Interview with Adalyn Grace for All The Stars and Teeth

All the Stars and Teeth (All the Stars and Teeth #1)

by Adalyn Grace
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: February 4th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Pirates

Synopsis:

Set in a kingdom where danger lurks beneath the sea, mermaids seek vengeance with song, and magic is a choice, Adalyn Grace’s All the Stars and Teeth is a thrilling fantasy for fans of Stephanie Garber’s Caraval and Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series.

She will reign.

As princess of the island kingdom Visidia, Amora Montara has spent her entire life training to be High Animancer—the master of souls. The rest of the realm can choose their magic, but for Amora, it’s never been a choice. To secure her place as heir to the throne, she must prove her mastery of the monarchy’s dangerous soul magic.

When her demonstration goes awry, Amora is forced to flee. She strikes a deal with Bastian, a mysterious pirate: he’ll help her prove she’s fit to rule, if she’ll help him reclaim his stolen magic.

But sailing the kingdom holds more wonder—and more peril—than Amora anticipated. A destructive new magic is on the rise, and if Amora is to conquer it, she’ll need to face legendary monsters, cross paths with vengeful mermaids, and deal with a stow-away she never expected… or risk the fate of Visidia and lose the crown forever.

I am the right choice. The only choice. And I will protect my kingdom.

Can you briefly describe ALL THE STARS AND TEETH and its characters?

All the Stars and Teeth is an epic fantasy about a fierce (and a bit morally grey) princess who is forced to team up with a mysterious pirate if she’s to save her kingdom from a new magical threat. It’s a fast-paced adventure featuring seven unique magic systems, a rag-tag crew of four oddballs that have my heart, and a whole lot of swordfights.

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

Though I’m partial to Amora, I love all of the characters for different reasons. I love Amora’s unwavering determination and ambition, and how unapologetically herself she is. Bastian, I love for his humour and passion. Vataea for her fierceness and snark. And Ferrick for just being Ferrick. 

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

This story came first with Amora. It’s no secret that male characters get away with a lot more than female characters in books/tv/media. They can be conniving, spoiled, and arrogant, but so long as they have a cut jaw and sharp cheekbones, they’re heartthrobs and definitely in someone’s ship. For female characters, they typically get to be: super nice, understanding, and helpful toward others, or super vicious and bad ass. If they’re anywhere in the middle, they often get this super lovely term that people are programmed to associate only with females: bratty. 

I wanted to challenge these biases we’ve been raised to believe, and create a heroine who didn’t need to fit any societal mold. I wanted her to love gowns and courting as much as she loves being in the thick of action and swordfights. From her, the world and magic system flourished. But this book very much started with Amora. 

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

I’m going to cheat and say the entire Witcher 3 soundtrack. The book would not be what it is now, had I not been listening to that on repeat. I remember going into drafting chapter 4 in particular, and not having a clue what Amora’s magic or demonstration was going to be. Then all of a sudden, someone started scream-chanting on the Witcher 3 soundtrack, and my brain was like, “Yes. Perfect. This is exactly the vibe I want. Time to make that happen.” 

And thus chapter 4 was born. 

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

I always think this is such a fun question, but I have such a boring answer! I’d really love to see all new faces for ATSAT. The only exception is Eddie Redmayne, who I see as Ferrick way too vividly. He’s a bit too old to play him now, but in his older films I can’t help but to see him as Ferrick!

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

I’d say rum on the beach for our older readers, and maybe some nice POG juice for everyone else! Or, you know, hot tea and a cozy couch. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish ALL THE STARS AND TEETH?

Be on the lookout for Adrienne Young’s upcoming book, FABLE! If you enjoyed All the Stars and Teeth, you’ll probably really enjoy that book. There aren’t any pirates, but there are ships, deep sea diving, travel, and a whole lot of swoon. Astrid Scholte’s THE VANISHING DEEP is another super cool book with a world built around the water too, for people who are looking for more watery settings!

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

I think just sitting down and doing it is the hardest part, as we’re in a world full of so many easy distractions. In terms of being an author, I think the most difficult part is adjusting to the shift of no longer just writing for fun, but for work. It’s also a fiercely competitive industry, and there are a lot of hurdles and feelings of comparison you have to mentally overcome. We often talk about the shiny aspects of publishing and book writing, but don’t prepare newer authors enough for the difficulties. Being in author is wonderful, but it’s also very hard mentally and physically, and I think we should talk about that more so that writers can better prepare themselves for this industry. 

What’s next for you?

I’m working on edits for Book 2 right now, to have it ready for everyone in anticipation of them yelling at me after Book 1’s ending . . . :)

Adalyn Grace graduated Summa Cum Laude when she was 19-years-old. She spent four years working in live theater, and acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper. During and after college, she studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular animated show, The Legend of Korra (sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender). She was a participant in Pitch Wars 2016, and is a former literary agent intern for an established agency.

Adalyn splits time between San Diego and Arizona with her bossy cat and two dorky dogs, and spends her days writing full time while trying to find the city’s best burrito.

She has several projects in the works, and hopes to continually push the boundaries and explore the limits of upper young adult fiction.

You can follow her on Twitter, at @AdalynGrace_

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Interview with Elizabeth Lim for Spin the Dawn

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1)

by Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: July 9th 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

Can you briefly describe SPIN THE DAWN and their main characters? 

To provide for her family, a young seamstress disguises herself as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor. Her task to sew the legendary dresses of the sun, moon, and stars lead her on an adventure of danger and romance along a reimagined Silk Road. 

