Interview with Kit Frick for I Killed Zoe Spanos

I Killed Zoe Spanos

by Kit Frick
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: June 30th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Thriller, Mystery


Synopsis:

“The YA thriller of the summer.” —Bustle

For fans of Sadie and Serial, this gripping thriller follows two teens whose lives become inextricably linked when one confesses to murder and the other becomes determined to uncover the real truth no matter the cost.

What happened to Zoe won’t stay buried…

When Anna Cicconi arrives to the small Hamptons village of Herron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna bears an eerie resemblance to Zoe, and her mere presence in town stirs up still-raw feelings about the unsolved case. As Anna delves deeper into the mystery, stepping further and further into Zoe’s life, she becomes increasingly convinced that she and Zoe are connected—and that she knows what happened to her.

Two months later, Zoe’s body is found in a nearby lake, and Anna is charged with manslaughter. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

Inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Kit Frick weaves a thrilling story of psychological suspense that twists and turns until the final page.

Can you briefly describe I KILLED ZOE SPANOS and its characters?

Think YA Rebecca set in the Hamptons. When Anna Cicconi confesses to playing a role in the death of local teen Zoe Spanos, she’s charged with manslaughter and concealing a body. But Anna’s confession is riddled with holes, and Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast, isn’t satisfied. Did Anna really kill Zoe? And if not, can Martina’s podcast uncover the truth?

In its most boiled-down form, Martina is our detective and Anna is our unreliable narrator / possible villain. But spoiler alert—it’s not that simple!

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

I have a special place in my heart for the story’s minor characters like Kaylee, Anna’s best friend from home; Paisley, her eight-year-old babysitting charge; and Aster, Zoe’s younger sister and Martina’s best friend. Sometimes the secondary characters are the most fun to write.

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

When the idea for I Killed Zoe Spanos was bouncing around in my head, I’d recently re-read Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca for the fourth (fifth?) time and couldn’t help wondering: What if Rebecca de Winter had gone missing today, in the age of Serial and The Vanished and Bear Brook and all the other excellent true crime podcasts that have sprung up over the last five years? Then I landed on the Hamptons setting—the American equivalent of the tony English seaside town in Rebecca—and I Killed Zoe Spanos evolved from there.

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

Sia’s “Chandelier.” Anna comes to Herron Mills in part to escape her “party girl” past and make a fresh start—but of course nothing goes as planned. I think she’d relate quite a bit to the girl in Sia’s high-flying anthem.

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

The only piece of “dream casting” I have worked out is the part of Caden Talbot, the boy next door at Windermere. I always see Jordan Fisher in my head when I picture Caden!

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

I Killed Zoe Spanos comes complete with its own mocktail: the Lemon Spritz! Think lemonade and seltzer; add a splash of rum to make it adult. :) Best consumed poolside or at the beach, of course.

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish I KILLED ZOE SPANOS?

For more YA thrillers featuring podcasts, check out Sadie by Courtney Summers on the slim chance you haven’t already, as well as I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan (coming in October 2020) and Holly Jackson’s Good Girl, Bad Blood (which I’m hoping will be coming to the US soon!). On the adult side, I highly recommend Elizabeth Little’s Pretty as a Picture, Denise Mina’s Conviction, and Kathleen Barber’s Are You Sleeping (re-released in paperback and developed for TV as Truth Be Told) all of which feature (fictional) true crime podcasts woven into the narrative.

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

Endings! Many writers despair of the “murky middle,” but it’s endings that give me the most trouble. Not because I don’t know where I’m writing toward, because I generally do, but because getting all the necessary information to the reader in a mystery novel in a way that is both organic and surprising is a real challenge. It takes many drafts to get it just right.

What’s next for you?

My next book is still a secret! (Ssh.) I hope to be able to spill some details soon.

Kit Frick is a novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow from Pittsburgh, PA. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press and edits for private clients. She is the author of the young adult novels See All the Stars and All Eyes on Us, both from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books, as well as the poetry collection A Small Rising Up in the Lungs from New American Press. Her third YA thriller, I Killed Zoe Spanos, will release on June 2, 2020.

