Showing posts with label Ilusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ilusion. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 7, 2015

Interview With The Villain: Illusion by Lea Nolan




Illusion by Lea Nolan
Published October 5, 2015 by Entangled Teen
The Hoodoo Apprentice Book 3

Blurb:

New school. Cross-country move. Broken heart. If only these were Emma Guthrie’s worst problems. Instead, she must battle a trio of enemies—human and spectral—who may or may not have joined forces against her and everyone she loves. All while pretending to be over Cooper Beaumont, her ex-boyfriend and true love, to shield him from her arch-nemesis’s revenge.



Worse, when the fight escalates, Emma is tempted to use black magic, which will endanger her soul. As her enemies close in, join forces, and fight with new and dark magic she’s never seen before, Emma must harness the power within her to fulfill an ancient prophecy, defeat a centuries-old evil, save her family, and reclaim the only boy she’s ever loved. (Goodreads)




Interview With The Villain(s)

Thanks so much for having me here at Gothic Moms! I’m thrilled to introduce you to Illusion, the third and final book in my Hoodoo Apprentice trilogy, which is out now. I’ve also got a great blog tour giveaway for you, but first I’d thought it might be fun to take a few minutes to visit with one of the character types that are so often overlooked in these blog tours:  the villain.

I’ve invited Claude Corbeau, a decidedly bad actor in Illusion to chat. It wasn’t easy to get him here since he’s not exactly the most accommodating sort, nor does he like to divulge a whole lot about himself, but we’ll see what tidbits I can pull from his blisteringly white teeth.

Lea: Illusion picks up in a pretty dark place. Together with your assistant, Taneea, you’ve managed to have Emma Guthrie’s 97-year old, paralyzed mentor, Miss Delia Whittaker thrown in jail. Do you think that unfairly prejudices readers against you right from the start?

Claude: First of all, I reject your assertion that Mrs. Whittaker’s incarceration is a negative outcome. In fact, it is precisely what I’ve been striving for for quite some time. Rather than a dark place, I consider it one of my greatest triumphs. <Quietly laughs to himself> Though I do manage some wondrous feats in Illusion, but I won’t spoil them here. Readers will have to read the book to experience the full measure of my power.

Lea: So you don’t think throwing an innocent, elderly woman in jail makes you look like a giant bully?

Claude: <Leans forward menacingly> She is hardly innocent. I’m convinced she masterminded the break in at the King Center museum and I’m guessing she lured her apprentice, Emma Guthrie and that young man, Cooper Beaumont into stealing priceless antique artifacts from the collection. And let’s not pretend she isn’t a hoodoo root worker. Trust me, I can tell a conjurer when I see one, and the woman is a master. These are just a fraction of her crimes for which I’m determined to make her pay. <crosses his arms and eases back into his seat>

Lea: <smiles awkwardly> Okay, well now that your vendetta is clear, let’s try to lighten things up. The books are told from Emma’s perspective so we don’t get to see what happens when you’re not on the page. To give readers a chance to get to know you a little better, tell us what you like to do when you’re not plotting to destroy Miss Delia and, by extension, Emma Guthrie.

Claude: No.

Lea: <blinks> No? As in not at all? Why?

Claude: Because answering your questions would reveal more than I care to divulge.

<Door creaks open then slams shut. Taneea Branson saunters in wearing peep toe espadrilles, a leather corset, and mini skirt>

Taneea: If you won’t tell, I will. It’s about time everybody learns what’s really going on St. Helena Island. <She grabs a chair and plops down next to Claude>

Claude: What are you doing here? I told you to stay at home and clean the workshop.

Taneea: <rolls eyes and laughs> Right, like I’m supposed to listen to everything you say. If I’d done that I never would have learned the gambling spells that won me enough money to buy my monster truck in cash. And you can clean your own workshop. I’m not wrecking my nails in that filthy place.

Claude: This is my interview. You weren’t invited.

Lea: Actually, I don’t mind that she’s here since she’s another one of Illusion’s villains.

