Under the Cover #3 – with Sarah Street author of A Curse of Salt

Happy Thursday my lovely friends, I’m really excited to welcome my third guest to my author series, a debut author of A Curse of Salt which is being published TODAY, Sarah Street.

Under the Cover is where I interview some of favourite authors and authors I’ve recently read and discovered. I’m trying to refresh my blog and I love interviewing authors and getting an insight into their storytelling, hence Under the Cover was born.

As I said, A Curse of Salt, a Beauty and the Beast retelling is out in the world TODAY! Happy Publication Day Sarah! I loved it. I didn’t realise how emotional I would get with this book. So I would highly recommend it. I will be reviewing it in the next few days. So if you’re passing a bookshop and loved To Kill a Kingdom or A Curse So Dark and Lonely, pick it up!

So sit back, grab a coffee or tea and delve into the mind of Sarah with an in-depth look behind the scenes of the book and its origins.

Interview with Sarah Street

Can you share with us something about the book that isn’t in the blurb to introduce your brilliant fantasy debut, A Curse of Salt?

Great question! I’d say perhaps the sibling dynamics between Ria and her sisters. It’s such a complicated thing to love people so immensely and yet feel tied down by them, or guilty for wanting more. That’s definitely a theme I tried to explore throughout the book which might not jump out as much as the sea monsters and marauding.

It’s a classic question, but one I love to ask debut authors, what started your love for writing?

I imagine it’s a similar answer to most, but reading! I always had my head stuck in a book as a kid, and my first attempts at writing were pretty much just rewriting my own versions of whatever I was reading at the time. I one typed up my own entire glossary of warrior cat clans inspired by Erin Hunter’s books, and wrote myself into the Araminta Spook series by Angie Sage. From there it snowballed into actually having ideas of my own and spending pretty much any spare moment I had daydreaming about some story or another.

A Curse of Salt is inspired by the retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Is this your favourite fairytale? Why this one for your debut novel?

Yes, Beauty and the Beast has definitely always been my favourite fairy tale! I’ve consumed it in pretty much every form, and I think one of the things that drew me to it specifically is how ubiquitous it is within the world of storytelling. It really is a tale as old as time and I guess I couldn’t resist wanting to spin it into something of my own.

I loved the retelling set on a pirate ship, especially the library – why did you choose this setting for your book? Did you have a location that inspired the setting of your book?

Well, I mean, the library is one of the best parts about Beauty and the Beast, right? I couldn’t not have one. But overall, I think (fairly obviously) I was inspired by the sea and really determined to capture the magic it’s always instilled in me. I was in the mood to write something with pirates (I honestly don’t know why!) and one day it just clicked with me that that could work perfectly with the premise of Beauty and the Beast.

I loved the cast of characters in the book; would you consider writing the book or a prequel with the Heartless King’s story? 

I won’t say too much on this for the moment, but there is definitely another book coming someday (not a sequel!) that will include some more backstory for the crew and show a little more of some of my favourite characters . . . writing the book from the Heartless King’s perspective would be so much fun, and it’s definitely something I’ve considered in the past, but for now I have so many other book ideas I’m in love with that I’m not sure it would ever become a reality. Who knows!

If your book was adapted to screen, who do you envision playing your main character?

That’s such a hard question – I have such a vivid picture of all the characters in my mind, but I think Mackenzie Foy, Kaitlyn Dever, or a brunette Sadie Sink would make a fantastic Ria!

I loved Ria; I felt her character really developed throughout the whole book. Were any of your characters based on yourself or any inspirations of yours?

Ok, I’m sure Ria started at as an idealised version of myself, because obviously I thought I could survive anything and absolutely thrive on a pirate ship. But she changed so much in edits, and with every new draft she really developed her own personality and grew into herself as a character. I’d say the only parts of me that are left are her love for stories, her stubbornness, and her determination to live the life she wants. I mean I, too, would trade my life for the high seas to save my loved ones, but I wouldn’t feel nearly as guilty about it. 

What were your highlights and challenges to writing your debut novel?

One of the highlights was definitely just how fun I found drafting this book. It was by far the most passionate I’d ever felt about a project at the time, and I wrote it solely because I really, really wanted to. It was such a joy. I’d say the main challenge was trying to focus on anything else; I pretty much scraped my way through my studies and social life, so it’s a small miracle I came out the other side with a degree and amazing friends.

What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?

I always find this question hard because there are countless writers who have undoubtedly influenced me over the years, but I tend to fall in love with particular books rather than series or authors. At the time of drafting this I was definitely feeling inspired by Renée Ahdieh’s The Wrath and The Dawn, and probably not long after that I became obsessed with Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf, so I’d say those are some great influences you might be able to pick up on in A Curse of Salt.

You’ve written your first book; what is next for you? Do you want to dip into different retellings? 

I don’t know how much to say here, but there will be one more retelling coming from me in the future . . . It’s inspired by Little Red Riding Hood and was so much fun to write. After that, I’ll definitely be dabbling in YA fantasy for a few more years to come!

Finally, if you could recommend 3 books to read, what would they be?

Ok, I know it’s very popular at the moment, but my favourite book of all time is This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. It seriously is a masterpiece. For YA readers, I would highly recommend The Darkness Outside Us by Eliot Schrefer, an enthralling sci-fi space mystery/romance, and the delightful, captivating Little Goose Girl retelling that is Little Thieves by Margaret Owen!

Thank you so much to Sarah and Team Bkmrk for being part of my series. A Curse of Salt is out NOW!