Blog Tour Interview & Giveaway: Forbidden by Kimberley Griffiths Little

Forbidden

Forbidden (Forbidden #1)Forbidden
(Forbidden #1)
by Kimberley Griffiths Little
YA Romance
Paperback397 Pages
November 4th 2014 by HarperCollins

Summary

In the unforgiving Mesopotamian desert where Jayden’s tribe lives, betrothal celebrations abound, and tonight it is Jayden’s turn to be honored. But while this union with Horeb, the son of her tribe’s leader, will bring a life of riches and restore her family’s position within the tribe, it will come at the price of Jayden’s heart.

Then a shadowy boy from the Southern Lands appears. Handsome and mysterious, Kadesh fills Jayden’s heart with a passion she never knew possible. But with Horeb’s increasingly violent threats haunting Jayden’s every move, she knows she must find a way to escape—or die trying.

With a forbidden romance blossoming in her heart and her family’s survival on the line, Jayden must embark on a deadly journey to save the ones she loves—and find a true love for herself.

Set against the brilliant backdrop of the sprawling desert, the story of Jayden and Kadesh will leave readers absolutely breathless as they defy the odds and risk it all to be together.
  


Author Interview

I'd like to welcome the author of Forbidden, Kimberley Griffiths Little, to my blog today! One of the things that pulled me into this story was its setting, which is rather unique in the market. Why did you decide to write a story set in Ancient Mesopotamia?

When I was a kid I used to play “The Olden Days” with my best friend, Starr. We’d create characters for ourselves (we loved choosing exotic names!) and act out stories of danger and death.

As an adult I became fascinated by the ancient Middle East and the great cities of Babylon and wondered about the people in the Bible. What were they really like? How did they live? What were their customs and beliefs and struggles? What sort of dresses and jewelry did the girls wear—always a very important thing to ponder! I was also teaching a Bible class to teenagers and I imagined what it might have been like to grow up thousands of years ago when you were betrothed to the person you’d marry.

Middle eastern dance (or belly dancing) is gorgeous, sensuous and amazing to watch (how do they move their abdomens like that?!). So, of course, I took belly dance classes (and even performed, ooh, la, la!) and started reading about the history of the dance and how the women used it for births, betrothals, marriages, etc. The dance goes back several thousands of years which means our early mothers from Bible times probably danced! The difficult abdominal moves were early Lamaze for child-bearing. :-)

FORBIDDEN began to be born. . . . using belly dance as tapestry backdrop for murder, blackmail, tribal warfare—and a delicious romance with a boy from the secret frankincense lands.

Did you find anything interesting in researching the story? 

The book is filled with all sorts of fun things, but I read a 500 page book about camels, tents, and the desert and I loved that baby camels were often allowed into the family tent (quite large like a house with several rooms) to cuddle up and sleep with the kids of the family. Just as we do with our pet dogs. Great for keeping you warm on a cold winter night. They also made yogurt out of camel’s milk!

Do you have a favorite line or scene from the story and, if so, why is it your favorite? 

Favorite Scene: You know how you tingle when the boy you’re secretly in love with just looks at you, or speaks your name in a meaningful way, or touches your hand for the first time. Yeah, that. I have a scene like that.

One of my Favorite Lines: “He reached up to touch my face and I shook my head, knowing that if I let him do that, I might let him do so much more.” (It’s packed with so much meaning and innuendo.)

What did you enjoy most about writing this story? 

I love writing about family relationships (all of my MG novels are complicated family stories, even if they’re magical realism mysteries) and describing the stunning desert. I love bringing a place, the setting to LIFE with small details of sounds and touch and smells.

Of course, the romantic scenes I tweaked forever . . . because they were yummy. I also got to write about the ancient city of Mari under siege and burning by the Babylonian King Hammurabi in 1759 BCE who invaded to expand his empire.

I even took a trip to the gorgeous country of Jordan and the stunning ancient city of Petra (a very romantic scene takes place in the narrow crevice at Petra) – although it wasn’t called Petra at that time period, but rather, the land of the Edomites, descendants of Esau from the Bible. You can see some of my pictures on Pinterest.

Using ten words or less, how would you describe Forbidden

A dark, exotic thriller in a land of mystery and intrigue. (That’s 11 words, but pretty close!) 

What are you working on next? 

I *just* turned in revisions to my editor for Book #2 of the Forbidden trilogy. It’s got a title—BANISHED!  Gotta start drafting Book 3 . . . so far it’s called “Untitled”. :-)

I also have a Southern Victorian Steampunk Thriller I’m revising and I’m writing contemporary romance under my pen name, Kimberley Montpetit.

What book(s) are you most anticipating reading in 2015? 

I’m looking forward to more books by Claudia Gray (A Thousand Pieces of You, Mary Pearson’s sequel to The Kiss of Deception, and Rick Yancy (The 5th Wave)

I'm looking forward to some of those too! Thanks so much for stopping by, Kimberley!

Book Trailer


About the Author

Award-winning author Kimberley Griffiths Little was born in San Francisco, but now lives in New Mexico on the banks of the Rio Grande with her husband and their three sons. Her middle-grade novels, When the Butterflies Came, The Last Snake Runner, The Healing Spell, and Circle of Secrets, have been praised as “fast-paced and dramatic,” with “beautifully realized settings.” Kimberley adores anything old and musty with a secret story to tell. She’s stayed in the haunted tower room at Borthwick Castle in Scotland; sailed the Seine in Paris; ridden a camel in Petra, Jordan; shopped the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul; and spent the night in an old Communist hotel in Bulgaria.



Tour-Wide Giveaway

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$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 1/4/15

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


6 comments

  1. Great interview and giveaway! ;)

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  2. This one sounds cute. Always looking for some "secular" or even indie novels to enjoy. Thanks for reviewing this one.

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  5. Fun interview. My review is at the end of the month! I love this cover as well!

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  6. I love the cover!

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