Cover Reveal and Interviewing Sophie Masson, Author of THE CRYSTAL HEART!

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Sophie Masson's two other fairy tale novels set in the world of THE CRYSTAL HEART, entitled MOONLIGHT AND ASHES (Cinderella) and SCARLET IN THE SNOW (Beauty and the Beast), are available in Australia, the UK, and the USA. THE CRYSTAL HEART will release in Australia this June and in the USA in August!

PLUS, I have a super duper wonderful surprise for you all!!!

Sophie Masson slipped me the cover for THE CRYSTAL HEART to share with you all in this post.

The cover isn't even on GoodReads yet, so this is the official reveal!!

I'm really excited to share it all with you today!

Are you ready to see it...???

~*~

An interview with 

Sophie Masson

Sophie Masson has had more than 50 novels published in Australia and internationally, mostly for young adults and children, but also for adults, including the internationally-selling Forest of Dreams, an adult fantasy trilogy based on the life and work of the medieval French writer Marie de France. Much of her work for children and young adults has also been in the fantasy genre, but she has also written ghost stories, mysteries, thrillers, family stories and a graphic novel(The Secret Army: Operation Loki). She adapted one of her novels, The Green Prince, for the stage and it was performed in a successful season in 2001. She has also written novels under the pseudonyms of Isabelle Merlin(Three Wishes, 2008; Pop Princess, 2009; Cupid's Arrow, 2009 and Bright Angel, 2010) and Jenna Austen (The Romance Diaries, Ruby, 2013, and the Romance Diaries: Stella, 2013.)

Her books have been shortlisted for many awards,with The Hunt for Ned Kelly winning the Patricia Wrightson Prize for children's fiction in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards(2011), and also being shortlisted in the Book of the Year category in the same Awards, as well as being named as a Notable Book by the Children's Book Council of Australia(2011). The Hand of Glory won the Young Adult category for the 2002 Aurealis Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy. Snow, Fire, Sword was shortlisted in three categories in the 2004 Aurealis Awards for Science Fiction and Fantasy, including in the Fantasy section, where it was the only children’s book to be listed. In 2008, Thomas Trew and the Island of Ghosts was shortlisted in the children's section of the Aurealis Awards.  

Sophie is married with three grown-up children, Philippa, Xavier and Bevis, who all live and work in Sydney. She lives in country New South Wales with her husband David Leach.

Follow Sophie on her website, Twitter, and Pinterest!

In what ways will THE CRYSTAL HEART differ from traditional versions of Rapunzel?

Well, for a start, everyone thinks that the prisoner in the tower is a witch who has been locked up for the kingdom's protection--but very soon, you find out that  it is a lie and that she's a young girl who's been held as a hostage since she was a small child--the daughter of a powerful otherworldly ruler called the Prince of Night, whose kingdom is underground. The Rapunzel motif is very much there in the girl in the tower, the young man who falls in love with her and helps her escape, the punishment of the young man and his suffering etc--but I have adapted it in all kinds of ways, mixed in elements from other stories, such as that other girl-in-the-tower story, the Irish legend of Deirdre and the Seven Sorrows (Which I have always been fascinated by, with its elements of Rapunzel, Snow White and full-on myth), and also unrelated ones such as The Princess and the Goblin, which was one of my favourite books as a child.

Can you whisper any secrets about THE CRYSTAL HEART, due to release in June?

The world of Krainos (the country which is the setting of the book) is a harsh and deceitful one, in many ways. Many things in THE CRYSTAL HEART are not what they seem--the identity of the prisoner in the tower, the history of Krainos, the motives of many of the characters, the function of the crystal heart itself. And there's a twist which will make you see everything differently too! 

Will THE CRYSTAL HEART be from Kasper's POV, Izolda's POV, or both? What can you tell us about both characters?

The story is told from both characters' point of view, first from Kasper's, and then, when he realises the true identity of the prisoner--Izolda--from Izolda's too. Chapters alternate between them from the point at which they meet, but there are sections when you only see Kasper--for particular reasons that are best left unrevealed! Both of them are strong characters, brave and intelligent, but very different--Kasper is kind, trusting and open-hearted, and Izolda wary and suspicious and rather embittered by her long years in the tower, as you might imagine! But that will change as things develop, they fall in love--and then something happens which will change everything, both in their lives and their personalities. 

What first drew me to your novels was the fact that you wrote about fairy tales. Do you have more fairy tale retellings in store for future novels?

Absolutely! I am thinking about a new one at the moment, which is set in the same world as my three most recent fairytale novels--THE CRYSTAL HEART, SCARLET IN THE SNOW, and MOONLIGHT AND ASHES--but this time centred around the story of Snow White. Watch this space! 

How would you keep from going crazy if you were locked in a tower (or satellite!) with finite resources?

I would write lots of stories and invent many characters to keep me company! 

Today, you're Rapunzel's hair stylist. She's come to you for a new look and wants to be surprised. What do you do?

Suggest she might like to have a flattering haircut but keep the long locks and use them as extensions when she feels like having long hair again!

If you were sentenced to life alone in a tower (or satellite!), what is the one thing you'd make sure to smuggle in with you?

A massive supply of pens and paper! And books if I was allowed...

What kind of craving would you risk a witch's wrath for?

Not cress, that's for sure! Hmm-in terms of food, maybe a perfect Gateau Russe, my favourite cake(layers of hazelnut meringue sandwiched together with coffee butter cream!)

Thank you so much, Sophie! 

I've been campaigning to have your books brought to the States and was beyond thrilled when Random House listened and brought the first two here this past fall. 
I'm so glad the wait won't be long for THE CRYSTAL HEART, because today's interview has me more eager to read it than ever!

  ~*~

O F F I C I A L   I N F O:

Title:  THE CRYSTAL HEART
Author: Sophie Masson

Release Date: June 1, 2014

Publisher: Random House Australia

SUMMARY:

A girl in a tower. An underground kingdom. This retelling of Rapunzel offers a gripping blend of magic, romance, adventure, fairytale, and mystery.

When 17-year-old army conscript Kasper Bator is chosen to join the elite guard that keeps watch over a dangerous prisoner in a tower, he believes what he's been told: the prisoner is a powerful witch. But when he meets the prisoner, Kasper's life will change forever—for the prisoner is no witch, but a beautiful young girl. The daughter of the country's enemy, the Prince of Night, Izolda has been held hostage since she was three. And she is in imminent danger, for a prophecy says she must die on her 16th birthday if Krainos is to be saved from the Prince of Night. Kasper decides to help her escape. As the days pass, their friendship turns into real love, but their hiding place won't stay safe forever.