Illusion by Lea NolanPublished 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!
Rafflecopter link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OTAyMjM3MzE4ZWE3ZWQ1YzBkZDE2YTA1YzNkOGNlOjMx/?
