She's a deadly poisoner. He's a bastard prince. Together, they form a tenuous pact to unite the commoners and former nobility against the Shadow Society. But can a rebellion built on mistrust ever hope to succeed?

Can you briefly describe An Affair of Poisons and their main characters?

An Affair of Poisons is a YA historical fantasy set in late 17th century Paris that imagines what could have happened if La Voisin, one of the most notorious witches and poisoners of the time, had succeeded in her attempt to assassinate King Louis XIV. In real life, her plot was foiled and she and her accomplices were burnt at the stake. But in my version of history, things play out quite a bit differently. The story is told from two perspectives. The first is Mirabelle: La Voisin’s daughter, who is responsible for creating poisons for the Shadow Society. And the other narrator is Josse: the bastard son of the king who must go into hiding with his royal siblings after their father is killed. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

Ahh this is such an impossible question! It’s like asking me to pick a favorite child—I love them all. But if I have to choose, I suppose I’d say Josse. He was just so easy to write. I always knew exactly what he would do or say; it was like he was sitting in my brain dictating to me. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere? 

This sounds totally creepy, but I have always loved poison. Something about smoky laboratories and bubbling cauldrons and dangerous, colorful bottles really calls to me. So when I began writing novels of my own, I knew I wanted to write a poison book. I just wasn’t sure who or what it would be about. One day, while doing research for a different project, I happened to read about the sorceress La Voisin and the scandalous event known as L'affaire des poisons (here’s a quick run-down: members of the French nobility began hiring witches and poisoners to get rid of their bothersome husbands and rivals at court. It turned into a huge scandal that reached clear to the king’s inner circle.) I immediately felt that spark; I had found my poisoner at last.

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

I don’t really have a song for the book as a whole, but each of my main characters has a “theme song” that I’d listen to on loop to get in the right headspace. Josse’s song is Vindicated by Dashboard Confessionals (soooo much angst haha) and Mira’s song is Foreigner by Ledger. It perfectly encompasses her fish out of water status within La Voisin’s Shadow Society.

If your book was about to become a movie/TV show, who would you see playing as the characters in An Affair of Poisons? 

Ohhh this is so fun to think about!! I think Noah Centineo would be a perfect Josse (I may have a slight crush lol) And I’d really like Kiernan Shipka as Mirabelle. Kate Beckinsale would be AMAZING as La Voisin, and I think Willem Dafoe would make a great Lesage. Tom Felton is the only person who could play Louis. 

Since it is still cold outside, what hot drink do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date? 

Definitely a spicy hot chocolate! Something decadent and rich but with a major kick. 

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish An Affair of Poisons?

Can I ever!! I’m currently obsessed with Spectacle by Jodie Lynn Zdrok and Enchantèe by Gita Trelease. It’s SUCH a great year for historical fantasies set in Paris!! I also have to mention The Oracle Glass by Judith Merkle Riley. It’s another novel based on L'affaire des poisons and it’s absolutely magical! Plus it features many of the same characters as An Affair of Poisons, so if you’re having withdrawals, it’s the perfect antidote! 

What’s next for you?

I have a YA fantasy duology starting in Spring 2020, and I’m SOOO excited about it! It’s called NIGHT SPINNER and it’s a gender-swapped reimagining of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. It’s set in a world inspired by the Arctic Tundra and it features girls with swords and volatile night magic. You can learn more and add it on Goodreads here: Night Spinner.

Synopsis:

Tea's heartsglass only grows darker with each new betrayal. Her work with the monstrous azi, her thirst for retribution, her desire to unmask the Faceless—they all feed the darkrot that is gradually consuming her heartsglass. She is haunted by blackouts and strange visions, and when she wakes with blood on her hands, Tea must answer to a power greater than the elder asha or even her conscience. Tea's life—and the fate of the kingdoms—hangs in the balance.

Can you briefly describe the world in The Bone Witch series and their main characters and what’s happening in The Shadowglass?

The Bone Witch is about Tea Pahlavi, who learns she is a rare Dark asha when she accidentally raises her brother from the dead. Sent to be trained in the world of necromancy by asha, women who can also channel similar abilities, Tea discovers that Dark asha are feared (and called “bone witches” as a kind of slur) because they can also control and put down daeva – constantly resurrecting monsters that roam the land. Dark asha’s lifespans are shortened because of this, and that Dark asha are susceptible to darkrot, which can drive one mad with power. She is desperate to find a way to save her and her mentor’s life. At the same time she must contend with Faceless – a group of men and women who can also channel the Dark, and wishes to attain immortality and full control of all the daeva by creating shadowglass. Eventually, Tea sees most of society turning against her, including Fox (who fears the darkrot has taken hold of her), as she decides nothing will stop her from finding the eponymous Shadowglass – even if it means sacrificing almost everything else.

