Interview with Beth Cato, author of Wings of Sorrow and Bone
Author: Beth Cato
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Steampunk
Format: Ebook
From the author of The Clockwork Dagger comes an exciting novella set in the same world…
After being rescued by Octavia Leander from the slums of Caskentia, Rivka Stout is adjusting to her new life in Tamarania. But it’s hard for a blossoming machinist like herself to fit in with proper society, and she’d much rather be tinkering with her tools than at a hoity-toity party any day.
When Rivka stumbles into a laboratory run by the powerful Balthazar Cody, she also discovers a sinister plot involving chimera gremlins and the violent Arena game Warriors. The innocent creatures will end up hurt, or worse, if Rivka doesn’t find a way to stop Mr. Cody. And to do that means she will have to rely on some unexpected new friends.
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Wings of Sorrow and Bone is available for order at
A: I was born and raised in California's San Joaquin Valley. I married a Navy sailor, we moved around the country, and we've been settled in Arizona since my husband left the service. I write fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and combinations thereof. My nonfiction stories have been featured in over a dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books on topics from my crazy cats to raising a son with autism. Almost a hundred of my poems have been published across a wide array of magazines, from the Christian Science Monitor to Apex Magazine.
At age four, I was stapling together my own books and declaring that I was going to be an author when I grew up. In my late teens, that dream withered and died, but a decade later I resolved to write again. It's been a hard slog, but here I am in my thirties with two novels out as well as short stories and poems beyond count.
Q: Can you please tell us about your novella and why you wrote it?
A: Wings of Sorrow and Bone follows up my two novels, The Clockwork Dagger and The Clockwork Crown, though is written to stand alone as well. My second book features a politician and scientist by the name of Balthazar Cody who has combined magic and science to create hideously adorable gremlins. His creations are brilliant, but his methods are cruel. The plot pushed along and Mr. Cody was left in power, with his laboratory intact and gremlins still suffering. I wanted--no, needed--to save those gremlins.
Q: What were some of the biggest challenges you faced writing it?
A: I united two of my characters who had never met before, and they are the least likely people to take down someone as powerful as Mr. Cody. Rivka is a teenage girl with a passion for mechanics, and she only recently escaped a life of poverty and abuse. Tatiana is a mere eleven-years-old and wealthy, spoiled, and selfish. Neither girl has magical powers. They struggle to figure out how to take down Mr. Cody and save his gremlins, and I struggled to figure out how they could possibly do it!
Q: Do you have a press kit and what do you include in it? Does this press kit appear online and, if so, can you provide a link to where we can see it?
A: Yes. My press kit includes my photograph in various sizes (credit to Corey Ralston Photography), my book covers in various sizes, as well as differently-sized biographies.
http://www.bethcato.com/press-kit/
Q: Have you either spoken to groups of people about your book or appeared on radio or TV? What are your upcoming plans for doing so?
A: Yes, I've been a panelist at San Diego Comic Con, Tucson Festival of Books, WorldCon/Sasquan, Phoenix Comicon, and other conventions, trade shows, and book events. I have been interviewed on live radio on 1490AM KYCA in Prescott, Arizona; on camera on The Daily Quirk; and on major podcasts such as Sword & Laser (which was mirrored on BoingBoing), the Skiffy and Fanty Show, and SFSignal.
My current plans include return trips to the Tucson Festival of Books and Phoenix Comicon.
Q: Do you have an agent and, if so, would you mind sharing who he/she is? If not, have you ever had an agent or do you even feel it’s necessary to have one?
A: My agent is Rebecca Strauss at DeFiore and Company.
Q: Did you, your agent or publisher prepare a media blitz before the book came out and would you like to tell us about it?
A: I've been blessed by a supportive publicity team at Harper Voyager and Harper Voyager Impulse; my publicist, Caroline Perny, has worked hard to build awareness for all of my releases, including Wings of Sorrow and Bone. With her help, my books have been featured places such as NPR.org, USA Today, The New York Times Book Review, and The Mary Sue. I also ask for help from friends and fellow authors, and I keep in touch with librarians and book bloggers. It's a major effort all around.
Q: Do you plan subsequent books?
A: Yes! I will have another Clockwork Dagger short story released in April. Next August, Harper Voyager will release the first book of my new alternate history/steampunk series, Breath of Earth.
Q: Thank you for your interview, Beth Cato. Would you like to tell my readers where they can find you on the web and how everyone can buy your book?
A: Thank you so much for hosting me! I'm easy to find online at BethCato.com. From there folks can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, and drool over my infamous cookie recipes. My books can be found at most online retailers and at many Barnes & Noble stores and independent booksellers. I have direct links to many stores on my website.
Follow her at www.BethCato.com and on Twitter at @BethCato.
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