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Interview + Review + Giveaway: Influential Magic (Crescent City Fae) by Deanna Chase



Influential Magic got released last month and I'm very happy to participate in Deanna Chase's virtual book tour! First I have an interview for you, Deanna tells us all about the inspiration for the book, what we can expect next, who her dreamcast would be etc. I also had the chance to read the book, so I've included my review and peeps you're going to want to read this book so badly. To top it all of, we've also got a major tour wide giveaway!!! Make sure to enter because the goodies are awesome :D

What was your inspiration to write Influential Magic?

Hmm, this seems like it should be an easy question to answer, but it's really not. I started Influential Magic back in early 2011 before I decided to self publish Haunted on Bourbon Street, which was already written. Influential Magic took a major back seat once I started publishing the Jade Calhoun series, but I always knew I wanted to come back to it. So the actual inspiration is hard to pin down. I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy books and decide to write about the types of creatures I love: vampires and fae. Then I started wondering what the city would've been like after Katrina if vampires had moved in and how an earth-loving faery could survive among the darkness I love so much about NoLa. New Orleans is an odd mix of destruction, crime, and a bunch of goodhearted quirky, resilient characters, while also being very creative and vibrant. I think it's safe to say Influential Magic encompasses all those traits. At least I hope it does.

As for specific detailed inspirations, I love that Willow is a magical baker. You see, in my own life, I'm allergic to sugar. The horror, right? It gives me terrible migraines. So I don't get to eat very many desserts. Having Willow be able to make special candies that alter people's reality is sort of my way of having fun with something that is normally off limits to me.

Link is based off my dog Duncan. He's actually half shih tzu and half lhasa apso. Or so we assume. He was supposed to be half shih tzu and half maltese, but Duncan is twenty-five pounds and looks and acts just like a lhasa. We're pretty sure the litter had two daddies. It's all good, though, because Duncan is perfect just the way he is even with his over protectiveness, just like Link. Did you know shih tzus and lhasas are from the wolf family? That's how the wolf connection came about.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Making all the connections come together. I'm what we writers call a pantser. I don't work from an outline. Man, do I wish I did. My life would be so much easier. I've tried many times to write one and stick to it, but when I do, I find myself going off the rails by the second chapter. It turns out I'm much more productive if I just let my creative mind take over and run with everything. The only problem with that is it takes extra time to go back and make sure all the connections fit and all the loose threads are tied up...or at least addressed if not answered. This is a series after all.

Influential Magic is the first book in the Crescent City Fae Series, can you give us any information on the upcoming books please?

Book two, Irresistible Magic, will focus more on Talisen's new magical discovery. His magic plays a somewhat minor role in Influential Magic, but he does hint at a discovery. I don't want to give anything away here for those who haven't read it yet, though. Irresistible Magic revolves around Willow and Tal's relationship, their struggles to keep their magic out of the hands of those who want to exploit them, and of course the tension between Willow and David. Eadric and Asher will play a bigger role as well as we find out more about Willow's abilities. I hope that's not too vague. As I said, I'm a pantser, so everything is subject to change, but this is the plan. I am working on it now.

If your book was made into a TV series or Movie, what actors would you like to see playing your characters? 

Willow: I love the idea of Emma Stone. Mr. Chase is lobbying for Amanda Seyfried.

David: Ian Somerhalder - Best vampire ever. Am I right?

Talisen: Chase Crawford - He just looks like how I picture Talisen.

Phoebe: Ksenia Solo - she plays Kenzi on Lost Girl. Man, I love her.

 


You don't just write, but also make beautiful beads and jewelry, are any of those inspired by your books and where can we find them?

Ahh, yes, I make lampwork beads in my spare time (excuse me while I laugh hysterically). My spare time is almost non-existent these days. I have made beads inspired by New Orleans. Unfortunately, not many and I don't have them anymore. When Haunted on Bourbon Street came out, my husband made a companion collector's marble that went with it. One of our loyal customers has it in her collection.



