[Blog Tour: Author Interview] Hidden Huntress by Danielle L. Jensen

Today, I have Danielle L. Jensen (author of Stolen Songbird aka the book that made me fall in love with the fantasy genre) on the blog and I am dying of excitement. I am so pumped. (So so so so pumped that I'm actually using the word PUMPED.) And add in the fact that I am halfway through Hidden Huntress (which has been nothing short of spectacular so far!!!) and yeah... I'm just so happy to have had the chance to ask Danielle a few questions! (So many exclamation points, Lyra...)

So, without further delay, go ahead and check out the inteview!

(Oh - and if you haven't checked out The Malediction Trilogy yet... What are you waiting for???)


 Title: Hidden Huntress (The Malediction Trilogy #2)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Angry Robot
Release Date: June 2, 2015
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Danielle's Twitter | Danielle's Official Site

Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.

Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.

Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.

To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

INTERVIEW:

1.)    Please describe Hidden Huntress in five words.

Dark, heart breaking, romantic, political, and magical.

2.)    What can fans expect from Hidden Huntress? (Please don't say a cliffhanger...)

Hidden Huntress is darker, broodier novel than Stolen Songbird, and the pacing is quite different. I think those readers who were interested in the world outside of Trollus will get a lot of that, and readers who enjoyed the intrigue of Stolen Songbird will really enjoy the chapters from Tristan’s point of view. As far as romance goes, well… I’m going to play coy on that.

I think the ending will satisfy readers while leaving them full of anticipation for the next book. But I’m a bit biased    

3.)    How have things been different for you since the release and success of Stolen Songbird?

I felt a lot more pressure when I was writing Hidden Huntress, because I really didn’t want to disappoint readers who felt so passionately about Stolen Songbird. I think that when readers really enjoy your first book, their expectations of you increase exponentially, and that was quite intimidating for me.

4.)    One of the aspects I liked the most about Stolen Songbird is how Cécile was portrayed - she was strong and capable, but she also had her moments of weakness. She had depth. What else will can we expect from Cécile in Hidden Huntress?

In Stolen Songbird, Cécile had to be strong and capable in the face of things that scared her. In Hidden Huntress, she has to be strong and capable in the face of extreme frustration, and she really struggles with that. It was one thing for her to be brave when the path she wanted to take was clear, but not knowing what to do undercuts her strengths. I went after her weaknesses in this book, and readers will see her emotionally stumble a lot more than they did in the first installment. But she’s still her tenacious self, so don’t despair!

5.)    Last, but definitely not the least, here's a fun question: let's say you had the chance to invite over someone you personally don't know for dinner. Who would that person be, and why?

I would invite Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), because he seems both delightful and hilarious. However, I saw a description of what he eats in a day, and it included a lot of cod. I hate cod, so we’d have to find a compromise.

[Blog Tour: Author Interview] Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen

 Title: Stolen Songbird (The Malediction Trilogy #1)
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: April 1, 2014

Published by: Strange Chemistry

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For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

To celebrate the upcoming release of Stolen Songbird, I have Danielle on the blog today for a quick interview:

Please describe Stolen Songbird in five words.

Magic, intrigue, romance, adventure, and mystery

Can you please tell us about the research you had to do prior to (or maybe while) writing this novel?

I don’t do any research before I start writing, but I do spend quite a bit of time on Google once I’ve got the story going. Obviously I spent a bit of time thinking about existing troll mythology, but I also spent a lot of time looking into the properties of certain plants for Cécile’s witchy scenes. There are places in the novel that are based on the real world, so I looked up a lot of images for inspiration. My preference is to go back and edit or fill in research-based information after I’ve got the story itself down, because forcing those sorts of details in while I’m drafting often stifles my creative process. Which probably means that it’s a good thing I write fantasy and not historical fiction!

Please tell us more about this magical world that you created.

The bulk of the novel takes place in Trollus, which is the trolls’ city, if you hadn’t guessed from its super creative name ;-) Five hundred years prior to when the novel begins, Trollus was buried by a mountain that was split in half, and only the trolls’ magic kept everything from being crushed. So the city is effectively in a cave, and it’s surrounded by a labyrinth of rock where some nasty creatures called the sluag live.

I've read my fair share of fantasy novels, but I have to admit that this is the first time I've encountered a book wherein the main characters are trolls or part-trolls. What made you decide to write about them?

I was actually inspired to write the story by a dream I had about the setting. The trolls came into being when I started thinking about what sort of creatures would populate such a place, and they really grew and developed as the story went along. They are quite a bit different from the trolls of LoTR or Harry Potter, but hopefully people appreciate my spin on them.

What can we expect from this series? 

My goal was to write a trilogy with a balance of political intrigue, romance, and adventure. If readers are entertained by the story and care about the characters then I consider my mission accomplished.

