Interview with A.M. Strickland for Beyond the Black Door

Beyond the Black Door

by A.M. Strickland
Publisher: Imprint
Release Date: October 29th 2019

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, LGBT

Synopsis:

Kamai was warned never to open the black door, but she didn't listen ...

Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people's souls while they sleep.

But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.

When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.

A.M. Strickland's imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai's own soul, but the entire kingdom ...

Can you briefly describe BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR and its characters?

Beyond the Black Door is about a girl, Kamai, who has the unique ability to walk through other people’s souls while they sleep. Each soul is different, and yet in every single one she sees a black door, one she’s never supposed to open. But after tragedy strikes and she feels like she has nothing to lose, she opens it … and unleashes another major character in the book, Vehyn, who I don’t want to tell you much about for spoiler reasons.

Who would you say is your favourite character from the story and why?

The character who becomes Kihan is my favorite, because he’s the best friend one could hope for. 

How did the story occur to you? Did you find inspiration anywhere?

I actually had a dream about soul houses (a.k.a. “nehyms” in the book), in which someone was walking around in an impossibly huge castle. In the way of dreams I somehow knew that this place existed inside someone else, and the person walking through it was spying on them. From that dream-seed grew Beyond the Black Door!

If you could choose one song to describe your book, which one would it be?

I’m kind of bad at this, but a song I listened to a lot while writing the book was Halsey’s “Castle,” and I think it captures the mood pretty well.

If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would play your characters? 

Kamai would be played by Chiara Scelsi and Vehyn by a long-haired Miles McMillan—I didn’t know either of them before I went searching for faces that looked like the images in my head! Both are models.

Fall is here, and we love to go out and find our perfect cosy spot. What drink and place do you think will go with your book to have a perfect book date?

I am super fortunate to share my time between Alaska and Spain, so this fall I’ll be drinking lots of café americanos in the gorgeous gothic squares of Girona while I read.

Can you recommend your readers any other books in case they are left hungry for more once they finish BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR?

I highly recommend Tarnished Are the Stars by Rosiee Thor if you want more asexual main characters, and if you’re more into villain romances, Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan and Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge should be right up your alley. 

What’s next for you?

I’m working on both another YA fantasy and an adult fantasy … that’s all I can say!

AdriAnne Strickland was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She shares a home base in Alaska with her husband, her pugs, and her piles and piles of books. She loves traveling, dancing, vests, tattoos, and every shade of teal in existence, but especially the darker ones. She is the coauthor of SHADOW RUN and SHADOW CALL (Delacorte/Penguin Random House) and author of the forthcoming BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR (Imprint/Macmillan).

IT'S TIME. Pre-order BEYOND THE BLACK DOOR before 10/29 & submit proof of purchase to receive:

🌹2 character cards (by the amazing Nicole Deal!)
🌘a signed bookplate
🖤gratitude

Pre-order: https://t.co/t7HdyfmLHo
Pre-order form: https://t.co/TkNjJ04PSj

(U.S. and Canada only.) pic.twitter.com/bsQiRpM17B

— AdriAnne/A.M. Strickland (@AdriAnneMS) September 29, 2019

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FFBC: Welcome to the club, Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3) by Jennifer Estep

Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: April 26th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

Synopsis:

Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls. 

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

“You are the worst thief I have ever seen.”

Felix Morales frowned, stopped walking, and dropped the large black duffel bag he was carrying on the ground. I winced at the clank-clank of the items inside the bag banging together.

“Why would you say that?” he asked.

“Oh, I don’t know,” I sniped. “Maybe the fact that you are tromping through the woods like you are trying to kill every single blade of grass under your feet. Not to mention hacking through the bushes with your sword like we’re on a jungle safari. And then of course, there’s the talking. There is always the talking. It’s a wonder you don’t pass out from lack of oxygen.”

His eyes narrowed. “And what is wrong with having a little light conversation while we hike through the woods?”

