SOPHIE LI

Hello everyone!

I am so excited to present an author interview today with Tamara Moss! I met Tamara Moss in person at a bookish event in my city- she is so nice and sweet! Tamara Moss is the author of Lintang and the Pirate Queen, published in October 2018.

1) Congratulations on your US publication of Lintang and the Pirate Queen! What will YA readers enjoy most about this book?

Thank you! I’m so excited to share my story with a new audience. I think YA readers will enjoy the sense of wonder and magic of the world in Lintang. You know that cosy feeling of Hogwarts in Harry Potter? I wanted to give that same sense of cosiness in the pirate ship, except with my own style. There are also ferocious mythical creatures inspired by various cultures, a crew that I love with all my heart, and a female mentor who will be incredibly fun to cosplay.

2) Which part of this book did you enjoy writing the most? (Feel free to be vague if needed to avoid spoilers!)

There’s a mythical creature called the propheseeds that gives details of your imminent demise. Writing the prophecies are fun, because you get to do a cute little rhyme, you know, about DEATH.

3) I am always really happy to see Asian characters being represented in fiction. What aspect(s) of Asian culture inspired the Lintang series?

I knew from the start I wanted Lintang to look like me. I’m Sri Lankan and didn’t have as many characters to dress up as when I was a kid. I wrote her for my child self! As for the other aspects, here in Western Australia, most kids go to Bali for the holidays, so I wanted to have a setting they could relate to. My Asian Studies degree inspired me a lot, too. There are so many wonderful cultures, religions, rites and mythologies out there.

4) Which stage(s) of writing a novel do you enjoy the most? (Plotting, drafting, editing?)

I used to love writing the first draft, but over the years I’ve much preferred editing. When you can see your manuscript taking the shape you’d imagined in your head from the start, it’s so satisfying.

5) Which stages(s) of writing a novel do you enjoy the least? 

To be honest, that feeling of sitting down to get started each day. It’s a mixture of trepidation and resistance that I have to fight every single time. But I know once I get started, I’ll be fine.

6) What is the best piece of writing advice that you have received?

Can I give you a book instead? Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. When I first read it, after about eight years of writing, I got nothing out of it. I didn’t see what all the fuss was about. But as I became a better writer (this is nine/ten years of writing by the way), I realised what a brilliant resource it is for digging deeper and making the best piece of work you can.

About Lintang and the Pirate Queen

Gutsy girls and strong women make up the diverse and appealing crew of a pirate ship that battles intrigue and deadly monsters in an action-filled fantasy adventure.

“Combine a pirate adventure of mythic proportions, a uniquely charming cast of characters, and a vivid new fantasy world, and you get Lintang and the Pirate Queen. Magical, inventive, and positively unforgettable.” —Marissa Meyer, best-selling author of The Lunar Chronicles

Lintang is an island girl who longs for daring and danger. When she meets the feared pirate Captain Shafira and her all-female crew, Lintang is determined to join them. Secrets within secrets, life-or-death battles with spectacular monsters, and hair’s breadth escapes keep readers turning the pages of a story populated by women of color who are fighters, adventurers, and leaders.

About the Author

West Australian author Tamara Moss has been writing seriously for over a decade. After majoring in Asian Studies at the University of Western Australia, Tamara has taught Japanese, interned at indie publisher Twelfth Planet Press, and worked at many different schools. She is currently teaching relief. Lintang and the Pirate Queen is her first novel. Lintang and the Forbidden Island is out now.
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Twitter: @writermoss
Instagram: @writermoss
Website: tamaramoss.com.au

Photo by Alonso Reyes on Unsplash; Thought Catalog on Unsplash; Christopher Rusev on Unsplash

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