Interview + Giveaway: Alexandra Monir and Suspicion

I'm hugely pleased today to welcome author Alexandra Monir to the blog to answer a few questions about her newest paranormal young adult release, Suspicion. The minute I saw the gorgeous cover on this one I knew I had to have it in my hands, and once there, I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable. It was a one-sit kind of read for me – I don't think you can ever have enough of those! I hope you all enjoy the interview, and don't forget to check the bottom of the post for all the giveaway details :-)

Imogen, when on the grounds of Rockford Manor, has the ability to manipulate the elements, particularly plant life. If you had the same ability, what unusual colors might you make the various plants and flowers in the landscaping around your home?

Ooh, that’s a fun question! I’m a big candy and chocolate fanatic, so I’d probably make all the plants and flowers edible treats- like something out of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory!

What’s one room a sprawling estate like Rockford Manor has that you wish could be found in your own house?

Without a doubt, the library! I’ve envied those kind of palatial libraries since I saw Beauty and the Beast as a six year old.

If allowed, I could spend hours (or likely days) exploring the stunning manor homes and castles that can be found all over England. If you were given free rein to wander through one particular real or fictional castle/manor/estate, which would you choose and what would you most hope to find there?

I’ve actually been dying to tour Buckingham Palace, but both times I went to London recently, they were closed for tours since the Queen was in residence. Sigh! I did visit Windsor Castle though, which was amazing, and the incredible Blenheim Palace, which I actually based Rockford Manor on.

Let’s say you wake up tomorrow in the middle of the Shadow Maze on Rockford Manor’s grounds. What fictional character would you try hardest to wish into being beside you in order to help you find your way out?

Definitely Sebastian! ;)

If, like Imogen, you suddenly found yourself living a life in the public eye, having to make numerous social appearances and play host to the wealthy and privileged, what would you miss most about the life you have now?

Hmm, I think probably the hardest part would be not having much time for yourself, and sitting through endless dinners with aristocrats could potentially get old!

Thanks so much for stopping by Alexandra!

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SUSPICION

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.

Goodreads • Amazon

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ALEXANDRA MONIR

 Photo courtesy of Neal Preston

Author and recording artist Alexandra Monir broke onto the scene in her early twenties with the release of her popular debut YA novel, the paranormal romance Timeless (Delacorte Press/Random House). The book caught on quickly, landing on the Barnes & Noble Bestsellers chart and being named one of Amazon's "Best Books of the Month." The sequel, Timekeeper, was published in 2013. Both books in the series have been featured in a variety of media, from USA Today to teen magazines and websites such as J-14, JustJaredJr, Teen.com and Justine Magazine. Suspicion (Random House; December 9, 2014) marks Alexandra's first novel outside of the Timeless series, as well as her first foray into the mystery genre. Her fourth YA novel for Random House will be published in April 2016.

Alexandra is also a singer/songwriter, known for integrating music into her books' pages. She wrote and recorded three original songs to accompany Timeless and Timekeeper, which were released as the album The Timeless EP and distributed by Jimmy Buffett's record label, Mailboat Records. She additionally recorded a new song to be released along with Suspicion, and is composing a stage musical geared toward Broadway. Alexandra is the granddaughter of the late Monir Vakili, the foremost Persian opera singer.

Alexandra currently resides in Los Angeles, California. She has been invited to speak at middle schools and high schools across the country, and at major events including Comic-Con, Bouchercon, the Iranian-American Women's Leadership Conference, and New York Public Library's annual Teen Author Festival, among others.

Website • Facebook • Twitter

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GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the amazingly generous people at Penguin Random House, I have one finished copy of Suspicion to give away on the blog today! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US addresses only. 

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Review: Suspicion

SUSPICION
Alexandra Monir
Paranormal Young Adult
368 pages
Delacorte Press
Available December 9th
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself--and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.

MY THOUGHTS
Suspicion is a page-turner from beginning to end, the mysterious circumstances of the prologue blending seamlessly with a flashback in the first chapter to a devastating night seven years prior to pique our curiosity instantly. The flashback not only introduces us to the eerily gorgeous grounds of Rockford Manor, a character unto itself in this tale, but also to young Imogen’s heartbreaking crush on Sebastian, the son of the equally wealthy family in the neighboring estate. It’s this seemingly unrequited love–enormously painful despite the fact that Imogen is only ten at the time–that connects us with Imogen immediately, hoping that the subsequent pages will take us on a journey that ends with her every romantic wish granted.

Once we return to the present, we find ourselves with a remarkably well-adjusted seventeen year-old Imogen, a young woman who’s happy and settled in a new life even though her mind never stops returning to Rockford Manor. Once things take a dramatic turn once again and she finds herself back in England, she stays the girl we first met and liked instantaneously, feeling understandably awkward at her new near-royal status and failing to loft her title over those who now work for her. She approaches the mystery surrounding her cousin’s death and the secrets of her life logically, looking into them smartly and never overreacting when those secrets come to shocking light.

Her romance with Sebastian is fraught with tension given his romantic history with her late cousin, and Ms. Monir does a beautiful job of making us feel Imogen’s longing for things to be different between them. She doesn’t moon over him or obsess about his every move, we can just feel how much the distance time and circumstance have put between them affects her, and our desire to see things work out in fairy-tale ending style grows with each chapter.

The only small complaint to be had with this story is related to the paranormal element. We’re given glimpses of Imogen’s ability and its tie to the Manor’s grounds, but we don’t get to explore it with much depth before the last page is reached. The ending also feels just a touch rushed, everything surrounding Lucia’s death, Imogen’s ability and the secrets Rockford Manor has been hiding for years wrapped up quickly and easily, though that’s a minor drawback in an otherwise hugely entertaining story.

Rating: 4/5
 

Find Alexandra:

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Goodreads • Amazon

This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review. 

I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday: Suspicion

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine and is a fun way to see what books other bloggers just can't wait to get their hands on!

SUSPICION

Alexandra Monir

Paranormal Young Adult

Available December 9th from Delacorte Press

From Goodreads:

Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

"There's something hidden in the Maze." Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family's English country manor.

Haunted by her parents' deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin's untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion's aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself–and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?

Combining a fresh twist on the classic REBECCA with a spine-tingling mystery and powerful romance, SUSPICION is an action-packed thrill ride.

Well hello there, pretty cover! I won't lie, more often than not a gorgeous cover is enough to completely sell me on a book, no reading of the synopsis required. When I do eventually make it to the blurb (after the book has been on my TBR list for a while), it's always exciting to find a premise that feels as promising as the artwork is stunning. I have a thing for stories set in other countries, so color me excited for this eerie English estate with a purple hedge maze (I have no idea if the maze in the book is actually purple or if a little creative license was taken with the cover, but in my head while reading the maze will always be awesomely purple). Plus, anyone who reads this blog knows how much I love romance, so a secret longtime childhood love is basically icing on the cake. *makes grabby hands*