Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Times bestselling author of Defy the Night, the Cursebreakers series, Call It What You Want, 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. A full-time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her husband, her boys, her dog, and her cat.
Today, Brigid Kemmerer is on the blog to answer a few questions about Defy the Night, her literary influences, the last book she read and loved, and more. Read on …
Brigid Kemmerer
Please tell us about your book, Defy the Night!
BK: Defy the Night is a story about a kingdom named Kandala that is on the brink of disaster. The people are overwhelmed by an illness that can only be cured by drinking an elixir made from a rare flower. The king holds on to a tenuous peace with a ruthless hand, relying on his brother, the dangerous and terrifying Prince Corrick, to punish thieves and smugglers. Our heroine, Tessa, is an apothecary apprentice by day—and an outlaw by night. She steals Moonflower petals from the rich and distributes the elixir among those who cannot afford it, getting help from her best friend, the roguish outlaw Weston Lark. When Wes doesn’t return from a supply run one night, Tessa is desperate enough to try the impossible: sneaking into the palace. But what she finds on the inside makes her wonder if it’s even possible to fix Kandala without destroying it first.
Where did you get the first spark of inspiration for Defy the Night?
BK: I was scrolling on Facebook and saw yet another GoFundMe for someone who didn’t have the money to pay for chemotherapy. I realize that in other countries, this wouldn’t happen, but in the USA, access to healthcare is still a massive challenge for a lot of people. My initial inspiration was to think about how the idea of medicine being there, but not available to someone due to their socioeconomic status, was just abhorrent. Add in my love of outlaw stories like Robin Hood or Zorro, and the idea for Defy the Night was born.
What do you hope readers will discover in Defy the Night?
BK: I hope readers will find a wild mix of royal intrigue, political scheming, and a sassy and smart heroine who knows how to put the hero in his place.
Who did you write this book for? Who do you wish would read it?
BK: People who want to make a difference, and aren’t sure they can. Everyone can make a difference.
‘My initial inspiration was to think about how the idea of medicine being there, but not available to someone due to their socioeconomic status, was just abhorrent. Add in my love of outlaw stories like Robin Hood or Zorro, and the idea for Defy the Night was born.’
What is the best piece of writing advice you have ever received?
BK: Keep your eyes on your own paper! Another author’s journey doesn’t affect my own. If someone writes 10,000 words in a day, it doesn’t matter if I only write 1,000 – or even 100. If someone hits a bestseller list, it doesn’t take a spot away from me.
Which book do you most often recommend or give as a gift?
BK: The Gift of Fear by Gavin deBecker. It’s an amazing book about how we train ourselves to ignore fear because we’re more worried about being kind. The book is about learning to listen to your instincts and protect yourself. I recommend that all women read it.
Who do you most admire in the writing world?
BK: Jodi Picoult. (This answer feels like I’m cheating because she’s now a close friend, but I am truly amazed by the trajectory of her career, and the way she has built a legion of devoted readers. Besides which, her books are AMAZING!)
What is the last book you read and loved?
BK: Fable by Adrienne Young
Do you have any unusual writing and/or reading habits?
BK: I have to listen to music with words. I know most authors can only listen to instrumental music, or need complete silence, but I NEED words.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
BK: Forging Silver into Stars, a new YA fantasy set in the world of the Cursebreaker series, will be released in May 2022.
—Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer (Bloomsbury Australia) is out on the 14th of September.
Defy the Night
n a kingdom where sickness stalks the streets and only the richest can afford a cure, King Harristan and his brother Prince Corrick are forced to rule with an iron fist.
Tessa Cade is a masked outlaw marked for death, but she likes it that way. Together with the mysterious, handsome Weston, she robs from the rich to help the poor, distributing food and medicine to those who need it most. As it becomes clear that the only way to save her people is to assassinate the King, Tessa must face a deadly mission that will take her to the dark heart of the kingdom … and force her to work with the very people she intended to destroy.
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