We chat with author Kika Hatzopoulou about Hearts That Cut, which sees Io face threats even more dangerous and players even more powerful as she discovers what it will mean to follow—or defy—her fate.
Hi, Kika! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi, Nerd Daily! I’m Kika Hatzopoulou, the author of Threads That Bind and Hearts That Cut, a YA fantasy mystery duology inspired by the Greek Fates. I’m a Greek native who currently lives in London, and I love all things SFF both as a writer and a reader!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I started writing as a young kid, drawing inspiration from stories I had just read or watched, and creating my own endings or focusing on a side character – basically fan fiction! Around 14, I started writing original fiction, spending each summer filling in a big A4 notebook while school was out!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: As a young kid, I was obsessed with a collection of fairytales from around the world – that’s the first book I remember reading by myself!
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: That changes from time to time, but currently, it’s Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta.
Your latest novel Hearts That Cut is the sequel to Threads That Bind and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Twisty, romantic, devastating but hopeful!
What can readers expect from the sequel?
The plot picks up 5 weeks after the ending of Threads That Bind and finds Io hunting clues to the godly conspiracy at the heart of the duology alongside Bianca, the mob queen that was somewhat of an enemy in the previous book. I loved writing their dynamic, and I loved exploring more of the world. The book features some of my favorite romance scenes I’ve ever written, as well as the big twist to the series that I’ve been envisioning for the past four years!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Some of my favorite moments are between Io and Edei, her love interest. These two are connected by a fate-thread, meaning they are destined to fall in love, but they have different opinions on destiny versus choice, which made for a really interesting exploration of what it means to love. Towards the end of the book, Edei says one of my favorite lines that I’ve ever written!
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?
As with any series finale, the challenge is wrapping up the overarching story while still making the plot of this book unique and interesting. It took me a while to get all the pieces together in my outline, but once I had that nailed down, this book poured out of me in a very effortless way. It’s a fast-paced adventure with lots of betrayals and twists and I was eager to follow Io to the very end!
Yet another stunning cover! Can you tell us a bit about it?
I am extremely lucky to be working with a fantastic team, who took my single line pitch—the image of the prophecy at the heart of the duology, with Io holding a fraying thread and the world burning behind her—and made it into this! The cover as you see it now is the very first thing I received from Corey Brickley, the artist, and Kristie Radwilowicz, the designer! I remember opening the email and being completely stunned by their talent!
What’s next for you?
I’m working on another YA fantasy partially inspired by the Greek myth of Ariadne and the Labyrinth, with an unconventional twist! I’m having a lot of fun with this new cast of characters and the eerie world I have created, and I can’t wait to introduce them to readers next year!
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
I’ve recently read a lot of fantastic books: Off With Their Heads by Zoe Hana Mikuta, a queer fantasy horror version of Alice in Wonderland; The Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli, a witch versus witch hunter enemies-to-lovers romance; The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland, a witchy feminist thriller!
