Cold as Marble Interview

Cold as Marble interview with Zoe Aarsen

Questions

1.      How did you come up with the story of Light as a Feather?

I spent part of my childhood in Danvers, MA, which was originally part of Salem (during the years of the witch trials). Kids, there were really fascinated with ghost stories and witchy activities, and I played the game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board at a friend’s birthday party. It worked! I’d always been toying around with the idea of writing a story about a game gone wrong, and that particular game seemed perfect as a basis.

2.    How did you decide that Light as a Feather should be a series? Did you know from the beginning or until the end?

I had originally written the first book intending it to be a standalone book, letting it end on a cliffhanger. My reasoning was that I’d written the first book imagining what it might be like to play a game in real life and get yourself into serious trouble with paranormal elements. How would that resolve if it happened to you? Chances are good you’d never figure out how to undo it. But then, when there was some interest from Hollywood, it was suggested that I continue writing to build more engagement to keep studios interested… so the sequel was born!

3.     What character are you most like?

I think I’m most like McKenna in that I’m usually pretty responsible. There’s no reason for McKenna to involve herself in trying to save Mischa’s life. But once she suspects her friend is in serious trouble, she’s too compassionate to turn the other way. But I probably have a fair amount of Mischa’s stubbornness in me, too! 

4.      Which scene was the hardest to write in Cold as Marble?

Probably the New Years party (in the new version being released by Simon & Schuster on 10/8/2019). I originally began writing for film and television, and not by authoring novels, so describing details of action sequences in prose rather than in camera directions is always a challenge for me.

5.    How long did it take to write Cold as Marble?

The draft that I posted to Wattpad several years ago probably took me about six or seven months, and that’s because it’s significantly longer than a typical YA book. The updated version that’s being published took me about two months, writing for several hours every single day!

5.      What is the message that you are trying to send out to the readers from Cold as Marble?

As was the case with Light as a Feather, I think the underlying theme is the strength of female friendship. McKenna lost her sister when they were kids, and there’s a part of her that is burdened by survivor’s guilt. She really risks her own life, or at least the possibility of ever having a normal life, to save Mischa’s. And in the published version, we learn a little more about Violet and that McKenna is unintentionally saving Violet’s life by trying to break the curse, too. And of course, another message is: don’t mess with evil.

6.      Where can readers purchase Cold as Marble?

It’s available for pre-order on Amazon and BN.com, and it can be ordered directly from Simon & Schuster on their website. Several indie bookstores are carrying it, too!

7.    Are you writing any more books? If so can you tell us?

I’m in the middle of writing the third book in the Light as a Feather trilogy right now, and I have three YA screenplays that are circulating Hollywood at the moment!

About You:

1.       What was your dream job when you were younger?

Veterinarian. That was the big plan until I accepted that I suck at math.

2.     What is your favorite spot to visit in your country?

The city where I lived the longest: New York. In my heart, that’s home.

3.     If you could have 3 fictional characters over for dinner, who would they be?

Oh, great question! Probably Jo March (Little Women), Eleanor from Eleanor and Park, and Boris from The Goldfinch.

4.     What has been your favorite book/story when you were a kid?

My all-time favorite was “Autumn Street,” by Lois Lowry. It’s not really a children’s book, but was marketed as one. It’s about the author’s life as a child during WWII when her family moved from NYC to Pennsylvania because her father was away, fighting the war, and it’s just a beautiful, heartbreaking story. I was also a huge dork in high school, and my favorite non-fiction book was The Last Tzar by Edvard Radzinsky. It’s about the Russian revolution (and the legend of Anastasia). I was really fascinated by that topic.

5.     Which author do you admire the most and why?

Lois Lowry. I was very obsessed with the Anastasia books when I was a kid, and got to meet her when I won a drawing contest at school. Once I got a little older and read other titles she’d written, including “A Summer to Die,” “The Giver,” and “Autumn Street,” I realized the enormity of her talent.