“Light conversation? You’ve been talking nonstop ever since we left the mansion.”

“So?”

I threw my hands up into the air. “So you actually have to stop talking and be quiet to be a thief! That’s why!”

Felix gave me a mulish look and started to cross his arms over his chest—until he realized that he was still holding on to his sword, the one he’d been swinging around like a machete for the past twenty minutes. He glared at me, but he finally slid the weapon into the scabbard belted to his waist. Well, that would cut down on some of the noise. Now, if I just had some duct tape for his mouth …

Felix stabbed his finger at the guy standing with us, who was busy setting his own black duffel bag onto the ground, although with far less noise than Felix had made. “And why aren’t you lecturing him about being quiet?”

“Because Devon can actually walk through the woods without cracking every single branch he steps on.”

Felix snorted. “You’re just saying that because the two of you have been sneaking around the mansion sucking face for the last two weeks.”

I tensed, still not used to having a relationship with a guy, much less talking about it with that guy’s best friend. But Devon Sinclair stepped up and slung his arm around my shoulder, pulling me close.

“And it’s been the best two weeks of my life,” he said, grinning at me.

Hello Jennifer! We are super excited to have you once again in our FFBC tours.

JE: Thanks for hosting me again. I appreciate it.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Bright Blaze of Magic and what’s going to happen in this third book in the Black Blade series?

JE: Bright Blaze of Magic is the third and final book in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The series focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

Lila has a Talent for sight, along with transference magic — in other words, magic makes her stronger. To survive, she does odd jobs for her pawnbroker friend. Lila also does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — or mobs — who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the powerful Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the most powerful Family in town.

So in Bright Blaze of Magic, Lila is a member of the Sinclair Family now, and she’s trying to figure out how to protect her friends from Victor Draconi, who wants to take over all the other Families in town. When Victor finally strikes out against the other Families, it’s up to Lila to figure out how to defeat him once and for all.

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

JE: Lila has a couple of scenes with the lochness, a monster that lives under a bridge, that she has sort of become friends with. I always enjoy writing those scenes. And I always like writing the scenes with Oscar, the pixie who lives in Lila’s room and helps to take care of her. He’s like a miniature cowboy, and he’s a really fun character for me to write.

If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for Bright Blaze of Magic – Which one would you pick? 

JE: Oh, that’s a tough one! One of my favorite songs is “Human” by The Pretenders, so I’ll go with that one. 

If you had to pick one of the three books from the Black Blade series, which one would you say you had the most fun writing it and why?

JE: I would say that Bright Blaze of Magic was the most fun for me to write. I always love writing action and fight scenes, and this book has a lot of action from start to finish. So it’s probably my favorite book in the series.

What’s next for you? 

JE: I’m working on some books and e-novellas in my Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. Unwanted, an e-novella from Finnegan Lane’s point of view, will be out on July 18. Unraveled, book #15 in the series, will be out on Aug. 30.

I’m also mulling over some ideas for my next young adult project. We’ll see what happens.

For more information about my books, folks can visit my website at http://www.jenniferestep.com or follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Thank you so much for everything, Jennifer!

JE: Thanks to you guys as well. Happy reading, everyone! :)

Follow the Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

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FFBC: Welcome to the Club, Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2) by Jennifer Estep

Dark Heart of Magic (Black Blade #2)
by Jennifer Estep
Publisher: Kensington
Release Date: October 27th 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, Magic, Supernatural

Synopsis:

Something Wicked This Way Comes...

As a thief, I stick to the shadows as much as possible. But when the head of the Sinclair Family picks me to compete in the Tournament of Blades, there's no escaping the spotlight—or the danger.

Even though he's my competition, Devon Sinclair thinks I have the best shot at winning what's supposed to be a friendly contest. But when the competitors start having mysterious "accidents," it looks like someone will do anything to win—no matter who they hurt.

