We chat with author Rosaria Munda about Confessions of a Junior Spy, which follows Bea who is raised in a sanctuary hotel for spies and as the daughter of one of its top agents, she’s determined to follow in her mother’s footsteps and use her hard-won spy skills to help others.
Hi, Rosaria! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m Rosaria, and I love watching action movies, thinking about big ideas, and writing stories. I’m the author of a young adult political fantasy about dragonriders called the Aurelian Cycle, and I’m thrilled to be publishing my debut middle grade series Confessions of a Junior Spy. I live in northern Florida with my family, where we recently moved after several years in Rhode Island and Chicago. Our yard is full of lizards.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I think I was about six years old.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Junior Jedi Knights books by Nancy Richardson.
- The one that made you want to become an author: Actually, the same books. My friend and I wrote sequels that we wanted to send to George Lucas!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Sunrise on the Reaping, Suzanne Collins’ latest, incredible prequel.
Your middle grade debut, Confessions of a Junior Spy, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
John Wick hotel staff kid.
What can readers expect?
A fun, entertaining read (in contrast to my YA series, which is quite intense and dark) narrated by Bea, who thinks it’s normal to grow up in a hotel sanctuary for spies and whose big ambition is to become a spy like her mom.
Where did the inspiration for Confessions of a Junior Spy come from?
My husband showed me John Wick and I had the thought, “This would make a great setting for a fun middle grade novel!” (minus the assassins)
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I set a car chase scene on an unnamed but specific historic bridge in Rhode Island. I’m very fond of that bridge and it’s fun to drive across it now and think, “I put a car chase here!”
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I was working full time as a boarding school admissions officer as I wrote this. So on the one hand, it was fun to imagine if spy and her daughter wandered into my office and tried to act normal. On the other hand, it was hard to find time to write!
What’s next for you?
I’m working on sequels about Bea—the next of which, The Mean Girl Mission, is about her undercover mission in a Normal school—and one after that, currently on my laptop, whose subject is classified.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
I really enjoyed Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell, and I can’t wait for the next books by Elodie Harper—Boudicca’s Daughter on the adult side and an upcoming middle grade debut about the childhood of Pliny the Elder.
