Monday, June 10, 2013

Born of Illusion Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway


Today I'm extremely excited to welcome young adult author Teri Brown to the blog as part of the promotional tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours for her newest release, Born of Illusion. Teri was nice enough to answer a few questions about the world illusions in the time of Houdini, so I hope you all enjoy the interview! Be sure and check out the bottom of the post for a full list of the participating blogs as well as all the details on a fantastic giveaway!

If you were to try your hand at some of Anna’s illusions and create a show of your own, what would your stage name and the name of your show be?

Terrible Teri? Or the Great and Terrible Teri? HA! I think I would have to call it word play, except it would no doubt be very boring to people who aren’t Lit Heads!

Anna is able to sense the emotions of others when she touches them (and in some cases when she’s simply near them). Let’s say Anna is standing right beside you on release day, what is she going to feel?

I hope she would feel happiness. Maybe joy? I mean, I have lived with this book and these characters for a very long time. I love them! But I’m a writer and that means I skew on the neurotic side, so she will probably feel fear, anxiety and maybe nausea!

Harry Houdini may or may not be Anna’s father. When researching his life, which of his illusions impressed/fascinated you most?

Oh, man there were so many good ones! I think the Chinese Water Torture Chamber must have been the most visually stunning, but the one that made my jaw drop is when he’d hang like fifteen stories up in the air by his feet and get out of handcuffs and a straightjacket. I always thought to myself, “Okay, he’s free, but he’s still hanging fifteen stories off the ground!” For me, free wouldn’t be such an awesome thing in that situation…

Anna and her mother are doing a promotional interview for their new show and instead of a reporter asking her mother a question, the reporter requests that Anna ask her mother anything she wants to know. What would Anna’s question be?

You know, Anna is such a private person that I’m not sure she would ask the question she most wants to know in front of other people and, being fearful of the answer, I don’t think she would even ask her mother this question in private…but the question that she would ask her mother if she could is a question that has shaped her whole life. She would ask her mother, “Do you love me?”

Though Anna dislikes having to do them, she and her mother make good money conducting séances. Have you ever attended or conducted one?

No… well sort of when I was a kid. But not a “real” one. The whole idea scares me too badly. Not that I believe in them. Well, not much!

What aspect of Anna’s character would you say is most similar to one of your own personality traits or quirks? What aspect is drastically different?

While I don’t see visions of the future the way Anna does, or talk to the dead, I am pretty empathic and super intuitive. I get strong senses of how people are feeling, but honestly, I think a lot of writers are empathic.

And honestly, I think Anna is a lot braver than I am. She not only gets on stage (I have horrible stage fright) but she just so proactive when it comes to issues. I just love that girl’s guts.  

Anna sometimes gets glimpses of the future; brief flashes of images but nothing concrete. If we were able to get one of Anna’s visions about future books of yours, what are a couple of the images we might see in those flashes?

Oh, AWESOME QUESTION! A couple of dead bodies. A gypsy or two. Bombs. Maybe a burned out building and a palace or two. Wild stuff!

• • • • • • • • • • 
 
BORN OF ILLUSION

 (releases from Balzer + Bray on June 11th)

Anna Van Housen has a secret. A gifted illusionist, Anna assists her mother, the renowned medium Marguerite Van Housen, in her stage show and séances, easily navigating the underground world of magicians, mediums, and mentalists in 1920’s New York. As the illegitimate daughter of Harry Houdini—or so Marguerite claims—sleight of hand illusions have never been a challenge for Anna. The real trick is keeping her own gifts secret from her opportunistic mother. Because while Marguerite’s own powers may be a sham, Anna possesses a true ability to sense people’s feelings and foretell the future.

But as Anna’s powers intensify, she begins to experience frightening visions of her mother in peril, which leads her to explore the powers she’s tried so long to hide. And when a mysterious young man named Cole moves into the flat downstairs, introducing Anna to a secret society that studies people with gifts like hers, she is forced to confront her past and rethink everything she’s ever known. Is her mother truly in danger, or are Anna’s visions merely illusion? And could the great Houdini really be her father, or is it just another of Marguerite’s tricks?

From Teri Brown comes a world bursting with magic, with romance, and the temptations of Jazz Age New York—and the story of a girl about to become the mistress of her own destiny.


• • • • • • • • • • 

TERI BROWN


Teri Brown is proud of her two children but coming in a close second is the fact that she parachuted out of a plane and beat the original Legend of Zelda video game.

She is a word scribbler, head banger, math hater, book reader, rule breaker, food fixer, novel writer, kitty keeper, and city slicker. Teri lives with her husband and way too many pets in Portland, Oregon.


• • • • • • • • • •

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate the launch of Born of Illusion, Teri is giving away 10 sets of Born of Illusion earth mineral eye shadow available for a limited time only from Glamour Doll Eyes. You, too, can get the glam look of the twenties!

Eye Shadow Giveaway (10 sets) 


Teri will also be giving away not one, but THREE grand prizes that Cari Cucksey, (of HGTV’s Cash and Cari), picked out from her RePurpose shop especially for the Born of Illusion launch!

Grand Prize Giveaway – Vintage Spoon Bracelets


So don’t forget to enter for a chance to win these beautiful vintage spoon bracelets! All giveaways are US and Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
• • • • • • • • • •

BLOG TOUR

Week One
June 3rd - Tales of the Ravenous Reader - Guest Post
June 4th - Mostly YA Books Obsessed - Review
June 5th - Hobbitsies - Interview
June 6th - YA Bibliophile - Guest Post
June 7th - The Starry-Eyed Revue - Review

Week Two
June 10th - Supernatural Snark - Interview
June 11th - Between the Pages - Review
June 12th - Icey Books - Guest Post
June 13th - Larissa & Friends' Bookish Life - Guest Post
June 14th - The Irish Banana - Review

45 comments:

  1. The cover is stunning!! And after reading this fabulous Interview I'm even more excited about this book!

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    1. Isn't it gorgeous? Love the cover so much:)

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  2. I'm so looking forward to reading this one because who doesn't love magic, illusions and seances? :) Oh, and the cover is gorgeous!

