Blog Tour- THE VALIANT by Lesley Livingston An Interview & Giveaway!

Hey everyone! Happy Valentine's Day! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for THE VALIANT by Lesley Livingston! I am a huge fan of Lesley's books and THE VALIANT was no exception! It was a fantastic re-imagining of the gladiators and I can't wait for book 2!  I have an interview with Lesleyto share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a chance to win the book!!

Haven't heard of THE VALIANT? Check it out!

Title: THE VALIANT

Author: Lesley Livingston

Release Date: February 14, 2017

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 372

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, Audible,  B&N, iBooks, Goodreads

Lost to history, the story of the female gladiator has never been told. Until now.

Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary warrior Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed while defending their home from the armies of Julius Caesar.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance.

Fallon is captured by ruthless brigands who sell her to an elite training school for female gladiators owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, the man who destroyed Fallon s family might be her only hope of survival. 
Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, deadly fights in and out of the arena, and perhaps the most dangerous threat of all: her irresistible feelings for Cai, a young Roman soldier and her sworn enemy.

Now on to the interview!

Hey Lesley Happy Valentines Day!! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books it’s been a while since we’ve had a chat! THE VALIANT was freaking AWESOME and I can’t wait for everyone to read it! And am so happy that you could stop by for a visit!

Happy Valiant-tines Day to you, too! Thanks for having me!

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?

Funny you should ask! We just announced the sequel not very long ago and I’m SUPER EXCITED about it!! The book is called THE DEFIANT. So…. That’s that I’m working on right now.

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

My characters tend to show up all on their own, without me really basing them on people I know personally (as a general rule). Of course, Julius Caesar and Cleopatra were real historical figures but I missed the chance for pub nights with them by a couple of thousand years… That being said, I know some pretty butt-kicking women who do stunt work in film/tv/theatre and there may have been a bit of influence coming from that quarter (or, in their case, quarter-staff).

I know you usually do the reading for your audiobooks, will you be doing this one as well?

Actually, for a change, I get to hear someone else read my work and I’m very excited about it! Because the voice artist my publisher chose is the FANTASTIC Fiona Hardingham, who has done audiobook narration for amazing books like An Ember in the Ashes, And I Darken, and The Scorpio Races. Can’t wait to listen!

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

That’s mean. Like asking me to pick a favorite cat! (And I’d pay for that in my sleep. I just know it.) I love writing all my characters: Fallon, Elka, Cai, Nyx… but, I must say, I had a lot of fun writing the historical characters (Julius Caesar and Cleopatra). As for least fave, I don’t really have one. I like writing the bad guys just as much as the good guys. Sometimes maybe more! ;-)

What is your favorite passage/scene in THE VALIANT?

Again with the favorite cat-type question! They will have their revenge, y’know. Honestly, I like different scenes for different reasons… I like the sisterhood scenes, I like the fight scenes, I like the rivalry scenes, I like the romance scenes, I like the horrifying scenes… you get the picture. I’ll just say this: There’s a scene that takes place at night. I like that one a lot.

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

I grew up reading a lot of history and fiction set in the ancient world so I went into this story with a lot of general and a fair degree of specific knowledge. But then my search engine history started filling up with a whole bunch of queries like “distance from Calais (ancient Caletum) to Marseille (ancient Massilia) overland by ox cart” and “ancient Roman flea treatments”… Y’know, practical knowledge of the time that I don’t really know off the top of my head. I also did an awful lot of research into the day-to-day lives of gladiators. And the politics and the religions and the daily life of Rome. Most of that, I would start searching online and always always that would end up sending me to reference books. I *heart* my bookshelves/library/bookstores!

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

King Arthur. Final answer. To hell with that Lancelot guy.

What inspired you to write YA?

I like stories of discoveries and firsts. I love the age-range of the characters that sees them on the cusp of really discovering themselves and the world around them – and I love taking that journey with them. Also? Best readership ever.

Lightening Round Questions

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ooh! I did an online quiz-thingy: I was sorted into Griffindoofus. My cat Hawkeye got Flufflepuff. My other cat Butters is a Blitherin!

Twitter or Facebook?

Hail Twits!

Favorite Superhero?

Woverine, claws down!

Favorite TV show?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Yes, still.

Sweet or Salty?

Salty. With a side of salt.

Any Phobias?

Fear, itself.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Probably one I just made up. About my cats. And it’s now driving me nuts. Oh god make it stop…

2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

Wonder Woman. Also, Logan (see above).

Thanks so much Lesley for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read THE VALIANT!

Thank you!! Always a pleasure to chat with the Two Chicks! 

About Lesley:

Lesley Livingston is the author of Once Every Never, winner of the inaugural Copper Cylinder Award and shortlisted for the CLA Young Adult Book Award and the BC Stellar Book Award. She is also the author of the Wondrous Strange and Starling trilogies. She lives in Toronto.

Website /Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Pinterest/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

Enter for a chance to win one (1) of five (5) copies of The Valiant by Lesley Livingston (ARV: $17.99 each).

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on February 13, 2017 and 12:00 AM on March 13, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about March 15, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One

2/13 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Gladiator Makeup

2/14 – Two Chicks on Books – Author Interview

2/15 – Alexa Loves Books – Weapon Spotlight: Bow & Arrow

2/16 – Novel Novice – Review

2/17 – Arctic Books – Review + Book Look

Week Two

2/20 – Brittany’s Book Rambles – Author Guest Post

2/21 – What Sarah Read – Review + Mood Board

2/22 – Mundie Moms – Weapon Spotlight: Shield

2/23 – ButterMyBooks – Author Interview

2/24 – Fiction Fare – Weapon Spotlight: Dimachaerus

Week Three

2/27 – Oh the Book Feels – Author Interview

2/28 – Seeing Double in Neverland – Weapon Spotlight: Gladius

3/1 – No More Grumpy Bookseller – Review

3/2 – The YA Book Traveler – Weapon Spotlight: Trident & Net

3/3 – My Friends Are Fiction – Author Guest Post

Week Four

3/6 – The Reading Nook Reviews – Weapon Spotlight: Spear

3/7 – A Page with a View – Like/Try/Why

3/8 – The Young Folks – Author Guest Post

3/9 – Icey Books – Quote Candy + Review

3/10 – Book Addict’s Guide – Bookish Scents