Author Interview: M.j. kuhn

"Electrifying....a fast-paced mystery....Fantasy fans won't want to miss this." 
​--Publishers Weekly 

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Designed by Christian McGrath

In just over a year’s time, Ryia Cautella has already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick—not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name.

For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster—the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down...but even the most powerful men can be defeated.

Ryia’s path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster’s stronghold, and against every instinct she has, it’s not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves very carefully. If she succeeds, her freedom is won once and for all…but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own.

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It's April 2021, and I've got another interview for you lovely folks. Now, I'm very excited to introduce you to M.J. Kuhn and her debut novel, "Among Thieves" which will be released 9.7.2021.
M.J. Kuhn is a bright-minded individual with a sharp wit and full of sarcasm. I first met her when I joined the Another Zelda Podcast family- and was amazed at her achievement. As a fellow author, I wanted to get to know her and her work a bit more. Read on and sink your teeth into this interview!

JE: Thank you for swinging by! How *excited* are you about your debut novel? (I know I am!) How are you publishing it?
MJK: It is beyond exciting to be publishing my debut novel at last! I signed with my lovely agent in 2017, we sold "Among Thieves" to Simon & Schuster’s Saga Press in 2019, and my book-baby finally comes into the world this September!! Traditional publishing is definitely a slow-moving process, but I have valued all the guidance and support I’ve gotten from my agent and publishing house along the way, so, personally, I wouldn’t trade it!
JE: I LOVE the cover art. How did you come up with this concept?
MJK: Isn’t it stunning?? I can claim zero credit for its brilliance, haha. Christian McGrath is the wizard behind that masterpiece. In most of traditional publishing, the author actually has shockingly little say over a lot of details like cover art. I did get to see it before the cover reveal, and I got to weigh in on a few minor details, but full credit for this gorgeous, striking artwork and its concept goes to the artist himself. ​
JE: Who is the audience for this novel?
MJK: "Among Thieves" is adult fantasy, so I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone under the age of maybe 16? Mostly for violence and language… my characters are sailors and thieves, and dammit, they swear like them! Really, I would say anyone who enjoyed books like "Six of Crows" or "The Lies of Locke Lamora" would probably enjoy this book. It’s a fantasy heist full of twists and turns and snarky dialogue. If you’re a fan of those things, and you like characters that are morally grey at best, give THIEVES a shot! 
JE: Sounds amazing! If you could describe your story in three to five words, what would they be?
MJK: Banter, betrayal, magic, lovable assholes.  ​

JE: The last one won me over. That's it- TAKE MY MONEY, DAMMIT! Anywho, what was your inspiration behind the story?
MJK: My enduring love of heist stories, mostly. I adore heists, but it always seemed a little unrealistic to me that a whole team of thieves would work together without betraying one another at any point. I always really liked The Italian Job for this reason (SPOILER ALERT, I guess... but it's been out for a really long time haha). In planning "Among Thieves", I wondered, what if all the characters on the team are selfish jerks planning to screw everyone else over? From that thought, "Among Thieves" was born. Every single member of the heist team in THIEVES has their own plan for betrayal, which made the story really fun and twisty to write - I hope it’s equally fun and twisty to read!
JE: I also love stories with sarcasm. Did that make the writing experiencing all the more fun?
MJK: Haha yes! I am such a sarcastic person in real life that I honestly sometimes struggle writing my characters who aren’t super snarky. Dialogue is always one of my favorite things to write, especially when it’s something with a lot of back-and-forth, like banter or an argument. The dialogue in THIEVES is some of the most fun dialogue I’ve ever written. All the characters are so strong-willed and emotionally broken, which makes for fascinating conversations. When I started writing my first project post-THIEVES I had a lot of trouble letting those characters go! 
JE: That's great! Many struggle with dialogue! Next: what kind of magic is found in your story?
MJK: "Among Thieves" is set in a pretty twisted world where magic-users are brainwashed and trapped in servitude to non-magic users, and where their trade is the basis of most of the world’s economic and political structure. As far as fantasy goes, it’s not hyper-magical. Think of the magic levels of works like "A Song of Ice and Fire" - there is definitely magic in the world, and it runs through the plot like an undercurrent, but most of the story is based around the people and their actions, rather than the magic. 
JE: What is your ideal writing environment?
MJK: I’m not too picky! I have a full-time day job, so I write whenever/wherever I can sneak in a few words. Ideally, though, I like to write in my office at home, with soft lighting, listening to either soundtrack music or some lo-fi beats, sipping on a cup of herbal tea. That’s when I get the most done.
JE: Mmm, tea... Is this a stand alone novel or will there be sequels?
MJK: Presently, "Among Thieves" is a standalone. However, I have more to say about these scoundrels and cons, so if I’m given the opportunity, I’d love to continue their stories someday.
JE: What's your next project?
MJK: I’m currently working on a massive, sprawling adventure fantasy story! It features a cowardly magician who is sucked into a plot to stop an enemy magician from conquering his kingdom. I’m not currently under contract for it, but my agent and I are currently going through edits and I’m hoping we can take it on sub within the next year - fingers crossed! 
JE: Sounds like an amazing concept. I wish you luck, and I know I'll be keeping an eye out for it! Lastly, yes, the COVID question.
​How did COVID impact your productivity?
MJK: WHOOF the million dollar question all year has been: How do we continue to create when the world is on FIRE all around us? I’ll admit, focusing has been tough this year. I have generally switched from my normal soundtrack music while writing to those lovely lo-fi beats because they’re just a little less distracting, so that has helped some. Other than the focus-levels though, honestly COVID gave me a lot more writing time than I’d had previously. I have been working from home 99% of the time for the past year. Normally, I commute an hour each way to my day job, so the work-from-home life has been incredible for me. Also, without a social life, I’ve had way more evenings and weekends at home to work as well! All told, I have written three new first-drafts since the beginning of lockdown, as well as completing both structural and copy-edits on my debut for my publishing house. In short, I definitely can’t wait for the world to go back to some semblance of normal, but I have been managing to get stuff done nonetheless.

I'd like to thank M.J. Kuhn for her time. I hope you enjoying the peek into her world and got absolutely PSYCHED for her debut novel, "Among Thieves". I know I'll be ordering a copy. Please follow this amazing human being and stay tuned for all her works!

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M.J. Kuhn is a fantasy writer by night and a mild-mannered university employee by day. She lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Ryan, a dog named Wrex, and the very spoiled cat Thorin Oakenshield. You can find more information about M.J. online at MJKuhn.com.