Interview with Kathryn Purdie for Bone Crier's Moon
Bone Crier’s Moon (Bone Grace #1)
by Kathryn PurdiePublisher: HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen
Release Date: March 10th 2020
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Bone Criers have a sacred duty. They alone can keep the dead from preying on the living. But their power to ferry the spirits of the dead into goddess Elara’s Night Heavens or Tyrus’s Underworld comes from sacrifice. The gods demand a promise of dedication. And that promise comes at the cost of the Bone Criers’ one true love.
Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become the matriarch of the Bone Criers, a mysterious famille of women who use strengths drawn from animal bones to ferry dead souls. But first she must complete her rite of passage and kill the boy she’s also destined to love.
Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Yet when he finally captures one, his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun and now their fates are entwined—in life and in death.
Sabine has never had the stomach for the Bone Criers’ work. But when her best friend Ailesse is taken captive, Sabine will do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means defying their traditions—and their matriarch—to break the bond between Ailesse and Bastien. Before they all die.
Can you briefly describe BONE CRIER’S MOON and its characters?
BONE CRIER’S MOON is a story about two best friends, Ailesse and Sabine, who are novice Bone Criers, members of a matriarchal society who use the magic obtained from animal bones to ferry the dead into the afterlife. Ailesse was born to be the next matriarch, and she’s ready to complete her rite of passage to finally become a Ferrier, but in order to do that she has to prove herself to the gods by killing the boy destined to be her one true love. That boy happens to be Bastien, whose father was killed by a Bone Crier eight years ago. Bastien has been on a quest of revenge ever since, but his vengeance will have to wait. Ailesse’s ritual has begun, and now their fates are entwined in life and death. Sabine’s journey is to help save her best friend from the deadly effects of the soul-bonding ritual and uncover the dark mysteries of the current matriarch, Ailesse’s mother.
Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?
Sabine is my favorite character because she represents the moral heart of the story. She’s the person who questions the cost of being a Bone Crier and who abhors killing for any reason. At the beginning of the story, Sabine isn’t sure if she wants to become a Ferrier, and over the course of the book, she has to turn into someone very strong and brave in order to have a fighting chance to save her best friend.
How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?
While doing research for another book, I came across “Les Dames Blanches” (women in white) in French folklore. In the stories, if a man comes across a woman in white on a bridge at night, she’ll ask him to dance, and if he dances with her, she’ll let him cross the bridge, but if he doesn’t, she’ll kill him. That lit my writer brain on fire! I wanted to know why these women really killed men (there had to be more to it than being denied a dance), and so I created my own story and mythology around “Les Dames Blanches” to answer that question.
If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?
“Heavy in Your Arms” by Florence + the Machine. I played this song on repeat for several of Ailesse’s scenes. This song is perfect for her because she’s feisty and determined to kill her chosen soulmate at any cost in order to become a Ferrier, but what she doesn’t bargain for is falling in love with him--someone who hates her as much as she hates him...at least at first. I especially love these lyrics from the song: This will be my last confession / "I love you" never felt like any blessing / Whispering like it's a secret / Only to condemn the one who hears it / With a heavy heart.
What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?
Hot cider in a thermos while exploring the catacombs below Paris! I based the catacombs in my story off of those ones. They are haunting and mysterious and fascinating, and I would love to explore them myself one day!
Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish BONE CRIER’S MOON?
If you haven’t read Robin LaFevers’s books set in the world of HIS FAIR ASSASSINS, definitely pick those up, starting with GRAVE MERCY. Assassin nuns! Need I say more? I’d also recommend BLOOD COUNTESS by Lana Popović, a YA novel about the real-life inspiration for Countess Dracula in 17th century Hungary. I love classic horror and historical fiction. This is the perfect mix!
What would you say is the most difficult part of writing a book?
Anyone can conceive a great book idea. The harder part is somehow making that idea become that beautiful story you first envisioned it to be. For me, that requires extensive research, detailed plotting, and strict discipline in putting in the hours necessary to draft and revise and rewrite and polish until I’ve finally told the story I meant to tell.
What’s next for you?
I just finished my most intensive round of revisions for the sequel to BONE CRIER’S MOON, and I can’t wait to share the title and stunning cover with all of you soon. I’m working with my agent on something new to sell, and I have lots of young adult and middle grade books ideas in the works. We’ll see what sticks!
Kathryn is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the BURNING GLASS series. Her love of storytelling began as a young girl when her dad told her about someone named Boo Radley while they listened to the film score of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Kathryn is a trained classical actress who studied at the Oxford School of Drama. She also writes songs on her guitar for each of her stories and shares them on her website. Kathryn lives in the Rocky Mountains with her husband and three children.
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