The Forever Song Blog Tour: Interview + Giveaway

Today I'm thrilled to be a part of the promotional tour for the final book in Julie Kagawa's spectacular Blood of Eden series, The Forever Song. I've always been a fan of vampire stories, but Julie's vampires are truly something special and I simply couldn't love the dark emotional waters she makes us navigate with heroine Allie more. Julie was nice enough to answer a few questions for me, so I hope you all enjoy the interview! Be sure and check the bottom of the post for all the details on an epic giveaway as well as a full list of the participating blogs.

If Allie could call on any character or creature from one of your other novels for help in taking down Sarren, who (or what) would she think might be of the greatest assistance?

Hm, lessee. Well, either Ash or Puck would be pretty helpful against Sarren; both of them have mad sword/dagger skills, and magic to back them up. But I think, if she could call on anyone from any of my other books, it would be Ember the dragon from the upcoming Talon series. Vampires and fire don't mix well. One poof, and Sarren would be ashes.

Let’s say you have the supernatural ability to write yourself out of any situation and transport yourself somewhere else entirely. If you suddenly found yourself in Allie’s world facing down a group of rabids, how might your exit go? (For the sake of argument, let’s also say you have a pen and paper on you at all times and you can write at superhuman speeds given the rabids aren’t overly patient.)

"Suddenly a big red dragon swoops down, blasts the rabids with fire, and lands close to me so I can leap onto its back. With a few powerful beats of its wings, we lift off the ground and soar rapidly to safety." (Hey, I've always wanted to ride a dragon. Might as well take advantage of this new superpower lol.)

Books have always been important to Allie. If she could visit any library throughout history or in today’s world, which library do you think she’s most like to see?

I think she'd love to visit any library, but the New York Public Library and the Library of Congress are both good choices. The New York Public library is huge, and has an old, almost gothic type feel to it, which Allie would appreciate. The Library of Congress is the largest library in the world, and I could see her staying there for months, immersing herself in stories and history, occasionally snacking on those people who rip pages out of library books.

Kanin has been there to teach and guide Allie through her transition from human to vampire. What’s one thing he’s taught her that he most hopes will forever stick with her?

That she can always choose what type of monster she is. 

The world of the Blood of Eden series is a terrifyingly fascinating one. What’s one other world from a piece of fiction that’s both scared and mesmerized you?

I might be the odd one out here, but the world of Alice in Wonderland or Through the Looking Glass is totally creepy and terrifying to me. I can't even watch the Disney cartoon without getting uncomfortable at certain parts. Just the thought of being stuck in a world where nothing makes sense, ugh. And I might be showing my age here, but there was a short television series in the 80's of Through the Looking Glass, where Alice is trapped on the other side of the mirror and reads a book called The Jabberwocky. And then, of course, the Jabberwocky appears. I can watch it now and laugh at the cheap 80s movie monster, but back then, as a little kid, it scared the bejeezus out of me.

Youtube link to clip in question: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7dxhbHAGRE

If we were to join Allie in her quest to hunt down Sarren, what are three things (aside from food and water) we better make sure we have with us if we're to have any hope of surviving the journey?

Well, we'd need weapons, obviously. Something sharp and pointy, like a sword, or a stake. Fire wouldn't be a bad idea, either. And definitely a robust first-aid kit, because if we're going to be taking on Sarren, no one is going to come out of it unscathed.

The Forever Song is the final book in the Blood of Eden trilogy; what about Allie’s character will stand out in your memory most even as you move on to new projects?

I've always loved Allie's determination and stubbornness to hold on to her humanity and not become a monster. Also, the way that she refuses to stay down, to always get back up and fight, even if she's very badly hurt. And she's got a bit of a mouth on her, which made her fights with Jackal all the more entertaining. All in all, she was a fierce, flawed, fun character to write about, and I will miss her, even though I know I ended her story in the best place I could.

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THE FOREVER SONG

Blood of Eden #3

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER.

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the path is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal.

The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost— the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie. In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Goodreads • Amazon • B&N • IndieBound

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THE IMMORTAL RULES

Blood of Eden #1

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a walled-in city.

By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them—the vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself dies and becomes one of the monsters.

Goodreads • Amazon

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THE ETERNITY CURE

Blood of Eden #2

How do you face the end of eternity?

In Allison Sekemoto's world, there is one rule left: Blood calls to blood.

She has done the unthinkable: died so that she might continue to live. Cast out of Eden and separated from the boy she dared to love, Allie will follow the call of blood to save her creator, Kanin, from the psychotic vampire Sarren. But when the trail leads to Allie's birthplace in New Covington, what Allie finds there will change the world forever-and possibly end human and vampire existence.

Goodreads • Amazon

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JULIE KAGAWA 

Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it  by reef sharks, jellyfish and the odd eel.

To pay the rent, Julie worked in different bookstores over the years, but discovered the managers frowned upon her reading the books she was supposed to be shelving. So she turned to her other passion: training animals. She worked as a professional dog trainer for several years, dodging Chihuahua bites and overly enthusiastic Labradors, until her first book sold and she stopped training to write full-time.

Julie now lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where the frequency of shark attacks are at an all-time low. She lives with her husband, two obnoxious cats, one Australian shepherd who is too smart for his own good and the latest addition, a hyperactive Papillon puppy.

Website • Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

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GIVEAWAY

Each tour stop is offering up the winner’s choice of either THE IMMORTAL RULES, THE ETERNITY CURE or THE FOREVER SONG - whichever book in the series you might be missing!

There are also 2 grand prizes:

• 1 winner will get a complete set of Julie Kagawa’s books, including The Iron Fey Saga and The Blood of Eden Saga!

• 1 winner will get a $100 gift card from either iTunes, Amazon or Barnes & Noble!

Please enter via the Rafflecopter form. Giveaway is open to US/Canada and ends May 2nd.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure and check out the rest of the blogs on the tour for more reviews, interviews and chances to win!

Monday, April 7th – Harlequin Paranormal Romance Blog
Tuesday, April 8th – fiktshun
Wednesday, April 9th – The Page Turners
Thursday, April 10st – Books and Things
Friday, April 11th – Ticket To Anywhere

Monday, April 14th – Two Chicks on Books
Tuesday, April 15th – Parajunkee
Wednesday, April 16th – Refracted Light Reviews
Thursday, April 17st – Bewitched Bookworms
Friday, April 18th – Mundie Moms

Monday, April 21th – A Book Obsession
Tuesday, April 22nd – The Book Cellar
Wednesday, April 23th – Supernatural Snark
Thursday, April 24st – The Busy Bibliophile
Friday, April 25th  – Tyngas Reviews