Interview with Kalyn Josephson for The Crow Rider

The Crow Rider (The ​Storm Crow #2)

by Kalyn Josephson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: July 7th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Princess Thia, her allies, and her crow, Res, are planning a rebellion to defeat Queen Razel and Illucia once and for all. Thia must convince the neighboring kingdoms to come to her aid, and Res’s show of strength is the only thing that can help her.

But so many obstacles stand in her way. Res excels at his training, until he loses control of his magic, harming Thia in the process. She is also pursued by Prince Ericen, heir to the Illucian throne and the one person she can’t trust but can’t seem to stay away from.

As the rebel group prepares for war, Res’s magic grows more unstable. Thia has to decide if she can rely on herself and their bond enough to lead the rebellion and become the crow rider she was meant to be.

Can you briefly describe the series, its characters and what’s happening in THE CROW RIDER?

THE CROW RIDER picks up where THE STORM CROW left off, with Princess Thia and her friends desperately trying to reach Trendell for the alliance meeting between the kingdoms. To convince them to ally with her against Illucia, Thia and her storm crow, Res, must make a show of strength, but Res is new an untrained, and struggles to control his powers.

To make it a bit fun, can you describe the series or THE CROW RIDER with emojis?

🛳️⛈️⚔️🦅👑 – one day there will be a crow emoji!

How did this new story occur to you? Was this more difficult to write than the first book?

It was easier in some ways, and more difficult in others. I already knew the characters and the world, so there was a lot less to come up with from scratch, but I had also established a lot of rules and timelines in the first book that I had to abide by in the second book, and since I hadn’t completely outlined book 2 before book 1 came out, that was a bit of a struggle! I did always know how the series would end though, so I was always writing toward that.

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

The She-Ra theme song haha. Only mostly kidding. But I struggle with these questions! I don’t make book playlists or listen to music when I write so I don’t often associate songs with my books.

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

A hot cup of tea and a comfy couch by the fire while it rains outside.

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

CROWN OF FEATHERS by Nicki Pau Preto! It’s also a bird riding book, but phoenixes instead of crows.

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

Not rushing. I prefer editing over drafting, so I’m constantly trying to rush through my drafts so I can get to edits. Part of that comes from this feeling that publishing is a race (which it’s not!) but you feel like you have to be constantly producing. I’ve been doing a lot better at slowing down though!

What’s next for you?

I can’t talk specifically about any new projects, but I’m working on a couple potential new books right now.

Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Biology and a degree in English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay Area and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW is her debut novel.

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Interview with Tanaz Bhathena for Hunted by The Sky

Hunted by the Sky (The Wrath of Ambar #1)

by Tanaz Bhathena
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: June 23rd 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Gul has spent her life running. She has a star-shaped birthmark on her arm, and in the kingdom of Ambar, girls with such birthmarks have been disappearing for years. Gul's mark is what caused her parents' murder at the hand of King Lohar's ruthless soldiers and forced her into hiding to protect her own life. So when a group of rebel women called the Sisters of the Golden Lotus rescue her, take her in, and train her in warrior magic, Gul wants only one thing: revenge.

Cavas lives in the tenements, and he's just about ready to sign his life over to the king's army. His father is terminally ill, and Cavas will do anything to save him. But sparks fly when he meets a mysterious girl--Gul--in the capital's bazaar, and as the chemistry between them undeniably grows, he becomes entangled in a mission of vengeance--and discovers a magic he never expected to find.

Dangerous circumstances have brought Gul and Cavas together at the king's domain in Ambar Fort . . . a world with secrets deadlier than their own. Exploring identity, class struggles, and high-stakes romance, Hunted by the Sky is a gripping adventure set in a world inspired by medieval India.

Can you briefly describe HUNTED BY THE SKY and its characters? 

Set in a world inspired by medieval India, HUNTED BY THE SKY follows the story of a girl named Gul, who has vowed vengeance against a tyrant king for ordering the murder of her parents. Trained in warrior magic by a group of rebel women, Gul infiltrates the king’s palace with the help of a reluctant stable boy named Cavas, who has some dark secrets of his own. 

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

Honestly, I love both Gul and Cavas, but there’s another character who has really become a favourite—a character who I can’t mention right now for fear of spoiling the book. 

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

I was struggling with a SF dystopian novel that I’d drafted, which was going nowhere. I loved the characters I’d created, but didn’t like the plot and the setting was weak. A friend of mine suggested trying out fantasy instead of science fiction. That’s when the gears began turning in my head. I decided to change the setting to one inspired by India—more specifically medieval India, a historical period I was obsessed with as a teen. I was also inspired by a group of women from north India called the Gulabi Gang (the Rose Gang), which works for women’s welfare. The Sisterhood of the Golden Lotus was born and I had my main character’s new name—Gul. 

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

“Bad Bad Girls” from the movie, Chak De India 

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

Ishan Khattar for Cavas. I would love Tara Gupta, the model on my cover, to play Gul. 

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

Have a cup of lemongrass chai at the Lake Palace Udaipur in Rajasthan and take the book with you. Ambar will come alive. 

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

Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri, The Tiger at Midnight by Swati Teerdhala, and The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan 

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

Every book has its own challenges. For this book, I had to learn more about creating a magical system and a whole world with its own history and myths. It was quite challenging initially, but also a lot of fun! 

What’s next for you? 

The sequel to HUNTED BY THE SKY!

Orders of a hardcover book will receive limited edition swag and be entered to win a $100 gift card. Open to residents of US and Canada.

