In Between The Pages: Blog Tour: Fragile Reign By: Stacey O'Neale

Hey ya'll I cannot explain how excited I am to be apart of this tour. I was introduced to Stacey O'Neale and her Mortal Enchantment series when Mortal Enchantment had its blog tour a few months back. I fell in love with the series and the characters and couldn't wait till this one was out. Sadly I have not had the chance to read it yet. I've been out of town for Thanksgiving but was informed that book did arrive at my house, so as soon as I get back and deal with finals from my college classes you can bet that book will be read and a review will be posted. If you haven't had the opportunity to start the series yet I highly suggest you do. It is fast paced and incredible. The thing I love most? It is a really cool way of looking at a topic that other books have tackled. I loved O'Neale's twist and turns and how she created such a beautiful world.

And as a treat for ya'll, I had the privilege of getting to do an interview with Stacey herself, so scroll down to see that. Along with a great giveaway :)

Hope ya'll enjoy

FRAGILE REIGN (Mortal Enchantment #2)

It’s been a week since all hell broke loose…  Rumors of King Taron’s weakened powers have left the air court vulnerable. Kalin is desperate to awaken her akasha powers, except she doesn’t know how. Tension within the court is at an all-time high. Pressure is mounting for her to ascend to the throne, but a halfling has never ruled over any court. To solidify her position, the council has advised her to marry Sebastian—a high ranking air elemental she’s never met and her betrothed.   

Will Kalin sacrifice her relationship with Rowan to strengthen her court?

Rowan and Marcus return to a fire court in turmoil. Liana’s death has fueled the fire elementals’ distrust against the air and woodland courts. The unbalanced elements have set off natural disasters all over the mortal world. Rowan takes the throne to restore balance, promising to unite the fire court. But not all elementals are happy with his leadership. Many are secretly loyal to Valac, which means Rowan needs to find allies for his cause.

Can Rowan unify the court of fire before the elements destroy the world?

Fragile Reign: Goodreads | Amazon

Interview With Stacey:

What was the process like getting your book to become a reality? Getting an agent, signing with a publisher if you have one, etc…

It's different for everyone. I had a publisher offer a contract for my series, but I decided to turn them down. For me, self publishing made more sense because I wanted to do it myself. Since I spent so many years as a book publicist, I've gotten to know many talented editors, cover artists, etc. I wanted to work with people I knew and trusted.

Out of all your characters who were your favorite to write? Who was also the hardest to write?

Rowan has been my favorite character. He's so multi-faceted. He's always surprising me. Kalin was tough to write because of her sharp character arc in MORTAL ENCHANTMENT. You see her go from a naïve teenager into a strong woman in a very short period of time.

Do you have an author that you completely fan girl over? I know I freak out over anything Wendy Higgins and Jennifer Armentrout.

Well, I was Jennifer's publicist at Entangled, so I do fangirl over her. I'd say my two favorite authors are Gena Showalter and Holly Black. I'll read anything they write.

What was one of your favorite scenes to write in Fragile Reign?

Chapter Seventeen. It's a scene readers have been asking for. I think Rowan fans will be pleased. ;-)

Who is your favorite book boyfriend? I have a serious crush on McKale from Wendy Higgins See Me (Told you I was obsessed lol) But that also is in part because I love the whole Irish thing. It is so H.O.T!!

Will from Cassie Clare's Infernal Devices. He's so dark and twisty. I do love my broken birds. Plus, those eyes. *swoon*

Where did the inspiration to write the Mortal Enchantment Series come from?

I was researching faeries when I kept coming across the word elemental. I googled the name and happened to stumble upon the sixteenth century works of an alchemist named Paracelsus. He identified the four types of elementals, even giving them names. My brain started spinning with ideas, and eventually, the characters came to life.

Is there anything new that you’re working on right now? And would you be willing to share anything about it, or from it?

I'm writing an adult science fiction romance featuring sexy aliens. Think, an adult version of Roswell from the 90's. It's really a lot of fun to bounce between adult and YA.

When you’re writing a book do you type it up? Or go old school and write it with pen and paper then transfer to digital?

I have a laptop I use only for writing. It keeps me off the internet. ;-p

Jaws? Or Jurassic Park?

Neither. I hate scary movies. Big weenie, right here. *points to self*

Ok last question. Is there anything that looking back on you would want to change from Fragile Reign or the series in general?

