Interview with Isabel Ibañez for Woven In Moonlight

Woven in Moonlight

by Isabel Ibañez
Publisher: Page Street Books
Release Date: January 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

A lush tapestry of magic, romance, and revolución, drawing inspiration from Bolivian politics and history.

Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena’s motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to spin thread from moonlight.

When Atoc demands the real Condesa’s hand in marriage, it’s Ximena’s duty to go in her stead. She relishes the chance, as Illustrian spies have reported that Atoc’s no longer carrying his deadly relic. If Ximena can find it, she can return the true aristócrata to their rightful place.

She hunts for the relic, using her weaving ability to hide messages in tapestries for the resistance. But when a masked vigilante, a warm-hearted princess, and a thoughtful healer challenge Ximena, her mission becomes more complicated. There could be a way to overthrow the usurper without starting another war, but only if Ximena turns her back on revenge—and her Condesa.

Can you briefly describe WOVEN IN THE MOONLIGHT and its characters?

The story follows Ximena, a decoy for the last royal in Inkasisa. In order to protect the Condesa (Countess in Spanish), Ximena ventures into enemy territory in order to discover the whereabouts of a weapon capable of summoning a ghost army. Her ability to weave moonlight allows her to send secret messages hidden in her tapestries. But her mission puts her on the path with people who would challenge and confuse Ximena’s worldview and her understanding of the truth. 

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

While I have many, I think the character I most enjoyed writing was Ximena. She is my total opposite—daring and brave, loves the outdoors and exercise (I’d much prefer to read and lounge), and her quick temper can be truly frightening. I’ve never been a yeller and so writing someone who lets her passion and emotion run away with her was fun to explore. I never tried to tamper with her personality, and I let her be as fierce and feisty as she wanted to be. 

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

The story came slowly, and it began with the magic. A girl with the ability to weave moonlight, someone who can’t use her own name and volunteers for a dangerous mission. The messages within the tapestries came shortly after and suddenly I had the core of the story. The details and plot fit within the story I wanted to tell—Bolivia, my culture, and the current politics. 

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

This is a tough one as I wrote the whole book to a compilation of different movie soundtracks. All of them were epic songs that dropped me right into the middle of the action. If there was one song I played over and over again—especially when writing any of the romantic tension, it was a cover of Go Your Own Way by Lissie! 

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

I love this question! 

Ximena: Natalia Castellar Calvani

Rumi: Vito Basso

Juan Carlos: Diego Boneta 

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

What a fun question! In Bolivia, we drink A LOT of fruit juices. So to me, I think it’d be fun to be with a tall glass of maracuya juice, at a lively restaurant. 

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

So, so many!

UPROOTED: Dark Fairytale, a favorite 

SKY IN THE DEEP: Viking Fantasy, enemies to lovers! 

ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS: Romantic Fae Fantasy

ALL THE STARS AND TEETH: You’re going to want to preorder this bloody pirate book

SERPENT & DOVE: Witch + Witch Hunter in an arranged marriage 

WINTERWOOD: Delightfully creepy 

What’s next for you?

I’m hard at work on WRITTEN IN STARLIGHT, the companion to WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT! Aside from that I’m finishing up a secret project that I have very high hopes will sit on shelves one day. Fingers crossed!

Isabel Ibañez was born in Boca Raton, Florida, and is the proud daughter of two Bolivian

immigrants. A true word nerd, she received her degree in creative writing and has been a

Pitch Wars mentor for three years. Isabel is an avid movie goer and loves hosting family and

friends around the dinner table. She currently lives in Winter Park, Florida, with her

husband, their adorable dog, and a serious collection of books. Say hi on social media at

@IsabelWriter09.

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Interview with Addie Thorley for An Affair Of Poisons

An Affair of Poisons

by Addie Thorley
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: February 26th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Synopsis:

After unwittingly helping her mother poison King Louis XIV, seventeen-year-old alchemist Mirabelle Monvoisin is forced to see her mother’s Shadow Society in a horrifying new light: they’re not heroes of the people, as they’ve always claimed to be, but murderers. Herself included. Mira tries to ease her guilt by brewing helpful curatives, but her hunger tonics and headache remedies cannot right past wrongs or save the dissenters her mother vows to purge.

Royal bastard Josse de Bourbon is more kitchen boy than fils de France. But when the Shadow Society assassinates the Sun King and half the royal court, he must become the prince he was never meant to be in order to save his injured sisters and the petulant Dauphin. Forced to hide in the derelict sewers beneath the city, any hope of reclaiming Paris seems impossible—until Josse’s path collides with Mirabelle’s, and he finds a surprising ally in his sworn enemy.

She's a deadly poisoner. He's a bastard prince. Together, they form a tenuous pact to unite the commoners and former nobility against the Shadow Society. But can a rebellion built on mistrust ever hope to succeed?

Can you briefly describe An Affair of Poisons and their main characters?

