When did you first start writing?
I was obsessed with books from a young age, and I don’t remember not wanting to create books of my own. I was so small I had to dictate stories to my (very patient) mother because I couldn’t properly write yet. I never truly stopped, but I got more serious after college when academic writing wasn’t a huge part of my life anymore. (I actually love writing research papers …)
Who are some of your most significant authorial influences?
It might sound weird, but reading nonfiction, first-person historical accounts developed my sense for voice and purpose in storytelling, and for how individual character and perspective shapes the story being told. The events don’t change much, but different people see them very differently, and it changes the entire narrative. In fiction, I love the wonder in C. S. Lewis, the emotional complexity of Irène Némirovsky, the depth of place, imbued with history, that Tolkien creates … and I won’t pretend I am able to even come close to any of their skill!
How did you come up with the idea for Torn?
I was actually researching eighteenth-century women’s fashion, and particularly the (incredibly cool and innovative) women’s jackets of the 1770s, 1780s, and into the 1790s. Some of the best resources for researching high fashion are plates from the French Magasin des modes, so I was poring over a ton of those online and realized—wow. Some of these pieces were produced right in the face of the French Revolution; these beautiful, elaborate designs were created while the world was turning upside down. What did the seamstresses who made these garments think of the unrest and debates and changes occurring around them? If they could, how would they influence the outcomes?
What, if any, research did you do in preparation for writing this book?
Research was inspiration for the story, and historical garments, clothing norms, and sewing technique are a research hobby/passion/geek sphere of mine. So though very little research was done specifically for this book, lots of banked and new research crops up in various ways. Some of my favorite little snippets to write were descriptions of Sophie and her assistants’ actual sewing, as I was able to translate the “experimental archaeology” I’ve done re-creating historical garments into words.
Sophie’s sewing magic is such a unique ability. What made you choose this specific power for your heroine?
I liked the idea of playing with a magical system that wasn’t the overriding power in the world it existed in. Giving a cottage industry the spotlight also let me focus my story on a female-focused, marginalized skill set. We often focus our attention on more visible, public skills—martial, political, and monetary spheres—so I wanted to play with something more traditionally part of the domestic, female-dominated sphere.
A major theme of Torn is difficult choices: the choice between familial and romantic love, between ambition and community, between different forms of government, etc. What compelled you to write about this?
I’ve always been fascinated by the neutral people in a conflict. For instance, there are some estimates that one-third of colonists during the American Revolution were (or attempted to be) neutral. We tend to brush this group aside or even think of them as cowards, but I’ve always been interested in what was motivating them—family, finances, fear? Were they more afraid of losing something they had than they were motivated by something exterior? The choice to attempt to stay out of a conflict can be as interesting as the choice to become involved, and I wanted to dig into the other factors that contribute to choices besides the (ever-important) ideals and ethics we often discuss in relation to this conversation.
Strong female characters are often portrayed as gun-wielding, ass-kicking heroines, but Torn has a range of female characters, all of whom are strong in their own unique ways. What were your inspirations for these characters?
You don’t have to look very far to find quietly strong women—today, or historically. I think of my grandmothers, both living through the Depression, or the returning adult students and first-generation students I’ve worked with who all have overcome incredible challenges. What strikes me, often, is the motivation for these women—taking care of their loved ones, making sure their families are okay. It’s a source of strength but also a demand on their tenacity.
Torn has an amazing cast of characters. If you had to pick one—other than Sophie—who is your favorite? Who was the most difficult to write?
I’m fond of Alice. She’s probably the least fun person at a party, very unlikely to crack a good joke, and effortlessly predictable. But she’s steadfast and pragmatic and compassionate, if awkwardly so, and those are such positive—but not often celebrated—characteristics.
All of the characters had their own challenges, but writing a calculating and intelligent antagonist like Pyord without turning him into a caricature was difficult—fun, but difficult. I didn’t want the reader to doubt his capacity for doing really bad things, but also to trust that he believed in his ethics. People usually don’t think they’re being evil.
What’s one thing about either the world or the characters of Torn that you loved but couldn’t fit into the story?
Writing a story set in a city was strange! I’m kind of a hick, and I had all these images of rural Galitha—pastoral agricultural regions, salty harbor villages, rich river valleys—that weren’t in Sophie’s experience, let alone within the parameters of the story itself.
Torn is the first book of the Unraveled Kingdom series. What’s in store for us in future books?
Savvy readers probably noticed that Sophie’s idea of “happily ever after” is “I don’t have to change and nothing else has to change, either,” but her aversion to risk and her love of stasis are going to be challenged more. In Torn, she had to make decisions about how to respond to outside issues, but she’ll have to address decisions in her personal life. I’m also looking forward to building the world out a bit more—to see more of Galitha and even surrounding nations through Sophie’s eyes.
If you could spend a day with one of your characters, who would it be and what would you do?
While nerding out over sewing tips and creating a gorgeous piece in Sophie’s atelier would be fun, I think I’d have to go with letting Viola plan an over-the-top social event. You know the food, wine, and company would all be excellent, and it’s the best excuse to wear something fabulous.
Lastly, we have to ask: If you could have any magical power, what would you choose?
The ability to create portals to anywhere I want to go. I have both serious wanderlust for places I’ve never been and severe nostalgia for places I’ve loved, but not much time for travel (and planes with small children … not fun). Being able to pop across an ocean (or even across the state) for a day would be the best.