Let's all venture back to Sarah Beth Durst's beautiful and dangerous
world of Renthia, visit another of it's stunning lands, and say
HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO
THE DEEPEST BLUE!!!
Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aide the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her.
They vary in age and social status, but to many they are heroes who will aide the country or witches that will sacrifice themselves trying. No matter who they are, the women are sent to a terrifying place—an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.
In the final book of The Queen of Renthia trilogy, I was made so curious by the short glimpse we had of the ocean-side land of Belene. I was so excited when I learned that we'd get to explore it so much more in this newest book!! Today I have the honor of interviewing Sarah so she can tell us a bit more about herself and what awaits us in The Deepest Blue!!
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• Tell us a little about The Deepest Blue and how it relates to The Queens of Renthia series?
I loved writing this book! So many sea monsters!
THE DEEPEST BLUE is a standalone epic fantasy set in Belene, a string of islands besieged by an ocean full of malicious spirits. Mayara, one of Belene's fearless oyster divers, is about to marry the love of her life when an unnatural storm hits her island, and wild spirits from the sea ravage her village.
To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen's soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her. They are sent to an island filled with bloodthirsty nature spirits, and left without food, water, shelter, or any tools except their own instincts and magic. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone.
THE DEEPEST BLUE is set in the same world as my Queens of Renthia trilogy, but you don't have to have read the trilogy first -- it's a new story with new characters. (If you have read the trilogy, though, there will be one familiar face.....)
• What character in The Deepest Blue are you most excited for readers to meet and why?
I always fall in love with all my characters. For me, that's an essential step to bringing the characters to life. Once they feel real to me, I know I can write them.
With THE DEEPEST BLUE, I fell in love with the main character, Mayara, when I wrote the very first sentence of the book:
"On the dawn of her wedding day, Mayara knotted her diving belt around her waist and climbed the skull of a long-dead sea monster."
After I wrote that sentence, I knew her voice, her dreams, and her determination.
One of the things that I've been exploring in my writing lately is different ways for people, especially girls and women, to be strong. Mayara is strong because of the love in her life -- her family, her friends, her husband. All her choices are fueled by that.
I can't wait for readers to meet her!
• You've written 18 amazing books for readers of all ages. Do you have an age group that you enjoy writing for the most?
There's something wonderful about each age group. When you write for kids, for instance, you're writing about firsts -- first adventure, first friendship, first taste of independence -- and I love that first brush with wonder. When you write for older readers, you get to build on the rich, wonderful history of the genre. More experienced readers bring a wealth of expectations with them, and it's so much fun to play with that -- either by fulfilling expectations or subverting them.
THE DEEPEST BLUE is my 18th book. I write for kids, teens, and adults, and the common thread in all of them is fantasy.
I spent my childhood in the woods behind my house, searching for a dragon's egg. Every night before bed, I'd check the back of my closet for a way in to Narnia. And every morning, I'd memorize where I left my stuffed animals so I'd know if they came to life and moved around while I was at school. So it was kind of inevitable that I'd grow up to write about magic and adventure and deadly sea monsters.
Some stories lend themselves better to a young protagonist; some work better with older characters. I let the story dictate what kind of book it will be. So long as it has some element of the impossible, I'm happy.
• Where is your favorite writing spot? Coffee shop? Kitchen table? In the park surrounded by people?
I own a laptop because I cling to the image of a writer on the top of a mountain, on the beach, in a cafe, in a beautiful library... But the truth is that I write best just at my desk, in easy reach of my stash of chocolate. This laptop rarely ever moves.
• With so much experience under your author belt, what is one thing you wish you could tell every writer who is just starting out?
Be kind to yourself.
A writer's greatest enemy is self-doubt, and a writer's greatest strength is perseverance. You need to quite that little voice inside you that is always criticizing everything and instead give your story a chance to grow. Trust your instinct. Trust your sense of story. And just keep writing!
Thanks so much for interviewing me!
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{About The Author}
Sarah Beth Durst is the award-winning author of seventeen fantasy books for adults, teens, and kids, including The Queens of Renthia series, Drink Slay Love, and The Girl Who Could Not Dream. She won an ALA Alex Award and a Mythopoeic Fantasy Award, and has been a finalist for SFWA's Andre Norton Award three times. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she spent four years studying English, writing about dragons, and wondering what the campus gargoyles would say if they could talk. Sarah lives in Stony Brook, New York, with her husband, her children, and her ill-mannered cat.
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