27 August

Author Spotlight (Part II): MarcyKate Connolly

As we continue to celebrate the release of Twin Daggers by MarcyKate Connolly, we are featuring Part II of our interview with the author below.

Get your copy of Twin Daggers HERE.

What kind of impact did writing Twin Daggers have on you personally?

It was the story I kept going back to between contracted middle grade projects, so for a long time it served as a brain-refresher of sorts. It’s very different from and darker than my middle grade books, so it was fun to stretch myself creatively in new directions. In many ways, it’s been the book that helped me grow as a writer.

How are you reflected in Twin Daggers (or, how much of you is reflected in the book)?

There’s always a little bit of me in every book I write. In Twin Daggers, the awkwardness and angst I felt about romantic relationships as a teen is heavily channeled in Aissa’s experience. Though I certainly never had the challenge of trying to make someone fall in love with me so I could use them for information!

What is your favorite thing to do to promote your book?

While I do enjoy several aspects of book promotion, I think my most favorite would be school visits. Getting to talk directly to readers about my books and writing in general is a profoundly awesome experience! Obviously given the current pandemic, in person school visits aren’t feasible right now, but virtual visits are an excellent alternative!

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while being a writer?

That the most wonderful and terrifying thing about being an author is that once your book is published it no longer completely belongs to you. Every reader who picks it up will have their own interpretation and viewpoint of your characters and plot and you have no control over that at all. Which is awesome! And very scary at the same time! Some readers may hate your book, others may love it and re-read it so many times that the pages wear thin. As an author you have to learn to let go of each book a little and that can be a struggle sometimes.

Any additional thoughts?

Thanks so much for having me on the blog! And readers, I hope you enjoy Twin Daggers!

24 August

Author Spotlight: MarcyKate Connolly

As we celebrate the release of Twin Daggers this week, we are featuring a special interview with author MarcyKate Connolly. Learn more about her new release below – and stay tuned for Part II coming later this week.

Get your copy of Twin Daggers HERE.

Congratulations on the publication of your new book! What does it feel like to have Twin Daggers in the world?

Thank you!! It feels amazing! I’ve been working on Twin Daggers off and on for about 8 years, so finally having it out on bookshelves is both surreal and awesome.

How would you describe Twin Daggers to someone who is interested in reading it?

Twin Daggers is a fantasy spin on Romeo + Juliet, if Juliet and her twin sister were magic wielding spies out for revenge in a world of magic versus machines.

What was your inspiration for Twin Daggers?

I often save pieces of ideas that are not yet fully formed in a folder on my computer, one of which was of a fantasy world where magic users are at war with a society built around machines. I’ve also loved Shakespeare since I was a kid, but it took me a while to put the two together. One day I was combing through that folder in search of a new `idea and I was struck by the thought to combine that idea with star-crossed lovers a la Romeo + Juliet. I was captivated by it and began plotting immediately!

What do you hope readers take away from this new release? 

The main thing I hope readers get from my book is a fun escape from the real world. Fantasy novels are one of the best ways I know to step outside myself for a bit, especially when the world seems overwhelming (which is does pretty much all the time right now!). Hopefully my book can give readers a temporary reprieve too.

What makes this book special/unique, and why should readers be sure to place it on their TBR (To Be Read) list?

Twin Daggers is a feminist, fantastical reimagining of Romeo + Juliet. So, swoony romance, but with the Juliet character in charge of her own fate. And it’s set in a unique science fantasy (a blend of fantasy and sci-fi) world that’s a little steampunk, a little high fantasy, but with spycraft and betrayals lurking around every corner.

20 August

Author Spotlight (Part II): Hanna C. Howard

As we continue to celebrate the release of Ignite the Sun by Hanna C. Howard, we are featuring Part II of our interview with the author below.

Get your copy of Ignite the Sun HERE.

What makes this book special/unique, and why should readers be sure to place it on their TBR (To Be Read) list?

