Mundie Moms

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Catching up with Cassie: Wicked Powers/Dark Artifices and The Shadowhunter Academy

Simon's a Good Guy by rararachelmarie.

Cassie posted a Q&A on her tumblr and if you're busy with Spring Break and general craziness like us, perhaps you missed it, too:

Q. Hey Cassie!

Before I get started, I just want to tell you what an amazing writer you are. I have always loved your books and I can’t wait to read more in the Shadowhunter Chronicles.

I have a question about The Dark Artifices and/or The Wicked Powers. I have been reading a bit to see a little of the plot, and it seems it is mainly focused on the Carstairs and the Blackthorns and the Penhalows in 2012ish. Will we see any of the Fairchilds, Herondales, and Lightwoods in TDA/TWP, and if not, will you plan to write more books about the 21st century Fairchilds, Herondales, and Lightwoods?

Thank your for reading my letter! I hope you keep writing more amazing things!!!
Sincerely, 
William Herondale

Cassie: Well, hello. Not every day I get an email from Will.


I wondered with the TV stuff if questions about the show would actually overwhelm this question, which is 99% percent of my mail. I would say — not yet!

Which I guess is good since I know the answer to this question, and very few answers to anything about the show. There are a million versions of this, but basically all these questions boil down to “Will The Dark Artifices and/or the Wicked Powers actually be mostly about Jace and Clary, and if not, will you write other books that are mostly about Jace and Clary?” “The 21st century Fairchilds, Herondales, and Lightwoods” is kind of code for the same thing, since the Fairchilds are Clary as far as we know, and the Herondales are Jace.

In a way, it’s a compliment. It’s a testament to how much people feel attached to these characters and want to know what happens with them.

I’ve talked about this before a little — while I don’t want to say “I will never write more books about Jace and Clary and co” because I don’t know how I’ll end up feeling, right now I feel like Jace/Clary/Magnus/Alec/Maia and even Simon and Izzy, given Shadowhunter Academy, ended in a good place. I’ve definitely gotten a lot of responses to Shadowhunter Academy that are like “AAAAAAGH SIMON IZZY ANGST” because Simon is the protagonist, and protagonist = angst. Pain. Terrible things happening to you and those you love. And right now I’m not in a place where I want to inflict terrible things specifically on anyone from TMI. (I got my editorial letter for Lady Midnight a while ago and my editor’s first comments was “My GOD, what did these people (Emma, Mark, Julian, Cristina) ever do to you?”)

I don’t actually think I’ve said much about what the Wicked Powers is about. It’s still an evolving story idea. As for The Dark Artifices, it is true that Jace and Clary are not the protagonists. We do check in with the TMI characters, and we’ll even check in with Tessa and Jem. We check in with them in what are hopefully interesting ways and we find out what they’re up to and we spend some time with them. But the Blackthorns, the Carstairs, and the Rosaleses are the main characters, along with quite a lot of characters I haven’t been able to talk about yet.

I remember this time period from before The Infernal Devices came out, when all my email was from people asking if Jace and Clary would time travel and be in it, and a lot of people just being angry that I would waste my time on something that wasn’t about the TMI characters. It took until the book came out for the characters to be real to people, and not imaginary impositions. It was a hard time for me, because there’s nothing quite like feeling like you’re writing a book that’s resented. I know I couldn’t write a book where Jace and Clary et al are the main characters right now. My mind won’t go there without great unhappiness. I also know I don’t want to leave the Shadowhunter world yet. I’m excited about the stories of the Dark Artifices and the Last Hours. I think it all leads up to something really cool. I hope you all can trust me that you’ll like it, too. :) “Hi, First of all I’m a massive fan and TMI is possibly my favourite all time series, I have one question… With TDA and future books will it be linked in the same ways TMI and TID are and with both series? I know it would be hard to link all of them, but just small little bits like when Tessa is seen in TMI and things like that? But if you do link them is it too early to know which ones would be linked? Of course their all shadowhunters so that links them, but you get what I mean :) I feel like I’m rambling slightly… If you ever do look at this I would be forever grateful and possibly shocked if you replied. Thank you :) Ella x p.s. I love the way all the relationships on TMI and TID are similar in the way they love each other but completely different at the same time :) xx — sweatpants-and-teen-fiction.”

Yep — TDA is linked with TMI, obviously, since it shares characters. It’s also linked with TID, in that it shares characters (Tessa, Jem.) It’s also linked with TLH in that it shares characters and plotlines — bits from the past pop up in the present/future. Past Blackthorns matter to present ones. Cordelia Carstairs has ties to Emma Carstairs. Etc!

Q. I was Wondering if the tales from shadowhunter academy will be a book like the bane Chronicles. I really hope so because I can’t get any books on my kindle. I hope you see this and can answer my back that would make my day. I was also wondering is you are thinking of making more books related to the mortal instruments and the infernal devices. Also happy easter. — yescountrygirl17

Q. Hi, Cassie! I must say, your books have been some of my favorites that I have read so far! I also wanted to ask if you are going to publish Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy as a book as you did with the Bane Chronicles, and if so, around when? Thanks again!
- Sweghetti-and-Memeballs

Cassie: Hello! So, yes, Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, just like The Bane Chronicles, will be bound up as a book when it’s completed. I get asked this all the time and it’s super confusing to me because of course it will be a book! Maybe the issue is that there’s not a release date yet. All the release dates for the short stories can be found here.

http://www.shadowhunters.com/shadowhunteracademy/

The last one comes out in November of this year. Given that the book will then need to be illustrated, edited, etc. I would expect to see it in book form in summer 2016.

Q. “Hi cassie :) I’m a massive fan of Malec and everything about them makes me happy. I was wondering whether you would be able to release a Born To Endless Night snippet because the thought of having to wait until October is almost unbearable. I’m so excited for a malec baby so I’d really appreciate it. Thank you for creating this awesome series - Niamh — malec-go-to-hogwarts”

Cassie: Hey Niamh — unfortunately I can’t release a snippet because "Born To Endless Night" hasn’t been written yet. Not one word. One of the interesting things about doing these projects as e-books is that Shadowhunter Academy is literally a work in progress. We’re only a story or two ahead of you. Right now "Nothing But Shadows" is being edited, and "The Evil We Love" is being written. 

Q. Hi Cassie, could you write about Isabelle telling Clary of her fight with Simon in The Lost Herondale? I would love to see how the girls interact now, after all that has happened :) — karmacharmeleon18

Cassie: Maybe someday! Isabelle and Clary are really close now, which is nice.

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