Moonburner

Kai is a Moonburner—a female sorceress reviled by her people and normally killed at birth. Except Kai's parents saved her by disguising her as a boy—a ruse they've kept up for almost seventeen years. But when her village is attacked, Kai’s secret is revealed and she’s sentenced to death.

Thankfully, the gods aren’t done with Kai. Despite the odds stacked against her, she escapes her fate, undertaking a harrowing journey to a land where Moonburners are revered and trained as warriors.

But her new home has dangers of its own—the ancient war against the male Sunburners has led the Moonburners down a dark path that could destroy all magic. And Kai, armed only with a secret from her past and a handsome but dangerous ally, may be the only one who can prevent the destruction of her people... 

Wow. Just wow. There's a lot to enjoy in Claire Luana's debut YA fantasy novel; the gender politics, the girl-power, the world building, the fantastic cast of characters. I was expecting to like the story, but I wasn't expecting to totally love it! I was lucky enough to see this story in its late-draft form, but the work that's gone into polishing it is clear to see. Moonburner is clearly a labour of love for the author, and it shows on every page.

And what pages they are! From the prologue that grabs hold of you and won't let go, right the way through to the final battle, Moonburner is a page turner from start to finish. The story is set in the lands of Kita and Miina, countries divided by magic and gender. In Miina, females with magic - drawn from the power of the moon - are revered as so-called Moonburners. In Kita, where Kai was unfortunately born, they are put to death by the male-dominated powers that be - males with magic drawn from the sun, aka Sunburners. After escaping her death sentence march into the desert that divides the two lands, Kai is taken in by the Moonburners and trained to embrace her powers. The world building is simple and easy to get into, which allows for a breathlessly taught opening act. From Kai's outing to her arrival in the Moonburner citadel, a school where young women are trained as warriors to harness their magic, there's barely a stray word that could have been cut in the edit to be found.

However the author takes a fairly simple story of two opposites, and turns the idea on its head. There are no good guys and bad guys here (well, there are, but I'll get to that later). What starts as a black and white world for Kai quickly begins to morph into a world of grey, where nothing's quite as clear-cut as either side of the impending war seem to think. There are a lot of Asian-inspired elements to the story, so the concept of yin and yang seems fitting. On the surface, the moon and sun burners are polar opposites. Female and male. Night and day. Darkness and light. What is initially present to Kai in the citadel's teachings is very much them and us, but the set up evolves into something more complicated as she gradually comes to realise that neither can exist without the other, and true victory lies in peace rather than destruction. Yes, this book features plenty of strong female characters, but it's not always the case that these are the good guys. It also features plenty of strong male characters, and it's not always the case that they are the bad guys. Claire Luana manages to walk the fine line between feminism and equality, without overbalancing into superiority on either side.

If the world building was outstanding, then the characters and dialogue in this story set it on fire! Kai is a utterly adorable protagonist, equal parts strong and vulnerable. Behind her Buffy-esque sass is a young girl raised to fear the world around her, and when the security blanket of her loving family is ripped away in brutal fashion, she's thrown out into that world to fend for herself. Well, not quite for herself. Powerful burners acquire a senshen, a sort of spirit animal, and Kai's is a take-no-shit fox named Quitsu. And he is awesome! Snarky and wise in equal measure, this guy is easily my favourite character. I would have liked to see him written a little more distinctly - it was sometimes hard to work out whether it was Kai or Quitsu that was talking because their dialogue and attitudes were so similar - but that's a minor quibble. Kai's new Moonburner friends were pretty good, if a little interchangeable with their silver hair and sass. Maaya was the best of the group, her soft-heartedness making her stand out a little more than the rest. I did love the ass-kicking trainer Nanase (aka Eclipse, because she killed so many Sunburners in the first war that the sun apparently went dark - seriously, what's not to love here!?), but the abundance of friends, antagonists and teachers at the citadel felt a bit cluttered.

And what can I say about Kai's 'love interest', Hiro? I say love interest in inverted commas because, to be honest, he barely features for most of the book. Seriously, he and Kai meet about three or four times. Their burgeoning relationship is pushed aside by the impending war - and the fact that their both standing on opposite sides of it - as it rightly should be. I have to applaud the author for being brave and going with this angle. The Romeo and Juliet thing is a pretty well trodden path in YA fantasy, and it would have been easy to play this up. But Claire Luana puts her protagonist front and centre, her journey and growth taking precedent over ticking a box or shoehorning in any swoony scenes. It's weird, because in a roundabout way, this totally works. Because both characters keep their head in the game, you buy into their romance even more. It's clearly not some fleeting obsession. Kai's obviously not falling to pieces over Hiro's abs or his sparkly eyes, so their connection feels more real, and I will take this a hundred times over magical bonds, instalove and/or a love triangle.

