I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS by Hannah West! I can't wait to read this book! I have an interview with Hannah to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a finished copy of the book!!
Haven't heard of KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS ? Check it out!
Author: Hannah West
Pub. Date: September 15, 2016
Publisher: Holiday House, Inc.
Pages: 352
Formats: Hardcover
Bristal, an orphaned kitchen maid, lands in a gritty fairy tale gone wrong when she discovers she is an elicromancer with a knack for shape-shifting. An ancient breed of immortal magic beings, elicromancers have been winnowed down to merely two - now three - after centuries of bloody conflict in the realm. Their gifts are fraught with responsibility, and sixteen-year-old Bristal is torn between two paths. Should she vow to seek the good of the world, to protect and serve mortals? Or should she follow the strength of her power, even if it leads to unknown terrors? She draws on her ability to disguise herself as a man to infiltrate a prince's band of soldiers, and masquerades as a fairy godmother to shield a cursed princess, but time is running out. As an army of dark creatures grows closer, Bristal faces a supernatural war. To save the kingdoms, Bristal must find the courage to show her true form.
Building on homages to Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jane Austen’s Emma and the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, Hannah West makes a spectacular debut.
Now on to the interview!
Hi Hannah! First I want to
say welcome to Two Chicks on Books! KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS sounds absolutely
fantastic and I can’t wait to read it! And am so happy that you could stop by
for a visit!
Thanks so much for having
me!
For the readers: can you
tell us a little bit about KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS and the characters?
It’s essentially the story
of the fairy godmother from Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella: one young woman
named Bristal who discovers she’s an immortal creature called an elicromancer.
Her specific gift is shapeshifting. She trains with two other elicromancers,
Brack and Tamarice, until the latter turns down a dark path and threatens to
bring war down on the realm. Bristal attempts to unite the mortal kingdoms of
Nissera as they face this threat, a tasks that involves taking on various
disguises to manipulate the political scene. She plays fairy godmother to the
two cursed princesses and poses as a male soldier in Prince Anthony’s contingent
of thieves-turned-soldiers until she finally has to muster the courage to show
her true form and fight for the people that she loves.
Is this a standalone or a
series? And if it’s a series do you have a title for book 2 yet? And if it’s a
standalone what are you working on next?
Right now I’m finishing up
a WIP that’s completely different - a southern gothic/paranormal based in a
fictional East Texas town. But every day I’m getting more and more ideas for a
companion novel for KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS and I can’t wait to get a chance
to start on it. I have a title but I’ve learned those can change throughout the
process. I think this one will stick but I’ll wait to put it out there just in
case!
Were any of the characters
in the book inspired by people from your real life?
This is such an interesting
question and I have such an uninteresting answer: not really. I’m sure some
characters have things in common with people in my life but it’s certainly not
intentional.
Who was your favorite
character to write? What about your least favorite?
Oh gosh! That’s hard. Well,
let’s exclude Bristal because writing her was the same as writing the book -
which was equal parts fun and arduous. I loved writing Tamarice, because behind
every villain there’s a story of grief and loss. We catch her just at a
transitional point where she’s finally morphing from harmed to harmful.
But while that was an interesting experience, Anthony was my favorite because I
love the way the layers of his passion and nobility unfold as tensions
heighten.
What is your favorite
passage/scene in KINGDOM OF ASH & BRIARS?
There’s a part about ⅔ in that a classic fairy tale moment is woven
into the political/approaching war story and it just feels like breath of fresh
air. Then only a chapter later there’s a dark crisis that leads to Bristal
risking her life for someone she loves and realizing the breadth of that love.
For some reason that sequence of events - the sparkly fairy tale moment
followed by this grim encounter where things start spinning out of control -
felt like everything I imagined when I started dreaming up this story.
What kind of research did
you have to do for the story?
Research is the bane of my
existence. That’s why I write fantasy - I would rather make up my own world and
cultures than screw up the details of real ones. That being said, I did do a
little research about plants and foods that would be indigenous to a western
European-esque area and a little here and there related to medieval clothes and
weapons. My WIP is requiring a lot more research so I’m warming to it, but you
probably won’t find me writing historical novels in the future. Unless I team
up with someone who loves research.
