Come aboard the Wilted Rose, my friends, we’re about to set sail…on a bookish adventure! Author Freedom Matthews and I are good friends in real life and frequently send each other silly Snaps with cat ears and voice changers, so when we got to sit down for an interview together, well…it’s just fun all around! To kick off the interview, Freedom tells us a little bit about what we can expect from Inherited: If saying ‘I love you’ meant death would you still say it? Inherited is a YA folktale, filled with romance, action, adventure and a sprinkle of magic. Love isn’t easy and bittersweet endings are an inevitability and strong women, well they lead this tale. Jane Austen meets Pirates of the Caribbean. (K.M. Note: Ya’ll. Jane Austen meets Pirates of the Caribbean…do you even need to read the rest of the interview to know you want to read this book???)

1. Assuming you were thrown onto a pirate ship, what job would you end up with?

I’d probably be swabbing the deck 😉 If I were aboard the Wilted Rose, I’d like to take care of the library and be an assistant to the captain…as a woman of the times though. I’d probably be relegated to the galley or not even permitted upon the ship!

2. If you were the heir to a curse, what would the curse likely be?

I adore this question! Probably the curse of procrastination…I suffer greatly!

3. When writing, I know you often listen to music. Do you hear that same music when you read scenes back, or is the music playing in your head different each time you read it?

At times the ‘vibe’ does hit me when I re-read. I write with music mainly when there’s a lot going on in the room – it’s mostly a focusing tool and when I’m alone the sounds of the scene I’m writing fill my head, rather than the music I’m playing. There are times, however, when songs will remind me of scenes and characters – such as for Inherited. I regard Cristina Perri’s Lovestrong album as Inherited’s soundtrack, each song I can relate to a scene or a character.

4. If you could give any piece of advice to Nathaniel at the beginning of the story, what would you say to him and would he bother to listen in the first place?

I’d suggest he be patient with Lennie and woo her slowly and be clever about it. I’d also advise him to watch out for her quick temper and the blade that could follow!  He would probably try and heed my warnings, but his heart would lead him on. He would also endeavour to get more information regarding her past from me but that is Lennie’s story to tell…

5. Which one of your characters would you least like to bring along with you if you were trapped in a row boat out at sea, too far away from the ship to get help? Why would it be such a disaster to have them as your only companion in this case?

Hmmm…that’s a hard one. They all have their own set of useful skills, but my first thought was Hadnaloy, she’s a grump, not to mention an evil sea witch 😉

6. Do you prefer to get up with the sun to work on your writing or do you navigate your manuscripts by the stars at night?

I write as and when I can – which usually means late into the evening or on weekends all the way through the day. I am however most productive mid-morning and mid-evening – it must mean something, but I’m unsure what.

7. The Wilted Rose is such a unique name for a ship. If you were to have a ship named after you, what would it be called?

Much like The Wilted Rose, it would be called Frayed at The Edges (Not very catchy, but hey)– a phrase I’ve used to describe myself for years – Less than perfect but no less worthy.  

8. When writing Lennie, what three emotions did she make you feel? Are those feelings that same now that Inherited is published or have they changed?

Pride – for her strength (I had a lot of ‘go on girl’ moments) Anguish – for where she came from and what she went through Joy – for when she found solace and her little bit of happiness. I feel pretty much the same emotions regarding Lennie. We were tight for 7+ years and I grown quite nostalgic when I think of her. As I am writing the companion novel, on and off, I get to see glimpses of her and it’s like greeting an old friend.

9. You have the cutest fashion sense as a person and as an author. Do you enjoy writing your character’s wardrobe or is it just a part of writing?

As I’m sat here in my writing uniform (PJ’s) I’m honored you think so! It comes with building the character – do they wear the same things each day? Or do they have a special quirk in how they wear it?  I guess it’s like when an actor puts on their costume and builds how their character moves within it or why they wear it – it’s a process.  My current WIP (The Legends of Evernyl) has a special quirk in the armour the soldiers wear, it’s such fun to create and evolve the fashion of the world, but I also write much of my worlds in a time period when fashion was so different from our own- I do love researching it.

10. You’ve got some really big author events coming up soon. Which of your characters would you love to have tag along and back you up while you’re at the events? 

If I can pause a moment to plug my little Author Stint at YALC…. My publishing house, Oftomes Publishing, will be having a booth at YALC where myself along with a few other of our authors will be signing, hanging out and just spreading the bookish love. We all will be wandering around the whole convention and will probably me toting bookmarks, postcards and other swag as well as signing for everyone I’m excited to be there for the whole three days this year, last year was amazing but so rushed for one day. (YALC will be held at the Kensington Olympia in London 27^th -29^th July, as part of the London Film and Comicon) As for who I’d bring along, I’d love to have Rupert join me. He’s cheeky, sweet and would ease my inventible nerves. He’d also talk everyone’s ear off and would find the best places to play cards. I’d also bring Ned, he’s wise, calm and would keep me sane.

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Inherited can be found here! Want to learn more about Freedom Matthews? Facebook Instagram Twitter And be sure to catch her live interview, Tuesday July 10 at 3pm EST on our  Facebook Live!

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Have an author you want to see put through their paces with one of my quirky interviews? Let me know in the comments below AND be sure to tell me which of these answers from Freedom was your favorite!

Stay inspired,

-K.M. Robinson