With such a fast-paced story, it was inevitable that the writing would feel a little flat at times. There's very little navel-gazing here, and no affected, artsy prose. And for the most part it's great because it makes for a more exciting story. But there were times when I'd have liked just a little bit more on how Kai and the other characters were feeling. There's a lot of she said this and he did that, but at lot of the time there's very little sense of how they're saying it and what they're thinking. 

Much like Kai's gradual uncovering of the citadel's dark secrets, there's more to the story than meets the eye. I loved the suprisingly dark subplot with the Moonburner queen and her plot to destroy the Sunburners once and for all. There were a few almost too dark moments though, with a couple of allusions to and mentions of rape that felt out of place. There as nothing wrong with them per se, they just don't seem to fit in this book. The story itself though is solid, if a little cliche at times, but because it's all told through such colourful characters and in such a rich, vibrant world, it feels like something fresh. The gender politics bring a different angle to the usual 'good guys v bad guys' set up, and the message of coexistence and tolerance has rarely felt more timely.

The story wrapped up nicely, while still leaving room for a sequel (more on that below). One of my pet peeves is an ending that reads like the author stopped typing part way through a chapter, but this book has a solid beginning, middle, and end, as well as a hook for book two. Ending perfection! Moonburner is a fantastic debut from a very talented author, and a must-read for YA fantasy fans.

Author Q&A with Claire Luana

1. What inspired you to write Moonburner?

My inspiration for Moonburner was loosely based on China’s One Child Policy, which led to generations of Chinese families choosing to have boys over girls. It made me think: what would happen in a world where families didn't want girls because those girls had some magical ability that was forbidden?

This led to the premise of Moonburner, where Kai, the main character, is born into a land where magic is forbidden to women, and she is forced to masquerade as a boy to hide her powers.

2. If you could go back in time and give your past self one bit of advice when you sat down and started writing Moonburner, what would it be?

Probably to share Moonburner with other readers and writers sooner! I was so nervous to share my work that I spent a lot of time trying to perfect it before I let it see the light of day. When I inevitably changed things as a result of the feedback, all that polishing went down the drain. Plus, I’ve found I really enjoy sharing my work and getting collaborative feedback and ideas on how to make it better. No need to miss out on that!

3. Do you have any writing rituals?

My rituals have changed over time, but currently, I write every morning. My day job is pretty mentally taxing (I’m a lawyer) so I found I didn’t have much brainpower left at the end of the day. Now I get up at 5am to write, which is painful, but it means it’s done first thing. It feels really good!

4. Which three books would you take to a desert island?

I’d want something with a lot of pages to fend off boredom, so probably the Bible, the Eye of the World (first book in Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time Series), and Six of Crows, which is my current fave read.

5. There are a lot of Japanese words and names in Moonburner, did you have any location and cultural inspiration from the far east?

Yes! As I mentioned, the book started with me thinking about China’s One Child policy, and so I always imagined the book as having an Asian influence. We housed Japanese students in my house for years growing up, so I was more familiar with that culture. It’s because of those experiences that I decided to borrow from Japanese medieval culture for Moonburner.

6. Gender division, feminism and equality play big parts in Moonburner, what made you decide to include these rather than more traditional elements of YA fantasy?

Gender equality is a topic near and dear to my heart as a woman who works in a traditionally male dominated field. My colleagues and I spend a lot of time sharing experiences and talking about how we can better advance women in law and society generally, so it felt natural for me to focus on gender as a theme in my first book, especially once the world and the story premise began to take shape.

7. It’s wonderful to see a YA female protagonist who’s on her own journey while the love interest takes a back seat. Was this intentional when you originally sat down to write Moonburner?

It wasn’t intentional, but grew naturally out of the way the plot worked out. Kai met her love interest very early on, but then didn’t run into him again until the last quarter of the book. I definitely sweated a bit trying to figure out a way to build a connection between them without falling prey to the Insta-love trope that so many YA books are guilty of! But in the end, I think romance as a sub-plot more naturally fit the book. Moonburner is really about Kai growing as a person and as a woman. The romance is like a little bonus.

8. Who would be in your fantasy cast for the movie version of Moonburner?

I imagine Grace Park to play Kai, and maybe a younger version of Ian Anthony Dale for Hiro.

