I am thrilled to be a stop on the book tour for When My Heart Was Wicked by Tricia Stirling hosted by Rockstar Book Tours! Today, I have an author interview for your reading pleasure, but be sure to check out the tour schedule below, or click the banner above, to read reviews and more!
Don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Title: When My Heart Was Wicked
Author: Tricia Stirling
Series: Standalone
Release Date: February 24, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
"I used to be one of those girls. The kind who loved to deliver bad news. When I colored my hair, I imagined it seeping into my scalp, black dye pooling into my veins.
But that was the old Lacy. Now, when I cast spells, they are always for good."
16-year-old Lacy believes that magic and science can work side by side. She's a botanist who knows how to harness the healing power of plants. So when her father dies, Lacy tries to stay with her step-mother in Chico, where her magic is good and healing. She fears the darkness that her real mother, Cheyenne, brings out, stripping away everything that is light and kind.
Yet Cheyenne never stays away for long. Beautiful, bewitching, unstable Cheyenne who will stop at nothing, not even black magic, to keep control of her daughter's heart. She forces Lacy to accompany her to Sacramento, and before long, the "old" Lacy starts to resurface.
But when Lacy survives a traumatic encounter, she finds herself faced with a choice. Will she use her powers to exact revenge and spiral into the darkness forever? Or will she find the strength to embrace the light?
Author Interview
Welcome to Bookish, Tricia! I'm so excited to have you here with us today! In tweet form (140 characters or less), how would you describe the story of When My Heart Was Wicked to those who haven’t heard of it yet?
It’s so nice to be here, thank you so much! Okay, in tweet form: Lacy was a mean girl raised by a cruel mom. Out of her care Lacy has reinvented herself but now her black magic-wielding mom wants her back.
Could you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind it?
I knew I wanted to write about a step-mother and step-daughter, because I believe in the power of families that exist outside of the conventional. I knew the real mother would have abused the court system, because I’ve seen that happen again and again. At the time I was writing this, I had a lot of male friends who were fighting so hard for the privilege of being a presence in their child’s life, and I wanted to address that. Beyond that, my inspiration was Frida Kahlo’s journal. I’ve told this story several times now, but as I was writing the first draft, I was reading her journals and stealing images from them which I tried to incorporate into the story.
What are some of your literary inspirations? Favorite books/authors?
I love Alice Hoffman and Janet Fitch. I read Aimee Bender’s The Girl in the Flammable skirt years ago, and I was floored. I was like, “I didn’t know you could do that with fiction!” Of course I love the magical realists. And I’m making my way through the fairy tales. I recently read The Juniper Tree for the first time and I just loved it. What a strange, crazy story!
What is the best moment, aside from being published, you've experienced since becoming an author?
It’s my kids being so excited for me. My ten year old keeps saying these lovely things, like “You worked so hard, you should get an award.” My daughter was on Smilebox last night making me a “Happy Book Launch” card. It means everything to me that they’re so supportive and enthusiastic about my writing.
If I was magically transported back in time to the Dark Ages, I'd . . . Find some personages of historical significance and bring them back through the annals of time to my high school to help me with my oral report.
One time I spontaneously . . . This is a fascinating question for a fascinating person. I’m afraid I’m not that fascinating. I did pay the pilot extra to take me higher when I skydived. Also I once flashed my husband through the window at a restaurant. The young men at a nearby table were very enthusiastic. (I love that Tricia did both those things - I would consider that pretty fascinating!)
I'm addicted to . . . water. It’s sad.
If I could live in any TV/movie/book universe, it would be . . Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.
Listen to this: “The room (the trapdoor) opens into is full of feathers that flutter downward. When you walk through them, they flutter like snow over the door in the floor, obscuring it from sight. There are six identical doors. You choose one at random, trailing a few feathers with you. The scent of pine is overwhelming as you enter the next room to find yourself in a forest full of evergreen trees. Only the trees are not green but bright and white, luminous in the darkness surrounding them.” God. She has a fantastic imagination. I’d love to crawl around in there for a while.
