Kalyn Josephson was gracious enough to take the time very last minute to sit down and answer a slew of questions. Sit back, relax and enjoy getting to know the woman behind The Storm Crow before it hits the shelves on July 9th! Don’t forget to pre-order for a limited time first edition!
Additionally, Kalyn is offering up a copy of The Storm Crow to one lucky winner- International Where Book Depository Ships!
Here is how you enter:
- Comment on the this post
- Follow Kalyn Josephson on twitter @KalynJosephson
- Follow me at @LiteracyBatman
- Like and Retweet twitter post!
Entries begin today and run through Midnight Eastern Time Thursday, June 13th (the day I post The Storm Crow Review).
- As someone diagnosed with ADD that it is hard to hear how everyone thinks they have ADD and joke about it. Do you find this true with depression, if people sometimes talk about just being sad? How do you handle it (if you handle it at all), or do you just ignore it?
You know, I haven’t actually had much experience with this, though I know it does happen. What I find more often is people describing symptoms of depression without using the word, either because they’re unfamiliar with what it looks like or not ready to label it.
At which point I think it’s important to remember that everyone experiences and handles depression differently, to which my approach has been to listen and understand as best I can.
2. How specifically did you want to represent depression through Thia? What were you trying to get across that you don’t think people really understand
Depression is a multi-faceted experience that hits people differently, but one of the main things I wanted to communicate was how outside of someone’s control depression is. We can’t make it disappear just because we want it to, and experiencing good news or happy moments doesn’t mean it’s over.
This is something that Thia really struggles with accepting. She keeps asking herself why she can’t just make it stop, and part of her journey is understanding that it doesn’t work like that.
3. I remember reading in Six of Crows that they crows remember faces. They remember who is kind to them and who isn’t. I believe you did a lot of research on crows. Did you come across research regarding this behavior?
Yup! That’s totally true. They can also pass down that knowledge to their offspring or share it with other crows. So if you make one crow mad, you might end up with a bunch of them after you!
4.Is there any other part of yourself… a special hobby, expertise or something you feel you are good at that made its way into one of your characters?
My expert marksmanship in archery! (Not really, I wish.) But one thing that did show up in a character is my love of baking. There’s a focus on food throughout the novel, but there’s one character in particular who shares my joy of baking.
5. Crows seem to be a theme this summer. There is Merciful Crows, Storm Crows… Is there something you feel is specifically alluring about them?
I’ve loved crows for as far back as I can remember, so it’s no surprise to me that they’re often a focus in literature and art as a whole. For me, it’s their intelligence and cunning that I love, not to mention I think they’re utterly adorable.
But there’s also a lot of connections between crows, ravens, and other corvids to everything from ancient mythologies to current day superstitions. They’re fascinating birds!
6. How did you go from one side of the brain (tech/bio) to the otherside of the brain (fantasy? Do the two mix well?
They do actually! Writing a fantasy book with an animal-based magic system allowed me to pull from my study of ecology and evolution and combine it with my love of creating new worlds.
I did struggle a bit with the balance between the science side of me wanting to explain everything and the creative side of me wanting to let magic be magic, but I think it worked out in the end.
7. If there is anything you ever wanted to express or say to anyone about anything but have yet to be asked the right question, or just haven’t had the chance, now is your time! The platform is yours. Have at it!
I’d just like to thank everyone who gives this book a chance. I’m so thankful for all my readers and I hope that this book can be the healing journey that it was for me for those of you that need it. Happy reading!
BIO
Kalyn Josephson currently works as a Technical Writer in the tech industry, which leaves room for too many bad puns about technically being a writer. Though she grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, she graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Biology and a degree in English (Creative Writing). Currently, she lives in the Bay Area with four awesome friends (because it’s the Bay Area and she’d like to be able to retire one day) and two black cats (who are more like a tiny dragon and an ever tinier owl). THE STORM CROW is her debut novel.
I agree! The answers are so thorough. She really took the time to think them through and really open up.
I love the fact that Kalyn picked up depression and mixed it with fantasy in such an honest and… should I say direct? way.
In lots of fantasy books, we can tell the character is going through a dark phase, one might even say “they are depressed” maybe (a big maybe), but actually connect it to the illness? Nu-uh
Absolutely! I just reviewed a book.. cursed that did it wonderfully for physical disabilities and the SOC duology does it well but it is rare. But I think this wave of authors coming up are really making a conscious choice to not just infuse it but as you just so well said it… do it directly and connect it… name it and deal with it. Heidi Heilig’s current series is going a fantastic job as an own voice around bipolar for it as well. Authors are taking huge steps in helping show how fiction can really be a window into understanding and making society more inclusive of everyone’s life circumstances.
This edition of the book is gorgeous!! Thanks for this chance ????????