9. Who was your favourite character from a writer’s perspective and who was your favourite character from a reader’s perspective, or were they one and the same?

I loved writing Quitsu. He was so fun and scrappy and unique. Those early chapters with him and Kai were some of the first I ever wrote, and still feel really special to me. Readers tell me their favorite character is Emi. I think they appreciate her bad-assery and snark!

10. Kai’s seishen in a fox. What do you think your spirit animal would be?

I think maybe an owl. Owls are wise and mysterious, but can be tough when they need to be!

11. Obviously Sunburner is out soon, but are there any plans for more books in this universe?

Yes! I originally intended to write two, but as I was brainstorming ideas for a new series, I realized that one of those ideas would fit perfectly as a third book in the Moonburner world. Instantly, I knew I had to write it! So, there will be a third book titled Starburner. The protagonist will be Kai and Hiro’s teenage daughter. I have it all plotted out and I’m aiming for a spring launch!

12. Sum up Moonburner in five words.

Strong women make moon magic! 

Coming soon ...

If, like me, you hate getting into a series only to find there's a year plus wait for the next book in the series, you're in luck! Not only is the Moonburner prequel, Burning Fate, already available (and for free if you subscribe to Claire's mailing list) but the sequel proper, Sunburner, is out on Tuesday 26 September.

I've been lucky enough to get my hands on an arc of Sunburner and believe me when I say it's awesome! It's everything that was brilliant about Moonburner turned up to eleven; with the stakes higher, the romance swoonier and the bad guys badder. It's absolutely unmissable, so, if you read and love Moonburner, make sure you add this one to your TBR too. You can check out the blurb on Goodreads now, but be warned, it does contain a spoiler if you're yet to read Moonburner.

If you need any more tempting, there's also a load of swag on offer if you preorder Sunburner, including a bookmark, map (my personal favourite of all swag!) and deleted scenes, as well as chance to win more bookish goodies. Happy reading!

Author interview - Helen Scheuerer

If you've ever glanced sideways at my blog in passing, you probably know how much I love YA fantasy. Spoiler alert - it's a lot. I was lucky enough to recently receive an ARC of just such a book -  Heart of Mist - from author Helen Scheuerer a few weeks back, but had to wait until by final exam was done before I'd let myself started. Go sensible me! It's a good thing too, because the book would have distracted the hell out of me while I was trying to study. Seriously, it's so good! It's the kind of book where you can stop thinking about the characters even after you've put it down. It's got absolutely everything I love in a book; far away lands, women who kick ass, sisterhood, friendship, magic and mystery. I'd better stop now, because otherwise I'll end up posting an entire, gushing review here! The review itself will be going up at the end of August when the book is released, so make sure you pop back and check it out, because it's awesome (the book, not the review)!

In the meantime though, Helen was kind enough to agree to an author Q&A ahead of the book's release. I absolutely love doing author interviews because, as someone who can barely write a shopping list without getting distracted, the process of taking a story from an idea in your head to a book that's ready to be released into the wild fascinates me. Having read, and loved (did I already mention how much I loved this book?) Heart of Mist, I had lots of questions about Helen's writing process, inspiration and characters. So here we go!

The Book

In a realm where toxic mist sweeps the lands and magic is forbidden, all Bleak wants is a cure for her power. 

Still grieving the death of her guardian and dangerously self-medicating with alcohol, Bleak is snatched from her home by the Commander of the King’s Army, and summoned to the capital.

But the king isn’t the only one interested in Bleak’s powers. The leader of an infamous society of warriors, the Valia Kindred, lays claim to her as well, and Bleak finds herself in the middle of a much bigger battle than she anticipated.

Heart of Mist is the gripping first book in The Oremere Chronicles, a fantasy series of epic proportions.

The Interview

1) Tell us how Heart of Mist made the journey from imagination to print.

Sure! About a year and a half ago I was in the middle of some pretty intense edits for a literary fiction novel I’d been working on since forever… I was reading a lot of YA fantasy as an escape, and began to play with the idea of writing my own.

It became a reality when myself and two of my Writer’s Edit besties, Claire and Kyra, signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). We were all working on big projects and supported each other as the month progressed. I can’t tell you how incredible it was to have that kind of support while writing…

I wrote the first draft of Heart of Mist within about 6 weeks, and spent the next year revising and editing it…

2) Who would be the fantasy cast for the movie version of the book?

