Author Interview: Kiera Azar

Get the inside scoop on ‘Thorn Season’!

Kiera Azar is the author of our October YA ‘Marked by Magic’ featured book: Thorn Season. Read on to get the inside scoop from inspiration to favourite scenes and more!

How did you find writing your first novel? 

I loved it! I always say I wrote this book for myself – I did it because I wanted to write and I found this passion for it. It was inspired by a dream I had. It was a dream about a magic wielder born into a family of wielder hunters so it was a very specific concept which I found interesting and I really wanted to explore it. And so writing the novel was just a lovely, joyful experience of discovering how much I loved to write.

Were there any challenges that came up when writing and how did you overcome them? 

I think what’s funny about when you’re doing something creative or you’re doing anything for yourself for the first time, you have to find within yourself a passion to continue and see it through. I got to a point in the story where I was like, this is hard, this is tough. I think you get to a point where you’re like right, I can put this down. This is just for me, no one is pressuring me to do this and I can stop. It was really early on in writing Thorn Season that I got to that point and I did put it down, and I think that distance was good for me because I realised that even though I stopped writing for a little while, I didn’t want to stop completely. I could still see the story so clearly in my head and I still felt so swept away by it. Having that distance made me realise that I was really passionate and I wanted to see it through. Once I overcame that first obstacle, that was a pivotal moment for me as I never stopped writing after that!

Similarly, were there any moments during writing, publishing, or post-publication that you unexpectedly loved and why? 

When I thought about pursuing writing, I only thought about the writing. I only imagined sitting at my desk and writing every day, but what I hadn’t imagined in my wildest dreams was that there would be this community around it which was an amazing surprise. Whether it’s the fellow authors that you meet, whether it’s the readers that connect with your story, or whether it’s champions like FairyLoot who are supporting you – those moments of connecting that I’m experiencing, that has made this so much more special than I could have ever imagined it be. I feel very privileged to put the work out there for readers who are welcoming it with so much love.

The magic system in Thorn Season is very unique. We could picture ourselves with a spectre instantly! What inspired this? 

I would love a spectre too, they’re really cool! Weirdly, when I started writing, the tangible, physical qualities of a spectre were already there in the really early drafts. I think I just naturally wrote what felt appropriate to the story and for the character. But the actual nailing down of the magic system felt unique and special and I think that more so came when I was with my agents, talking about my revisions. Around that point I started researching shadows in mythology and fantastical literature and I stumbled upon this poem about a Brocken Spectre which is basically a shadow that casts itself upon mist, in such a way that the person doesn’t realise that their own shadow belongs to them. That whole idea really encapsulated what I was trying to do with Alissa’s story.

We adore Alissa! Were there any moments when writing her story that you really connected with?

I honestly just feel so connected with her in general. I think as I was discovering my author voice at the same time as discovering her voice, it was a really lovely way to find her character. I started Thorn Season with a concept, so I didn’t know who my main character was going to be or what her personality was going to be like. And then as I was writing her, she was just so unapologetically angry at everything and I just loved that. She is in this situation and she is constantly suppressing a part of herself, and of course that anger is just going to bleed into everything she does. And she does have this very fierce protectiveness for others, but because of the way she is constantly having to self restrain, that can sometimes manifest as a recklessness or a brashness which lands her in a lot of danger. But I think it’s really understandable if you look at everything she’s having to hold inside, so I sympathise with her and I want her to have all the good things!

The twists in Thorn Season left us reeling! Did you know all of your major twists from the beginning, or did some surprise you whilst writing? 

I think the main ones I knew, just because of the major plot points and I wanted to know what was going on. But honestly, a fair portion of them came about just through the writing, discovering whose allegiance was with who and all that jazz. I think that’s why I like to keep a plot fluid in-between the outline, just because it’s so much fun to discover all the twists yourself. If as the writer you can be really excited by something, then hopefully the reader will be, too!

We’re spoilt for choice when it comes to deliciously dangerous MMCs! If you had to pick, who would you end up with?

This is a really easy answer for me – Keil!

Who is your favourite side character, and what did you love about writing their part in the story?

This is really funny, I think I might say Eric. I do always change my answer though as I feel like I could honestly choose any side character at different times. But with Eric, he’s so unpredictable and I really love writing volatility because, again, you’re writing but discovering at the same time. If a character can play within the bounds that you set for them but can also do something completely unexpected within those boundaries, that’s just the most exciting thing!

If you could give aspiring authors any advice, what would it be? 

The thing I really needed an incentive for was the bit before I actually started writing. I think to the people who are aspiring authors before they’ve even put pen to paper like me, my advice would be just start writing and don’t be afraid of the blank page. I think it can be really daunting to think about the polished idea you have in your head, but when you first try to put it to paper it doesn’t look as perfect as you thought it would. You can get preemptively discouraged and you sit and think, this is not what I wanted it to be. But the page in front of you, with the worst sentence you’ve ever read, that sentence is going to be worth more than the idea that’s stuck in your head, I promise you! Just please continue to write, as it’s only going to get better.

Do you have any non-negotiable writing rituals?

My only one is that I have to start with coffee!

We know you’re hard at work writing book 2! Are you able to share anything about it?

I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I will say there’s more exploration of the magic system which I’m really excited for. There’s more politics and a more expansive view of things. And my favourite part, more yearning!

What is your favourite thing about the FairyLoot edition of Thorn Season?

Being so serious – everything! I’m still just so in awe, the way I screamed when I first saw it or when I saw any of the emails with the art. The character end pages were the first time I saw character artwork of Thorn Season ever, so needless to say I freaked out! It’s just so gorgeous, everyone has done such an amazing job putting this together so beautifully.

Author recommends

Have you ever wondered which books your favourite author thinks are an absolute must read? Well, wonder no more! Here are four books Kiera Azar thinks everyone needs on their TBR: