Interview with Swati Teerdhala for The Archer at Dawn

The Archer at Dawn (The Tiger at Midnight Trilogy #2)

by Swati Teerdhala

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: May 26th 2020

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, India, Cultural, Mythology

Synopsis:

The Sun Mela is many things: a call for peace, a cause for celebration, and, above all, a deadly competition. For Kunal and Esha, finally working together as rebel spies, it provides the perfect guise to infiltrate King Vardaan’s vicious court.

Kunal will return to his role as dedicated Senap soldier, at the Sun Mela to provide extra security for the palace during the peace summit for the divided nations of Jansa and Dharka. Meanwhile, Esha will use her new role as adviser to Prince Harun to keep a pulse on shifting political parties and seek out allies for their rebel cause. A radical plan is underfoot to rescue Jansa’s long-lost Princess Reha—the key to the stolen throne.

But amid the Mela games and glittering festivities, much more dangerous forces lie in wait. With the rebel Blades’ entry into Vardaan’s court, a match has been lit, and long-held secrets will force Kunal and Esha to reconsider their loyalties—to their country and to each other. Getting into the palace was the easy task; coming out together will be a battle for their lives.

Can you briefly describe THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT TRILOGY, its characters and what’s happening in THE ARCHER AT DAWN?

Sure! THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy that follows the story of Kunal, a dutiful soldier, and Esha, a legendary rebel spy named the Viper. When their paths cross one night and Esha is accused of the murder of Kunal’s General, a dangerous cat and mouse game starts between them, one which throws everything they’ve known into question. In THE ARCHER AT DAWN, without giving away any spoilers, things have come to a head. Kunal and Esha go to Jansa with the mission of rescuing the Lost Princess just as the Sun Mela, an ancient celebratory tournament, begins. Problems ensue! 

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

This is a tough one! I love both of my main characters, Kunal and Esha, equally. They’re two halves of a whole. But I have to say in THE ARCHER AT DAWN, my favorite character is Alok, who you get to meet early on in THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT. He has a bigger, more fun role in this book.

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

I first got the idea for The Tiger at Midnight when I was traveling and visiting an old Fort. It was the first spark of an idea of what would become The Tiger at Midnight and the first time I heard the voice of Kunal, one of the two main characters. I looked out from one of the old window openings and wondered what would be the most odd or startling thing a soldier of old might have seen. A girl. And that’s the opening page of THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT. 

If you could choose one song to describe each book in THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT TRILOGY, which one would it be?

Great question!

THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT: Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine

THE ARCHER AT DAWN: Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers

Book 3…you’ll have to wait for that. :)

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

This one’s hard because I’ve never had a 100% fancast of my characters! I recently fell in love with the idea of Geraldine Vishwanathan as Esha and Avan Jogia as Harun. Kunal is a hard one to cast though! I don’t have the perfect fancast for him. But in a dream world I’d love to see a young Hritik Roshan.

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

A hot cup of masala chai in a sunroom or out on the porch.

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

Absolutely. I had the pleasure of reading A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN by Roseanne A. Brown early and it’s the perfect blend of conflicted romance and thrilling fantasy that I think fans of THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT series would love. Additionally, THE WINNER'S CURSE is a classic YA fantasy trilogy that also blends romance and fantasy together perfectly.

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

I’d say more often than not the hardest part is keeping up your motivation and momentum. The way I do that is by making sure I have a really firm grasp on the story I want to tell and why it’s important for me to tell. That can keep me going even when it feels like nothing else is working. 

What’s next for you? 

I’m currently finishing up edits on Book 3 of THE TIGER AT MIDNIGHT TRILOGY and working on something new!

Swati Teerdhala is the author of The Tiger at Midnight series, which has appeared on both Barnes and Noble and Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Novels lists. 

After graduating from the University of Virginia with a BS in finance and BA in history, she tumbled into the marketing side of the technology industry. She’s passionate about many things, including how the right ratio of curd-to-crust in a lemon tart. She currently lives in New York City.

Swati is represented by Kristin Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency.

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Interview with Elizabeth Lim for Spin the Dawn

Spin the Dawn (The Blood of Stars #1)

by Elizabeth Lim
Publisher: Knopf
Release Date: July 9th 2019

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Project Runway meets Mulan in this sweeping YA fantasy about a young girl who poses as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor and embarks on an impossible journey to sew three magic dresses, from the sun, the moon, and the stars.

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she'll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There's just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia's task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise.

And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor's reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.

Steeped in Chinese culture, sizzling with forbidden romance, and shimmering with magic, this young adult fantasy is pitch-perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas or Renée Ahdieh.

Can you briefly describe SPIN THE DAWN and their main characters? 

To provide for her family, a young seamstress disguises herself as a boy to compete for the role of imperial tailor. Her task to sew the legendary dresses of the sun, moon, and stars lead her on an adventure of danger and romance along a reimagined Silk Road. 

