More Tea Parties | Content Warnings
Raspberry created a masterpiece with Gray Hearts! Get comfy with your favorite drink and snack, and celebrate with us as we chat about our most loved characters, moments, and more!
*Please note that this post will contain spoilers for Gray Hearts.
First impressions of the story vs impressions now?
Raspberry
When I first had this idea for a story, I had imagined it as more of a romantic love story. Then, as I started writing, I realized that 1. Iris was Ace, and I didn’t want to force her into a love story and 2. Iris and Quinn’s friendship was really the love story. There are so many kinds of love, and focusing on the love in their friendship, especially at an age where they’re changing and struggling, became what I wanted to write instead.
Pineapple
Raspberry did such a great job with this one! I was excited from the beginning when she was conceptualizing it, and then as every part came out I thought it was greater and greater! I think her foreshadowing is becoming a lot stronger these days. It was such a fun and emotional journey to go on. Of course I thought it would be good, but from the beginning, Quinn and Iris’ relationship hit me in a very personal way. I think this one will linger in my mind for a long time.
Apple
I remember peeking at this story through my fingers at first because I’m such a chicken when it comes to angst, but everything was balanced so well, and the hardships were treated so gently and gracefully, and the world-building was so much fun to explore that I was sucked in before I knew it!
Who’s your favorite character?
Raspberry
You can’t ask me to pick a favorite child! It was fun writing all of the seasons, since they all have their own little hidden histories and struggles. I also feel like I’ve been a Quinn and an Iris in friendships, so I was able to relate to them both a lot.
Pineapple
Yeo-reum!! She’s just like me for real!! More is more!!
Ha ha. Just kidding. All the characters here had their own complex problems and I think Raspberry did a great job of showcasing that, so it’s easy for me to endear all of them. I actually did relate to Iris a lot, so she’s got a special place in my heart, too.
Apple
Prin! She’s the introduction to the Realm of Seasons, and she absolutely delivers. The cute little cottage masking all those undertones of horror—and then the outright horror with the missing memories and the dolls—not to mention the sleuthing Iris gets to do as we learn more about Prin! And then there’s the warm bread and pretty flowers and toasty fireplace. Prin’s arc is precious and terrifying in the best way possible, and I adore her for bringing that energy right off the bat. Of course, I was always rooting for the besties, Iris and Quinn, too! I’m so glad they got to be happy!
Favorite moments or scenes?
Raspberry
Not to sound psychotic, but I really liked imagining all the doors in Autumn’s house. The idea of paths not taken/potential futures mixed with a little horror-esque vibe was a new one for me to write, and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would! When I first started outlining the story, Autumn was the hardest for me to imagine, but once I started writing, it flowed out!
Pineapple
Actually… Maybe the beginning, before any of the magic kicks in. I think Raspberry really hit those emotions on the head with that. Like, she knocked it out of the ballpark. Those feelings of resentment but also caring so much for a friend that drifted apart from you when you feel like you’re putting more effort in than they are. I think a lot of people could relate to that, but maybe that’s just me ha ha. Also the ending was really good, too. We went back to something totally attainable and I think we need that more than ever now!
I MUST ALSO shout out every time Iris got an outfit change. I love it. The description of the clothes!! I loved it!! Not only the clothes, but the new places? The imagery went off in this story!
Apple
We already know I love Prin’s arc, but another part I love is when Iris is at Autumn’s! Iris has been through two seasons by this point, and as a reader, I felt like I’d noticed a pattern too: meet a season, find out that season has been up to some deadly shenanigans, have a heart-to-heart. So Iris gets a tiny bit overconfident, and that’s when Autumn reveals the most devastating possibility. The setup leading to this moment is amazing! The false sense of security, everything being familiar but slightly off, and the pacing—it’s so good!
Are there any fun behind the scenes moments you’d like to share?
Raspberry
I think literally every time I wrote out the title, I had to check the website to see if the title was Grey Hearts or Gray Hearts haha. Maybe I read too much Victorian literature…
Pineapple
Like Raspberry, I too had to check if we spelled grey the American way or the British way lmao.
I’m pretty sure that I was team Iris and Apple was team Quinn ha ha. I wonder if this story was really polarizing?
I’ve probably said “also” 500 times in this tea party, but I want to mention that the art for this one is based off of Alphonse Mucha’s Season’s lithographs! The 1900 ones, specifically. I’m not sure if it was obvious or not, but it was definitely inspired by that.
Apple
I was still finishing up my notes for The Halloween Bash, so I hadn’t gotten to start Gray Hearts yet when Raspberry and Pineapple were making plans for the cover art. I was going to behave and avoid spoilers, but… the character designs sounded and looked so cool! I went from taking just a little peek to fangirling over everything.
Thanks for partying with us!
What are your Gray Hearts favorites? We’d love to hear about them in a comment below!
JAAM Writing 