Ohhhhh this is such a hard question… Recently someone asked me this question about Bleak specifically, and I mentioned the likes of Dakota Fanning and Shailene Woodley, but the more I think of it the more I think Bleak would have to be a young, unknown actress…

For Commander Swinton, I always pictured him looking quite similar to Luke Evans…Who I may or may not have a slight crush on.

Mikayla interlude: A fine choice I think we can all agree!

As for the rest… I don’t want to put too many ideas in people’s heads. One of the things I love about reading is that there’s room for your own imagination!

3) Did you have any location inspiration for the lands in Heart of Mist?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have done some travelling over the last few years, and have seen some gorgeous landscapes. There are definitely elements taken from my trips to the UK that have found their way into Heart of Mist…

However, for the more imaginative settings I created Pinterest boards with inspiring images from all over the world. It was a matter of creating moodboards and themes throughout these, and then using them as springboards for writing the settings.

4) You've built a huge world with loads of characters! How do you keep everything organised when you're writing?

I never thought I’d say this but… spreadsheets! I have spreadsheets for character references, plots, subplots, setting references and research that needs to be done.

It’s honestly been so useful having everything in one place, and being able to search for things. I tend to feel overwhelmed at times, and having things organised in this way really helps me feel more in control.

5) Do you have a writing process, or any writing rituals?

At the moment, my writing process is such a mess because I’m just juggling too many things. But if you caught me on a good day…

I’m all about routine. I love writing every day if I can manage it. Particularly since I started writing fantasy, I’ve found that writing every day is really important for staying immersed in the world you’ve created.

Before a writing session, I like to write a mini plan in dot points including the events that will happen in the chapter I’m working on, and/or how a certain character should be feeling. This helps me focus and actually get the words on the page.

6) Have any you found elements of people or events from your life have made their way into the book?

Hmmm… It’s not something I’ve thought a lot about to be honest. Heart of Mist takes place in a world that is so different from our own, I haven’t stopped to draw parallels between its cast or events to myself and my world…

That being said, I imagine people who know me well will probably be able to spot some things I myself am not even aware of.

7) It's great - and pretty rare! - to see a realistic depiction of addiction/self-medication in a YA fantasy book. What made you decide to delve into this?

I’ve been talking a fair bit about this lately and I’ve realised it wasn’t something I consciously decided to explore. Bleak’s character developed and her addiction/self-medication with alcohol was a massive part of that. From there, I did make the decision to delve deeper because I think it’s important that we don’t gloss over these experiences in YA fiction. Addiction isn’t an issue that’s exclusive to adults, and often it’s something that starts in younger teen years, so I thought it vital to explore it as an issue my protagonist was facing.

8) There's a lot of girl power in this book! Did you set out to write this, or did it happen organically as the characters came together?

For the longest time I tried to fit a particular mold as a writer, which sadly meant I wasn’t writing what made me happy. I had a bit of a “light bulb” moment nearly two years ago where I realised I should be writing what I enjoyed reading, and what I enjoyed reading was girl power YA fantasy.

Heart of Mist was basically my way of giving myself permission to go crazy with strong female characters kicking ass. So while the characters came to me organically, it was definitely a deliberate choice - Heart of Mist was going to empower me, and hopefully my readers as well!

9) If you were an Ashai, what would your power be?

Wow, you’re really hitting me with the hard questions today! To be honest, I think the Ashai abilities explored in The Oremere Chronicles so far are all more of a burden than a blessing!!!

However, if I had to pick one - I’d be a mind whisperer (only if I had control over it though!).

10) What are your plans for this series? There'd better be more books coming!

Haha, yes! There are two more books planned for The Oremere Chronicles. Book II will be released next year, and Book III in 2019.

For keen readers though, I’ve already released two free prequel stories, which you can find here. I’ll be releasing prequels in between each book, to make sure everyone still gets their Oremere fix!

11) Sum up Heart of Mist in ten words or less.

Girl power. Magical. Dark. Gritty. Raw. Empowering. Adventure. Possibility. Danger.

Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads

Get the Prequels!

If, like me, you're the impatient sort and want to get into this series before the first book is released on 31 August, you can get two free prequels from Helen's website. Don't forget to head back over to check out my review of Heart of Mist, which I'll be posting on 25 August. Happy reading!

Author interview - J.D. Wright

If you follow my blog, you might be aware that I'm more than a little obsessed with the Everealm series. Fantasy books are my kryptonite and this series reads like a gift from the reading gods. Magic, castles, lands far far away, knights, faeries, sex, romance, old school wardrobes ... suffice to say, I'm hooked! I love Everealm, and Wildfire, and Blood Moon, and when the fourth book in the series, Aurora, came out recently I was lucky enough to be sent a review copy by the author J.D. Wright. Did I love it?

