Haunted Blog Tour: Interview with author Joy Preble

I am so excited to have author Joy Preble on Mundie Moms today to talk about her sequel, Haunted! You can read my review for Haunted here. Joy is one of the sweetest people I've had the chance of getting to know. If you ever come out to TX, I highly recommend attending one of the many book/author events that Joy goes to. She is a lovely person to meet.

Which of your characters has surprised you in terms of how they've changed since book 1 and in what ways did they surprise you?

No one has ever asked me that question! I think there are two. Tess has definitely evolved from how I had first envisioned her, which was as the quippy/comic relief girl to rock solid, loyal young woman. Readers usually have the same soft spot for Tess as I do. Another is Baba Yaga. As the books continued, her backstory unfolded more to me. I've always known more than the reader, held some back, but in both HAUNTED as well as the forthcoming ANASTASIA FOREVER, there's definitely more to her and her motivations.

Do you find writing a sequel is easier or more challenging than a first book in a series?

Both. It's easier in that I know the characters and I've set up the world and I know the character and series arcs. But it's challenging to keep making sure that there is a continued continuity, and that ultimately, every plot event, every small item, has a large overarching purpose. Luckily, although I've had different editors during the series, my production team has stayed the same. So my copy editor knows if I'm staying true to what I'd begun!

What aspect of your series lore have you enjoyed creating the most?

Well, Ethan in general and everything magic about him, is always fun to write. But I think developing Baba Yaga and Lily the rusalka (the malevolent and tragic Russian mermaid) have been the most fun. Tragic and evil characters are just fun to write. Especially once you know why they have become what they've become.

Is there a book from your childhood that inspired you as a reader? If so, what book is?

There are many, but one of my main early influences was A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle, which did set my love for both strong female characters and fantasy plots.

If you could co-write a book, who would you want to cowrite with and what genre would your book be?

Great question! I would love to co-write a book with Libba Bray. She is an amazing genius and hysterically funny and I've been honored that my DREAMING ANASTASIA series has been compared at times to her GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY series. Plus she wrote Going Bovine, which is actually my husband's favorite book! We would do historical romantic fantasy set in the Wild West. So if someone could tell Libba...

Is there a YA book you've recently read that you wish you had as a teen?

I think almost anything by Sarah Dessen, and definitely her The Truth About Forever. Her female characters evolve in ways that would have been important to me as a teen. They get over their fears and insecurities, learn to see the world differently, realize how special they are. That would have been very important to me! I was so ridiculously shy and really took years to believe in myself and what I could do.

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Thank you Joy for stopping by today!

You can follow Joy on her: Blog | Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook

You can purchase Haunted from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

You can follow the entire Haunted Blog Tour here. Don't miss Girls in the Stacks review on Haunted tomorrow.