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Friday, October 28, 2016

Blog Tour- A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU by Claudia Gray An Interview & Giveaway!


I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU by Claudia Gray! As most of you know I am a huge fan of Claudia's and over the years I have been lucky enough to get to know her and call her a dear friend as well!! I have an interview Claudia to share with you today! And make sure to enter the awesome giveaway for a finished copy of the book!!


Haven't heard of A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU? Check it out!

Title: A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU (Firebird #3)
Author: Claudia Gray
Release Date: November 1, 2016
Pages: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
A million universes. A million dangers. One destiny.

The fate of the multiverse rests in Marguerite Caine’s hands. Marguerite has been at the center of a cross-dimensional feud since she first traveled to another universe using her parents’ invention, the Firebird. Only now has she learned the true plans of the evil Triad Corporation—and that those plans could spell doom for dozens or hundreds of universes, each facing total annihilation.

Paul Markov has always been at Marguerite’s side, but Triad’s last attack has left him a changed man—angry and shadowed by tragedy. He struggles to overcome the damage done to him, but despite Marguerite’s efforts to help, Paul may never be the same again.

So it’s up to Marguerite alone to stop the destruction of the multiverse. Billions of lives are at stake. The risks have never been higher. And Triad has unleashed its ultimate weapon: another dimension’s Marguerite—wicked, psychologically twisted, and always one step ahead.

In the epic conclusion to Claudia Gray’s Firebird trilogy, fate and family will be questioned, loves will be won and lost, and the multiverse will be forever changed. It’s a battle of the Marguerites . . . and only one can win.


Now on to the interview!

Hi Claudia! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books I always love to have you here for a visit! A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU can’t come soon enough I am dying to read it!

I'm so, so glad you're looking forward to the book! Working on this series has been maybe the most fun I've had as a writer, so hearing that people have enjoyed reading it means a lot.

For the readers: can you give us a small recap for the Firebird series so far and the characters?

The Firebird series began with Marguerite Caine, the daughter of two famous scientists, chasing the person she believed was her father's killer through alternate dimensions. In each world, she leaps into another version of herself, so she not only has to figure out how each alternate reality differs from our own, but also who she is there, and the roles the different people in her lives play. On that adventure, she both fell in love with grad student Paul Markov and learned that the evil Triad corporation, led by tech titan Wyatt Conley, intended to dominate the multiversewith her as their unwilling tool.

Since then, she's visited many new dimensions, trying to outwit Triad, and bonding more closely with Pauleven though their friend and ally Theo Beck's unrequited feelings for Marguerite have made that awkward at times. Triad's ultimate gambit in book two: Kidnapping Paul's spirit and splintering himsending pieces of his consciousness into different dimensions. Marguerite managed to put him back together again, but he's been changed by the experience. He's angrier, more volatile, more unsure. Paul has pushed her away "for her own good," and Marguerite doesn't know how to make things right again.

And now in book three, she's pitted against her ultimate enemy: Another Marguerite, the cruelest, most dangerous possible version of who she can be. To save her dimension and countless others, she has to outwit this wicked Marguerite, and she can only do that by confronting and understanding the darkness within herself. Can she do this before reality itself is torn apartand will Paul be by her side, or lost in the coming madness?

So I know this isn’t the first series you’ve finished but can you tell me how finishing the Firebird series was different from finishing the Evernight series? And what are you working on now?

Both the Evernight and Spellcaster series felt satisfying to finish. I loved, and still love, those characters, but I knew I was leaving them precisely where I wanted to. Now, I feel like I do that for Marguerite, Paul, Theo and company in A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU as wellbut in all honesty, when I wrote the last sentence of the first draft, I burst into tears. I did the same thing on revisions, too! This series and these people mean a lot to me, and in some ways I wish I could keep telling their stories forever.

Right now I'm writing the second novel in my DEFY THE STARS series, which starts this April. It's been described as "Battlestar Galactica" meets "Casablanca," and takes place 300 years in the future where colony worlds are rising up against Earth, where artificial intelligence plays a role in war, and where a young soldier and a AI prototype are forced to work together on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

Nope. I've only ever directly based one character in any of my books on a real-life person; in STAR WARS: LOST STARS, the character of Yendor bears a strong resemblance to my friend Rodney, even though Yendor's a Twi'lek and Rodney is, unsurprisingly, a human being.