As if I didn't have enough to worry about, mobster Victor Draconi is plotting against Devon and the rest of my friends, and someone's going around Cloudburst Falls murdering monsters. One thing's for sure. Sometimes, humans can be more monstrous than anything else...

Hello Jennifer ! Welcome Back! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours again!

JE: Thanks for featuring me again. I appreciate it.

Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about where Dark Heart of Magic picks up without giving away spoilers?

JE: Dark Heart of Magic is book #2 in my Black Blade young adult urban fantasy series. The book focuses on Lila Merriweather, a 17-year-old thief who lives in Cloudburst Falls, West Virginia, a town dubbed “the most magical place in America.” Tourists come from around the world to tour all the magic-themed shops and attractions, as well as see monsters like tree trolls, copper crushers, and more in their natural habitats.

Lila does her best to stay off the grid and avoid the Families — or mobs — who control much of the town. But when she saves a member of the Sinclair Family during an attack, Lila finds herself caught in the middle of a brewing war between the Sinclairs and the Draconis, the two most powerful Families in town.

In Dark Heart of Magic, Lila is picked to represent the Sinclair Family in the Tournament of Blades, but she quickly realizes that someone will do anything to win the tournament, even hurt the other competitors. So there’s a lot of action, adventure, danger, and magic in the book, along with a little romance.

Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?

JE: I always enjoy writing fight scenes, and there are several of those in Dark Heart of Magic. I’ve always liked stories that feature tournaments/contests where the heroine has to use her wits and fighting skills, so the scenes at the Tournament of Blades were really fun for me to write in this book.

When writing a sequel in a series, do you have to go back and re-read the 1st book?

JE: No. If I have a question about a character or a plot point, then I’ll go back and re-read the passage that relates to that, but I don’t go back and re-read the whole book. I can usually keep all the characters and plotlines in my head from book to book.

Is there anything about writing that still surprises you after publishing so many books?

JE: I would say in every book that I write that a character does something unexpected or that the story goes in a slightly different direction than I expected. So every time I sit down to start writing a book, it’s like a new adventure to me, and I look forward to seeing how the story might twist and turn in ways that I didn’t expect.

Is there a specific routine you follow when you sit down to write?

JE: I don’t do a lot of plotting or outlining. I usually think of my heroine, her magic, and how she can use it to defeat the bad guys. Then I sit down and start writing and see where the characters and story take me. That’s just the process that works best for me.

Do you have a favorite fan moment?

JE: I’ve gotten so many nice comments about my books and met so many nice folks that I really couldn’t pick out just one moment. But it’s always great to hear that folks are enjoying my books, and it always makes my day.

What would you say is harder to write, the first line of a book or the last?

JE: I would say that it’s harder to write the last line. With the first line, you want to grab the reader’s attention, and that line opens up a world of possibilities for your story.

But with that last line, you want to wrap everything up and leave the reader feeling like your book was time and money well-spent and hopefully leave the reader looking forward to checking out more of your books in the future. So I would say that it’s harder to write that last line.

What authors are auto-buys for you?

JE: Some of my favorite authors include Robin McKinley, Lisa Kleypas, Donald Westlake, David Eddings, Ian Fleming, and too many others to name. 

Favorite book of 2015?

JE: Some books that I’ve read and enjoyed this year are The Mark of the Tala by Jeffe Kennedy; The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen; and In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins. 

What shows are you currently watching?

JE: I love fantasy and superhero shows, so I’m watching Arrow, The Flash, Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and Once Upon a Time, along with several others. I also want to check out the new Supergirl show when it debuts. It looks like a fun superhero show.

Thank you for participating in our FFBC Tours again Jennifer! 

JE: Thanks for hosting me again. I appreciate it. Happy reading, everyone! J

Follow the Dark Heart Of Magic by Jennifer Estep Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

Win (1) of (3) print copies of Dark Heart of Magic (US only)

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