Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Compulsion Blog Tour + Giveaway: Talking Magic with Jessica Spotswood


Today I'm hugely excited to be a stop on the I Have A Compulsion for Magic blog tour, a tour celebrating the upcoming release of Martina Boone's debut novel, Compulsion. I've been not-so patiently waiting (because I lack patience of any kind when it comes to books) for this book to release since the moment I saw the gorgeous cover and read the synopsis, and now the wait is almost over. YAY!

I couldn't be happier to turn my blog over to author Jessica Spotswood, who's lending Martina a hand with her pre-release festivities and is going to answer a few questions about magic. Be sure to check out the rest of the tour for more surprise guests, excerpts and giveaways!

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Ever wonder what it would be like to have a little bit of magic to use everyday? That’s what the Compulsion for Magic tour is all about! The characters on Watson Island don’t levitate, they don’t freeze time, and they don’t have magic wands. They just have an extra “gift” that doubles as a curse if you look at it from a different angle, and like in Jessica Spotswood’s Cahill Witch Chronicles trilogy, the magic doesn’t like not being used.
 

Because she knows a thing or two about the inconvenient aspects of magic, we’ve asked the lovely Jessica Spotswood to tell us a little about what kind of magic she and her characters wish—and don’t wish—they had.
If you could have any “everyday” magical gift, like finding lost things or knowing what people want, what gift would you want and why?

I'm not sure this counts as "everyday" magic, but I'd most like a time-turner. Mostly to give myself a few extra hours every day to read for pleasure. I feel like it's the first thing to go when I get busy, which is dreadful.

What everyday magic would your characters wish they had and why?

Ooh, interesting question, since my characters are witches. What can't they do magically that they'd like to, though? Cate would like to be a plant-whisperer - to know what each plant needs to thrive - because she loves gardening and gets such joy from it. Tess would choose to relive memories so she could spend more time with those she misses. Maura - oh, Lord, asking Maura this question would be downright dangerous because she'd never settle for something "everyday." Finn would love to have some magical way of absorbing more knowledge - maybe the ability to read a book by osmosis?

Eight, Barrie’s love interest in
Compulsion, has inherited his family’s gift of knowing what people want and feeling compelled to give it to them. What’s one gift you’re glad you don’t have? Or your characters would be glad they didn’t have?

I wouldn't want the ability to see the future. It's tempting sometimes (especially in this business, I think!), but half the magic and bravery of things is in the not-knowing and doing it anyway. I think Cate would prefer not to have her mind-magic, because she regrets some of the things she's done with it. I don't think Maura and Tess would give it up, though.

Barrie is tied to her family’s plantation, Watson’s Landing, in a magical way, and the whole landscape becomes magical for her. What’s the one place in your book that you wish you could bring to life?

Belastra's Bookshop, where Cate and Finn share their first kiss and she loses control of her magic. Also - it's a bookshop!

If you were going to a Halloween party and you had to dress as a character from a Southern Gothic or a Gothic romance, what would your costume look like?

I'd be Jane Eyre, I think - hair pulled back plainly and drab governess-appropriate clothes, but armed with a stack of books and a witty tongue and a loyal heart.

Your turn! We want to hear from you! What kind of a “gift” would you like to have? For a chance to win the HUGE tour mega prize of books and the $100 gift card, tell us in the comments below—but remember, as it is on Compulsion’s Watson Island—magic isn’t always a solution, it’s just as often a problem in itself.
 

Would you go with an unusual magic or a useful one?

And/Or . . .

Bonus option: If you’d rather do a photo answer, show us a Halloween costume with your interpretation of a literary witchy, Southern Gothic, Gothic, or magical costume! Would you go as Hermione Granger, one of the Cahill sisters, or one of the Vampire Diaries witches? Or would you take Jessica’s route of a Gothic character like Jane Eyre? Post a comment with the URL to your photo and we’ll share it. Use tag #CompulsionMagic.


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COMPULSION
Heirs of Watson Island #1
Releases October 28th from Simon & Schuster



Three plantations.  Two gifts. One ancient curse.