While the light and dark theme is frequently used in literature, it tends to be done in a figurative way, and Ignite sees a very literal use of light and darkness. And I know I’m a bit biased, but I’m very fond of the magic system in the book, and I think the idea of a sunchild—a being who is fueled, empowered, and reminiscent of the sun—is a really compelling and exciting one. I also love my characters, and Siria, my protagonist, reminds me of some of the teenage girls I know: Passionate, full of longing and hope, but also riddled with uncertainty, fear, and self-doubt as she faces a perilous world.

What kind of impact did writing Ignite The Sun have on you personally?

It’s been an incredibly long journey with this book—nearly ten years—and when I started my first draft I was suffering terribly from anxiety, depression, and SAD. In that sense, writing it has been a way of processing and working through my anxiety, as my main character experiences something similar at times. But the long road from first draft to publication has also taught me the value and the vital necessity of perseverance. I have believed in and loved this story for so long, and I think being faithful to it through some really hard stuff (mental illness, rejection, the loss of my dad to cancer) as well as some beautiful things (my marriage and the birth of my son) has engrained in me the invaluable and intrinsic place of story in my life, and shown me what I am capable of. 

How are you reflected in Ignite the Sun (or, how much of you is reflected in the book)?

Well, I mentioned the anxiety and SAD, which I think you see in Siria. And I’m sure there is a part of me in all of my characters (though not intentionally). I think, though, that the biggest reflection of me in Ignite is the thematic yearning for the sunlight, and for the life that it brings. I have traditionally hated the winter (though that’s changed a bit as I’ve gotten older and begun to appreciate the value of chunky sweaters, scented candles, and cozy evenings with whisky or tea), and spring has always felt to me like an enormous, gulping breath of fresh air when it finally arrives. Dawn, too, is my favorite time of day, and in some ways Ignite is just one, long, metaphorical night—until the end, when the sunrise finally breaks. That’s a reflection of me and my values.

What is your favorite thing to do to promote your book?

The world of COVID has changed everything, of course, but my most-used platform for book promotion is probably Instagram, since you can tell stories in your captions that make it more personal. However, my hands-down favorite way to receive or deliver any kind of recommendation is in person. Nothing beats a spoken book rec from someone whose opinion you trust. So if you read and like this book (or any book!) the best favor you can do the author is to tell other people to read it.

What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned while being a writer?

Never give up. Ever. If you love writing and you want to share it with other people, keep at it. Rejection is just a part of the game, and it’s up to you to take the criticism you hear (constructive or not) and learn something from it. Always be working on getting better, always seek to learn and grow, always keep writing. And: Never. Give. Up.

Any additional thoughts?

Thanks for having me! And to you readers, thanks for following along, and I hope you’ll pick up Ignite!

16 August

Author Spotlight: Hanna C. Howard

As we celebrate the release of Ignite the Sun this week, we are featuring a special interview with author Hanna C. Howard. Learn more about her new release below – and stay tuned for Part II coming later this week.

Get your copy of Ignite the Sun HERE.

Congratulations on the publication of your new book! What does it feel like to have Ignite the Sun in the world?

Thank you! It’s kind of surreal. Most of us debut writers have years of effort and failure under our belts by the time we get a book published, so to see something that has lived so long in our imaginations alone suddenly in other people’s hands is really hard to grasp. But also really cool. I’m so excited for my little sun book to find some readers who might draw hope or joy from it!

How would you describe Ignite the Sun to someone who is interested in reading it?

It’s a book about a girl who’s never seen the sun—but who finds out she has an elemental magic connection to it—and how she figures out who she is, learns to be brave and selfless, and saves her world from darkness.

What was your inspiration for Ignite the Sun?

Really a combination of things that added up to an idea. The first came while I was out walking my dog, and it was a sort of curiosity about what might happen if you could fly, but only in sunlight. The second was overhearing someone talking about what sounded like “The Darkness,” and wondering what that could be. And the third was my own experience with Seasonal Affective Disorder and anxiety during a winter I spent aching for the return of sunlight and warmth to my frozen, gray world.

What do you hope readers take away from this new release? 

I hope they’ll be entertained, I hope they’ll see themselves in one or more of the characters, I hope they’ll be transported to a new world they’d like to revisit, and I hope they’ll be reminded that there is always light behind the darkness, even when the darkness feels so oppressive you think you’ll never see the end of it.