PHOENIX (A Black City Novel) Debut Madness: Interview with Elizabeth Richards + Giveaway!

Yesterday marked the release of PHOENIX, the second book in the BLACK CITY series by the League's very own Elizabeth Richards. I'm so excited to be part of Phoenix's debut week celebration, WOOT WOOT! Stick around for the end of this post for your chance to enter to win a copy of Phoenix and swag!

Part dystopian, part paranormal, and all fun, Black City left readers with questions that I can't wait to see answered in the sequel. Speaking of questions, I asked Elizabeth a few about what it was like to write a follow-up.

Q & A with League Author Elizabeth Richards

1)  Authors often say that writing a sequel is crazy-making. How was writing book two of the Black City series different than writing book one?  Overall, was it more challenging to write Phoenix than Black City and if so, why?

OMG, it was SO crazy making! I have to admit, I was not prepared for the insanity of writing a book under a publisher’s deadline. When you write your first book, you’re able to take your time with it and there’s very little pressure as the only people who are reading it are you and your friends/crit partners. But when you write the sequel suddenly there are expectations and deadlines and OMG! Pressure!!! It’s not easy being creative on a deadline, but I love, love, love, love, LOVE it. Writing PHOENIX was such a learning experience, and I truly believe I’ve become a better writer because of it…I’ve just developed a few facial ticks along the way.

(*hums Under Pressure by David Bowie and Freddy Mercury in sequel-writing solidarity*)

2)  Which scene was your favorite to write in Phoenix?

Hee hee, that’s easy. The scene in the Barren Lands where Elijah is in the pool with his top off. Need I say more?

(No. No, you needn't.)

3)  We got plenty of Ash and Natalie moments in book one (woo hoo!)  Would you say there's more or less romance in Phoenix?  Is it difficult to mix romance in with all the action?

The action really ramps up in Phoenix, as Ash and Natalie have to travel across the United Sentry States in search of a weapon called the Ora, but there’s still plenty of steamy scenes! My editor said she was fanning herself at one particular scene between Ash and Nat. I can’t help myself; I heart Ash! Whenever I feel like there’s been a lot of action, I always like to slow things down again with a tender or sexy moment. I think it’s important that a book has these quieter moments, to give the reader time to breathe and connect with the characters…plus, ya know, Ash is pretty, so... *dreamy sigh*

(*sighs in unison*)

4)  What's your favorite sci-fi/fantasy sequel, movie or book?

Ooooh, good question! My favorite sequel is Terminator 2: Judgment Day. My twin sister and I watched that movie every night for about 6 months when we were teenagers. I was in love with Eddie Furlong and she was in love with Arnie. It’s a great movie—so much action, great special effects, and there’s some very tender moments in there too. I’m a huge Terminator fan.

(OMG, YES! Love that movie so hard! Poor, poor Arnie....plus, DAMN. Linda Hamilton had some killer deltoids!)

5)  Black City had some amazing world building. Was it hard to return to that world to write Phoenix, or did you find yourself diving right back in?

I dove right in! I was so excited to revisit the world, because I knew the action would move out of Black City and into other parts of the United Sentry States, and I was keen to explore these locations, as they’d been in my imagination for years. It was such a treat to write. I particularly enjoyed the Barren Lands segment.

(I can't wait to read!)

6)  If you could choose, would you be a Darkling or human?  If Darkling, which type?

Gosh! That’s a fab question. Mmmm….I think I’d be a Darkling. Although they have a terrible time of it, they’re really fascinating creatures and so romantic. (They have ‘Blood Mates’, which is when their dual heart activates when they meet their true love.). I’d like to be a Nordin Darkling, as they’re the only species with wings, and I think it would be awesome to be able to fly and have glittering orange eyes and rippling ice-white hair.

(Sign me up, too!)

7) Ash gets a ton of love from readers (as he should!)  Did Ash come to you fully formed, or did he evolve slowly?  Did you consciously give him any traits from real people?

Ash came to me fully formed. It was strange really, as I was watching a movie one night—I believe it was Charlie Bartlett, starring Robert Downy Junior—and the character of Ash just popped into my head. I instantly became obsessed with this drug-dealing, supernatural boy who gets a heartbeat when he meets his true love, and as soon as the movie finished, I grabbed my laptop and wrote the first scene. I’ve always been drawn to broken but artistic bad boys, so I think Ash has the sort of beautiful but damaged soul of someone like River Phoenix; Keanu Reeves’ hair; the bad-boy attitude of JD from Heathers; and the quiet cool of Jared Leto’s character in My So Called Life.

