We chat with author Christine Calella about Liar’s Kingdom, which is a dark Cinderella retelling in the vein of Into the Woods!
Hi, Christine! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! I’m Christine Calella, and I’m a writer of both YA Fantasy and Adult rom-coms. My interests include musical theatre, chai tea lattes, sitcoms, and of course, all things book-related. LIAR’S KINGDOM is my second published novel, following my debut last year, THE FINAL CURSE OF OPHELIA CRAY. I spend my days working in a creative field and gradually cozying up my NYC apartment until it officially qualifies as a hobbit-hole.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
My mom started taking me to the local library really young, so I have her to thank for this lifelong passion. At least once a week, I would visit the children’s section and load up my arms with Magic Treehouse or Junie B. Jones books until I physically couldn’t carry any more to check-out. But I definitely found my heart in writing fantasy stories around fifth grade when I started reading Tamora Pierce (my signed copy of First Test is still a treasured possession!), and then I knew I wouldn’t rest until I was an author of fantasy books about feisty women who fight to make the world a better place.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
- The one that made you want to become an author: A School Story by Andrew Clements
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan
Your latest novel, Liar’s Kingdom, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Girlboss. Gatekeep. Gaslight. Glass Slipper.
What can readers expect?
Cue the voice of the narrating Grandpa from The Princess Bride: “Deception, revenge, political intrigue, plot twists, pet rats, chases, escapes, love triangles, references to Stephen Sondheim…”
Where did the inspiration for Liar’s Kingdom come from?
As I constantly rewound my VHS tape of the 1997 Cinderella TV-movie starring Brandy and Whitney Houston, I could never shake the idea that it sure was convenient that no other person in the kingdom shared the same shoe size as our girl, Cindy. What would have happened if somebody else who fit the glass slipper had tried it on first? And then I got to thinking… “Well, that story about the fairy godmother and the pumpkin carriage and the rats is awfully convenient too… What if Cinderella was actually the fraud who fit the slipper by accident? What if her magical fairy tale was a just cover-up for a lucky twist of fate?” So LIAR’S KINGDOM was born from that, with Ell, my protagonist, capitalizing on her first possible chance to escape her stepmother into a better life. From there, the rest of the book sprang from my desire to point out that a kingdom could do a lot worse in a future queen than a woman who’s used to rolling up her sleeves and doing some dirty work.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
My favorite character in this book is actually Zita, Ell’s brutally honest chambermaid. I’ve read a lot of fantasy books where the spunky princess ropes her maid into helping her with her shenanigans, and I wanted to write something that explored the difficulties with that power dynamic, and the class issues at play. I took a lot of satisfaction in crafting Zita to be a character who boldly sets boundaries with the aristocrats who employ her…but still has a soft, gooey center beneath her prickly exterior.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I actually wrote the first draft of LIAR’S KINGDOM way back in 2020 while we were all still quarantining in the pandemic. So in many ways, writing this book helped me overcome the twin challenges of boredom and isolation!
What’s next for you?
2025 is a big publishing year for me! After LIAR’S KINGDOM drops in January, I have an adult rom-com (written under my pen name Madeline Bell) releasing from St. Martin’s Griffin on September 16th. It’s called THE AUSTEN AFFAIR, and it’s about two feuding co-stars on a Jane Austen film adaptation who accidentally travel back in time to the real Regency era, and have to lean on each other (and ultimately fall in love) to survive their adventure in the past.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up in 2025?
Ooh, my only question is: is there a word count limit here? Let’s go with Elle Tesch’s WHAT WAKES THE BELLS, Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos’ HOMEGROWN MAGIC, and M.K. Lobb’s TO STEAL FROM THIEVES, all in March 2025, Stacey McEwan’s A FORBIDDEN ALCHEMY in July 2025, Kamilah Cole’s AN ARCANE INHERITANCE in October 2025, plus KATABASIS by R.F. Kuang, and of course…SUNRISE ON THE REAPING. You can take a girl out of middle school but you can’t take a love of The Hunger Games out of the girl.
