Book Tour: To Dance in Liradon by Adrienne Clarke Interview & Giveaway

BLURB: 

Seventeen-year-old Brigid O'Flynn is an outcast. A chance encounter with the Faerie Queen left her tainted in the eyes of the villagers, who blame the Faerie for the village’s missing women and children. Desperate to win the village’s acceptance, Brigid agrees to marry her childhood friend: Serious, hardworking, Connell Mackenna. But when Connell disappears before their wedding, Brigid's hopes are shattered. Blamed for her fiancé’s death, Brigid fears she will suffer the same fate as the other village outcasts, the mysterious Willow Women. Lured into Faerie by their inhuman lovers, and cast out weak and broken, the Willow Women spend their lives searching for the way back into Faerie. When Connell suddenly reappears, Brigid is overjoyed, but everything is not as it seems. Consumed by his desire for beauty and celebration, Connell abandons his responsibilities, and Brigid soon finds herself drawn into a passionate, dangerous world of two.

When Brigid discovers the truth behind Connell's transformation she’s forced to choose between two men and two worlds. Brigid’s struggle leads her into glittering, ruthless Faerie, where she must rescue her true love from a terrible sacrifice or lose him forever.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

The Faerie Queen raised one eyebrow so that it disappeared behind the gold circlet she wore around her head. “Another favour? I’m afraid this one shall cost you.”

Brigid nodded. What good was the flower if she couldn’t find her way back again?

“Close your eyes,” the Faerie Queen commanded. “What do you hear?”

“Nothing.”

“Still your breath, and let the pictures in your head slide away. Listen to what’s underneath the silence.”

She tried, but it was hard to do. And then she heard it, the gentle trickle of running water.

“Follow the sound. It will bring you back to the path and your father. But hurry, the forest is no place for a child.” And then she began to laugh, the sound surprisingly harsh and deep.

Brigid ran towards the sound until she saw the sky peeking through the trees, and felt the path beneath her feet. When she saw her father, she ran into his open arms, the Faerie Queen’s laughter still ringing in her ears.

“We thought we’d lost you forever,” her father whispered into her hair.

“But I’ve only been gone a short time,” she said.

“Nay, my sweet. The sun has risen and set twice since we came into the forest. Your mother and I have been searching everywhere.”

She showed her father the flower. “The Faerie Queen gave it to me so I could give it to Mother.”

Her father smiled, but fear spread across his face like a stain. Three days later he was dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

INTERVIEW:

1. Where did you get the idea for the novel?

Like most of my stories, To Dance in Liradon started out as a kind of daydream that slowly began to take in the form of a novel. Everyone who knows me understands that I’m obsessed with fairy tales. I’ve read fairy tale collections from around the world, and been influenced by many different aspects of the “faerie being.” The stories that struck my imagination the most were tales of the Irish Tuatha De Danann . Tall, beautiful, proud, and immoral they believed they were the noblest race to walk the earth. That kind of arrogance is always interesting! 

2. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title?

I like to think I’m pretty good at coming up with tiles, but choosing the title for this book proved very difficult. I just couldn’t find one that I thought captured what the story was about. I had a working title, but my agent didn’t like it, and in the end I think she was right. We bounced several titles back and forth before we finally settled on To Dance in Liradon.

3. Why did you pick this genre? What do you like about it?

I’ve written a lot about my love for YA, but I think the best way to describe it I’ve always been drawn to the passion and idealism that for me is the very essence of the YA genre. Young adulthood is a time of almost limitless hope: The conviction that we can do anything, feel everything, be with anyone. Nothing is beyond our reach. 

4. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you?

Without a doubt the most exciting thing to happen to me was receiving a note through my website from someone who’d read my book and wanted to tell me their thoughts – what the characters meant to them. There are no words to explain what an amazing feeling this is. Writing is a pretty lonely activity, so when you finally get to connect with readers it really is a dream come true. 

5. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read?

I’m currently reading The Ghost Writer by John Harwood. It’s a chilling horror story, but also very elegant. Because my work in progress is a ghost story/romance I’m a bit obsessed with ghost stories right now. I can’t get enough of them.

6. What is your writing process?

Having young children and working part- time means my day can be pretty unpredictable. I don’t necessarily have a set routine, but I make sure a write every day, usually in the morning.  Sometimes it’s not as much as I’d like, but it keeps the story and characters fresh in my mind. 

7. At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say? 

Unless it’s someone I know I usually just sign my name. I’m terrible at coming up with witty things to say. I’m always wary of messages that sound cheesy or contrived. 

8. What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I sometimes come across as a bit shy and reserved so I think some people would be surprised to know I used to be an aspiring actress. My specialty was cracked southern belles (I did a lot of plays by Tennessee Williams). This is funny to some people because I’m not southern, or even American. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time working on my accent!

9. How do you react to a bad review?

I’d like to say I take in all in stride, but the truth is I feel really, really bad. Fortunately, the feeling doesn’t last and grace is eventually restored. Although it’s disappointing to receive a negative review I do understand that people have different tastes and sensibilities. I know I’ve read books that other people have raved about that I simply hated. We can’t all like the same things. How boring would that be?

10. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book?

It was kind of a staggered celebration where I got together with all of the people who’ve supported my writing dream. I wanted to make the most of it because you never know when it will happen again!

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I think I became a writer because the world inside my head was so real and vivid, sometimes more so than the outside world. In some sense I have lived parallel lives, present in my real and imaginary lives in different ways. Because much of my childhood was spent searching for faeries or reading about them, it is natural that my work encompasses fairy tale themes and other magical elements. In the words of Tennessee Williams, forget reality, give me magic!

Adrienne has previously published short stories in The Storyteller, Beginnings Magazine, New Plains Review, and in the e-zines A Fly in Amber, Grim Graffiti, Les Bonnes Fees, The Altruist, The Devilfish Review, and Rose Red Review. Her short story, Falling was awarded second place in the 2008 Alice Munro short fiction contest. To Dance in Liradon is her first published novel.

An avid reader of fairy tales and other magical stories, a thread of the mysterious or unexpected runs through all of her work. When she’s not writing Adrienne can be found searching for faeries along with her daughters Callista and Juliet.

Author Links:

Website: http://www.adrienneclarkewriter.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/ToDanceInLiradon

Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6436251.Adrienne_Clarke

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clarkeadrienne

Buy Links:

Amazon: US: http://www.amazon.com/To-Dance-in-Liradon-ebook/dp/B009F94I3W/ref=la_B009HWWMT4_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1349915685&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/To-Dance-in-Liradon-ebook/dp/B009F94I3W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1349972228&sr=1-1

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/to-dance-in-liradon-adrienne-clarke/1112975145?ean=2940015710045

Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/To-Dance-in-Liradon/book-J5YVsQBAyU26uuplRq4VrQ/page1.html?s=KS-iLsIhp0GoqVUvE-QpvA&r=1"

GIVEAWAY:

Adrienne will be awarding winner's choice of a Kindle touch, Nook Simple Touch, or a $100 Apple gift card, and one crystal Faerie necklace similar to what Brigid wore to the Faerie ball to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/11/virtual-book-tour-to-dance-in-liradon.html