Nope. I'm proud of the series. I wouldn't want to change anything.

Thanks for the great questions, Kayla! <3

Excerpt:

After Marcus left, the lack of sleep and overuse of my power had finally caught up to me. My lids were heavy, making it hard to keep my eyes open. I laid down on the nearest bed, sinking into the softness of the vanilla scented pillows. I could rest here until tomorrow, and then meet Kalin on the beach at sundown. As I closed my eyes, I imagined her in that sexy sundress with the ocean breeze wafting through her red curls. My lips tingled remembering the raspberry taste of her kisses. With all this craziness going on, she was the one thing that made sense. The only person who could make me forget about everything for a little while.

Kalin was the one I wanted. The only one I needed. I shook my head. What was wrong with me? It was too soon to be thinking about this stuff, right? It had only been a few weeks. And what did I know about real feelings, anyway? Had it not been for Marcus, I would never even know what it felt like to care for someone. Love was never part of my life. My mother thought love was a weakness—a totally worthless emotion compared to power and control.

But that still didn’t explain how I was feeling. Why everything seemed better when Kalin was around. Why my fingers ached to touch her. Why her pain shattered me to the core. I put my hands over my face. Or, maybe the lack of sleep was making me delusional. With a smirk, I gave in to the darkness that was overwhelming me and fell asleep.

Other Books In the Mortal Enchantment Series:

THE SHADOW PRINCE (Mortal Enchantment #0.5)

"Filled with betrayal and intrigue, THE SHADOW PRINCE is a dark and twisty novella from an exciting new author!"

Katee Robert, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

Sixteen-year-old Rowan has spent most of his life living among the mortals—learning to control the element of fire, impatiently awaiting the day his vengeful mother, Queen Prisma, will abdicate her throne. When he finally returns to Avalon for his coronation, his mother insists he must first prove his loyalty to the court by completing a secret mission:

Kill Kalin, the half-human, half-elemental daughter of the air court king.

Willing to do anything to remove his mother from power, he agrees to sacrifice the halfling. He returns to the mortal world with his best friend, Marcus, determined to kill the princess. But as he devises a plan, he starts to question whether or not he's capable of completing such a heinous task. And what price he will pay if he refuses?

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

MORTAL ENCHANTMENT

“Mortal Enchantment spins a unique twist on elemental mythology. This series is not to be missed.”

Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

In Kalin Matthew's world, elementals control the forces of nature. They are divided into four courts: air, woodland, fire, and water. At sixteen she will leave the life she's built with her mortal mother. Kalin will move to Avalon to rule with her father—the elemental king of the air court. Along the way, she's attacked by a fire court assassin and saved by Rowan, a swoon-worthy elemental with a questionable past.

Worst of all, she learns her father is missing.

To rescue him, Kalin will have to work with a judgmental council and a system of courts too busy accusing each other of deceit to actually be able to help her. But, they aren’t her biggest challenge. With the Midwinter’s Ball only five days away, Kalin must take over her father’s duties, which includes shifting control of the elements—power Kalin has yet to realize.

As Rowan attempts to train her, a war looms between the four courts. If Kalin fails, her father will die and the courts will fall, but the betrayal she’s about to uncover may cost her even more...

Mortal Enchantment: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

ABOUT STACEY O’NEALE:

Stacey O'Neale lives in Annapolis, Maryland. When she's not writing, she spends her time fangirling over books, blogging, watching fantasy television shows, cheering for the Baltimore Ravens, and hanging out with her husband and daughter.

Her career in publishing started as a blogger-turned-publicist for two successful small publishers. Stacey writes young adult paranormal romance and adult science fiction romance. Her books always include swoon-worthy heroes, snarky heroines, and lots of kissing.

Stacey loves hearing from readers. Follow her on Twitter @StaceyONeale, look for her on Facebook, Pinterest, and GoodReads. You can also visit her blog at http://staceyoneale.com/.

Author Links:

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest

GIVEAWAY:

a Rafflecopter giveaway Other Stops On The Tour:

Monday, November 24th - Book-Marks The Spot

Tuesday, November 25th - Release Day Launch!

Wednesday, November 26th - Lost in Ever After

Thursday, November 27th - Happy Thanksgiving!

Friday, November 28th - A Backwards Story

Monday, December 1st - GenGen's Book Blog

Tuesday, December 2nd - In Between The Pages

Wednesday, December 3rd - The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club