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Interview with Morgan Shamy for The Redpoint Crux

The Redpoint Crux

by Morgan Shamy
Publisher: The Parliament House
Release Date: June 9th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery

Synopsis:

Fans of The Phantom of the Opera and Black Swan will enjoy this thrilling debut.

When Megan Van Helsburg gets kicked off the U.S.A. Climbing Team, she has no choice but to return home and leave her climbing career behind. With no coach, no money, and no prospects, she joins the corps de ballet determined to improve her strength and agility. But the ballet theater is in dire straits. Not only do a series of murders break loose, but the ballerinas are becoming deathly thin and brain-dead. As Megan investigates, she meets Bellamy, a tortured young man who lives beneath the depths of the theater. Megan falls hard and fast for Bellamy, who becomes her mentor, but something is off about him.

It isn't until the company announces they're doing Giselle for the fall performance that Megan realizes the parallels between the ghost story and the lives around her. Megan must find a way to not only save her climbing career, but balance her feelings for Bellamy, and stop the murders and dying girls before she, too, is numbered among the dead.

Can you briefly describe THE REDPOINT CRUX and its characters?

Fans of The Phantom of the Opera and Black Swan will enjoy THE REDPOINT CRUX! It’s about 17-year-old Megan “Red” Van Helsburg who’s gets kicked off the U.S.A. Climbing Team and has no choice but to return home and leave her climbing career behind. With no prospects, she joins the corps de ballet determined to improve her strength and agility, but the ballet theatre is in dire straits. Not only do a series of murders break loose, but the ballerinas are becoming deathly thin and brain-dead. As Megan investigates, she meets Bellamy, a tortured young man who lives beneath the depths of the theatre. She falls hard and fast for him, but something is off about him. It isn’t until the company announces they’re doing Giselle for the fall performance that Megan realizes the parallels between the ghost story and the lives around her. She must find a way to not only save her climbing career, but balance her feelings for Bellamy, and stop the murders and dying girls before she, too, is numbered among the dead.

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

Definitely Bellamy! He’s a tortured soul, who lives beneath the depths of the theatre. I love everything about him—the way he speaks, the way he moves, the way he’s determined to help Megan. Even though there is something very off about him, I think his relationship with Megan drives the story forward. 

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

When I was 19 years old, I visited Halifax Nova Scotia. I spent time at a specific bell tower, and it was the most magical place I’d ever been. I knew in my heart there was a story to be told there, and when I started writing it, I couldn’t stop.

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

It’s kind of a creepy song…but it was the inspiration behind The Redpoint Crux. It’s called MK Ultra by Muse. You should look it up. I love it!

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

Don’t laugh at me, but because of the song by Muse, I pictured Bellamy as Matt Bellamy in his earliest years. (Which is why I named him Bellamy!) 

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

Oooo. Definitely hot chocolate, in a haunted theatre.

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

Great question! I’d say Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma.

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

Not doubting yourself. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world, and how gifted everyone else is. I’ve learned you HAVE to write for you—because I truly believe we all have incredible stories within us.

What’s next for you?

I’m working hard with my agent on a couple different projects! One of them is very dear to my heart, and I’m excited for it to be out in this world!

Morgan Shamy is an ex-ballerina turned YA writer. She is represented by Kelly Peterson of Rees Literary Agency.

Morgan has been immersed in the arts since the young age of 4, where she trained under the tutelage of Julie and Stacey Orlob. She performed various roles alongside a professional ballet company for over seven years, and has danced on prestigious stages like soloing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. 

She has taught hundreds of girls in her fifteen years of teaching, where some of her students have received full-ride scholarships to schools like School of American Ballet, the Harid Conservatory, Kirov Academy of Ballet, and Pacific Northwest Ballet, to name a few. 

Morgan discovered writing when her three-year-old son was diagnosed with cancer. It was through that experience which instilled the need to share art and magic with children through words on the page. Morgan currently lives with her X-Games gold-medalist husband and four children in the cold mountains of Alaska.

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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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