The Treachery of Beautiful Things is a highly anticipated novel for lovers of fantasy, and especially perfect if you’re looking for an old-fashioned fairy tale. Today I’m very happy to have Ruth Frances Long over for an interview, and you can win your very own copy!
The Treachery of Beautiful Things
Ruth Frances Long
Publication date: August 16th 2012
by Dial Books
A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction
The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she’s lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice–and not just her own.
Interview with Ruth Frances Long
Q. Let’s start with telling us what it is about writing fantasy that you love the most?
I love the sense of exploring the edge of human existence and beyond, the way it combines our oldest and newest tales, adventure, mystery and passion.
Q. What was the best part of creating the world inside The Treachery of Beautiful Things?
While researching for The Treachery of Beautiful Things, the stories and legends I was looking at seemed to form links of their own, to interconnect in unexpected ways. Stories also emerged from between the words I wrote, old stories I did not originally intend to use, but they seemed to force their way in nonetheless. It was sort of magical.
Q. What type of research went into building this fantasy world?
I read a lot of folklore and fairy tales, tracing stories as far back as I could wherever possible. I looked at a wide variety of tales from different cultures and found the places where they intersected. We also visited the White Horse at Uffington and Waylands Smithy on a glorious summer’s day, and traced Jack’s path along the Ridgeway between the two.
Q. The cover for The Treachery of Beautiful Things is absolutely gorgeous and I’m sure you’ve had tons of feedback on it. What’s the best comment you ever got? Is there one that stands out?
The feedback on the cover has been wonderful, and so exciting. I love when people notice the tiny details pertinent to the story, like the way the flowers become part of the dress. The details are amazing and I’m so grateful to the very talented artist, Danielle Delaney, for doing such a fabulous job. On a more humorous not, there was the comment from a good friend: “that girl needs a sandwich!” J
Q. Is there anything you can tell us about yourself or the book that would surprise your readers?
Much of the landscape—the forests, the Ridgeway, Wayland’s Smithy—are real places, or based on real places. There are old forests and old places everywhere. It’s worth a visit to get a sense of the other that seems to linger there.
Thanks so much for coming over the blog, Ruth! I’m glad I got to be a part of your tour!
A lifelong fan of fantasy, romance, and ancient mysteries, Ruth Frances Long studied English Literature, History of Religions, and Celtic Civilization in college and now works in a specialized library of rare and unusual books. She lives in County Wicklow, Ireland. The Treachery of Beautiful Things is her first novel for teens.
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GiveawayThanks to Itching For Books Tour and treachery Penguin Young Readers Group, there’s one finished copy of The Treachery of Beautiful Things up for giveaway.
Open to US addresses only
Giveaway ends August 15th, 2012
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