FRIENDS!!! Welcome to my author interview stop on Turn the Page Tours’ blog and bookstagram (check out my bookstagram post for this tour as well – I’ll link it at the end) tour for Warriors of Wing and Flame by Sara B. Larson, the sequel and conclusion to Sisters of Shadow and Light!
Buy Warriors of Wing and Flame on Macmillan’s website, Amazon, Indigo (Canada), and Barnes&Noble, or add it on Goodreads.
You’ll find tons more info about this book below, but first, let’s jump into the interview!
- Q: Hi Sara! Thank you so much for doing this interview – I’m so excited to have you on Between the Lines. Warriors of Wing and Flame has just been released (at the time of posting), but this is your seventh published novel. Have you always known that you wanted to be an author?
- A: Thank you so much for having me! Yes, actually, I have honestly always wanted to be an author. I wrote “books” when I was in 2nd and 3rd grade that were a pretty decent length for an 8-9 year old…and also some pretty heavy topics, like a girl whose sister is born premature and then dies in the end. (I was a strange child, I guess.) I continued to write throughout my life, and dreamt of being published as soon as I figured out that’s how stories you write in Little Mermaid notebooks got turned into books.
- Q: So far, you’ve published a three book series and two duologies, one of which Warriors of Wing and Flame is the conclusion for. What does your drafting process look like, when you’re starting a series or a duology like Sisters of Shadow and Light?
- A: When I start drafting, I have a document where I write down all my notes—names, descriptions of characters and places, meanings of words, any plot points I think up and need to remember. It’s just a big dumping place for all of my ideas and pre-writing. I’ll often write out a loose synopsis – just flow of thought more than actual chapter outlines, with all the major plot points. Then I start writing – and add to my notes document and synopsis as I go!
- Q: Where did you find the inspiration for the Sisters duology?
- A: I am the oldest of five girls, and we were and are so close. I’ve wanted to write a book that highlighted the bond that can exist between sisters for a while. When I saw a picture of a girl with glowing blue eyes it sparked the idea for Inara’s character—and then I saw a picture of a similar looking girl with normal hazel eyes—and bam! I had the thought, what if there were two sisters but one had powers that made her eyes glow and the other didn’t? From there the idea grew and became SOSAL and WOWAF!
- Q: Do you find that the writing process is different when it comes to writing a duology versus a series or a standalone?
- A: The process is definitely different for each book and series. Some of them come out easier than others, that’s for sure. The differences between a stand-alone and a series is a whole other beast! With a stand-alone, you only have to worry about the plot arc of that book. With a duology or a trilogy, you have to plan out the arc for each individual book AND the series as a whole. Each book, though deeply connected, must also have an arc and be exciting enough to keep your readers engaged and wanting more.
- Q: Do you have a favourite stage of novel-writing? (first draft, editing, final changes, etc.)
- A: It used to be drafting—I would fall head over heels in love with an idea and it would fly out of my mind onto the page. But the longer I’ve been published, the harder drafting has become. My internal editor struggles to let go and just let words come out that aren’t perfect. So now I love revision the best. When I’ve finally managed to get the book out and can go back and polish it into what it’s supposed to be.
- Q: Your books often feature strong young women as protagonists. What advice do you have for young women that are hoping to break into the publishing industry?
- A: To be fierce in following your dreams, just like the protagonists in my stories. They’re all different and have different ways of showing strength, but they all refused to give up, even when things seemed hopeless—and that applies to anyone trying to break into publishing. Don’t give up, keeping working to get better, and you’ll make it. Even if it takes far longer than you might hope, it will happen.
- Q: I’d love to talk about the cover for Warriors of Wing and Flame – it’s absolutely gorgeous. Do you get to have any input when it comes to the cover design for your books, or do you only get to see the finished product?
- A: I love it so much! Thank you! I honestly have very little input. With both covers I was given a few options to look at and share my opinion as far as small details go—colors and some minor artistic details. But ultimately it was up to my publisher and I love them both!
- Q: Finally, is there anything specific that you’re hoping to have your readers take away from the Sisters duology?
- A: I hope that my readers will learn that their greatest power lie within them. And that no matter what comes at you in your life, you are strong enough to make it through. You might have to deal with pain, with anxiety, with a myriad of trials along the way….but you can do it—whatever it may be.
Synopsis of Warriors of Wing and Flame (taken from Goodreads):
The doorway between the magical Visempirum and the human world has been reopened. Paladin are once more living in the citadel where Zuhra and Inara grew up completely isolated by the magical hedge that trapped them there. Amidst the brewing conflict between the Paladin and humans looms the threat of Barloc, who has stolen Inara’s immense power and continues to elude the Paladin who are desperately searching for him.
In this sequel to Sisters of Shadow and Light, Inara and Zuhra must navigate the treacherous paths of self-discovery, their love for each other, and for the boys who have captured their hearts. Together, they search for the strength within themselves to bridge the divide between the two worlds they inhabit, even as war threatens to destroy everything—and everyone—they love.
If you haven’t read Sisters of Shadow and Light, the first book in this duology, read the synopsis here.
If you HAVE read Sisters of Shadow, you live in the U.S., and you’re just WAITING to get your hands on a copy of Warriors of Wing and Flame, go enter Turn the Page Tours’ giveaway, where you could win one of 5 (FIVE!) copies of the book! Giveaway ends NOVEMBER 25th!
Thank you so much to Tor Teen, Turn the Page Tours, and Sara B. Larson for making this tour (and this interview) possible, and thank you to Tor Teen for my gifted copies of the Sisters duology!
Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of the YA fantasyDEFY trilogy (DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE) and the DARK BREAKS THE DAWN duology. Her next YA fantasy, WARRIORS OF WING AND FLAME (sequel and conclusion to SISTERS OF SHADOW AND LIGHT), came out November 5th from Tor Teen. Sara can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books—although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in “the art of multitasking.” When she’s not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction.
You can connect with Sara on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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