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!