

Can you briefly describe THORN and its characters?

THORN is a retelling of the Grimm’s tale, “The Goose Girl.” It’s both dark and whimsical, packed with sorrow and hope. It’s a tale of betrayal, and injustice, and sorcery, and learning to be strong in who you are and fight for what you understand to be right. 

At the heart of the story is Princess Alyrra. She’s grown up a victim of abuse, her power and rank protecting her from very little. So, when she is sent off to marry a prince whose family dies with alarming frequency, she has little hope for a better future. Along the way, she’s betrayed by her companion, Valka, who steals her skin and takes her place… leaving Alyrra free to make her own decisions for the first time in her life. And she decides she would much rather live a different life than her own. She has an unexpected ally in a talking horse who witnessed the switch (that’s straight from the fairy tale!), and a much more dangerous enemy in the fae sorceress who has sworn to destroy Prince Kestrin and his family. 

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

I love Alyrra deeply, and she is by far the character I have wept with and laughed with the most. (I mean, she’s also the point of view character!). But my favorite character is actually a rather ornery, ill-mannered horse named Moonflower who only shows up in the second half of the book or so. Moonflower has her own history, and I love how her response is to bite at people, and glower, and only slowly trust them. I love that she is passionately protective as a horse even if she won’t quite admit it to your face. As ridiculous as this might sound, I intend to keep writing companion novels until I manage to give Moonflower a happy fate. ;)

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

As I mentioned above, THORN is based on “The Goose Girl.” But much of the characters’ struggles with concepts of justice and compassion come from my own experiences growing up and watching nations lash out at each other over perceived wrongs… when a sense of history shows that both sides have been hurting each other for a very long time. How do you break out of that cycle? How do you achieve justice when everyone is wrong? Is it even possible? I still don’t know the answers to these questions, but I explore them and leave them open to the reader in THORN. 

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

Terrible confession: I don’t listen to a lot of music. I can’t while writing, and somehow the rest of my day is busy and filling and I … mostly end up hearing kid-appropriate songs, from albums like Blue Moo by Sandra Boynton. This question therefore takes me back to songs I heard a long time ago, or that have just snuck in an caught me despite my general obliviousness. In this case, I’m going to mention “Beautiful” by Carole King. The music itself isn’t quite where it’s at for me, it’s the lyrics, and they are so much Alyrra. 

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

*cough cough* Look, I read books, okay? LOL. I do watch movies, but I’m actually really bad with faces. So, while I know I’ve loved most of what I’ve watched in the last year or so (Hidden Figures, Crazy Rich Asians, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, etc.) I’ve got nothing when it comes to actual actors…

I find visuals and sensory detail really challenging, so even when I write my first drafts, I rarely know what my characters look like. That’s something I build in afterward, mostly because my beta readers point out they have no idea what anyone looks like. Go figure. :P

What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

A cup of mint tea out on a deck or in a meadow or park sounds like just the thing to me!

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

Although very different in tone, I love W.R. Gingell’s Two Monarchies sequence, that begins with Masque (hookline: Beauty met the Beast and there was . . . Bloody murder?) and Kate Stradling’s The Legendary Inge, which takes a seemingly throw-away moment from Beowulf, genderswaps the main character (yay girl power!), and builds a fabulous story from there. Definitely an original fairy tale, and one of the few reads I’ve enjoyed so much I flipped back to start over again the moment I finished.

What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?

Letting it go. Seriously. I find most parts of writing a book really challenging – from drafting to revision to line edits. But allowing myself to step back and decide I’ve done everything I can for that story? That’s so hard. I want to keep tinkering, I always know there’s more I can do, and I want to do it. I want to make it the best story that I can. Accepting that I’ve done the best I can in this moment, and that the story is as ready as it will be? That’s hard.

As a reader, what is the “one thing” that a mind-blowing story must have, in your opinion?

All the things. LOL! For me, if there isn’t strong character development, I tend to lose interest even with a fantastic plot. But I really think this is a matter of preference. 

What’s next for you?

I just turned in final edits (ouch! Letting gooooo!) on the first book in a companion duology to Thorn. If you pick up Thorn, you’ll notice a short story at the back of it titled The Bone Knife. It introduces my new heroine, Rae, who takes on a few of the strands left dangling from Thorn. Her book is titled The Theft of Sunlight and is slated to release sometime next year. Now I’ll be toggling back and forth between edits on the third book in my indie series, The Sunbolt Chronicles, and Rae’s second book. Never a dull moment!

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. Born in Wisconsin, she has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. She first remembers seeing snow on a wintry street in Zurich, Switzerland, and vaguely recollects having breakfast with the orangutans at the Singapore Zoo when she was five. She currently resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two young daughters. 

Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar’s debut novel, Thorn, was picked up by HarperTeen and will be re-released in Winter 2020. In the meantime, she’s hard at work on the remaining books of The Sunbolt Chronicles.

