Authors Interviewing Characters: Leslie Vedder
Everyone has a comfort book character: one whose story comforts and empowers us when we’re in need of a little familiarity. For Leslie Vedder, author of the magical, gender-flipped fairytale retelling, The Bone Spindle (Razorbill, January 11), these characters are the ones that she holds dear not only while reading and watching, but also in her writing.
The world of The Bone Spindle (recently named one of Apple Books most highly anticipated winter reads) is home to two powerful best friends, treasure hunter Fi and badass warrior Shane. And for Leslie Vedder, Shane is badass queer feminine icon that she would have loved to see as a teen.
The Bone Spindle, filled with burning romances, steadfast friendships, and the adventure of a lifetime is sure to make its way to the top of your TBR this winter. Feel free to read Leslie’s piece below my signature.
LESLIE INTERVIEWS FILORE!
For today’s interview, I will be interviewing Filore Nenroa—nickname Fi—from my YA fantasy The Bone Spindle.
LV: So, if I was going to interview someone from The Bone Spindle, it had to be you, Fi.
Fi: There is a delicious sort of fun to being a book-loving heroine who constantly wonders if one day her exploits will ended up recorded in a history book. (Though if we die on this quest, we’ll probably be relegated to a footnote.)
LV: You grew up the daughter of famous historians. How did that shape you?
Fi: My parents’ area of study is the fallen magical kingdom of Andar, the kingdom of the Witches, and it became my passion too. Like most academics, I wouldn’t say everything they taught me had any practical application. But the most important thing they shared with me was their love of lost languages and little pockets of history—plus the absolute certainty that knowledge is more powerful than any magic.
LV: You were a pretty well-known treasure hunter on the circuit for a while before disappearing. What happened?
Fi: My old partner—now my ex in every sense of the word!—gave me quite the parting gift when we split up. (Fi removes her fingerless black glove to reveal a butterfly-shaped mark on her palm.) I’ve been busy looking for clues on how to remove this curse. I have no time for treasure hunting anymore.
LV: But I hear you’ve teamed up with a new partner—Shane the mercenary, who styles herself the huntsman for hire. How’d that come about?
Fi: Honestly, I never intended to take another partner ever again. But Shane is extremely persuasive when she wants to be—and by that, I mean she does not take no for an answer. She’s pretty well known herself on the treasure hunting circuit, and really everywhere in the borderlands, for her…let’s call it aggressive, brand of justice.
She has no patience for fools, hates Witch Hunters, and could pick a fight with a rock. I do have to admit, grudgingly, that she’s an amazing warrior and treasure hunter. She also got her hands on a secret treasure map that just might be the key to everything I’m looking for.
So we’ve teamed up—for one job!
LV: And how’s that been going?
Fi: It’s a disaster. In the middle of an ancient ruin, I accidentally pricked my finger on a bone spindle and awakened the spirit of the sleeping prince, Briar Rose. According to him, I’m stuck with his spirit—like it’s haunting me or something—literally forever, unless I break the curse by awakening him with a kiss.
LV: True love’s kiss?
Fi: Thankfully no. Just a kiss. But I do have to make it all the way through the fallen kingdom of magic and the impassable Forest of Thorns to reach his body and plant one on him. The current plan, at least as far as I’m concerned, is to kiss and go our separate ways.
LV: So don’t believe in true love?
Fi: No.
LV: Destiny? Fate? Love at first sight…?
Fi: No.
LV: What do you believe in?
Fi: Always trust your compass, never go anywhere without your flint and tinder, and if something seems too good to be true—it is.
LV: And how about Briar Rose, the sleeping prince—I know you’d read about him in books for years before you awakened his spirit. How does he compare to the legend?
Fi: All the true love nonsense aside, meeting a figure out of history is amazing. Briar is a fount of information on the ancient Great Witches and the lost Orders of Magic.
In all the old stories, he sounds like this tragic noble figure, and his story is admittedly pretty sad…but he’s actually a total flirt. He also has a questionable sense of humor, and is definitely soft-hearted to a fault. I think I like him better than the prince from the stories, though.
LV: One last question. You’ve been absolutely clear about your intention not to fall in love. But what does Briar Rose think? How about the kiss that will wake him up?
Fi: Briar absolutely buys into the whole epic fated love thing. He’s also a hopeless romantic who can somehow say the corniest stuff with a straight face. (Case in point: he told me he’s been dreaming of me for a hundred years.) But he’s also an extremely powerful Witch in his own right, and he’s saved me more than once at this point.
Briar has the most beautiful light magic that shines like starlight and lights up the darkest places. It’s extremely useful, since I no longer have to carry a torch. And useful is probably the highest compliment my pragmatic heart could give.
LV: Well, thank you so much, Fi. I’m excited to see what kind of treasure hunting and curse-breaking you and Shane will be getting up to next!
Fi: None! Remember, I said one job—one job! Oh well…Shane probably wasn’t listening anyway. The huntsman has an incredible knack for only hearing what she wants to.
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Photo by Michelle Dotter
Leslie Vedder (she/her) is a queer ace author who loves fairytale retellings with girl adventurers and heroes! She grew up on fantasy books, anime, fanfiction and the Lord of the Rings movies, and met her true love in high school choir. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a B.A. in creative writing and currently lives in Colorado with her wife and two spoiled house cats.
When she’s not reading or writing, you can find her watching anime and sci-fi shows, walking in the woods and pretending they’re enchanted forests, or playing old video games. She always collects all the Skulltulas in Zelda and all the Dalmation puppies in Kingdom Hearts.
Her debut YA novel THE BONE SPINDLE (Penguin / Razorbill) was an instant indie bestseller.
Category: On Writing
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