Blog Tour: Character Interview with Eleanor & Daniel (A DARKNESS STRANGE & LOVELY)

NOTE: The interview has been added to this post as of 16/07/2013.

Following an all-out battle with the walking Dead, the Spirit Hunters have fled Philadelphia, leaving Eleanor alone to cope with the devastating aftermath. But there’s more trouble ahead—the evil necromancer Marcus has returned, and his diabolical advances have Eleanor escaping to Paris to seek the help of Joseph, Jie, and the infuriatingly handsome Daniel once again. When she arrives, however, she finds a whole new darkness lurking in this City of Light. As harrowing events unfold, Eleanor is forced to make a deadly decision that will mean life or death for everyone.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository 

Let's have a sneak peek into the adventures that Eleanor, Daniel & the Spirit-Hunters will have in Paris in this exclusive interview! 

1)  Daniel & Eleanor, after the great showdown with the Undead last time round, what’s the first thing you had thought you would say when you see each other again?

Daniel: Er… “How’s your…wrist?” Wait, no. That’s terrible. Maybe, “You look mighty fine, Empress.” Yeah—that’s a bit better.

Eleanor: A simple “It’s lovely to see you" would suffice.

Daniel: *rolls eyes*

Eleanor: I think I’ll settle on a, “Hello, Mr. Sheridan. Broken any more hearts since we last met?”

2) Since Paris is a world fashion capital, tell us one or two of your favorite French fashion pieces!

Daniel: I can't say that it's French--maybe it is?--but I've grown pretty fond of the monocle as a fashion accessory. Those things are blazin' useful when I'm working with delicate items in the lab.

Eleanor: I mostly just envy the effortless way French women put themselves together. They're always in the latest style, they exude confidence, and it all looks so easy. My new friend Laure perfectly epitomizes that. Also, how the devil she manages to make her waist so tiny, I will never know.

3 ) What are some new tricks that you've learnt in A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY when combating the Undead?

Eleanor: Well, we have a whole host of new inventions thanks to Mr. Sheridan.

Daniel: *scowl* Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Sheridan. It's "Daniel", dammit. And yeah, I've managed to improve all of our tech from Philadelphia. I even got to spend a few weeks studying in Germany with some brilliant engineers--I've got one big piece of equipment I expect all of Paris will love.

4) What are some of the most memorable places you've visited in Paris?

Eleanor: The Tuileries Gardens and the River Seine--oh heavens, there's nowhere else like them! Just seeing all the gray buildings that hug the stone riverside and how the chestnut trees list in the breeze--it makes my heart soar.

Daniel: She asked memorable, Empress, not your favorite. I'd say the Palais Garnier had some pretty memorable events.

Eleanor: *glare* And not the Richelieu library? Hmph.

5) What’s next for both of you? Tell us a hint of what will be coming in the third book— more romance, battles with the Undead &… Egypt?!

Eleanor: I don't want to spoil our Parisian adventure for readers, but let's simply say that although we do save Paris, we're not even close to ending this battle. The war has really on just begun, and now we're headed for Marseille--possibly even further.

Daniel: But this is what Spirit-Hunters do, and we'll fight this until the very end.

Eleanor: Until the very end.

ABOUT SUSAN

Susan Dennard is a writer, reader, lover of animals, and eater of cookies. She used to be a marine biologist, but now she writes novels. And not novels about fish either, but novels about kick-butt heroines and swoon-worthy rogues (she really likes swoon-worthy rogues).

She lives in the Midwest with her French husband and Irish setter, and her debut, SOMETHING STRANGE AND DEADLY, is now available from HarperTeen.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

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Well, that's the spirit! Awww, the bickering between these two are simply adorable :) The next time I'm in France, I'll definitely drop by these places mentioned in the book & in this interview. Here's a picture of the Richelieu library to make us book-lovers drool:

A huge thank-you to Eleanor, Daniel (& of course, the ever-amazing Susan Dennard) for making an appearance on Bookcase to Heaven today :)

And also, the awesome ladies at Rockstar Book Tours!

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GIVEAWAY (Aw, yeah!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule (do pop by the subsequent tour stops!)

7/15/2013	Bookcase to Heaven™	-	Interview
7/16/2013	Magical Urban Fantasy Reads	-	Guest Post
7/17/2013	Tynga's Reviews	-	Review
7/18/2013	Supernatural Snark	-	Interview
7/19/2013	The Book Cellar	-	Guest Post
7/22/2013	Read-A-holicZ	-	Review
7/23/2013	IceyBooks	-	Interview
7/24/2013	Working for the Mandroid	-	Review
7/25/2013	The Reader's Antidote	-	Review
7/26/2013	Two Chicks on Books	-	Guest Post ideas

xoxo,

Sel

Guest Post by Kristin Bailey (Legacy of the Clockwork Key)

Legacy of the Clockwork Key

A teen girl unravels the mysteries of a secret society and their most dangerous invention in this adventure-swept romance set in Victorian London.

When a fire consumes Meg’s home, killing her parents and destroying both her fortune and her future, all she has left is the tarnished pocket watch she rescued from the ashes. But this is no ordinary timepiece. The clock turns out to be a mechanical key—a key that only Meg can use—that unlocks a series of deadly secrets and intricate clues that Meg is compelled to follow.

