Author Crush Friday with Cindy Pon
Glitter girls, you have pressing questions for your favorite authors and we have their answers. Welcome to our weekly segment, Author Crush Fridays.
We love asking questions and we love the answers from some of our favorite authors. Today we’re talking to Cindy Pon, author of Sacrifice, the sequel to Serpentine (September 27, 2016; Month9Books). Thank you for talking to us today, Cindy! We’re honored!
GLITTER: For those who haven’t read your work yet, how would you describe your writing style?
CINDY: I would say it is direct and forthright, similar to my personality.
GLITTER: When did you first start writing and what drew you to writing?
CINDY: I started by keeping a journal when I was eleven years old! I did it because my maternal grandfather had encouraged me to. Then I moved on to poetry as a young teen and short stories. I didn’t write my first novel until I was in my 30s—and that was my debut Silver Phoenix.
GLITTER: Who inspires you?
CINDY: My mom, for certain. But so many writer friends. I wouldn’t have made it this far without them. I’ll name the four who had a hand in making Sacrifice the book that it is: Holly Black, Malinda Lo, Sarah Rees Brennan, and Delia Sherman.
GLITTER: In Sacrifice, what was your favorite chapter/scene to write and why?
CINDY: Definitely the climax and denouement. I particularly love denouments, which is the falling actions and conclusion of a novel. Writers talk about beginnings all the time, I’m all about the endings. It is the last note you leave with the reader. I love how things come full circle.
GLITTER: We know that Sacrifice is the second book in a series. Are readers able to read Sacrifice as a stand-alone or do they need to read Serpentine to understand everything that’s going on within this world?
CINDY: They definitely should read Serpentine first to fully understand the story! Luckily, Serpentine is on sale for 99 cents across all ebook platforms right now!
GLITTER: We also understand that you’re a painter. Have you ever thought about doing a children’s book with your paintings?
CINDY: I have a picture book under contract! But have been so busy with novel deadlines, that has been put on the back burner a bit, alas.
GLITTER: How was Diversity in YA formed?
CINDY: Diversity in YA was formed by Malinda Lo and me. When her Huntress and my Fury of the Phoenix were releasing close to each other, I joked that we should tour together. Then we realized how rare it was to have TWO Asian fantasies coming out in a year, and decided to celebrate that. Diversity wasn’t something that was discussed as much at that time, and inclusivity was a topic we wanted to focus on and celebrate.
GLITTER: What advice do you have for new authors?
CINDY: Writers write. Hold yourself accountable to that. Read widely, beyond what you personally are drawn to and want to write. You will learn something from every author and genre.
GLITTER: What are you working on now?
CINDY: I am in the final revision stages for WANT, a near-future thriller set in Taipei coming out with Simon Pulse in June 2017!
Cindy Pon is the author of Silver Phoenix (Greenwillow, 2009), which was named one of the Top Ten Fantasy and Science Fiction Books for Youth by the American Library Association’s Booklist, and one of 2009′s best Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror by VOYA. Her most recent novel, Serpentine (Month9Books, 2015), is a Junior Library Guild Selection and received starred reviews from School Library Journal and VOYA. The sequel, Sacrifice, releases this September. WANT, a near-future thriller set in Taipei, will be published by Simon Pulse in summer 2017. She is the co-founder of Diversity in YA with Malinda Lo and on the advisory board of We Need Diverse Books. Cindy is also a Chinese brush painting student of over a decade. Learn more about her books and art at http://cindypon.com.
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