Interview with Breeana Shields for The Bone Thief

The Bone Thief (The Bone Charmer #2)

by Breeana Shields
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: May 26th 2020

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

“I was absolutely swept away by the world of The Bone Charmer.” – Kendare Blake, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Three Dark Crowns series

A deft exploration of the weight of grief and cost of revenge, Breeana Shields’s Bone Charmer duology reaches its spine-tingling conclusion in this high-octane fantasy-thriller.

Saskia returns to Ivory Hall to train in bone magic, determined to stop Latham from gaining the power of all three Sights—past, present, and future. But danger lurks within the fortress’s marrow. Trials are underway for the apprentices, and the tasks feel specifically engineered to torment Saskia, which is exactly what Latham wants.

As she grows increasingly more suspicious, her thirst for revenge becomes all-consuming. Together with the friends she can trust and the boy she loved in another lifetime, Saskia traces clues from Latham’s past to determine what he’ll do next. Their search leads them across Kastelia and brings them to a workshop housing a vast collection of horrors, including the bones Latham stole from Gran, and the knowledge that the future isn’t all that’s in jeopardy—but the past as well.

Can you briefly describe THE BONE CHARMER series, its characters and what’s happening in THE BONE THIEF?

Absolutely! The Bone Charmer takes place in a world where bones are the source of all magic--they tell the future, reveal the past, and expose secrets in the present. The story follows a girl named Saskia, and on the day of her kenning—a special bone reading that determines apprenticeships—her worst fears come true. She receives an assignment to train as a Bone Charmer, like her mother, and even worse, a match-making reading that pairs her with Bram—a boy who has suspicious tattoos that hint of a dark past.

Saskia knows her mother saw multiple paths for her, yet chose one she knew Saskia wouldn’t want. Their argument leads to a fracture in one of the bones, and the break has devastating consequences—Saskia’s future has split as well. Now she will live her two potential paths simultaneously. Only one future can survive. And Saskia’s life is in danger in both.

And then in THE BONE THIEF, Saskia’s story continues as she deals with the fallout from the path that survived and sets out on a quest to punish the person responsible.

Who would you say is your favourite character from THE BONE THIEF and why? Has it changed from the first book?

My favorite character is still Saskia simply because I’ve spent so much time writing from her perspective that it would feel disloyal to choose anyone else. However, THE BONE THIEF has a big cast of secondary characters who were so much fun to write and I’m quite attached to all of them. 

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

I’ve talked about my inspiration for THE BONE CHARMER elsewhere—it was a melding of multiple ideas finally colliding— but the idea for THE BONE THIEF was its own unique challenge. I actually really love writing sequels, and I often feel like my sequels are stronger than my first books in a series. There’s something really freeing about working with established characters who I know well (and hopefully the readers are invested in them too!). It makes it easier to really dig deep with both plot and characterization. So, as strange as it sounds, I feel like the ideas for THE BONE THIEF came from the characters themselves.

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

Another Life, by Ingrid Michaelson for THE BONE CHARMER

Not a One, by The Young Wild for THE BONE THIEF

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

If a reader could make the impossible happen, it would be perfect to read the book in the catacombs of Paris. They only allow water down there, but if you’re planning to stay long enough to finish the series, you probably shouldn’t drink anything at all!

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

Once I finish a book I love, I often turn to something in a totally a different genre. I recently read Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson. It’s a mystery, so like THE BONE THIEF, it has lots of twists and turns, but it’s not a fantasy. I loved it and I think my readers will too.

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

The hardest part is whatever I’m doing at the moment. When I’m in the middle of drafting, I long to be editing—at least then the book would be finished, and I’d be in the process of making it better. However, when I’m stuck in the editing process, I miss the freedom of drafting. That might sound like I don’t love my job, but I do. I just love and hate all the parts equally. :)

What’s next for you?

I’m working on drafting a new stand-alone fantasy about a magical luxury hotel full of secrets. It’s called THE SPLENDOR and it comes out in fall of 2021.

Breeana Shields is an author of fantasy novels for teens including The Bone Charmer, The Bone Thief, Poison’s Kiss, and Poison’s Cage. 

When she’s not writing, Breeana loves reading, traveling, and playing board games with her extremely competitive family. She lives near Washington D.C. with her husband, her three children, and two adorable, but spoiled dogs.

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Interview with Adiba Jaigirdar for The Henna Wars

The Henna Wars

by Adiba Jaigirdar
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: May 12th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Queer

Synopsis:

When Dimple Met Rishi meets Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda in this rom com about two teen girls with rival henna businesses.

