Back Porch Book Chat with Tasha Kazanjian (YA author)

Back Porch Book Chat: a casual conversation about books and writing. Today we’re visiting with Tasha Kazanjian, author of A Trick of Spades. A lover of old books, history, and theology, Tasha writes fantasy inspired by very real places and times. She can’t resist adding a bit of magic to her worlds, but her stories primarily focus on how characters interact with those worlds, wrestling with ordinary human conflicts and emotions. Like every other author out there, Tasha unapologetically loves tea, coffee, autumn, rainy days, candles, and everything cozy. She can typically be found listening to 80s music and scrambling to meet a deadline. We held our virtual chat in the fall.

Before we begin, tell us what beverage you’d like as we sit in our (virtual) rocking chairs: Hot cider? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Pumpkin spice latte? Chai? Sparkling water?

Well, this time of year, I love an iced pumpkin spice latte. As soon as pie pumpkins show up at the grocery store, I grab a couple and make my own pumpkin puree so I can get baking—and mixing coffee drinks.

Mmmm, I love pumpkin spice lattes, though I usually like them hot. I’ve made my own sauce before, but it’s been a while.

What are some authors who have influenced your writing? (And what were your favorite books growing up?)

Some of my absolute favorite authors are Rumer Godden, Ursula K. Le Guin, and J. R. R. Tolkien. However, I mostly discovered their books as a teenager. As a kid, I was formed by many classic British children’s authors—E. Nesbit, Enid Blyton, Eva Ibbotson, Roald Dahl, Frances Hodgson Burnett, and C. S. Lewis. I can definitely see the influences of their books in my writing; The Horse and His Boy, A Little Princess, and Matilda were some of my favorites as a child. 

Oh, we just finished reading The BFG by Roald Dahl! It was a first for some in my family, a repeat for others. A Little Princess is definitely one of my childhood favorites, too.

When did you start writing?

According to my parents, they knew I was going to be a writer when I started critiquing my textbooks at the age of seven. When I was ten, I started scribbling off scripts based on classic fairy tales and myths for my friends and I to perform. By the time I was thirteen, I was writing books. I think I just wanted to keep playing pretend, honestly. I was reaching an age where playing dress-up and running wild in the woods fighting bad guys was going out of vogue, but I wasn’t ready to give up on imagining. Many of those early stories still live on in some form or another. In fact, I started writing Trick of Spades when I was probably around twelve or thirteen, though it was very different from what it is now!

That’s impressive! I started writing at a very young age too, though I would rather forget most of that material. I always wanted to pursue publication, though. We’re kindred spirits. 🙂

You and I first connected through our agent, Anjanette. What is your story of “meeting” her? 

I met Anjanette at the inaugural LegendHaven, a faith and the arts conference. It was entirely online (I believe it still is) and Anjanette had a session on the role of an agent. She did a quick pitch critique at the end, during which I threw in a one-sentence summary of Trick of Spades. At the end of the session, she encouraged all the attendees to query her and mention the conference in the subject line. I hadn’t really planned to query her—I’d been querying for two years at that point and was on the brink of giving up. However, I decided to send her the first few chapters of Spades anyway. She requested a full, and a few months later, I signed on with Dunham Lit.

She’s such a wonderful agent! So encouraging and wise. I’m glad we both made her list.

How would you describe your debut YA novel, A Trick of Spades?

I really should be better at describing it at this point, but it’s always a challenge! To me, the story feels a little bit like a classic British fantasy novel got stuck in a blender with an episode of Get Smart. Or maybe Diana Wynne Jones meets Trenton Lee Stewart? The story follows twins Colm and Clíana as they try to rescue their aunt from a dangerous crime lord, but they accidentally make everything worse and end up on the run themselves. There’s lots of fun adventure, though I’d say the heart of the story is the relationship between the twins, and how that relationship has been impacted by their father’s death.

It’s an impressive undertaking, and you accomplish it very well! I enjoyed reading it. I particularly noted how you handled not leaving Clíana alone with a man she didn’t know, even though he might be able to help her. Some MG and YA books are not as concerned about the main character thinking of moral safety even while she’s willing to put herself at risk to rescue loved ones.

