Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Gabe Cole Novoa (The Wicked Bargain)!
Meet the Author: Gabe Cole Novoa
Gabe Cole Novoa (he/him) is a Latinx transmasculine author with an MFA in Writing for Children who writes speculative fiction featuring marginalized characters grappling with identity. When he isn’t being nerdy at his day job or buried under his TBR pile, you’re likely to find him making heart-eyes at the latest snazzy outfit he wants to add to his wardrobe. Gabe is the author of the Beyond the Red trilogy, written under a former pseudonym. He also runs a popular writing-focused YouTube channel, bookishpixie, and is active on Twitter. Visit Gabe Cole Novoa on Twitter and Instagram at @thegabecole and YouTube at @bookishpixie.
About the Book: The Wicked Bargain
El Diablo is in the details in this Latinx pirate fantasy starring a transmasculine nonbinary teen with a mission of revenge, redemption, and revolution.
On Mar León de la Rosa’s sixteenth birthday, el Diablo comes calling. Mar is a transmasculine nonbinary teen pirate hiding a magical ability to manipulate fire and ice. But their magic isn’t enough to reverse a wicked bargain made by their father, and now el Diablo has come to collect his payment: the soul of Mar’s father and the entire crew of their ship.
When Mar is miraculously rescued by the sole remaining pirate crew in the Caribbean, el Diablo returns to give them a choice: give up their soul to save their father by the harvest moon, or never see him again. The task is impossible–Mar refuses to make a bargain, and there’s no way their magic is a match for el Diablo. Then Mar finds the most unlikely allies: Bas, an infuriatingly arrogant and handsome pirate–and the captain’s son; and Dami, a gender-fluid demonio whose motives are never quite clear. For the first time in their life, Mar may have the courage to use their magic. It could be their only redemption–or it could mean certain death.
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~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
The honest answer is I just really wanted to write about queer pirates—specifically Latinx queer pirates. While I was mulling over a queer pirate book idea, I was also doing some research into Mexican myths and found a couple deal with the devil stories and I thought, “a deal with the devil story would meld really well with that pirate idea…”
YABC: Which came first, the title or the novel?
Definitely the novel. The working title for THE WICKED BARGAIN pretty much until it went on submission was A DEVIL’S MAGIC. Before we went on submission though, I did some brainstorming for other title possibilities and eventually we settled on THE WICKED BARGAIN.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
Flexibility! I remember early in my career thinking I’d never write a Historical book and here I am releasing not one but three Historical books (two of which are Historical Fantasy, but still!) over the course of a year. And I really enjoyed writing them! I think especially given how difficult it is for most authors to make a living right now it’s important to be open to diversifying your writing portfolio. You never really know which story is the one that’s going to stick, so if you have an idea but it’s outside of your usual genre or category I’d encourage you to go for it.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
There’s so much to love! I’m obsessed with the painterly nature of Mia’s illustrative style. I love that a trans person of color is front and center on the cover of a fantasy book. And I love the beautiful stormy atmosphere of the ocean background with the ship surrounded by lightning. It all came together so beautifully—I couldn’t be happier!
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2023?
Hard to pick just one, so I’ll name a couple. I absolutely loved Margaret Owen’s LITTLE THIEVES, so I’m very much looking forward to the sequel, PAINTED DEVILS. I also recently learned about Lee Paige O’Brien’s A HUNDRED VICIOUS TURNS and I’m very much looking forward to another magical book with a nonbinary lead.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
Lately I’ve been devouring Seanan McGuire’s WAYWARD CHILDREN series and I’ve absolutely loved the myriad of magical worlds and truly unique characters that the series has introduced me to. For a YA pick, I read and loved Ryan La Sala’s THE HONEYS last year—it was so beautifully atmospheric and creepy as hell. Four months later I still find myself thinking about it.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
So much! I have two books releasing Winter 2024 (which is somehow now less than a year away?). The first is a super queer PRIDE & PREJUDICE retelling in which the second eldest Bennet is a trans boy and Darcy is gay. And the second hasn’t been officially announced yet but I can say it’s another super queer fantasy!
YABC: Is there an organization or cause that is close to your heart?
As a trans person, it’s been absolutely heartbreaking watching the legislative attacks against trans people—especially trans youth—explode around the country. Combined with the coordinated efforts to ban books by and about queer people (and Black people, along with sex-positive books) we’re seeing a violent push to erase trans people from society. It’s a dangerous time to be visibly trans, especially if you’re a trans person of color.
If you’d like to help, I’d encourage you to go to your local school board meetings and town halls to push back against book bans and rolling back trans rights. You can also donate to The Trevor Project.
Title: The Wicked Bargain
Author: Gabe Cole Novoa
Release Date: February 28, 2023
Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers
Genre: YA, Historical Fantasy
Age Range: 12+
