[Blog Tour] Interview with Coco Ma, about Cake, Writing Fantasy, And God Storm!

I’m super excited to be interviewing Coco Ma today about the release of her latest book, God Storm!

This is the sequel to Shadow Frost (which I made a super cool quiz for last year 😌👌🏻still proud) and it follows Asterin Faelenhart as she battles the shadows in the Kingdom of Axaria and takes matters of vengeance into her own hands. If you like sassy princesses, epic group-squad dynamics, elemental magic, and plots packed with power — this series is for you!

Also stop by my instagram to enter the INTL giveaway 😍✨

THANK YOU TO MTMC TOURS FOR HAVING ME on the tour!

Everything has a price.
In the kingdom of Axaria, a darkness has fallen. After defeating the evil mother who summoned an immortal demon to kill her, newly coronated Queen Asterin Faelenhart should have every reason to celebrate. Her kingdom is safe, forbidden magic eradicated, and her friends are alive. Except Asterin’s triumph has come at a devastating cost – forced to choose between a lifelong friend and true love, she’s lost both. But the shadows in Axaria have begun to stir once again, and no one is more starved for vengeance than Asterin….
Yet it soon becomes clear that the shadows plaguing her kingdom are just the beginning. Another realm coexists with the mortal world – the beautiful, nightmarish Immortal Realm ruled by the wicked God of Shadow, King Eoin. When their paths entwine, Asterin realizes that Eoin possesses exactly what – and who – she seeks most. And the fates of all those that she holds dear – Orion, her missing Guardian; Luna, the friend she could not save; Harry, the demon who saved them all; and Quinlan, her beloved broken prince – ultimately rest in the god’s hands.
But in a world of magic, not everyone is always as they seem. When shocking discoveries threaten everything and everyone Asterin has sworn her life to protect, she won’t be the only person forced to make a choice…a choice that will change the mortal world forever.
And maybe even destroy it.

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Coco Ma is a Canadian author and pianist. At the age of fifteen, she wrote the first book of the Shadow Frost Trilogy and hasn’t looked back since. After learning the piano during her childhood, she has performed on some of the world’s greatest concert stages and graduated with a precollege diploma in piano performance from the Juilliard School in New York City. Currently, she studies at Yale University.
At this point, she wishes she could mention having a dog or a small dragon, except pets (and happiness, apparently) are tragically prohibited at her dormitories. When she isn’t writing, practicing piano, or wreaking havoc, you might find her bingeing Netflix or eating cake. Lots of cake.

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram

Hi Coco! So excited to chat with you again 💛 Can you tell us 3 things to expect as we launch into reading GOD STORM?

I’m most excited about the world expansion—in God Storm, you’ll get to explore the Immortal Realm and the Shadow Kingdom. Of course, this means you’ll also get to meet a certain self-proclaimed King of the Immortals… I hear that he’s quite the charmer. Besides him, you’ll meet some new characters, including a man who seems to have the ability to control gravity and a girl with a mysterious past whose cunning is the only thing sharper than the knives she wields. Lastly, I can’t wait for you to read the ending. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

This all sounds so brilliant ahhh! Can you tell us about how you choose your epic character names? Are there any stories behind your choices?

Some of them have meanings, like “Faelenhart”—wolf heart. Some have unique qualities depending on which kingdom they hail from, such as the number of syllables or the first letter of the name. Others, like Rose, just feel right. And Harry’s name, of course, is a reference to my favourite character from my favourite movie ever (Kingsman: The Secret Service, not HP).

I’m a bit obsessed with name choices so 😍 this is fascinating! Since this is your second published novel, has anything about your writing process changed since you started?

Absolutely! At the time when I was writing Shadow Frost, I had no idea it would eventually turn into the beginning of a trilogy. I was just writing for the hell of it—almost no plotting involved. After we sold it to a publisher, I had a good chunk of time between revisions and publication to sit down and figure out the arc of the second book. I’m proud to say that I actually made a rough chapter-by-chapter outline. Of course, the book didn’t always end up following that outline, but overall it really helped me keep the pacing much more consistent than the first book, weave complex storylines, and build in some nail-biting tension.

Oh outlining is both brilliant and painful at times. I relate. So what is your favourite thing about writing fantasy?

Personally, I wish I lived in a world with magic. Sometimes I stare out the window and dream of dragons gliding through the sky and gardens aglow with mystical flowers at night. How wonderful would that be! I love that writing fantasy not only allows for the manifestation of my imagination, but also that I can share it all with my readers. It’s so freeing.

And lastly! Was any chocolate harmed in the making of this novel? 😌

I’m not sure about chocolate, but cake? Absolutely. Both in the book and in real life. You’ll see. The chapter in the book that I’m referencing gave me a reeeeally great excuse to scroll through images of cake on Pinterest for five hours. 😛

Cake is the best choice anyway, let’s be real here. And that sounds like very very important research 😌😂Thanks so much for stopping by, Coco!! So excited for God Storm!

October 26
@thereaderandthechef – Bookstagram + Book Blog
October 27
@faemance – Bookstagram
October 28
@paperfury – Boostagram + Book Blog
October 29
@simplybeccamee – Bookstagram
October 30
@zacharyjamesofficial – Bookstagram + Tik Tok
October 31
@old.enough.for.fairytales – Bookstagram
November 1
@mousethatreads – Bookstagram + Book Blog
November 2
@bookishly_tiff – Bookstagram
November 3
@sassyowlreads – Bookstagram + Book Blog
November 4
@the.word.traveler – Bookstagram + Book Blog

if you could match your current read to a cake…what would you pick? (am thinking God Storm = lava cake 😌😍) Also let me know if you’ve read this series in the comments!