(Niiiceeee...and now I'm humming the new Thirty Seconds to Mars song....)

8)  Do you have any particular songs that inspired you while writing Phoenix?

I listened to a LOT of Two Steps From Hell, particularly Freedom Fighter. And Beyonce, because she’s awesome and I love her.

(Excellent choices!)

9)  Can you give us a hint as to what you're working on next?

I’m currently working on book 3 of the BLACK CITY series—I’ll be revealing the cover later this month—and have just sent in a proposal for a new sci-fi series to my publisher! Fingers crossed they like it, as I’m very excited about this new idea! :D

Definitely keeping my fingers crossed, and thank you SO MUCh for taking part in this interview!

Readers, pick up a copy of PHOENIX at a bookstore near you!  Or, enter here to WIN:

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Top 5 famous phoenixes

To celebrate the release of her second book, PHOENIX (A Black City Novel), Elizabeth Richards lists the top five famous phoenixes that have inspired her!

1. FAWKES

Dumbledore’s pet is unquestionably the most famous phoenix in children’s literature, and one of my all-time favorite Harry Potter characters. Not only does this loyal bird have killer eye-gouging abilities and magical tears (how cool!), but both Harry Potter and Voldemort’s wands contain one of Fawke’s tail feathers, which plays a vital role in the series. Plus, he’s named after Guy Fawkes—the man responsible for the Gunpowder Plot of 1605—which, if you’re British like me, is sort of amusing!

2. JEAN GREY

Jean Grey, AKA Phoenix, is probably my favorite character from X-Men. Not only does she have cool telekinetic and telepathic powers, but as Phoenix she’s able to control matter at a subatomic level, fly through space, create stargates that transport her anywhere in the universe…basically she’s just bad ass. Oh, and she gets to snog Cyclops and Wolverine.

3. SIMON PHOENIX

When I was a teenager in the 90s (omg, showing my age there!), one of the movies I watched over-and-over with my twin sister was Demolition Man, starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Snipes played this over-the-top villain called Simon Phoenix, and I have to admit I rooted for him to win! I loved the dystopian vibe of Demolition Man, and that’s certainly carried through into my adult life.

4. RIVER PHOENIX

Another blast from my past is the late, great, River Phoenix. He was the James Dean of the grunge generation—talented, beautiful, damaged, and unfortunately he also died tragically young. He starred in several of my favorite movies growing up, including My Own Private Idaho and Stand By Me, and my MC, Ash, is based on him.

5. PHOENIX, ARIZONA

As any Twilight fan knows, Phoenix is where perpetually blushing Bella Swan used to live with her mom, Renée. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather live in sunny Phoenix than constantly-rainy Forks (I get enough rain here in the UK, thanks!). Then again, I wouldn’t get to meet Edward…mmm, okay, I’ll put up with a little bit of rain.

About PHOENIX (A Black City Novel)

Engaged to be married, Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth.

When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well.

But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others.

This enthralling sequel to Black City is just as absorbing, delicious and steamy as the first book, leaving readers hungry for the series conclusion.
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Celebrate PHOENIX by Elizabeth Richards!

Roll up your sleeves everyone, because we've still got more book releases by League members this month! This week, we're celebrating PHOENIX by Elizabeth Richards, the sequel to her debut, BLACK CITY.

First, let's get in the proper mood. I have to say, every time I hear Imagine Dragon's song, "Radioactive," I think about two things. The first is punching zombies. The second is BLACK CITY.



Side note: I had no idea the official music video featured puppets and stuffed animals, did you?

Anyway, there's an extraordinarily powerful scene in BLACK CITY that is just very visceral and really stands out to me. In the word of BLACK CITY, Darklings (think: vampire) have no heartbeats--unless they meet their true love. In the Imagine Dragons's song, there's that moment, early in the song, when they sing, "breathing in the chemicals," and then they take a very loud, long breath. That pause--a perfect beat for the song--reminds me irrevocably of a moment in BLACK CITY, when a Darkling's heart beats for the first time.

It's just--it's the kind of scene I'm jealous that another writer wrote, you know? It's such a powerful image. Seeing the one you love--before you even know you love him/her--and feeling your heart beat.

Wow.

So, this week, we celebrate the release of the sequel to BLACK CITY, PHOENIX. In PHOENIX, Ash, a Darkling, and the human girl he met in the first book, Natalie, must continue their adventures in a world that is falling apart.

