Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Times bestselling author of More Than We Can Tell, Letters to the Lost, and the Elementals series. She was born in Omaha, Nebraska, though her parents quickly moved her all over the United States, from the desert in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to the lakeside in Cleveland, Ohio, and several stops in between, eventually settling near Annapolis, Maryland. Her latest book is A Curse So Dark and Lonely and she recently agreed to be interviewed about it by Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog.
What was the inspiration for your version of Beauty and the Beast in A Curse So Dark and Lonely?
I’ve always loved the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast, but I always found myself wondering what was going on with the rest of the kingdom. The royal family had basically disappeared! What were people thinking? What were the subjects doing to survive? Once I started to explore that, the country of Emberfall came together.
Are Rhen, Grey, Harper, Lilith, Jake, Noah or any of the other characters inspired by or based on specific individuals?
My characters are generally not based on anyone in particular. Every now and again, I’ll have a side character based off someone in my personal life, but characters are all on their own.
There are a couple of differently-abled characters in A Curse So Dark and Lonely. Were they always part of your story or did you make the conscious decision to include them?
When I originally started writing this book, I knew I wanted to explore the idea of “curses,” especially as to how we view others. For Harper’s character especially, I wanted her to have a physical challenge that Rhen would see as a “curse.” I had a close friend that I grew up with who has cerebral palsy, and as CP was something I hadn’t seen in many YA novels, I decided to go in that direction.
Do you have a favorite version/retelling of Beauty and the Beast (novels, film or television)? A least favorite?
I love the Disney animated version, of course. I wasn’t as big a fan of the live-action Disney film, unfortunately. Something about it didn’t work for me. When I was a kid, I used to babysit for a neighbor who had the old French black-and-white film La Belle et la Bete, and I loved babysitting for them because I could watch it after the kids went to bed.
There is clearly more story to tell at the end of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and I’m guessing there will be another book. Will this be a two-volume story or is this the beginning of a longer series?
Hopefully part of a longer series! The sequel to Curse comes out in January 2020, and it’s titled A Heart So Fierce and Broken.
What’s currently on your nightstand?
I’m currently reading Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo. Next up will be Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult.
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
There are so many! Shattered Glass by Elaine Bergstrom. The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. Dun Lady’s Jess by Doranna Durgin. Anything by Christopher Pike. All those books about “Fast cars and hot elves” by Mercedes Lackey in the early ’90s.
Was there a book you felt you needed to hide from your parents?
No, I was allowed to read anything I wanted.
Can you name your top five favorite or most influential authors?
Christopher Pike, Jodi Picoult, Charlaine Harris, Dan Savage, and Bill Konigsberg.
What is a book you've faked reading?
None. I openly admit to never having read certain books.
Can you name a book you've bought for the cover?
The Selection by Kiera Cass.
Is there a book that changed your life?
The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. I was dealing with a very dangerous guy who’d started stalking me when I tried to break up with him, and when I was telling a friend about it at a bookstore, another woman picked it up off the shelf, walked over to me, and said, “You need to read this book.” It changed my life. I think every woman should read it. Every parent should read the follow-up, Protecting the Gift, which is about teaching your kids to follow their instincts (and trusting your own as a parent).
Can you name a book for which you are an evangelist (and you think everyone should read)?
See above. ☺
Is there a book you would most want to read again for the first time?
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir.
What is your idea of THE perfect day (where you could go anywhere/meet with anyone)?
Hanging out with Lin-Manuel Miranda and wandering around NYC. (Honestly, wandering around anywhere with Lin-Manuel Miranda).
What are you working on now?
I am finishing up edits on A Heart So Fierce and Broken, as well as working on a secret project slated to release in the summer of 2020.
In this variation on the Beauty and the Beast tale, a contemporary young woman is transported magically to a medieval kingdom where the prince is cursed, but not always a beast. But, when he is, he kills, and does so indiscriminately. This is a wonderful and compelling interpretation of the familiar story.