I sent these questions to Franny via email.

But how can she save Rose and still protect herself from the hangman’s noose? Can she untangle the threads of their mysterious past? Could Briony escape the clutches of the Swampsea altogether? And what can she do when the handsome, smart, and witty Eldric moves to Swampsea and makes her wonder if she might just be lovable after all? CHIME is moving, creepy, intense, sensual, and absolutely exquisitely written.Īnd now, without further ado, here’s Franny. Now, the delicate Rose has been cursed with the dreaded swamp cough that has killed many in their town, and Briony might be the only person who can cure her by making a bargain with the Old Ones. Parson’s daughter Briony Larkin knows she is a witch and a wicked girl responsible for the death of her stepmother and for the accident that left her twin sister, Rose, in a mentally childlike state. Set in the English Fenlands in a fairy tale-worthy town called Swampsea, CHIME feels like a haunting trip to some Gothic otherworld where the locals carry Bible balls into the swamps to protect themselves from the wrath of the Old Ones, and witches are tried and hanged to see if they turn to dust (proof of witchery). And it was well worth the wait.ĬHIME has already received SIX starred reviews (Holy Awesomeness, Batman!) with Publishers Weekly calling it “a darkly beguiling fantasy” and School Library Journal hailing it as “…both lushly sensual and shivery.” CHIME is certainly all of that. It’s been over a decade since her last novel, THE FOLK KEEPER, came out, so those of us who are Franny fans have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of CHIME. Franny takes her time with her books, crafting and thinking and rethinking and polishing every word. Her advice was spot-on, and I’ve always been grateful for her sage counsel. When I was first working on what would become A Great and Terrible Beauty, Franny graciously agreed to read my very rough first draft and offer critique.

Franny Billingsley such a writer, and I’m thrilled to get to interview her and take a peek into her latest, CHIME, which arrives in bookstores TODAY! (You were looking for something to read next, weren’t you?)

Sometimes, there are writers whose skills with words leave you awestruck and not just a little bit green with envy.

Well wished by franny billingsley