Hubby has made other New Orleans themed pieces. Here is one I love:


You can find all my newest work at www.cdlampwork.etsy.com

If Willow and David had to describe each other in five words, what would they say?
David's take on Willow:
Sweet
Talented
Loyal
Brave
Naive

Willow's take on David:
Complicated
Sexy
Damaged
Protective
Sincere

Connect with Deanna Chase:

*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
It’s tough being a faery in New Orleans, a city fraught with vampires… especially when their very existence drains your life-force.

Willow Rhoswen, owner of The Fated Cupcake and part-time vampire hunter for the Void is having a rough week. Four years after her twin brother’s mysterious death, Willow’s life is threatened and the director saddles her with a new partner—her ex-boyfriend, David. To her horror, he’s turned vamp, which causes her physical pain whenever she touches him… and any other specimen of the undead.

In order to save Willow’s life, David agrees to turn double agent against the most powerful vampire organization in New Orleans. Or so he says. And she’s convinced they know something about her brother’s death. Unsure where David’s loyalties lie, she turns to Talisen, her childhood crush, to help her solve the mystery.

Caught between two gorgeous men and a director who’ll stop at nothing to control Willow’s gifts, she’ll have to follow her instincts and learn who to trust. Otherwise, she risks losing more than just her life.

Review:
"Living breathing things filled me up, left me powerful and strong, while metal, concrete and death sucked me dry."
Willow has this special ability, meaning she can sense when vampires are near. So usually when she goes out with her partner Phoebe, who's a witch/vampire hunter, she just points to where they are and Phoebe will take care of the rest. Fighting vampires herself is useless, because Willow's magic is based on life and vampires are death, so whenever they get too close the pretty much drain her without having to suck her blood.

Now Willow receives a new assignment and partner. Apparently someone is out to get her and together with David, her ex-boyfriend now turned vampire, is going to act like double agent to help her. The last time she saw David he was very much human and now it doesn't just hurt emotionally to be near, but also physically, so how will she ever get through with this.
"He hadn't stopped caring. If anything, he'd cared too much."
Willow quickly realizes that even with David being a vampire, she still holds some hope. She realizes though that he's not the same guy she fell in love with a year ago. He's hardly recognizable and has changed so much, too much, but once in a while she gets to see a glimpse of his old self.

Very slowly through the story you get to know David better and get to find out the reasons why he became a vampire, how Willow is all involved, how he felt/feels about her. He's not a bad guy, but he's still a vampire, so it's not like he's a good guy. David now represents dead (to put it very black and white), while Willow is all about life and that could be the biggest hurdle to overcome if David ever wants to convince Willow of his love for her.
"Being with him, alone and on my bed, evoked fantasies I hadn't entertained since we were teenagers."
David will have to fight hard, because he's not the only guy who has feelings for Willow. Talisen was Willow's brother's best friend and after Beau died he kind of took over the role of big brother. Except a big brother shouldn't have certain thoughts about his little sister the way Talisen sometimes thinks about Willow. With all the crazy things going on in her life right now, she calls on Talisen to help and he comes immediately. Now Willow always had a bit of crush on Talisen but never acted on that because of her brother and because she doesn't want to lose him. Will Talisen be able to convince Willow that he could be that guy for her?
"Knew how much it hurt. And he'd had the answers the entire time.""
So some crazy boy drama on top of everything else and everyone would go a little crazy. The plot to harm Willow is far more complicated than she could ever guess. Nothing is as it seems and she doesn't know who she can trust, who is telling the truth and it seems everyone has been keeping secrets from her. More secrets than she could have ever guessed.

Influential magic is quite the roller coaster read; Willow constantly being torn between her feelings for David and Talisen, the shocking secrets that are revealed one after another, at least five or more near death experiences, a dog with anger management problems when it comes to vampires, vampires with total lack of respect of life, manipulating and influencing all the world and his wife... So yeah quite the entertaining read!


Are you Team David or Team Talisen? 

**Tour Wide Giveaway**
Physical prizes open to US Shipping
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Total Book Geek
 

6 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. I would certainly recommend you give it a try :)

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  2. Thanks so much for having me today and for the review! xo Deanna

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    Replies
    1. You're very welcome :) It was an really enjoyable read and I'm curious what is going to happen in the second book!

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  3. Great interview and book (the author's pretty special, too!)

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