Triumph of Chaos Blog Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

Triumph of Chaos (Red Magic #3)
by Jen McConnel
Publication Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: Month9Books

After the disaster in Europe, Darlena’s starting to get desperate. She knows the only way to
defeat Hecate and the other crazy Red Gods is by banding together with other Witches, but is it any wonder she has a hard time trusting them?

With Izzy’s support, Darlena begins making fragile strides toward repairing the mess she made,
but she just can’t catch a break. As chaos runs rampant around her, Darlena begins to think that things would be better if she’d never become a Red Witch in the first place. But there’s no way to change the past…is there?

The final book in the Red Magic series brings Darlena face to face with impossible odds, and a
terrifying choice.

Author Interview:

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin writing? What inspires you to write?
I’ve been writing as long as I can remember, but what really prompted me to get serious about my writing was my teaching career. I started out teaching in middle school, and I feel in love with YA literature. I’m an avid reader, and I love stories in all forms, whether I’m telling them or hearing (or reading!) them.

Who is your intended audience and why should they read your book?
The Red Magic series is a YA Fantasy series, so my primary audience will hopefully be teens, but I’m a huge advocate of reading whatever you want to read, and I know there are a lot of adults like me who love YA lit as well. I hope whoever picks up my books will enjoy being thrown into the fast-paced, high-stakes world that Darlena inhabits.

How did you come up with the title of your book or series?
I went through a number of titles before landing on Daughter of Chaos, Gods of Chaos, and Triumph of Chaos. I got a lot of feedback from various writers and agents early on in the process, and my friend who’s a middle school librarian really helped me brainstorm to get Daughter of Chaos. I always knew I wanted to call the series Red Magic, though, since that’s such a vital part of the story.

Tell us a little bit about your cover art. Who designed it? Why did you go with that particular image/artwork?
My publisher commissioned the covers for the series, and I love the way each one captures the changes in Darlena, my main character: she begins the series terrified and unsteady, hits a low point of depression and frustration in the second book, and by the final book, she’s really begun to embrace her power…even if that means she’s lethal.

Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
I love Darlena, the impulsive, 16 year old Witchy protagonist. I love her energy and her loyalty, and her stubbornness and snark were a lot of fun to write.

How about your least favorite character? What makes them less appealing to you?
That’s a tough question! I guess I’ll have to say Samuel, Marcus and Izzy’s uncle; I like him least because I developed him the least, so I never really got to know him.

If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?
Another tough question! I try not to think about changes I would make once a book is published, so I really don’t know! Letting the stories go is an important part of being an author.

Give us an interesting fun fact or a few about your book or series:
When I started writing Daughter of Chaos, I got more than halfway through the first draft before I realized that Darlena needed a best friend (if you’ve read DoC, you know just how important Rochelle became!).

What other books are similar to your own? What makes them alike?
There are a lot of awesome witchy YA titles out there, but I especially love the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan. We both draw from contemporary Pagan roots in our stories, but her series is much closer to our reality in many ways, whereas the Red Magic series presents a reality that is totally unlike our own.

How can we contact you or find out more about your books?
I’m all over the Internet; if you visit my website at http://www.jenmcconnel.com, you can sign up for my newsletter and find out where to follow me on social media.

What can we expect from you in the future?
I’ve got lots of story ideas simmering, but I think next up will be a NA Paranormal Romance series.

What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
That’s an awesome question! Reader recommendations are super important, whether that means leaving a review at your favorite online retailer or suggesting the book to your friends and family. Readers make the book world go round, and I am so appreciative of everyone who’s fallen in love with Darlena’s messed up life.

Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers trying to get published?
Keep writing and reading, and never let anyone tell you to give up on your dreams.

Is there anything else you’d like to say?
Thanks so much for hosting me on this tour! ❤

And now, before you go, how about a snippet from your book that is meant to intrigue and tantalize us:
Since this is the last book in the series, I don’t want to give too much away, but here’s a sneak peek:
I used to scoff at people who preached about the end of the world, but ever since Marcus, I hadn’t been able to laugh off the sandwich-board crazies popping up everywhere. Maybe it would have been funny if I didn’t know the truth.
The world was ending. Or at least it would be if I couldn’t stop it.

Link to Red Magic Series

Purchase Links:

Daughter of Chaos (Red Magic #1):

Google Play / BAM / Chapters / Indies / Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / iBooks

Gods of Chaos (Red Magic #2):

Google Play / BAM / Chapters / Indies / Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / iBooks

Triumph of Chaos (Red Magic #3):

Google Play / BAM / Chapters / Indies / Amazon / B&N / Kobo / TBD / iBooks

About the Author:

A Michigander by birth, Jen McConnel now makes her home in the beautiful state of North Carolina. She writes NA, including the recently released Adventures Abroad series (Bloomsbury Spark), the award winning YA novel Beautiful Curse (Swoon Romance), and various other works. When she isn’t writing, she can be found on her yoga mat or wandering off on another adventure. Once upon a time, she was a middle school teacher, a librarian, and a bookseller, but those are stories for another time. Visit http://www.JenMcConnel.com to learn more!