Taneea: Ha, no I’m not. Hoodoo is my birthright and I should have been the heroine of this story, the real hoodoo apprentice. And I would have been it if wasn’t for that idiot Emma stealing my great-grandmother from me and sucking up to her just to learn her magic. Believe me, that old lady isn’t as great as everyone always makes her out to be. I’m so tired of hearing poor Miss Delia this and poor Miss Delia that. After what that old witch did, refusing to teach me magic, she deserves to rot in jail. And I’m sick to death of that loser Emma and how everyone always wants her to win.

Lea: One could argue that you had a chance to learn that magic from Miss Delia, but you didn’t want to follow Miss Delia’s rules—

Taneea: Rules are for chumps. <snickers> I guess that’s why Emma is such a good little apprentice.

Lea: As for Emma, you haven’t exactly been nice to her. I can think of quite a few times you were the instigator. Remember what you did to her boyfriend, Cooper Beaumont?

Taneea: You mean her ex-boyfriend? Breaking them up was a lot of fun. But not nearly as great as what I do to her in Illusion; and what Claude and I do to both Emma and my great-gran. Hey Claude, remember that time in your workshop when we set your plan in motion?

<Claude jumps up from his seat and snatches Taneea by the arm>  

Claude: That’s it. This interview is over. We’re going home.

Lea: But we were just getting to something interesting.

Taneea: Yeah, what’s your problem? Why can’t I tell them what we did?

Claude: Because secret plans should be just that—secret—until they’re ready to be revealed and this is not the time.

<Despite Taneea’s protests, he pulls her to the door>

Lea: I wish you’d stay. You haven’t eaten the refreshments I put out. And there’s so much more to learn.

Claude: Another time, perhaps.

Taneea: But I’m hungry now.

Claude: We’ll pick up something on the way home.

<The door slams shut behind them>

Well, uh, that wasn’t nearly as informative as I’d hoped. But I think you get the gist of who these two bad guys are. It’s a pity you didn’t get to meet the book’s third villain, Emma’s supernatural arch nemesis, Sabina.  Though to be honest, I’m glad she didn’t show up because she’s one scary witch.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the characters Illusion and the other books in the Hoodoo Apprentice series!

Thanks so much for having me. This was a lot of fun to put together! Best of luck to those who enter the giveaway!


~Lea



Things aren't always as they appear…

New school. Cross-country move. Broken heart. If only these were Emma Guthrie's worst problems. Instead, she must battle a trio of enemies--human and spectral--who may or may not have joined forces against her and everyone she loves. All while pretending to be over Cooper Beaumont, her ex-boyfriend and true love, to shield him from her arch-nemesis's revenge.

Worse, when the fight escalates, Emma is tempted to use black magic, which will endanger her soul. As her enemies close in, join forces, and fight with new and dark magic she's never seen before, Emma must harness the power within her to fulfill an ancient prophecy, defeat a centuries-old evil, save her family, and reclaim the only boy she's ever loved.


And here are the gorgeous new covers for the first two books in the series, Conjure and Allure:



Lea Nolan is a USA Today bestselling author of Contemporary Romance and YA. Her books for young adults feature bright heroines, crazy-hot heroes, diabolical plot twists, plus a dose of magic, a draft of romance, and a sprinkle of history. She also pens smart, witty contemporary stories for adults filled with head-swooning, heart-throbbing, sweep-you-off your feet romance. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, she loves the water far too much to live inland. With her heroically supportive husband and three clever children, she resides in Maryland where she scarfs down crab cakes whenever she gets the chance. Learn more at her website, or follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Goodreads

And now for the giveaway, a super awesome Illusion Blog Tour Prize pack. The Grand Prize includes a $25 Amazon gift card, a custom Hoodoo Apprentice tote which features the gorgeous new covers, and six authentic hoodoo spells from the Lucky Mojo Curio Company. There’s also a second prize $15 Amazon gift card, and a third prize $10 Amazon gift card. So what are you waiting for? Enter below to win!






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