All her life, Barrie Watson has been a virtual prisoner in the house where she lives with her shut-in mother. When her mother dies, Barrie promises to put some mileage on her stiletto heels. But she finds a new kind of prison at her aunt ’s South Carolina plantation instead–a prison guarded by an ancient spirit who long ago cursed one of the three founding families of Watson Island and gave the others magical gifts that became compulsions.

Stuck with the ghosts of a generations-old feud and hunted by forces she cannot see, Barrie must find a way to break free of the family legacy. With the help of sun-kissed Eight Beaufort, who somehow seems to know what Barrie wants before she knows herself, the last Watson heir starts to unravel her family ’s twisted secrets. What she finds is dangerous: a love she never expected, a river that turns to fire at midnight, a gorgeous cousin who isn’t what she seems, and very real enemies who want both Eight and Barrie dead.



Pre-order Compulsion:

IndieBound | Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository | Goodreads

Signed copies are available for pre-order from One More Page Books. You can also pre-order with the special I have a Compulsion for readingbookplate from Eight Cousins. Pre-Order Incentives Going on here.


Early Praise for Compulsion:
“ Darkly romantic and steeped in Southern Gothic charm, you’ll be compelled to get lost in the Heirs of Watson Island series.”
— #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer L. Armentrout

"A fresh twist on the Southern Gothic — haunting, atmospheric, and absorbing.”
— Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of A Thousand Pieces of You and the Evernight and Spellcaster series

"Compulsion is a stunningly magical debut with a delicious slow burn to be savored. I want to live in this story world!"
— Wendy Higgins, USA Today and NYT bestselling author of the Sweet Evil trilogy from HarperTeen


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MARTINA BOONE 


Martina Boone was born in Prague and spoke several languages before learning English. She fell in love with words and never stopped delighting in them.

She ’s the founder of AdventuresInYAPublishing.com, a Writer’s Digest 101 Best Websites for Writers site, and YASeriesInsiders.com, a site devoted to encouraging literacy and all things YA Series.

From her home in Virginia, where she lives with her husband, children, and Auggie the wonder dog, she enjoys writing contemporary fantasy set in the kinds of magical places she’d love to visit. When she isn’t writing, she’s addicted to travel, horses, skiing, chocolate flavored tea, and anything with Nutella on it.



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GIVEAWAY


Do you have a Compulsion for Reading? Then you don't want to miss what Martina Boone is giving away! 5 lucky winners will each win the following:
  • Grand Prize Winner - will win EVERYTHING pictured above! That's the right! That entire bag of books will go to 1 reader!! US residents only.
  • Next Winner - will win a $100 gift card to the book store of their choice! Open internationally.
  • 3 Additional winners will each win a Compulsion prize pack which features a signed copy of Compulsion, a Compulsion necklace and bookmarks. Open internationally.
To enter, please fill out the form below:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and don't forget to stop by the other participating blogs!

10/6- Reading Teen, intro to tour & giveaway
10/7 -
Fiktshun, Kimberly Derting & Kami Garcia guest post & giveaway
10/8 -
Chapter by Chapter, excerpt & giveaway
10/10 -
Katie's Book Blog, Paula Stokes guest post & giveaway

10/13 -
Curling Up With A Good Book, Jodi Meadows guest post & giveaway
10/14 -
Fangirlish, Amy Ewing guest post & giveaway
10/15 -
Reading Lark, excerpt & giveaway
10/16 -
Good Books & Good Wine, Megan Shepherd guest post & giveaway
10/17 -
Jenuine Cupcakes, Beth Revis guest post & giveaway

10/20 - Mundie Moms, Martina Boone interview & giveaway 

10/21 - Guest post with Martina Boone & Sara, and giveaway 

10/22 - Supernatural Snark, Jessica Spotswood guest post & giveaway 

10/23 - Girls in The Stacks, excerpt & giveaway 

10/24 - Novel Novice, Leah Cypess guest post & giveaway 


10/27 - Once Upon a Twilight, Kat Zhang guest post & giveaway 

10/28 - Martina Boone, tour wrap up

31 comments:

  1. I heard great things about this book and a friend told me it was her fave of 2014 so I'm so intrigued now! Wow if I could have a gift? Right now it would be to be able to wake up on morning without being so tired lol. But it will change as I'm just waking up.

