There are a ton of new YA fantasy novels coming out this year, including The Queen’s Assassin! Today I have the author, Melissa de la Cruz, on the blog to answer a few quick questions!

 

Quick Q & A

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How has your writing process changed from your first books to now?

It hasn’t changed at all. I’ve always been an outliner, and I’ve always done all the heavy lifting for the book in the last two weeks – that’s really when the book comes together.

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Do you have any tips or tricks for writing with multiple points of view?

I would write all the chapters in a row in one POV and then do the other POV on another day. Otherwise the voices sound too alike.

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What are your favorite fantasy tropes?

Overthrowing the Dark Lord.
Orphaned Chosen One.
Quests
Good vs Evil
Stopping in pubs along the way.
Bathing in streams.
Having to share a room.
Enemies to Lovers.
Slow burn.

Pretty much my book in a list!

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What differences have you found writing YA fiction vs adult fiction?

Adult fiction is more about compromise and disappointment and acceptance. YA is about the start of your life: idealism, romance, victory. You can see why people gravitate to YA!

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What did your quest to authordom look like?

I followed the instructions in the Writer’s Market, and I sent my manuscript to about 24 agents, 6 of whom wanted to read more of the novel. Then of the 6, 3 asked to represent me. I went with the most famous one, but he was unable to sell the book. I went through about 5 more agents before I found one who was perfect and she sold my novel in two weeks. I always say it took 5 years and 2 weeks to sell my first novel. ☺

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About the Book

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Caledon Holt is the Kingdom of Renovia's deadliest weapon. No one alive can best him in brawn or brains, which is why he's the Guild's most dangerous member and the Queen's one and only assassin. He's also bound to the Queen by an impossible vow--to find the missing Deian Scrolls, the fount of all magical history and knowledge, stolen years ago by a nefarious sect called the Aphrasians.

Shadow has been training all her life to follow in the footsteps of her mother and aunts--to become skilled enough to join the ranks of the Guild. Though magic has been forbidden since the Aphrasian uprising, Shadow has been learning to control her powers in secret, hoping that one day she'll become an assassin as feared and revered as Caledon Holt.

When a surprise attack brings Shadow and Cal together, they're forced to team up as assassin and apprentice to hunt down a new sinister threat to Renovia. But as Cal and Shadow grow closer, they'll uncover a shocking web of lies and secrets that may destroy everything they hold dear. With war on the horizon and true love at risk, they'll stop at nothing to protect each other and their kingdom in this stunning first novel in the Queen's Secret series.

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Red Queen, this is the first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy-romance duet about a deadly assassin, his mysterious apprentice, and the country they are sworn to protect from #1 NYT bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

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