Clever, bookish Fi and her brash, ax-wielding partner Shane are back in this action packed sequel to the bestselling The Bone Spindle, the gender-flipped Sleeping Beauty retelling, perfect for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and The Cruel Prince.
We chat with author Leslie Vedder about The Severed Thread, along with writing, book recommendations, and so much more!
Hi, Leslie! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! I’m a queer ace author, and I love writing stories about girl adventurers and heroes. I’m a lifelong lover of anime, fantasy and all things magical, and I’m the owner of two spoiled house cats that I like to dress up in little hats. I met my wife in high school, and we used to write fanfiction for each other.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved reading! When I was kid, after lights out, I would crawl under my covers with a flashlight and a book and read late into the night. I never wanted the stories to end, so I would go on imagining them in my head, and pretty soon I was imagining my own stories and characters, too. It’s a little cliché, but I guess I’m one of those people who always wanted to be a writer.
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!
- My father read The Hobbit aloud when I was so young I imagined hobbits to be some kind of strange rabbit creatures (but I loved it anyway)
- The book that lit my imagination on fire and made me want to be an author was Alanna the First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
- And a book currently living rent-free in my head is The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He, because I don’t think I’ll ever get over that absolutely sublime twist
The Severed Thread is the second instalment in your Bone Spindle series and it’s out February 7th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Fairytales, Fiery Love, & Fierce Friendships
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a fun action-adventure romp full of dark curses, ride-or-die friendships, book codes, buried secrets, and Indiana Jones-esque treasure hunting! There are also two love stories. Fi and Briar Rose, the skeptic / romantic, sweetness and snark, destined pair. And Shane and Red, the warrior and witch sapphic romance with all the sizzle and spark.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel?
The first book is told mainly from the POVs of the two girl treasure hunters, Fi and Shane. In book two, the now-awakened sleeping prince Briar Rose joins the lineup, with a couple chapters from the mysterious witch Red, too. I had never written a book with four POVs before!
At first I found myself struggling to balance all the characters, but as I got more familiar with their unique voices, it got much easier to figure out which POV each chapter should be in. Like, Shane loves a good brawl, if there’s going to be a book code, it’s got to be Fi, Briar’s got the magic, and Red’s sharp tongue means all the best comebacks for bad guys.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
I had so much fun fleshing out Red’s character! In book one, she’s in a bit of a femme fatale role, a mysterious witch playing cat and mouse while hiding her true intentions. In The Severed Thread, I really enjoyed getting to dig into her backstory and all reasons she ended up working for the evil Spindle Witch. Plus, she and Shane are going full enemies-to-lovers, and I had an absolute blast writing them fighting, flirting, and even ending up handcuffed together. (One of my all-time favorite tropes!)
Can you give us a little teaser about The Cursed Rose?
I’m so excited for the endgame! The Butterfly Curse that Fi is under comes back in a big way, the truth behind the Spindle Witch is revealed, and Fi and Shane take on the greatest lost ruin of them all: the tomb of Queen Aurora.
A certain ex of Fi’s also reappears, even though she thought she put that guy in the rearview in book one!
What’s next for you?
I’m currently working on the final book of The Bone Spindle trilogy, which is coming out next year. Beyond that, I am a fantasy lover through and through, and I have more fairytale retellings I’d love to write—sapphic Robin Hood is definitely on the list! (I’ve also been working on a top-secret project I’m hoping to announce soon!)
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
Way too many to list! 2023 is going to be a fabulous year for fantasy. There are two books I got the chance to read advance copies for that completely captivated me:
- The Third Daughter by Adrienne Tooley is a sapphic fantasy full of prophecy and intrigue with a love story that totally swept me away.
- Threads That Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou is a gripping mystery that reimagines the Greek Fates with detective-like twists and turns that had me utterly hooked.
There are also a number of sequels I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on!
- Never a Hero by Vanessa Len
- The Crimson Fortress by Akshaya Raman
- The Ashfire King by Chelsea Abdullah