Who is your ultimate book
boyfriend?
Gale Hawthorne!!!!
What inspired you to write
YA?
I’ve been writing stories
consistently since I was about 10, most of them relating to magic and teenagers
with magic falling in love. I loved Ella Enchanted and Robin McKinley, which
led to writing a bunch of fractured fairy tales and fantasy. I will say that
the emergence of popular female-driven paranormal YA like Twilight in my
late teens helped me gather my love of reading and writing and language into an
actual aspiration. It made me realize I could do it!
Lightning Round Questions
What are you reading right
now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I’m finishing up THE WRATH
AND THE DAWN by Renée Ahdieh and then I’m planning to read SOME KIND OF
HAPPINESS by Claire Legrand and then SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo, which for
some reason I haven’t read yet? I have no idea why.
What Hogwarts House would
the Sorting Hat place you in?
Gryffindor. Some people in
my life try to say Ravenclaw based on the fact that I love to read and write,
but that’s not equivalent to being clever and deeply caring about academic
success. Gryffindor and don’t try to argue!
Twitter or Facebook?
Twitter
Favorite Superhero?
I’m not a huge superhero
person. I watch most of the movies but there’s often an undercurrent of
cheesiness that I can’t get past! I’m sure I’ll love the new Wonder Woman movie
though, so let’s just say her.
Favorite TV show?
Just one? Game of Thrones,
Parks and Rec, Penny Dreadful, Silicon Valley, Orange Is the New Black,
Outlander...
Sweet or Salty?
Sweet
Any Phobias?
I’m about to contradict my
Gryffindor status. I’m deeply afraid of public speaking of any kind, heights,
natural disasters, large crowds (especially when there’s not a clear exit), and
gross bodily harm. Most of those things have induced an actual panic attack for
me at some point.
Song you can’t get enough
of right now?
“Wood” by Rostam and
“Closer” by the Chainsmokers ft Halsey
Spring Movie you’re most
looking forward to?
Beauty and the Beast!
Thanks so much Hannah for
answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read KINGDOM OF ASH AND
BRIARS!
About Hannah:
Hannah West is the debut author of KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS, a young adult fantasy releasing on September 15, 2016 from Holiday House.
Hannah has been writing fantasy since kindergarten, when she penned her first tale about a runaway princess who lived on top of a flagpole with two loaves of bread. But it wasn't until she studied abroad in Orléans, France during her junior year of college that the premise for her first novel materialized. The fairy tale castles, the snowy winter days, and a Disney princess pencil that arrived in a care package from her parents provided the inspiration that allowed her to wrangle all her untold and unfinished stories into a book.
She lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Vince, and their rambunctious blue heeler, Robb. She proudly writes articles about sustainable living and home renovation for Modernize.com. She loves the outdoors when it's not hellishly hot, camping, and watching shows like Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Orange Is the New Black. While she may have avoided several southern clichés, she can't live without half-and-half sweet tea and can be caught saying "y'all" about a dozen times a day.
Hannah has been writing fantasy since kindergarten, when she penned her first tale about a runaway princess who lived on top of a flagpole with two loaves of bread. But it wasn't until she studied abroad in Orléans, France during her junior year of college that the premise for her first novel materialized. The fairy tale castles, the snowy winter days, and a Disney princess pencil that arrived in a care package from her parents provided the inspiration that allowed her to wrangle all her untold and unfinished stories into a book.
She lives in the Dallas area with her husband, Vince, and their rambunctious blue heeler, Robb. She proudly writes articles about sustainable living and home renovation for Modernize.com. She loves the outdoors when it's not hellishly hot, camping, and watching shows like Outlander, Game of Thrones, and Orange Is the New Black. While she may have avoided several southern clichés, she can't live without half-and-half sweet tea and can be caught saying "y'all" about a dozen times a day.
Giveaway Details:
3 Finished Copies of KINGDOM OF ASH AND BRIARS,(US Only)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Monday, September 12
Tuesday, September 13
Wednesday, September 14
Thursday, September 15
Friday, September 16
Monday, September 19
Tuesday, September 20
Wednesday, September 21
Thursday, September 22
Friday, September 23
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