Interview with Kester Grant for The Court of Miracles

The Court of Miracles (A Court of Miracles #1)

by Kester Grant
Publisher: Knopf Children's
Release Date: June 2nd 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Retellings, Science Fiction

Synopsis:

Les Misérables meets Six of Crows in this page-turning adventure as a young thief finds herself going head to head with leaders of Paris's criminal underground in the wake of the French Revolution.

In the violent urban jungle of an alternate 1828 Paris, the French Revolution has failed and the city is divided between merciless royalty and nine underworld criminal guilds, known as the Court of Miracles. Eponine (Nina) Thénardier is a talented cat burglar and member of the Thieves Guild. Nina's life is midnight robberies, avoiding her father's fists, and watching over her naïve adopted sister, Cosette (Ettie). When Ettie attracts the eye of the Tiger--the ruthless lord of the Guild of Flesh--Nina is caught in a desperate race to keep the younger girl safe. Her vow takes her from the city's dark underbelly to the glittering court of Louis XVII. And it also forces Nina to make a terrible choice--protect Ettie and set off a brutal war between the guilds, or forever lose her sister to the Tiger.

Can you briefly describe THE COURT OF MIRACLES and its characters?

THE COURT OF MIRACLES is a reimagining of Les Miserables meets Six of Crows. It’s the story of a young thief desperate to save her sister who takes on cruel royalty and the lords of the city’s underworld criminal guilds. 

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

Enjolras St Juste, he is just so delightful to write, because he’s so extreme in his obsessive regard for the revolution over anything else. TCOM being a Les Mis retelling, the first draft included the character of Marius Pontmercy. And every time I wrote a scene with him and Nina, I felt like pulling teeth. I kept saying to my husband “If only I could write this scene with Enjolras instead of Marius, it’d be 100% better and hilarious …” then one day it clicked. Why did I need Marius anyway? I booted him out of the book (he’s the worst in any case) and gave all his scenes to Enjolras, and now they are glorious. 

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

So many things combined, a lifelong obsession with Les Mis, seeing the latest Jungle Book movie, thinking of all my favourite stories…. It all melded together in one lightning strike moment.

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

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Valjean. Jessica Chastain as Javert. “The Tiger” was inspired in part by Michael Fassbender in 12 Years a Slave. Sam Clafin as Enjolras. Tom Holland as the Dauphin, Gillian Anderson in Bleak House or Eva Green or Kiersten Scott Thomas as Madame Corday. Meera Syal as Lady Komayd. Riz Ahmed as Montparnasse, Vincent Cassel as Thenardier, Charles Dance as Lord Orso, 

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

Some artisanal French bread – you’ll see why in the story. And any drink that hasn’t been poisoned. 

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

Here’s a list of read-a-likes to tide people over till TCOM’s sequel out next year –culled from reviews. 

Six of Crows, Nevernight, The Lies of Locke Lamora, And I Darken, the Gilded Wolves, Caraval, A Darker Shade of Magic, Wolf by Wolf.

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

The discipline of actually writing the thing. I plan and dream out the story a lot, write things in my head, but actually sitting down and either drafting or editing – forcing myself through the process is another thing. Oh and avoiding reading the reviews, when you’re so desperate to see what people are thinking of the book – but also can’t change anything because it’s too late – LE SIGH.

What’s next for you?

I have an epic animal fantasy called Goldenpaw coming out early 2021; for fans of Watership Down, Warriors, Redwall, Guardians of Ga’Hoole, and the Jungle Book. You can find out more here.

Kester Grant is a British-Mauritian writer of color. She was born in London, grew up between the UK, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the tropical island paradise of Mauritius. As a wanton nomad she and her husband are unsure which country they currently reside in but they can generally be found surrounded by their fiendish pack of cats and dogs.

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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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Interview with June Hur for The Silence of Bones

The Silence of Bones

by June Hur
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: April 21st 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Historical, Historical Fiction

Synopsis:

I have a mouth, but I mustn't speak;

Ears, but I mustn't hear;

Eyes, but I mustn't see.

