1. Endsinger. End of your first series. Epic conclusion to a fantasy novel. It’s the bottom of the ninth – whatever the hell that means. What are you feeling right now?

It’s real strange, tbh. A whole mix of emotions. Sadpanda that I’m saying goodbye to this world I’ve lived in almost every day for the past 5 years. Proud that I gave these characters the send off they deserved. Really happy with the way the book turned out – it’s the biggest thing I’ve ever written, both in terms of sheer scale (there’s an epic battle scene that goes for around 200 pages and has around 9 character PoVs running simultaneously 0_o) and just raw page count. This series totally changed my life, so yeah, it’s strange and sad and cool to have made it all the way to the end.

2. Yukiko, Kin, Hanna and Michi had a rough time in Kinslayer. Were you nervous about writing the conclusion to so many stories all at once?

Yeah, for sure. Those characters are all so real in my head, and readers feel so strongly about them, I had to make sure each of them got the story arc they deserved. Living with characters this long – they start to take on a life of their own and do things you don’t expect them to. But the events in ENDSINGER pull them all together really neatly and in big, exciting ways, so I’m pretty chuffed with that. Everyone gets their moment in the sun. Or snow, as the case may be. You know what I mean, dammit.

3. What other projects do you have coming up dude? TELL US!

Well, I co-authored a SciFi trilogy with Amie Kaufman, one of the authors THESE BROKEN STARS. The first book, ILLUMINAE, is coming out from Random House in 2015. It’s one of the most exciting things I’ve ever worked on. We’re doing stuff in this book I’ve never seen before – it’s either unmitigated genius or complete fucking insanity. Probably both, actually. But either way, it’s going to be like no book you’ve ever read. We’re sooooo pumped for folks to see it. Totes pumped, brah.

AND I have a new solo fantasy project coming up – I’ll be announcing that really soon. Super excited about that too—I am loving the hell out of my protagonist right now. She kicks teeth and takes zero shit. I can’t give out too many details yet, but I will say this: Assassins.

So yeah, I’m going to be a busy boy. If I lose my tiny mind and you find me wandering the streets not wearing any pants, or worse, wearing my pants on my head, you’ll know why.

4. Was there any part of Kinslayer or Endsinger that made you the saddest?

The ending of ENDSINGER still makes me cry. And I’ve read the thing about 50 times now. It’s the saddest thing I’ve ever written, and I realize that’s against some pretty brutal competition. And I don’t want to make it sound like the book ends on a downer – I think there’s a real message of hope there. I think folks will cheer at the end.

But yeah. Victory without sacrifice is meaningless. J

5. Why do you have to be so fabulous?

Jay isn’t fabulous at all. Jay is a complete jerk. I’m a guy Jay keeps in his basement to answer all his correspondence and interviews, because Jay’s publishers don’t let him interact with people anymore after he lit that kid on fire at Supanova last year.

Seriously. He keeps me in the basement. Someone call the fucking police. I’m at

. . . oh god, he’s coming down the stairs . . .

6. Because we really like to make things awkward, which is your favourite blog?

No, god, put down the hammer, Jay noooooooooooooooo

Without further ado, here is the stunning cover to this amazing finale!

A TREMBLING EARTH
The flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. With the Tiger Clan and their puppet Daimyo Hiro in tow, the Guild marches toward a battle for absolute dominion over the Isles.

A BROKEN REBELLION
Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the Kagé rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends in an effort to unite the country against the chi-mongers. But the ghosts of Buruu’s past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin’s betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war tearing the Imperium apart, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win.

A FINAL BATTLE
The traitor Kin walks the halls of Guild power, his destiny only a bloody knife-stroke away. Hana and Yoshi struggle to find their place in a world now looking to them as heroes. Secret cabals within the Lotus Guild claw and struggle; one toward darkness, the other toward light. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth.

There is nothing a mother won’t do to keep her children by her side.

Nothing.

 

[about-author]

Über Giveaway Question:

Your uber giveaway quiz question is:

1. Buruu speaks in all-caps because:

a) All caps is the cruise-control for awesome

b) Because his thoughts are very loud, and Jay is trying to demonstrate this fact though arty use of typography because he’s a tosser like that

c) DO NOT PRETEND TO KNOW MY MIND, FOOLISH MONKEY-CHILD

d) All of the above

Cuddlebuggery Giveaway

Out of love and hopes that Jay will one day provide her with baby Arashitora, Kat Kennedy is funding a giveaway for the preorder of a Hardcover copy of Endsinger!

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