Fun fact about me, I love the movie Anastasia. I love the songs, the characters and the magical reimaging of 'what if she survived'. You can imagine my delight to hear about Ricochet, Kellyn Carni's debut YA fantasy that finds Anastasia and her brother, Alexei, transported to a parallel universe. I interviewed Kellyn about her book, her writing process, and advice she has for aspiring authors.
Tell us a bit about Ricochet.
Ricochet is my debut novel: a YA historical fantasy set in 1918 Russia. It begins in the midst of the Russian Revolution with the execution of the last tsar and his family. But in Ricochet, the tsar’s two youngest children, seventeen-year-old Anastasia and thirteen-year-old Alexei, survive the execution when a bullet strikes Anastasia’s garnet necklace and transports them to a parallel universe. So, while the historical basis is pretty grim, Ricochet is really a story about hope and resilience and second chances. Of course, the alternate world is full of its own brand of danger, and magic, and lots of interesting characters, so adventure ensues!
What interested you in creating a Romanov retelling?
It was honestly sort of my mom’s idea. We have both always loved YA fantasy. We were talking about writing ideas for a short story contest and she mentioned that she thought it would be cool if someone wrote a YA fantasy with Anastasia Romanov as the protagonist. As usual, she was right!
So I wrote a short story about Anastasia and Alexei travelling to a parallel universe- and immediately knew that there was much more story to tell. The history is just so captivating, and an alternate world is such a unique opportunity for the characters of Anastasia and Alexei. They each have their own reasons to crave another world where things are just a bit different.
If you had the opportunity to go to a parallel world, would you? Why or why not?
No! I’m such a homebody. Across town is too far from my couch and my cat, much less a parallel universe! (Haha.)
But in seriousness—also no. I would probably lose my sanity. One challenge Anastasia has to grapple with is finding her identity in a world in which she was not supposed to exist. She handles it better than I would!
I see that you’re also a physical therapist. Did that experience help writing the character of Alexei since he suffered from haemophilia?
That is such a good question! No one has ever asked me that. But yes, absolutely. During Alexei’s time, there was no effective treatment for hemophilia. In my job, I regularly work both with people living with chronic health conditions and people who’ve experienced traumatic loss. While those experiences are not my own, I found myself thinking of several patients I’ve worked with while writing Alexei and trying to see the world through his eyes.
What was your writing process for Ricochet?
I mentioned earlier that Ricochet evolved from a short story. To be perhaps a little bit too honest, Ricochet is the first novel I’ve written, and at first, I had no aspirations to publish it. It was a very low-pressure situation, as I was really only writing it for my own (and I suppose, my mom’s) entertainment. But I would write a few chapters and send them to my mom, who would always respond with something like, “This is great, keeping going!”
At the same time, I was totally drawn into learning more and more about Russian history, so I would stumble across interesting tidbits that I just had to weave into the story.
Once I finished my first draft, my mom and the handful of other friends and family who’d read it had convinced me that I should seek publication. I pretty immediately dove into querying, only to discover that quite a bit more editing was needed. I learned about the process as I went, re-writing and editing and querying all at the same time. I did all kinds of things the wrong way. But after a few months, I found the perfect match with CamCat Books, and now here we are!
What piece of advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Between my full-time job, mothering two tiny humans, and being a person who sleeps, finding time to write is my biggest obstacle. Common advice that I see out there is “write every day,” but for me, that’s putting way too much pressure on myself. Write when you can, but thinking about writing—your stories, your characters, their backstories—that’s all important too. This whole process looks different for everyone. Let writing be a part of your life in a way that is sustainable and enjoyable.
And, when it comes time to submit your work, don’t forget about small presses!
Where can people order Ricochet?
Ricochet is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats, and can be found online anywhere that sells books. My local independent bookstore, Malaprop’s Bookstore, has been very supportive of me, so I would absolutely recommend ordering from them. Bookshop.org is also a great way to support independent bookstores.
Where’s the best place to follow you?
Follow me (@kellyncarniwrites) on Instagram and Threads! You can also check out my website at kellyncarni.com.
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