An Affair of Poisons is a YA historical fantasy set in late 17th century Paris that imagines what could have happened if La Voisin, one of the most notorious witches and poisoners of the time, had succeeded in her attempt to assassinate King Louis XIV. In real life, her plot was foiled and she and her accomplices were burnt at the stake. But in my version of history, things play out quite a bit differently. The story is told from two perspectives. The first is Mirabelle: La Voisin’s daughter, who is responsible for creating poisons for the Shadow Society. And the other narrator is Josse: the bastard son of the king who must go into hiding with his royal siblings after their father is killed. 

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

Ahh this is such an impossible question! It’s like asking me to pick a favorite child—I love them all. But if I have to choose, I suppose I’d say Josse. He was just so easy to write. I always knew exactly what he would do or say; it was like he was sitting in my brain dictating to me. 

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

This sounds totally creepy, but I have always loved poison. Something about smoky laboratories and bubbling cauldrons and dangerous, colorful bottles really calls to me. So when I began writing novels of my own, I knew I wanted to write a poison book. I just wasn’t sure who or what it would be about. One day, while doing research for a different project, I happened to read about the sorceress La Voisin and the scandalous event known as L'affaire des poisons (here’s a quick run-down: members of the French nobility began hiring witches and poisoners to get rid of their bothersome husbands and rivals at court. It turned into a huge scandal that reached clear to the king’s inner circle.) I immediately felt that spark; I had found my poisoner at last.

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

I don’t really have a song for the book as a whole, but each of my main characters has a “theme song” that I’d listen to on loop to get in the right headspace. Josse’s song is Vindicated by Dashboard Confessionals (soooo much angst haha) and Mira’s song is Foreigner by Ledger. It perfectly encompasses her fish out of water status within La Voisin’s Shadow Society.

If your book was about to become a movie/TV show, who would you see playing as the characters in An Affair of Poisons? 

Ohhh this is so fun to think about!! I think Noah Centineo would be a perfect Josse (I may have a slight crush lol) And I’d really like Kiernan Shipka as Mirabelle. Kate Beckinsale would be AMAZING as La Voisin, and I think Willem Dafoe would make a great Lesage. Tom Felton is the only person who could play Louis. 

Since it is still cold outside, what hot drink do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Definitely a spicy hot chocolate! Something decadent and rich but with a major kick. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish An Affair of Poisons?

Can I ever!! I’m currently obsessed with Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok and Enchantèe by Gita Trelease. It’s SUCH a great year for historical fantasies set in Paris!! I also have to mention The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley. It’s another novel based on L'affaire des poisons and it’s absolutely magical! Plus it features many of the same characters as An Affair of Poisons, so if you’re having withdrawals, it’s the perfect antidote! 

What’s next for you?

I have a YA fantasy duology starting in Spring 2020, and I’m SOOO excited about it! It’s called NIGHT SPINNER and it’s a gender-swapped reimagining of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It’s set in a world inspired by the Arctic Tundra and it features girls with swords and volatile night magic. You can learn more and add it on Goodreads here: Night Spinner.

Addie Thorley spent her childhood playing soccer, riding horses, and scribbling stories. After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in journalism, she decided “hard news” didn’t contain enough magic and kissing, so she flung herself into the land of fiction and never looked back. 

She now lives in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband, daughter, and wolf dog. When she’s not writing she can be found gallivanting in the woods or galloping around the barn where she works as a horse trainer and exercise rider. 

AN AFFAIR OF POISONS is her debut novel.

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Lailah (The Styclar Saga #1) by Nikki Kelly

Lailah (The Styclar Saga #1)
by Nikki Kelly
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Release Date: October 7th 2014

Read some chapters on Macmillan

Synopsis:

The girl knows she’s different. She doesn’t age. She has no family. She has visions of a past life, but no clear clues as to what she is, or where she comes from. But there is a face in her dreams – a light that breaks through the darkness. She knows his name is Gabriel.

On her way home from work, the girl encounters an injured stranger whose name is Jonah. Soon, she will understand that Jonah belongs to a generation of Vampires that serve even darker forces. Jonah and the few like him, are fighting with help from an unlikely ally – a rogue Angel, named Gabriel.

In the crossfire between good and evil, love and hate, and life and death, the girl learns her name: Lailah. But when the lines between black and white begin to blur, where in the spectrum will she find her place? And with whom?

Gabriel and Jonah both want to protect her. But Lailah will have to fight her own battle to find out who she truly is.

