We chat with author Jessica Thorne about A Kiss of Flame, which is loosely inspired by Rapunzel, and follows a lost princess has been found—but the closer she is to the throne, the deadlier her magic becomes… Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Scarlett St. Clair!
Hi, Jessica! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m Jessica Thorne. I come from Ireland and by day I work in a specialist library taking care of rare books. I also write as Ruth Frances Long. I love all things magical and fantastical. I’m obsessed with folklore and history, and the way they blend into our lives. I’m a longtime fan of fantasy romance and I’m loving the advent of Romantasy.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have loved stories all my life and I think I always wanted to be a writer. I was certainly writing from a very young age. When I was about 13, I was in a German lesson, but instead of paying attention to whatever I was meant to be doing I was writing a story in a notebook on my knees under the desk. The teacher confiscated the book and I had to go to the office and beg for it back. That was when I discovered she had read it! Oh the embarrassment. But she enjoyed it, and that started me thinking maybe other people would enjoy my stories too.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: I remember my elderly uncle reading The Adventures of Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green (starting a lifelong Robin Hood obsession). The first book I remember reading my my self was The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. I was devastated by what happened on the Stone Table.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Stories, writing them and sharing them, the way we can make people join in the fantasy and forget everything else.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Ash by Mary Gentle. Will live rent free in my head forever. It was astounding.
A Kiss of Flame is the sequel to A Touch of Shadows and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Darker, Passionate, Thrilling, Heartbreaking, Betrayal
For those who haven’t picked up A Touch of Shadows, what can readers expect?
Wren and Finn meet in an enchanted forest – a witch and a warrior sworn to capture witches – and are immediately entangled in a magic older than time. Wren can manipulate shadows and command the darkness. The darkness wants both Wren and Finn and binds them together. But is the passion they feel real or a product of that spell, designed only to entrap them further? Meanwhile they have to flee their enemies and find Elodie, the powerful witch who raised Wren in secret, herself on the run from none other than Roland, Grandmaster of Finn’s knightly order, her former lover. But Finn is keeping secrets from Wren as well and when they emerge, will she ever be able to trust anyone again?
And for readers who have, what’s to come?
Passion, magic and adventure, a love story which questions whether love is real, a reunion romance, political machinations, shadow magic vs light magic, a magical war that spans generations at risk of igniting once more, separation, kidnapping, heartbreak and devastating betrayal.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Revisiting Roland and Elodie’s relationship and bringing it back to the fore was thrilling. There’s a moment where he finally rides to her rescue that was just thrilling to write.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Every book presents a different kind of challenge. With A Kiss Of Flame, as the middle book of a trilogy, part of that was to create the bridging part of a wider story, while still making the book itself satisfying and exciting. There’s a lot more of the world to uncover here, as well as the emotional depths of the characters to bring out. I also got to introduce a relationship which will come to fruition in the final book which I absolutely adore. I think the key thing is to keep the excitement building while letting the emotional life of the characters really fill their world and the pages, and to set everything in place for book 3, A Crown of Darkness.
What’s next for you?
A Crown of Darkness, the final thrilling part of The Lost Queen will be out in print in December from Forever in the US. In the UK and online, I have a new book on the way called Wildewood, which is a contemporary gothic romance set in Ireland, featuring ghosts, family secrets and ancient gods.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
My absolute favorite from the last year was Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan, and I can’t wait for the sequel All Hail Chaos to hit the shelves. I also loved T Kingfisher’s Saint of Steel series (a little older but re-released this year in paperback and utterly swoonworthy). I also fell in love with Stephanie Burgis’s Wooing the Witch Queen this year and am dying to read the next book Enchanting The Fae Queen, because Lorelei is such an incredible menace, I need to know what she gets up to.
