Interview with Kalyn Josephson for The Storm Crow

The Storm Crow (The Storm Crow #1)

by Kalyn Josephson
Publisher: SourcebooksFire
Release Date: July 9th 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

In the tropical kingdom of Rhodaire, magical, elemental Crows are part of every aspect of life...until the Illucian empire invades, destroying everything.

That terrible night has thrown Princess Anthia into a deep depression. Her sister Caliza is busy running the kingdom after their mother's death, but all Thia can do is think of all she has lost.

But when Caliza is forced to agree to a marriage between Thia and the crown prince of Illucia, Thia is finally spurred into action. And after stumbling upon a hidden Crow egg in the rubble of a rookery, she and her sister devise a dangerous plan to hatch the egg in secret and get back what was taken from them.

Can you briefly describe THE STORM CROW and their main characters?

THE STORM CROW follows Thia, a princess who trained her entire life to become a crow rider—until the day they’re destroyed. When she finds a surviving crow egg in the rubble, she teams up with her sister the queen, her best friend, and a kind-hearted inventor to hatch the egg and defeat the empire that destroyed the crows.

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

Kiva! I love her cutting honesty. She doesn’t beat around the bush and she’s not afraid to say what she thinks.

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

I did! The story was inspired by a newspaper article I read about a little girl who fed her neighborhood crows. In return they brought her gifts, and her neighbors called her The Crow Queen. That title is what gave me the idea for a kingdom whose way of life was based of magical crows and what would happen if they were suddenly gone.

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

Alive, by Sia. I think it really captures Thia’s emotional journey, and it has a raw strength to it that fits the vibe of the book.

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

Oh gosh, these types of questions are always so tough for me. I think Isabela Moner would make a great Thia, and I’ve thought of Ericen as a young Robbie Amell. For Caylus I think of a young Eddie Redmayne. Kiva is the one I really struggle with and haven’t figured out! Someone tall and seriously badass.

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?

I’d recommend somewhere cold and rainy, like Ireland, or warm and storming, like a little cottage off the US east coast. Anywhere with the steady drum of rain the background that promotes drinking a nice cup of tea ;)

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

CROWN OF FEATHERS by Nicki Pau Preto! Instead of crow riders, you get phoenix riders, and they’re super cool! It’s got fantastic worldbuilding for all your epic fantasy needs.

What’s next for you?

Right now I’m working on the sequel to THE STORM CROW, which we should be announcing the title for soon. Other than that, I have a couple drafts of other books I’m playing around with, all to do with more types of animal magic!

Kalyn Josephson is a Technical Writer in Silicon Valley, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. She grew up in San Luis Obispo, CA, but now lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an even tinier owl). When not writing YA Fantasy, she loves baking, reading, playing sports, and watching too many movies.

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