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

I’m always going to be partial to Zoya I think, because so much of her personality is from my own. Likh is an easy second – it was difficult to define her as a trans woman in a world where the definitions of it do not exist yet, but I’d like to think I did well to honor her story. She was so easy to write and I love her status among readers as the world’s most beloved cinnamon roll! 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

The Bone Witch came at a difficult, sleep-deprived time in my life. I just had my first son, which was an emotional time. I had a brother I never knew, who died before I was born, and I started wondering about what our relationship would have been like had he lived. It’s how Fox first came to be, who’s sort of an idealized version of the brother I would have liked to have.

What’s your favourite quote from this third book?

It’s actually a huge spoiler, so this is the next best thing: this is a song Tea sings... when she’s blindingly drunk and pretty much making a fool of herself in a tavern:

Kiss me with your generous mouth,

That source of endless wine.

Kiss me close when season’s drouth,

Your lips a taste of mine.

Through storm-led skies and sun-dried fires,

Our love ’twas meant to be.

When roses fade on funeral pyres

I’ll carry your heart with me.

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Like Real People Do, by Hozier. I think the lyrics are especially foreshadow-y for The Shadowglass:

I think it would probably be the Heartforger, mainly because I was nearly driven out of my mind writing it. It’s got a fairly complex plot and I was juggling that with character development/romance, backstories, atmosphere, and side plots, and I wasn’t sure I could fit that all in in 120k words or less.

That said though, I’m gonna say that the Shadowglass is probably the best ending I’ve ever written so far. I’m a bit proud of it. I don’t know if people will consider it a happy ending per se, but it was a very satisfying ending to write.

Since she’s been living in exile on her own at the start of the series, she’s learned to let go of a lot of things. But-

1. Kalen, obviously

2. also Fox, obviously

3. a potion created specifically for her at the apothecary, that gives her feelings of confidence. 

hot buttered rum, because that’s how we roll (Use spiced apple cider and not water please, though. We’re not animals.)

I want to sing the praises of this wonderfully beautiful book called GIDEON THE NINTH, by Tasmyn Nuir. This has every aesthetic I want in a book (sarcastic fighting lesbian necromancers? Hell yes) and the prose is so beautiful, I just want to drink it up! And Beth Revis’ GIVE THE DARK MY LOVE is an astoundingly beautiful book considering it is also about necromancy!

I have THE NEVER TILTING WORLD coming out from HarperTeen on October 15 of this year! It’s about twin goddesses trapped in a world permanently divided between night and day, trying to solve the reasons for the cataclysm that stopped their world from moving, before shadows and monsters can consume everything they hold dear.

I also have WICKED AS YOU WISH out in 2020, which is the first book in my A HUNDRED NAMES FOR MAGIC series. Here, fairytales are a part of history, and a young Filipina descended from the heroine Maria Makiling must aid a young prince in taking back his frozen kingdom of Avalon from the Snow Queen, when Avalon’s most powerful weapon, a firebird, arrives at her doorstep.

Can you briefly describe the world in TO BEST THE BOYS and their main characters?

Of course! To Best The Boys is set in a Victorian-esque world, where ghouls and sirens are real, and things like women achieving higher education and financial independence are not (at least not yet ;)). The main character, Rhen, desperately wants to be a scientist, while her cousin, Seleni, wants a life of marriage and babies. When the two decide Rhen’s only chance for earning the future she wants is to enter a mysterious scholarship competition to an all-male university, they find themselves in a labyrinth that may or may not be as dangerous as some of their competitors. 

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

I have two - Rhen and Seleni. They’re humorous, strong, and different sides of the same coin. While each is worlds apart in their goals, interests, and views on love, they’re both passionate about a person’s right to choose their own path. That, for me, is very much what the story is about. Everyone’s right to belong to themselves and a future of their own making.

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

I wrote To Best The Boys last year when my sister was pursuing a degree (in the very male dominated STEM field) and one of my daughters was in her first year of college. The story reflects aspects of their experiences as well as my own and many others. My inspiration was the incredible strength I see in women (now and historically) pursuing their dreams – but also my frustration with the level of sexism that (unbelievably) still exists. I think the book is my way of saying to my daughters – and really to every teen – “You are worth breaking expectations for. So do it. We’ll be there for you.”

What’s your favourite quote from the book?

"You take this world and make it what it should be. And don't let the beliefs of a backward system define you. You are the one who has to live with the future. So you live it."

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

Paper Doll by Bea Miller. I wrote much of To Best The Boys with her songs in the background.

Oh funny - I don’t think I’ve considered this question until this moment! Honestly, I think my ideal would simply be actors who value honoring others in their real lives. That level of authenticity bleeds through a performance like nothing else.

Absolutely. I recently loved Emiko Jean’s Empress of All Seasons! I also think readers would enjoy fantasies by Sabaa Tahir, Danielle Paige, Marie Lu, Mary Pearson, and Kristen Ciccarelli.

Interview with Mary Weber, Spider Squealer. Mermaid Believer. HarperCollins Author. Lover of old souls. 

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