Interview with Addie Thorley for Night Spinner

Night Spinner (Night Spinner #1)

by Addie Thorley
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: February 11th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Retellings

Synopsis:

A must-read for fans of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, transforming The Hunchback of Notre Dame into a powerful tundra-inspired epic.

Before the massacre at Nariin, Enebish was one of the greatest warriors in the Sky King’s Imperial Army: a rare and dangerous Night Spinner, blessed with the ability to control the threads of darkness. Now, she is known as Enebish the Destroyer―a monster and murderer, banished to a monastery for losing control of her power and annihilating a merchant caravan.

Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until her adoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with a tantalizing offer. If Enebish can capture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose band of rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned, she will be reinstated as a warrior.

Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discovers the tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keeping thousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebish must decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister. No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring the empire to its knees.

Can you briefly describe NIGHT SPINNER and its characters? 

Night Spinner is a gender-swapped reimagining of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, set in the Arctic tundra. It centers on Enebish, a former warrior who committed an atrocious war crime and was banished to a monastery. When her sister Ghoa, the commander of the Imperial Army, offers Enebish a chance at freedom and reinstatement in exchange for capturing a notorious rebel, she jumps at the chance. But as Enebish hunts the rebels across the tundra, she begins to question her beloved sister and the nation she vowed to serve. 

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

Serik (Enebish’s best friend and the world’s most irreverent monk) is hands down my favorite character in this book. And across every book I’ve ever written! He is blunt and stubborn and unapologetically himself. He was like a firecracker in my mind. I always knew exactly what he would do or say in any situation. It was like he was sitting on my shoulder dictating his scenes to me. 

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

Night Spinner came to me like a bolt of lightning. Usually, my stories take a while to develop and marinate, but not this one. I’d had the song “Out There” from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame randomly stuck in my head for an entire week (which was SO WEIRD, since I hadn’t seen or thought of that movie in ages). Then one day while I was cooking, and singing this song yet again, I had a very clear image pop into my mind of a scarred girl sitting on a temple rooftop in the howling wind and snow, fiddling with black threads that could only be darkness. I ran upstairs so fast I face-planted and furiously began typing. Ten minutes later, I’d written an outline for Night Spinner. Which was a big deal for a pantser like me, who never outlines or has the slightest idea where my stories will go. 

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

My previous answer totally gave this one away, but I have to choose “Out There” from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Quasimodo’s longing is so acute and his desire is so simple—just one day of freedom—but it’s also completely impossible. I wanted to write about a character with this bone-deep longing. A character who wore their heart on their sleeve and was achingly relatable, despite the mistakes they’d made in their past. 

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

I think for the ultimate effect, Night Spinner should be read in a cabin, high up in the snowy mountains, in the dark (of course!), curled up next to a crackling fire. Or, even better, up on the cabin rooftop if you’re not afraid of heights and don’t mind the bitter cold. A delicious spiced cider would be the perfect complement—it’s sweet and warm but packs a little punch, like Enebish 

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

Yes! Recommending books is one of my favorite things to do! If you’re looking for books with a similar feel, I highly recommend The Last Namsara series by Kristin Ciccarelli, Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young, and Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim. 

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

Drafting! I’m a very messy pantser, so the process of putting those initial words down on the page is so hard for me. I end up tossing tens of thousands of words (which is so inefficient!) and means I usually have to write at least double my target word count in order to end up with a workable story. I’d rather revise any day. 

What’s next for you?

Right now, I’m hard at work editing the sequel to Night Spinner (which is currently untitled, so if you have any ideas, send them my way! Lol) As I mentioned above, my process is MESSY. I had to write over 250k words in order to get 100k good ones. But now the fun begins, when I get to heighten the tension, tighten the plot, and make everything shine.

Addie Thorley is the author of An Affair of Poisons, a YA historical fantasy, which was chosen as a Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selection and is a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults nominee. Her forthcoming novel, Night Spinner, will be released on February 11, 2020.

She spent her childhood playing soccer, riding horses, and scribbling stories. After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in journalism, Addie 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.

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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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