What inspired you to this intriguing setting for your story?

In 2019, I was living in Edinburgh for a study abroad program. While there, I began brainstorming and outlining Spades. Many of the places described in the story are directly inspired by places I saw during that time. Because Spades is a high fantasy, I could create a world which brought together all these different influences. The UK itself is a mélange of ancient cultures—Roman, Briton, Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Norman. You can still see bits and pieces of all of them. I wanted to create a world just as jumbled, but with magic in the mix. Also, I wanted to write something that wasn’t medieval. It was definitely a challenge, but I thought it would be quite fun to create a world that felt like a fantasy version of the 60s. I actually did a lot of research as well, specifically studying mid-century London. I love the concept of environmental storytelling—how a setting can shape the characters, the plot, the themes, etc. Research helps me to build a world that feels real, and I think that’s necessary for crafting characters that feel real.

It almost has a steampunk feel, not because it’s Victorian, but because of the blend of magic (instead of technology) and vintage 60’s aura. You did a great job. Are there further adventures of Colm, Clíana, and Aunt Finna forthcoming?

I can’t say much about that yet, but I’m definitely not done with their story! Spades ends with a lot of unanswered questions, so I hope I get the chance to answer them. My niece in particular is clamoring for a sequel and has been for years. She was one of my very first beta readers, so she’s had to wait even longer than everyone else for the next part of the story . . .

You have such creative Instagram reels! I love the ones where you dress as different characters and pass by the card catalog under the bookshelves. How do you choose your characters’ outfits? Are you involved with acting or the stage? I have a card catalog too—it’s one of my favorite pieces of furniture in the house! Do you keep fun collections in yours?

Oh, thank you! Those definitely take the longest to make, so I’m glad you enjoy them. I love thrifting and collecting vintage clothes, and while I’m not an expert, I definitely like learning about fashion history. When I write, I actually think a lot about what everyone is wearing. It’s not necessarily something I describe at length (or even at all), but it falls in the category of “stuff I need to know even if the reader doesn’t.” Clothing can be an extension of personality and circumstances—for example, in the very first chapter of Spades, Clíana describes how Finna dresses very differently now that she lives in the city. Her clothes reflect her effort to separate herself from her roots and her family.

Since I already spend a lot of time crafting my characters’ outfits, it’s actually pretty easy to pick things out of my own closet that match (more or less). I wish I was involved in acting! I loved doing plays in high school and was involved in a community theater company in college, but it’s been a while. Card catalogues are really a staple of any book lover’s library, I think. Mine happily came to me for free. It was languishing in a parochial school basement, and my mother asked if she could take it. I did give it a new paint job (it’s pink), and I keep craft supplies in the drawers. They’re just the right size for things like yarn and buttons and other sundries.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a couple of projects, currently. Of course, I’m not done with Finna, Colm, and Clíana yet, so stay tuned for updates. I’m also working on a completely separate project which is aimed at a more adult audience. Like Spades, it falls into a category I like to call “retro fantasy,” but unlike Spades, it does take place in the real world; it’s set in the Midwest at the end of the 1960s. Writing something with a very specific historical setting is definitely a challenge, but honestly, it’s not so different from crafting high fantasy—still a lot of details to track!

Who are your favorite authors/books you’re currently enjoying? Any recommendations for our readers?

As ever, I’m reading a lot of nonfiction as part of my research process. So recently, a lot of interview collections and memoirs pertaining to the ‘60s, as well as some midcentury literary fiction. In terms of “fun” books, however, I’ve really been enjoying K. B. Hoyle’s Fairytale Collection. I just finished an ARC of Son of Gold and Sorrow and loved it. My top favorite fiction book of the year so far has to be Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri. It was just incredible, and I’ve been foisting it on every person I know.  

We LOVE Everything Sad is Untrue! You have excellent taste.

Readers, I do hope you will acquire a copy of A Trick of Spades for those who love adventure and mystery that’s a little different in setting. Thank you for joining us here, Tasha!

Owl’s Nest Publishers
Amazon link (affiliate)