Lisez La Fleur Blog Tour + Giveaway!
A great day today, it's finally my stop for Alexandra Lanc's Lisez la Fleur book release tour. Alexandra has been a great friend for as long as I've known her, not to mention her books constantly amazed me and I just fell in love with her characters and writing. I have been a fan of her ever since she introduced me to her first book! I will continue to be her loyal fan.
Without babbling for much longer and bore you all with my enthusiasm ( :P ) , I would love to congratulate Alexandra on her release of her latest novel - Lisez la Fleur - which centers around one of our favorite night crawlers, VAMPIRES.
About the Book
Weighted down by the death of her father, her overbearing mother, and the sadness of her little brother, Lorine has less than high hopes for her family’s trip to France. But all of that changes when she is invited to visit the illustrious Chateau du Jumeaux – a premiere nightclub that only the most privileged attend. Lorine jumps at the chance to do something for herself, but gets more than she bargained for when she discovers the terrible truth: the chateau isn’t a nightclub at all, but a feeding ground for perhaps the most ruthless of beings, the creatures known as vampires.
Part one in the Fleur Passages, a collection of novellas to later be sewn into one novel, The Beautiful Beginning starts the epic tale of Lorine. This novella marks the first in a series of ebooks in which readers can take part with "Reader Participation" -- inside of the ebook there is a question directly linked to the next volume in the Fleur Passages, and readers can vote for their favorite answer, to have a say in what happens next!
***As part of the release, Alexandra has also kindly organized a giveaway for 3 lucky winners!***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
***Buy Links***
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00BF0G0J4/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1360788071&sr=8-1&pi=SL75
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BF0G0J4/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1360788150&sr=8-1&pi=SL75
Also, if you are an Amazon Prime Member, you can get the book for free!
Extras
***Behind every great work, there is an inspiration. Here is the playlist that has been the greatest inspiration for Lisez la Fleur! ***
Lisez la Fleur "Theme song": Come Wake Me Up ~ By Rascal Flatts
Alexandra : The moment I heard this song, I knew that it was the theme for this story. In the original, "Where You Are" was the theme, but the story has changed so much since then. It's a great story, with many dark tones, and Paranormal Romance and Horror/Suspense elements, but at its heart, it's really about emotion.
Chapter One/Arrival In France: Where You Are ~ By Rascal Flatts
Alexandra : This was my original "theme" for Lisez la Fleur, back when the story was completely different, the first time I wrote it. Whenever I hear it, I picture Lorine getting ready for her trip, and then I picture her flying into France, and seeing the Eiffel Tower. To me, it's more about wanting to be in a new place, for her, than it is about romance.
Chapter Two/Lorine and Josh, Siblings: I won't Let Go ~ By Racal Flatts
Alexandra : Lorine has a younger brother named Josh, who she loves very much, and they've been through a lot together. This song was used at my mother's wedding, when she got re-married, and I got new siblings. I think it's a great song for anyone, but for family especially. There's something special about being there for each other that Lorine really knows well, and this song reflects it.
Chapter Four/Lorine's Breakaway: Then I Did ~ By Rascal Flatts
Alexandra : This is a burrowed song from my original penning of Lisez la Fleur. Then, it held a lot of the same significance it does now: moving on, and then turning to see what you've left behind.
Chapter Five-Six/The Truth Revealed: Cowboy Casanova ~ By Carrie Underwood
Alexandra : I remember when this song first came out. I've added the music video for it, because I remember watching it, and hearing the song for the first time, and thinking: "Wow, this guy sounds like a vampire -- I know a character who this fits!". As for who that character is, well...you'll just have to read the novella (Spoilers, a reference for all of my fellow Doctor Who fans). I also really loved the scenery and the dark tone of this video, and some of Carrie's outfits. :)
And for the best part, I got to interview Alexandra herself!
Hello, everyone! I’m extended a special thank you to Natasha for having me on the blog. I’m very thrilled and honored to be here today.
You mentioned in your "Author's Note" that writing Lisez La Fleur was life changing, how is that so?
Well, around four years ago, when I first wrote the novel, I had never written anything with a gothic tone, and Lisez la Fleur was my first trip into horror fiction. I had just recently finished reading Dracula, and I was inspired to write something both different, and something a little more “adult” than my other writing, but I never really expected to love writing horror so much; in that way, it was life-changing, because I found what would become one of my favorite genres, and my writing became much more mature, and as an author, that was a big stepping stone in my journey.
Lisez la Fleur is definitely something darker from what you have previously written, what was your experience in writing this book?