"An extraordinarily imaginative look into the realms of good, evil, and all that comes in between. Lailah will have you gripped until the very end." -Brittany, Please Feed the Bookworm 

“Lailah: Original. Swoonworthy. Captivating. Lailah will make you have all the FEELS, and you’ll find yourself flailing for Book #2, Gabriel!” -Andrew, Endlessly Reading

“Lailah is a fast-paced read that will keep you hooked from cover to cover." -Jess, The Book Bratz

“Lailah is paranormal romance like you have never read before. With its hauntingly beautiful writing it will have you craving for more!” -Dana, Dana Square

“AHHHHHHHH! (in a good way)” - Ri, Hiver & Café

“Dark. Sexy. Intriguing. Filled with twists and turns and set on a beautiful backdrop, Lailah is sure to enchant and haunt you from the start.” -Rachel, A Perfection Called Books

What inspired you to write LAILAH? 

As all the best stories start... ‘I had a dream!’. Seriously, that’s what happened. I dreamed of Lailah, and the thought of her simply wouldn’t leave me. 

If you could only have one book with you on a deserted island, what would it be?

The Lord of the Rings (I’m taking the box set – I don’t care what you say!) 

First, they are some of my favorite books of all time. Second, because I would be reminded that there are worse places to be than stuck on a desert island, such as Mordor, and at least I don’t have the worry of Orcs and the Nazgul.

Who are your favorite YA authors?

Lori Goldstein, Leigh Bardugo, Jessica Brody, Gennifer Albin, Marissa Meyer, Stephanie Meyer, Charlaine Harris, Mary Pearson, Ann Aguirre and Veronica Roth.

... the list could go on and on and on...

What book introduced you to YA?

Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1)—Charlaine Harris

How do you write SwoonWorthy moments?

With plenty of swoon ;) Okay... if you want to get really technical... 

When writing a swoon-worthy moment, I think about the five senses – sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch – and I incorporate them into the descriptive language, which helps build the scene. I try to keep an ambiguity around ‘will they, won’t they’ when writing these moments, building them up, only to knock them down again, ready for the next round!

Do you have any traditions you do before you sit and write?

Boil the kettle... Brew a teapot... Put my headphones on, and gear myself up for a long writing stretch! 

You’re watching TV; what TV show are you watching?

I tend to watch Netflix and almost always re-runs of The Office (American version). If I switch on the TV, it’s likely that I will be watching The Big Bang Theory. 

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? (No cheating!!!)

That’s such an unfair question. 

A—I have many! 

B—the top spot on that list changes on a book by book basis! 

Right now I am loving Tobias from Divergent, having just read the first book! Strong, rugged and brooding... *Le Sigh* *Le Swoon* and, yes, *fans oneself*!

What inspires you most to write? (Songs, dreams, surroundings..etc.)

Lailah came to me in a dream and stayed with me, so I’d say dreams inspire me most. But when it comes to the writing process, I would find it far more difficult to get in the mood to write an action scene, for example, without first playing the ‘Rocky’ soundtrack! Music is SO important.

Why did you decide to write YA?

The best advice I ever received about writing was to 'write what you know, and write what you love.' For me that was YA Fantasy with some uber-swoon thrown in! 

What books would you recommend to readers who enjoyed your book?

Lailah is a YA Paranormal Romance / Fantasy, so I'd probably recommend other YA PNR novels… Oh and I have thrown in a few of my fave YA's that aren't necessarily PNR! 

Mortal Instruments—Cassandra Clare

Sookie Stackhouse Novels—Charlaine Harris

The Vampire Diaries—L. J. Smith

Unremembered Trilogy—Jessica Brody

Becoming Jinn (Spring '15)—Lori Goldstein

Divergent—Veronica Roth

The Styclar Street Team is essentially bloggers and readers who are fans of the story, and wish to declare and spread their love for Styclar!

MEMBERS

Want to become a member of the Styclar Street Team? We'd love to have you!

If you've read Lailah, enjoyed the story, and want to get involved, simply take a selfie with your copy of the book, and tweet it with the following hashtag: #StyclarStreetTeam 

Be sure to also email the photo direct to Nikki — nikki@thestyclarsaga.com and your awesome selfie will be uploaded to the Street Team page of The Styclar Saga website! (www.thestyclarsaga.com)

Check out the page to grab buttons for your site, find out about how you can participate in the latest spreading the Styclar word activities' and enter special giveaways!

Nikki's going on the Fierce Reads Tour in October! Want to meet her? Check out the stops here: http://fiercereads.com/

I was born and raised only minutes away from the chocolately scent of Cadbury World in Birmingham, England. So it will probably come as no surprise that when I'm not dreaming in Vampires & Angels, I dream in chocolate! For the past ten years I have lived in West London with my hubby and two dogs, Alfie - the Pug & Goose - the Chihuahua.

LAILAH is my debut novel, and first launched in serial form to wattpad, a readers & writers community. Within just 6months, LAILAH had over a million reads and thousands of comments and votes.

Since then, The Styclar Saga has gone on to pick up a traditional deal with Feiwel & Friends, and LAILAH, the first book in the series is due for release on October 7th 2014.

These days I spend my time balancing my amazing job of writing fantasy fiction, with my other, very important role of Chocolate Connoisseur. I like to multitask and do the two together. It makes me happy.

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