On March 24th Thorn will be releasing from Hot Key (UK) and HarperTeen (US/CA)! To celebrate, the author is offering some amazing Thorn goodies to everyone who …

• pre-orders/orders a copy of Thorn before March 31st at 23.59.
• OR requests it from their library (library hold / suggested purchase) before March 31st at 23.59.

Here’s what’s up for grabs:

Physical goodies (US/UK):

• A Thorn Bookmark
• A set of Chibi Stickers featuring Thorn characters
• A Signed Bookplate

PLUS Digital goodies (worldwide):

• A PDF of Brambles – a Thorn prequel short story so you can jump into Alyrra’s world now!
• A PDF of The (Annotated) Goose Girl – the original fairytale with annotations from yours truly in the margin
• A coloring page of three Thorn-themed bookmarks

All you need to do to enter is send a proof of purchase (or screenshot of your library hold), your name and address to khananipreorder@gmail.com. T&Cs apply!

UK entrants: Hot Key Books rocks and can mail you physical goodies as well as the digital. Check it out here: http://hotkeybooks.com/thorn-pre-order/.

For more information, go to Intisar's website: http://booksbyintisar.com/thorn-pre-order/.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FFBC: Welcome to the club, Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi

Autofocus
by Lauren Gibaldi
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: June 14th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Adoption, Coming of Age, Family

Synopsis:

Family.

It’s always been a loaded word for Maude. And when she is given a senior photography assignment—to create a portfolio that shows the meaning of family—she doesn’t quite know where to begin. But she knows one thing: without the story of her birth mother, who died when Maude was born, her project will be incomplete.

So Maude decides to visit her best friend, Treena, at college in Tallahassee, Florida, where Maude’s birth mother once lived. But when Maude arrives, she quickly discovers that Treena has changed. With a new boyfriend and a packed social calendar, Treena doesn’t seem to have time for Maude—or helping Maude in her search.

Enter Bennett, a cute guy who lives in Treena’s dorm. He understands Maude’s need to find her mother. And as Bennett helps Maude in her search, she starts to find that her mother’s past doesn’t have to define her own future.

Lauren Gibaldi has crafted a beautiful and timely coming-of-age story that poses the question: Is who we are determined at birth, or can we change as we grow?

Hello Lauren! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Autofocus?

Sure! AUTOFOCUS follows Maude as she searches for information on her deceased birth mother. She’s never known her, and doesn’t have much information, so she goes to Tallahassee, Florida, to try to track down old friends. While there, she stays with her best friend, Treena, who’s changed a bit since graduating high school, and meets Bennett, a boy who helps her on her quest. 

Can you tell us a bit more about Maude and her personality? And what about Bennett?

Maude is artistic. She’s a photographer and loves seeing things through the lens. She always wants to find the perfect shot, and the perfect view of a person. She’s a bit single-minded, but aren’t we all at one point? And she’s very determined to figure out more about her mother, and how her mother’s life may relate to her own. Bennett is a boy who’s friends with Maude’s best friend Treena. He’s into Star Wars and Doctor Who and wants to be an animator for Pixar. He’s kind of dorky, super understanding, and really just wants to find good in everyone. 

So, as a personal opinion, do you think that we are determined at birth? Why?

Yes and no. I think some things—physical things, of course and some personality traits. I see this every day raising my own daughter. But I think other people around you, that aren’t family, also shape you. I think you become the person you want to be, and only some of it is from birth. (It’s why I like writing YA—it’s that stage where you’re figuring out who you are, and what you want to do with that.) 

How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?

I thought of the place first, actually. I love Tallahassee, and starting thinking about why someone would visit. I wanted the person to be on a quest, be trying to find something, or in this case, someone. And then I thought of a girl trying to find herself and everything kind of fell into place. 

Tell us your favorite quote from Autofocus.

I actually just made a graphic to go with it! “I'm a blur. I'm not clear and crisp like some people; instead I'm messy on the edges and not quite formed. I'm many pieces all put into one, and one day I'll figure them all out.” I think that sums up the book nicely. 

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

Two. There’s a scene at Lichgate that was super fun to write. It’s a real place, so it was fun, for me, to revisit it in writing. And it’s a sweet scene. The Pineview scene (which includes a possibly haunted building) was the hardest to write because I’m not good at writing anything scary, apparently. Ha!

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for Autofocus – Which one would you pick? 

I don’t know! I really like “Photograph” by Ed Sheeran, but not for Maude and Bennett, but for Maude and Treena. Strip the romance love out of it, and instead think of it as that strong best friendship love that grows and changes and becomes complicated but always lovely. I think that’s them. 

Imagine that we get to see your book on the big screen (how awesome would that be?). Who would you pick to play your characters?

I’m SO not good at this question. For my last book, bloggers always had better responses to this than me, so I’m going to go with…who do YOU think? 

Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read Autofocus (specific music, snacks…)?