Meg has uncovered evidence of an elite secret society and a dangerous invention that some will stop at nothing to protect—and that Meg alone can destroy. Together with the handsome stable hand she barely knows but hopes she can trust, Meg is swept into a hidden world of deception, betrayal, and revenge. The clockwork key has unlocked her destiny in this captivating start to a trilogy.

Release date: March 5th 2013

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pre-order: Amazon

ABOUT THE LADY BEHIND THE BOOK

Kristin Bailey grew up in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley in California. As a kid she enjoyed visiting the beach, camping and skiing with her two brothers.

Now she is a military wife and mother of two young children. She is also terrible about spoiling her pets. She has one fluffy mutt, two cats who think they own the world, and a fish tank with a quartet of fat fish, and two secretive striped ninja-assassin snails.

In the course of her adventures, she has worked as a zookeeper, balloon artist, and substitute teacher. Now she enjoys writing books for teens who enjoy mystery and adventure as much as she does.

www.kristinbailey.com | twitter.com/KBaileyBooks

GUEST POST

Everyone knows that the best thing about a Young Adult novel is the boys. How smoothly and quickly they steal our hearts pretty much makes or breaks a novel. 

Without further ado, I pass the blog over to author Kristin Bailey, for her to talk about the boys in her book and how they carry the plot of LEGACY along with Meg.

Of Mechanicals and Men

The boys of The Secret Order

By Kristin Bailey

One of the difficult things about writing a first-person novel with a female protagonist is that the book by default tends to focus on the heroine. I wanted to take a step back for a moment and introduce you to the men of Meg’s world. While I'm terribly attached to all my characters, these two have won my heart, and it’s only fair to share the spotlight at least once.

Enter the Hero…

William McDonald is fascinating to me. I'm not quite sure where he came from. When I first had a concept of the type of person I wanted to join Meg on her adventures, I knew I wanted him to be a foil for her. She’s outgoing and has a tendency to make rash decisions, while he is very circumspect and cautious. The thing I probably love about him the most is that in spite of his reserve, he just can’t help jumping into the thick of things with her. I think secretly he longs for the excitement and I'm certain he loves Meg because she has shaken up his world and makes him feel alive.

Will is roughly eighteen years old, although I'm not exactly sure of his age. He is a boy that carries a very tragic past. He was born a Scottish Traveller. His family was attacked when he was about six years old. The vicious hate crime left his father severely beaten and young Will watched him die on the side of the road next to their wrecked wagon. Will was found shortly after the tragedy by one of the Amusementists. He took the boy in out of pity and set him up to work in the stables.

Giving Will such a distinct ethnic identity was tricky. I didn't want to fall into “gypsy” stereotypes, though Will feels the weight of that label and the scorn that was attached to it during the Victorian era. I also didn’t want to glamorize it. I just wanted Will to feel real to me. I decided to do my best to put myself in Will’s shoes and to figure out what would be important to him as an individual. While he bears the burden of his “unseemly” beginnings, he was raised in London and only has foggy memories of his childhood.

Will has a great deal of personal pride. He is driven by a deep sense of responsibility and more than anything he wants to feel he has earned whatever skills and gifts have come to him. He’s intensely loyal and intelligent and tends to think things through. What I love most about Will is that he’s a guy you can depend on, with just enough edge to make him exciting, add some swarthy good looks and deep chocolate eyes, and it’s no wonder Meg gets very flustered every time he’s near.

Then there’s the duke…

Just don’t let him catch you calling him “Your Grace.” Perhaps my favourite character in the entire trilogy is Oliver, otherwise known as the Duke of Chadwick. In this first book of the trilogy, I needed a character that could explain to Meg what the Secret Order of Modern Amusementists were all about. That meant that one of the Amusementists had to come into the picture. As part of Amusementist tradition, Oliver goes by his first name only in Amusementist company, and I think he prefers it that way. Oliver is dedicated to the idea that a person’s worth comes from his actions alone. When push comes to shove, you can count on Oliver to be the one shoving you into a situation you’re not sure you’re entirely ready for.

A dashing mix between a professor and a swashbuckling adventurer, Oliver acts as a sort of older brother/mentor to Meg. With wild curling hair, a wicked grin, and a complete inability to hit the side of a barn with any sort of projectile, Oliver is a character that is easy to love, unless you happen to be the one girl that has always held his heart.

I hope you enjoy meeting Will and Oliver in Legacy of the Clockwork Key as much as I enjoyed writing them.

Happy reading!

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GIVEAWAY (Aw, yeah!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To win a deluxe swag pack, enter into another giveaway here, in a previous interview I had with Kristin. 

MY TWO CENTS WORTH

Thank you, Kristin! 

I think I'm totally Team Oliver after reading your post :) I've got to love a guy with curly hair (since I've some on my head too) and his way of doing things echoes my personal motto-- "you never gain anything without trying".

I love large ideas, bold enterprise, adventures and plunging into the thick of things.

Now a question to you:

Scottish boy Will or the curly-haired duke, Oliver?

Leave your thoughts in the comment section below!

xoxo,

Sel