Blog Tour- LEGACY OF KINGS by Eleanor Herman An Interview and A Giveaway!

I am thrilled to take part in Eleanor Herman's blog tour for LEGACY OF KINGS! I adored this book it was magical and had swoon worthy boys and I love historical fantasy! I was also lucky I got to meet Eleanor at ALA Annual in San Francisco and we took a selfie she's totally adorable and I look like I was just in a wind storm lol.

I have an interview for you today. And make sure to enter the giveaway to win a hardcover of the book!
Haven't heard of LEGACY OF KINGS? Check it out!

Title: LEGACY OF KINGS

Author: Eleanor Herman

Pub. Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Pages: 432

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads

Buy: Amazon  | Book Depository | B&N | IndieBound | iBooks

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Also make sure to grab the prequel novella VOICE OF GODS now it's FREE!

Amazon | B&N | iBooks

Now to the interview! 

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about LEGACY OF KINGS and the characters? Do you have any actors that come to mind? (If you want to see the actors I'm posting links to their IMDB pages so just click on the name)

Macedon, 340 B. C.: When King Philip takes most of his army to attack Byzantium, forces of evil both outside and inside the palace combine to test the prince regent, sixteen-year-old Alexander. He and his best friend, Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince, have been planning an epic quest for glory. But Alex finds himself drawn to a mysterious newcomer, Katerina, who is keeping secret her own mission: kill the queen, even if it means losing the love of her life. Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, joining the merciless foes of magic, the Aesarian Lords, for status and wealth. Cynane, Alex’s warrior half-sister, has plots of her own to take the throne, as does his mother, the beautiful but deadly Queen Olympias. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Alex: Daniel Sharman

Heph: Jack Falahee

Katerina: Emma Watson

Jacob: Matt Lanter

Cyn: Caitlin Stasey

Zo: Shay Mitchell

Queen Olympias: Charlize Theron

King Philip: Travis Fimmel

What about the sequel? Do we have a title yet?

Empire of Dust! A title for when glittering dreams break apart into nothing. (It’s also what my housekeeper mutters every Thursday as she get the vacuum cleaner out of my kitchen closet.)

Who was your favorite character to write (mine was Heph lol)? What about your least favorite?

No least favorites. The guys were a bit harder than the girls because though I really love guys, I don’t think like them. I loved writing the nasty Cynane because I could get on paper the stuff inside me that I really work hard to eradicate. But it’s still bubbling around in there, I guess.

What is your favorite passage/scene in LEGACY OF KINGS?

Two lines come to mind immediately. The ancients used urine to bleach tunics white (I actually spent an entire day researching ancient laundry.) So I love this line of Kat’s:

Their cheap, unbleached tunics back in Erissa never needed urine, perhaps the single advantage to being poor.

And then, since the word “hangover” sounds jarringly modern, I had to come up with something else so I gave Heph this thought as he stumbles out of bed after a night of hard drinking:

This is the Wrath of Dionysus. A common affliction that occurs when the wine god punishes those who honor him too enthusiastically.

I also love the violent action of the Blood Tournament and battle scene at the end which I did so much research for.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

A partial reading list:

All of Mary Renault’s ancient Greek historical novels: The Persian Boy, Fire from Heaven, the Mask of Apollo, The Praise Singer, The King Must Die, The Bull from the Sea, Funeral Games

Contemporary non-fiction books on the ancient world:

Amazons: Lives and Legends of Warrior Women Across the Ancient World

Greek Fire, Poison Arrows, and Scorpion Bombs

Travel in the Ancient World

Before Color Prejudice: The Ancient View of Blacks

Blacks in Antiquity: Ethiopians in the Greco-Roman Experience

Books written in ancient times:

Frontinus’s Military Stratagems

Herodotus: Histories

Thucydides: The Peloponnesian War

Xenophon: The Persian Expedition

Plato’s Republic

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I have been reading so much YA Lit and ancient Greek stuff that I want something totally different to refresh my mind. Last summer I visited the Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island and bought a book about Consuelo Vanderbilt, whose venom-spitting mother, Alva, made her marry the Duke of Marlborough, whom she hated, and he didn’t much like her, but he agreed to the wedding in return for $67 million. Anyway, this book, Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt, has been sitting next to my bed for nearly a year untouched. If you read my answers to the previous question, you will understand why.

Who is your ultimate Book Boyfriend? Last week I read A Court of Thorns and Roses and found myself intrigued by the darkly salacious Rhysand. But my heart is owned by two Harry Potter characters. Lucius Malfoy is the hottest thing ever with those icy blue eyes and long silver blond hair and the cape and walking stick and those sneering aristocratic ways. And after him Severus Snape, who isn’t handsome but has this dark, pent-up power that makes me want to help him get it all out of his system. Did I really just write that? Oh God, I hope my husband isn’t reading this.

What inspired you to write YA after writing your adult non-fiction?

It’s fun! I mean, I put a lot of fun into my non-fiction history, which isn’t something you see every day in that genre. But with YA you can really let loose and give it all you got. Plus, you don’t have to do footnotes.

Lightening Round Questions

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter! I have been having a blast editing myself to a few meaningful words! Not something I ever do otherwise speaking or writing!

Favorite Superhero?

Catwoman because I have four cats. But also because she’s sexy, lithe, sinuous, and has retractable claws just like me. Meow, baby!

Favorite TV show?

The Vikings. With hot muscular men hacking and slashing, and badass warrior women, and mysterious gods who need to be appeased, and an outrageously twisting, turning plot in a historical time and place... Come to think of it, that sounds just like Legacy of Kings, doesn’t it?

Sweet or Salty?

Salty! Spicy! Sugar is so for babies!

Any Phobias?

Enclosed spaces! Last summer I was with my husband and two other people in an elevator going up one floor to a restaurant and it got stuck for like two minutes and I was sobbing on my knees in the corner, slapping the walls and praying out loud to God in between bursts of soul-searing profanity. My husband was so embarrassed. I guess the other two people were talking about the crazy woman who had a complete meltdown in the elevator because the manager came over and gave us a free meal. That’s how I learned that claustrophobia can actually help save you money.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Hi-ho! Hi-ho! It’s off to work we go! Empire of Dust! Dozens of blogs! Social media! It’s all a blast though. I’m loving every minute.

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to?

There’s an awesome-looking new version of Macbeth coming out in October I’m dying to see, which looks historically pretty accurate from the trailer, except the men are all running into battle without helmets, which is sort of like going into a business meeting naked from the waist down—there’s just no way it’s going to turn out well. But other than that, this movie looks really amazing.

Thanks so much Eleanor for answering my questions! I can’t wait to read EMPIRE OF DUST!

About Eleanor: 

Before the Game of Thrones craze swept the nation, Eleanor Herman was hard at work entertaining readers with her extensive research on courtly intrigue and romance. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy.

Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first novel.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

Giveaway Info:

Thanks to the amazing team at Harlequin Teen, each stop on the tour will be offering up a copy of THE LEGACY OF KINGS, so be sure and follow along for more guest posts, interviews and chances to win! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/CA only.

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Check out the Tour Schedule!

Monday, August 3rd - Swoony Boys Podcast - Guest Post

Wednesday, August 5th -  Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post

Friday, August 7th - Once Upon a Twilight - Guest Post

Monday, August 10th - Book Swoon - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 12th - Pageturnersblog - Guest Post

Friday, August 14th - Reading Lark - Author Interview

Monday, August 17th - Two Chicks on Books - Author Interview

Wednesday, August 19th - Supernatural Snark - Author Interview

Friday, August 21st - Mundie Moms - Guest Post

For more info about the tour head on over to the Tour Page