Make sure to thank Kalyn when you follow her. She agreed to all of this and turned it around in a day. Bless her heart! And it is!
Thank you and thank you for the RT!
Thank you! And thank you for the RT!????
Thanks for this awesome giveaway! I’ve been dying to read this book since it was announced ????
Also a fab interview. It’s rare to get such honest and deep answers and I really enjoyed reading it!
That is the consensus and I couldn’t agree more…and insider note… she literally turned this around in approximately 24 hours? 36 at the most…. complete doll!
❤
Oh my, The Storm Crow sounds so so good! Live reading the Q and Q!!! And thank you for the chance to win!! I absolutely cannot wait to get my hands on Kailyn Josephson’s debut novel!!! ????
I really appreciate the mental health questions in here, because we really need to talk about it and normalize it????This book has been on my radar for a while and I’m so excited to read it!
Absolutely! I am in awe of how honest authors are being in discussing and infusing mental health and physical disabilities into their work. It is hard enough to do it when you aren’t in the spotlight. To do it from a platform is both impactful and incredibly bravem
Seriously!! It is going to be a barn burner
Loved this interview! Also I’m so excited for this book and this cover is so stunning! Thank you for the chance 🙂
I am glad you enjoyed the interview! Good luck!
Fascinating interview! Now I’m even more excited to read the book! Thanks so much for the chance.:)
Completely agreed! Please thank Kalyn as well for the amazing interview and providing the give away.
This book cover is amazing – I fell completely in love with it when I saw it. I am looking forward to adding this book to my shelves, I am hoping the story is as beautiful as the cover.
I cannot wait to read this book. The cover is obviously gorgeous, but the story deeply appeals to me. I love fantasy, but most of all, having depression myself, I’d like to see it represented in a book that sounds as good as yours do.
In any case, thank you for writing and sharing it with the rest of the world
I think Kayln would be very touched to read this. I shared it with her via email. It is always incredible to have that kind of special connection with a story.
Such a unique interview with a lot of great questions and answers.
I also think crows are cropping up everywhere this summer, Hollow Kingdom, The Merciful Crow, The Storm Crow and The Swallows (even though that’s SWALLOWS it’s still a black bird on a cover), The Raven’s Tale (a raven obviously, but another black bird on a cover)
I am going to start this soon, but recently read a book where the main character was depressed and it was from their POV and the internal monologue of that character made ME sad, so after reading this interview I wanted to ask… Do you think this book will make me sad? Should I read it when I’m not in a low mood? Or do you think it’s okay to read anytime?
I love your comment and thoughts. Your honesty and authenticity is brave. I’m not sure I’m qualified to truly answer that question for you. What I can tell you is that I’ve been very open about the fact that I don’t read books with heavy front burner romance plot lines because for me, right now, it is a trigger. So I am careful about it. I can only handle so much. If it is a book I *really* want to read I will skip the heavy descriptions of those parts as long as it doesn’t affect my comprehension of the story.
The only other thing I can say and I’ve also had to do this at times is take care of yourself and monitor yourself. If you start any book and you find it negatively affecting you for any reason stop reading it or reach out. We are all here for you if there isnt someone close to you that you can reach out to.
But nothing I’m saying can replace professional advice or you taking care of yourself and knowing what’s best for you. Don’t let anything spiral you.
I’m so excited for this gorgeous book! <3
So thank you so much for the giveaway
Comment on the this post – done here!
Follow Kalyn Josephson on twitter @KalynJosephson – followed as @WordsThatStay1
Follow me at @LiteracyBatman - followed as @WordsThatStay1.
Like and Retweet pinned twitter post! – Done as @WordsThatStay1 🙂
If I was lucky enough to win, please contact me on twitter 🙂
We will definitely do so! Thank you for entering and good luck!
OMG. I am so excited for this book. It looks AMAZING!! ????????????
It is exciting!! I’m glad you were able to enter! Good luck!
I’ve been excited for this book since the moment I heard about it, but even more thrilled when I saw the cover. I mean.. ???? Perfection!!
Loved the interview, really well-thought-out questions and great answers from Kalyn.
Thank you for a generous giveaway!!
Twitter: @_Sandra_R_
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the questions and yes Kalyn really answered them thoroughly and detailed. Make sure you completed all parts of the give away and good luck!
Looking forward to reading it 🙂
I’m really excited about this book, the art concept is incredible, plus the limited edition seems… wow! Hope I can get my hands on one!
Good luck! Based on how excited you are over the cover? I would say go ahead and judge this book by the cover;)
I am looking forward to read the Storm Crow, I was hooked first by the cover and title and reading about the influences really comfort me in the feeling it is a book to read.
It is a book to devour!!!! I have read it and I would preorder it if I could!