When Nishat comes out to her parents, they say she can be anyone she wants—as long as she isn’t herself. Because Muslim girls aren’t lesbians. Nishat doesn’t want to hide who she is, but she also doesn’t want to lose her relationship with her family. And her life only gets harder once a childhood friend walks back into her life.

Flávia is beautiful and charismatic and Nishat falls for her instantly. But when a school competition invites students to create their own businesses, both Flávia and Nishat choose to do henna, even though Flávia is appropriating Nishat’s culture. Amidst sabotage and school stress, their lives get more tangled—but Nishat can’t quite get rid of her crush on Flávia, and realizes there might be more to her than she realized.

Can you briefly describe THE HENNA WARS and its characters?

Sure! The Henna Wars is about Nishat, who is Bangladeshi, Irish, Muslim, and a lesbian. She decides to come out to her parents, but their reaction is not quite what she hoped for. They deal with it with silence, which leads to Nishat feeling pretty awful. On top of that, Nishat’s childhood friend Flávia joins at her school. When their business teacher announces a business competition, both Nishat and Flávia decide to do henna. While henna is a big part of Nishat’s culture, it’s not part of Flávia’s—who only really learned about it from a Bangladeshi wedding she attended. The problem is that Nishat can’t help her growing crush on Flávia, even though she’s angry at her for culturally appropriating. So, Nishat is left to navigate her growing feelings, Flávia’s cultural appropriation, along with her parents’ disapproval of her sexuality. 

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

The main character, Nishat! I’ve obviously spent the most amount of time with her since she’s the protagonist, and I had a really fun time writing her. What I love about Nishat is that she both reminds me of who I was as a teen, and also doesn’t at the same time. In a lot of ways, Nishat is the opposite of who I was as a teen. She is very confident in who she is: she has this wonderful, unrelenting love for her culture, even when people are very disrespectful of her culture. She is also very confident in her sexuality, despite her parents’ disapproval. Nishat knows who she is, and that’s certainly nothing like I was when I was younger!

On the other hand though, Nishat is very much guided by her emotions. Her parents’ disapproval of her sexuality really affects her, so she lashes out with anger. Without necessarily thinking through her decisions. So she makes some bad choices, and does some things that are a little thoughtless. That is definitely reminiscent of me when I was Nishat’s age—someone who was led by emotions and didn’t always make the best choices. This combination of things in Nishat as a character made her really fun to write, and I hope it made for an interesting character to read as well. 

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

I was originally inspired to write this book because of henna! I was on a summer holiday in Bangladesh where I was visiting my grandmother. I had all of these tubes of henna and I decided that I wanted to teach myself how to do henna. Unfortunately, I’m not a very good visual artist so I wasn’t particularly successful, but it gave me the idea of two teen girls with rivalling henna businesses. Then, I thought, wouldn’t it be even more interesting if they were also romantically interested in each other? 

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

Feelings by Hayley Kiyoko! The reason for it probably goes without saying but…Nishat is definitely very driven by her feelings in the book!

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

This is a difficult question to answer! There aren’t really a lot of Bangladeshi, or Afro-Brazilian actors (and I don’t think I know any). If there was a movie, I hope we’ll be able to find some! 

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

Somewhere really cozy, like cuddled up in bed or in front of a fireplace. For a drink, definitely some really strong chai. 

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

For more books with South Asian representation, you can’t go wrong with a novel by Sandhya Menon. When Dimple Met Rishi or her upcoming 10 Things I Hate About Pinky. For more books featuring queer POC romances, you should definitely pick up Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender, You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson, or Full Disclosure by Camryn Garrett. For books with a Muslim romance, I absolutely love Love From A To Z by S.K. Ali and More Than Just A Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood. 

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

Seeing it through! I think it’s easy to come up with an idea, even to start a book. But the difficult part is coming back to it day after day, writing draft after draft, revising, rewriting. These are the hard parts, after much of the shine of a brand-new idea has been lost. You need to be pretty dedicated to see a book through all the way from beginning to end. 

What’s next for you?

I have another sapphic romcom coming from Page Street in 2021!

Adiba Jaigirdar is a Bangladeshi/Irish writer and teacher. She lives in Dublin, Ireland. She has an MA in Postcolonial Studies from the University of Kent, England and a BA in English and History from UCD, Ireland.

She is a contributor for Bookriot. Previously, she has published short fiction and poetry in various journals and anthologies.

All her work is aided by copious amounts of (kettle-made) tea and a whole lot of Hayley Kiyoko and Janelle Monáe.

