Akshaya Raman on the world building process for The Ivory Key duology.
"Sometimes part of world building is realizing a really cool or fun element might not be working and needs to be removed or modified in some way to serve the story."
Author
Margot Harrison on true crime and her new YA thriller, Only She Came Back
"A lot of people, especially women, say their true crime fixation is a coping mechanism, a way to deal with their own fears of becoming a victim of violence."
Kylie Lee Baker on her dazzlingly dark new YA fantasy novel, The Scarlet Alchemist
"I also really enjoy historical fiction because it lets you imagine history from the perspective of marginalized people, who historically didn’t leave much of a paper trail."
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Susan Lee shares her must watch K-Dramas for fans of The Name Drop
"There is something so incredibly addictive to how K-dramas manage to weave tension into every episode and how the relationships between characters in these shows leave you hungry for more."
Amber Smith on the inspiration behind her new YA novel, The Way I Am Now
"I wanted to show what healing and love and justice can look like through the lens of this relationship, between these two people who each have known their own traumas."
Asha Ashanti Bromfield on her powerful new YA novel, Songs of Irie
"I decided to be my own hero – and it’s helped me create characters with so much more nuance, heart and real guttural strength."
Kathryn Purdie on the timeless beckoning of fairy tales and her new YA fantasy, The Forest Grimm
"Their magic and influence is, and will forever be, limitless."
Susan Lee’s playlist for her new YA rom-com, The Name Drop
Listen to the sound of The Name Drop by Susan Lee
David Arnold on his new YA romance novel, I Loved You in Another Life
"Crying has always been part of my process, I made peace with that long ago."
15 must read YA horror books for Halloween 2023
From haunted houses and slasher movies to vengeful monsters and serial killers, these 15 2023 YA horror releases are must reads if you're looking for creepy reads that cover everything from eerie atmospheres to 'hide under the covers and…
Susan Lee on her New York summer YA rom-com, The Name Drop
This post is sponsored by Harper360.
Exploring privilege, familial expectations, the treatment of women in the workplace, all set to the back drop of a sweltering New York summer, Susan Lee's newest YA novel, The Name Drop, is an adorable,…
Rebecca Barrow on Self Discovery and her new YA novel, And Don’t Look Back
This post was written by Rebecca Barrow, author of And Don't Look Back.
There’s something about being a teenager that feels hallowed. Maybe it’s the way other people talk about it. People in their twenties, thirties, forties, waxing…
Shelby Mahurin on The Scarlet Veil, book one in her new YA vampire duology
Set in the world of her New York Times bestselling Serpent & Dove series, Shelby Mahurin's newest YA fantasy novel, The Scarlet Veil, is a deliciously dark vampire romance that has all the elements of a perfect autumn read. To celebrate…
Chloe Gong talks Foul Heart Huntsman
Since hitting the New York Times bestsellers list with her 2020 debut novel, These Violent Delights, Chloe Gong has stolen the hearts of readers around the globe with her mesmerising and heart stopping Secret Shanghai series. With its…