Tanaz Bhathena writes books for young adults. Her sophomore novel, The Beauty of the Moment, won the Nautilus Award for Young Adult Fiction and has also been nominated for the Ontario Library Association’s White Pine Award. Her acclaimed debut, A Girl Like That, was named a Best Book of the Year by numerous outlets including The Globe and Mail, Seventeen, and The Times of India. Her latest book, Hunted by the Sky, (releasing June 23 2020) is the first of a YA fantasy duology set in a world inspired by medieval India. Her short stories have appeared in various publications including The Hindu, Blackbird, Witness, and Room.

Born in India and raised in Saudi Arabia and Canada, Tanaz lives in Mississauga, Ontario, with her family.

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Interview with Natalie Mae for The Kinder Posion

The Kinder Poison (The Kinder Poison #1)

by Natalie Mae
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 16th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Synopsis:

Perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard and Holly Black, this enthralling fantasy adventure follows a teenage girl chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown.

Zahru has long dreamed of leaving the kingdom of Orkena and having the kinds of adventures she’s only ever heard about in stories. But as a lowly Whisperer, her power to commune with animals means that her place is serving in the royal stables until the day her magic runs dry.

All that changes when the ailing ruler invokes the Crossing: a death-defying race across the desert, in which the first of his heirs to finish—and take the life of a human sacrifice at the journey’s end—will ascend to the throne and be granted unparalleled abilities.

With all of the kingdom abuzz, Zahru leaps at the chance to change her fate if just for a night by sneaking into the palace for a taste of the revelry. But the minor indiscretion turns into a deadly mistake when she gets caught up in a feud between the heirs and is forced to become the Crossing’s human sacrifice. Zahru is left with only one hope for survival: somehow figuring out how to overcome the most dangerous people in the world.

Can you briefly describe THE KINDER POISON and its characters?

THE KINDER POISON is an enthralling fantasy adventure that follows Zahru, a sixteen-year-old girl who is chosen to be the human sacrifice in a deadly game between three heirs who will do anything for the crown. Zahru is a dreamer who often lets her mouth get ahead of her brain, and the heirs she has to contend with are Prince Kasta, a secretive boy with the power over death; Prince Jet, a charismatic swordsman who can bend and manipulate soundwaves, and Princess Sakira, a troublemaking party girl who can create almost any type of magic with a paintbrush. 

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

This is a hard choice! I put pieces of real people I know and love into each of my characters, so all of them are special to me. But I’d have to say my favorite to write is probably the villain. I’ve always had a soft spot for darker characters, and I especially love those who aren’t all the way gone, because there’s this delicious ongoing battle within them between the extremes they’re willing to go to and the fear that maybe they’ve gone too far. I think that makes them unpredictable and so very human, which always makes for a compelling story.

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

Initially, the inspiration for the book came from an article I read about archaeologists finding the bones of children who'd been sacrificed on an ancient mountain. The children didn't appear to have struggled or suffered, which made me wonder what it would be like to live in a time when human sacrifice was revered - and of course, what it might be like to be chosen for such a thing. But once I finished the first draft, I realized the book wasn't about that at all. It was about a girl who'd been told all her life that no matter how hard she worked or what good she tried to do, her worth was measured by something completely out of her control: the power she was (or in this case, wasn't) born with. It's the grounds for how she ends up as the sacrifice, and as soon as I drew that parallel to my own life, that was it. It became a story of defiance, of pressing back on a world that often favors wealth and physical strength over all.

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

My husband would say it’s Metallica’s “Creeping Death,” which to be clear was chosen 100% by the lyrics sung during the bridge, which are literally “DIE, BY MY HAND!” while someone chants “DIE” in the background. He also wanted me to walk out to that part at my launch party … it’s a whole thing, I don’t really talk about it. That’s a little extreme for me so I’m going to have to say “Wonderland” by Taylor Swift because it covers both the wild adventure part, and one of the more rollercoaster relationships she develops over the course of the series.

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

Okay, so here’s where I admit that it’s been approximately a thousand years since I was up to date on actors, so bear with me! But I think I’d have to choose India Eisley for Zahru, Odeya Rush for Sakira, Michael B. Jordan for Jet, and the only person I can find who fits my “look” for Kasta is teenage Jason Momoa, so that’s what I’m going with!

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

Take this book to Moab, Utah, grab yourself a box of chocolate truffles and a glass of sparkling water, and you’ll practically be living inside the book. 

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

Readers who like THE KINDER POISON should definitely check out SHADOW AND BONE if you somehow haven’t already, and also THE YOUNG ELITES by Marie Lu, FURYBORN by Claire Legrand, and THE WRATH AND THE DAWN by Renée Ahdieh. 

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

Omg … all of it? Haha. But I would have to say the toughest is finding the right path the characters need to take from start to end, both internally and plot-wise. There are SO MANY different twists and turns any story can take, and sometimes those endless possibilities can be paralyzing. I’m very lucky to have extremely smart (and patient) editors and critique partners who can help me out when I get stuck.

What’s next for you?

Right now I'm working on edits for THE KINDER POISON’s sequel, which will release in 2021, but I have a couple other books in progress I hope to be able to share more about soon ...

NaTaLiE MaE is an ex-programmer, dessert enthusiast, and author of young adult novels. She has also been a freelance editor and Pitch Wars mentor, and feels it notable to mention she once held a job where she had to feed spiders.

She now writes full-time at home with a bag of dark chocolates in one hand and a leopard cat on her lap. She is most definitely not checking Instagram right now.

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