[Author Interview + Giveaway] One Tiny Lie Feature Tour with K.A. Tucker

 

Title: One Tiny Lie (Ten Tiny Breaths #2)
Author: K.A. Tucker
Release Date: Janaury 14, 2014

Published by: Atria Books

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Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents' tragic death and Kacey's self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would...and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

In line with the paperback release of One Tiny Lie, I have K.A. on the blog today for a short interview:

Can you please take us through your writing process? 

I've tried everything from outlining to just writing and I find that my ideal process varies for each project but generally lands somewhere in between (closer to the "just writing" side of the scale).  I spend an excessively long time on the first three chapters, as getting the beginning of a story right makes all the difference. I write linearly, meaning I don't write chunks from all over the book and paste them together. Inevitably, as I get further into the book and plot, I realize how many things I need to change in the first half. When I start dwelling on those, I stop and go back. It's a mental thing. I need to see the right story progression before I can finish a book. Even if I know what must be changed, I get to a point where I just can't continue until I fix it.

Where did you get the idea for the Ten Tiny Breaths series?

The  idea for the first book just kind of hit me (I know people who have been involved in drunk driving incidents). I didn't see the entire story for what it was at the time; I just knew I wanted to paint a picture of how dangerous and life-altering drinking and driving could be.

 While writing Ten Tiny Breaths, did you ever think that you would be writing an entire series?

 LOL NO! I didn't realize how much people would love all of the other characters from the series until after TTB was released and the reviews started coming out.

What can your readers expect from One Tiny Lie? 

ONE TINY LIE is different from TEN TINY BREATHS. It's set three years after TTB, and it's told in Livie's voice (which is very different from Kacey's voice) as she goes through the growing pains of learning that the life she mapped out for herself isn't the one she truly wants.

And finally, just for fun, what would you consider to be your guilty pleasures? :)

Chick-fil-A breakfast combos, bakeries, and reruns of Two-and-a-Half Men (the old ones, with Charlie Sheen)
Thank you for hosting me! xo ~ K.A. Tucker

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[Author Inteview] Megan Powell

Title: No Peace for the Damned
Author: Megan Powell

Release Date: July 10, 2012

Goodreads

Magnolia Kelch is no stranger to pain. Beautiful and powerful, she's spent her entire life at the mercy of her sadistic father and the rest of the Kelch clan, who have tortured her and tested the limits of her powers. After one particularly heinous night that leaves Magnolia nearly dead, she finally sees her chance for escape? But this first taste of freedom is short-lived when she collides with Thirteen, head of the Network ? a secret organization dedicated to fighting supernatural criminals ? who recruits her into the group. Even as she's coming to grips with this new life and the horrific memories that still haunt her, she's conflicted by her growing attraction to fellow team member Theo and the emergence of new, untested abilities. After months of grueling training, her loyalty to the team is tested when she learns her target is the Network's most wanted: the Kelch family. Revenge may course through her veins, but so does the blood of the Kelches. And opposing her family may cost her the thing she treasures most. After all, Magnolia is still a Kelch. And the Kelches are damned.

INTERVIEW WITH MEGAN POWELL:

Is this book part of a series?

Yes. NO PEACE FOR THE DAMNED is the first in the Magnolia Kelch series.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Chapter 29 was definitely my favorite chapter to write. It was also the very first chapter I wrote. I had that scene with Magnolia and Theo on the couch long before I knew anything else about the characters or the story around them. All I knew was that this incredibly sexy young woman, who felt separate from everyone around her, suddenly felt a genuine, normal connection to someone else. The excitement of that moment overshadowed any other insecurities so that when she revealed her tattoo without thought of the consequences, she revealed an innocence that would otherwise be out of character. That moment shows that more than anything, all she really wanted was to have something – anything – in common with someone else.

Who’s your favorite character to write and why?

Definitely Magnolia. The book is told from her point of view so I really get to slip into her mind while I write. I love that she is strong and powerful, terrified and angry, whip-smart and completely naïve all at the same time. I remember very clearly being twenty-two and thinking I was the toughest person in the world with all these life experiences while at the same time feeling more vulnerable and uncertain than ever. It is a wonderful experience to be able to relive those feelings through a character with such unlimited potential.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is special?

Magnolia Kelch is a surprisingly well-adjusted young woman considering she spent the first twenty-two years of life in the torturous captivity of her father and uncle. That’s not to say that she isn’t incredibly suspicious of everyone and everything, likely to shoot first and ask questions never. She is the most powerful supernatural person in her extremely powerful family, but has been victimized her entire life leaving her unsure of what she can really do. More than anything, Magnolia is eager to finally experience a level of independence previously denied her – including feeling all of the emotions that only a truly free person can feel.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

The setting is definitely reflective of my life as Hoosier. And as my father so aptly pointed out, every member of my immediate family has a first name that begins with the letter “M”… although that is where the similarities end between my real family and the Kelches.

