Interview with Rebecca Ross for Sisters of Sword & Song

Sisters of Sword and Song

by Rebecca Ross
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: June 23rd 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

From the author of The Queen’s Rising comes a thrilling YA stand-alone fantasy about the unbreakable bond between sisters. Perfect for fans of Ember in the Ashes, Sky in the Deep, and Court of Fives.

After eight long years, Evadne will finally be reunited with her older sister, Halcyon, who has been proudly serving in the queen’s army. But when Halcyon appears earlier than expected, Eva knows something has gone terribly wrong. Halcyon is on the run, hunted by her commander and charged with murder.

Though Halcyon’s life is spared during her trial, the punishment is heavy. And when Eva volunteers to serve part of Halcyon’s sentence, she’s determined to find out exactly what happened. But as Eva begins her sentence, she quickly learns that there are fates much worse than death.

Can you briefly describe SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG and its characters?

Sisters of Sword & Song is about two sisters—Evadne, a scribe, and Halcyon, an esteemed warrior in the Bronze Legion. When Halcyon unexpectedly returns home one night, now a criminal and on the run from her Commander, Evadne knows her sister is in trouble. And Evadne, who has always felt underestimated and overlooked, decides to take half of Halcyon’s punishment. But as both sisters serve the sentence, secrets begin to come to light, and Evadne learns that her sister was involved in a dangerous mission. And what Halcyon began, Evadne must now complete, even as she faces a sinister magic that threatens to unravel her world.

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

Ah, this is so hard to answer! I truly love them all, but I think I have quite a soft spot for Evadne. :) There are moments in her personal journey that resonate the most with me.

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

I had two different story ideas. One idea was about a mage and a scribe. The other was an idea for a sister story, where one sister commits a crime and the other rises to help carry her punishment. Both story ideas were intriguing to me, but every time I attempted to write them separately, they fizzled out. It wasn’t until I brought the two together that I found a spark and the story caught fire.

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

I love the song “Rejoice and Lament” by Josh Garrels. I love how this song unfolds like poetry, and there’s an illusion to Icarus. These lyrics, in particular, are some of my favorite: “I said Father the feathers of my wax wings / Fall away by the rising of the sun / And I have descended when I was undone / And I will ascend when your Spirit comes.”

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

I honestly would love to see up and coming actors portray my characters. Every now and then, I might come across an actor or actress who I feel like would be amazing in bringing my characters to life, but most of the time I don’t cast them. 

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

A glass of wine on the Greek coast!

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish SISTERS OF SWORD AND SONG?

I would love to recommend my other two books, which are part of a duology and are available to read now: The Queen’s Rising and The Queen’s Resistance. Readers can expect another adventure, strong ties of sisterhood, vast worldbuilding, a hint of magic and a slow burning romance in these books.

I also would love to recommend The Forgotten Beasts of Eld by Patricia A. McKillip, which reads like a myth unfolding and is one of my favorite novels. 

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

Reaching the end! I write by the seat of my pants, which means I write linearly and discover so much of the plot as I go. It can feel a bit like driving at night and only being able to see what the headlights reveal. And it can be difficult to keep going, especially when another shiny story idea emerges, or the magic of the current idea begins to dim. But whenever I reach that final scene and type the last words…I always feel such an intense moment of relief and accomplishment, even if I know the draft is a mess and will require intense revisions.

What’s next for you?

I have more projects in the works! They haven’t been announced yet (although I believe it will be imminent), so I’ll be sharing more details about these projects very soon on my social media. Thank you so much for having me for an interview!

Rebecca Ross grew up in Georgia, where she continues to reside with her husband, lively dog and endless piles of books. She received her bachelor's degree in English from UGA. In the past she has worked at a Colorado dude ranch, as a school librarian, and as a live-time captionist for a college.

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Interview with Roseanne A. Brown for A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin (A Song of Wraiths and Ruin #1)

by Roseanne A. Brown
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Release Date: June 2nd 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

The first in an fantasy duology inspired by West African folklore in which a grieving crown princess and a desperate refugee find themselves on a collision course to murder each other despite their growing attraction.

For Malik, the Solstasia festival is a chance to escape his war-stricken home and start a new life with his sisters in the prosperous desert city of Ziran. But when a vengeful spirit abducts Malik’s younger sister, Nadia, as payment into the city, Malik strikes a fatal deal—kill Karina, Crown Princess of Ziran, for Nadia’s freedom.

But Karina has deadly aspirations of her own. Her mother, the Sultana, has been assassinated; her court threatens mutiny; and Solstasia looms like a knife over her neck. Grief-stricken, Karina decides to resurrect her mother through ancient magic . . . requiring the beating heart of a king. And she knows just how to obtain one: by offering her hand in marriage to the victor of the Solstasia competition.

When Malik rigs his way into the contest, they are set on a course to destroy each other. But as attraction flares between them and ancient evils stir, will they be able to see their tasks to the death?

Can you briefly describe A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN and its characters?

