In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2022 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!
At the end of 2021, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Carolyn Tara O'Neil and her novel DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Carolyn on the blog today to answer some of our questions!
Carolyn Tara O’Neil grew up in a tiny New York City apartment filled with thousands of books. Every Friday she went to the public library for even more reading material. She now lives in a slightly smaller NYC apartment with slightly fewer books, and still goes to the library every week. In between then and now, Carolyn has lived in France, Spain, and Japan, and has dedicated her career to the education and rights of young people. She loves to travel, study languages, and spend endless hours discussing TV, books, great hiking trails, and how we can work together to build a more equal society.
The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?
Carolyn: Thank you so much! I grew up in a little apartment stuffed to the brim with thousands of books -- so it’s no joke when I say I’ve dreamt of publishing a novel my whole life. It is a joy to know that people will read my book, and that I’ll soon see it in bookstores and libraries. That said, the experience is a rollercoaster as high as the stratosphere! There’s so much doubt and anxiety in this journey. At the end of the day -- it’s almost trite to say it -- the only thing that matters is writing. The next story in one’s heart is more important than whatever came before, published or not. That never changes.
The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?
Carolyn: There’s nothing like losing yourself in a story, disappearing into the mind of a character. That feeling is a comfort to me. In a way, it’s home. I dedicate every Sunday to writing. For 5, 6, even 10 hours straight I will sit down and immerse myself in a story. I love the satisfaction of a long writing session. The hardest thing was working in a pandemic! I’m a big believer in writing routine, and coronavirus messed with my routine tremendously.
The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE?
Carolyn: Although I chose to write about the legend of Anastasia, it was the stories of everyday people in Russia that excited me the most. I wanted to explore the suffering experienced under the Tsar’s rule, the hope and idealism around the revolution, and the severe disillusionment that followed. The extremes of income inequality that existed then – echoed in America today – also drew me to this time period. My own biracial family came from opposite ends of the socioeconomic spectrum, and as a child I attended both public and private schools. I’ve seen the extremes of income inequality close-up my entire life, and I felt that the Russian Revolution provided a useful point of comparison for our lives today.
The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?
Carolyn: My book is dual-POV so I try not to play favorites! Excluding my protagonists, there is a certain young Czech soldier with an important role in the book. He is sweet and fearless and has a surprising family history, and, just MAYBE, becomes something of a love interest for one of the main characters. ;-)
The Book Bratz: Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?
Carolyn: Omg, so many! Justina Ireland, Stacey Lee, Elizabeth Wein, Tonya Bolden, Ruta Sepetys, Sherri L. Smith, MT Anderson -- all magnificent historical fiction writers in the YA category who I just can’t get enough of, and who have taught me so much by example. And then there are other writers who write completely different genres -- like Kristin Cashore, or Katherine Paterson, or Brandy Colbert, or Shamim Sarif, or Gita Trelease -- who inspire me in different ways.
The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE?
Carolyn: I have so many hopes: that readers will enjoy it and love my characters. That it will make them think. That it will spark their curiosity to explore a part of history that we don’t study very much in this country, unless you choose to in college. That readers will consider what it means to have a fair and just government, and what kinds of sacrifices are necessary to create one. Also I’m hoping they'll be inspired to create fanfiction and fanart, because that was my world for so long!! :-D
The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?
Carolyn: Writing is my secret garden! I find that the less I say to anyone while I’m in drafting phase, the more it flourishes. That said, Daughters of a Dead Empire is a standalone. Whatever comes next will share a lot of the same themes, but may surprise you!
Title: Daughters of a Dead Empire
Author: Carolyn Tara O'Neil
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: February 22nd, 2022
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Anna is running for her life. She barely escaped the massacre that killed her family, and now a relentless Red commander is after her to finish the job. If she can just reach the Tsarist army, she’ll be safe. But first she must convince a peasant girl to smuggle her across communist territory. And when the peasant turns out to be a communist herself, Anna must hide her true identity at all costs. Sixteen-year-old Evgenia is poor and pissed off about it. Her Red soldier brother badly needs a doctor. Evgenia will do anything to raise the money – even selling a wagon ride to a spoiled bourgeois girl. Only it’s the worst mistake Evgenia’s ever made. A rogue commander is following them, and he’s out to kill the wealthy girl and anyone who helps her. As the girls flee across the war-torn Russian countryside, they find that they have more in common than their prejudices led them to expect. To survive, Anna must trust a revolutionary who wants to destroy her world. And Evgenia must decide whether the life of her new friend is worth more than the change she so passionately believes in.
Thank you so much to Carolyn for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE and can't wait for it to be out in the world on February 22nd!
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