Welcome to my tour stop for Jubilee Manor! I just love these book covers so much! The setting is also a favorite of mine - a dystopian with an historical feel. I am so lucky to have the author, Bethany Hagen, stopping by today. Definitely check that out along with the usual book and author info, and the giveaway below...
Jubilee Manor
(Landry Park #2)
by Bethany Hagen
by Bethany Hagen
YA Dystopian
Hardcover & ebook, 400 Pages
August 11th 2015 by Dial Books
Hardcover & ebook, 400 Pages
August 11th 2015 by Dial Books
Summary
The thrilling conclusion to Landry Park is full of love, betrayal, and murder--perfect for fans of Divergent, The Selection, and Pride and Prejudice.
In Landry Park, Madeline turned her back on her elite family, friends, and estate to help the Rootless. Now, in Jubilee Manor, she struggles to bring the Gentry and the Rootless together. But when Gentry heirs—Madeline’s old friends—are murdered, even she begins to think a Rootless is behind it, putting her at odds with the boy she loves and the very people she is trying to lead. If she can’t figure out who is killing her friends and bring them to justice, a violent war will erupt and even more will die—and Madeline’s name, her estate, and all the bonds she’s forged won’t make any difference.
This conclusion to Landry Park, which VOYA dubbed "Gone with the Wind meets The Hunger Games,” is a richly satisfying, addictive read.
The First Book in the Series
My Review
I'm thrilled to have Bethany Hagen stopping by today to answer a few questions! Here we go...
What was different for you in writing your second release versus your debut?
There were so many things that were different! I would say the chief difference is the pressure. Because when you’re writing your debut novel, you don’t really know if it will be your debut novel or not. There’s usually only self-imposed deadlines, and the pressure is generally self-imposed. While writing a book is hard work no matter what stage you’re in of the publishing process, I was not prepared for how much different it would be writing a book with an editor and an agent and deadlines that I couldn’t just change at a whim. It was certainly harder to write Jubilee Manor, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I can say that it made me into a much more productive and focused writer.
Did you like writing a duology instead of a standalone or a trilogy?
I loved writing a duology. Originally we sold the series as a trilogy, but as we were working on Jubilee Manor, we realized that we felt the story better fit a duology setup. I think that sustaining interest and tension over three books is a much harder task than sustaining it over two books. Plus, I have a mind like a magpie, and while I was sad to leave Madeline and David behind, I also had so many other story ideas I was giddy about exploring that I didn’t regret moving on.
I think that's pretty much what I've heard from other authors - that the publishing process is tough, but also rewarding.
How do you feel the characters have changed in this second book?
I feel like the events of the last book forced Madeline and David to grow up, in a sense. In the first book, we see them figuring out how they want to navigate their world, but in the second book, they are forced to act on those decisions. They are forced to test them against difficult situations and against people they care about. We see them both adopt more maturity and also more confidence, which I love, because I feel like, dystopia or no dystopia, that is the journey of most young adults.
Isn't that the truth?!!
What is your favorite thing about this conclusion to Landry Park?
I think my favorite thing is that I got to have this sometimes really violent, dark murder mystery combined with all the glitter and silk of the Landry Park world. Blood and silk are pretty much my favorite things.
Lol! I like strong contrasts like that as well. It always seems to bring more depth and make the things that are sweet that much sweeter.
What’s your favorite classical novel and why?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, hands down and forever and always! I read it once a year, and every time I read it, I find some new layer to connect with, some new hidden gem to marvel over. It has everything you could possibly want—brooding widowers, old English manors, proto-feminsim, and a movie adaptation with Michael Fassbender.
Ah. I'm so glad you picked that. I love Jane Eyre! I actually can't count how many times I've read it.
What are you most looking forward to reading this year?
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy! Everything I have seen and read about it indicates that I will love it so much that my face will melt off (or I’ll start singing Dolly Parton songs, I’m not sure which.)
Ha! I didn't even think of that connection!
What are you working on next and can you share a teaser?