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    1. I like the idea of waking up without being tired! I'm always a bit slow and sluggish in the morning, it takes a while for me to fire on all cylinders:)

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  2. A gift, oh I have no idea! Hm, to stretch time so the weekends would go by slowly and I could read. Oh and speed time during the week..at work ;)

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    1. Oooo that's a good one. I'd like that gift as well!

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  3. I would want to see how people are truly feeling!

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  4. Oh this is an interesting blog tour! I love seeing all the unique posts that everyone has come up with. :)
    And I'm with Jessica on that first question! I'd love to have that kind of ability so I could read all the books, Jenny! :D
    Thanks for sharing!

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  5. I must admit I've read and reviewed Compulsion as my favorite book of 2014!
    I think if I could have any gift, it would be to effect peoples moods! Not big changes, mind you! Little ones, like crabby babies, cranky bosses, husbands, etc ... maybe help out people who are clinically depressed or anxious, ease the pain of those that are suffering, etc ...
    I just think that would be an incredibly useful and helpful gift ;)

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    1. Yay! I'm so glad to hear that Kristi! I'm starting it this week and can't wait:)

      And that would be an amazing gift:)

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  6. I've heard so many good things about Compulsion that I really need to give it a try! LOL! I think If I could have any gift it would be the gift of infiltration! I'd love to infiltrate my way into peoples minds and just find out what their thinking. It wouldn't be completely pretty but i'm just so curious. Also, the giveaway is amazing! Thanks Jen for the interview and the giveaway :)

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    1. I feel like maybe I need to wear a tin foil hat around you now, Lily ;-) I would like that gift for a short period of time, I don't think I'd want it forever as it would be overwhelming, but I can't help but be curious sometimes!

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  7. Loved this! You are going to really like this one Jenny!

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  8. I have Compulsion up on the blog next week and it was a fun little read with lots of mystery. I think you will like it, Jenny. I really liked Barrie's magicial gift of finding lost things, what a totally useful gift. I would definitely have to say if I could have a magical gift I would want one that is practical and useful. Or maybe teleporting :)

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    1. Teleporting. How great would that be? Feel like going to London? POOF! There. :)

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  9. Oh I like her answers. What would I want? Healing. Wouldn't mind that time turner she talked about either. LOL

    I'm not sure if I want something magical that is unusual since you could get in trouble with that one, but it would be novel! It's good to have a useful magical power.... I guess I'll go with that one. :) Would fit with what I said above. :)

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    1. Ooo yes! I'm a total hypochondriac, so healing would selfishly be a good one for me. And of course others because I'd then want to help them:)

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  10. I do think some powers would be a double edged sword and could easily get out of control. I think I would like to ease people's pain. I am sure there is a down side to that. Interesting premise for a book

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    1. You already do that without any kind of added gift:)

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  11. Teleportation so I could get to work easily

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  12. "the ability to read a book by osmosis"

    Omg, yes! That is what I want. Imagine all you could learn, all of the knowledge. So many advantages to that power. This book sounds good. I like the idea of 'everyday magic'.

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    1. There are so many gifts I want Christy!!! Being able to absorb knowledge quickly and easily would be particularly awesome though:)

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  13. I'm so excited to get my *greedy* hands on Compulsion nexy week! I love the sounds of the Gothic setting and romance. Thanks for the wonderful interview. :)

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it Kim! Can't wait to see what you think of Compulsion:)

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  14. I would love to be able to find things. I would never loose my glasses again.

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  15. Teleporting would be fantastic, I would leave every Friday after work and visit a different city for the weekend.

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  16. Loved the interview! I totally enjoyed the book and the feel of it. Thanks so much for the giveaway.

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  17. I would want to find lost things for sure. I lose a ton of stuff everyday! (I usually find it later, but after a lot of searching! ) great interview!

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  18. I think I would like to be faster :) Which sounds kind of boring, but I'd love to be able to read faster, cook faster, clean faster... so I'd have more time!! Thanks for the giveaway !!

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  19. I'd want to be super strong and fast! Or maybe be a Siren, like Ridley from Beautiful Creatures!

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