Maia Tamarin is a talented seamstress who yearns to become an imperial tailor for the emperor, but doesn’t even get a chance to have her work considered because she’s a girl. She’s a go-getter, absolutely loyal to her family, and a realist despite her incredible talent. One reader described her as a “cinnamon roll slytherin,” which I absolutely love. 

Lady Sarnai is the daughter of an enemy warlord and is betrothed to Emperor Khanujin. She’s a fierce warrior who despises having to play princess at court. Don’t mess with her. 

Emperor Khanujin is the ruler of A’landi. Not much can be said about him without too many spoilers!  

Edan is the emperor’s lord enchanter. He gets bored easily and enjoys playing pranks on the emperor’s ministers. 

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

I think I’m the most like Maia, the main character, but Lady Sarnai’s actually my favorite character. She’s so fierce and so…Slytherin—she’s ambitious like Maia but has similar struggles: she wants to be recognized for her battle prowess, but people look down on her because she’s a girl. I love how similar she and Maia are and yet how different. She’s really fun to write, and I hope readers will love her prickliness. 

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

I was inspired by the fairytales my father used to tell me as a child. SPIN THE DAWN draws influence from three in particular: the Chinese legend, The Cowherd and the Weaver, the French fairytale, Donkeyskin, and the Norwegian story, East of the Sun. I decided to write about a tailor in particular because of my grandmother, who spent many years working as a seamstress when she first moved to the United States. 

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

Girl on Fire by Alicia Keys. 

Summer is here and we love to go out and enjoy the sun. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

A pot of freshly brewed oolong tea sipped in a garden (the Brooklyn Botanical Garden’s Japanese Hill-and-Pond Garden and Staten Island’s Chinese Scholar’s Garden are two of my local faves). 

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

Yes! I’d recommend The Reader by Traci Chee, Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan, Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer, and Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie Dao.

What’s next for you? 

I’m working on the sequel to Spin the Dawn!

Elizabeth Lim grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, "Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that's kinda cool!" But after one of her teachers told her she had "too much voice" in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel -- for kicks, at first, then things became serious -- and she hasn't looked back since. 

Elizabeth loves classic film scores, books with a good romance, food (she currently has a soft spot for arepas and Ethiopian food), the color turquoise, overcast skies, English muffins, cycling, and baking. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Kiss Kill Love Him Still by Jamie Blair & Dawn Rae Miller

Kiss Kill Love Him Still
by Jamie Blair & Dawn Rae Miller
Release Date: November 10th 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis:

Jackson Landis kept secrets. It's how he got girls into bed, the grades he wanted, and a reputation for being the life of the party.

But now he's dead, and no one knows how or why. Especially not the four girls whose secrets he protected. Secrets so scandalous they could cause each girl to lose something valuable. Secrets so dark, someone may have killed for them.

The four girls - a campus drug dealer, an overweight bookworm, a closeted lesbian, and a spoiled princess have one thing in common – they’re terrified the things Jackson knew may not have died with him. As Reggie, Haddie, Val, and Livie try to piece together her own role in Jackson’s death, each girl realizes Jackson had some not-so-pretty skeletons of his own.

Which makes a girl wonder, who really wanted Jackson Landis dead?

Height: 5’1”

Weight: 105 lbs

Hair: Shoulder length, blond and wavy.

Eyes: Hazel

Demeanor: Agitated. Hysterical. Manipulative

Motivation for killing Jackson Landis: His chronic cheating, which she claims to have no knowledge of.

Livie: Are we done, Officer Ruiz? I have a full afternoon of shopping ahead of me.

Ruiz: “You’ve only been here for a half an hour. Shopping can wait.”

Livie: I had nothing to do with Jax’s death. Why would I? He was my boyfriend. He gave me everything I wanted.”

Ruiz: He wasn’t exactly faithful.

Livie: And you can prove that how? Have other girls told you that? Wouldn’t that make them suspects too? Why are you only torturing me?

Ruiz: I can’t discuss that with you, and we are not torturing you. We’re questioning you.

(Long pause)

Livie: Arrest me or let me go. I know my rights, and I have nothing left to say to you without my attorney.

Ruiz: Very well, you may go, but I’m sure we’ll be speaking again soon.

Livie: Whatever.

Follow the Kiss Kill Love Him Still by Jamie Blair & Dawn Rae Miller Scavenger Hunt Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Young adult author of the Kirkus-starred novel Leap Of Faith (Simon & Schuster 2013), and Lost To Me (2014), featured in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling anthology, Dirty Boys of Summer. Represented by Rebecca Friedman of RF Literary.

Dawn is a Twitter and fashion addict whose favorite things in life are her family, gorgeous dresses, tea leaf salad, and French macarons. She splits her time between San Francisco and Northern Virginia, and is always up for a trip to Paris.

During release week the book will be on sale for $.99. On top of this sale Dawn and Jamie will also be giving away 2x3 book buttons to the first 100 people who buy the book!

Do you want some Kiss Kill Love Him Still button? Just click here to submit your entry.

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