You wrote about vampires in Evernight, witches in Spellcasters, werewolves in Fateful and now you try the multiverse theory in A Thousand Pieces of You. How challenging has been for you to write about this new world you takes us to? 

 

The most challenging thing about the multiverse of A Thousand Pieces of You is the fact that it's not one world to write about — it's tons of them! Marguerite dashes from dimension to dimension, and every single time, she finds herself in a profoundly different place. That requires a lot of thinking things through, but it's so much fun for me. I wish I could write about these adventures forever. 

 

A Thousand Pieces of You will be published in our country next month. Have you ever thought how Marguerite would be if she travelled to the Evernight or Spellcaster world?

 

Oh, gosh. Not really! Now that I consider it – either of those worlds would really freak Marguerite out. She's been raised by and around scientists, and while she's a more creative/artistic type herself, she definitely believes in a rational world. So exposing her to vampires or witches would really bowl her over. I think she'd get out of there as soon as possible!

 

What can you tell us about Spellcaster? Do you know whether it will be published in Spain? 

 

Spellcaster is the story of Nadia, a witch who has been studying the craft in secret her whole life – until she's cut off when her mother (who taught her) leaves the family. Nadia not only has to deal with the grief of her mom's abandonment, but also thinks she's lost her chance to truly master witchcraft. Her dad takes Nadia and her little brother to a new town for a fresh start, but the moment they arrive, Nadia becomes aware that a very dark magical force is at work in this town. Its plans are more malevolent and destructive than her worst nightmares. It's stronger than her, stronger than Nadia will ever be. But she has to take action, because there's no one else left to fight back. 

 

No plans for Spanish publication so far! You guys might know better than me…

 

The First Midnight Spell is a companion novel only available as ebook. Why did you write it? Would you return to write more companion novels in the future?

 

The First Midnight Spell tells the backstory of the villain from the Spellcaster series. She's hundreds of years old, so the formative moments in her life took place in a very different setting than the one the book deals with. I wanted to go back and show a time before she had become irrevocably wicked and portray that whole fall from grace. 

 

I've written one fan story for A Thousand Pieces of You that's up on Wattpad, and I hope to do more stories and maybe novellas for this series in the very near future. It's fun to have space to delve into these fascinating detours from the main narrative.

 

 

Most of your readers ask for a sequel of Fateful. Have you considered writing it? 

 

Not really. After all, the Titanic sank; therefore the story about werewolves on the Titanic is pretty much done! But I've considered doing something else with the werewolf Brotherhood, maybe putting them at other disasters in history. (Werewolves at Pompeii?)

 

How was the research process to discover the Titanic's secrets?

 

There is actually nothing easier in the world to research online than the Titanic. Armchair historians have been doing that work for a century now, and virtually everything can be found online. Want to look at the dinner menu for third class? Check out the wallpaper that was in the first-class cabins? Go over the blueprints? You can find all of that and more at the top Titanic websites online. It was so much fun! 

 

Some writers start a novel without a map and others need to know everything about the story from the beginning. Which team is yours?

 

I'm Team Plotter. I have to know where I'm going before I start, because I want to be sure I've got a story worth telling. Also, I tend to fall in love with my endings a bit, so they spur me to go ahead and write the rest, so I can get to those last chapters I'm dying to work on! 

 

Claudia Gray is a pen name. Why did you decide to use one? 

 

Honestly, I just thought it would be fun. That's it. However, using a pen name has turned out to be far more useful than I first realized it would be. It helps to be able to have separate Facebook accounts, email addresses and such. 

 

What can you tell us about your current projects?

 

Well, right now I'm writing the third and final Firebird book, to finish the story begun with A Thousand Pieces of You. And I recently got to write the first Star Wars YA novel, Lost Stars, which will be coming out in the US at the top of September. Not sure when it's coming out in Spanish, but I hope you guys get to read it too. Playing in the Star Wars universe was fun! 

 

Will you return to Spain to promote A Thousand Pieces of You?

 

If my publisher invites me, I'll be on the next plane. :D