Today I'm absurdly excited to welcome author Danielle L. Jensen to the blog to celebrate the upcoming release of her young adult fantasy novel, Stolen Songbird. I couldn't have loved this book any more if I tried, it simply blew me away with its rich storytelling and characterization, and I need the next book in my hands like I need chocolate on a bad day. Danielle was nice enough to answer a few questions about Stolen Songbird for me, so I hope you all enjoy the interview, but even more so I hope you add this book to your lists!
If Cecile were starring in a musical production or opera about her time in Trollus, what would the titles of her opening and closing numbers be?
She’d open with
My Day Went From Bad To Worse and close with
Feeling All The Feels.
You wake up one morning and find yourself in the labyrinth surrounding Trollus. What character from any book, movie or TV show would you most want with you to help you navigate your way through?
Ack! Waking up in a dark enclosed space is one of my worst nightmares! Hmmm, surviving the labyrinth requires intelligence more than anything, so I think I’d want to be there with the BBC’s Sherlock Holmes. I’m confident he could find his way out, and if not, meeting my end with Benedict Cumberbatch wouldn’t be the worst way to go.
We don't know too much about the witch who cursed the trolls by the end of Stolen Songbird, but what we do learn raises some interesting questions. Who is your all-time favorite witch, good or evil, from any piece of fiction?
Right now, my favourite witch is absolutely Angelina Jolie as Maleficent. Have you seen the most recent trailer? The little laugh she does at the end pretty much epitomizes evil. I really enjoy when the bad guy/gal is the protagonist, because I think it’s a mark of great storytelling when you find yourself wanting them to succeed in their diabolical plan.
Cecile knows Tristan is keeping some big secrets from her, but she holds out hope that in time he'll trust her enough to share them. What's one small thing–a quirk or habit of his–that Tristan would prefer Cecile never know about?
That he can’t sing a note :) Tristan totally has a Type-A personality that drives him to be good at everything he does, but despite his best efforts even his whistling is out of tune. It’s one of the reasons he admires her abilities so much. Not that he’d ever confess to it.
If you lived in the palace with Cecile and had access to the extensive library, what books would you most wish were on the shelves?
That depends. If I were a human prisoner like Cecile, I’d probably go searching for books that explained the trolls’ mysterious history and origin – a secret book full of answers. But if I were a troll living in the palace, I’d probably be like Tristan and want the shelves to be full of escapist novels, because I’d be endlessly fascinated by what life was like in the outside world.
There is many a story about the trolls that human parents in Cecile’s world use as cautionary tales for their children. If Cecile was able to get a message to her family (without breaking any oath) regarding what the trolls are really like, what would she most want them to know?
That appearances are not always what they seem.
Two of Tristan's closest friends, the twins, are hugely competitive. If they lived in our world, what competitive sport do you think they would most excel at or most like to play?
I think the twins would excel at track and field sports like shotput, javalin, longjump, and hurdles, because they appeal to their strengths. However, Victoria and Vincent are always up for obscure challenges, so I think if you proposed a dance-off, they would not decline. They might even ask you to judge.
One might describe Stolen Songbird as dark given the lack of natural light in Trollus. What one word might you use to describe book two?
Well, I’m not done writing it yet, but so far it’s an uneasy sort of book. Everyone is very tense, so I think that’s the word I’ll go with.
Stolen Songbird is dark, but there are a lot of light-hearted moments. In the sequel, the stakes are higher and the characters are faced with a lot of difficult choices. I’m much crueler to all my characters in the sequel – I don’t think anyone gets by unscathed. Not even the twins…
*Jenny bites off all her nails and heads to the kitchen for chocolate...*
• • • • • • • • • • •
STOLEN SONGBIRD
For five centuries, a
witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of
Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to
fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a
union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes
is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far
more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile
has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape.
Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have
to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something
unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the
enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She
begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only
hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are
slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her
prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As
Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she
becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope
of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus
forever.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
DANIELLE L. JENSEN
Danielle was born and raised in Calgary, Canada. At the insistence of the left side of her brain, she graduated in 2003 from the University of Calgary with a bachelor’s degree in finance. But the right side of her brain has ever been mutinous; and in 2010, it sent her back to school to complete an entirely impractical English literature degree at Mount Royal University and to pursue publication. Much to her satisfaction, the right side shows no sign of relinquishing its domination.
• • • • • • • • • • • •
GIVEAWAY
Thanks to Danielle, I have a signed copy of Stolen Songbird up for grabs today! To enter, please just fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US/Canada only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
