TBF Author Interview with Claire Legrand

Hello TBF readers!

TBF is 11 days away! Are you excited?! I chatted with Claire Legrand, author of  WINTERSPELL, FOXHEART, SOME KIND OF HAPPINESS, and FURYBORN. Take a look:

Miranda Reads: Your latest novel FURYBORN will be released in May. What is it about?

Claire Legrand: The official pitch: FURYBORN is about a centuries-long war between angels and humans, and the two young women--Rielle and Eliana--who must fight at the heart of this war. The choices they make, and the surprising connections between them, will ultimately determine the fate of their world, and of each other. The unofficial pitch: This is AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER meets HIS DARK MATERIALS meets GAME OF THRONES (without the gratuitous violence against women). It's the story of two passionate, flawed, ferocious girls who make a lot of mistakes on the road to discovering who they really are and how best to use their tremendous power.

Miranda Reads: I understand that it took you 14 years to write FURYBORN and its sequels. That is some serious dedication! What was it about FURYBORN made you keep writing? What advice do you have for inspiring writers who are stuck on a WIP? 

Claire Legrand: Books 2 and 3 aren't written yet! I'm working on Book 2 right now, in fact. But I have indeed been planning this trilogy since I was 18 years old, and the thing that's kept me writing is my all-consuming love for Rielle and Eliana. I've lived with them for almost half my life; they are my heart and soul. To writers who are stuck on a WIP, my advice is this: Sometimes it's best to set aside a project that's giving you trouble, and work on another project instead. Or maybe, instead of working on another project, you could take some time to refill your creative well and gorge yourself on stories. Over the years, I've stepped away from this trilogy a few times to work on other books and improve my writing, and each break has made me a better writer--and better able to tackle this beast of a story.

Miranda Reads: What was your favorite novel as a teen? 

Claire Legrand: I didn't read a lot as a teen; I was so busy with school and extra-curricular activities that the bulk of my reading was assigned. But I of course loved the Harry Potter series, and when I was in middle school, my favorite book was A WRINKLE IN TIME.

Miranda Reads: Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what kind of music do you listen to? 

Claire Legrand: Music is an integral part of my creative process; I make playlists for each of my books, and I usually listen to music while I write. My favorite musical genre is film scores. Right now, I'm obsessed with the scores for the TV series THE CROWN, composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams and Lorne Balfe.

Miranda Reads: Which TBF Author are you most excited to meet? 

Claire Legrand: I adore Rachel Hartman's SERAPHINA duology and can't wait for her latest, TESS OF THE ROAD. I can't wait to meet her and tell her how much I admire her writing!

Thank you so much, Claire! We can't wait to meet you next week! (OMG, we can actually say that now!)

You can purchase Claire's books at Barnes and Noble or Amazon (Be sure to use Amazon Smile and make the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival your charitable organization) or check out her books at your local library!

That's it for today! Be sure to check out the blog again for more author interviews, book reviews, and fun posts!

Miranda