And can we just take a moment to mention the amazing covers with these books? In the first book, we have a shattered rose--much like the dictator, Purian Rose, and the lost grip on the city. Here in the second novel we have a burning feather. Given Ash's name (Ash-->ash-->burning) as well as the state of the world at the end of BLACK CITY, I think this is the perfect title and imagery for the book!

Beyond the characters of Ash and Natalie, another thing that fascinated me about these books is the setting. When developing her books, Elizabeth researched and referenced World War II and the Holocaust. I find it fascinating just how much history was put into a world that takes place in the future--and how easily we can forget the lessons of the past. This touch adds a whole new depth to the novels, making them visceral in a way some dystopians miss.

PHOENIX releases tomorrow! so be sure to snag your copy now!

Fun Facts about Elizabeth!

• She's English! Like, from England! When we were on tour, all she had to do was speak, and everyone in the audience would instantly fall in love with her and sigh romantically.
• She eats very strange food from England (as is to be expected because, as I just pointed out, she's English...). One of these things is a snack "food" that tastes like burning. Maybe it has something to do with the name "Ash" and the phoenix/burning imagery in the second book? I don't know, but I can definitely give my warning: avoid eating burnt English snack foods that look and taste like sticks! 
• Her nickname is Bertie, and I adore it, and I want to call her "Bertie" constantly and all the time, kind of like that scene in FAMILY GUY where Stewie says "Mom" five hundred times, and she's probably sick of me doing it by now :)

Before we go, Bertie has a great giveaway going on now! 

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Impostor playlist!

Today I'm going to show you the playlist I listened to while writing and revising Impostor! I often choose songs to get me in a certain mood. The Rose by Leann Rimes, for example, which is at the end of the list. I listened to that song on repeat for days while I was working on a certain scene at the very end of Impostor. Most of the songs are on the playlist because a part of their lyrics perfectly reflected what was going on in Tessa or happening in the book. Sadly I'm not sure about copyrights so I chose not to post the parts of the lyrics I'm talking about. But maybe if you read Impostor and then listen to the songs, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about!

Long story short, here is my Impostor playlist:

1. The Right Kind of Wrong by Leann Rimes

2. Nobody Knows by Pink

3. Born this Way by Lady Gaga

4. Hate that I love you by Rihanna

5. Fallin by Alicia Keys

6. I think it’s going to rain by Katie Melua

7. Tiger in the Night by Katie Melua

8. In my secret life by Katie Melua

9. Perfect Circle by Katie Melua

(A part of the lyrics talk about a mask being placed on a face. What could be more fitting?)

10. All in my head by Katie Melua

11. Hedonism by Skunk Anansie

12. Sorry seems to be the hardest by Mary J. Blige

13. Titanium by David Guetta feat Sia

14. What you don’t know by Monrose

15. Even heaven cries by Monrose

16. Bridge of Light by Pink

17. Family Portrait by Pink

(Tessa wants nothing more than a happy family, so the song is perfect.)

18. Just hold me by Maria Mena

19. The Rose by Leann Rimes

20. All good things come to an end by Nelly Furtado

I listened to all of the songs above so often, it was ridiculous and now whenever I hear one of them in the radio I immediately think of Tessa and Impostor. :)

Do you use playlists for your books?

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Interview with Susanne Winnacker, Author of IMPOSTER

Today, it’s my pleasure to interview Leaguer Susanne Winnacker about her new book IMPOSTER. Don’t miss her newest addition to the family at the end.

Susanne, I'm sure the League readers would love to know where you got the idea for Impostor?

My main character Tessa came first. I just knew I wanted to write about a girl who could absorb the DNA of other people and turn into them. And once that was settled, I very quickly decided that she’d go on an undercover mission. I watched the Miss Congeniality movies more times than I care to count – and what’s not to love about undercover missions?

So is Impostor a trilogy or a standalone?

Heh, that’s an interesting question. Right now, the plan is that Impostor has one sequel. J

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Making sure the mystery worked. I needed to plant enough clues to suspects without giving away the real killer too soon. NOT easy.

Okay, gotta ask, what's your favorite scene?

My favorite scene is in the later chapters and involves the killer but of course it’s VERY spoilery, so…But I also love the scene that inspired the cover. It’s in the middle of the book, and shows Tessa’s inner turmoil. She’s feeling like she’s losing herself. I call it the mirror-scene (people who’ve read the book will know what I’m talking about).

Impostor was sold to Warners for TV! What's the status of that? Dream casting?

