Blog Tour- ILLUSIONARIUM by Heather Dixon A Playlist And A Giveaway!

I am so excited to be hosting a spot on the ILLUSIONARIUM blog tour! I have Heather's playlist and make sure to enter the giveaway below for a copy of the book and an ARC!
Haven't heard of ILLUSIONARIUM? Check it out!

Title: ILLUSIONARIUM

Author: Heather Dixon

Pub. Date: May 19, 2015

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 368

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.

Check out the book trailer!

Now on to the post! 

I am a HUGE fan of listening to music while I’m writing—specifically soundtracks.  Here were a few songs I listened to over and over and over as I spun Jonathan’s adventures:

“The Stairs” from Finding Neverland.  {https://youtu.be/QKO4nqLHJDA}

I imagine this beautiful, mysterious melody accompanying a scene from the first chapter, when Jonathan illusions for the first time.  The fascination, the wonder he experiences.  The world around him turning white with snow, flakes swirling from the ceiling.  That would give me goosebumps.

“I am the Doctor” from Dr. Who.  {https://youtu.be/lx6YVAUY620}

Anyone who reads Illusionarium can guess that I channeled a lot of Dr. Who into there.  It has that same kind of vibe; crazy characters, twisty plot.  The music matches many of the scenes, too.  I think a lot of people who like Dr. Who will also go for Illusionarium.

 “Rose, Dragon” from Pan’s Labyrinth. {https://youtu.be/T3QfVQ8ybFE}

This simple, heartbreaking melody echoes the part in the story when a certain character dies.  It knocks Jonathan to his core, and he isn’t quite himself again.

Pan’s Labyrinth is pretty gnarly anyway, a lot of the songs go well with the crazy world of Illusionarium.

“Like a Dog Chasing Cars” from The Dark Knight.  {https://youtu.be/MSGNmaIBww8}

The intense, fast pace of this piece really struck a chord as I wrote the book.  I imagine it taking place at the climax, when Jonathan is nearly out of time, and he has to create the illusion of his life in order to save his family.

I love it when the melody at this part overpowers the intensity; I imagine it as, in spite of the crazy world happening around him, Jonathan has found an inner strength and the power to fight.

And, of course, the score for the book trailer, by Matt Gates!  It’s adventurous and 

intense…just the way a steampunk story ought to be ^_^  { https://youtu.be/OTw40Vzv-vI}

Thank you so much for your time!

-H

About Heather:

Heather Dixon grew up in a large family with four brothers and six sisters. She is a storyboard artist as well as a writer, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Viennese waltz is her dance of choice. She is the author of the novel Entwined.

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Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a finished copy of ILLUSIONARIUM plus an ARC of THE UNQUIET by Mikaela Everett. US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the Tour Schedule!

Week One:

5/11/2015- Chapter by Chapter- Interview

5/12/2015- Bumbles and Fairy-Tales- Review

5/13/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post

5/14/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review

5/15/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post

Week Two:

5/18/2015- Mundie Moms- Guest Post

5/19/2015- Falling For YA- Review

5/20/2015- Fire and Ice- Interview

5/21/2015- Reading with ABC- Review

5/22/2015- Supernatural Snark- Interview