Thanks for being here, Tricia! Can't wait to read When My Heart Was Wicked!
It’s so nice to be here, thank you so much! Okay, in tweet form: Lacy was a mean girl raised by a cruel mom. Out of her care Lacy has reinvented herself but now her black magic-wielding mom wants her back.
Could you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind it?
I knew I wanted to write about a step-mother and step-daughter, because I believe in the power of families that exist outside of the conventional. I knew the real mother would have abused the court system, because I’ve seen that happen again and again. At the time I was writing this, I had a lot of male friends who were fighting so hard for the privilege of being a presence in their child’s life, and I wanted to address that. Beyond that, my inspiration was Frida Kahlo’s journal. I’ve told this story several times now, but as I was writing the first draft, I was reading her journals and stealing images from them which I tried to incorporate into the story.
What are some of your literary inspirations? Favorite books/authors?
I love Alice Hoffman and Janet Fitch. I read Aimee Bender’s The Girl in the Flammable skirt years ago, and I was floored. I was like, “I didn’t know you could do that with fiction!” Of course I love the magical realists. And I’m making my way through the fairy tales. I recently read The Juniper Tree for the first time and I just loved it. What a strange, crazy story!
What is the best moment, aside from being published, you've experienced since becoming an author?
It’s my kids being so excited for me. My ten year old keeps saying these lovely things, like “You worked so hard, you should get an award.” My daughter was on Smilebox last night making me a “Happy Book Launch” card. It means everything to me that they’re so supportive and enthusiastic about my writing.
If I was magically transported back in time to the Dark Ages, I'd . . . Find some personages of historical significance and bring them back through the annals of time to my high school to help me with my oral report.
One time I spontaneously . . . This is a fascinating question for a fascinating person. I’m afraid I’m not that fascinating. I did pay the pilot extra to take me higher when I skydived. Also I once flashed my husband through the window at a restaurant. The young men at a nearby table were very enthusiastic. (I love that Tricia did both those things - I would consider that pretty fascinating!)
I'm addicted to . . . water. It’s sad.
If I could live in any TV/movie/book universe, it would be . . Erin Morgenstern’s The Night Circus.
Listen to this: “The room (the trapdoor) opens into is full of feathers that flutter downward. When you walk through them, they flutter like snow over the door in the floor, obscuring it from sight. There are six identical doors. You choose one at random, trailing a few feathers with you. The scent of pine is overwhelming as you enter the next room to find yourself in a forest full of evergreen trees. Only the trees are not green but bright and white, luminous in the darkness surrounding them.” God. She has a fantastic imagination. I’d love to crawl around in there for a while.
Thanks for being here, Tricia! Can't wait to read When My Heart Was Wicked!
About the Author
I am a writer. I am also a mother, daughter, wife, sometimes crafter, and voracious reader. I'm outdoorsy and kind of shy. As a child, I was kicked out of girlscouts. I love cheese and bread. I love Anthopologie and Mary Margaret's apartment in Once Upon a Time. I'm a sloppy dogloving person, but I admire the sleek cool of cats. My favorite writers include Alice Hoffman, Janet Fitch, Donna Tarte, and Aimee Bender. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm were also good.
Giveaway
US Only
Cheaters Never Prosper
Tour Schedule
2/23/2015- Moonlight Gleam Reviews- Review
2/24/2015- Novel Ink- Review
2/25/2015- Tales of the Ravenous Reader- Interview
2/26/2015- Bookish- Interview
2/27/2015- Once Upon a Twilight- Review
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3/2/2015- Two Chicks on Books- Guest Post
3/3/2015- MEReadALot- Review
3/4/2015- paranormal book club (PBC)- Interview
3/5/2015- Bittersweet Enchantment- Review
3/6/2015- Magical Urban Fantasy Reads- Guest Post
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