Christina Bauer

Wolves and Roses

Monster House Books • 978-1945723070 • magicorumbook.com You participated in the Women’s March this January. Would Bryar have marched with you? Why or why not?

I drove public relations for the Massachusetts chapter of the Women’s March. The only state chapter that drove more registrations than we did was New York … and Bryar Rose is a resident of Manhattan. Coincidence? I think not.

Why would Bryar have participated? Two reasons. First of all, Bryar is a New Yorker. All the extra security around Trump Tower means that about four square blocks of prime Manhattan street space gets routinely shut down to traffic. That makes it a beast to get anywhere. Not okay. Second, Bryar isn’t the kind of girl who stands for offhand comments about assaulting girls. In other words, when Bryar and Elle showed up in DC, they definitely would have been wearing pink hats.

Why did you choose to adapt such familiar characters for new audiences?

I didn’t so much adapt the characters as reintroduce them to a previous iteration. The brother’s Grimm recorded the most popular verbal stories of the time, and most of those tales were originally told by women. I’m excited to reimagine those stories once more, but this time with a more modern twist.

What adventures await Bryar Rose, and your other characters, in coming titles?

Here’s what’s coming up. For Elle, we’ll discover the true story of her family and what the heck is really happening between her and Alec, aka the heir to the Lecharme jewelry dynasty. Next on this list: I’ve always had a soft spot for the evil queen from Snow White. I mean, the girl runs a country while having her own potions business on the side. How cool is that? And finally, Scarlett (Red Riding Hood) is an African-american and a werewolf. I have so much respect for the insight, courage, and honesty of black women in America. It’s a tall order, but I want to try and capture some of that spirit in Scar.