I’m utterly thrilled to have had the opportunity to talk to Jessica Vitalis, author of the upcoming middle grade fantasy The Wolf’s Curse (which releases next week!).
I’ve been impatiently waiting for this book since it was first announced and I realized that it was basically spot on with everything I ever wanted in middle grade. Also, very much worthy of a little cover love, too. (Isn’t it stunning?)
The Wolf’s Curse is a story about love and loss and grief and curses. It’s a fabulous coming-of-age focused on deciding what—and whom—to believe in that is sure to tug on the heart strings of readers of all ages. As the mother of a 10-year-old who lost her great-grandfather a couple months ago, this book couldn’t have come at a more perfect time, and it’s one I’ll be glad to hand my daughter to read.
So with that in mind, I am absolutely excited to introduce you all to Jessica Vitalis, the brilliant mind behind the book, and to share a little bit more about this heartwarming and beautiful world she’s created.
Welcome to The Bookwyrm’s Den, Jessica. Thanks so much for joining me. Pay no mind to the dragons; they don’t bite ( . . . hard). I appreciate the chance to talk to you today about your upcoming debut, The Wolf’s Curse, which is a truly gorgeous middle grade book about grief and loss. Before we get to that, though, for my readers who haven’t had a chance to meet you yet, do you mind introducing yourself?
Thank you; I’m thrilled to be here, dragons and all! As to introducing myself . . . I’m a Columbia MBA wielding writer with a passion for dark, fantastical middle grade books. When I’m not busy reading or writing, I’m usually volunteering with the literary community or changing the batteries in my heated socks (I moved from Georgia to Canada four years ago).
Heated socks are super important! Especially in Canada. May your batteries never run out!
Your upcoming book, The Wolf’s Curse, touches on a lot of really big themes, but the most obvious one is grief and loss, as your young characters learn to grapple with the loss of loved ones. It’s a pretty relatable feeling, regardless of a reader’s age. Why do you think it’s important for middle grade books to tackle such big concepts, and what do you hope grieving readers might take away from The Wolf’s Curse?
Death is a natural (and unavoidable) part of life; while it’s tempting to want to protect young readers from as much pain as we can, the reality is that allowing them to process grief and trauma within the safety of a book can help them heal from past experiences and/or provide a roadmap for traumas they will inevitably encounter. My hope with The Wolf’s Curse is that it will open doors for young readers to begin grappling with the topic in a way that is both accessible and entertaining; most of all, I hope they’ll walk away with the sense that no matter how difficult their current circumstances, there is always room for hope and healing.
I love that sentiment about hope and healing! That’s something we all could use a little of, regardless of our age.
Despite what might seem like a darker book, you’ve built some absolutely gorgeous mythology into The Wolf’s Curse, such as the book’s burial rites and beliefs, the stars as lanterns lit by departed souls, and the way the community comes together to grieve. The world-building is so rich and well done, but I wonder if you have a favorite piece of mythology from the world? Were there any aspects of the culture you loved but ended up leaving on the cutting room floor during drafting?
Coming up with the mythology for The Wolf’s Curse was an absolute blast! I love every piece of it from the deceased sailing to the Sea-in-the-Sky to the breaking of the shell-crusted mirrors in order to separate the souls from their bodies. I especially love the villagers’ many superstitions (and the Wolf’s snarky comments about them)––how they believe they need to flip open signs upside down at night to prevent a Wolf from entering, the irony of relying on a dead rabbit’s foot to protect them from death, and the need to set out a chicken to satisfy the Wolf after a death.
As to leaving anything on the cutting room floor––I’m a chronic underwriter so most of my revisions focused on adding and fleshing out scenes and characters; I don’t recall having to kill any darlings other than Gauge’s last name. (If I’m not mistaken, he was originally Gauge Devereaux.)
How interesting! I’ve always been partial to the surname Devereaux . . . for absolutely no reason at all. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My brain doesn’t always need a reason for things to exist. The superstitions were some of my favorite parts, too (especially thinking about all the weird superstitions we have in our world!).
Wolves are my second-favorite animal (behind dragons, of course), so the fact that Death in your book is not only female but also a wolf caught my attention. How did you decide that Death should be both female and an animal, a wolf in particular?
This story was inspired by The Book Thief; as soon as I decided that I wanted to try writing my own version of a Grim Reaper story, I knew that one of the twists would be that the Reaper would be female. For a split second, I thought about making her a crow, but that seemed too easy in terms of her being able to pluck the souls and fly off. A wolf was the second animal to pop into my mind. I immediately loved the idea of toying with expectations; wolves are often identified as solitary creatures (hence the term “lone wolf”) but in reality, they are actually extremely loyal pack animals. In addition, a wolf automatically presented me with a fun set of challenges from a technical perspective; I couldn’t wait to figure out how the Wolf would retrieve the souls and move about the village.
