Welcome to my stop for Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel. Jen has been kind enough to stop by today and answer some of my questions, but first all the book info...
There comes a time in every witch's life when she must choose her path. Darlena's friends have already chosen, so why is it so hard for her to make up her mind? Now, Darlena is out of time. Under pressure from Hecate, the Queen of all witches, Darlena makes a rash decision to choose Red magic, a path no witch in her right mind would dare take. As a Red witch, she will be responsible for chaos and mayhem, drawing her deep into darkness. Will the power of Red magic prove too much for Darlena, or will she learn to control it before it's too late?
DAUGHTER OF CHAOS is the first in the RED MAGIC paranormal YA trilogy.
Author Interview
Welcome to my blog today, Jen! Would you tell us a little about the storybook world (time period, landscape, people, etc.) Daughter of Chaos is set in?
Sure! The story takes place in the modern world, and Darlena and her family live in North Carolina. Magic exists in Darlena’s world, however, and she’s a powerful witch. Her parents are both witches, and Darlena attends an elite magical school, so she’s pretty separate from the “real” world, even though magic and non-magic coexist. She’s never really met any Nons (non-magical folk), and she can’t imagine her life without magical ability.
What are the different types of magic that Darlena has to choose from, and what does each magic represent?
Darlena’s only been taught about three kinds of magic: Green, White, and Black. Green magic is earthy and tangible (her parents are both Green witches), while Black and White magics are both more intangible, based on spirit and intuition. Black and White balance each other, and they aren’t a division of good and evil; just dark power and light power.
None of these paths ever seemed quite right to Darlena, but when she swears to practice Red magic, she doesn’t have any idea what she’s saying. Learning what Red magic is becomes one of her goals in this book; that, and staying alive.
Staying alive definitely seems to be a challenge for Darlena in this book. Is there a romantic interest for Darlena and, if so, can you describe him a little for us?
Darlena’s still hung up on her ex-boyfriend, Justin, and he plays an active role in the story. Justin is sixteen, the same age as Darlena, and he’s quiet and patient. He practices White magic, and despite the break-up, he still cares deeply for Darlena. He’s tall, with brown hair and hazel eyes, and he’s steady, intelligent, and focused...in a lot of ways, he’s Darlena’s opposite.
Justin is actually one of the characters I like the most in Daughter of Chaos. What five words would you use to describe Daughter of Chaos?
Magical, unexpected, dangerous, passionate, and, of course, RED!
Great choices! What are some books you’re looking forward to reading this year?
There are so many! My TBR pile is huge. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books by the YA Valentines. I also can’t wait for THE BOOK OF LIFE by Deborah Harkness.
Those are all on my tbr too! Thanks so much for stopping by, Jen! You're welcome anytime.
Thanks so much for having me today!
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About the Author
Jen McConnel first began writing poetry as a child. Since then, her words have appeared in a variety of magazines and journals, including Sagewoman, PanGaia, and The Storyteller (where she won the people’s choice 3rd place award for her poem, “Luna”).
She is also a former reviewer for Voices of Youth Advocates (VOYA), and a proud member of SCBWI, NCWN, and SCWW.
A Michigander by birth, she now lives and writes in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She's a graduate of Western Michigan University, and she also earned her MS in Library Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
When she isn't crafting worlds of fiction, she teaches writing composition at a community college. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time.
This really is a great cover isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSO fun. Thank you for posting and for all of your support, Tressa! :)
ReplyDeleteThe Book of Life is huge on my wishlist/want list right now as well.
ReplyDeleteFun interview. I like how the magic in this is represented by colors.
I prefer clean books, although for being Adult that series is fairly clean, but that first book in the series pulled me right in. The humor, characters, and writing were all so good and continue to be.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely looks romantic. ;) It actually sounds really sweet and I'm looking forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Laura! Your book sounds fabulous!
ReplyDeleteI do like the cover, and I wish the author great success!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Lynn!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview. The name stresses me out...hehehe! chaos stresses me out. The book sounds absolutely fantastic :)
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for this book to come out :) Natalie met her at the ANWA conference so it's even more exciting to me. I think reading something from someone I "know" is so much more fun. I love books, but when I "know" the person who wrote it, it is so much more fun to read.
ReplyDeleteThe book sounds really good, but I gotta be honest.... The kissy face covers are getting old. Well, they HAVE BEEN getting old for a while now. At least this one is done well. They actually look like they want to kiss, or not like kissing would make them throw up! Progress!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I'm looking forward to reading it too!
ReplyDeleteLol! I know what you mean. Kissing covers are actually not my favorite, all things considered.
ReplyDeleteLol! It does fit though with the elements of the story.
ReplyDeleteThis series sounds intense. I love magic... although... maybe it's a good thing it doesn't exist. I think I like reading about it more :)
ReplyDeleteI agree. No real magic. That would be kind of scary. Let's keep it in books.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for hosting me!! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for doing the interview and stopping by!
ReplyDelete