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is a YA fantasy novel set in a fantasy world inspired by West African folklore. It follows two protagonists, a refugee named Malik and a princess named Karina. When Malik’s sister is kidnapped by a vengeful spirit, he makes a deal to win her freedom by killing the crown princess. To do this, he enters a competition to win the princess’s hand in marriage. However, Malik doesn’t know that Karina is planning the winner of the competition for a spell that will bring her dead mother back to life. Sparks fly when they finally meet and realize they have far more in common than they thought….

Or the TL;DR version, it’s what would happen if Aladdin and Jasmine had to kill each other but in a West African-inspired world. There is lots of court intrigue, lots of dark magic, and maybe a talking hyena as well. 

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

I’d say Karina is probably my favorite character, but Malik is the one I relate to the most. Karina is the kind of Black girl I’ve always wanted to see in books. She is fierce and powerful and loving, but she is also hurt and constantly making mistakes and learning from them. Because I grew up with Black girl character who were rarely more than stereotypes or the sassy sidekick, getting to write Karina as a three-dimensional person with so many emotions and layers who still gets to love and be loved meant the world to me. But temperament wise, I’m definitely more of a Karina than a Malik!

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

I got the idea for A Song of Wraiths and Ruin back in 2016. I was coming back to a therapy session thinking a lot about the ways mental illness had impacted my own life and I thought to myself “If a ghost tried to take over my mind right now, it would be like ‘There is a lot going on in here. You can have this back.’” Then an idea came to me for a boy who dealt with both mental illness and the supernatural, and that character became Malik! 

From there, the idea grew as I incorporated more story elements that I loved. Oral storytelling is super important to Ghanaian culture, so I wove that into the magic system, and I’m a huge sucker for romance, so I made the main romance trope enemies-to-lovers. Bit by bit, A Song of Wraiths and Ruin was born! 

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

One song I listened to on repeat over and over again was I See Fire by Ed Sheeran, HEAR ME OUT HERE, I’m not a huge Ed Sheeran fan OR Lord of the Rings fan, but that song perfectly captures the essence of heartbreak, tragedy, and epic scale of A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. (That sounds extremely depressing; I promise this isn’t a sad book!) 

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

Justice Smith for Malik 100%. He is so funny, and perfectly exudes that mix of strength and compassion that is integral to Malik’s character. I just adored him in Detective Pikachu. And she’s a little older than an ideal Karina actress would be, but I would love Danielle Brooks in the role. She is an amazing actress, plus Karina would absolutely need to be played by a dark-skinned, plus-sized Black actress. 

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

I think the book would go best with a cup of mint tea, seated by a campfire as a storyteller weaves you a tale of epic proportions that whisks you off to a far away world. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN?

Sure! For people who find themselves with a massive book hangover after ASOWAR, they should definitely check out THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT by Swati Teerdhala, which is an enemies-to-lovers, Hindu mythology inspired fantasy cat and mouse game between a soldier and the rebel who killed his general.

Another book they’d devour is A SONG BELOW WATER by Bethany C. Morrow. It follows two sister friends in a magical version of Portland, and it features sirens, magic, and a realistic and timely portrayal of the kinds of injustices Black women face when trying to find their voice.

These ones aren’t out yet, but WHERE DREAMS DESCEND by Janella Angeles, RAYBEARER by Jordan Ifueko, and CINDERELLA IS DEAD by Kalynn Bayron are some of my most highly anticipated YA Fantasy books for this year!

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

I think the most difficult part of writing a book is accepting that what you see in your head and what you get on the page aren’t going to match for a long, long time. That gap between what a book could be and what it is disheartens so many people, and it’s the biggest reason why I never finished a book before A Song of Wraiths and Ruin. But I’ve learned since that I need to accept the ugly writing for what it is, because without it in all its hideous glory, I won’t have anything to polish into the beautiful stories hiding inside. 

What’s next for you?

ASOWAR 2 is due back to my editor only a few weeks after ASOWAR comes out, so right now my life is a steady diet of Gatorade and furious typing. Outside of the realm of ASOWAR, I have another project in the works. I can’t say much now, but I will say fans of vampires, Sailor Moon-style team ups, and spooky settings are going to love it. Follow my Twitter and IG @rosiesrambles for more updates as I’m allowed to share them!

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Roseanne “Rosie” A. Brown was born in Kumasi, Ghana and immigrated to the wild jungles of central Maryland as a child. Writing was her first love, and she knew from a young age that she wanted to use the power of writing—creative and otherwise—to connect the different cultures she called home. She graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and was also a teaching assistant for the school’s Jiménez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her journalistic work has been featured by Voice of America among other outlets.

On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor. Never content to stay in any one place for too long, Rosie currently teaches in Japan, where in her free time she can usually be found exploring the local mountains, explaining memes to her students, or thinking about Star Wars.

