Laura Sebastian’s Stardust in Their Veins is the sequel to Castles in Their Bones, which is the story of three princesses and the destiny they were born for: seduction, conquest, and the crown. Read on to learn more about the sequel, writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Laura! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m happy to! My name is Laura Sebastian and I write fantasy books for kids, teens, and adults. I’m originally from Miami, Florida, but I now live in London, England with my two dogs, Neville and Circe. When I’m not writing, I can probably be found experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen or tending to my garden.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I can’t remember a time where reading didn’t play a large part in my life and I remember being in high school, skimming the shelves of my high school library in search of a new book but I couldn’t find the exact type of story I wanted to read, so I decided to try writing it myself. That book didn’t go anywhere, but a dozen tries and a decade later, my debut novel, ASH PRINCESS, was published!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK (no matter how many times I read it, I always forgot the ending and got scared), ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine, and CIRCE by Madeline Miller, which I loved so much I named my dog Circe!
Stardust in Their Veins is the second installment in your Castles in Their Bones trilogy! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Princess spy sisters creating chaos.
What can readers expect?
Castles in Their Bones ends with what is admittedly the cruelest cliffhanger I’ve ever written, so I can promise readers that Stardust in Their Veins isn’t anywhere near that bad, but there’s still plenty of twists and turns, alliances and betrayals, and a heavy dose of romance to round it out. The vast majority of the first book takes place in three locations with three entirely separate casts of characters, but in Stardust, readers will get to see characters crossing over and colliding with each other—in one case quite literally when someone’s fist collides with someone else’s nose! Without getting into spoiler territory for the first book, readers will also see how the sisters process their loss in very different but equally messy ways. And, of course, there’s just as much plotting and poison and subterfuge as there was in Castles!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
In Castles, each chapter was written from the limited 3rd person point of view of one of the sisters, but in Stardust, another character gets her own point of view. Unlike Beatriz, Daphne, and Sophronia, who are princesses, Violie is a commoner, and it was interesting to show how she sees this world differently than they do.
I also got to flesh out the magic system more in this book. It’s based on a fantasy astrology system, so I’ve had a lot of fun coming up with different constellations and their meanings and exploring all the ways lore around stars and the availability of magic stardust might shape the world of Vesteria.
Can you give our readers a little teaser for the third installment?
I’ve written the first draft, but I’m very wary of jinxing it because really, anything can change between now and when it hits shelves next year, but each sister has a book that focuses a little more on them (and features them on the cover!): Castles was Sophronia’s, Stardust is Beatriz’s, and so book three will be Daphne’s. From what I’ve heard from readers, she’s the most polarizing of the three, though I’ve always found her the most fun to write. Also, I’ve seen the cover and the artist, Lillian Liu, captured Daphne perfectly!
Your first novel published five years ago. What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as a writer?
I can’t believe it’s been five years already! One lesson I’ve learned is how to edit, with the guidance of the amazing editors I’ve been lucky enough to work with. When I first started writing, I thought editing meant moving commas around and running spellcheck, but now I know it can often mean breaking the stories’ bones, resetting them, and sewing the whole thing up again while ensuring the organs remain intact and the heart keeps beating. (I’m not a surgeon, so I fully admit that metaphor may be a mess, but hopefully you get the idea.)
What’s next for you?
Apart from Castles in their Bones 3, which is in the works as I write this, I’ve got a few projects in the works, but all in the early stages. Hopefully I can share more about them soon!
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
Ooh, 2023 is such a great year for books! The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi is out now and I absolutely adored it. I’m also reading Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, which I’m having trouble putting down. I’m also anxiously awaiting the sequel to Katherine Webber and Catherine Doyle’s The Princess Switch, which is one of few books that’s had me actually laughing out loud while reading it.
