focus evolve through the act of telling Bitterblue's story? Kristin: I knew from the start that this book would be not just about Bitterblue, but about Leck. I knew it would be about the broken people all around Bitterblue, and Bitterblue's struggle to figure out how to bring her kingdom into the light. It couldn't realistically have been about anything else. The young queen of a kingdom that's endured what the Monseans have endured would realistically be faced with Bitterblue's situation, and a young woman who's experienced the trauma Bitterblue has experienced would need to face it in order to heal. That being said, it wasn't until I was well into the story that I realized just how much darkness Bitterblue was going to have to face. Helen: As a reader, I have to say that the story direction felt utterly right: the sense of consequences playing out gave the book an integrity that really drew me in. Another distinguishing aspect of this book is that although both Graceling and Fire are centered on heroines with superpowers, Bitterblue has none. Do you see this as departing from current trends in YA Fantasy? Kristin: I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that I'm not up on current trends in YA Fantasy. I tend not to read it while I'm writing it, because reading fantasy while writing fantasy can create a kind of interference -- it can become difficult to keep a fresh mind. And I've been writing fantasy nonstop for years! I