Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Rochelle Hassan, the author of The Prince of Nowhere, which is out now! Her YA debut, The Buried and the Bound, releases in 2023.
Would you please tell us a little about your book, The Prince of Nowhere?
The Prince of Nowhere is a middle grade fantasy about 12-year-old Roda and Ignis—a human girl and a shapeshifter—who venture into freezing, enchanted mist on a dangerous journey to find out who's behind the cryptic anonymous letters she's been receiving.
What was the inspiration for the book?
The story was inspired by clever crows, the eerie and whimsical feeling of my favorite Studio Ghibli movies (particularly Spirited Away), and Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It's also got a lot of the things I loved reading about as a kid, and still do—magical quests, friendship, a dash of mystery, and lots of adventure.
Random Question! What’s your favorite holiday?
I love Halloween! Spooky stories, candy, and fall weather—it's my favorite time of year!
If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?
I'm working on the sequel to my debut YA, The Buried and the Bound (which comes out next year). It's a trilogy, so once I'm done with book 2, I'll start drafting book 3! I've also got more middle grade fantasy in the works.
What are some of your favorite MG books you've read recently? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?
Since you got me thinking about spooky things, the two recent reads that spring to mind are Lora Senf's The Clackity and Kalyn Josephson's Ravenfall—I received e-ARCs of both and absolutely loved them. They'll be out later this year! A couple that I'm looking forward to are Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria by George Jreije, which sounds like an epic magical adventure, and Every Bird a Prince by Jenn Reese, which I've got my eye on because I loved Reese's other novel, A Game of Fox & Squirrels.
Thank you to Rochelle Hassan for participating in this event! :)
Author Bio: Rochelle Hassan is an author of middle grade and young adult fiction. The Prince of Nowhere, her first novel, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and received a starred review from Kirkus. Her next release is The Buried and the Bound, a young adult fantasy and book 1 of a trilogy, due out from Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan in early 2023.
She writes with a mug of coffee or chai at her side and refills her creative well with audiobooks, animation, and video games. Online, she can be found at rochellehassan.com or on Instagram at @rochellehassanbooks. She lives in New York.
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this one is new to me - sounds like a fun read!
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