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

For this series? My favorite to write has been Theo, because he has such a distinctive voice and attitude that spending time with him is a lot of fun. (Also, he has the kind of voice that could deliver exposition without it sounding like exposition, which may be the greatest favor a character can do for an author.) Least favorite? 
Gosh, in this one I don't know that there's anyone I disliked writing. Some characters were tougher than othersPaul's so quiet and guarded that he's challengingbut I still loved writing for him.

Of anything I've ever written? Theo is probably tied for all-time favorite at the top with Verlaine from the SPELLCASTER books. Least favorite? C-3PO in STAR WARS: BLOODLINE. I mean, I love Threepio and all, but he's much, much more difficult to write than you'd think.

What is your favorite passage/scene in A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU?

I can't really describe it without being too spoilery! But it takes place in Singapore, about three-quarters of the way through the book, and involves a very important meeting. My very close second favorite is a scene between Marguerite and Paul in Russiabut not the Russiaverse we first got to know in A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

A short list of things I looked up? The history of the theory of plate tectonics. The scaffolding for the painting of the Sistine Chapel. Grammar for another language Marguerite speaks in this book, one very unlike the ones she's been able to speak before. Student IDs in the USSR. The housing situation in Singapore. Geography for the city of Rome. Cabins in aircraft carriers. How to save yourself in one very particular emergency that takes place. Outdoor cafes in Ecuador.

Man, I'm going to miss this series.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

You know, I'm still in love with Peeta Mellark. It's going to be a while before any guy can live up to the combination of "enduring, selfless love" and "ability to make cupcakes."

What inspired you to write YA?

I feel like the things we go through while coming of age are some of the most universal experiences that exist. Touching base with that time of life, with those concerns, makes me focus on the absolute purest essence of the characters. I'm not sure precisely why that is, but it's true.

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I'm working on a first draft right now, so I'm reading nonfiction, a book called DR. ECHENER'S DREAM MACHINE, about the development of the Graf Zeppelin in the first half of the 20th century.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

I keep thinking I'm a Ravenclaw, but on every single test, I come up Gryffindor. Who am I to argue with the Hat?

Twitter or Facebook?

Twitter. As you know if you follow me there

Favorite Superhero?

Professor X, who has had the good fortune of being played onscreen by two of my favorite actors, Patrick Stewart and James McAvoy.

Favorite TV show?

At the moment, "Mr. Robot."

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet!

Any Phobias?

Not in the truest sense of the word. Not a big fan of spiders, though.

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

Listen, just because I've been listening to the "Hamilton" soundtrack for a year now doesn't mean I have a problem.

Winter Movie you’re most looking forward to?

We have tons of good space adventures coming this winter! "Passengers," "Star Wars: Rogue One," "Arrival" I'm going to be in the front row for each one.

Thanks so much Claudia for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU!


Thanks for having me! I hope people will enjoy the book. 







About Claudia:
Claudia Gray is a pseudonym. I would like to say that I chose another name so that no one would ever learn the links between my shadowy, dramatic past and the explosive secrets revealed through my characters. This would be a lie. In truth, I took a pseudonym simply because I thought it would be fun to choose my own name. (And it is.)
I write novels full-time, absolutely love it, and hope to be able to do this forever. My home is in New Orleans, is more than 100 years old, and is painted purple. In my free time I read, travel, hike, cook and listen to music. You can keep up with my latest releases, thoughts on writing and various pop-culture musings via TwitterTumblrPinterestGoodreads or (of course) my own home page.

If you want to contact me, you can email me, but your best bet is probably to Tweet me. I don’t do follows on Twitter, but I follow everyone back on Tumblr, Pinterest and Goodreads.


Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:


Week One:
10/24/2016- Seeing Double In NeverlandRecap of A THOUSAND PIECES OF YOU
10/25/2016- BookHounds YARecap of TEN THOUSAND SKIES ABOVE YOU
10/26/2016- FangirlishWhat we can expect in A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU
10/27/2016- FiktshunExcerpt from A MILLION WORLDS WITH YOU
10/28/2016- Two Chicks on Books-Interview

Week Two:
10/31/2016- Novel Novice - Series Playlist
11/1/2016- Tales of the Ravenous ReaderInterview
11/2/2016- Page Turners BlogSeries Photo Board
11/3/2016- Dark Faerie Tales- -Interview
11/4/2016- Mundie Moms - What's up next? Info about Claudia’s new book(s)

Haven't started the series? Now's a great time!


1 comment:

  1. It's obvious that I need to read this series. Thanks for the giveaway!

    ReplyDelete

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