The Forbidden Wish: Q&A w/Jessica Khoury

I am so excited to welcome Jessica Khoury to the blog to chat about her newest book, THE FORBIDDEN WISH.

1. So I have to ask, why Jinni’s? 

They’re one of the most popular supernatural creatures in all of mythology—so why are there so few of them in YA? They’re so incredibly cool! They can have awesome powers, are wonderfully complex, have their own world parallel to ours, their own politics, feuds, and history. They can be monstrous or totally hot. They’re a mine of stories, and I’m so glad to see more and more jinn stories coming out.

2. You mentioned that this story has been tugging at you for years – how long have you been working on THE FORBIDDEN WISH? 

Since before Origin, my first book, came out! So… since 2012ish. Four years now!

3. What was the best part about writing Zahra? 

I really loved her backstory, and how complex she is. My favorite kind of characters are defined by chiaroscuro, the contrast of light and dark. Zahra is one of these characters—with the potential for great good or great evil, and that intrigued me so much.

4. What were the trickiest parts of writing THE FORBIDDEN WISH? 

The romantic scenes! I’ve always dreaded them, and the romances in my three previous books have been pretty light. This book called for more romance than I’d ever done, so I was apprehensive at first. Then, surprisingly, the romantic scenes—though tricky—ended up being some of my favorites.

5. What would be your 3 wishes (and no cheating and asking for more wishes!)?

1) Telekinesis. I aspire to be Roald Dahl’s Matilda in all things. I’d like to think I’d use it to become a superhero, but far more likely I’d just use it to mess with people.

2)  A Siberian husky puppy that would remain a puppy eternally. But also be house trained.

3) To see The Forbidden Wish on the big screen!

Thanks, Jessica!