Maia Tamarin is a talented seamstress who yearns to become an imperial tailor for the emperor, but doesn’t even get a chance to have her work considered because she’s a girl. She’s a go-getter, absolutely loyal to her family, and a realist despite her incredible talent. One reader described her as a “cinnamon roll slytherin,” which I absolutely love. 

Lady Sarnai is the daughter of an enemy warlord and is betrothed to Emperor Khanujin. She’s a fierce warrior who despises having to play princess at court. Don’t mess with her. 

Emperor Khanujin is the ruler of A’landi. Not much can be said about him without too many spoilers!  

Edan is the emperor’s lord enchanter. He gets bored easily and enjoys playing pranks on the emperor’s ministers. 

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

I think I’m the most like Maia, the main character, but Lady Sarnai’s actually my favorite character. She’s so fierce and so…Slytherin—she’s ambitious like Maia but has similar struggles: she wants to be recognized for her battle prowess, but people look down on her because she’s a girl. I love how similar she and Maia are and yet how different. She’s really fun to write, and I hope readers will love her prickliness. 

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

I was inspired by the fairytales my father used to tell me as a child. SPIN THE DAWN draws influence from three in particular: the Chinese legend, The Cowherd and the Weaver, the French fairytale, Donkeyskin, and the Norwegian story, East of the Sun. I decided to write about a tailor in particular because of my grandmother, who spent many years working as a seamstress when she first moved to the United States. 

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

Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. 

Summer is here and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

A pot of freshly brewed oolong tea sipped in a garden (the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and Staten Island’s Chinese Scholar’s Garden are two of my local faves). 

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

Yes! I’d recommend The Reader by Traci Chee, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer, and Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao.

What’s next for you? 

I’m working on the sequel to Spin the Dawn!

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since. 

Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Interview with A.K. Small for Bright Burning Stars

Bright Burning Stars

by A.K. Small
Publisher: Algonquin Young Readers
Release Date: May 21st 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Synopsis:

Best friends Marine Duval and Kate Sanders have trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School since childhood, where they’ve formed an inseparable bond forged by respective family tragedies and a fierce love for dance. When the body of a student is found in the dorms just before the start of their final year, Marine and Kate begin to ask themselves what they would do to win the ultimate prize: to be the one girl selected to join the Opera’s prestigious corps de ballet. Would they die? Cheat? Seduce the most talented boy in the school, dubbed the Demigod, hoping his magic would make them shine, too? Neither girl is sure.

But then Kate gets closer to the Demigod, even as Marine has begun to capture his heart. And as selection day draws near, the competition—for the prize, for the Demigod—becomes fiercer, and Marine and Kate realize they have everything to lose, including each other.

Can you briefly describe BRIGHT BURNING STARS and their main characters? 

BBS is about two best friends who dance at a prestigious ballet school in Paris. Their friendship and resilience are put to the test as they both want to win The Prize which is only one spot in the company. 

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

My favourite character in the story is Kate. She is wild and impulsive and I love her magnetism, not to mention her talent. But I also adore Monsieur Chevalier who seems to have a great love for Marine and Luc, of course, for his multiple talents and amazing personality. 

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

I knew I wanted to write a book about dance, but it’s when I went to the Musé Rodin and saw the Eternal Idol, a sculpture of a man and a woman fused together, that I began to think about Marine, Kate, and Cyrille. 

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

Unsteady by X Ambassadors was my song for Kate. Bach and Chopin were my songs for ballet class settings. I didn’t have a song for Marine because she loved every type of music. But Beyoncé was Marine and Kate’s fave artist out of the studio. 

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

Honestly, I’d want real dancers. Ava Arbuckle whom I follow in IG could be Kate and Audrey Freeman (also on IG) could be Marine. 

Summer is coming and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

I’d take BBS in a shaded spot on the beach with either Tequila Sunrise for 21 and older or with a Shirley Temple! 

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

Oh so many! How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow, A Room Away from the Wolves by Nova Ren Suma, The Art of Breaking Things by Laura Sibson! 

What’s next for you? 

I’m working on a new YA about an orphan who seeks shelter inside the Parisian boutique of a famous feather artist.

A.K. Small is thrilled for her debut novel, BRIGHT BURNING STARS, to come out May 21, 2019 through publisher Algonquin Young Readers. Her talent for writing and passion for classical ballet fuse together in this novel and earned A.K. Small the honor of an Entertainment Weekly review.

In addition to BRIGHT BURNING STARS, A.K. Small spends time on short stories. Her short story, Anthrocon, 2017 was just nominated for a Pushcart prize by the Bellevue Literary Review. Other stories such as the Flour Baby and The Interior Designer were also nominated or runner-up to prizes.

She also ran a column titled, "A French Girl's View Du Monde" at Barrelhouse Magazine.

A.K. Small graduated from Vermont College of Fine Arts in 2009 with an MFA in fiction. When she's not reading her favorite authors (Rainbow Rowell, Angie Thomas, Anna Gavalda, Jandy Nelson, Ann Hood, Sue Miller, Anais Nin, Tayari Jones, Joyce Carol Oates, Richard Wright, and J.R.R. Tolkien, to name a few!), she's studying her favorite dancers: Sylvie Guillem, Noella Pontois, Marie-Agnes Gillot, and Aurelie Dupont.

A.K. Small grew up near the Sacré Coeur in Paris and married her Tobagonian soul mate. She has three gorgeous daughters and owns a min-chi named Dallas.

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