Two Chicks On Books: Blog Tour- THE BLACK KEY by Amy Ewing An Interview & Giveaway!

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for THE BLACK KEY by Amy Ewing! I freaking adore this series and am sad to see it end! I have an interview with Amy 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 BLACK KEY? Check it out!

Title: THE BLACK KEY (The Lone City Trilogy #3)

Author: Amy Ewing

Pub. Date: October 4, 2016

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 304

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

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

For too long, Violet and the people of the outer circles of the Lone City have lived in service to the royalty of the Jewel. But now the secret society known as the Black Key is preparing to seize power.

And while Violet knows she is at the center of this rebellion, she has a more personal stake in it—her sister, Hazel, has been taken by the Duchess of the Lake. Now, after fighting so hard to escape the Jewel, Violet must do everything in her power to return to save not only Hazel, but the future of the Lone City.

Now on to the interview!

Hi Amy! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! I am dying to read THE BLACK KEY and I know all my readers are dying to as well! And am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about THE BLACK KEY and the characters? Or give us a series recap?

Okay, I’m going to try to be as concise as possible….In THE JEWEL, Violet is sold as a surrogate to the wealthy Duchess of the Lake, to bear her a child. In THE WHITE ROSE, she escapes and flees to a safe haven, where she learns she has much more power than she thought she did. In THE BLACK KEY, she sneaks back into the Jewel to finally confront the woman who took so much from her and attempt to take down the royalty once and for all. Whew, that was tough! I can be so bad at summarizing but I think that’s pretty much the gist of it J And we do get to meet some new characters (some have appeared in the novellas, others are brand spanking new) that I’m really excited about!

So now that the series is over what are you working on? And how does it feel to have a complete series under your belt?

It’s so bittersweet! I’m incredibly proud of this series, and so grateful that I was given so much space and time to write Violet’s story. The way she has grown and changed over the course of the three books makes my heart swell with pride. But it’s also sad that I won’t get to be with her anymore, that I won’t get to hang out with Ash or Raven or Garnet again. It’s really hard to say goodbye to them.

But in exciting news, I do have a whole new series coming out! No release date yet, though it’s looking like it will be out sometime in 2018. And I am chomping at the bit to get to work on it (it is in Baby Draft form right now—also known as Really Really Really Bad Draft form—and waiting on edits). The first book is called THE CERULEAN and it tells the story of Sera, a member of a race of magical women who live in a city in the sky. My agent called it a Sapphic utopia, which I love. The city is entirely female, gay, and polyamorous—a family unit consists of three mothers and one daughter. Sera is chosen to be sacrificed onto the planet below the city, but it goes wrong and instead of dying, she is captured by two twins whose father runs a series of upscale freak shows in a city much like 1930s New York. Sera is put into his newest show and has to figure out how to escape (with the eventual help of the twins who caught her). It is a lot more complex than The Jewel and I can’t wait to share these new characters and societies with the world!

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

Nope! They are all their own people to me, as cheesy as that sounds. They are wholly unique.

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

Oooh, that’s so tough. I can’t choose one favorite. The Duchess because she’s so nuanced, Garnet because he’s such a lovable jerk, and Sil because she’s so curmudgeonly but with a soft heart underneath. Least favorite would have to be the Countess of the Stone because she is so purely evil.

What is your favorite passage/scene in THE BLACK KEY?

There’s a scene between Violet and Lucien in The Black Key that I absolutely love—I won’t elaborate to avoid being spoilery. There’s lots of action in this book, and this one particular scene is quiet and reflective. It’s a nice breather and a reminder of the strength of their relationship.

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

Most of the research for this series came in the beginning, when I was still crafting the world. I know it so well now, there wasn’t so much to be done. I did have to do more name research because there are new characters (and they must fit in with my naming systems). And we go back to the Duchess’s palace so I had to reread some parts of The Jewel to remind myself what was where!

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Again, must I only pick one?? Peeta and Jon Snow. I can’t choose between them, don’t make me!

What inspired you to write YA?

Definitely a big part was because I love reading it. And there’s so much you can do with YA—the boundaries are constantly being pushed and there’s lots of freedom to explore. But I think what I love the most is that time in life. There are so many firsts, there is the struggle to figure out how you fit into the world, the balance between leaving childhood and becoming an adult. Everything is so heightened and immediate. I would never want to live my teen years over again, but they are a great wealth to draw from.

Lightening Round Questions

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

I’m currently reading an advance copy of Lexa Hillyer’s upcoming YA fantasy Spindle Fire and loving it! On my TBR is The Accident Season and The Color Purple (which I can’t believe I have not read yet).

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ravenclaw! That’s what I sort myself into. I’ve never actually gone and done the sorting thing on Pottermore. I think I’m terrified it will put me in Slytherin and I so identify with Ravenclaw.

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter for talking to readers, Facebook for sharing pics of my travels. I use them both so differently.

Favorite Superhero?

Rogue from X Men. I wanted to be her when I was little.

Favorite TV show?

Ack too many to choose! My most recent obsession is The Americans, so I’ll go with that. But I definitely can’t wait for the next season of Stranger Things.

Sweet or Salty?

Salty! All the way.

Any Phobias?

Heights and spiders.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

I’ve been on a 90s kick recently, and can’t stop listening to Hey Jealousy by the Gin Blossoms.

Fall Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Rogue One! I’m such a nerd.

Thanks so much Amy for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read THE BLACK KEY!

Thank you so so much for having me!!

About Amy:

Amy Ewing earned her MFA in Writing for Children at The New School and received her BFA at New York University. The Jewel started off as a thesis project and became her debut novel. She lives in New York City. You can visit Amy online at www.amyewingbooks.com or on Twitter @AmyEwingBooks.