1800, Joseon (Korea). Homesick and orphaned sixteen-year-old Seol is living out the ancient curse: “May you live in interesting times.” Indentured to the police bureau, she’s been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

June Hur's elegant and haunting debut The Silence of Bones is a bloody tale perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco and Renée Ahdieh.

Can you briefly describe THE SILENCE OF BONES and its characters?

1800, Joseon (Korea). Indentured to the police bureau, sixteen-year-old Seol has been tasked with assisting a well-respected young inspector with the investigation into the politically charged murder of a noblewoman.

As they delve deeper into the dead woman's secrets, Seol forms an unlikely bond of friendship with the inspector. But her loyalty is tested when he becomes the prime suspect, and Seol may be the only one capable of discovering what truly happened on the night of the murder.

But in a land where silence and obedience are valued above all else, curiosity can be deadly.

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

Seol was the most genuine character I ever created, and I loved how she'd taken control of her story and had steered it in a totally different direction that the one I'd planned for her. But I enjoyed writing Inspector Han the most! I love writing about dark and tormented characters, so I got to project all my angst into him!

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

For most of my life, I’ve known very little about Korean history, even though my parents are “very” Korean and even though I lived in Korea when I was a teen. Then in 2015, out of sheer curiosity, I read further into Korean history – and fell madly in love with it. I was fascinated by everything and was gripped by a terrifying desperation to write a Korean historical mystery. I hesitated for a while, wondering if I, a Korean-Canadian ‘diasporan’, even had the right to write about Korea, and afraid that no one would be interested in a mystery set in a non-western country. It was the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement that finally gave me the courage to write.

At the very heart of this book is a more personal story inspired by my family, a family dispersed. I spent nearly half my life living with my siblings in Canada, far away from my parents, far away from my relatives. And so, while I was writing this book, I found myself wrestling with two questions that always haunted me: What will it cost to keep family together when things are falling apart? And where is home when you live far away from those who have loved you for all of your life?

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

Oh! I love this question. I actually only listen to soundtracks that have no lyrics, and the song I listened to on repeat while writing this book was Sweetwater by Ramin Djawadi from the TV show, Westworld.

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

My dream is to see my book turned into a Korean drama, so this is a fun question to answer! I would cast Kim Go-eun as the heroine, Seol, and Jang Hyuk as the broody Inspector Han.

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

For drink, I’d recommend a light white tea to balance out the heavy topics dealt within my book. And as for place, I’d suggest finding a secluded spot in the wilderness, where you can be surrounded by layers of misty mountains. 

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

Elizabeth Lim’s SPIN THE DAWN, Kerri Maniscalco’s STALKING JACK THE RIPPER, and William Ritter’s JACKABY

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

I’d say researching was the most difficult! Researching was intense and laborious. I have a background in history, and I spent all my years as a writer writing British historicals, so researching isn't new to me. But researching about Korea? English resources about pre-colonized Korea weren't that easy to find, and when I did find them, they were gems! But for the most part, when it came to niche details -- like information about the life of damos (female police officers) -- I ended up having to rely a lot on Korean articles. And that required laborious hours of translation. But to make things trickier, Korean scholarly articles about Korean history often use Hanja (Classical Chinese characters). So on top of trying to understand the Korean, I also had to spend more hours trying to understand a Chinese word.

What’s next for you?

My second book, a standalone YA historical mystery, is coming out in 2021. THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS is about two estranged sisters who are forced to work together to find their missing detective father, who happens to be the greatest detective in Joseon Korea.

JUNE HUR (‘Hur’ as in ‘her’) was born in South Korea and raised in Canada, except for the time when she moved back to Korea and attended high school there. Most of her work is inspired by her journey through life as an individual, a dreamer, and a Christian, with all its confusions, doubts, absurdities and magnificence. She studied History and Literature at the University of Toronto, and currently works for the public library. She lives in Toronto with her husband and daughter.

Her debut novel THE SILENCE OF BONES (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan, April 2020) is a murder mystery set in Joseon Dynasty Korea (early 1800s), and also a coming-of-age tale about a girl searching for home. It was recently selected by the American Booksellers Association as one of the top debuts of Winter/Spring 2020.

She is represented by Amy Bishop of Dystel, Goderich & Bourret LLC.

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