Author Interview: The Bloodforged by Erin Lindsey (@jessicadhaluska, @ETettensor)

I’m very excited to welcome Erin Lindsey who kindly took the time to answer a few questions about the latest installment of her BLOODBOUND series, THE BLOODFORGED . . . and herself.

1. How many books? (B/c seriously, you could write this series forever. I want a book from Rig’s POV and Erik’s and . . .)

[box]The series was planned as a trilogy, but that doesn’t preclude future installments if there’s a demand for it. Book 3, The Bloodsworn, ties up all the major loose ends plot-wise, but I’ve still left enough toys scattered around that I can pick them up and play with them later on. And each and every one of these main characters could carry a novel or three. So you never know! As with any series, if you want to see more, buy the books, share them, review them, tell your friends! [/box]

 

2. You’ve said this is the most challenging book you’ve ever written. Why?

[box]It’s a pretty ambitious story arc. We’ve gone from two PoVs to four, with three separate yet interlocking plotlines happening concurrently in three different countries. Complicated plots aren’t unusual with epic fantasy, but they often *feel* complicated when you’re reading them, and it’s easy to get lost or frustrated amid multiple PoVs. That’s something I was determined to avoid. One of the things I’ve really tried to do with this series is to tell an epic story in a light and approachable way, without that doorstopper density the genre is (in)famous for. So I wanted those three separate storylines to flow seamlessly, each with their own beginning, middle, and climax, and yet to come together smoothly in the end. And I wanted each of those PoVs to be absolutely distinct and compelling in its own way, so there was never any question of wanting to skip so-and-so’s chapter to get back to someone else’s. I knew going in that all that was going to be really tough to accomplish. [/box]

 

3. There were some pretty serious repercussions for one of Alix’s impulsive decisions this time–has she learned her lesson, or is she going to continue to leap first, look second?

[box]Well, I’m a big believer in realistic character development, and in the real world, people don’t change overnight. We struggle. We fall back into bad habits. And sometimes we even over-correct. So Alix will definitely continue to wrestle with her impulsive nature, but those serious repercussions you mention will also haunt her, and she’ll cope with that in ways that maybe the reader won’t expect. [/box]

 

4. We’ve yet to learn much about how this blood magic works. It’s mentioned in THE BLOODFORGED that the practitioners zealously guard their secrets, but will some of those secrets be revealed in future installments?

[box]The Bloodsworn will get into more detail about blood magic than either of the previous books, but there will still be a lot of mystery surrounding it. For one thing, I tend to prefer magic when it’s otherworldly and a bit unfathomable, rather than the more mechanical, meticulously-explained sort. But also, the nature of bloodbinding and its shifting place in the world is one of those toys I’ve left lying around at the end of Book 3, which could play an important role in future installments (if they exist). [/box]

 

5. Erik cannot seem to catch a break. Is there an HEA for him in sight? (I’m not asking for specifics, just something to put out poor hearts at ease.)

[box]Poor Erik. It’s tough to be king. He really does suffer, and it’s going to get worse for him before it gets better. In many ways, what Erik goes through, and how those trials shape the man he becomes, is the philosophical heart of the series. The dilemma Raibert Green posed in Book 1 – being a good man vs. a good king – is one that’s very close to my heart, and it’s a central theme of the series. Erik makes a couple of painful decisions related to this in The Bloodbound, and he’s still haunted by them. An even more difficult choice lies ahead (gold star if you catch the foreshadowing in Chapter 2 of The Bloodforged), and that dilemma is going to play a big role in Book 3.




As for HEAs… well, we’ll have to see.. [/box]

 

You are a cruel, cruel mistress, Erin. Not that it matters, b/c I will first in line to see about that HEA . . .

 

Lightning Round

 

Bread or Chocolate? Pain au chocolat. (Jessica says you are a woman after her own heart.)

Thor or Loki? Definitely Loki. (Loki is Jessica’s one true love.)

UF or PNR? UF.

Sudoku or Crossword? Crossword.

Favorite Disney Princess? Merida. She and Alix have the same hair.

Favorite supernatural creature? The Darkwalker, but I’m biased.

Favorite carbonated beverage? Prosecco.

Celebrity crush? Embarrassingly numerous. Today, I’ll go with Joe Manganiello, because he reminds me of Rig. (Jessica swoons.)

Favorite fairy tale? Does Naomi Novik’s Uprooted count. (Jessica says YES. It definitely does.)

Favorite 1980’s song? Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.

 

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]http://rabidreads.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Erin-Lindsey-resized.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]

Author Bio




Erin Lindsey is on an epic quest to write the perfect vacation novel for fantasy lovers. THE BLOODFORGED, Book 2 of the Bloodbound trilogy, releases on September 29. She also writes fantasy mystery as E.L. Tettensor.

Website, Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook[/author_info] [/author]

 

Giveaway

One paperback copy of THE BLOODFORGED for one lucky Rabid Reader in the US or Canada. Y’all know how I roll by now (DEATH to Rafflecopter!), so please leave a comment to enter. Random.org will provide the winner one week from today. May the odds be ever in your favor.

 

 

The epic saga that started in THE BLOODBOUND continues…

As war between Alden and Oridia intensifies, King Erik must defend his kingdom from treachery and enemies on all sides—but the greatest danger lurks closer to home…

When the war began, Lady Alix Black played a minor role, scouting at the edge of the king’s retinue in relative anonymity. Though she’s once again facing an attacking Oridian force determined to destroy all she holds dear, she is now bodyguard to the king and wife to the prince.

Still, she is unprepared for what the revival of the war will mean. Erik is willing to take drastic measures to defend his domain, even if it means sending Prince Liam into a deadly web of intrigue and traveling into the perilous wild lands of Harram himself.

Only the biggest threat to the kingdom might be one that neither Alix nor Erik could have imagined, or prepared for…

 

Thanks again to Erin Lindsey for stopping by and answering my questions! Be sure to check out my for my review of THE BLOODFORGED, posting on Friday!

 

10/8/15 – UPDATE: Congratulations to Jean S! Random.org loves you 😉

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