What is the title of your latest release?
PERSEPHONE’S CURSE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Four sisters live in Manhattan with their parents – and a ghost in their attic. When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost and another banishes him to the Underworld, their relationships are tested in ways they never would have imagined.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I’ve always wanted to write a book set in New York City, and the idea for this one developed so naturally. I lived there for four years and have always referred to this as “my New York book.”I hope I’ve done it justice!
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes, I’d love nothing more than to be invited into the Farthing family brownstone and have a cup of tea with the sisters. We’d probably play a game of Monopoly and stay up way too late.
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Loyal, emotional, and loving.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
This book underwent the most extensive editing process of any of my books thus far, and I learned that I’m capable of really diligent, purposeful, and extended work. I’m actually so proud of myself for sticking with it, and I think the book is probably the best thing I’ve ever written.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
It depends, really. If I get stuck, I’ll go back and reread and edit a little. I try not to get too locked into any patterns or routine. My brain needs a bit of a shake up every now and then!
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
French fries with mayonnaise, always.
Describe your writing space/office!
Usually curled up on an armchair just a few feet away from my desk!
Who is an author you admire?
Jane Austen. Emily Dickinson. Sylvia Plath. Toni Morrison. Women who were unapologetically themselves and contributed such perfect works of art to the world.
Is there a book that changed your life?
So, so many. But probably the books I read as a child are the ones that have stuck with me the most. I must have read THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER about 1200 times!
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It just felt so completely, utterly terrifying, because I knew I was going to have to rewrite the second half of the book. The emotions were high, because I was so excited to have sold it, but so worried I wouldn’t be able to deliver! It was a pretty overwhelming time. But I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I’m such a mood reader and there really isn’t much I don’t enjoy. I just finished a fantasy book – THE NAME OF THE WIND by Patrick Rothfuss – and jumped right into a suspense/thriller – THE LIKENESS by Tana French.
What’s your favorite movie?
Practical Magic – and I’m really hoping the upcoming sequel is good!
What is your favorite season?
Autumn!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is New Year’s Day, so a lot of things are closed, which means I usually spend it outdoors, finding a place to do a nice long hike. Afterward I like to find a Barnes & Noble or local store (if there’s one open!) where I can buy a new game board to take home and play that evening.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Tana French is a new-to-me author that I’ve just absolutely fallen in love with. Her books are wonderfully written, atmospheric, spooky, and satisfying to read.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I really eat everything as long as it’s vegetarian! I’m lucky enough to live in Los Angeles which is a food paradise. Endless options!
What do you do when you have free time?
I recently learned to sew and that’s been consuming all my free time! I find it so relaxing and really enjoy every part of the process, from the initial cutting of the pattern to the very final stitch. And I love thrifting, so I’ve been combining those two pastimes and am now thrifting for vintage fabric I can repurpose.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m always working on a few things at once! I loved writing about sisters in PERSEPHONE’S CURSE so I would love to explore that again… Although the sisters I’m currently writing are very, very different than the Farthings!
PERSEPHONE’S CURSE by Katrina Leno
The Hazel Wood meets Laini Taylor in this gorgeous urban fantasy of sisterhood, ghosts, and old family curses.
Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told them: that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she’s right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their New York City brownstone —a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.
When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it’s up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.
Young Adult | Horror [ St. Martin’s Press, On Sale: December 2, 2025, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9781250342904 / eISBN: 9781250342911 ]
Buy PERSEPHONE’S CURSE: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Walmart.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Katrina Leno
Katrina Leno was born on the East Coast and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is the author of six critically acclaimed novels – Horrid, You Must Not Miss, Summer of Salt, Everything All at Once, The Lost & Found, and The Half Life of Molly Pierce.
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