    *wants to give Anna a hug for not knowing whether her mom loves her*

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    1. Anna's relationship with her mother was one of the highlights of this story for me! There were so many layers and I too wanted to give Anna a hug!

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  3. Ohh he may or not be her dad, cool :)

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    1. Yes, we don't really know for sure. Loved that:)

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  4. This one looks so interesting and after that interview I think I want to read it even more now!

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  5. I love the cover of this book and the story sounds super cool too! :) I have to add it to my 'to buy' list as my Edelweiss copy is about to expire. Hate when that happens!

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    1. I hate it when that happens too! Can't wait to see what you think of this one though Leanna:)

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  6. I've been hearing mixed things about this one but am quite excited to read it. Great interview, Jenny!(:

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    1. I'm always more curious about the ones that get mixed reviews, I want to see where I'll fall on the opinion spectrum:)

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  7. Okay, I'll be honest, I hadn't read much about this book because I was afraid the cover was gonna be beautiful but the story wouldn't live up. Based on the author's answer thought now...I'm hooked. Thanks for that ;) Great interview, Jenny!

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    1. It does have one of those gorgeous covers that make you nervous about the actual story doesn't it? Like Taken. I'll be interested to see what you think Melissa!

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  8. Oh wow what a neat giveaway! Love the concept of this book and that cover is freaking gorgeous! I see that you are reading it next, Jenny, I hope you love it!

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    1. I'm madly in love with this cover for sure Jenni, that font is too cool:)

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  9. We did a couple of seances in college. Our school is supposedly haunted by the spirits of a bunch of orphans who died in a tornado (terrible, I know). It was really freaky!

    Such a pretty cover and interesting story!

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    1. Really? Did anything odd happen during them?

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  10. I love this interview and I really need to read this book. I did get it at BEA, and Gabrielle reviewed the ARC we received for the tour. She raved about the book, so I'm excited to dive into it!

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    1. Teri was so cute at BEA! I walked up and was all "Hi! I'm on your blog tour!" and she was like "Oh God, have I sent you all the information you needed?" Love her:)

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  11. You ask the awesomest questions, Jenny!
    I'm really excited for this book since I've heard great things about it!
    Thanks for sharing! :)

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  12. Wow, this sounds great. I haven't heard much about this book. Actually, I haven't heard anything about it until now. I'm really intrigued by the Harry Houdini link.

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  13. Awesome contest.

    I need that bracelet.

    What intrigues me? Mystery and of course Houdini.

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  14. Houdini! I love him :) Can you imagine being clever or coordinated enough to pull all his tricks off? It would be awesome!

    (I on the other hand find it awesome to just not walk into a wall LOL)

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  15. Great Q&A (especially the last question - very intriguing)! This story has a great concept. But then again, I'm a sucker for illusions/magic ;)

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  16. I love that final question, Jenny! How do you come up with these things? I had no idea Houdini may or may not be Anna's father, but I have a copy on the way and I absolutely can't wait to read it. I live the period and spiritualism.
    Thanks for the interview, my friend!

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  17. I have this for review and I am looking forward to it. I love this period the whole spiritualist wave is fascinating to me. I love the giveaway. That Spoon bracelet is made of awesome! Thanks for sharing! BTW... your last question was awesome!

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  18. Oh loving the premise. Also loving the Q&A! Jenny you rock at these things!

    I have to say that Anna's question for her mom just made me sad. :( This book sounds so dark and interesting and love wild stuff! :D

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  19. Jenny, I love this premise of the story. It sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway.

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  20. I have heard a lot of great things about this book I really wanted to find out more about it. Once again you've proven to be a master at interviews and I found out a lot of great stuff. Great interview Jenny :)

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  21. Such a great interview and I love that Terri writes about things that scare here. I love the time period of this one and will added it to my list!

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  22. I really loved Born of Illusion! And I met Teri briefly awhile back and she seemed great but it was awesome getting to know her even better in the interview. Excellent questions Jenny!

    BTW, I LOVE those bracelets!

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  23. Your interview skills once again, just amaze me! Such great questions! The cover is awesome!

    Heather

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  24. The mother-daughter relationship is something that intrigues me about this book. Great interview!

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  25. The cover is pretty awesome. The idea of a seance scare me too !

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  26. I love anything to do with magic, real or illusion, and I am fascinated by Harry Houdini. I'll be reading Born of Illusion very soon. Cool giveaway!

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  27. Jenny, I wish I could come up with such awesome questions as you. The interview is adorable and funny and even though I didn't plan on reading this one, I'm definitely intrigued now since the author seems like such a fun and nice person. I'll keep an eye on the reviews:)

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  28. The illegitimate daughter of Houdini!

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  29. I'm most intrigued by what her true gifts are, and how they work.

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  30. That Houdini trick sounds horrifying-I would not want to be stuck 15 stories up, just hanging by the strength of my own arms!

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  31. I love the idea of seeing the future, though it creates so many dilemmas. What a great story concept. Can't wait to read it.
    Stephanie
    steph0828 at hotmail dot com

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  32. I have been watching this one. I can't wait to get my hands on it! The idea of being able to see the future is so confusing. This should be quite a captivating read...

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