What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Cursebound Thief?
I was drawn into the heist genre by Heist Society by Ally Carter, and my love was cemented by Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology. The unlikely friendships, the magic, the deception, the time jumps… so well executed and so entertaining. I wanted to bring that sense of wonderment into more contemporary settings―Vegas to Florida to New England―with immediately relatable characters.
If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Cursebound Thief, what would they be?
Jerek – Carry On by fun. Ari – If You Seek Amy by Brittany Spears. Lincoln – “…who has time to listen to music?” Jack – I Am What I Am from La Cage Aux Folles. Grace – Set Fire to the Rain by Adele. Eve – Titanium by David Guetta feat. Sia.
What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I’m a genre-agnostic reader, VERY much like my writing. Though I do have a soft spot for YA, especially fantasy.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
I’m currently reading Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Storm and Fury. After that, I’m… yeah. It’s too long to list. But I did recently finish Rule of Wolves (I’m a BIG Bardugo fan).
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
Remember when I mentioned the “time jumps” in heist books? Yeah. There are a couple of scenes in The Cursebound Thief where I got to use those. The first happens in the Council of the Feu, the magical headquarters in D.C. Getting to write the scene from four of the six perspectives with time overlaps was such a fun challenge!
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
No one is alone. No one part of a team is more or less important than another. We all have our part to play. And we all fit in… somewhere. Find your crew. And embrace your found family. As the saying goes: friendship is thicker than blood.
Megan O’Russell is the author of the new book The Cursebound Thief
Connect with Megan O’Russell
Author Site
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