Today, I’m excited to host this Q&A with Samantha Cohoe. A Golden Fury was released yesterday, October 13, 2020. To celebrate the release of her new novel, the author answers a few questions for us.
Thank you so much, Wednesday Books, for having me on this tour and for gifting an e-copy of the book.
Interview – Samantha Cohoe
Q: What inspired you to write this story?
A: Alchemy! It’s such a fascinating and strange pursuit, a mix of philosophy and theology and science and MAGIC. And I love all those things. I was intrigued by the history of alchemy, and also its intense ambition. Alchemists literally thought they could produce eternal life and limitless gold, and many of them dedicated their whole lives to it. You have to respect that kind of moxie.
Q: Describe your main character in 3 words.
A: Sharp. Brave. Ambitious.
Q: What was the most challenging part to write in this book?
A: The most challenging part to write was the madness, mostly because it was a little scary to inhabit! I can’t read horror, and this book veers into horror at times. I freaked myself out!
Q: What was your most favorite part and why?
A: I have a scene in mind between Valentin and Thea that still makes me misty. No spoilers, but sometimes just a little thaw in very bad feelings between characters is more meaningful to me than dramatic declarations of love.
Q: What’s a typical writing day for you?
A: My kiddos just went back to school, so I’m finally finding a typical writing day after quarantine. So right now I get everyone breakfast, take the kids to school, and then write all morning, from about 8-12. I’m trying to take little breaks in there, like short walks around the neighborhood.
At 12 I go to the gym and after that, the rest of my life takes over so I rarely get any more writing done. But 8-12 is pretty good, especially after years of squeezing writing in between my teaching job as well as everything else!
Q: Where do you like writing and why?
A: Right now, I like writing in my living room. But in olden days, I loved to write at my local coffee shops. I hope I get to do that again one of these days.
Q: What was your last 5-star read and why?
A: I just finished A DEADLY EDUCATION by Naomi Novik and, dang. Murder Hogwarts didn’t really sound like the book I wanted right now, but she sure pulled it off.
Q: How would your main character fare with a stay-at-home order?
A: She’d be doing great. Thea’s at a point in her life where she doesn’t realize yet that she is an extrovert, so she channels everything she’s got into her work. She’d be one of those people in hyper-productive mode, making the rest of us feel bad about ourselves and not sorry for it.
Q: What author or story inspired you growing up or inspired you in some ways?
A: When I read JONATHAN NORRELL AND MR. STRANGE, it was a revelation. This was the first time I’d read a fantasy book in a historical setting that wasn’t totally second world or else vaguely medieval. I didn’t really know it was possible! And of course, now I write historical fantasy, so the influence is pretty direct!
Synopsis – A Golden Fury by Samantha Cohoe
Set in eighteenth century England, Samantha Cohoe’s debut novel, A GOLDEN FURY , follows a young alchemist as she tries to save the people she loves from the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone. The streets of London and Oxford come to life as this historical fantasy unravels. Weaving together an alluring story of magic and danger, Samantha’s debut has her heroine making messy decisions as she toes the line between good and evil while it becomes blurred.
Thea Hope longs to be an alchemist out of the shadow of her famous mother. The two of them are close to creating the legendary Philosopher’s Stone—whose properties include immortality and can turn any metal into gold—but just when the promise of the Stone’s riches is in their grasp, Thea’s mother destroys the Stone in a sudden fit of violent madness.
While combing through her mother’s notes, Thea learns that there’s a curse on the Stone that causes anyone who tries to make it to lose their sanity. With the threat of the French Revolution looming, Thea is sent to Oxford for her safety, to live with the father who doesn’t know she exists.
But in Oxford, there are alchemists after the Stone who don’t believe Thea’s warning about the curse—instead, they’ll stop at nothing to steal Thea’s knowledge of how to create the Stone. But Thea can only run for so long, and soon she will have to choose: create the Stone and sacrifice her sanity, or let the people she loves die.
A GOLDEN FURY and the curse of the Philosopher’s Stone will haunt you long after the final page.
Book Excerpt
A-Golden-Fury_EXCERPT*A Nerd Daily YA Debut to Watch Out for in 2020*
“Sharply written with a crackling, compassionately determined heroine, A Golden Fury is a vivid ride through eighteenth century Europe with darkness and dread creeping at its corners. Utterly enchanting.”
– Emily A. Duncan, New York Times bestselling author of Wicked Saints
“An engaging concoction of fantasy, romance, and historical fiction.” – Booklist
“Cohoe situates the supernatural among the historical, referencing the French Revolution and the Enlightenment while…keeping a sense of urgency as Thea struggles with the magical, demonic pull of the Stone.”
– Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“The attention to detail in the story is excellent. Thea herself is a confident lead with a strong voice. A solid fantasy to
flesh out the world of alchemy that most readers know only from ‘Harry Potter.'” – School Library Journal
“Cohoe transmutes the legend of the Philosopher’s Stone into a dark, intoxicating tale of ambition, obsession, and sacrifice. Prepare for a magic that will consume you.”
– Rosamund Hodge, New York Times bestselling author of Cruel Beauty and Bright Smoke, Cold Fire
“Steeped in mystery and magic, Samantha Cohoe’s A Golden Fury immerses readers in beautifully rendered world where magic and science mix, and where the intoxication of power can be deadly. Whip-smart Thea is a heroine readers will root for.” – Lisa Maxwell, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Magician
About The Author: Samantha Cohoe
Samantha Cohoe writes historically-inspired young adult fantasy. She was raised in San Luis Obispo, California, where she enjoyed an idyllic childhood of beach trips, omnivorous reading, and writing stories brimming with adverbs. She currently lives in Denver with her family and divides her time among teaching Latin, mothering, writing, reading, and deleting adverbs. A Golden Fury is her debut novel.