Leave us with a teaser/quote from your book?

“In that last moment of consciousness I had to chastise myself. I was not supposed to live in this world without violence and pain. And I was an idiot to have ever let myself think otherwise.”

[Author Interview] Colina Brennan

Title: Addicted to You

Author: Colina Brennan
Release Date: June 25, 2013

Goodreads

When twenty-one-year-old Leah Carter's latest one night stand burglarizes her apartment, her roommate forces her to attend therapy for sex addicts. Leah insists she isn't a sex addict; she just doesn't do relationships. After all, sooner or later, everyone lets you down.

At first, the group sessions are little more than an education on how to be promiscuous. Until she meets the newest addict—blue eyes, killer body, and a smile that tempts relapse.

Psychology student Will McLean is posing as a fellow addict while researching a case study on unusual addictions. But the more he learns about Leah, the more certain he is that his desire to break through her walls and unearth her secrets has nothing to do with his assignment.

As the uncertainties spike alongside the sexual tension, the only thing Leah knows for sure is that falling in love would be disastrous. Too bad love might be one addiction she can't kick.

INTERVIEW WITH COLINA BRENNAN:

Tell us what your book is about in 140 characters or less.

Addicted to You is about Leah, who has no interest in love because she's convinced everyone eventually lets you down. Then she meets Will. Dun dun dun! :P

Is this book part of a series?

Yes. There will be a second novel in the Addicted to You universe, which will focus on a separate couple.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

Probably the scene where Leah and her brother run into Will at the party. A lot of things happen between the beginning of the night and the end of it, and it was fun writing about how their relationship subtly shifts.

Who’s your favorite character to write and why?

Leah, because it was amusing to push her character and see how she’d respond. There were times I actually had to scale her back a bit and soften her up because she already comes off a little harsh.

Is there a character / characters in your books you particularly identify with?

Maybe Will because I’m a naturally optimistic person.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is special?

Leah doesn’t bother trying to get along with anyone she doesn’t genuinely care about. And since it’s difficult to grow close with anyone new if she doesn’t bother trying to get along with them, there are very few people who she has truly allowed into her life.

If you gave one of your characters an opportunity to speak for themselves, what would they say?

Leah isn’t much for talking about herself, so she’d probably tell you to mind your own business.

Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or purely all imagination?

Leah’s situation with her brother is one that echoes my cousin’s. She basically raised her little sister after she challenged her mom that she could do a better job.

Leave us with a teaser/quote from your book?

“Will would show her that he was an addiction worth keeping.”

[Blog Tour: Q&A with the Author and Giveaway] The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann

Welcome to my stop for Pinoy Book Tours' The Peculiar blog tour, in cooperation with National Book Store and Harper Collins International. Read through the talented Stefan Bachmann's thoughts on writing and music, and do join the giveaways at the end of this post. We will also be holding a twitter party on February 2 (details will be released soon). Lastly, my review will be posted on the 25th, so look out for that post as well!

(Stefan says hi!)

Have you always wanted to be a writer or did the idea just came to you?

Umm, it kind of just came to me. I remember sitting at a restaurant with my family and then randomly announcing to my Mom that I was going to write a book. I have no idea why. This was when I was around 11 so the book that came from the announcement was horrible. But I'm glad I started!

You composed songs to accompany The Peculiar. Wow! Did these songs come first or did you compose them especially for The Peculiar?

Thank you! They were written specially for the book. My editor also let me write the music for the book trailer, which was fun.

So much has been written about fairies. What is your take on the fey and their world?

I wanted to go for the old-fashioned, wild, dark faeries. I haven't read many modern faery books, but I hear the faeries in them tend to be dashing and romanticized. I wanted to use the historical faeries, the one's people were really afraid of, and I wanted to see what would happen when they were put into an industrialized, smoky England and forced to co-exist with Victorians.

You're attending the Zurich Conservatory. What instrument do you play?

Piano and recorders are my main instruments at the moment, and composing is my main subject. I'd really, really, really like to be a film composer one day.

What is your writing style - how do you write a novel?

I try to find out where the book begins and where it ends first. If I know where it ends it makes it much easier to finish it. Then I plot out a few key scenes in the middle and just go from there. Usually. With Book 2, though, I outlined a lot more carefully because I was deathly afraid Second Book Syndrome would set in and I'd just freeze up and have no idea what to write next. Didn't happen luckily, but I do think the detailed outline helped in that case.

Are you interested in writing for a different genre or audience?

YES! After The Whatnot I'm doing something completely new, for me at least. It's partly contemporary with modern day teenagers (so YA this time, not middle grade), and partly historical, set in 18th century France, and it's full of madness and scariness and action. It'll be way different for me, especially after two slightly old-fashioned Victorian-style fantasies. I can't to start work on it.

And now.... for the giveaways!

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