I'm still working on the review! Since J.D. is an absolute sweetheart and doesn't object to my fangirling about the series, she was happy to do an author interview answering my questions about the books. I'm not a writer (in the book sense anyway), but I'm fascinated by all the behind the scenes stuff that goes into world-building and making characters come to life. Once of my favourite aspects of this series is the boundless imagination behind it. There's no confining the story to our special-snowflake main character or sticking to one kingdom at a time, there's always a hundred and one things going on, in the very best way! So, here's the story of Everealm and the brains behind it ... 

What inspired you to start writing?
Mid-life crisis. No, I’m joking. But I did have a moment of “zen”, if you will, around the time of my 10 year high school reunion. I felt like I had lost a part of who I was since becoming an adult, getting married, joining the military, having children, etc. I wanted to do something for me. Something to stir my creativity. So when I came across my old binder, with notes from the novel I started in high school, I decided to go ahead and do it.

How did Everealm make the journey to print?
It started with the binder. I read over my notes, names, and plot points, from some 10-11 years before and I made an outline for Everealm. Then I just sat down and started typing, with absolutely no idea what I was doing. The entire book was written in around 2 months. I sent the draft to a few family members to proofread and I proofread it once or twice myself. Then I took the leap and uploaded it to Amazon. Is it perfect? Not even close. But it’s nice to look back and see how far I have come since writing Everealm. About a year later, when Wildfire was released, I put Everealm into print, as well. The print and new ebook covers were designed by me. That is still a learning process, too.

Who’s your favourite character/pairing?
It feels wrong to pick one. Like I’m cheating on my characters, since I have love for each of them for different reasons. If I had to pick one pairing, it would be Bree and Rowan. For my favorite character, Dahlia is the one I’ve probably enjoyed writing about the most. She has changed a lot throughout the series. Finn is fun, too, and I was surprised by how much I liked writing scenes with Sarita in them. I’m really excited to continue the princess’ story in the next series (Songs Series).

Do you have any writing rituals?
I do. I write in the bathtub! I have writing playlists to listen to with my headphones, a different playlist depending on the “mood” of the scene. I put the computer on a chair next to the tub, turn on the jets, put on the music, and write until I’m wrinkly and the water has gone cold, at least twice usually. With a house full of people (me, husband + 4 children), the bath is the only time I get to myself really. Maybe one day, I will have an actual office to write in. But it probably won’t be as comfortable…

Everealm is very medieval. What time period would you like to live in?
I love everything medieval, but I’m not sure I would want to really live there, only because I enjoy indoor plumbing too much. Though, Everealm is a medieval-ish realm with modern speech and tendencies so I could probably manage it. Another reader referred to it as a “parallel world with magic instead of technology”. I couldn’t agree more! I would actually love to have been a teenager during the 50’s and 60’s, here in America. Yes, there were a lot of issues that we had to work out as a country during that time, but I love the music, food, clothes, and cars of the oldie/golden era. Give me a poodle skirt, saddle shoes, ponytail, cheeseburger and shake, and mix it with some Everly Brothers and a man with a leather jacket driving a hot rod… I’m going to faint just thinking about it. :)

Would you rather be a Queen or a Sorceress (and no, you can't be a Sorcerer Queen!)?
No, I couldn’t be a sorceress queen because that is against the rules of the realm, too. I would probably choose to be a sorceress but very good friends with the queen because it definitely has its perks. So I guess that makes me Sidonie. Not sure if I would want the responsibility of being the Elder Mage, though.

Are any of your characters inspired by real people?
Oh, no. *shakes her head* I decided early on to never base any characters off of people I know. I tried that with my first attempt at writing, in high school. But I found that I spent more time trying to make the character likable than doing what I wanted with them. Let’s face it, if you base a character on someone you know, you have to make sure they like that character and then you’re limited on what you can do with them. Nope. I base my characters on a set of personality traits, instead. I do however, tend to use celebrities/actors as inspiration for character appearances. It’s easier to visualize the characters in order to describe them if I can actually see someone who looks similar.