I’m working on an as-yet-unnamed science fiction standalone about teenagers who build a massive space station. And I can share a little bit of it! Of course, it is subject to change with edits and all that, so it’s possible this section may not be in the final draft, but right now it’s the very first three paragraphs:
What was different for you in writing your second release versus your debut?
There were so many things that were different! I would say the chief difference is the pressure. Because when you’re writing your debut novel, you don’t really know if it will be your debut novel or not. There’s usually only self-imposed deadlines, and the pressure is generally self-imposed. While writing a book is hard work no matter what stage you’re in of the publishing process, I was not prepared for how much different it would be writing a book with an editor and an agent and deadlines that I couldn’t just change at a whim. It was certainly harder to write Jubilee Manor, but now that I’m on the other side of it, I can say that it made me into a much more productive and focused writer.
Did you like writing a duology instead of a standalone or a trilogy?
I loved writing a duology. Originally we sold the series as a trilogy, but as we were working on Jubilee Manor, we realized that we felt the story better fit a duology setup. I think that sustaining interest and tension over three books is a much harder task than sustaining it over two books. Plus, I have a mind like a magpie, and while I was sad to leave Madeline and David behind, I also had so many other story ideas I was giddy about exploring that I didn’t regret moving on.
I think that's pretty much what I've heard from other authors - that the publishing process is tough, but also rewarding.
How do you feel the characters have changed in this second book?
I feel like the events of the last book forced Madeline and David to grow up, in a sense. In the first book, we see them figuring out how they want to navigate their world, but in the second book, they are forced to act on those decisions. They are forced to test them against difficult situations and against people they care about. We see them both adopt more maturity and also more confidence, which I love, because I feel like, dystopia or no dystopia, that is the journey of most young adults.
Isn't that the truth?!!
What is your favorite thing about this conclusion to Landry Park?
I think my favorite thing is that I got to have this sometimes really violent, dark murder mystery combined with all the glitter and silk of the Landry Park world. Blood and silk are pretty much my favorite things.
Lol! I like strong contrasts like that as well. It always seems to bring more depth and make the things that are sweet that much sweeter.
What’s your favorite classical novel and why?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, hands down and forever and always! I read it once a year, and every time I read it, I find some new layer to connect with, some new hidden gem to marvel over. It has everything you could possibly want—brooding widowers, old English manors, proto-feminsim, and a movie adaptation with Michael Fassbender.
Ah. I'm so glad you picked that. I love Jane Eyre! I actually can't count how many times I've read it.
What are you most looking forward to reading this year?
Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy! Everything I have seen and read about it indicates that I will love it so much that my face will melt off (or I’ll start singing Dolly Parton songs, I’m not sure which.)
Ha! I didn't even think of that connection!
What are you working on next and can you share a teaser?
I’m working on an as-yet-unnamed science fiction standalone about teenagers who build a massive space station. And I can share a little bit of it! Of course, it is subject to change with edits and all that, so it’s possible this section may not be in the final draft, but right now it’s the very first three paragraphs:
Rain falls in angles and tessellations of gray, gossamer silver threads, fragile but sluicing. I run through it all, the water plastering my hair to my head, soaking my shirt, fighting its way into my mouth and nose. I run over broken glass and past empty homes, past glowing police lights and gas stations with barred windows, every step one step that will someday take me far away from here.Oooh!! So happy you could share. :) It sounds very different from this series, but fabulous. Can't wait! Thanks for answering all my questions, Bethany!
Aside from the rain, it is a morning that is a variation of every other morning—wake, run, sweat, repeat. But it is not a morning like every other morning.
Today is the day I test.
About the Author
Bethany is a a former librarian living
in the Kansas City area with her husband and two children.
Her debut novel Landry Park came
out from Dial/Penguin in 2014, and the sequel, Jubilee Manor, will be
out August 11, 2015. She is am represented by Mollie Glick of Foundry Media.
Tour Schedule
Week One:
Week Two:
8/12/2015- WinterHaven Books- Review
8/14/2015- The
Reading Nook Reviews- Guest Post
Tour-Wide Giveaway
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