I'd like to welcome Kristen Brand to Cats Luv Coffee today as she tells us about newly released novel Poison and Honey!
Author Spotlight || Kristen Brand, Author of Poison and Honey
I'd like to welcome Kristen Brand to Cats Luv Coffee today as she tells us about newly released novel Poison and Honey!
Can you start out by telling us a little about your latest work?
Poison and Honey is an urban fantasy novella that came from my love of three things: fairy lore, tough-as-nails heroines, and those crafty, villainous characters who are often more compelling than the “hero.”
The book is set in the enchanting but deadly realm of Otherworld and follows Leigh Morgan, a spy posing as a palace servant who’s working to free the humans who’ve been abducted by the Others. She and her allies are close to launching a massive rescue mission they’ve been planning for months when she accidentally draws the attention of the cunning Prince Dredarion Rath, and keeping her mission a secret becomes a lot more complicated.
What was more important to you when you were writing: character development or plot?
I always get the idea for the characters first and go from there. Sometimes I think I make plots just to give them something to do! But I feel plot and character are intertwined, since the decisions the characters make should affect the course of the plot. That’s definitely the case in Poison and Honey.
Dredarion probably has the more obvious influence on the plot through most of the book. As he works to usurp his brother and claim the throne, he’s manipulating other characters and causing a ripple effect of different events. Leigh’s trying not to make waves and blow her cover for most of the book, but she came to Otherworld to free the human captives, and she’s going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned (about your story, about yourself, etc.) while writing?
When I first started this book, I thought I was writing a paranormal romance. Except Leigh was too focused on rescuing her fellow humans and Dredarion too occupied with his evil plots for their romance to take center stage. And then it became apparent that they weren’t even going to hook up in Book One, much less get their happily ever after yet, so I mentally shifted the genre to “urban fantasy with a strong romantic subplot.”
Do you have a favorite line that you've written? What is it and why do you like it?
It’s so hard to choose just one! I tend to have favorites scenes or exchanges instead of single lines—trimming a quote to be short enough to put on a social media graphic is always a challenge for me. If I had to narrow it down to one, I guess I’d pick the line that has the title drop. I think it sums up the conflict of Leigh and Dredarion’s relationship nicely.
Do you have a WIP? If so, can you tell us anything about it?
I’m putting the final touches on Sting of Thorns, the sequel to Poison and Honey, which has been really fun to write. All of Poison and Honey took place in Otherworld, so it’s a nice change to bring the characters into the human world for a bit. Then there’s all the fallout from the events of Poison and Honey that the characters need to work through. Leigh has always known that she and Dredarion were enemies, but Dredarion doesn’t find out that she’s a spy until later, so it’s been interesting to write him reacting to that—while he’s thrown into a world that’s so much different from his own.
If Kristen Brand could have any superpower, she'd want telekinesis so she wouldn't have to move from her computer to pour a new cup of tea. She spends far too much time on the internet, and when she's not writing, she's usually reading novels or comic books. She lives in Florida, the Sunshine State, and will someday go outside for long enough to actually get some sun.
To find out more about her work and read her free web fiction, visit KristenBrand.com. Icon by @heckosart.
Kristen, thank you so much for being the author spotlight today and taking the time to answer questions about Poison and Honey!
If you are interested in learning more about Kristen Brand's writing, read my review of her novel, Poison and Honey by clicking the graphic below!
