I’m so happy today. Guess why?
Yes, yes, I finally was able to post wonderfully interview with the author of the book, for which I’m prepared to kill (just kidding. Almost).
HERE WE GO!!!
A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights
Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi’s wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.
She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.
1) Were there any funny stories while you worked on The Wrath and the Dawn? Or maybe, at that time, the book had a different name, which now makes you smile?
The Wrath and the Dawn was originally called One Thousand One, but my agent thought it sounded a bit too much like sci-fic novel. And as for funny stories, I think it’s impossible to write a book without having at least a few amusing incidents along the way! Probably some of the most memorable ones involve asking my husband and my in-laws to help me with some Persian translations. Let’s just say that the phrase “lost in translation” was absolutely applicable on more than one occasion.
2) What inspired you to write The Wrath and the Dawn?
I was actually inspired to write it by a tapestry hanging on the wall of my in-law’s home. At a distance, it looked like a hundred different vignettes strung together, but it was actually tales from A Thousand and One Nights.
3) Can you share your most favorite quote from your book?
“Some things exist in our lives for but a brief moment. And we must let them go on to light another sky.”
4) How long did it take you to write your novel? What was easier to write: the beginning or the ending?
It took me about four months to write The Wrath and the Dawn. For me, it’s usually easier to write the beginning of a novel.
5) What are your favorite books?
Oh, gosh, this is an almost impossible question for me! I love a lot of classics. Jane Eyre, Frankenstein, The Lord of the Rings, and A Moveable Feast come to mind. I’m also a big fan of anything by Isabelle Allende or Kahlil Gibran. For YA, I love Marie Rutkoski’s Winner’s Trilogy and Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy. In truth, this list could go on forever.
6) If you could, would you write a letter to Shahrzad? If the answer is yes, what would be the main theme of the letter?
I don’t know that I’d write her a letter for reasons I can’t divulge at the moment 😉 But I do think letters are wonderful to give and receive!
Thank you so much, Renee! It was so fun! So glad I was able to chat with you 😉
About the author
Renee Ahdieh lives in North Carolina with her husband Victor and their dog Mushu. Her YA fantasy novel, THE WRATH AND THE DAWN, will be published on May 12th, 2015. In her spare time, Renee like to cook, dance salsa, and wreak havoc on the lives of her characters.
The Sound of YA Books 
I’m DYING waiting for this to release. It sounds amazing!
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Me too!)
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