Hmm. I can’t read with music on, so I’d say no music. I think you need a nice cup of tea (for relaxation, of course), or some ice cream (because ice cream means friendship in my opinion). The girls in enjoy both in the book. 

What’s next for you?

I have a third book coming out with HarperTeen / HarperCollins coming out in 2017, titled THIS TINY PERFECT WORLD. It deals with an acting camp, and I’m so excited to share it with everyone!

Thank you so much for everything, Lauren!

Follow the Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Public librarian and author of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES, MATT'S STORY (a Night We Said Yes novella), and AUTOFOCUS (out 6/14/16), all with HarperTeen / HarperCollins. Fan of dinosaurs and cheesy jokes. And you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

FFBC: Welcome to the club, The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi

The Night We Said Yes
by Lauren Gibaldi
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: June 16th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Music

Synopsis:

A fun, romantic read, perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Susane Colasanti!

Before Matt, Ella had a plan. Get over a no-good ex-boyfriend. Graduate from high school without any more distractions. Move away from Orlando, Florida, where she’s lived her entire life. 

But Matt—the cute, shy, bespectacled bass player who just moved to town—was never part of that plan.

And neither was attending a party that was crashed by the cops just minutes after they arrived. Or spending an entire night saying “yes” to every crazy, fun thing they could think of.

Then Matt abruptly left town, and he broke not only Ella’s heart but those of their best friends, too. So when he shows up a year later with a plan of his own—to relive the night that brought them together—Ella isn’t sure whether Matt’s worth a second chance. Or if re-creating the past can help them create a different future. 

In alternating then and now chapters, debut author Lauren Gibaldi crafts a charming, romantic story of first loves, lifelong friendships, uncovered secrets, and, ultimately, finding out how to be brave.

Hello Lauren! Welcome to the FFBC ! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours!

Thank you for having me! I’m so excited!

THE NIGHT WE SAID YES is about four friends who say yes to every idea they have for one night. In the process, two of them, Ella and Matt, kind of fall for one another. Fast forward to a year later, when Matt’s been gone for about six months. He and Ella meet again and try to recreate the original night that brought them together, seeing if second chances are possible. The book flips back and forth from one year ago to the present time so you can see both nights unfolding at once. 

Ella and Matt have a lot in common—they’re both shy and silly and awkward and sweet. They’ve both played second place to someone in their lives (for Ella, her best friend Meg, and for Matt, his older brother Chris.) But where Ella flourishes in her friendships, Matt becomes nervous, as he’s not used to being so close to people. I don’t necessarily think they’re the perfect couple, but I think that’s what makes them work—their imperfectness. 

I love the idea that one night can change everything—that in one night, we can make things happen. I think we all get excited before a night out, wondering what will happen and who we’ll see. I wanted to capture that excitement in the book. As for inspiration from other places, I try not to get inspiration from shows and stuff because I’m terrified of accidentally borrowing plots! I will say I did listen to a lot of Taylor Swift and The Ataris (my favorite band when I was in high school) between writing. 

I think this quote summarizes it nicely: “It was the sense of possibility that I loved, the idea that anything could happen next.” My other favorite line is the last night, but I’m not going to quote that! 

Yes! There’s a scene in the Then section (a year ago) where they’re hanging out on a roof. For some reason, it’s my favorite scene. 

I keep answering this differently in each interview to keep it interesting, so here’s a new one! “Tonight the Streets Are Ours” by Richard Hawley. 

Super awesome! I actually haven’t thought of this much—I will say I had a lot of fun casting my book trailer. I used high school juniors and seniors, and they did a fantastic job (you can see yourself!) I think my Ella and Matt, specifically, were perfect. So let’s just say them. 

Ummm—I don’t know! I say just read and have fun! 

MATT’S STORY, a Night We Said Yes Novella about the year inbetween, as told by Matt, comes out August 4th with Epic Reads Impulse! I’m really excited for everyone to see Matt’s side of the story. Then, my second novel, AUTOFOCUS, comes out summer 2016. 

SO MANY! There are lots of obvious ones (Sarah Dessen! Gayle Forman! John Green!) so I’ll go with non-so-obvious from various categories. For adult fiction, J Courtney Sullivan and Carlos Ruiz Zafon; for non-fiction David Sedaris and Sarah Vowell; and from YA Jessica Martinez and Jenny Sanchez Torres.

Holding my ARC! I cried. 

I can’t pick just one. Can I just say every book written by a Fearless Fifteener? Because there’s so much amazingness there. 

Thank you so much for everything, Lauren!

Follow the The Night We Said Yes by Lauren Gibaldi Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Public librarian and author of THE NIGHT WE SAID YES (HarperCollins / HarperTeen, June 16, 2015) and MATT'S STORY (a The Night We Said Yes Novella, out August 2015). Fan of dinosaurs and cheesy jokes. And you.

US Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway