Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for NOW I RISE by Kiersten White! I freaking loved this amazing series!
I have an interview with Kiersten to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
I have an interview with Kiersten to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!
Haven't heard of NOW I RISE? Check it out!
Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.
What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?
As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.
Now on to the interview!
Hi Kiersten! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books! NOW I RISE 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!
Thank you so much! I’m so happy to be back.
For the readers:
can you tell us a little recap of AND I DARKEN and what we can expect in NOW I
RISE?
And I Darken followed the travails of the Dracul siblings, Lada and
Radu. Traded by their father for leverage, they were raised as political
prisoners in the Ottoman courts. Radu, kind and thoughtful and desperate for
love, surprisingly flourished. Lada, vicious and ruthlessly ambitious,
struggled against the restrictions of both their captivity and her gender. But
they both found a lifeline in Mehmed, the brilliant third son of the sultan.
When Mehmed was thrust onto the throne, Lada and Radu used their separate
skills to help him evade assassins and solidify power. They both also developed
feelings deeper than friendship for him. At the end of book one, they are faced
with a choice: Remain under the protection of Mehmed and help him, or go on to
the throne of their long-lost home. Radu chose to stay. Lada chose to leave.
Book two will trace their separate journeys as Lada realizes having power is
not as simple as claiming it, and Radu’s loyalty to his faith and his friend
are pushed to their limits when he goes behind the walls of Constantinople as spy and saboteur during the greatest
siege of their time.
So do you have a
title for book 3 yet?
Yes! It’s brilliant! I can’t tell you! I’m so sorry! I have also seen
the cover, and, as much as I absolutely adore books one and two, it’s my
favorite.
I know you took a
trip to Romania for research did you come across any
particularly interesting
lore from the area?
There was one church we visited in the countryside that was seven or
eight hundred years old. Carved on one wall was the face of God. And on the other,
the Green Man, an old pagan deity. I loved that they were totally cool putting
them both in a Christian church—covering all their bases! The Green Man
lore is really fascinating to look into, and hopefully I’ll write a book one day where I can explore this duality and melding of
beliefs.
It was also amazing to visit Vlad Dracul’s historical sites. We didn’t
do it on purpose, but we ended up at every significant one, and getting a real
sense for where he walked ended up being invaluable a few years later when I
started And I Darken!
Who was your
favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?
It’s a tie between Nazira, Radu’s sort-of wife, and Nicolae, Lada’s
comic relief and semi-conscience. They both functioned in the role of loving
their respective friends but also being honest with them. My least favorite
character to write was Matthias Corvinus. Not because he is awful, but because
he has such a fascinating and rich history himself, and I had to cut almost all
of it to fit him into my fictional tale. I still feel bad about it—he deserves his
own trilogy!
What is your
favorite passage/scene in NOW I RISE?
When [spoiler] finally makes it through [spoiler] and takes [spoiler
spoiler spoiler], and the sense of triumph and relief, but also how much is
left to come that [spoiler spoiler spoiler SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER]. That, or
the scene where Nicolae admits he sold Lada to an old man in the mountains in
exchange for a goat.
Who is your
ultimate book boyfriend?
Cricket Bell from LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins. (I’m
totally an Isla, but I love Cricket best.)
What inspired you
to write YA?
It was the age range I had the most fun reading, and therefore the one
I wanted to tell stories in.
Lightning Round
Questions
What are you
reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?
I am dying to read so many things! I’ve been under deadline and thus
not reading. But Laini Taylor, Nic Stone, and Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
are all taunting me from my TBR pile.
Team DC or Team
Marvel?
Marvel generally, but Wonder Woman always.
Team Iron Man,
Team Cap, Team Thor, Team Black Widow, or another Marvel
Character?
Nebula!
Favorite Place to
travel?
Romania.
Favorite TV show?
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Peaky Blinders, and Brooklyn 99. (And and and…I like TV a LOT.)
Sweet or Salty?
I’m a massive sugar fiend.
Any Phobias?
Mold and raw meat.
Song you can’t get
enough of right now?
Hozier’s entire album.
Summer/Fall Movie
you’re most looking forward to?
Atomic Blonde looks amazing!
Thanks so much Kiersten for answering my questions! I can’t wait for
everyone to read NOW I RISE!
About Kiersten:
Kiersten White is the NYT bestselling author of the Paranormalcy trilogy, the Mind Games series, Illusions of Fate, The Chaos of Stars, In the Shadows with artist Jim Di Bartolo, and the upcoming historical reimagining, And I Darken. She has one tall husband and three small children and lives near the ocean, where her life is perfectly normal. Visit her at www.kierstenwhite.com.
Giveaway Details:
3 Winners will receive a finished copy of NOW I RISE, US Only.
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
6/19/2017- Bookfever- Excerpt
6/20/2017- Lisa Loves Literature- Review
6/21/2017- Adventures of a Book Junkie- Interview
6/22/2017- Fiktshun- Review
6/23/2017- Carina's Books- Review
Week Two:
6/26/2017- Dazzled by Books- Review
6/27/2017- Books and Things- Review
6/28/2017- Rattle the
Stars- Review
6/29/2017- YABC- Review
6/30/2017- Once Upon A Twilight- Review
Week Three:
7/3/2017-Two Chicks on Books- Interview
7/4/2017- Seeing
Double In Neverland- Review
7/5/2017- Fiction Fare- Review
7/6/2017- YA and Wine- Review
7/7/2017- Little Red's
Reviews- Review
Make sure to grab book 1!
I loved the first book.
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