We chat with author Lynn D. Jung about Mothsblood, which follows an ambitious alchemist who must uncover her university’s dark secrets while trying to escape from her mysterious past in this electrifying debut.
Hi, Lynn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Lynn D. Jung, and I was born and raised in southern California. After spending time living in 3 different countries, I recently settled in Wisconsin, where I live with my partner and two cats.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Very early on. I was actually a late reader, but once I started reading chapter books independently, I also immediately started writing my own stories. I would print them off, staple them, and have my friend illustrate them, then pass them around to my classmates for ‘review’ in elementary school.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Junie B. Jones, in third grade.
- The one that made you want to become an author: The Lightning Thief, in fifth grade.
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm.
Your debut novel, Mothsblood, is out October 13th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Atmospheric, dark academia, troubled women.
What can readers expect?
I like to describe Mothsblood as a dark academia that puts both the ‘dark’ and the ‘academia’ in the term. You can expect a protagonist with a dark past who doesn’t always make the right calls, a strong gloomy Parisian atmosphere, and a healthy dose of body horror. Oh, and a very frank depiction of classism, racism, sexism, and imbalanced power dynamics within the lauded halls of prestige institutions.
Where did the inspiration for Mothsblood come from?
Inspiration always comes to me in bits and pieces! Mothsblood specifically came from my year spent living in France, my degree in zoology (which informed the magic system), and my work in education, which forced me to interrogate my own deeply-held beliefs about the purpose of higher education.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really loved writing about the main character, Larkspur Lee. I wanted her to be explicitly unlikeable, but also understandable. There are a lot of reasons she is the way she is, and these reasons are deeply explored in the story.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Many! This book took on so many different forms before it started looking like its current iteration. Figuring out what I wanted to say about the themes took a lot of personal growth and insight, and that was challenging in its own way. Putting those thoughts and feelings into the text was even tougher.
I overcame these challenges with honesty: I wrote from the heart and I didn’t hold back.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Long and painful! I’ve had two novels die on submission prior to Mothsblood, and I’ve worked with three agents now. It took almost ten years of actively pursuing publishing to get my debut novel on shelves, and honestly – I’m just happy to be here.
What’s next for you?
Lately, I’ve been working on a fantasy novel about necromantic noble houses and a death priestess seeking vengeance… but I’ve said too much! I’ve also been playing around with the first draft of a rom-com set in Los Angeles.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
So many! I’m bad about keeping up with new releases, but this year I adored You Weren’t Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White and Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell.
Next year, we’re seeing a slew of incredible dark academia novels. I’m currently reading Delicious Minds by Thea Liu, and I think it will absolutely turn dark academia on its head!
