Blog Tour- THE KING SLAYER by Virginia Boecker An Interview & Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on blog tour for THE KING SLAYER by Virginia Boecker! I freaking LOVED this book so hard!! I have an interview with Virginia to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a finished copy of the book! 

Haven't heard of THE KING SLAYER? Check it out!

Title: THE KING SLAYER

Author: Virginia Boecker

Pub. Date: June 14, 2016

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Format: Hardcover, eBook

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

An action-packed and suspenseful sequel to The Witch Hunter, perfect for fans of Graceling and the Grisha Trilogy.

"I think, in time, you'll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory."

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He's readying for a war against those who would resist his rule--namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth's strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she'll go to save those she loves.

"Filled with everything a good fantasy book needs: swords, poison, black magic, and betrayal."--April Tucholke, author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, on The Witch Hunter 

Now on to the interview!

Hi Virginia! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! THE KING SLAYER was absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait for everyone to read it! And am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit of a recap of THE WITCH HUNTER & what we can expect in THE KING SLAYER? 

Thank you so much, and thanks for having me! In THE WITCH HUNTER we’re introduced to Elizabeth Grey, a 16-year old witch hunter in the employ of Lord Thomas Blackwell, the Inquisitor of Anglia. Witchcraft is banned throughout the country, and when Elizabeth is caught in a compromising position and accused of being a witch herself, she’s thrown in prison. On the eve of her execution she’s set free by Nicholas Perevil, the country’s most notorious and wanted wizard, who offers Elizabeth her freedom in exchange for helping him to find the wizard who has laid a deadly curse on him. As Elizabeth’s involvement with Nicholas and his supporters deepens, everything she’s been taught and everything she thought she knew is put to the test, and she ultimately has to choose which side she belongs on. In THE KING SLAYER, Elizabeth loses something that is very important to her, we’re introduced to some new characters and reintroduced to some old ones, and everyone in the story learns what it means to have to start over.

So what are you working on now? 

Right now I’m working on my third book, which is top secret as it’s still unannounced! 
But I can say it will be released in Summer 2018, it’s straight historical (no fantastical elements), there’s love, and disguise, and treachery, and murder, and I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life? 

John’s personality was very much based on my husband’s. Kind, nurturing, thoughtful, self-possessed and self-aware, intelligent, confident, maybe a little bit messy around the edges J; by all measures a better person than me (though he inspires me to be better). Blackwell was based on my late father who, while intelligent and ambitious, possessed a violent and self-destructive streak that was ultimately his downfall.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite? 

Schuyler is always my favorite character to write! He’s such a pisser. My least favorite character was Malcolm, the deposed king. I have mixed feelings about him in that I really want to like him, but the things he does tends to make that difficult. I think he redeems himself in the end, though.

What is your favorite passage/scene in THE KING SLAYER?

This scene between Elizabeth and Lord Blackwell comes in the first third of THE KING SLAYER, and it’s a flashback to her witch hunter training.

“Look at me,” he said.

I did.

Tall. Dark hair, shaven nearly to his scalp. Short, closely cropped beard. Well over six feet. Attractive, if one could get past those hard, cruel eyes.

“You were a mistake,” he said.

I didn’t know what to say to that, if I should say anything to that. Finally, I settled on “Yes, my lord.”

“Yet with all that, here you are. Again. Still. Here.” He began to circle me, the way a wolf does its prey. It took every ounce of control I had to stand in place. “Why do you think that is? Why are you here, Elizabeth?”

I had a thousand replies, none of which I could voice. Because of you? In spite of you? No thanks to you? Instead I said, “To learn, my lord.”

“To learn,” he repeated. “And what, pray, are you learning?”

He was behind me now; I couldn’t see him but I could feel him, and every hair on the back of my neck stood on end, shrieking their warning. His words were mild but I could hear the pique behind them. I didn’t know how I’d displeased him but then, I never did.

“How to serve you.”

He stepped around me so that he was facing me again. But I didn’t relax. And I didn’t look at him, either. I kept my eyes on his golden tunic, the still-rising sun glittering off the fabric.

“How fortunate am I to have such a servant in you.”

