Earlier this fall, I (Kaitlyn) had the great pleasure of reading GIRLS MADE OF SNOW AND GLASS. It was one of my favorite books of the year, and I am so thrilled that Melissa agreed to hang out here on The Deb Ball today!
Melissa Bashardoust received her degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, where she rediscovered her love for creative writing, children’s literature, and fairy tales and their retellings. She currently lives in Southern California with a cat named Alice and more copies of Jane Eyre than she probably needs. Girls Made of Snow and Glass is her first novel.
Girls Made of Snow and Glass is a feminist retelling of Snow White. Entwining the stories of both Lynet (the traditional “Snow White” character) and Mina (the traditional “Evil Queen” character) in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything―unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.
You can find Melissa on her website, on Twitter, and Tumblr. Now, on to the interview!
Who is one of your favorite (fictional or non-fictional) characters?
As you can tell from my bio, I love Jane Eyre. Both Jane’s quiet conviction and her passionate heart appeal to different parts of me, and I often think of her when I think of the person I’d like to be. She’s one of those characters who’s become like a friend to me, teaching me new things since I first read the book as a teen. Most of all, she taught me that strength is not just going after what you want but also having the self-control to walk away from what you know isn’t good for you.
Where do you love to be?
By the ocean. One of my big dreams is to have a house by the sea so I can hear and smell and see the ocean every day.
Which talent do you wish you had?
I wish I had a knack for learning languages! I’d love to be a polyglot, but I don’t have the ear for it. I’m pretty good at remembering the grammar rules, but when it comes to speaking or listening, I go blank.
What time of day do you love best?
Dusk. Something about dusk is so calming to me, maybe because it’s an in-between time, removed from the rest of the day. Everything seems to go still and quiet for a while. And I love that soft purple the sky turns right before it gets completely dark.
What’s your next big thing? (new book, new project, etc.)
Right now, I’m working on another YA fantasy that’s a blend of elements from Sleeping Beauty, Rappaccini’s Daughter, and Persian mythology, about a princess who was cursed by a demon to be poisonous to the touch. It’s a little daunting because I’m drawing on my own cultural background and because I’m obsessed with Sleeping Beauty, so I really want to do it justice!