Who are your favourite authors/what are your favourite books/series’?
I read a lot of Nora Roberts. I have a soft spot for her since the first “adult” books I read were hers. I love her trilogies, especially. I also am a big fan of the Little House on the Prairie Series. I re-read that series last year. There are other authors that I tend to read on occasion but I will read a Nora Roberts book within 24 hours of release. Out of loyalty and habit, if nothing else. She writes a lot about Celtic/Irish lore and some supernatural elements. And who doesn’t love a good romance story with a mysterious ghost in it?

Do you have any tips for aspiring authors?
Mostly just to take the leap! I had no idea what I was doing and am still learning as I go, but it has been such a fun and wonderful ride! Some authors spend years on one manuscript before releasing it because they aren’t sure if it’s ready. Let’s face it. It will never be perfect. There is no such thing. Just put it out there and move on to the next one. The more you write, the better you’ll get.

Author Links:

Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook

I highly recommend checking out J.D.'s website. She's put a ton of effort into world building (something that scores lots of points with me!) and there are maps, character histories and quirky facts about the kingdoms. And watch this space for my Aurora review!

Sunday Street Team - Liars And Losers Like Us

Sunday Street Team is the brainchild of the very lovely Nori over at Read Write Love, shining the spotlight on new releases by new authors. For the March edition, I interview Ami Allen-Vath, the writer of contemporary YA novel Liars And Losers Like Us. And I am in love with that title!

TheBook

Keep calm and make it to prom night - without a legit panic attack.

For seventeen-year-old Bree Hughes, it’s easier said than done when gossip, grief, and the opportunity to fail at love are practically high-fiving her in the hallways of Belmont High. When Bree’s crush, Sean Mills, gives her his phone number, she can’t even leave a voicemail without sounding like a freak. Then she’s asked to be on Prom Court because Maisey Morgan, the school outcast nominated as a joke, declined. She apologizes to Maisey, but it’s too late. After years of torment and an ugly secret shared with their class’s cruel Pageant Queen, Maisey commits suicide. Bree is left with a lot of regret…and a revealing letter with a final request.

With Sean by her side, Bree navigates through her guilt, her parents’ divorce, and all the Prom Court drama. But when a cheating-love-triangle secret hits the fan after a night of sex, drinks, and video games, she’s left with new information about Sean and the class Pageant Queen. Bree must now speak up or stay silent. If she lets fear be her guide, she’ll lose her first love, and head to prom to avenge the death of the school outcast - as a party of one.

The Author

Ami Allen-Vath is a writer of contemporary YA, lover of ice cream, and an experienced avoider of birds. She’s lived in 9 of the 50 states and currently resides in NJ with her husband, two children and dog, Yoda. Liars and Losers Like Us is her first novel.

Website ● Blog ● Twitter ● Facebook ● Goodreads

The Interview

1) Was there any particular book or author that inspired you to start writing?
I love Judy Blume. As a middle-grader and teen, loved how engaging and personal her books were. I also was very inspired to start writing after reading her book Tiger Eyes. I wrote about this experience for Pop Goes The Reader last year.

2) How much of your real life and people you know have made it into Liars and Losers Like Us?
It’s all fiction! I swear! Well...this book was inspired by my high school years and I definitely noticed this in the editing process . As far as the anxiety issues and using humor to cope, I’m a lot like Bree. But I also see a little bit of myself in some of the other characters. And although I wish some of those characters (like Maisey) would’ve had outcomes closer to my real life, it wasn’t my personal story to tell.

3) Do you have a "movie cast" in your head when you write about your characters?
Not really while I’m writing but I’ve created a Pinterest board for LALLU. It’s nothing fancy but I have posted pictures of how I imagine the characters look.

4) Do you write from your experiences, from fantasy, or a little of both?
Both!

5) If you could travel back in time, what advice would you give your teenage self?
I would say, “You have made it this far, so you are strong. Channel the energy you use on hating your body and trying to “fix” it, into accepting yourself. You are brave and beautiful. And although it’s not always going to be easy or consistent, happiness and contentment are attainable and worth fighting for.”

6) What three books would you take to a desert island?
Three journals. I’ll keep all the wonderful stories I’ve read in my head, but use the time to write new ones.

7) Who is your favourite character from a book?
Davey Wexler from Judy Blume's Tiger Eyes.

8) What book would you most like to see made into a (good!) movie?
Aside from my own book (haha) I’d love to see The Love That Split The World by Emily Henry as a movie. Smart and witty main character, to die for love story and awesome BFF relationship. The book is damn gorgeous, unique and I demand Hollywood get on this right now.

9) Who would play you in a movie of your life?
Even though we look nothing alike, I’m sure Meryl Streep could find a way. She’s genius.