She is represented by Uwe Stender at TriadaUS.

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☪️ G I V E A W A Y ☪️ . . Happy Tuesday, beautiful bookish people! How's your week going so far? I have quite a famous and controversial question for you today, what do you consider cultural appropriation? If it is a taboo question for you, what culture do you like/would you like to learn more about? . . I am asking this because today is THE HENNA WARS by @dibs_j book birthday 🎉🎊🥂 (congrats!) and can I tell you this book is EVERYTHING? It shows how difficult it is to be homosexual in a Muslim family, the hurt of how your family react, but also the love some members can show you, love regardless of sex and race and most important the meaning of cultural appropriation. Very well written piece of work with powerful messages. . . Are you excited? Well, today's your lucky day! Turns out we have partnered with @pagestreetya 📚 to give you the chance to win 1 copy of THE HENNA WARS. . . Entries for the giveaway: ▪︎Follow @theffbc & @whatmakespatri ▪︎Follow @dibs_j ▪︎Follow @pagestreetya ▪︎Answer below my question above ⬆️ . . Extra entries: ▪︎Tag a friend (each friend will be an extra entry). ▪︎Share on your stories about the giveaway (tag @whatmakespatri & @theffbc) ▪︎Follow @michellesulk ▪︎Follow any other FFBC team member participating in the tour (Comment section who did you follow): @dawnelize @laurensboookshelf @TheReadingCornerforAll @mousethatreads @emeliesbooks . . . These 5 bloggers will be posting their HENNA WARS photos tomorrow (Wednesday). Go check their accounts tomorrow to gain more giveaway points! Let's celebrate #TheHennaWars all together! 🎊 . . . Also, check my interview with Adiba later today on my site and enter our rafflecopter giveaway to win another copy! . . . #adibajairgirdar #pagestreetya #pagestreetkids #yalgbtbooks #lgbtq🌈 #FFBCTours #roaring20sdebut #yaromance #ireadya #bookshimmy #gimmeallthebooks #bookporn #igreads #lgbtqreads #bookstagram #teenfiction #yabookstagram #bookgiveaway #booknerd #bibliophile #bookphotography #booksbooksbooks #bookrec #avidreader #bookfriends #cutereads

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Interview with Jamie Pacton for The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly

by Jamie Pacton
Publisher: Page Street Kids
Release Date: May 5th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Kit Sweetly slays sexism, bad bosses, and bad luck to become a knight at a medieval-themed restaurant.

Working as a wench―i.e. waitress―at a cheesy medieval-themed restaurant in the Chicago suburbs, Kit Sweetly dreams of being a knight like her brother. She has the moves, is capable on a horse, and desperately needs the raise that comes with knighthood, so she can help her mom pay the mortgage and hold a spot at her dream college.

Company policy allows only guys to be knights. So when Kit takes her brother’s place and reveals her identity at the end of the show, she rockets into internet fame and a whole lot of trouble with the management. But the Girl Knight won’t go down without a fight. As other wenches join her quest, a protest forms. In a joust before Castle executives, they’ll prove that gender restrictions should stay medieval―if they don’t get fired first.

Can you briefly describe THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY and its characters?

THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY is about 17-year-old Kit, a serving wench at the Castle, a medieval-themed restaurant. Kit desperately wants to be a knight like her older brother Chris, but only cis dudes can be knights according to company policy. One shift, Kit rides out in Chris’ place. Her triumph—and the moment she reveals “I AM NO MAN!”— is caught on video, and Kit goes viral. She uses her newfound fame to launch a campaign to change things at the Castle. She’s joined by a group of friends—fierce folks across the gender spectrum— and they band together to over throw the medieval notion that only cis guys can be knights. There’s also a sweet friends-to-lovers story between Kit and her bff Jett; and, a whole lot of economic ups and downs as Kit navigates the financial instability her family faces. 

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

I absolutely love Kit, and I put so many of my secret thoughts, strivings, wishes, and jokes into her. I kind of think all authors do that to some degree with their characters, but seventeen-year-old Kit and seventeen-year-old Jamie are very similar. That said, I also adore Jett, her bff and love interest; and, I very much want to be friends with her other bff, Layla. And, I also really like her brother, Chris. He’s the brother I wish I had. 

Overall, my goal in KIT was to write lots of characters that readers loved as much as I did, so they could see some of their own favorite people in my characters. 