I don’t hate the idea of a crow grim reaper, either, but I’m glad you chose to go with a wolf. It was such a perfect detail for the story!
Your version of Death is snarky and delightful, though not without her own struggles and depth of character. How did you settle on her personality, and did anything influence you in creating her character?
When I started writing this book, the only thing I knew for sure was that 1) the Wolf wanted someone to take her job and 2) the Wolf was a female. I remember sitting down at my computer planning to do some free writing to see if I could find a voice that seemed interesting, and the Wolf’s voice poured out of me. As soon as I wrote the prologue and first page (which looked very much like the published version), I couldn’t wait to learn more about her. She really drove the story and the only aspect of her character that I had to consciously develop was her backstory; it wasn’t until after the first draft was written that I figured out why she was so desperate to give up her job. That said, there is probably more of my personality in the Wolf than I care to admit!
I see that book two is already planned to come out next year (and I can’t wait). For anyone who has already read The Wolf’s Curse and will be looking forward to this next installment, can you give us a 10-word-or-less teaser about what we can expect?
It’s a little more than 10 words, but I can tell you that book two is both a perfect complement to and the exact opposite of The Wolf’s Curse!
Wow, what a teaser! Definitely worth the extra words.
Aside from writing books, you’re also active in the bookish community in other ways, including volunteering for We Need Diverse Books and hosting your own series of book talks called Magic in the Middle. What are one or two things you’re most passionate about working on within the bookish community?
It took me thirteen years to get my first publishing deal; my husband likes to tease me that along the way, I gave myself a Ph.D. in writing middle grade literature. I love talking craft and sharing what I’ve learned, particularly with disadvantaged writers that might not have access to the same resources I did on my journey. In addition, I love helping readers find new books, especially ones they might not otherwise have picked up.
Can you talk a little bit about Magic in the Middle and what you hope young readers will gain from watching these book talks?
Magic in the Middle is a natural extension of my passion for middle grade fantasy; it’s a free series of monthly recorded book talks that teachers, librarians and caregivers can share with their middle grade readers to introduce new books and get kids excited about reading. (As an added bonus, I often include short video messages from the authors themselves!) To learn more, visit my website at www.jessicavitalis.com.
Thank you so much for stopping by to chat with us today, Jessica. Before we go, is there anything I didn’t ask that you want your readers to know?
I suspect some readers might be turned off by the idea of a book about death; I really want them to know that despite tackling the themes of grief and loss, The Wolf’s Curse is a fast-paced adventure that will also appeal to reluctant readers.
That it is! I suspect many readers (reluctant and otherwise) will love Gauge’s plight and where his hunt for the truth leads him.
Real quick, before we go, we need to make time for the LIGHTNING ROUND. So I hope you’ve got your thinking cap on and are ready for these last burning questions!
1. If you could have any animal (real or mythical) come to escort you into the afterlife, what animal would you choose?
I think I have to say a wolf?!!!
2. In your book, the afterlife is called Sea-in-the-Sky. What would your perfect afterlife be called?
Books-by-the-Warm-Sea!
3. What would you want your funeral boat to look like to best represent you as a person?
That’s an easy one—it would definitely be a giant book!
4. What are three books you’d recommend for middle grade readers who want to explore the themes of grief and loss a bit more?
Ooh, I love this question! Three excellent books on grief and loss are The Line Tender, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and The Shape of Thunder.
About Jessica Vitalis
Jessica Vitalis is a Columbia MBA-wielding writer specializing in middle grade literature. An American expat, she now lives in Canada with her husband and two precocious daughters. She loves traveling, sailing, and scuba diving, but when she’s at home she can usually be found recording book talks for Magic in the Middle or changing the batteries in her heated socks. Her debut novel, THE WOLF’S CURSE, will be published fall 2021 by Greenwillow/HarperCollins with a second book to follow.
Thanks so much for joining us today, Jessica. The Wolf’s Curse comes out on September 21, so make sure you grab a copy!
Sammie! Thank you so much for the lovely review and interview…it was such a pleasure chatting with you!
Lovely interview. And yay for heated socks!
Miss seeing you at Book Beginnings…
Thanks! I miss participating. I really need to get back into it soon, hopefully. 😀
Sammie, this is such an AWESOME interview! 😍 I loved your questions and reading Jessica’s answers! I’m planning to start reading this either tomorrow or the day after and I’m even more excited by it after reading this! Aah!
Thank you! I had a lot of fun with it. I didn’t see your review of this. I’ll have to go back and check. It seemed like one you would enjoy!