I was so excited when I found out about Warner Brothers optioning Impostor’s TV rights. Sadly, there is no news I can share right now. And I don’t have a real dream cast. I don’t want Alec (fellow FEA agent. Tessa has a crush on him) to be just a pretty face. He’s gone through a lot in his life and I think his face should reflect a certain kind of depth. Not very helpful, I guess?

Maybe the readers who have had a sneak peek will have some casting ideas in the comments. So what are you working on now?

I’m working on a middle grade, another unrelated YA horror, and I’m waiting on edits for the sequel to Impostor!

You’re branching out. Is there anything else you'd like to tell the League readers?

I’m at BEA today, so say hi if you see me walking around. I’ll be the woman with the terrified and lost expression on her face. And I’ll be handing out Impostor swag.

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog and three bunnies in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals.

When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes.

Be sure to enter the raffle! If you love bunnies, or want to say anything to Susanne, leave a comment.

View Susanne on Facebook here and see Leaguer Lenore's interview with Susanne here.

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The Cover of Impostor

So excited for the release of IMPOSTOR by Susanne Winnacker this week! I was hooked on the story idea and when I saw the cover, I thought it was beyond perfect. Susanne graciously let me attack her with questions on the insider details on all things cover-related!

Your cover is extraordinary. It's so fitting for your book! I understand it wasn't the first cover considered. What was the first one like?

The first one was darker (black background – not white) and not splintered. It showed two different girls (Tessa and Madison) opposite from each other, and DNA was mixed into their hair. It was very sci-fi. It was beautiful in its own way, but I don’t think it was quite as striking as my final cover.

How much input did you have on the cover process?

I didn’t really give any input, since I didn’t have a vision for the cover, but luckily the team at Penguin did a wonderful job. It reflects the inside of the book and Tessa’s power as well as her turmoil perfectly. I was blown away when I first saw it.

Who is your cover designer, and would we recognize his/her other work?

The designer is Theresa Evangelista. She designed the covers of Ally Condie’s Matched Series, Gordon Dahlquist’s The Different Girl, Ruta Sepetys’s Between Shades of Gray and many more! (http://www.tevangelista.com/covers.html)

There are so many fantastic YA sci-fi covers out there. Tells us some of your favorites.

I really love the covers of Michael T. Martin’s The End Games,  Debra Driza’s Mila 2.0, Elsie Chapman’s Dualed, Mindy McGinnis’s Not A Drop To Drink, Demitria Lunetta’s In the After, and many others! So many pretty covers! Ahhh!

There you go! The insider scoop on the cover of IMPOSTOR. Thanks Susanne! And if you haven't yet, please enter the IMPOSTOR giveaway!

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Today is release day for Leaguer Susanne Winnacker and IMPOSTOR! In case you haven't heard about the book, I'll be introducing it, and then since I've already had the amazing opportunity to read IMPOSTOR -- and my review follows.

This is a book you DON'T want to miss!

About IMPOSTOR: Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again.

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

• Add IMPOSTOR to Goodreads. 
• Buy on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, The Book Depository, or your favorite independent bookseller.
• Catch up with Susanne on her blog, on Twitter, or on Facebook.

My review: IMPOSTOR is one of the best books I've read in a long time. I had it on my Kindle, and I stayed up way too late one night, reading reading reading. I couldn't read fast enough! And my Kindle died! Grrr. I had to read it the next day during my lunch. I was that ravenous to finish!

Susanne is a master with pacing. IMPOSTOR is a mystery as well as a science fiction novel, and I literally could not guess who the killer might be. Just when I thought I had it figured out, Susanne would lead me down a different path. The mystery, tension, and pacing were brilliantly done.

I really liked Tessa as the main character. She is so human--so unsure of herself despite having this almost super human ability. I liked that she had a past that haunted her, and a future that was impacted by what happens in IMPOSTOR. I hope there's a second book, because I want to spend more time with Tess!

As if a great main character and a tension-filled plot weren't enough, Susanne adds in a swoon-worthy boy. His name is Alec, and I liked that he was tender yet tough. I especially liked that while he came to the rescue a few times, he didn't save Tess from herself. She has to figure out how to do that herself--and how Alec fits into her life--all while dodging a murderer.

You can listen to an excerpt (the first 10 minutes!) from the audiobook of IMPOSTOR right now!



IMPOSTOR has everything a great novel should. You definitely want to read it! Be sure to enter our League giveaway of a hardcover copy of IMPOSTOR in the widget below. Contest is open until Sunday, June 1.

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