Q&A: Qurratulayn, Author of ‘Blood & Breath’

3 hours ago

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We chat with author Qurratulayn about Blood & Breath, which is the first book in a Jazz Age fantasy duology in which a Black girl makes a deal with a devil in order to bring vengeance down upon the magical ruling class.

Hi, Qurratulayn! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

Hi everyone! I’m Qurratulayn, author of Blood & Breath a 1920s historical fantasy about a girl who hires a devil to get revenge on the people that tried to kill her. I love reading and writing, I used to do archery and I definitely want to get back into it soon. In the meantime, I’ve been really enjoying the city of Philadelphia and going to as many museums as I can.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

If you ask my mom she’ll pull out a little book I made when I was 6 about the environment, but I’ll say it happened when I was 11 and writing bad sailormoon fanfiction that slowly progressed into my own stories. I love being able to imagine things and bring them to life.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

The first book you ever remember reading: Oh wow, that’s hard. I feel like I have to dust off the back corners of my mind. I know the first books that got me into reading were the Berenstain Bear books. I also loved Reading Rainbow as a kid and I’m so glad that its being picked up again!
The one that made you want to become an author: In the Forest of the Night by Amelia Atwater Rhodes! I remember being on a vampire kick as a teen (still am) and being blown by the fact that she was a published teen author. I was determined to do the same.
The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves. So much so that she is in the dedication of my book! I related to her as an author who wrote Black girls doing squicky things.

**Your debut novel, Blood & Breath, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?**

Ahhhh this is harder than I thought it would be! 1920s, revenge, morally-grey, fast-paced, betrayal.

What can readers expect?

I’m hoping with Blood & Breath reader’s find a novel that gives them the vibes of Sinners, and Black Butler but also enjoy the balance between real-world themes of oppression, and prejudice, as well as the romance and high-stakes.

**Where did the inspiration for Blood & Breath come from?**

All of my stories start with an idea of a single image and for Blood & Breath it was blood on snow in a park. Why was it there? What happened? What happens next? Those were the questions I had to answer to build upon the scene. And with my love for vampire novels and morally grey choices it was so fun to build on those questions and bring Evan and Jack to life!

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

Absolutely! I loved writing both characters and diving into their heads during their POVs.

For Jack my favorite scene is the diner scene, partially because of the tension all throughout but also because I got a chance to sneak some homages to one of my favorite old Hollywood movies Cabin in the Sky.

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I don’t typically outline my first few drafts and while writing on vibes alone is very fun, sometimes I get myself in hard situations. For me what I’ve learned is that most of my Writer’s block is because I was trying to steamroll past a really big plot hole or I’m having the wrong person as the main character. So I either backtrack or completely change POVs until it fits how the story wants to be told.

What’s next for you?

I’m currently hard at work on the 2nd book in the duology, Soot & Sacrifice!

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

I’ve been on a bit of a re-reading kick lately but the books I’m looking forward to reading next is Oathbound by Tracy Deonn, and Immortal Dark by Tigest Girma (it’s a vampire novel… right up my alley!)