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Interview with Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz for Jo & Laurie

Jo & Laurie

by Margaret Stohl & Melissa de la Cruz
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: June 2nd 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Romance, Retellings

Synopsis:

Bestselling authors Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz bring us a romantic retelling of Little Women starring Jo March and her best friend, the boy next door, Theodore "Laurie" Laurence.

1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration—museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself!

But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo's desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart's desire or lose the love of her life forever?

Can you briefly describe JO & LAURIE and its characters?

Mel: Jo & Laurie is a retelling of Little Women that imagines Jo herself wrote the book and is now writing the sequel. Jo March is as headstrong as ever, and now dealing with writerly success and sequel pressure, with her steadfast friend Theodore Laurence at her side. Her sisters – sweet Meg and ambitious Amy, are also in the book. 

Margie: To describe Jo’s writerly struggles, we took our inspiration from Louisa May Alcott, who became an instant literary phenomenon upon publication of the book, and then was immediately enlisted to write another, to finish the stories she had begun. As writers, we know how hard that moment can be--especially when you are writing the story of your family, as both Alcott and Jo were. We also know how hard it can be to juggle writing a love story with living one, and we wanted to capture that between Jo and Laurie as well. 

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

Mel: Jo has always been our favourite character in Little Women, and in Jo & Laurie, she is the focus of the story. When we were little girls, we looked up to Jo as someone who embodied our desire to be writers. She was our first heroine. And Laurie was our first boyfriend and we were always aghast that she does not marry him. It never felt “right” to us, and when we had the idea of the book that was our first ‘lightbulb’ moment – we’ll rewrite Little Women to give the 12-year-old girls we still are the ending that we’ve always wanted. 

Margie: Every woman writer who read that book identified with Jo. After reading Little Women, I went around telling people my future plans were to steal away to a garret in Sardinia and write while staring out the window at the azure sea. I think those were the exact words, ha! But Jo’s garret was what I aspired to, always.

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

Mel: I had been toying with a Little Women retelling for years, and had tried several different versions but only when I spoke to Margie did we figure out the right “take.” The book is about writing, writing careers, and women and writing and romance! 

Margie: I think our own friendship is so sisterly it sort of felt like we lived in Orchard House, the Alcott family home, as we wrote it. We were honorary March sisters!

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

Mel: “Lucky” by Jason Mraz, “Lucky I’m in love with my best friend…lucky to have been where I have been, lucky to be coming home again.”

Margie: Actually, I’d tell everyone to listen to the soundtrack from the latest Little Women movie; I loved it.

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

Mel: I’d say we’d just re-do Greta Gerwig’s Little Women and have Saoirse and Timothee again for sure!

Margie: I loved Katherine Hepburn, Maya Hawke and Saoirse Ronan as Jo -- but my all-time fave Laurie was Christian Bale. I know, it’s my controversial hot take.

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

Mel: Cherry cordials? I’ve never had one but they always sound delicious in the Little Women books.

Margie: A first champagne! Like Meg when she misbehaves at Sally Gardiner’s; we feature an entire tower of champagne in our New York City chapters.

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

Mel: Re-read the original of course, and the sequels! Little Men and Jo’s Boys.

Margie: Agreed. We wrote Jo & Laurie out of immense affection for the original, so be sure to re-read those!

What’s next for you?

Mel: My middle grade fairy tale series NEVER AFTER, the first book out in December.

Margie: A whole bunch of secret Marvel projects that have yet to be announced. Stay tuned!

Melissa de la Cruz 

She is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter.

Margaret Stohl

She is a #1 New York Times bestselling nerd, world-builder, video game creator, comic book writer and festival founder.

As an award-winning young adult author, she has been published in fifty countries and thirty-two languages and has sold more than ten million books worldwide. Beautiful Creatures debuted as the Amazon #1 Teen book of the year; seven of Margaret’s books have reached bestseller lists around the world.

She has published fifteen novels and graphic novels, as well as contributed to several games and countless comics since her debut. Her last book, Cats Vs Robots: This is War, was a family affair, illustrated by her child, the artist Kay Peterson, and co-written with her husband, Lewis Peterson. It also starred three of her family’s five cats.

After Beautiful Creatures was released as a feature film from Warner Brothers and Alcon Entertainment, Margaret began working with Marvel on her bestselling Black Widow: Forever Red duology; in 2017 she began writing the ongoing Mighty Captain Marvel comic, followed by the acclaimed Life of Captain Marvel miniseries, where she established a new origin story for Carol Danvers in preparation for the theatrical debut of Brie Larson as “Captain Marvel” for the MCU. 

When not roaming the halls of Seattle game developer Bungie - where she oversees the creation of new global IPs - Margaret can often be seen at a Comicon or at one of the teen and youth book festivals she co-founded, YALLFEST (Charleston, SC) and YALLWEST (Santa Monica, CA), the largest in the country. Wherever she goes, you can find out more about her (and invariably her cats) at @mstohl on twitter or margaret_stohl on instagram or margaret_stohl on snapchat or at mstohl.com.

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