Ask the Author: MarcyKate Connolly
Answered Questions (22)
MarcyKate Connolly
The infant woke his mother at 4am and refused to go back to sleep. His mother was resigned to being awake all morning, but when she opened the cabinet, she discovered the coffee tin was empty.
MarcyKate Connolly
This is so hard to answer! I'm proud of all of my books, really. If I had to choose one, probably my very first book, MONSTROUS, because after years of trying to get published it was the one that finally was good enough to get there.
MarcyKate Connolly
Hello! While Emmeline and Dar's story is complete, Simone has more adventures ahead in HOLLOW DOLLS and its sequel LOST ISLAND, a companion duology to SHADOW WEAVER. I think you'd like it! :)
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you so much! There is a companion duology that began with HOLLOW DOLLS, and the sequel LOST ISLAND just came out this month. It follows Simone as the main character after the events in COMET RISING. By the way, COMET RISING, the sequel to SHADOW WEAVER, should answer all your questions about Dar and her sister :) Happy reading!
MarcyKate Connolly
Aww, thank you!! I’m so happy to hear that! I’m very lucky I’ve had the chance to write two duologies set in the Shadow Weaver world, but I’m afraid that’s all I have planned. Hopefully you’ll enjoy future novels set in new worlds too!
MarcyKate Connolly
I actually got the idea very late at night during a time I was feeling like I’d never get a good idea again. Two images fell into my brain in quick succession: the first was of a creepy baby just being born, but instead of reaching for her mother as instinct should have instructed, she was reaching for the shadow in the corner of the room. The second was of the same creepy baby in a bassinet with a mobile crafted from shadows hanging over head. The baby had created the mobile and was moving it with her magic. I was so captured by those images that I immediately jotted them down, and then realized another partial idea I’d tucked away about a girl whose shadow has a life of its own would be the perfect thing to combine it with. And thus SHADOW WEAVER was born! 😊
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you so much! The title and cover of the sequel to HOLLOW DOLLS will be revealed in late February, and will be published in Fall 2021.
At present, there are no plans for more books set in this particular fantasy world, but I am working on other stories!
At present, there are no plans for more books set in this particular fantasy world, but I am working on other stories!
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you so much for reading!! It’s a duology, and the second book, HEARTLESS HEIRS will be out in August 2021.
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you so much for reading!!! <3 Yes, there will indeed be a sequel. At present, it's slated to be released in early fall 2021 (so probably August/September). However, given the current pandemic situation, I don't yet have a set date and it's possible that timeline may change.
MarcyKate Connolly
Right now I’m reading CARAVAL which is delightful so far. Then I plan to read an ARC of THIS DARKNESS MINE by Mindy McGinnis, and ILLUMINAE by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. After that, I’m not sure, but I’m on sci-fi kick right now, so most likely lots of awesome YA science fiction :)
MarcyKate Connolly
Great question! Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, definitely. They were the first couple I can recall shipping back in high school and I’ve adored pretty much every iteration I’ve seen or read of them since in books and “sequels” to Pride and Prejudice!
MarcyKate Connolly
Chronologically, the events in Ravenous take place about 3 months after Monstrous ends, BUT the books are companion novels, so they don’t necessarily have to be read in order. Each is its own self-contained story that stands on its own. However, if you read Monstrous first, you’ll catch a few more of the references to it in Ravenous. :)
MarcyKate Connolly
Thanks! I love titling books, though I know it’s torturous for a lot of writers. For RAVENOUS, I knew already that I wanted the story to revolve around Greta, and her name was so close to Gretel that I had to use Hansel and Gretel as the launching point for the plot. Plus, I also knew I wanted the title to end in -ous like MONSTROUS. Really, the plot and the title fell into place pretty much at the same time!
MarcyKate Connolly
Yay! Thank you so much for reading Monstrous! :) I don’t currently have plans to write a comic or graphic novel, but I am absolutely open to something like that in the future if the format was a good fit for the story.
I’m so glad you liked the artwork for Monstrous and Ravenous – Skottie Young is INCREDIBLE and the artwork he created is just gorgeous and perfect. He practically plucked the characters out of my brain and put them onto the page. I’m very lucky that my publisher chose him for the job!
I’m so glad you liked the artwork for Monstrous and Ravenous – Skottie Young is INCREDIBLE and the artwork he created is just gorgeous and perfect. He practically plucked the characters out of my brain and put them onto the page. I’m very lucky that my publisher chose him for the job!
MarcyKate Connolly
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the MONSTROUS series! I’m not currently working on another book in the same world, but some day I’d love to come back to it if there's interest. :)
However, I will have a new book out in early 2018. It’s a creepy middle grade fantasy called SHADOW WEAVER about a girl who can talk to her shadow...and her shadow talks back. It's the beginning of a new duology and you can add it to your TBR list here if you like: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... Hope you'll enjoy it too!
However, I will have a new book out in early 2018. It’s a creepy middle grade fantasy called SHADOW WEAVER about a girl who can talk to her shadow...and her shadow talks back. It's the beginning of a new duology and you can add it to your TBR list here if you like: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3.... Hope you'll enjoy it too!
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you! Delighted to hear that! :) Monstrous and Ravenous are companion novels and you can read them independently, but Monstrous comes first chronologically and tells the story of Kymera. In a very tiny nutshell, Monstrous is Frankenstein meets the Brothers Grimm from the viewpoint of the monster as a young girl.
MarcyKate Connolly
As a matter of fact, I am working on a new book! It's a creepy middle grade fantasy called SHADOW WEAVER about a girl who can talk to her shadow...and her shadow talks back. It's part of a new duology that will be out in Winter 2018 and you can add it to your TBR list here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
MarcyKate Connolly
I recently did a guest post on Live, Love, Read about this very topic!
https://livelovereadya.wordpress.com/...
https://livelovereadya.wordpress.com/...
MarcyKate Connolly
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed Monstrous! Let me share what motivated me to read when I was middle school. I was not one of the cool kids. I was bullied and even though I had a small close knit group of friends, it made school not particularly fun. This continued throughout high school. But books were my lifeline. Reading is the magical ability to step into another world anytime you want. When things were difficult, it was a way for me to escape real life for a bit and experience something wondrous instead. I know lots of people struggle to read and can get frustrated, but I promise it’s worth the reward!
MarcyKate Connolly
Thank you so much for your kind words about Monstrous! I get inspiration from lots of places, though only rarely from ones I expect. A snippet of poetry, a piece of music, or simply letting my mind wander in the shower all have led to great ideas. For Monstrous, inspiration struck while I was stuck in gridlock traffic on the highway during rush hour. The first line of the book (“I will never forget my first breath. Gasping, heaving, delicious.”) popped into my head and I had to know who would say that and what would make them remember their first breath. The whole first page came together right there in the car as I jotted it down on my iPhone. (I promise I was literally parked on the highway – I do not recommend using one’s phone while driving!). And oddly enough, the first page has not changed since, which is definitely a rare thing for me!
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