| Hi Cyla, thank you for being on my blog today to discuss your debut YA fantasy novel Stalking Shadows. How excited are you for people to read your book? Can you tell us a little bit about Stalking Shadow? STALKING SHADOWS is a feminist, gothic retelling of Beauty and the Beast, where Marie must select her sister’s victims to protect her, but when a child turns up dead she’s forced to break the curse or face who’s really become a monster. What inspired you to write the book? I’ve always loved the original, more gritty versions on fairytales. When I found out about the historical mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan, which was a beast of some kind that killed many people in the Gévaudan valley in France in the 18th century, I was fascinated by this really awful thing that we still didn’t have a solid explanation for. I read all the articles I could find and learned that a young girl named Marie-Jeanne Valet fought off the beast and won. I started thinking about that, and what a story like Beauty and the Beast would be like if the girls in the story held much more of the power. If it was two sisters who were the unwilling terrorizers — one as a beast and one as the person to selects people to die. I named my main character, Marie, after Mary-Jeanne Valet. When coming up with new book ideas, what comes to you first plot or the characters? I usually start with a spark of an idea — place, time, magic — and the main character. From there, I start to flesh that main character out, find her disbelief, and the true belief I want her to reach by the end of the book. The character arc informs the plot for me, and the details of the plot usually come last. I create a beat sheet as a plot outline before starting a project. What advice would you give to Marie? You are worthy. That she doesn’t need give up pieces of herself to be loved. What was the hardest thing about writing Stalking Shadows?A lot of Marie and her sister Ama’s relationship was both difficult and cathartic for me to write. Their very bond really stems from shared trauma, and that’s a trauma I also had in my life. Writing the father character, who is an alcoholic, was very difficult for me and wrapped up in a lot of emotions. Was this the first book you ever wrote? No, this was the second book I ever wrote. The first book I ever wrote was a Middle Grade that I hope I’ll be able to revise into something great one day. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer? I remember doing my first creative writing exercise in school (in French!) – probably in Grade 1 or 2 — and loving it. My teacher actually selected my little story, along with another in the class, to send to the Canadian government to as part of a project to demonstrate writing by kids in French Immersion. After that, I was always the kid who was so excited when we got to write creatively. By the time I was a teenager, I was writing what I thought might be picture books (spoiler alert – they were way too long and never came to anything!). I knew from then I wanted to be a writer in different forms, but ultimately my dream was to become a published author. What do you do when you’re not writing? I read a lot! It’s my favourite way to unwind. Sometimes I draw. I also love a good thriller or period drama on Netflix. What advice would you give to aspiring writers? There’s no time limit, and the right time to get started is when it feels right to you! Finally, if anything, what do you want readers to take away from your book? I’d love if readers took away a sense of hope and empowerment—ownership over your own future. |
You can purchase Stalking Shadows from
| Amazon | Barnes and Noble |
| Books-a-Million | Bookshop |
| IndieBound | Powells |
| Indigo/Chapters | Apple Books |
| Google Play | Kobo |
Cyla Panin is an MG, YA and Adult Author who prefers to look at the world through a dusting of magic. Her YA debut, STALKING SHADOWS will be out with Amulet, Abrams Fall 2021. She is represented by Chloe Seager of the Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV, and Film Agency.
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