He was taunting me, I knew that. Once again I didn’t know how to respond, so once again, I repeated myself. “Yes, my lord.” It had become a mantra.

Blackwell looked toward the maze. I didn’t know what other recruits were inside, or who had already returned. It occurred to me to wonder: Was he waiting for me? Was that why he was here? Or was he waiting for someone else?

“Do you think, Elizabeth, that you will make it through training?”

This, I knew the answer to. I didn’t have to hunt around for what to reply and I didn’t hesitate when I did.

“Yes, my lord.”

Blackwell nodded. “Yes. I see that you believe that. And I can see you wish me to believe it, too.” He smiled, or at least gave the nearest approximation to a smile I’d ever seen from him. It transformed him. It turned him from someone you would fear into someone you could almost trust.

Almost.

“And do you know? From what I saw today, I very nearly do believe it.”

My heart swelled, and I felt a flush of pleasure race through my limbs all the way into my cheeks, burning bright with what was, from him, the highest of praise.

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

I love this scene so much. It gives me a little thrill every time I read it.

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

Most of the research for this story, in terms of the 16^th century English history on which is was based, was mostly done with THE WITCH HUNTER. But THE KING SLAYER does culminate in a battle that was based on the Battle of Bosworth Field (the final battle in The War of the Roses which resulted in the death of Richard III and the beginning of the Tudor dynasty) so I did have to research that a bit more. I looked at everything from armor to weaponry to strategy to infantry to logistics. I also spent a lot of time mapping in this book: the villages of Harrow-on-the-Hill (where the majority of the story takes place) is based on the Cotswolds, but shrunk to roughly Manhattan sized proportions. There’s a lot of movement within Harrow throughout this story and as I am fairly geographically challenged – I’m that person that always underestimates the distance from one place to another (“on the map it’s like an inch”) – it took some doing.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend? 

Sean Kendrick from THE SCORPIO RACES. He is moody and brooding and uncommunicative and I am desperately in love with him.

What inspired you to write YA? 

Because I like writing about moody, brooding, uncommunicative boys, which are qualities really only desirable when said boys are sub-19. After that they just make difficult men, which are a lot less fun to write about.

But in all seriousness, I love the firsts in YA (first love, first heartbreak, and, I guess if you’re reading my books, first kill…), I love the breakneck pacing, and I love how respectful they are of readers time: get in, get that story going, quickly get to those heartbreaking and heart stopping moments that we all love and wait for.

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read? Rereading Scorpio Races for the millionth time. Dying to read LADY JANE.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in? Gryffindor.

Twitter or Facebook? Instagram.

Favorite Superhero? Iron Man. Speaking of pissers…

Favorite TV show? Project Runway. Tim Gunn is a literal angel, too good for this mortal plane. Also, I want Heidi to shout at me in German while I work out, and to tuck Zac Posen in my pocket and have him advise me on my wardrobe.

Sweet or Salty? Salty.

Any Phobias? Flying. Roaches. Flying roaches. The ocean.

Song you can’t get enough of right now? I’m having a Supertramp moment right now, so it’s a toss up between Take the Long Way Home and The Logical Song. They’re both great running songs.

Spring Movie you’re most looking forward to? Jason Bourne.

About Virginia:

Virginia Boecker recently spent four years in London obsessing over English medieval history, which formed the basis of The Witch Hunter. She now lives in the Bay Area, California with her husband and spends her days writing, reading, running, and chasing around her two children and a dog named George.

In addition to English kings, nine-day queens, and Protestant princesses, her other obsessions include The Smiths, art museums, champagne, and Chapstick. She is represented by the incomparable Kathleen Ortiz at New Leaf Literary & Media.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest| Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE KING SLAYER, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

6/13/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- Interview

6/13/2016- Fiction Fare- Review

6/14/2016- Once Upon a Twilight- Guest Post

6/14/2016- The YA Book Traveler- Review

6/15/2016- Two Chicks on Books- Interview

6/15/2016- Me, My Shelf and I- Review

6/16/2016- Owl Always Be Reading- Guest Post

6/16/2016- The Best Books Ever - Review

6/17/2016- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview

6/17/2016- Mundie Moms- Review