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

I wrote a whole Twitter thread on this, but the short story is that a few months after the terrible results of the 2016 election, I took my youngest son to Medieval Times in Chicago. We’d talked a lot during the election cycle about feminism and a female president; and, although I didn’t go into the night of medieval fun and pageantry thinking I’d emerge with a book, as I watched the male knights ride and the female wenches serve us food (and as I talked with them), it occurred to me that we should have knights of all genders. And thus Kit’s quest was born. 

And, for more general thoughts on inspiration (not sure if you just meant for KIT or otherwise), this is from my website.

I definitely pull deeply from my own life and past experiences, but I’m also currently writing a fantasy novel randomly inspired by a quirky boutique name in a tiny town near where I live. I’ve also pulled stories from historical tidbits I found while researching other books; from questions that pop into my mind; and, from trying to figure out what a certain type of character would do in a certain situation. I also get ideas from smashing two or more book/movie/tv comps together and challenging myself to think about what the resulting story might look like. Oh! And sometimes I scroll through MSWL threads on twitter to see what agents and editors are asking for and that can be inspiring in surprising ways. 

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

Uhm….I am really terrible with questions like this because I can never pick one song! 

I listened to a lot of Santigold while writing KIT, and Disparate Youth is the song I always hear in my head when I think of Kit and her friends out there jousting. 

That said, any of the Queen songs from A Knight’s Tale and possibly the Beatles “I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends” would also work. And I have like ten others I really want to mention here…. J 

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

Kit: Sophia Lillis

Jett: Karan Brar

Layla: Skai Jackson 

Alex: Bex Taylor Klaus

Lizzy: Danielle MacDonald

Mags: Chelsea Zhang

Penny: Jazz Jennings 

Chris: George MacKay

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

Take my book to the Ren Faire or a medieval-themed restaurant for the perfect book date! You can feast on chicken legs and drink out of fancy goblets while watching the jousts.

If that’s not available, then I recommend staying in, watching A Knight’s Tale, and snacking on anything that you can use sword fight with should the need arise (carrot sticks, chicken legs, pretzel rods, etc.). 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish THE LIFE AND (MEDIEVAL) TIMES OF KIT SWEETLY?

Absolutely! I think of Jen De Luca’s adult romance WELL MET as the older sister of KIT. It’s set in a Ren Faire, full of great Shakespeare jokes, and absolutely a delight. If you’re looking for a YA feminist rom-com with great banter, incredibly loveable characters, and a unique setting, I highly recommend Rachel Lynn Solomon’s forthcoming book TODAY, TONIGHT, TOMORROW. It’s a sheer joy of a story and I fell totally in love with her characters. 

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

I love almost every part of the writing process, but slogging through a first draft is the hardest part for me. I have a surplus of ideas; I love planning out a story and having the pieces of it slot into place; and, revisions are so much fun. But, that first pass is an uphill grind because there’s a 70,000 word blank space between what I imagine the book can be and actually getting it on the page. I tend to draft very quickly and messily, just so I can get the story down and then I go back and make it better. 

What’s next for you?

My next book with Page Street is called LUCKY GIRL and it’ll come out in 2021. Like KIT, LUCKY GIRL is funny YA contemporary that also takes a look at some hard stuff. It’s about 17-year-old Fortuna Jane Belleweather, a normal girl in a small Wisconsin town who bought a lotto ticket and won 58 million dollars. The only problem is that Jane was a minor when she purchased the ticket, which means if she tries to cash it, she’ll lose the money and be guilty of a misdemeanour. Jane desperately needs to find someone to cash the ticket for her, but she can’t give it to her hoarder mother; her hippie grandmother wants nothing to do with it; and, that leaves Jane’s 18-year-old ex-boyfriend Holden, who’s she’s still not over. Schemes, heists, and betrayals occur as Jane navigates her lucky break and tries to get over her broken heart. Luckily, like Kit, she’s got a wonderful best friend by her side to help her through whatever life throws at her. 

Beyond that, I’m also drafting a YA fantasy and working on some MG projects. Because I’m always juggling a few books at once. :)

Jamie Pacton writes all sorts of books: dark, feminist YA fantasy; contemporary YA stories with a funny + geeky bent; funny MG adventure-fantasy; and, even the occasional adult rom-com. She was a Pitch Wars mentee in 2015 and she mentored YA in 2016, 2017, and 2018. She grew up minutes away from the National Storytelling Center in the mountains of East Tennessee; she’s the oldest of ten kids; and, she currently lives in rural Wisconsin with her husband, their two kids, and a dog named Lego. The Life and (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly (forthcoming May 5, 2020) is her Young Adult debut.

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