Interview & Contest: Lee Nichols (Author of DECEPTION!)

I'm thrilled to be participating in the DECEPTION blog tour and to have the opportunity to conduct a brief interview with the novel's author, Lee Nichols. Be sure to check out my review too!

A Brief Bio
Lee Nichols is the author of five novels for adults, including the bestselling TALES OF A DRAMA QUEEN. She makes her YA debut in this month with DECEPTION: A Haunting Emma Novel. Follow her on Twitter at LeeXNichols or Friend her on Facebook at Lee Nichols.

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Give a short statement describing DECEPTION.

When seventeen-year-old Emma Vaile's parents go missing, she discovers she can see and control ghosts, and that her parents knew this all along. She's thrown into a secret world of ghostkeepers and has to solve an other-worldly mystery. Oh, and lose her best friend and fall for the wrong guy, while trying to maintain a B average at an exclusive prep school.

Emma doesn’t seem particularly worried about the disappearance of her parents, which surprised me. Is the situation one that Emma is accustomed to from years of similar trips? If so, what does this reveal about Emma’s parents? If not, what does Emma’s lack of anxiety reveal about her?
They have gone on long trips before, without being much in touch with her. They're techno-phobic, so she isn't shocked they aren't answering their cell, and she's kind of overwhelmed by everything else that's happening to her. I don't think there's a lack of anxiety. She's constantly trying to figure out where they are and then worries that they're involved with some terrible things that are happening. But yes, their relationship is essentially flawed, even though she loves them and they love her.

Why did you choose to write ghosts into Emma’s story, rather than another paranormal creature or twist?
Because I wanted to write something sort of Gothic, and to me that meant an old house, mystery, and ghosts.


How many novels do you intend to write about Emma? Are you currently working on any other projects?
There are three books total in the Haunting Emma series. Deception is out June 8th, Betrayal in March 2011, and I'm currently writing Possession, which will be published late 2011


My blog is dedicated to my personal hiding spot, books. Who, what, or where can be credited as your personal escape from reality?
Oh, definitely books.

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CONTEST

Prizes provided by Bloomsbury!

Prizes:

There will be two winners. Each will receive a finished copy of DECEPTION. This contest is open internationally, so one copy will go an entrant from the US and one will go to an International entrant.

How to Enter:

You MUST comment on my review of DECEPTION or the interview with Lee Nichols. (Only one comment is required.) Then you MUST fill out this FORM. If you neglect to comment on at least one of the posts or fill out the form, you will not be entered to win.

Extra Entries:

Not required. Extra entries are detailed on the entry form as well.

+5 entries - Comment on my review or interview (whichever you did not comment on for your original entry)

+4 entries - Old Follower/Subscriber (Thank you!)

+2 entries - New Follower/Subscriber (Welcome! You will gain 4 entries in the next contest you enter at The Hiding Spot as an Old Follower/Subscriber!)

+2 Follow me on Twitter (@thehidingspot) Leave your @name for verification.

+2 Follow Lee Nichols on Twitter (@leexnichols) Leave your @name for verification.

+3 Tweet this contest. (Leave a link.)

+3 Link this contest on your sidebar, in a post, or on FB. (Leave a link.)

Details:

Contest will close June 25th 2010. OPEN INTERNATIONALLY.

Good luck!

Review: Deception by Lee Nichols

Title: Deception
Author: Lee Nichols
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pub. Date: 6.8.10
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery YA
Keywords: Ghosts, Love, Murder, Mystery, Powers
Pages: 310
Description (GoodReads):
When Emma Vaile's parents leave on mysterious business trip, it gives her the perfect excuse to be a rebellious teen. Throw some parties, get a tattoo (or maybe just a piercing), and enjoy the first few weeks of her junior year. Then her best friend stops talking to her, the cops crash her party, and Emma finds herself in the hands of a new guardian—her college-age "knight in J.Crew armor," Bennett Stern—and on a plane to his museum-like mansion in New England. After enrolling at Thatcher Academy, Emma settles in by making friends with the popular legacy crowd. But she can't shake the strange visions that are haunting her. She has memories of Thatcher she can't explain, as if she's returning home to a place she's never been. Emma doesn't trust anyone anymore—except maybe Bennett. But he's about to reveal a ghostly secret to Emma. One that will explain the visions . . . and make Emma fear for her life.

DECEPTION has reminded me that it has been entirely too long since I’ve read a good ghostly mystery. When I picked up the novel I thought it looked good, but I wasn’t prepared for how much I would end up enjoying it! I found myself furiously flipping pages and, when I found myself on the last page, lamenting my wait until the next installment.



At first, I wasn’t sure how well I was going to like the author’s treatment of the dialogue. It seemed almost inconsistent: casual one moment and formal the next. Eventually, I either stopped noticing or started to like it, I’m not sure which. As I read, it started to flow very realistically and it was easy to imagine that Emma was sitting next to me narrating the story.


I really enjoyed Nichols’ portrayal of ghosts and Emma’s powers. I’m impressed that each YA ghost novel that I’ve read brings something new to the table. It seems almost easy to differentiate paranormal creatures like vampires and weres, but ghosts require a bit more creativity. Now that the scene has been set, I’m excited to discover what Emma will face in the next book and to see a greater exploration of her powers.


I have mixed feelings about DECEPTION’s romantic plot line. At the beginning of the novel, Emma was extremely immature, which had me worried. I thought that her relationship with Bennett would turn out to be only a school girl crush on her older brother’s friend. Thankfully, Emma morphed throughout the novel. By the end, I could definitely see how a relationship between the two could develop. Nichols throws readers for a bit of a loop at the end of the novel, so I’m desperate to see how Emma and Bennett will find a way around the complication presented.


And holy cliffhanger! I raced to that last page, only to find a cliffhanger of epic proportions! I adore cliffhangers.


Grade: A-


Cover Notes:
I’d pick it up based on the cover. The house in the background is a bit awkward - it’s almost too bright – but I like that the focus on the girl’s face and the wispy smoke.

Buy It!

Amazon/IndieBound

Check out my interview with Lee Nichols and enter to win your own copy of the novel.