Honestly, from writing this story, and other horror novels after it (none released quite yet, sorry; in the future), I’ve found that, for me, writing darker novels is a lot of fun. Not that I haven’t enjoyed writing my other stories, because I have, but I’ve always loved dark and gritty fiction, and the sort of romance that comes along with it. I think that writing darker tones really gives me the chance to be more serious with my characters and their emotions, and it allows me to use some really beautiful settings, such as the château in Lisez la Fleur.
You mentioned that you have a fascination towards vampires because of Bram Stoker's Dracula, any particular trait that you like best about vampires?
I’ve always had a fascination with vampires, ever since I saw Bela Lugosi as Dracula when I was little, my very first run-in with vampires.
I would definitely have to say that my favorite vampire trait is the romantic aspect that the traditional vampire, such as Dracula, has. I’m not sure why the idea of vampires is romantic, but I suppose that the long-life, and enduring love of life is to blame; plus they’re usually very charming. Also, vampires are usually – especially in the traditional sense – surrounded by a gothic setting, and are very gentlemanly and sophisticate, and I love those themes.
A huge part of the novel centers around Loraine's family, what inspires you to create the character Loraine and Josh?
I really wanted to make Lorine’s story relatable, as far as I could (vampires excluded), and I really wanted her to be a character that the readers could sympathize with. Lorine is actually based on my grandmother (who had the same name), who was very much like her character, and I suppose she has a bit of me thrown in there as well.
As for Josh, one of my favorite aspects of family to focus on is the relationships between siblings, because I have an amazing older brother, so I created Josh’s character to show off a good sibling bond. Lorine has opposition from her mother, and she has support from her brother, and I think that the combination of those two things makes her more relatable, and gives her room to grow throughout the story as a person. Plus, her love for her brother gives her something to protect, and at the same time, he protects her in his own way; they are able to hold each other up, and to catch each other when they fall.
Loraine is a huge art-loving person, do you have any favorite artwork of your own? And have you considered bringing your characters to life by creating paintings of them?
Lorine and I share a love of art, and that is also tied into the fact that Lorine is based off of my grandmother, who loved art as well (and Country music, a reason why my playlist is so important to this story, and is full of Country artists). I come from a family of artists, and art has always been important to us, so I wanted to pay tribute not only to my grandmother’s love of art, but also to the artists in my family.
I do love art, though painting isn’t my specialty. I may do drawings of my characters some day, though.
As far as a favorite painting, I would definitely have to say “Water Lilies” by Claude Monet is my favorite. I’m also a big fan of Georgia O’Keeffe, Vincent van Gogh, and Thomas Kinkade.
What do you want the readers to expect for book two? Book one left us hanging with a huge cliffhanger!
Cliffhangers are my specialty! :)
Book two will be out in July, and there will definitely be some surprises in it. Readers will see more of Château de Jumeaux, learn more about the mysterious vampires, and meet an amazing new character. Plus, Lorine will be faced with an impossible decision. What is it? Well, I can’t tell you that…but I can tell you that it probably won’t be what you expect!
My Review
Is it just another vampire story?
In this short novella, Alexandra has managed to remind me of why Vampires are being crowned as the fearful creatures of the night, bloodsucking has never seem so intimidating!
This is a story of a holiday gone awry for a young teenage girl who is just embarking on her life's journey. Lorine was just starting college when she went on a holiday trip to France with her family to fulfill her mother's dream of rekindling their relationship before she move away. Neither Lorine nor her family knew that the mysteriously alluring stranger that they met in a cafe will be the one who destroys them.
Alexandra has painted a fine detail of a wonderful Paris Setting and that was what awed me. Having never been to France, I can at least imagine myself there! I do appreciate the effort that Alexandra put into describing the settings, and most of all I do love her appreciation towards art!
Now delving back into the main story. Lisez la Fleur captured my interest because it comes in a whole package! If you are looking for horror, you've got to have a taste of French Vampires who does not deny their own nature. If you are looking for romance, perhaps there's a possibility! And if you are looking for family dramas, there is something going on between Loraine and her mother. Another aspect that I love about the novella is how Alexandra has captured the sibling ties between Loraine and her younger brother, Josh. You fall in love with them instantly!
A great short read and highly recommended!
2 comments
Thank you so much for hosting today! The post looks great, and your review was superb. I'm thrilled that you liked it. :)
ReplyDeleteAlexandra-
You are welcome! I enjoyed my time setting up the post!
DeleteHi! Thank you for stopping by and commenting on my blog. Wishing you a dreamy day!